Chen Yan's question actually highlighted the biggest loophole in his own plan.

After all, Qin Ming could create momentum for Chen Yan and Chen Yan could "force" Zhang Yonghao to sell his shares, but Chen Yan could never explain: if Zhang Yonghao was his man and they were setting a big trap together, why would Zhang Yonghao expose himself now?

As long as someone noticed this illogical loophole, everything would collapse on its own.

Chen Yan had actually spotted this issue while designing the plan.

But he had never intended to deceive everyone with such a simple trick.

He was actually playing an open game.

He knew that the people behind Zhang Yonghao might see through his divide-and-conquer strategy, but what did it matter if they did?

He and Zhang Yonghao were involved in a shareholding dispute, and during the suit, if Zhang kept selling him shares, how could Zhang win the lawsuit...?

Furthermore, when things really developed to that point, even if the other party suspected Chen Yan of using a divide-and-conquer strategy, would they really dare to bet on it?

They weren't afraid that Chen Yan and Zhang Yonghao were really in cahoots, that Zhang would recant in court, embarrass them, and make them lose face completely in their circles?

So, armed with the "Strong Buy Card," Chen Yan wasn't the least bit worried about his plans being discovered by those around him.

However, just because Chen Yan thought profoundly and played a deep game didn't mean others thought as deeply.

When He Mengxue heard Chen Yan point out the loophole in his own scam, she didn't feel that it was a loophole at all.

She whispered, "Chen Yan, stop lying to me."

"Your plan has been figured out by others. Zhang Yonghao risked exposure by selling you shares because you're aiming to take over the apparent control of Headline Technology."

Hearing He Mengxue's words, Chen Yan "Ah?" a moment, almost not understanding what she meant.

Then, He Mengxue started explaining "his plan" to Chen Yan.

"Look, when you drove away Zhang Yonghao before, the shares you held were 65%. That was absolute control."

"So, you had the final say in the entire group, and you did whatever you wanted because nobody had veto power."

"But, you've just raised funds."

"The shares you control have been diluted."

"Although the new issue is controlled by a fund you manage, that fund is not under your control after all. On the surface, that fund has five other major shareholders."

She paused, "That's me, Zhao Ying, Yu Qiao Qiao, Yang Rou, and Lu Man."

"Just, we know this, but the outside world doesn't."

"According to the shareholder calculation, you forcefully lost about 5% of the shares. Plus, during this funding, shares given to the senior managers, your total shareholding in the group dropped to around 64%."

"So, you need 1% of the shares to continue securing your absolute control."

"After all, the company is now in a turbulent period and needs your absolute control for a smooth transition."

"You need to shut up everyone who eyes Headline Technology greedily, doubts your ability, or wants to challenge your authority, whether they're inside or outside...."

After saying that, she asked, "Is my analysis correct?"

Chen Yan: ...

To be honest, Chen Yan really wanted to clap his hands earnestly.

Brilliant, truly brilliant...

How did he not think of this himself!

But... isn't this too absurd!?

This analysis seems flawless at a glance, but upon closer examination, it's full of holes, isn't it!

This is entirely like a blind analysis by someone who doesn't understand the shareholding structure of Headline Technology, right?

Moreover, Chen Yan suspected that these analyses were based on conclusions drawn backward. Otherwise, it wouldn't be so outrageous!

And furthermore, so outrageous and still people believed it. Is there no justice left?

Thinking this, Chen Yan patted his forehead and weakly explained, "Meng Xue, listen to me."

"Zhang Yonghao really isn't my man. We really weren't planning so many strategies."

"Let me tell you the specifics."

Saying this, he shared the incidents with Zhang Yonghao in Ao City with He Mengxue.

Perhaps because Chen Yan spoke with such sincerity, after listening carefully, He Mengxue also began to doubt her earlier judgment.

So she hesitantly asked, "Is what you're saying true?"

Chen Yan on the other end of the phone, hadn't expected things to evolve to this point.

He helplessly said, "Of course it's true. I could deceive anyone but not you."

He Mengxue on the other end of the phone was bewildered and said "Oh," feeling that Chen Yan was also right...

Because Chen Yan really had no reason to deceive her.

Then, as she thought about all the different versions circulating outside, she almost laughed out loud.

She felt that everything was too interesting.

People's imaginations were just too rich...

After chatting with Chen Yan a bit more, she hung up the phone and humming a song, He Mengxue walked to her bedroom.

Passing through the villa corridor, she encountered her father, He Ruifeng.

