"Zhiming, never expected, huh? A fifty-billion penalty! Fifty billion, the entire Wu Corporation's market value is only fifty billion. To pay off this penalty, you'll have to sell off all of Wu Corporation's assets. But even if you do, you'll only manage to clear the penalty, leaving a hefty compensation waiting for you. Zhiming, do you think being the chairman is an easy position to hold? Hahaha!" Shen Hongyue's manic laughter echoed through the phone, filled with the joy of finally unleashing her suppressed emotions.
"Is this call just for this matter?" Wu Zhiming asked calmly.
"I just wanted to tell you and the person behind you that those who offend Shen Hongyue have no good end. You're nothing but a waste, a lifelong waste. Even if someone supports you, it won't change your worthless nature!" Shen Hongyue shouted.
Wu Zhiming smiled and said, "Do you really think I have no way out?"
"What else can you do? You're doomed to bankruptcy!" Shen Hongyue exclaimed.
"Well then... just wait and watch the show!" Wu Zhiming chuckled before hanging up.
On the other end of the line, Shen Hongyue also ended the call.
A group of Wu family members stood before Shen Hongyue, eagerly awaiting her words.
"Wu Zhiming has no way out now. Bankruptcy is his only option!" Shen Hongyue said triumphantly.
"I'd love to see the look on that guy Wu Zhiming's face right now!" Wu Maocai gritted his teeth.
"Since that's the case, let's all go to the Wu Corporation together. Let's see how arrogant Wu Zhiming can be now!" Wu Yuwei suggested.
"Let's go! Let's go see him at the Wu Corporation!" Wu Maocai immediately responded to Wu Yuwei's proposal.
The surrounding Wu family members also agreed. Many of them had been driven out of the old mansion by Wu Zhiming. At this moment, what they wanted most was to witness Wu Zhiming's helplessness and despair in the face of the penalty.
"Let's go, I'll arrange transportation for you all! When you get to the Wu Corporation, make sure to humiliate Wu Zhiming properly!" Shen Hongyue instructed.
"Definitely!" Wu Maocai sneered. "I'll make sure to repay him twice over for the humiliation he caused me!"
"Good!" Shen Hongyue nodded, then immediately arranged for her subordinates to drive this large group of people to the Wu Corporation.
As the Wu family members departed, news of the fifty-billion penalty swiftly spread throughout the city of the Strait.
A fifty-billion penalty, the largest penalty any company in the Strait had ever received!
The entire market value of the Wu Corporation was only fifty billion. This fifty-billion penalty could instantly bankrupt the Wu Corporation!
Inside the Tianjiao Company.
At the ongoing family meeting of the Yao family,
"Grandpa, I just got the news. Wu Corporation has received the penalty, and the total amount is a whopping fifty billion! Wu Corporation is completely finished!" Yao Shanchuan exclaimed excitedly.
"Fifty billion?!" Yao Shanchuan was momentarily stunned, then smiled and said, "It must be Shen Hongyue behind this. That woman is ruthless!"
"Fifty billion is the entire market value of Wu Corporation! Selling off all of Wu Corporation's assets might barely cover the penalty! I bet Wu Zhiming must be going crazy right now, thinking he's invincible as the chairman, only to end up in such a situation!" Yao Shanchuan said gleefully.
"Dad, Jingjing has realized her mistake, and Li Shao has clearly expressed willingness to help our Yao family. I hope you can let Jingjing come back!" Zhou Yanqiu said.
"Li Shao... Well, in that case, you should hurry and have Yao Jing divorce Wu Zhiming," Yao Tianlong said.
"Grandpa, you said Jingjing must kneel and apologize to you in person for you to forgive her. You are the elder, and that must be fulfilled. And if we forgive her just by divorcing, that's too cheap for her. Remember how arrogant Jingjing was that day? Everyone saw it clearly!" Yao Shanchuan said.
"Yao Shanchuan, if we want to build a relationship with the Li family, we have to rely on Jingjing! Don't go too far!" Zhou Yanqiu glared at Yao Shanchuan in annoyance.
"It's true that we have to rely on Jingjing, but there should still be rules, right?" Yao Shanchuan said with a smile.
"Then let Jingjing divorce Wu Zhiming and publicly apologize to everyone!" Yao Tianlong suggested as a compromise.
"But, Dad, if Jingjing apologizes and comes back, should she still be the Executive CEO of our company? After all, she has done well in recent years," Zhou Yanqiu asked.
"Let's see how her relationship with Li Shao develops. If it goes well, we'll let her resume her position," Yao Tianlong said.
"Alright, I'll persuade her properly!" Zhou Yanqiu said happily. As long as she can get Yao Jing back as the Executive CEO, she can do whatever she wants in the company again.
"Yanqiu, you must make Yao Jing divorce Wu Zhiming as soon as possible to prevent her from bearing any debts with him if Wu Zhiming goes bankrupt!" Yao Tianlong instructed.
"I know that, don't worry. Not only will I make sure Jingjing doesn't bear any debts for Wu Zhiming, but I'll also make sure Wu Zhiming leaves with nothing!" Zhou Yanqiu said confidently.
