Chapter 417: Chapter Four-Hundred and Seventeen: Unwilling to Accept

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

That sentence was a most effective reassurance. Xi Cheng finally obediently followed John to the car and headed straight to the corporation headquarters.

‘With Lin Yu around, everything in our family would go smoothly,’ Xi Cheng thought. His mind finally returned to the business at hand.

“I didn’t sign any contract selling those companies. I must have fallen into their trap! John! It must’ve been that b*tch, Gu Man! She must’ve tricked me into signing the documents when I was drunk!”

John remained silent. He had seen Xi Cheng’s signature on those papers with his own eyes. The handwriting was neat and smooth; Xi Cheng couldn’t have signed those contracts while inebriated.

However, John believed that his boss must’ve been deceived. But that person’s deception was so brilliant that, even now, his boss still didn’t know when he’d signed those contracts. Whoever it was, it couldn’t be Gu Man. John didn’t think that bimbo had such capabilities.

The Xi Corporation’s board of directors was already in an uproar. Shi Nian got called into the meeting room halfway because the situation there had gotten so out of control that they had no choice but to bring in an outsider for some balance.

The Shi and Xi families were old friends so those of the Xi family were willing to respect Shi Nian’s words, and the directors not of the Xi family trusted Shi Nian’s family background and character so they didn’t object to him being the middleman, either.

The current situation was: The Xi family members were firmly doing their utmost to defend Xi Cheng. After all, Xi Cheng represented the Xi family, and his failings would shame the family name. Even if what he did made them want to bury him six feet under, how they would deal with him was their own business. They couldn’t let the Xi family’s reputation get dragged through the mud so they could only silently endure.

Those not of the Xi family naturally wouldn’t tolerate such a thing. No one’s reputation was more important than money in the face of profit and interests, let alone the Xi family’s. It was usually difficult for the other directors to gain the upper hand in the corporate power struggle with the Xi family faction, so how could they give up such a good opportunity?

Shi Nian could guess how heated the situation was even if he hadn’t gone in. So, when he was invited into the meeting room, he wasn’t in a hurry to appease everyone. Instead, he sat there and listened as both sides argued and disagreed, but under his calm exterior, he was anxiously waiting for the people he sent out to find Xi Cheng as soon as possible.

‘After all, this started because of Xi Cheng, and he’s the only one who can clear up this mess!’ Shi Nian thought. Even though he’d teamed up with the Ye and Liang families to make full preparations, the main character, Xi Cheng, couldn’t be absent!

The Xi family faction gradually gained the upper hand as the meeting went on as they had the advantage in numbers. It was only then that Shi Nian spoke up, “Xi Cheng and I have been good friends since we were kids. I believe in his character, and he definitely wouldn’t betray the company. I believe that he must have his reasons—there must be more to this matter. He’s already on his way over. He’ll definitely give everyone a satisfactory explanation.”

Shi Nian paused before continuing, “No matter how serious his mistake is, I hope everyone can give him a chance. As for the losses—”

Xi Cheng suddenly pushed open the meeting room’s door and strode in, looking slightly disheveled. It was understandable; it would be difficult for anyone to maintain their elegance under such circumstances.

“I was tricked! You all have to believe me! I was framed! Those treacherous rats premeditatedly plotted against me!” Xi Cheng angrily stated.

Shi Nian’s heart sank when he saw Xi Cheng like this. ‘Xi Cheng’s thinking about shirking responsibility instead of solving the problem at such a critical moment!’ Shi Nian inwardly sighed. ‘This would only infuriate the directors even more.’

Sure enough, someone sneered, “Young Master Xi Cheng, you’re an adult. You should know better than to look for excuses for your mistakes. What kind of ‘rat’ could possibly trick away five of your companies in one sitting, Young Master Xi Cheng? What do you take us for, idiots?”

The man had a way with words, politely cursing Xi Cheng out and calling him an ‘idiot’ without actually saying it. Embarrassed and knowing he was in the wrong, Xi Cheng apologized in earnest. “This all happened because I was careless and made such a huge mistake. I’ve brought shame to the Xi Corporation and let everyone down. I’m sorry.”

However, the board members’ patience had already been long eroded away by the Xi family faction’s “strong reasoning” for most of the day. “Young Master Xi Cheng, what can a simple apology solve? The Xi Corporation’s shares have now plummeted to ridiculous lows. Us suffering losses is only a minor problem. The main issue is: who’s going to bear the responsibility for the shareholders’ losses? How are we going to face their calls to account?”

That rendered Xi Cheng speechless. He truly didn’t know what to do. Ever since found out about the incident, he’d been busy hating Gu Man and worrying about his mother and Lin Yu. There had been nothing else on his mind except for these women of his life. He hadn’t thought about what to do with this matter at all. Or rather, he was subconsciously avoiding the matter. And now, he was without words or strategy.

When those of the Xi family saw Xi Cheng’s cowardly state, they just about gnashed their teeth in fury, but they could only swallow their anger and remain silent.

One of the Xi family’s elders said, “We’ve now heard the story from Xi Cheng. He’s young and inexperienced. Getting tricked in a momentary slip up is forgivable.”