Xu Zhao swiftly dodged to the side, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Brother-in-law, I suggest you calm down. Howard is such a shrewd person, who can figure out his mind? We should find a way to remedy the situation instead of blaming each other here."

Xu Zhiru hurriedly stood between the two of them, her voice filled with tears: "Achen, Azhao, please stop arguing! What should we do now? Nanxue--"

Before he finished speaking, the butler hurried in: "Mr. Fu, Mr. Howard is here to visit."

The living room fell into deathly silence.

Xu Zhao and Fu Chen both froze in place, looking at each other.

"Please ask him to come in." Fu Chen quickly straightened his shirt and tie, trying to calm himself down.

Howard walked leisurely into the messy living room, ignoring the broken vases and glass fragments on the floor. He waved to his two assistants to wait outside the door and then sat down on the sofa.

"Mr. Fu, it seems that the conversation you just had was very...intense." Howard had an unfathomable smile on his face.

"Mr. Howard, with all due respect, I was very surprised by your performance in the meeting today." Fu Chen suppressed his anger and spoke in a low voice.

Howard suddenly laughed: "Business is like a battlefield, Mr. Fu. Some dramas must be performed for everyone to see."

Fu Chen frowned: "What do you mean?"

"What I said in the conference room today was just to paralyze Ning Nanxue and the board of directors." Howard put his glass on the table and lowered his voice. "Of course, I don't really want to invest in her project."

Xu Zhao immediately leaned forward and stared at Howard warily: "What is your real purpose?"

"Overpraise." Howard tapped the table with two fingers. "Publicly express your intention to invest, gain her trust, get in-depth contact with the core team and technology of the project, find out the real 'loopholes' or 'opportunities', and then--" He made a swallowing gesture.

"To put it simply, I plan to uproot Ning Nanxue and her team step by step, and eventually swallow up Fu's new energy sector." Howard smiled, and his tone was chilling.

Fu Chen took a deep breath. "So the previous patent accusations...?"

"That was just the first tentative step. Since it failed, we naturally have to launch Plan B." Howard shrugged. "The international business world has never lacked means, only patience and foresight."

Xu Zhao fell into deep thought, then smiled knowingly: "I see. Mr. Howard's plan is indeed brilliant."

"But what good will this do you?" Fu Chen remained vigilant. "Why tell us the truth?"

Howard stood up and walked to the window. "Mr. Fu, I need an insider. Can someone provide me with inside information about Ning Nanxue's team and help me find the best entry point?"

"And this person is me?" Fu Chen sneered.

"Who's more suitable than you?" Howard turned to face Fu Chen. "You're familiar with the company's operations, understand the project details, and most importantly—you hate Ning Nanxue to the core."

Xu Zhiru looked at Fu Chen nervously and whispered, "Ah Chen, this is an opportunity!"

Fu Chen fell silent, his eyes uncertain.

Howard's plan sounded tempting, but it was the first time he felt how terrifying this financial tycoon who made his fortune by acquiring other people's companies was - he would do anything to achieve his goals, had a far-reaching layout, and was extremely patient.

"What are my conditions?" Fu Chen finally spoke.

"I'll ensure you have sufficient shares and a position in the reorganized new company," Howard replied calmly. "Of course, the prerequisite is that the intelligence you provide must be valuable."

Xu Zhao suddenly interrupted: "Mr. Howard, with all due respect, it seems that what you paid 30 million for is just a show?"

Howard smiled slightly. "That's a deposit, Mr. Xu. The rewards after success will satisfy you."

Fu Chen hesitated for a while, then finally nodded: "I can cooperate, but I need a written guarantee."

"A businessman's word is a guarantee." Howard patted Fu Chen's shoulder. "What's more, we have a common enemy."

Xu Zhiru looked at the transaction helplessly, with worry on her face: "Ah Chen, isn't this too risky?"

"Zhiru, you don't understand." Fu Chen held her hand and softened his tone. "In the business world, there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests. This is our only chance."

Xu Zhao glanced at Howard meaningfully: "Brother-in-law, I think this is a win-win situation."

"That's settled then." Howard was about to leave, but stopped at the door. "By the way, Mr. Fu, you'd better be careful of Jiang Tingchen, who's next to Ning Nanxue. He's not an ordinary person."

Fu Chen looked up suddenly: "What do you know?"

Howard smiled mysteriously and said, "Business is like a battlefield. Only when you know yourself and your enemy can you win every battle."

He was well aware of the dangers of trying to get the skin of a tiger.

Howard adjusted the expensive diamond cufflinks on his cuffs, his tone relaxed but firm enough to not be refused.

"You just need to cooperate with me in this play, stabilize the situation, and don't let Ning Nanxue have any doubts." He patted Fu Chen's shoulder, and the cuffs of his suit slipped down, revealing a priceless watch. "After this is done, most of Fu's will belong to you, and I will only take the fat piece of new energy."

Xu Zhiru nervously tugged at the hem of her skirt, her eyes shifting between the two of them.

"But what if Nanxue finds out? She is..."

"Zhiru," Fu Chen interrupted her in a low voice, "Business is like a battlefield, where the winner takes all. This is our only chance."

Howard adjusted his tie, and the ring on his slender finger flashed with a cold light.

"Be patient, the fun has just begun. Ning Nanxue thought she had won, but she never realized that she was just the prey the hunter was aiming for."

Xu Zhao leaned against the wall with his arms folded, a sinister look on his face.

"This plan sounds great, but Mr. Howard, what if we play along with you and end up finding ourselves pawns?"

Howard laughed.

"Smart guy. Don't worry, I never break my promise. Businessmen value reputation and profit the most. We have the same goal - to capture Ning Nanxue."

Howard stood up and said goodbye, leaving the mansion with steady steps.

Fu Chen looked at the darkening night outside the window, his back slightly tense under his suit.

He had never felt so tired and alert.

"Achen, are you okay?" Xu Zhiru asked softly.

"I need to think about the next step." Fu Chen turned and walked towards the study, his steps slightly heavy.

Xu Zhao looked at Fu Chen's departing back and whispered to Xu Zhiru.

"Sister, Howard is too dangerous. We have to leave a way out."

"What escape route? Ah Zhao, don't do anything stupid. Aren't you in a cooperative relationship with them? Your...?"

"Sister, there are no absolute allies in the business world. I've profited from it before, and I'll make the arrangements. Don't worry about it."

At the same time, in the top floor office of Fu Group headquarters.