Chapter 38: If You Are to Have a Son, He Should Be Like Sun Zhongmou

It read: "Dear Vice President Li Fengyu, please forgive me for contacting you in this manner. By the time you read this letter, it should already be night. Your subordinate has been continuously investigating me, and I had no choice but to use this method to make him stop. I am already aware of all your secrets; you do not belong to our circle. Young people inevitably make mistakes, and I do not blame you for not understanding the rules of the game, which is why I am sparing your life. However, you are being used by others. You should also be clear about my identity. I am issuing this warning only once: withdraw from this field immediately, do not persist in your delusion, and go back to properly finishing your studies. Otherwise, the next time will not be nearly this simple."

At this moment, Li Fengyu was already terrified, and Ye Chen's face was also filled with deep sorrow as he finished reading the contents. Li Fengyu knew that this must be a threat letter sent by the mastermind behind the silver futures. Ye Chen encouraged Li Fengyu, saying, "This is a society ruled by law, what can they possibly do? Do they think they can scare us away with just a few words?" At that time, Ye Chen still did not know that Chen Yuxuan's car accident was related to them, but Li Fengyu knew very well that in this world, powerful and influential people could make someone disappear with astonishing ease.

Buried alive? Sunk to the bottom of the river? Scenes from television dramas surfaced one by one in Li Fengyu's mind. He was now terribly afraid, afraid that he would truly be the next one. He told Ye Chen to go back first, as he needed to carefully discuss this matter with Li Sen and Lin Chu. Seeing the situation, Ye Chen found it difficult to say anything more and left.

Li Fengyu also pondered how to resolve this crisis, and as he thought about it, he gradually fell asleep. He slept straight through until the next day, waking up only when Li Sen and Lin Chu arrived to rouse him. Li Fengyu handed the letter to Lin Chu and Li Sen for them to read. After reading it, both of their faces turned bitter. Lin Chu asked, "What should we do?" Li Fengyu slowly stood up and gave a bitter smile, saying, "It seems our journey can only go this far. Everything is over." Seeing them so pessimistic, Li Sen wanted to offer some comfort, but under the current circumstances, he could only remain silent, plunging the office into a dead silence.

All three of them knew that this time they were truly finished, and Xinmin Group could no longer be saved. Just then, Ye Chen walked in and said, "Wait a moment, everyone, we cannot agree to this." The three of them all turned to look at Ye Chen in unison. Feeling bewildered by their stares, Ye Chen explained, "Everyone, I am just a junior secretary, and having joined the company very recently, I have no qualification to participate in decision-making. However, I also know the contents of that letter, and I believe we must not compromise." Upon hearing this, Lin Chu was about to speak when Li Fengyu stopped him and signaled for Ye Chen to continue.

Speaking with great eloquence, Ye Chen said, "Everyone, throughout history and across the ages, all those who have achieved great things share one common trait: the courage to be the first to act and the resolute daring to defy the entire world. I have heard the Vice President mention some of the background of this group. Let me tell you a story."

Ye Chen continued: "In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Liu Biao passed away, marking the end of an era for the once-powerful overlord who had entered Jingzhou alone. His successor, Liu Cong, was utterly weak and surrendered to Cao Cao to save his life, handing over Jingzhou. Cao Cao pursued Liu Bei, who had fled from Jingzhou, all the way to Jiangdong, boasting with great arrogance: 'Now with a force of eight hundred thousand naval troops, I shall hunt with the General in Wu.'

"At that time, Liu Bei was weak and powerless to contend with Cao Cao. The fate of the realm hung entirely on Sun Quan's single thought. If Sun Quan surrendered, there would be no Three Kingdoms thereafter; but refusing to surrender meant challenging Cao Cao, the chaotic-era hero who lashed the empire and pacified the four quarters. The outcome of defeat could be even more wretched. After deep consideration, he finally shouted to Zhuge Liang and the officials of Eastern Wu: 'With the full strength of Wu and an army of one hundred thousand, how could I submit to Cao Cao's manipulation?'

"That year, he was only in his twenties. At that very moment, Sun Quan was no longer just the son of Sun Jian or the younger brother of Sun Ce, but the future successor of Eastern Wu and an overlord capable of contending with heroes like Cao Cao and Liu Bei in the future. At that moment, Sun Quan decided to use the land of Jiangdong to vie for dominance under heaven, embarking on a path that his father and brother had once walked—a path leading to supreme hegemony and kingship, and one that would ignite the most magnificent and turbulent chapter of the Three Kingdoms following the late Eastern Han Dynasty."