"Oh?" Gu Pengzhan was overjoyed at Wei Zhao's words. "You've already sent him home? That's wonderful — I never would have guessed it. Xiao Zhao, you're my lucky star! Ever since you arrived, every last one of my troubles has melted away!"

"Heh... Uncle Gu, you mustn't let your guard down. Jin Gubang is nothing but a buffoon strutting about on the stage; the man behind him is what matters." Wei Zhao warned. "Even Li Cihua is no more than a mouthpiece they've pushed out front..."

"I know that well enough. But it's not as though they've been scheming after my Gu Group for a day or two. Without an inside man working hand in glove with them, they'd never have gotten anywhere! This time that old bastard Jin Gubang nearly had me — just wait and see how I deal with him!" Gu Pengzhan nodded and gave a cold laugh. He understood well enough that a tall tree catches the wind; but if the shareholders had stood together as one, how could any outsider have found a crack to slip through?

"If Uncle Gu knows, then I'll say no more." Wei Zhao had little interest in company affairs. "Uncle Gu, you're simply too kindhearted. After this business, I say don't let Jin Gubang stay on at the company any longer — make him hand over his shares and get out."

"This time I won't be nursing a tiger to my own ruin!" Gu Pengzhan sighed. "In the past, out of respect for his father's generation, I turned a blind eye. But now the company has reached a point where it can't go on without a thorough housecleaning... Xiao Zhao, rest easy. Uncle Gu won't bring you any more trouble..."

"It's hardly trouble... My old man sent me here to take orders from my employer..." Wei Zhao smiled, a little embarrassed. He had thrown himself into this assignment with real care; one job and he could retire, and he was very much looking forward to it.

"By the way, what did Xie Guangbo say? He won't be backing Jin Gubang anymore, will he?" Only after the pleasantries were done did Gu Pengzhan ask one of the questions closest to his heart.

"Of course not. He's given me all his shares." As he spoke, Wei Zhao handed Xie Guangbo's share transfer document to Gu Pengzhan. "This is the transfer agreement he and I signed. We'll draw up a new one, and the shares can be transferred into your name."

Gu Pengzhan was startled. He had never imagined Wei Zhao would actually get his hands on Xie Guangbo's shares! Wei Zhao had mentioned the matter before, but he had not taken it seriously. That old fellow Xie Guangbo might want nothing for himself, but the one thing he could never let go of was his son — could he really hand over every last share without keeping a scrap?

To Gu Pengzhan's mind, Xie Guangbo would sooner die than leave his son with nothing.

"He really gave them to you?" Gu Pengzhan was astonished and delighted. His best-case plan had been for Xie Guangbo to ally with him against Jin Gubang, but Wei Zhao had surpassed all his hopes! Now there was no fear of Xie Guangbo turning coat, for he had severed all ties with the company. "But Xiao Zhao, let the shares stay in your name. They're what you deserve — you won them back with your own ability. How could I take them from you?"

Gu Pengzhan waved a hand, refusing the shares Wei Zhao held out.

"Me?" Wei Zhao was taken aback. He had not expected Gu Pengzhan to give him the shares.

"Consider it part of your payment... heh heh." Gu Pengzhan laughed. "All right, enough of that. You'd better keep this share transfer document yourself! But right now, there's something you need to do with me!"

"What is it?" Wei Zhao asked. "Whatever it is, Uncle Gu, just say the word..."

Wei Zhao had never intended to keep the shares for himself. After all, he could tell well enough who treated him kindly and who did not. Had it been Liu Tianyi and his family, Wei Zhao would likely have pocketed the shares and squeezed another commission out of them besides; but with Gu Pengzhan, there was no need.

"Heh. Attend the shareholders' meeting!" Gu Pengzhan said with a smile. "Qing Bo, go and send word — convene an emergency shareholders' meeting at once. I want to introduce them to the company's new third-largest shareholder!"

"Yes, Mr. Gu!" Qing Bo nodded and turned to go about the business. Usually so steady and unflappable, even Qing Bo could not help wanting to smile now; he was eager to see what expression would come over Jin Gubang's face when he learned that Xie Guangbo's shares had all been transferred to Wei Zhao.

Jin Gubang was indeed puzzled. Gu Pengzhan was demanding an emergency shareholders' meeting? Was he out of his mind? These past days Gu Pengzhan had been finding one excuse after another to refuse convening the shareholders' meeting and the board meeting — so why, today, had he reversed himself and called for an emergency shareholders' meeting of his own accord?

Had he talked Xie Guangbo around, or was he preparing some new trick to play? Xie Guangbo ought not to be at work today; with the company's third-largest shareholder absent, what shareholders' meeting could he possibly hold?

Yet even though he found it baffling, Jin Gubang still arrived at the meeting room on time — at the very least, appearances had to be kept up.

A shareholders' meeting drew more people than a board meeting; some of the minor shareholders would come as well. After nodding greetings to the shareholders he knew, Jin Gubang sat down in the seat to Gu Pengzhan's left that was his every time.

That was the seat he had always occupied, a symbol by now of the company's second-largest shareholder. And the seat to Gu Pengzhan's right belonged to Xie Guangbo.

Jin Gubang glanced over and saw that Xie Guangbo's seat was empty. His brows knit at once. Could Gu Pengzhan mean to bypass Xie Guangbo and hold the shareholders' meeting anyway? But with the third-largest shareholder absent, the meeting could not go forward at all!

Time slipped away minute by minute. Ten minutes had passed since the hour Qing Bo had announced for the meeting. Jin Gubang sat motionless in his seat, his face dark. He could not fathom what trick Gu Pengzhan was playing.

Could it be that he had simply called every shareholder together to stage a farce?

He was sitting with his head bowed in thought when the meeting room suddenly fell quiet. Jin Gubang looked up and saw that Qing Bo had already come in. It was the prelude to every one of Gu Pengzhan's arrivals: Qing Bo would always enter the meeting room first and lay out Gu Pengzhan's documents and teacup for him...

Before long, Gu Pengzhan walked in, and at his side was a young man. The other shareholders paid him little mind, taking him for a newly hired secretary — but Jin Gubang's eyes narrowed sharply!

Wei Zhao! How could Jin Gubang fail to recognize this man? The very one who had ruined his plans time and again! Jin Gubang would have liked to hack him to pieces! Yet what astonished him was this: what was he doing here?

Had he become Gu Pengzhan's bodyguard? Wasn't he Gu Mengyao's bodyguard?

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