Chapter 386: Exposure and Killing Intent

Hearing Xia Yu's confrontational remarks, Old John on the other end of the line was momentarily stunned. Xia Yu's reaction was entirely different from his usual demeanor and the impression he had left in Old John's mind.

Previously, Xia Yu always appeared to be a scheming, smiling tiger, with a facade of a friendly expression while harboring unknown thoughts, deeply calculating and akin to an old fox.

Now, however, he was showing his sharp edge, with a completely different style of action.

Is he not planning to hide anymore and has the confidence to compete with me?

A thought flashed through Old John's mind, and his entire face darkened with a frightening gloom.

Since Xia Yu showed no mercy and attacked right at his doorstep, even pointing fingers and scolding him, if he didn't fight back with everything he had, the Yi He Consortium would eventually fall under his control.

"Good, you should pray that you can keep being so arrogant."

Old John said with a cold voice, beneath the icy tone lay a raging anger.

"If people don't offend me, I won't offend others. Heh, John Keswick, I will definitely not let you down!"

"Beep! Beep! Beep~"

Hearing the busy signal on the phone, Old John, with a sullen face, stood in place, pondering over the last mocking words from Xia Yu.

Having spent decades in Hong Kong and deeply understanding Chinese culture, Old John was able to grasp the hidden meaning behind the phrase "If people don't offend me, I won't offend others."

In his understanding, starting from the Yi He Air Cargo Company, Xia Yu had repeatedly attacked his companies, and they were only passively responding.

But according to Xia Yu, it seems they were in the wrong, and these attacks were considered retaliation?

With enmity leading to revenge, does this mean Xia Yu holds a grudge against them? What is it that he doesn't know?

Old John furrowed his brow, trying to trace back the source of the problem to understand what was happening, as this could help him make decisions.

Otherwise, an undiscovered problem is ultimately a hidden danger. As a consortium leader, he could not allow uncontrolled issues within!

"What exactly went wrong?"

Old John thought so hard his head ached, but he continued to retrace the events that had happened recently, searching for any clues.

"Father, are you alright?"

"Yes, Father, please sit down first."

Seeing Old John's deep contemplation, his sons, Henry Keswick and Charles Keswick, quickly expressed their concern.

"Hmm!"

Old John responded instinctively, slightly lifting his head to scan his sons' faces.

As his gaze passed over Charles Keswick, a flash of insight struck Old John, reminding him of something he had previously overlooked.

He remembered when Xia Yu had attacked the Yi He Air Cargo Company, he had negotiated with Xia Yu along with Charles Keswick and Niubijian. At that time, Xia Yu's attitude towards his second son was problematic, and Charles's performance was also odd.

At that moment, he had intended to ask Charles after returning if there was something going on with Xia Yu.

However, after the negotiation broke down and Old John was extremely angry, he focused on arranging defenses and countermeasures and had neglected this issue.

Looking back now, the more he thought about it, the more he felt there was something wrong.

Seeing his father's intense gaze fixed on him, Charles Keswick felt uneasy and nervous, unable to hide his fear. He couldn't help but timidly ask:

"Father, what's wrong?"

"Are you hiding something from me?"

Old John suddenly asked, his gaze piercing into Charles Keswick. Henry Keswick and Niubijian beside him also instinctively looked at Charles, though they were both somewhat confused, not knowing what Old John was thinking.

Charles Keswick was initially stunned, then his face changed, his expression stiffened, and his eyes began to avoid contact, clearly showing signs of guilt.

Since Xia Yu's continuous attacks on the Yi He Consortium's companies, Charles Keswick had been anxious, feeling that this matter might be related to him.

But due to the enormous consequences, he had no courage to bear the responsibility, so he had been self-deluding and trying to forget.

However, now that his father questioned him, Charles Keswick realized weakly that under his father's imposing presence, he could not manage to stay composed.

"Speak up, do you still want to hide it at this point?"

Old John, seasoned and shrewd, sensed that Charles Keswick's poor performance indicated a serious issue. His intuition and reason told him that the problem likely lay with Charles, who still seemed to be clinging to hope. Old John's face darkened as he raised his voice and scolded him.

"Father, I… I…"

Charles Keswick was startled and stammered, his guilty conscience making him struggle to speak clearly under Old John's authoritative presence.

"There is one thing, but it should… should be unrelated, right?"

Charles Keswick lowered his head and said timidly.

Charles Keswick's abnormal behavior made Old John's heart sink further. He knew his son was usually bold, but if he lacked the courage to admit his actions now, it was clear that the matter was serious.

"Speak up. Don't cause more harm to the family because of your actions!"

Old John scowled and said again.

"Charles, Father is asking you if there's any impact. You need to tell us."

As the elder brother, Henry Keswick also frowned and said.

Only Niubijian remained silent, as he was Old John's right-hand man but was not a member of the Keswick family and found it inappropriate to speak up.

"I'll tell you."

"Earlier, when Xia Yu went to London, I…"

Charles Keswick finally couldn't withstand the pressure and slowly revealed the secret that had been troubling him.

