Chapter 80 New Shareholders However, before Gu Qingyan could even process this mystery...

The thought was so strong because, in every moment of despair over the past week, he had clearly realized that if the charges were proven true, he would be doomed. At that point, no matter how much he missed her, he would completely lose the right to contact her. Even if she were still willing to associate with a disgraced person, he would absolutely not allow himself to entangle her or let her get even a little bit tainted.

Fortunately, there are no "what ifs".

The call connected, and the waiting tone lasted only one ring before someone answered.

"Hello?" Lin Yuwei's voice came through, but the background was not as quiet as expected. Instead, there was a lot of noise from traffic and people. She seemed to be in a noisy street.

Gu Qingyan's heart sank slightly. The words she had prepared changed course, turning into a silly greeting: "Are you home?"

"No, I'm outside." Her tone was somewhat hurried: "I saw the news, how's the situation on your end...?"

Lin Yuwei's words "outside" and her polite inquiry were like a tiny thorn, gently pricking Gu Qingyan's heart. All his surging emotions seemed to burst like a balloon that had been inflated to its limit. He felt an indescribable sense of loss, and his original burning expectation vanished completely.

"It's all over now." He heard his own voice, tinged with barely perceptible bitterness and inexplicable grievance.

"That's good." Lin Yuwei responded quickly, almost without pausing: "Then you should get some rest, I have things to do here."

"good."

The call ended abruptly and decisively.

Gu Qingyan held his phone, which was already dialing "busy," for a long time without putting it down. His slightly lonely figure was reflected in the windowpane. He had finally achieved the security he had longed for, but at the moment when he most wanted to share his joy, he felt a strange emptiness.

"Outside..."

"I have something else to do..."

These words swirled in his mind, eventually intertwining with the background noise of bustling traffic, sketching a picture he dared not contemplate: perhaps Zhou Xubai was standing next to Lin Yuwei, the two enjoying a night stroll, only to be interrupted by his untimely phone call…

A smile mixed with self-mockery and bitterness welled up in his heart. Yes, what made him think that when he could offer her almost no certainty, and might even bring her risks, he could still expect her immediate attention? That desire, hidden deep in his heart and growing wildly after surviving the ordeal, seemed so out of place at this moment, even somewhat ridiculous.

Gu Qingyan looked out the window again. The city lights were still there, but it was as if there was an invisible film separating them. All his joy was shut out. He stood alone in the center of the empty office. The great victory he had just achieved was quietly swallowed up by a deeper sense of loneliness.

He won the battle, but it was as if he had suffered a crushing defeat on another, unseen battlefield.

****

Lin Yuwei was walking out of a large supermarket, carrying bags of daily necessities. She had just returned to her newly rented apartment. Although the moving company had done its best to restore her place, there were still some things she needed to buy.

As she was carrying heavy toiletries and about to put them in the trunk, she received a call from Gu Qingyan. Hearing the relieved exhaustion in his voice, her heart also settled down. She wanted to ask him how he had gotten through the week and how he was feeling, but the words that came out of her mouth were restrained: "How did things go?"

Lin Yuwei knew that what he needed most at that moment was rest, not to face her concern and questions that she might not be able to control. So, after confirming that he was "already fine," she could only hastily end the call with "I have something to do."

Moreover, she needed to get back to her residence to rest as soon as possible, because the stock market would open at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow, which would be the most crucial battle in her plan. She would use all the funds she had gathered as soon as the market opened to absorb all the circulating shares of Venustech in the market, regardless of cost.

This sum of money, forged from her apartment, collection, and all her savings, is the last and most solid line of defense she can build for Gu Qingyan. What she wants is not only his innocence, but also to protect the technological empire he built.

Only at that moment was her protective plan truly accomplished.

The next morning, Engineer Han knocked on Gu Qingyan's office door with an investigation report.

"Mr. Gu, we've found some clues. The shift in public opinion was initiated by several top tech and finance influencers, and they set the timing very precisely." Han placed the documents on the table, his tone tinged with confusion. "One of the influencers' assistants is a good friend of mine. He privately revealed that someone paid a lot of money to have them publish those key evidence posts at that specific time. As for who the funder is, the other party said that the employer insisted on keeping it confidential, so he can't disclose it."

Gu Qingyan frowned. This was too abnormal. When Qichen Technology was deserted by everyone, and others were avoiding it like the plague, who would spend a lot of money to pave the way for public opinion for him in the dark?

"Yes, continue the investigation." He said in a deep voice, "We must find out who should repay this favor."

However, before he could sort out the mystery, a new crisis was looming. Although Qichen Technology's grievances had been cleared, the dramatic fluctuations in its stock price were a fact. Several major shareholders, led by Director Xiao Hong, seized the opportunity to launch a joint attack, formally proposing a motion to question Gu Qingyan's management ability, demanding a reorganization of the board of directors, and scheduling an emergency meeting for the following morning.

****

The atmosphere inside the shareholders' meeting room was more somber than expected.

Sitting next to Xiao Hong was an unfamiliar face—a middle-aged man in an expensive custom-made suit and sunglasses. He leaned back in his chair with a relaxed posture and a faint smile on his lips, which seemed out of place in the tense atmosphere of the conference room.