"That's good. Wu Zhiming and the Wu family are of no use to us anymore. We need to cut ties as soon as possible!" Yao Tianlong said.
"Yes!!"
The entire Yao family was filled with a gloating atmosphere. With the way Wu Zhiming had acted before, they were all too eager to see him suffer!
Meanwhile, in the entire Haixia City, countless people were also gloating. In their eyes, it was about time for Wu Zhiming, this softie, to have his good days come to an end. He had stirred up a little wave in a short time, but ultimately, that wave would return to calmness. A softie was still a softie, and trash was still trash.
On the other hand, within the Wu Group...
Wu Zhiming hung up the phone and smiled, "Shen Hongyue is eager to celebrate."
"Now she's so happy, but she'll be equally miserable soon," Wang Hai chuckled.
"Do you have any countermeasures?" Seeing Wu Zhiming so nonchalant, Yao Jing couldn't help but ask.
"Wait and see," Wu Zhiming said. "Let's start the routine meeting first, and we'll discuss the rest later."
Even in this situation, they still had to have a routine meeting? Yao Jing couldn't quite understand what Wu Zhiming was thinking, but she didn't speak up.
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
"Boss, it's about time!" Wang Hai said.
"Turn on the TV," Wu Zhiming said.
Wang Hai nodded and turned on the TV mounted on the wall.
A press conference was being broadcast on the television. The organizer of the press conference was the City Planning Bureau. On the TV, the leaders of the Planning Bureau announced the city planning for the next three years in Haixia City.
"We plan to build a key middle school on the site of the Hua Chi Stadium in the south of the city to address the shortage of educational resources in our city..."
The voice of the leader came through the television.
Many people in the conference room showed expressions of surprise and delight.
"Boss, it's just as you said," Wang Hai smiled.
"What... is going on?" Yao Jing looked at Wu Zhiming in confusion.
"Do you know what the main business of the Wu Group is?" Wu Zhiming asked.
"The Wu Group is involved in many industries, but the main business is still real estate. The real estate business of the Wu Group accounts for more than seventy percent of the entire group," Yao Jing said.
"Yes!" Wu Zhiming pointed at the television, smiling. "Before the New Year, the Wu Group spent roughly ten billion buying several plots of land in the south of the city... You know, those lands in the south aren't worth much and don't have much potential for appreciation. No one would invest there. So, the area of land the Wu Group bought for ten billion exceeded imagination. And all of those lands are located next to the Hua Chi Stadium. Now, do you understand what I mean?"
Upon hearing Wu Zhiming's words, Yao Jing's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Wang Hai, it's your turn to explain," Wu Zhiming said, looking at Wang Hai.
"Yes, boss!" Wang Hai nodded, then walked to the blackboard on the wall of the office and pressed the switch.
A white curtain slowly descended, and then a map was projected onto the curtain.
It was a development design for a real estate project.
"In the next three years, we will build five residential complexes near the Hua Chi Stadium. These five complexes are adjacent to the upcoming key middle school. In short, the houses in these five complexes will all become expensive school district housing!" Wang Hai pointed to the blueprint on the white curtain.
Yao Jing looked at the towering buildings on the blueprint and was shocked for the first time. Goosebumps ran down her body instantly.
She had never expected that the key to breaking through would actually be this!
Before the press conference, there was no news in the market about the city planning to build a new school. No one knew that the Hua Chi Stadium area was going to be developed into school district housing. Who could have imagined that the barren land in the south of the city would suddenly become land for upcoming school district housing? The value of those lands would multiply several times, even ten times, after this press conference because the land there was originally very cheap!
"Wang Hai, convey this news to our partners so they know we're about to start building school district housing," Wu Zhiming said with a smile.
"Sure thing, boss!" Wang Hai nodded, then called over the secretary and gave a few instructions.
"Also, liaise with the bank. Select a few plots of land as collateral to apply for loans. I think, unless the people at the bank have lost their minds, they won't refuse to lend us money," Wu Zhiming said.
"We've already arranged for personnel to liaise with the bank," Wang Hai said.
"Alright, the predicament of the Wu Group has been mostly resolved," Wu Zhiming stood up, clapping his hands. "Everyone will be very busy from now on. I'm counting on you all!"
"We won't disappoint your trust, boss!" the management team of the Wu Group expressed unanimously.
"Let's adjourn," Wu Zhiming waved his hand.
Everyone got up and then walked out of Wu Zhiming's office.
In the office, only Yao Jing and Wu Zhiming remained.
Wu Zhiming stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking outside, and stretched lazily.
Yao Jing walked up to Wu Zhiming and said in a serious tone, "The person backing you has immense power."
"Hmm?" Wu Zhiming looked at Yao Jing with interest.
"School planning is top-secret information, yet you managed to lay out the groundwork for school district housing months ago. But that's not the scariest part. The scariest part is that you were able to, months ago, without their knowledge, make the high-level executives of the Wu Group spend their money to buy those plots of land for you. This infiltration, this tactic, is truly impressive!" Yao Jing couldn't help but give a thumbs up.