"After Xia Yu returned, there was no reaction, and I thought he didn't know it was related to me, so I didn't pay much attention to it. That's how it was."

Charles Keswick said, lowering his head nervously, unable to look at his father and brother's grim faces.

For a moment, the office was silent, with only Old John's heavy breathing remaining.

Looking at his trembling second son, Old John's anger flared even more. He pointed at Charles Keswick and scolded, "You idiot! Instead of learning good things, you chose to engage in such devious acts. Even if you failed, you should have reported it to me earlier, not cling to false hope!"

Hearing his father's angry reprimand, Charles Keswick shrank his neck, his head lowering even further, not daring to raise it, his face full of guilt and self-reproach.

"Charles, you… sigh…"

Henry Keswick, as the elder brother, also had a very displeased expression, clenching his fists. Even though they were brothers, he felt like he wanted to give him a beating.

This fool of a younger brother!

After scolding, Old John's anger was still not quelled, and he was frustrated with seeing his second son. He decided to cut ties with him and ordered, "Get out!"

"Yes!"

Charles Keswick's heart sank instantly. He could sense the deep disappointment in his father's tone, but now he could only leave. He answered quietly and left the office.

Just as Charles Keswick was about to reach the door, Old John suddenly said, "Stop!"

Charles Keswick turned abruptly to look at Old John, who expressionlessly said, "Stand straight at the door, and lift your head!"

Charles Keswick obeyed instinctively, standing upright and lifting his head, though his eyes continued to evade, not daring to make eye contact with Old John.

However, he felt a bit better inside. His father had not entirely given up on him, which was the best news for him at the moment.

Turning his gaze away from his second son, Old John frowned in thought.

With the source of the problem identified, Old John was far from naive like Charles Keswick.

All signs indicated that Xia Yu had long known that Charles Keswick was involved in the attack and was the mastermind behind it.

However, Xia Yu had been extremely patient, hiding his intentions since returning from London, like a venomous snake, continuously looking for opportunities to take revenge.

Old John's anger at Charles Keswick was not only because of his boldness but also because Charles didn't report the issue after it happened, instead hiding it with a sense of false hope.

If Charles had reported the matter as soon as it failed, Old John would have had precautions in place, preventing the current situation where their companies were repeatedly attacked while they could only passively respond, resulting in severe losses!

Moreover, if Charles Keswick had not acted on his own and had informed Old John of the plan and ideas, Old John would have mobilized more resources to perfect the plan, minimizing risks. Perhaps Xia Yu would have already been dealt with, and his company swallowed up.

After all, Old John was keeping an eye on the Jiuding Media Company. To say he wasn't envious would be a lie!

The Yi He Consortium had grown under his leadership, even in a tumultuous and dark era. To claim that his hands were clean would be impossible. Even if there were one more Xia Yu, it wouldn't make a difference!

Now that everything was clear, Old John decided he must eliminate the threat proactively, even if not just for the sake of revenge. The enmity with Xia Yu could be described as "seeking wealth and causing death." In Old John's view, it was a mortal enemy!

Putting himself in Xia Yu's shoes, he would definitely seek revenge to the end, making things right!

Old John understood the

 consequences of this matter, and once the Yi He Consortium's companies were to be seized by Xia Yu, the consortium's reputation would be severely damaged, leading to instability and disastrous results.

Therefore, he decided to take a firm stance. To avoid the worst outcome, he needed to control the situation, even if it meant stepping on a few more lives.

As he finalized his decision, Old John's face gradually grew calm, and his demeanor was once again confident and imposing. He began to issue orders to his subordinates, preparing to confront the upcoming storm.

"Notify the media and financial news channels. Announce that our company is making a major strategic adjustment, preparing to consolidate our power and release new plans. We are going to increase our investments, expand, and become a leader in the industry!"

Old John made a resolute decision.

"Yes, Chairman!" Niubijian answered.

"Make a statement to the public, making sure the media report that the Yi He Consortium's move is to enhance business capabilities and improve the economic strength of the consortium. We need to give an impression of stability and confidence, so the public will be reassured."

Old John continued to instruct.

"Yes, Chairman!" Niubijian answered again.

After arranging these tasks, Old John turned to Henry Keswick, who had been silent all this while.

"Henry, prepare yourself and increase efforts in organizing our defense strategies. We need to be ready for a protracted battle. No matter how confident we are, we must not be caught off guard!"

"Understood, Father!" Henry Keswick nodded and agreed.

As for Charles Keswick, he had already left the office, feeling the sting of his father's disappointment. He realized that his rash actions had not only jeopardized the family's interests but also severely damaged his standing.

Standing outside the office, Charles Keswick felt utterly lost, with no clue what to do next.

However, Old John's decision was made. Regardless of the family's internal problems, he needed to ensure that the Yi He Consortium's overall strategy was sound, making sure that Xia Yu's threats were eliminated and their power consolidated.

Thus, with the Yi He Consortium's defensive strategy underway and the planned public relations campaign to consolidate confidence, the storm brewing with Xia Yu was about to hit a critical point, and both sides were gearing up for the impending confrontation.