Xiao Hong, with a flattering smile on his face, gestured to the man wearing sunglasses beside him, and his voice carried clearly in the conference room: "Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce you. This is Mr. Xin Zhou. Recently, he has become one of the major shareholders of Qichen Technology through the open market. Based on his deep concern for the company and his long-term confidence, Mr. Xin has come here today to participate in this shareholders' meeting."

Gu Qingyan instantly understood that this was the mysterious buyer who had been secretly accumulating a large number of shares when Qichen's stock price collapsed, and who was also very likely closely related to the mastermind behind this framing incident.

A surge of anger welled up inside him. Gu Qingyan clenched his fists under the table. Lu Ming, sitting beside him, gently nudged his leg under the table, giving him a "calm down" look. In a voice only the two of them could hear, he said, "Stay calm. Do they think they can do whatever they want just because they have the chips? At worst, we can spend six months figuring out how to dilute or buy back the shares."

Gu Qingyan nodded slightly, suppressing her anger, and said in a low voice, "Of course I know, but they are doing this to kill two birds with one stone. Even if we can eventually regain the shares, the development of Qichen Technology will inevitably stagnate during this period. This situation of 'cutting off our own arm' is probably exactly what they want."

Xiao Hong watched them whispering to each other, a confident smile spreading across his face. He broke the silence first: "President Gu, President Lu, now that everyone is here, shouldn't we start discussing the company's future?" He emphasized the word "future," and Xin Zhou, wearing sunglasses, adjusted his posture accordingly, an invisible pressure spreading out.

He calmly raised his hand, removed his sunglasses, revealing a pair of sharp yet calm eyes. Without the slightest awkwardness, his gaze swept over the faces of the attendees, finally settling on Gu Qingyan. A polite, yet utterly cold, smile played on his lips: "Mr. Gu, it's an honor to meet you." He nodded slightly, his voice steady, revealing little emotion: "I hope my joining will bring a new… perspective to Qichen."

The conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

A friendly smile slowly spread across Gu Qingyan's face, as if he were not facing a provocation, but merely exchanging pleasantries with an ordinary business partner: "Mr. Xin, you are too kind. It is our honor that Qichen can attract an investor like you." He paused slightly, his gaze remaining calm as it swept over the shareholders, led by Xiao Hong, before finally settling back on Xin Zhou's face.

Gu Qingyan continued, "Speaking of which, I'm sure you all know very well that Qichen's steady development over the years is due to the shared goals and concerted efforts of all shareholders." His voice was unhurried, yet every word was crystal clear to everyone present. "Therefore, I'm eager to see whether Mr. Xin's new perspective will ultimately point to the same future, or..." Gu Qingyan's smile deepened, but his eyes remained gentle as he slowly uttered a few words: "...something else?"

Those present were all intelligent people; how could they not hear the veiled meaning in his words? Gu Qingyan seemed to be responding to Xin Zhou, but he was clearly warning everyone present: Where Qichen, this great ship, sails determines everyone's interests, and now, someone wants to forcibly turn the rudder.

If you want to continue making money safely by relying on Venucia, you have to carefully consider whether to follow the founder who has a deep foundation and controls the core technology and future development direction, or to bet on this new shareholder with unclear intentions and unpredictable methods.

Xin Zhou's smile froze. He clearly hadn't expected Gu Qingyan to be so direct, tearing off the mask right from the start and warning everyone. A sinister glint flashed in his eyes, but he instantly regained his composure: "President Gu is joking. We're all here today with the same goal."

After a brief silence, a suppressed commotion arose in the meeting room. The shareholders exchanged glances with varying expressions. Gu Qingyan's words had clearly shaken the resolve of the centrists.

Seeing the situation was turning sour, Xiao Hong knew he couldn't let Gu Qingyan continue to incite people and control the situation. He had to act decisively. He and Xin Zhou exchanged a glance, then he stood up and slammed his fist on the table to draw everyone's attention: "Gentlemen! Empty talk is useless! Let's get back to the topic of today's meeting. Recently, due to rumors of technology leaks, the company's stock price has been fluctuating abnormally, and market confidence has been damaged. In order to stabilize the situation, we must immediately strengthen the management! I propose that we vote on the 'Proposal on Reorganizing the Board of Directors and Adding Two Director Seats' right now!"

Xiao Hong's sharp gaze swept across the room, carrying a strong sense of pressure: "Those who agree with this proposal, please raise your hands!" As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand first, and his allies followed suit, raising their arms one after another, with an air of certainty.

Lu Ming's face was ashen as he stared straight at Xiao Hong. Gu Qingyan's expression didn't change much as he calmly observed everyone's reactions, but his tightly pursed lips revealed his inner anger. Most of the remaining shareholders who hadn't raised their hands had expressions of resentment and unwillingness on their faces.

Some centrists, under the intense gaze of Xiao Hong and Xin Zhou, hesitated and slowly raised their hands halfway.

The air in the conference room seemed to be ignited, so tense it was suffocating. Xiao Hong looked at the number of hands raised, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.

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Author's Note: Please look forward to the next chapter, where a damsel in distress saves the hero!