Early this morning, Yao Shufen mysteriously summoned Zhang Zicong, who was flirting with the new secretary via QQ. Interrupted, he immediately felt annoyed.
Yao Shufen closed the curtains before speaking in a sly whisper, "I've already contacted my cousin. He's agreed to the plan we discussed last time, but he wants a hundred million."
"A hundred million? Is he planning to rob a bank?" scoffed Zhang Zicong with a sneer.
For a few million, plenty of people would rush to eliminate Shu Ya for him, yet Yao Shufen's cousin had the audacity to demand a hundred million right off the bat. That was like a lion opening its mouth wide.
"What do you know? He's a professional. He guarantees a quick and clean job that even the police won't be able to trace back to us. Besides, once we take over the group, money will be abundant, so what's a little extra?"
Yao Shufen said irritably, not minding the steep price since what mattered most to her was safety—she didn't want to be wealthy but dead.
Hearing her perspective, Zhang Zicong also found it reasonable and clenched his teeth in agreement, "Fine, when will he act?"
"He's already taken action. My cousin said we're family, so we can pay him afterward."
Yao Shufen spoke with a ruthless expression, driven by her own impatience for Shu Ya's death, instructing her cousin to act first and planning to pay him later.
"Are you sure there won't be any problems?" Zhang Zicong was still somewhat worried; if the police traced it back to him, he would be ruined.
"Don't worry, my cousin told us to just wait for his good news," Yao Shufen said with a sly laugh.
Zhang Zicong also began to show a somewhat crazed smile.
Shu Ya, don't blame your uncle for being ruthless. Who asked you to usurp the nest and sit in my rightful place?
Meanwhile, Shu Ya was at the bank on business, tasks typically managed by finance staff that hardly required the intervention of the CEO herself.
However, since the bank president was keenly interested in Shu Ya Group's upcoming IPO, he took the initiative to offer her a loan. Though she had ample funds, more money was always better.
"President Shu, it's finally a pleasure to meet you. I've always heard about the beautiful CEO of Shu Ya Group but never had the opportunity to behold your elegance. Today, I'm lucky enough to fulfill that wish."
This bank president was clearly a businessman, lavishing Shu Ya with compliments as soon as they met.
But Shu Ya knew that such bankers were like vampires; they would fawn over you when they saw value in using you.
However, when it came to debt repayment, they would quickly turn cold-hearted, like mosquitoes sucking every last drop of your blood!
"You flatter me," replied Shu Ya with a light smile, before asking, "I wonder what President Sun called me here for today?"
"Straight to the point and no-nonsense—I like your approach," laughed President Sun, then he said,
"I'm very interested in your group, so I hope to invest in it, and I hope President Shu will give our bank an opportunity."
Upon hearing this, Shu Ya also smiled, "Is it because of Mr. Xu Donghe?"
In the past, President Sun had been polite to their group but would never have tried to ingratiate himself like he was doing now.
Shu Ya knew that this opportunity was given to her by Hao Jian. Without Hao Jian persuading Xu Donghe to invest in their group, President Sun would never have taken the initiative to seek investment into their group.
President Sun smiled without saying a word, which amounted to an acknowledgment.
"Okay, I accept your proposal," Shu Ya nodded. Free money—who would refuse it?
"Well then, I'll immediately have someone prepare the funds, President Shu, here's to a pleasant collaboration!" President Sun raised his glass.
"To a pleasant collaboration!" Shu Ya also raised her glass.
But suddenly, at that moment, a loud gunshot came from outside the VIP room.
"What's happening?" President Sun immediately frowned, wondering what was causing such a commotion.
"I'll go check." One of his male subordinates said before heading outside, but within a few seconds, the man returned pale-faced, his lips quivering, saying:
"President, it's a r-r-robbery outside!"
"A robbery?" President Sun and Shu Ya both showed a look of horror.
Another deafening gunshot sounded, and then Shu Ya saw the male subordinate's white shirt rapidly staining with blood as he fell into a pool of blood.
Following this, several masked thugs rushed in with guns trained on Shu Ya and President Sun, and one of them, wearing a pig mask, had eyes that flickered upon seeing Shu Ya.
Though it was just a momentary flicker, Shu Ya still caught it, this person, he definitely knew her!
"Nobody move! Or I'll make you like him!"
"Hao Jian, my mom woke up yesterday, and she was so happy when she learned that you were the one who performed the surgery. She hopes you can come for dinner at our place. When do you have time?"
Yuan Shanshan approached Hao Jian with a bit of trepidation. Ever since Hao Jian saved her mother, she found that she couldn't treat him as she used to, and now she even found it hard to look him in the eye.
"How about the weekend? I have time then." Hao Jian nodded in agreement and then asked:
"Oh right, you just came from the president's office, is she there? I need to see her about something."
The bridal shop had called today to notify him and Shu Ya to try on the wedding dress. Although his marriage to Shu Ya was fake, they still needed to put on a convincing act, so he intended to take Shu Ya with him.
"The president has gone out, she's not in the office now," Yuan Shanshan answered, she had also found Shu Ya not in when she looked for her.
"Oh, I see, then never mind, I'll catch up with her later."
Hao Jian walked away from Yuan Shanshan's side and then tried calling Shu Ya's phone, only to find it was turned off.
"Turned off?" Hao Jian furrowed his brows, feeling something wasn't quite right.
Shu Ya was always inundated with work, averaging three to four phone calls every hour, and even carried two fully charged power banks with her at all times. Under these circumstances, why would her phone be turned off?
Just then, Hao Jian began to feel irritable as if something bad was about to happen.
Was it just his imagination?
Hao Jian paced back and forth in the corridor with a furrowed brow, but the more he walked, the more agitated he became, with troubling images flashing through his mind.
"Forget it, I'll go see her anyway!" Hao Jian's eyes hardened as he decided to look for Shu Ya.