The Unseen Blade

The morning sun painted Di Hao Group's skyscraper in molten gold, yet the boardroom simmered with frost. Ye Chen leaned against the head chair, his gaze sweeping over executives whose loyalty teetered between fear and greed. The terminated partnerships with the Zhang and Wang families had left a vacuum—one he intended to fill with Xiao's Import Trading, though none dared question the chairman's whims.

"Six million yuan upfront," Wang Dongxue repeated, sliding the contract toward Xiao Churan. Her manicured nail tapped the dragon watermark—Di Hao's insignia, mirrored on Ye Chen's cufflinks. "Deliver on time, and the remaining fifty-four million follows."

Xiao Churan's pen hovered. Three years of humiliation flashed—the floor-bound mattress, her family's sneers, Ye Chen's silent endurance. Now, this phantom benefactor's generosity reeked of invisible strings. "Why me?" she whispered.

Wang Dongxue's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Merit."

Across the city, Madam Xiao's cane struck ancestral hall tiles. "Signing with Di Hao? That trash's doing! He's manipulating her!"

Xiao Hailong snorted, scrolling through frozen offshore account alerts. "Let her play CEO. When she fails, we'll reclaim Xiao's Import at pennies." His phone buzzed—a Cayman Islands lawyer's warning: "IRS investigation imminent."

Ye Chen, watching via hidden feed, texted Tang Sihai: Leak Xiao Hailong's tax fraud to the press. Let it trend by noon.

——

At Michelin Star 88's rooftop,张文浩（Zhang Wenhao）cornered Ye Chen, his Rolex glinting like a predator's fang. "Think you've won? My father's cutting a deal with the Wangs. We'll bury Di Hao."

Ye Chen sipped Bordeaux, unflinching. "The Wangs' shipping logs—laced with contraband, wasn't it? Customs intercepts at dawn." He tossed a USB drive. "Your father's voice, bribing officials. How much prison time does that carry?"

Zhang's face paled. "Y-You bluff…"

A news alert blared: "Xiao Hailong's Tax Evasion Exposed! Xiao Group Stocks Plummet 30%!"

Ye Chen stood, adjusting his tie. "Tell your father: kneel by sunset, or I'll dismantle brick by brick."

——

Xiao Churan confronted Ye Chen that night, the contract clutched like a dagger. "You're Golden Horizon's investor, aren't you? The dragon emblem—it's yours!"

He met her fury calmly. "Would you have signed if you knew?"

"No! This reeks of pity!"

"Pity?" Ye Chen laughed bitterly. "Three years, you shielded me from your family's venom. This," he gestured to the skyline, "is my shield."

A text interrupted: Tang Sihai. Madam Xiao plots with Zhang's lawyer. Hostile takeover bid tomorrow.

Ye Chen's eyes hardened. "Your grandmother moves against us."

"Us?" Xiao Churan scoffed.

"Always 'us'." He opened a vault, revealing stacks of aged documents—Xiao Group's embezzlement trails, forged contracts. "Your choice: burn them or wield them."

She trembled, memories of childhood—Madam Xiao's favoritism, her parents' cowed silence—clashing with the man before her, a stranger wielding fire.

——

Dawn broke with chaos. News vans swarmed Xiao Villa as IRS agents dragged Xiao Hailong away. Madam Xiao's scream pierced the air: "You vile worm! I'll disown you all!"

Ye Chen watched from a limo, Xiao Churan silent beside him. "The board awaits your orders, Chairman." Tang Sihai murmured.

"Let them wait." Ye Chen turned to his wife. "Your move, CEO Xiao."

She stared at the documents, then at the villa—her childhood prison. "Burn it."

As flames consumed the papers, Ye Chen's phone buzzed: Zhang Wenhao arrested. Wangs surrender 60% equity.

"To new beginnings," he toasted, the dragon cufflinks catching firelight.

Xiao Churan's hand brushed his. "And unseen endings."