BXBX NOVEL Chapter 52 - 52: Tailored to Counter
Seated on the sofa, Shen Wan listened to the news broadcast with an air of serene composure.
As expected.
In contrast, Yang Lan and her daughter were visibly anxious, their faces turning pale. Among them, Shen Ru remained comparatively composed and promptly called Shen Qian.
“Hey, Brother! Are you okay? That’s good… Hmm, I’ll let Mom know… Please take care of yourself too…”
Yang Lan’s hopeful gaze turned to her eldest daughter. “What did Ah Qian say?”
Shen Ru took a seat beside her mother, offering a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, when the tsunami hit, Brother was resting at the hotel, and he’s absolutely fine.”
“That’s a relief, that’s a relief!” Yang Lan patted her chest, clearly relieved.
With only one son, if something were to happen to him, who would inherit the vast family estate? Wouldn’t it just benefit the second branch of the family for nothing?
Shen Ru maintained her smile, but her eyes held a different meaning, one that wasn’t easy to discern.
Yang Lan remained blissfully caught up in her relief and didn’t notice, but Shen Wan was astute and had her moment. Just as Shen Ru glanced back at her, she subtly shifted her gaze.
So, had the caution and vigilance between Shen Qian and Shen Ru already begun at this moment?
Indeed, the Shen family members seemed naturally inclined towards power and competition.
After the news broadcast ended, Shen Wan greeted everyone and went straight upstairs.
Shen Yan couldn’t help but sneer. “What an ungrateful wretch! Older Brother might be in trouble, and she didn’t even ask a single question!”
Yang Lan furrowed her brow.
Shen Ru, on the other hand, brushed it off with a smile, seemingly unfazed.
“Sis, don’t you find her despicable at all?” Shen Yan prodded deliberately. At this moment, she needed someone to share her indignation.
But to her disappointment, Shen Ru’s response didn’t satisfy her.
“Some concern doesn’t need to be voiced,” she said, much like how some malice needed to be buried deep within.
“Sis! Why do you always defend her?!”
“I’m not defending anyone; I’m simply addressing the situation objectively,” Shen Ru replied with a calm expression.
Shen Yan seethed with frustration but didn’t dare to retort. Even though they had grown up together, she didn’t dare claim to fully understand her elder sister. She could be certain that Shen Ru didn’t harbor the same friendliness toward Shen Wan that she appeared to, but she couldn’t fathom why Shen Ru had remained passive and hadn’t taken action until now.
Shen Ru, with her slight air of mystery, saw through Shen Yan’s minor doubts but chose not to reveal her hand.
She truly didn’t hold Shen Wan in high regard, but she had to consider Shen Qian’s attitude…
Before this, she had to bide her time and hold back.
However, at this moment, Shen Qian’s situation in Beihai was far from as optimistic as his phone conversation had suggested.
“The most recent survey results confirm that the land has indeed been engulfed by erupting lava, altering its original terrain. Additionally, a significant portion of the area is now submerged beneath seawater. Consequently, it is no longer suitable for resort development. The decision has been made to exclude this land from the national land records and designate it as a preserved ecological zone open to the public.”
After listening to the secretary’s report, a storm of gloom gathered on the man’s face.
The land was gone. What would they do with the resort?
How would they fill the 3 billion hole?
Why did it have to be this particular piece of land?
For an instant, Shen Qian’s mind was filled with a mix of thoughts, as if ever since he entered the Beihai region, a series of unfortunate events had unfolded one after the other. First, the bidding disputes, then the exoneration of Yi Hong, and now the recently acquired Plot 7 had been hit by a natural disaster.
He knew Yi Hong well enough; he was not the scheming, manipulative type. If someone were to say that all of this was orchestrated by him, Shen Qian wouldn’t believe it. However, these things just kept happening, and they all converged on him, as if someone were deliberately targeting him, and every incident hit him where it hurt the most.
It was as though an unseen hand was orchestrating the situation, manipulating it like a magician conjuring thunderstorms and rainfall with the wave of a hand.
Shen Qian’s eyes suddenly sharpened. “Contact Yi Hong and arrange a meeting with him.” He paused for a moment and added, “The sooner, the better.”
The secretary was efficient, and Yi Hong was equally cooperative.
At two o’clock in the afternoon, at the meeting room of Tian Shui Corporation.
Yi Hong had arrived early, casually selecting a chair and sitting down, looking relaxed and carefree, his demeanor languid.
Shen Qian entered afterward, walked up to the conference table, and placed both hands on its edge. His sharp gaze was like a blade. “Did you deliberately scheme for me to buy Plot 7?”
He went straight to the point, omitting any pleasantries. It seemed that someone had disrupted his plans, leading to a chaotic situation.
Yi Hong found it rather amusing, and he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Mr. Shen, if you want to accuse someone, at least come up with a plausible reason. What do you mean by ‘deliberately scheme’? Did I somehow know in advance about the underwater volcanic eruption causing a tsunami and altering the landscape but failed to inform you? Did I hold a knife to your throat to make you sign the sales contract? I’ve always admired your youth and talent, Mr. Shen, but it’s a shame that youth sometimes comes with impulsiveness and a sharp tongue. It’s rather disappointing.”
He shook his head and sighed with a tinge of regret.
Yi Hong thought his words were quite crude, but Shen Qian showed no reaction, maintaining that calm and composed demeanor, unruffled and with remarkable self-control.
He heard Shen Qian chuckle softly in response. “The loss has already taken place, and it cannot be undone. Today, Mr. Yi, I invited you here not to lay blame. As you correctly pointed out earlier, natural disasters are unpredictable unless someone possesses foreknowledge.”
In the end, Shen Qian deliberately emphasized the last sentence, especially the phrase “foreknowledge”, enunciating it with deliberate pauses.
Yi Hong remained silent, but his eyebrows involuntarily twitched. He didn’t notice it himself, but Shen Qian observed it, and his gaze gradually grew more intense.
“I’m curious, Mr.. Yi, who is this mysterious figure behind you? Someone who can predict natural disasters and knows me so well? It’s almost as if they were specifically tailored to counter me!”