Chapter 583: Dignity

‘Ever since going abroad, I’ve spent most of my time dealing with strangers—be they friend or foe. Meanwhile, all of my previous business operations back home have all but stalled.’

‘However, I know that plenty of people are still keeping tabs on me, sneaking a glance my way in their spare moments.’

‘Of course, it would be unrealistic to expect any of them to offer any real help.’

‘Whether they were subjectively willing is one matter, but in terms of actual capability, they probably couldn’t have helped much anyway.’

‘Besides, I never expected it in the first place.’

Now was, of course, the “perfect” time. The previous incident had temporarily blown over, and then he went and caused another major stir in Dubai. As his business partner and a fellow shareholder, You Shaoqiang really knew how to pick his moments to pay a visit.

During those two days, Lin Chu hadn’t contacted him, and he hadn’t reached out either.

Of course, he couldn’t have been contacted even if one had wanted to. His phone was at the bottom of the sea.

Lin Chu wasn’t so dramatic as to demand support from all corners whenever he was in trouble, nor would he lament the cold, cynical nature of the world. He simply had to re-evaluate certain relationships in his mind.

…

「Outside the gate of the training base.」

You Shaoqiang and Kang Hao sat in a car, listening to the occasional gunshots from the firing range inside. They watched the fully armed guards standing sentry at the gate, noted the various commendatory banners hanging in the reception room, and observed the endless stream of visitors coming and going…

They exchanged a look, both of their expressions holding a hint of surprise.

“He talked about retiring, traveling, and seeing the world, not even paying attention to the stock market. I never expected him to quietly build up an operation this massive… I told you before, didn’t I? He definitely had a grand plan.”

You Shaoqiang said with a brilliant smile. It was impossible to detect any trace of discomfort in his bright eyes.

There was no jealousy, no bitterness—at most, a subtle, teasing undertone.

And that teasing tone wasn’t directed at Lin Chu, but at Kang Hao.

Kang Hao didn’t quite understand the meaning behind the look, but he laughed along anyway. “Of course! I’ve always thought he marches to the beat of his own drum. I don’t get him. I just really don’t get him.”

You Shaoqiang glanced at him and sighed softly, a certain unspeakable hesitation weighing on his heart.

‘What a contradictory feeling.’

‘A subtle sense of defeat, a measure of respect and admiration, and yet also a feeling of rejection and resistance.’

‘How does this man manage to stir up so much trouble?’

‘And how many aces does he still have up his sleeve?’

The main reason he had rushed over here was actually a conversation with his father—or rather, a collective demand from the entire family business.

When he had used one billion yuan from Lin Chu to acquire Yellow River Hua Crystal, a publicly listed company that produced lab-grown diamonds, his father and the family had been in one-hundred-percent agreement.

The acquisition was complete. He was now the chairman, and Lin Chu was the second-largest shareholder.

His other brothers held some of the remaining shares here and there, but in any case, he held the controlling stake firmly in his own hands.

Through his recent maneuvering, the company’s original five-billion-yuan market cap had nearly doubled, resulting in unrealized paper profits of almost two billion.

You Shaoqiang had no intention of selling. He was preparing to develop it as a long-term asset and had already made many arrangements.

But recent events had caused a subtle shift in his and his family’s attitude toward Lin Chu.

The change had been gradual and slow.

When Lin Chu acquired that plot of land in Dubai, his father had said, “This friend of yours is incredible. That’s the kind of person you should befriend.”

After Lin Chu did what he did in Europe and it was exposed all over the internet, his father had said, “Your friend has provoked people he shouldn’t have. Let’s wait and see.”

When Lin Chu was wiping out the scam organizations in Dubai, his father had said, “Cut ties with him. The man is too much of a risk. He’s not a businessman anymore.”

You Shaoqiang naturally agreed completely with his father’s judgment, which was why he had come directly to Dubai, intending to make a certain “cut.”

He knew full well that Lin Chu had never really cared about this publicly listed company.

‘And now, with the company’s stock price soaring, trying to kick him out feels a bit like burning the bridge after crossing it.’

‘But it couldn’t be helped.’

‘Setting aside other risks, the legal exposure alone was a major issue. It’s a hard-and-fast rule that the controlling figures of a publicly listed company cannot have legal liabilities.’

‘Although there was no definite outcome yet regarding Lin Chu’s situation, it was truly hard to say what would happen next.’

‘Waiting until he was indicted or arrested to sever ties would be far too reactive, and there might not even be enough time.’

‘It would also have a major impact on the company’s stock price.’

In fact, after the news broke, the company’s stock price took a hit. A wave of sell-offs caused it to drop limit-down for a day. Fortunately, the broader market was strong, and the price was pulled back up.

Nevertheless, he remained a ticking time bomb.

“Someone’s coming.”

A man in camouflage walked over, smiled at the pair, and said, “Mr. You, President Lin is at home and has some time now. If you’ll please exit the vehicle, we’ll escort you to him.”

Hearing this, You Shaoqiang felt that Lin Chu was putting on airs. ‘A friend comes from afar, and he doesn’t even come to greet me personally?’

However, he just nodded and smiled without saying much. He and Kang Hao got out of the car and were led into the base.

A short while later, a helicopter took off from the base, flying directly toward World Island.

Sitting in a passenger seat in the cabin, You Shaoqiang gazed out at the blue sky and white clouds, and the bustling city below. For a moment, he was truly at a loss for words.