He Ruifeng's mood had been very good lately.

After all, Chen Yan, his son-in-law, had developed rapidly in the past two years, and recently, he had stirred up such a shocking incident.

Since this incident occurred, many wealthy people had been visiting him in the past few days, praising Chen Yan and his good eye, so naturally, he was in a good mood.

The only downside was that his good-for-nothing nephew had prematurely exposed such a good plan of his son-in-law.

If Qin Ming hadn't run off to Tiandu, he would have been tempted to drag Qin Ming back and give him a whipping!

Seeing her father, He Mengxue quickly restrained the smile on her face, then bowed to greet him, "Father."

The He family, as an old established family, placed great importance on household etiquette.

But He Ruifeng was happy lately, so he didn't mind. He was instead curious about He Mengxue's smile just now.

He casually asked with his hands behind his back, "Just finished talking to Chen Yan?"

Hearing He Ruifeng's words, He Mengxue hesitated for a moment, then nodded, replying, "Yes, just finished."

He Ruifeng "Hmm" a moment, then said, "Next time you call, remember to apologize for me."

"Apologize?" He Mengxue was a bit puzzled.

He Ruifeng said, "Yes. To apologize for your cousin."

"If he hadn't gotten drunk and caused trouble, he wouldn't have prematurely exposed Chen Yan's plan."

Saying this, he sighed, adding, "Hopefully, it hasn't affected Chen Yan's plan."

"Otherwise, Qin Ming would truly be a sinner."

Hearing her father's words and seeing the guilt on his face, He Mengxue thought it over and realized Chen Yan didn't say he couldn't tell her father about this.

So she hesitated, replying, "Dad. It's not what you think."

"What's not what I think? What do you mean?" He Ruifeng looked at his daughter, confused.

Since He Mengxue had already spoken up, she didn't hold back anymore.

She simply relayed the factual truth that Chen Yan had told her to her father.

Then she added, "Chen Yan said that the drinking incident was orchestrated by Qin Ming to leak information intentionally; it wasn't an accident."

"He's deceiving others, but as long as we know the truth, we're fine."

He Mengxue thought that after her explanation, the matter would be resolved.

But who knew, after listening to her, He Ruifeng burst out laughing.

He Mengxue looked at her father, baffled.

She didn't understand what was happening with her father.

He Ruifeng didn't say much, only sighing, "My son-in-law is really not a simple character. To think of such a method to rectify."

"Rectify?" He Mengxue was even more confused.

"Yes," He Ruifeng nodded, then hinted mysteriously,

"Think about it. Qin Ming accidentally revealed his plan. So, what should he do to continue with his plan?"

He Mengxue was clueless, "Clear...clear it up?"

He Ruifeng shook his head, "Silly girl."

"If he cleared it up, wouldn't that be announcing that there is no silver here?"

He paused, then said, "So, he does the opposite."

"Since everyone suspects he's involved with Zhang Yonghao, he simply does something to bring up suspicions. Stirring up everyone's suspicions."

"Later, he secretly makes his constructed 'truth' public."

"Quickly, everyone will think it's a coincidence."

"Then they also question the rumors before."

"This makes it impossible to distinguish the true from the false."

Hearing her father's words, He Mengxue was bewildered.

"Is, is that so?"

He Ruifeng had a look of "I have seen through everything," and nodded.

Then he patted He Mengxue's shoulder, speaking earnestly, "Xiao Xue, you're still too young."

"Because you didn't realize the biggest loophole in his plan."

He Mengxue felt her brain wasn't functioning anymore.

She dully asked, "What loophole?"

He Ruifeng said with a smile, "The loophole is... everything is just too coincidental."

"Why did he happen to be in Ao City?"

"Why did Zhang Yonghao happen to owe money?"

"Why did he happen to know Zhang Yonghao was in debt?"

"Why was he prepared with so much cash?"

One after another, the questions were cast out, and He Ruifeng slightly shook his head.

He patted He Mengxue's shoulder again, saying softly, "Xiao Xue, you still need to be more comprehensive in your thinking."

Having said that, he walked away, humming happily, leaving He Mengxue standing there with a confused face.

Standing there, He Mengxue doubted her life for a moment.

Could it be... Chen Yan had deceived me again?

But... wasn't it agreed that Chinese don't deceive each other?

Or... was her father thinking too much?

He Mengxue felt she was going crazy.

The truth and falsehood of this matter were making her dizzy…

She didn't know who to believe anymore.

.....

Meanwhile, a similar scene was playing out with Young Master Dong and his father: Dong Hongtu.

