The Phantom Benefactor

Di Hao Group Headquarters | 10:00 AM

The executive elevator ascended silently. Ye Chen adjusted his cufflinks—a subtle gesture to mask his unease. Though tailored suits now replaced his threadbare clothes, the ghost of three years as a "parasite" still clung to his skin.

In the glass-walled conference room, twelve division heads awaited their mysterious chairman. Murmurs swirled about sudden board reshuffles and severed partnerships. When Ye Chen entered, a collective breath hitched. This was the heir to Di Hao's throne?

"Chairman Ye," ventured the logistics director, "terminating Zhang family contracts will cost us 200 million monthly. Are you certain—"

Ye Chen's gaze sharpened. "Compensation clauses will activate tomorrow. Every yuan the Zhangs lose..." He tapped the financial report, "...will flow into Xiao's Import Trading."

The room froze. Xiao's Import—a third-tier company helmed by Xiao Churan.

Xiao Family Villa | Same Evening

Madam Xiao's cane struck marble as Xiao Churan knelt in the ancestral hall. "Beg Zhang Wenhao? Refuse again, and I'll disown your branch!"

Moonlight bled through lattice windows as Ye Chen found his wife trembling in their barren bedroom. Her ledger lay open—pages choked with red ink.

"Churan," he murmured, placing a jade pendant on her desk—an anonymous "investor gift" from Di Hao. "What if a benefactor appeared?"

She laughed bitterly. "No one invests in doomed ventures."

The pendant's dragon motif glinted as Ye Chen slipped away. In the shadows, he dialed Tang Sihai: "Channel 500 million through offshore shells. Make sure the funds trace to Switzerland."

Underground Garage | Midnight

Black sedans encircled Ye Chen as he left Di Hao. Zhang Wenhao emerged, cigar smoke curling like venom. "Think you can crush us with petty tricks?"

Bodyguards brandished steel pipes. Ye Chen's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Your father's embezzlement records—shall I email them to the Anti-Corruption Bureau?"

Zhang's face paled. "Y-You bluffing..."

A phone buzzed. News alerts blared: "Zhang Group stocks plunge 15% after Di Hao contract termination!"

As sirens approached (courtesy of Ye Chen's timed tip about illegal parking), he leaned close: "This is just the prelude."

Dawn | Rooftop Garden

Xiao Churan stared at her suddenly thriving bank account. The mysterious 500 million deposit memo read:

"For the girl who shared her umbrella with a beggar."

Memories surfaced—a rainy night years ago when she'd sheltered a shivering youth outside the orphanage. Could that act of kindness ripple through time to save her now?

Behind her, Ye Chen watched silently. The first rays of sun gilded his wife's determined profile as she dialed investors. Soon, he vowed, you'll stand atop Ling City's commerce, and I'll be the shadow lifting you there.