The Shuling Company Building soared into the clouds. Its fifty stories gleamed in the sunlight, like a steel giant in the city.
But inside the spacious and bright top-floor office, the atmosphere was unusually tense.
A man in a crisp suit stood anxiously before the desk, clutching a stack of documents. His voice trembled slightly as he spoke, "As of now, thirty-six major companies have issued statements severing their partnerships with us.
"These companies are all leaders in their respective fields. If they really cut ties with us, our business will be crippled. It's... it's like they're pushing us into an abyss."
Gu Shuling sat on the other side of the desk, listening to the man's report. Her brow was furrowed, and a powerful sense of unease washed over her.
Scenes from the banquet flashed before her eyes, and waves of doubt and shock crashed through her.
'Why?'
'What in the world is going on?'
She murmured, her mind a whirlwind of confusion.
After she got home that day, she had immediately arranged for a detailed investigation into her cousin. As expected, it had uncovered a lot of problems.
If she had handled it officially, there was enough evidence to send her cousin to prison.
But she had chosen to stay silent. She never expected him to be so shameless as to storm into her office and cause a scene.
And his words chilled her to the bone, leaving her shocked beyond belief.
For a moment, she completely forgot to be angry about his insolence.
"You still don't get it?"
Her cousin suddenly grew calm. "Of course it is. The news of your divorce from Chu He broke, and in our circles, everyone knows.
"Did you really think you landed this building and all these contracts on your own merit?
"Hmph, so naive!
"Let me be honest with you. All of this is thanks to Chu He.
"Why didn't you discuss it with me before you acted? You just went ahead and divorced Chu He on your own.
"Well, look at the mess we're in now. The results are staring you in the face. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Gu Shuling felt a sharp sting in her heart as she listened to her cousin's words.
She stared at her cousin in disbelief, as if seeing him for the very first time.
She remembered what President Yang had said to her at the banquet.
'Could it be... could it really be true?'
"You... You've been investigating me?"
Her cousin's tone suddenly turned cold as he changed the subject.
Gu Shuling froze. Her mind was in turmoil, and she didn't want to get dragged into this topic.
But her cousin clearly wasn't going to let it go. He slowly pulled out a pack of cigarettes, took one out, and lit it. He took a deep drag before exhaling a plume of smoke.
"Do you think I was taking kickbacks, accepting bribes, and acting so brazenly just because I'm greedy?"
Her cousin said coldly, "It's because I knew your backer was Chu He.
"As long as the National Guardian War God is alive, no one in the entire Great Jing Empire would dare disrespect me.
"Even when I took kickbacks, accepted bribes, and made exorbitant demands, they had to just suck it up. They wouldn't dare make a peep.
"Of course, I was always careful not to push it too far. I'd make them unhappy, but I wouldn't cause them any real damage."
A chill went through Gu Shuling as she listened to her cousin.
She finally understood. It was all because of Chu He.
'How ridiculous,' she thought.
'I actually believed I had earned all these partnerships through my own hard work.'
But it had always been Chu He.
And now, through her own foolishness and arrogance, she had destroyed it all with her own hands.
She didn't know how to face this cruel reality, or how to salvage any of it.
She just felt hollow inside, as if she had lost something precious.
All the strength drained from Gu Shuling's body. She slumped into her office chair, her eyes vacant, as if her soul had fled.
Every word from her cousin was a sharp knife,
slicing away the veils of self-deception deep inside her, layer by layer, to reveal the bloody truth.
Yes, she had believed her success in the business world was won through her own effort and intelligence.
But now she understood. It had all been built in Chu He's shadow.
Without Chu He, she was nothing.
The partners who had once bowed and scraped before her were now ruthlessly cutting ties, one after another.
Her cousin stood before her, his gaze chilling.
He viciously stubbed out his half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray.
He and Gu Shuling were in the same boat now. They would sink or swim together.
He had to find a way to salvage the situation, and fast.
"This isn't the time for that. We have to figure out a way to solve this crisis."
Her cousin's voice was like ice. "Tell me, is there any chance of getting back together with Chu He?"
Gu Shuling looked up at her cousin, a flicker of confusion and despair in her eyes.
She gave a bitter laugh. "How could I? Chu He didn't even blink when he signed the divorce papers. He has no feelings left for me."
Her cousin frowned, a hint of disappointment in his eyes.
But he didn't give up. He kept thinking, searching for a solution.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up as if he'd had a brilliant idea.
"Getting back together might be impossible, but I have another plan."
Her cousin's voice took on a sinister edge. "Did you know? The Great Jing Empire has produced another exceptionally talented genius, a true prodigy.
"But the news is being kept under tight wraps. This person is meant to be the Great Jing Empire's final trump card.
"They won't reveal his identity unless it's a matter of absolute necessity."
Gu Shuling's expression grew curious.
While she knew the business world like the back of her hand, she was completely in the dark about such secrets of the Martial Arts world.
Her cousin continued, "This genius is the same age as Chu He, and he's also virtually unrivaled within the King's Realm.
"Unless he runs into one of those old-timers who've been in the King's Realm for ages.
"I have an idea. You can get close to him. Seduce him, even.
"As long as we can win him over, those companies that cut us off will naturally come crawling back."
The color drained from Gu Shuling's face when she heard this.
She knew her cousin was unscrupulous when it came to the company's interests, but she never imagined he would suggest something like this.
A wave of disgust and fury washed over her.
"How could you say that? I... How could I possibly go and seduce someone?"
Gu Shuling said furiously.
Her cousin just laughed, completely unfazed. "A pretty face needs to know its place.
"Who do you think you are?
"Without Chu He, you're nothing.
"This is our most difficult time. You have to think about the company's interests.
"If you're not willing, then you can just watch the company go bankrupt."
Gu Shuling trembled with rage at her cousin's words.
She felt as if she'd been shoved into a bottomless abyss, surrounded by nothing but darkness and despair.
She had no idea what to do.