Adisorn traversed the elevated outdoor corridor bridging the executive wings. At that precise moment, Wenjie stepped out to confront him directly. The late-morning sun cast harsh light across both men, stretching their long shadows against the deserted walkway.
“So Mi Ling made her choice, didn’t she...? Deciding to stand on her own two feet,” Wenjie initiated with a mocking sneer.
“Precisely as you observed,” Adisorn admitted, returning an unbothered, subtle smile.
“In the end, she discarded you the moment a superior option materialized,” the heir to the Chairman noted, his lips twisting into a triumphant smirk.
Adisorn held his gaze, his unyielding smile intact. “And what about you...?”
Wenjie narrowed his eyes slightly, scrutinizing the man before him. “What... suddenly contemplating crawling back to my side now?”
He closed the distance by a step, casting a scathing look before letting out a cold, satisfied laugh. “I offer my regrets... because I don't harbor abandoned strays on my team.”
Adisorn met his eyes calmly, devoid of a single trace of intimidation.
“Initially, I calculated you possessed far greater caliber...” Wenjie seized the moment to press harder, his tone saturated with disdain. “Yet observing you now, you are indistinguishable from debris drifting along the riverbank.”
Adisorn let out a soft, almost amused laugh, nodding in serene agreement.
“An exceptionally vivid metaphor...” Adisorn paused, locking eyes with him. “And I sincerely trust that you, too, remain capable of standing on your own feet to survive the coming tide.”
Wenjie smiled back, his eyes flashing with provocative arrogance.
“Now that the ultimate leverage rests in my hands, I harbor zero necessity to rely on anyone... especially opportunistic parasites who align with whichever faction feeds them drawing sustenance from the host tree while contributing nothing to its survival. Or put simply, no different from a bloodsucking leech.”
Adisorn burst into a genuine laugh of approval, a flicker of true amusement illuminating his eyes.
“I truly admire your vivid command of metaphors.”
Wenjie’s smile vanished, replaced by an irritated scowl. “The instant I secure total control of this enterprise... the very first piece of garbage I throw out of this company will be someone like you.”
Adisorn raised an eyebrow slightly before offering a slow, graceful nod. “Should that reality materialize... I shall accept your judgment entirely.”
Wenjie stared at the man’s unshakeable composure. The corner of his mouth twitched in frustration before he pivoted to walk away. Yet Adisorn’s voice pierced the silence before he could take a step.
“However, do not assume... that your current execution will grant you an easy victory over your father, or even Mi Ling.”
Wenjie froze instantly, shooting a sharp, hostile glance backward. “I will not permit this opportunity to slip through my fingers. Today is the moment I have anticipated for years!”
“Do not forget...” Adisorn delivered smoothly, “...Mi Ling holds a critical ace in her hand: the HEC alliance that Chatchawin previously negotiated with the former Hydrogen team.”
Adisorn’s measured words referenced the very deal that had stoked Wenjie’s ruthless ambition to reach this summit.
“You yourself harbor a deep strategic interest in this alliance, do you not? If the new Hydrogen team succeeds in consolidating it, destabilizing the Hydrogen Project becomes virtually impossible. Furthermore, it will elevate both Mi Ling and the Chairman to an unassailable height, ensuring you never overthrow them again.”
Wenjie’s eyes trembled violently as the raw scar of his perpetual inadequacy was struck directly.
“If you lack the nerve to go all-in this afternoon... victory will remain entirely beyond your reach,” Adisorn remarked casually, a cunning smirk touching his lips.
Wenjie knit his brows tight, his fists clenching trembling by his sides.
“The strategist who closes the entire board with a single hand... must possess absolute ruthlessness,” Adisorn emphasized every word. “Nothing monumental is achieved half-heartedly... If your hands lack courage, do not entertain the illusion of sweeping this board.”
Wenjie turned sharply to lock eyes with Adisorn, forcing an aggressive posture. “Do not dare threaten me!”
“It requires monumental leverage to bring down this curtain... If your conviction falters, how do you expect to terminate this game?” Adisorn met his gaze without a flicker of fear.
Wenjie stood stunned, his eyes darting frantically as visible internal conflict surfaced. Observing the crack in his armor, Adisorn offered a subtle, devastating smile.
“ZX Capital... possesses the liquidity to send you straight to the moon.”
Wenjie’s lips quivered, the corner of his eye twitching with a volatile mix of greed and terror at the prospect of total ruin.
“You have no obligation to partner with an abandoned stray like me... But partnering with ZX Capital is an absolute play.”
Amidst the heavy silence that fell over the corridor, devoid of any verbal response from Wenjie... only the steady, cold rhythmic ticking of Adisorn’s wristwatch echoed counting down the seconds without mercy.
...........................
