Chapter 12: Even a Salted Fish Can Turn Over!

Su Xue's head jerked, and she stumbled a few steps before falling to the ground, her face stung with pain.

Xu Ming was about to step forward to break up the fight when he was suddenly startled by the slap, knowing he couldn't afford to offend Li Ya, who was worth a billion yuan—he quickly hid behind the crowd.

Zhou Yang saw Su Xue being humiliated by Li Ya and mocked by the people around them—his heart seethed with rage as his blood boiled, he gripped the railing tightly and clenched his teeth in silence.

He had intended to stand behind Su Xue and silently support her.

But at that moment, he couldn't hold back anymore!

Zhou Yang suddenly turned and strode toward the elevator.

Shen Jun watched Zhou Yang's retreating back and chuckled, "Zhou, are you going to support your ex-girlfriend and slap your ex-wife in the face? Do you want me to help?"

"No need."

Zhou Yang replied, afraid that Shen Jun's "help" would only add to the chaos.

Banquet hall.

With a hand tingling from the slap, Li Ya mocked Su Xue with evident pride:

"In this world, it's the victors who prevail, the vanquished who suffer—that's the philosophy of survival and of business. Do you feel injustice for that loser?"

"You think you're worthy?"

"I could put your company out of business in minutes, but I don't want to. Do you know why?"

"Because I want to slowly destroy you, you bitch, until you kneel willingly and beg for mercy!"

Wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, Su Xue retorted without a shred of humility, her teeth clenched:

"Even if my company only has its last penny left, I will fight you to the end!"

"To make me admit defeat? Maybe in your next life!"

"This seat was assigned to me by the staff—I'd rather smash the chair than yield it to you!"

Li Ya snorted coldly and ordered, "Come here, staff, and get this cheap slut out of here!"

Suddenly, an angry voice erupted in the banquet hall.

"I'd like to see who dares!"

Everyone was taken aback, turning to look in the direction of the voice, they saw a young man, poorly dressed, storming in furiously.

Zhou Yang?

Surprised, Su Xue, Li Ya, and Xu Ming all froze in place.

Su Xue was touched by Zhou Yang's arrival!

No matter how he got in, whether he could stand up for her or not, at least he had stepped forward like a man, unlike Xu Ming, who had hidden like a rat!

Zhou Yang strode quickly to Su Xue and helped her up, seeing the red marks on her face, his heart ached as if pierced by needles, and he said, "I'm sorry, Xue."

Tears filling her eyes, Su Xue shook her head and said, "I'm all right, it's just that I can't stand her despicable and shameless gloating."

Seeing the two of them so intimately, Li Ya felt an irrational anger and hatred welling up inside her.

Even the trash she had discarded, she would destroy, rather than leave it to Su Xue, that cheap woman!

Li Ya scoffed:

"Zhou Yang, is that why you rushed to the group for a divorce this morning—because of this bitch, this whore?"

"Take a good look, everyone."

"This is my husband, who just divorced me this morning. Three years ago, he was sentenced to three years in prison for crimes like tax evasion and financial fraud, and he's just been released."

"The lady here is his former girlfriend, Su Xue. While I was pregnant, she tried to steal my husband, leading to my depressive miscarriage. She's a sneaky homewrecker!"

"Not yet cold from the divorce, they've already reignited their old flame—truly insatiable!"

"Just now, Su Xue was cursing me for swindling Zhou Yang's assets, calling my family a bunch of ungrateful scoundrels. I say, it's you, Su Xue, who's shameless, mean, and despicable!"

With a barrage of upside-down slanders, Li Ya cleansed herself in front of everyone and splashed all the dirty water on Zhou Yang and Su Xue.

The onlookers began to point fingers and hurl insults as if they wanted to parade the couple through the streets as a warning to others for ruining societal values.

Shaking with anger, Su Xue grated her teeth and pointed at Li Ya, roaring:

"You're lying! It was you who schemed to take everything from Zhou Yang and tricked him into going to jail for you, and now you're twisting the truth!"

"Aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning from the heavens, meeting a terrible end!"

Li Ya snorted coldly:

"May you die horribly? I think it's you who won't die well!"

"The equity was his willing compensation for acknowledging his mistakes towards me and our unborn child. Without Sheng Guang Group, it would have collapsed long ago!"

