The comic version of this novel is available to read on
Webtoon Canvas and Tapas.
"I formally move for the board to execute the immediate termination of Kawin from his position as Director of the Hydrogen Project, and the immediate removal of Zhang Wei from his seat as Chief Executive Officer of CLS, effective immediately, to answer for this corporate catastrophe."
Fan Mingzhi delivered the motion, his sharp, predatory gaze locking directly onto Kawin amidst a sudden cascade of frantic whispering that rippled across the executive boardroom.
Director Zhenhua’s brows knitted tightly before he intervened, his voice heavy with apprehension. "But executing the abrupt decapitation of two primary executives simultaneously amidst an active public relations crisis will that not signal complete structural instability to the market? I harbor severe anxieties regarding the immediate, devastating contagion it will inflict upon our group's share value." A murmur of consensus instantly rippled through a faction of aligned board members.
"On the contrary, Director," Lu Rong interjected smoothly, throwing a brief glance toward Tum, who maintained a rigid, unreadable stare. "Amputating the rot before it spreads and establishing total executive transparency is the solitary framework capable of restoring institutional investor confidence."
"Assuming the motion carries... what administrative entity possesses the leverage to occupy the interim vacancy?" one of the independent directors demanded.
Fan Mingzhi shifted his focus to Chairman Li Ming, who sat enthroned at the head of the mahogany table, before initializing his desk microphone.
"I nominate Wenjie to assume the presidency of CLS, succeeding Zhang Wei, while concurrently consolidating total oversight by absorbing the directorship of the Hydrogen Project to replace Kawin."
The absolute weight of Mingzhi's proclamation plunged the chamber into a suffocating stillness. Within moments, the vacuum fractured into a volatile crossfire of debate as the board scrambled to navigate the endgame of the crisis.
Li Ming, fingers interlocked at the head of the table, let a calculated, microscopic smile trace his lips, exchanging a knowing glance with Mingzhi. Yet, Wenjie’s features hardened into a tight frown. Breaking his gaze from his father, he pivoted to lock eyes with Adisorn, who remained entirely motionless despite the operational chaos vibrating around them.
The realization that his father and the syndicate’s chief strategist had engineered this aggressive, unilateral consolidation of power felt like a profound, public castration of his own executive competence.
As the corporate consensus began to drift toward the motion, Wenjie severed the momentum.
"Deploying an immediate, scorched-earth purge of President Zhang and Kawin at this exact juncture... will that not simply legitimize and amplify the structural failures of the CK Group in the public eye?"
The unexpected defiance from the primary heir caused every gaze in the room to pivot toward him in stunned uniformity. Li Ming froze, a porcelain coffee cup suspended mid-air as he evaluated his son’s sudden willingness to engage in open insubordination before the entire governing board.
"Current media intelligence isolates this failure exclusively to the tax non-compliance of an external startup," Wenjie articulated, his voice gaining cold traction. "If this governing body abruptly liquidates both the project director and the chief of an elite subsidiary simultaneously, we are effectively announcing a formal confession to the press that the CK Group possessed active complicity in the fraudulent scheme."
The surgical logic fractured the board’s resolve, sending the directors back into a flurry of hesitant whispering. Sensing the operational slippage, Fan Mingzhi intervened aggressively.
"But amidst a crisis of this magnitude, zero administrative assets possess the pedigree or the strategic alignment required to stabilize the infrastructure quite like the direct lineage of the Chairman himself!" Mingzhi’s eyes locked onto Wenjie, weaponizing the legacy to coerce his compliance. Yet, the maneuver only stoked Wenjie's burning resentment, internalizing the promotion as a humiliating stamp of nepotism a hollow throne handed down from a patriarch who deemed him incapable of seizing power on his own merit.
As blood rushed to Wenjie's face in silent fury, Adisorn, observing the theater from the periphery of the chamber with arms crossed, allowed a dark, mocking smile to form overtly on his lips.
"If the definition of competency in your ledger, Mr. Mingzhi, dictates utilizing bloodlines over verified executive capability," Wenjie delivered the words with sub-zero composure, "then I suspect the presidency of CLS and the directorship of this project are far too lightweight for my portfolio. Because if I am establishing a sovereign right to a seat by blood... it will exclusively be the chairmanship of the CK Group."
The lethal declaration sent a shockwave of nervous tension through the directors. Fan Mingzhi’s expression darkened as he sharply turned to Li Ming, who was now locking eyes with his son in a cold, lingering stare that balanced between calculated malice and amusement.
Amidst the swirling volatility, Kawin drew a deep, measured breath, stabilizing his frame as he rose to his feet. He executed a precise, dignified bow before straightening his spine.
"As the active Director of the Hydrogen Project, I accept total accountability for the operational disruption and the subsequent damage to shareholder value. Effective immediately, I tender my formal resignation from this position."
The finality of the statement caused Adisorn’s gaze to snap upward, his eyes vibrating with rare, unscripted calculation. He had not anticipated Kawin deploying a self-inflicted liquidation to fracture the trap. Behind him, Tum’s face drained of color entirely, looking completely hollowed out by the sudden sacrifice.
"However..." Kawin’s voice resonated with absolute iron, his focus transitioning to Zhang Wei. "President Zhang possesses zero structural proximity or administrative accountability regarding the logistics of this specific project failure. Consequently, I stand in absolute opposition to any motion that seeks to remove him from the leadership of CLS."
The counter-move instantly rallied the opposing faction of the board, who nodded in rapid agreement. Zhang Wei was an institutional pillar within the CK Group architecture, having single-handedly engineered CLS into a crown jewel of the conglomerate. To let him suffer collateral liquidation for an anomaly he did not author would expose the maneuver as a grotesque, politically motivated purge.
Li Ming hoisted his heavy, unreadable gaze to meet Kawin, his eyes an impenetrable abyss. "Are you entirely certain of the parameters of your declaration... Mr. Kawin?"
"Without reservation," Kawin countered, refusing to break stride.
Li Ming slowly shifted his attention toward Adisorn’s corner, the ghost of a triumphant smirk playing on his ancient features, mocking the fact that their grand offensive had ultimately cratered into a desperate retreat. "And what says the primary institutional creditor and strategic alliance? How does ZX Capital evaluate this sudden resignation?"
Adisorn’s jaw clenched until the bone went white, a toxic, suppressed rage burning in his eyes as he watched the game turn ash in his mouth. Yet, because Kawin had intentionally thrown his own piece into the fire to keep their broader operational lines open, he had no choice but to adjust.
"If this reflects the absolute operational choice of Kawin... ZX Capital shall defer to that executive decision," Adisorn delivered flatly, his eyes flashing across Kawin’s frame for a singular, tense second.
"Assuming Kawin abdicates the chair... who remains to assume the mantle of leadership to ensure the continuity of the infrastructure?" a director demanded into the vacuum.
Li Ming’s eyes narrowed into twin slits of pure, Machiavellian satisfaction. He let his lips curl into a slow, serpentine smile before extending an open, welcoming hand toward a silent corner of the boardroom.