Meanwhile, the stock board was plummeting into the abyss precisely according to Li Ming’s master design.
Inside the executive war room, monitor displays projected the continuous downward spiral of HEC-linked equities, showing zero signs of stabilization.
Seated at the head of the table, Mi Ling could no longer remain seated. She bolted up, staring at the deep red candlesticks plunging down the screen as her composure fragmented completely.
“Why... How could it collapse to this extent?” Mi Ling rasped in sheer frustration.
Rong Ru observed her superior with deep anxiety before glancing across at the newly appointed Hydrogen executive team, every single one of them sitting with corpse-pale faces.
Rong Ru drew a deep breath, attempting to anchor her rationality as she articulated the situational breakdown in a strained voice.
“Initially, our models projected a temporary dip resulting from retail investor panic selling. However, the current volume...” Rong Ru pointed to the abnormal surge in transaction metrics on the display, “...indicates that CEO Kawin’s abrupt removal, combined with this morning’s press conference, has led the market to price the project as high-risk and unstable. Institutional funds and short-sellers are seizing this window to execute aggressive liquidations.”
Rong Ru’s voice trailed off before meeting Mi Ling’s rigid expression.
“Should I... convene a second press briefing to project our operational roadmap?” Mi Ling suggested rashly. “To force institutional investors to comprehend that our project possesses immense long-term viability?”
Yet Rong Ru did not concur. “The current market sentiment is hostile, Director Mi Ling. If we rush onto the stage without ironclad operational proof, we risk amplifying the panic and accelerating the decline.”
“What if we announce the formal integration of the HEC alliance...?” one of the board members interjected. “Similar to what Chatchawin proposed during the previous session?”
Mi Ling raised an eyebrow, nodding sharply. “Of course! Announcing that level of sovereign backing will instantly restore market confidence!”
Rong Ru’s brow furrowed tightly, her expression laden with severe concern. “The HEC framework has not been formally ratified by the international steering committee. Furthermore, establishing the HEC cartel touches upon cross-border energy security. Executing that announcement prematurely carries unacceptable strategic exposure... even if a successful rollout could pivot the market.”
Mi Ling wrung her hands tightly, pacing back and forth before the monitoring wall.
“I refuse to sit idle while the valuation drops into the abyss! What operational leverage can we deploy immediately to halt this hemorrhage?”
Another executive quickly raised a hand, proposing with breathless urgency.
“There is the Sichuan Gobi Hydrogen Expressway proposal... a mega-infrastructure project designing a three-thousand-kilometer pipeline network running along the desert highway, connecting Sichuan across mainland China.”
The executive paused before continuing. “Former CEO Kawin shelved the proposal, classifying it as a capital-drain venture designed for local contractor kickbacks and political pork-barreling. However, if we resurrect this project and anchor it as the flagship vision of the new Hydrogen leadership, it will generate massive market momentum and force the chart upward!”
Hope flickered across Mi Ling’s face as she nodded vigorously.
“I will anchor the project’s progress on this very expressway. Prepare the press room immediately!” she commanded sharply.
Rong Ru interjected with urgent concern. “Director Mi Ling... that project carries structural liabilities—”
“I have zero interest in hearing your objections!” Mi Ling snapped, cutting her off with absolute irritation. “Execute the order immediately. Do not test my patience any further.”
Bound by protocol, Rong Ru bowed her head in acquiescence and departed the war room to prepare the press briefing.
.................
Across the metropolis of Shanghai... hidden within a reconstructed traditional tea house, the ancient timber structure stood in solemn quiet away from the bustling crowds. The rich aroma of steeped leaves circulated through the air, evoking the secluded atmosphere of old China.
The cramped upper floor was heavily secured by personal bodyguards guarding the perimeter.
Minister Rong Zhenhua arrived swiftly. Pakpoom, who had been waiting patiently, rose to offer a respectful bow.
“This urgent matter... it concerns the Hydrogen Project?” Zhenhua initiated directly.
Pakpoom met the politician’s gaze, a knowing smile touching his lips. “Please be seated, Minister.”
Pakpoom gestured smoothly while carefully pouring steeped Oolong into a clay cup, steam rising with a subtle fragrance.
“What intel do you hold...?” Zhenhua inquired, his eyes inspecting the cup before rising to meet his companion across the table.
Pakpoom maintained a steady gaze, leaning forward slightly.
“The moment the index touches the 3,850 support level...”
Pakpoom paused, delivering a sharp, calculated smile.
“...we execute maximum long positions, Minister. That level represents the lowest historical support floor in years. An arbitrage window of this magnitude does not present itself twice.”
Minister Rong Zhenhua raised a single eyebrow, weighing Pakpoom’s words in silence before lifting the clay cup to take a calm, deliberate sip.