After Chen Yan bought shares from Zhang Yonghao, Dong Hongtu called his son in Ao City to ask if he knew about it.

In the face of the rumors described by Dong Hongtu, Young Master Dong scoffed.

He laughed and said, "Dad, these rumors are just too preposterous!"

"I was a witness to the events!"

"When all that happened, I was right there!"

"I was that staircase (not)."

"Let me tell you about Chen Yan's activities during this period, and you'll understand. This was all just mere coincidence."

Saying this, Young Master Dong recounted everything about Chen Yan's visit to Macau.

In the end, he concluded, "So, Dad, it really was just a coincidence."

"That day, we just happened to run into Zhang Yonghao, which led to what happened afterward."

"In any case, you just need to believe me."

Hearing his son's explanation, Dong Hongtu was far from convinced; in fact, his expression became increasingly solemn.

He scolded, "Foolish!"

"Sending you out to gain experience for two years, and you're still so complacent!"

"At Chen Yan's level, what coincidences, what chances? Everything is orchestrated!"

He said with a bit of frustration, "Can't you use your brain?"

"A billionaire like Chen Yan, during the holidays, leaving everyone for a chat with you, and then running off to Ao City to meet you?"

"Are you an unparalleled beauty or a tiger tank?"

"Is that the attraction you hold for him?"

"And think about his schedule during this time. Has he done anything meaningful?"

Dong Hongtu asked and answered himself, "He didn't even go on classic tours! Just hanging out, looking around."

"Don't you see it?"

"He was waiting for the right moment, waiting for the right time to arrange this event!"

"And you..." he said emphatically, "you've already become part of his plan!"

"He made you his witness!"

"So you could spread the 'truth' he wants to be known!"

"Don't you understand?!"

By the end, Dong Hongtu was so furious that if it weren't for the screen, he'd probably have spit on Young Master Dong's face.

Hearing his father's words, Young Master Dong was dumbstruck.

He never considered such a possibility.

He always felt that things weren't as complicated as his father thought.

But... logically, he felt his father made some sense.

So, for the moment, he was also thrown into confusion: could it be... Brother Chen really staged a whole play with him involved?

...

Meanwhile, as these things were happening in the He family and Dong family, the events in Ao City began to spread.

After all, among the wealthy class, finding out about an event witnessed and heard by many wasn't difficult.

After learning the details of the incident,

People were divided into two camps.

Some were skeptical, some were convinced. Some remained doubtful.

But regardless, the entire situation was thrown into complete chaos, just as Chen Yan had anticipated...

...

And as Qindong and Tiandu were rife with speculation about the truth of the matter,

Zhang Yonghao in Ao City also received a phone call.

The moment he saw the call, Zhang Yonghao's face changed.

He quickly signaled for those around him to wait and then stood up to leave the room.

After leaving the room, he went to the window and answered the call.

Facing that call, Zhang Yonghao was extremely respectful.

"Yes, yes, Mr. Wang, something did happen on my end."

"Right, right, of course it's not true."

As he spoke, he recounted recent events with a face full of annoyance and regret.

Having listened to his account, the caller seemed even angrier.

But the deed was done, and nothing could change that, so he could only scold Zhang Yonghao before hanging up the phone.

Before ending the call, Zhang Yonghao kept making promises, "Mr. Wang, you can trust me, I won't let it happen again."

"This was really an accident."

"Don't worry, I won't gamble anymore."

"Right, right, I know gambling leads to trouble. There are a lot of scammers."

With the person on the other end of the line snorting coldly, the call was disconnected.

Listening to the "beep beep" sound from the phone, Zhang Yonghao let out a breath.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, locked his phone screen, put it in his pocket,

Patted his own face to keep from looking so nervous, took a couple of deep breaths, readjusted a smile on his face, and re-entered the room.

The room was a bustling VIP room of the casino, with well-dressed, wealthy-looking people coming and going.

Some women clad in tantalizing outfits swayed their slender waists, weaving through the various tables, flitting by the patrons.

Looking at the scene before him, Zhang Yonghao couldn't help showing a pleased expression.

He fished around in his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, stuck it in his mouth, and lit it with a "click", then with a flick of his coat, he made his way back to the table he left earlier.

As he walked, he muttered to himself, "I won't go up to the second floor for big bets. Just a little gamble on the first floor, that doesn't count as gambling, right...?"

...

At the same time, in the Tiandu Suburb,

A secluded villa.