"You showing up here today was already a meticulously planned scheme to play out a sob story to win everyone's sympathy, to sabotage the cooperation between Sheng Guang Group and Tianqi Group, and to snatch away the company, right?"

"Birds of a feather flock together indeed!"

Zhou Yang pointed at Li Ya and warned:

"Sheng Guang Group is the culmination of my hard work; I don't want to see it destroyed in your hands. That's the only reason you could collaborate with Tianqi Group and show up here!"

"I advise you to watch your mouth, or else, I'll have Tianqi Group remove your name from the list of partners and kick you out of the investment banquet!"

Ha ha ha...

The crowd burst into laughter, treating Zhou Yang as a fool spouting nonsense.

Li Ya narrowed her eyes and sneered:

"Zhou Yang, you've changed after three years; how did you become such a brain-dead lunatic?"

"You, a worthless criminal scum, still have the audacity to say you'll have Tianqi Group remove Sheng Guang Group from the list and throw me out of the banquet?"

"There's no act for you two clowns here; stop making a spectacle of yourselves!"

"Staff, get them out of here immediately!"

The staff hurried over, stuttering, "Sorry, Director Li, but both of them are guests invited by Director Shen, the person in charge of the banquet. You have no right to make them leave."

Li Ya's scolding grew more vehement, eager to show off her power and connections in front of everyone, thoroughly humiliating Zhou Yang and Su Xue.

"What ridiculous Director Shen, someone who's just in charge of carrying plates at the banquet dares to put on such airs! I'll call Minister Zhang from the investment department and have him personally come down and kick them out!"

Zhang Dong held a high and influential position in Tianqi Group. She invited Zhang Dong to dinner, gave him gold bars, provided beautiful women to accompany him through night after night of revelry, spending over fifty million, just to become one of Tianqi Group's partners.

Ordering Zhang Dong around was as simple as commanding a dog!

Zhou sneered, "Go ahead and call. If he can make me leave the banquet hall, Zhou Yang will leave Yuncheng forever!"

Li Ya snorted and dialed Minister Zhang Dong's phone number.

Soon after.

Zhang Dong arrived briskly with his secretary, as numerous wealthy celebrities bent over to greet him, given his control over the power of investment and his great prestige.

"Who dares to cause trouble at the investment banquet and disrespect Director Li!" exclaimed Zhang Dong angrily.

Li Ya pointed at Zhou Yang and Su Xue, beaming with pride, and said:

"It's these two—a criminal and a prostitute—who sneaked in to slander me and damage the reputation of Sheng Guang Group, plotting to ruin the cooperation between Sheng Guang Group and Tianqi Group."

"And he even had the audacity to say he would remove Sheng Guang Group from the investment list. Minister Zhang, he didn't take you seriously at all!"

Pff!

Zhang Dong, hands behind his back, sneered and said, "Kid, you're too arrogant. I advise you to leave on your own, or else I'll have the security break your legs and throw you out!"

Su Xue shook Zhou Yang's arm, signaling that discretion is the better part of valor.

Zhou Yang looked directly at Zhang Dong, disdainfully asking, "Do you think you, an investment minister, are worthy of speaking to me like that?"

Wow!!!

The crowd was shocked.

Xu Ming, hiding behind others, was so angered he wanted to kick Zhou Yang to death, cursing inwardly, "Zhou Yang is really brain-dead. Minister Zhang could crush you with a finger, and yet you dare speak to him like that! It doesn't matter if you die, but don't drag Xue and me down with you!"

Li Ya shook her head and laughed, "Zhou Yang, stop playing the fool. You're just a criminal, a dead fish that will never turn over. Just accept your fate!"

Zhou Yang confidently retorted, "I'll let you see clearly that even a dead fish can turn over!"

Zhang Dong found Zhou Yang's arrogant tone utterly repulsive and wanted to defend Li Ya by teaching Zhou Yang a harsh lesson, coldly saying, "Fine, I want to see how this dead fish turns over. Come on, break his legs and throw him out!"

A few security guards rushed over fiercely, causing the onlooking crowd to avoid them in fear.

Zhou Xue spread her arms in front of them and shouted, "Li Ya, you're truly vicious and despicable. Zhou Yang, let's leave!"

Li Ya glared and gritted her teeth, "Too late!"

Suddenly.

A lofty and authoritative voice called out———