A man in his fifties angrily threw his phone onto the table, then picked up a cup of tea and downed it fiercely.

A young girl was serving him at his side.

If ordinary people were here, they would probably be surprised to discover that she was a second-tier Celebrity who had been very popular in recent years.

However, this Celebrity had recently been affected by a tax evasion scandal, so she hadn't dared to do any promotion for three or four months.

Seeing the man angry, the girl hurried over and soothed his chest, asking, "Godfather, what's wrong with you? Are you angry about Zhang Yonghao?"

The old man said angrily, "That damn fool!"

"He could learn anything but gambling!"

"He lost several billion and then went to borrow money from Chen Yan!"

Hearing the old man's words, the girl pondered for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Are you talking about Zhang Yonghao's recent share transaction with Chen Yan?"

She said, "But I've heard rumors from Qindong saying that Zhang Yonghao is actually Chen Yan's man... Do you think..."

Before the girl could finish, the old man had caught her drift.

He hesitated, then shook his head and said, "I still trust Zhang Yonghao in this regard. He doesn't have the guts."

"And if it were true. If they were staging this big setup, for what purpose?"

"It doesn't make sense, doesn't make sense."

Hearing the old man's words, the girl softly said, "Could they possibly be doing it because of you?"

"Me?" The man was stunned for a moment, then immediately laughed and waved his hand, "No way."

"We didn't know each other before; how could he have planned all this knowing I would intercede?"

"And besides... as long as my stock in Headline Technology is unaffected, even if this whole thing fails, what impact does it have on me?"

Seeing the man so assured, the girl obediently replied, "Oh."

Then she giggled and sat on the man's lap, saying, "Well, Godfather, since it has nothing to do with you, don't be angry. Let's do something fun, shall we?"

"I don't have much work recently, so I can accompany you well."

Hearing the girl's words, the man laughed heartily, "Good, good. Then let's do something fun."

After that, he was led by the hand toward the inner room by the girl.

But what no one saw was the fleeting gloom in his eyes when he glanced at the phone; clearly, he wasn't as calm as he had claimed...

...

Perhaps because the plan was progressing smoothly, Chen Yan spent the following days in Ao City even more at ease.

He truly relaxed and started to sightsee and have fun.

Even, because Yu Qiao Qiao had returned to Qin Island from the orphanage, an idle Chen Yan simply sent a private plane to bring her to Ao City for company.

Yu Qiao Qiao, who had never been to Ao City, was dazzled by the glitzy world and happily clung to Chen Yan like a little bird.

During this time, Chen Yan unhesitatingly used the Strong Buy Card for the second and third times.

Whether it was because Zhang Yonghao lost the "first time", these following uses of the Strong Buy Card were particularly effective.

Almost as soon as Chen Yan made a wish the night before, Zhang Yonghao would show up the next day wanting to sell shares.

Seeing Zhang Yonghao these two times, Chen Yan always felt like the man was getting in deeper and deeper; his whole person's eye sockets were sunken, his state of mind not very good.

Chen Yan couldn't understand the mentality of such a gambling addict, and likewise, couldn't empathize, so after completing the transactions, he no longer concerned himself with Zhang Yonghao.

During this period, the "rumors" Chen Yan let He Mengxue spread, with the help of the He family, began to circulate.

"Zhang Yonghao is actually a gambling addict who lost money and had to sell shares to Chen Yan because he had no choice. He is not Chen Yan's man." This rumor quickly spread throughout the Qindong Peninsula.

To be honest, most people didn't believe the rumor at first.

But when Zhang Yonghao sold his shares to Chen Yan for the second and third times, the credibility of the rumor began to surpass that of "Zhang Yonghao is Chen Yan's man".

After all, if the two really did have a relationship, it shouldn't have been so conspicuously exposed...

However, there were some people who, the more it was like this, the more they pondered.

The more Chen Yan and Zhang Yonghao acted in this manner, the more it seemed to certain observant people that they were desperate to cover up...

...

In the Tiandu Suburb,

The same secluded villa.

The same old man who previously entertained himself with a female celebrity.

This time, he was clearly truly furious, angry enough to smash his favorite purple sand teapot.

At this moment, the female celebrity was trembling in terror, not daring to make a sound.

The old man took a couple of deep breaths after venting his fury.

He then beckoned the female celebrity, who hesitated before hurriedly taking out her phone from her small bag, unlocked it, and handed it over to him.

It was a pretty pink lady's phone, obviously belonging to the celebrity.

The old man took the lady's phone, glanced at it, and then made a call...

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