Inside a private office adorned with priceless sculptures and distorted Expressionist paintings, the tranquility of the Shanghai night through the glass walls stood in jarring contrast to the furnace-like atmosphere within. Lu Rong sat behind his obsidian granite desk, the cold blue light of his tablet illuminating a face twisted with predatory malice. He was watching the surveillance clip for the third time.
The image of Gawin and A.P. Markrim discussing the liquidation of the VCC debt was like pure oxygen fed into the roaring fire of his rage.
Thump!
His heavy fist slammed onto the desk, sending a shudder through the crystal glassware. A tempest of emotion possessed him, his breath coming in ragged, shallow hitches that made his chest heave.
"You foxes!" he hissed through gritted teeth. "You think you can use ZX Capital as a white knight to clear the debt and toss me aside? In your dreams!"
Anxiety began to gnaw at Lu Rong's composure like a swarm of disturbed ants. If Li Ming received an unconditional debt-clearing offer, the elaborate coup Lu Rong had spent years cultivating would turn to ash in an instant.
I have to block them. At any cost. He paced the room like a caged animal until his gaze locked onto a specific file: the Green Hydrogen Project—Li Ming's crown jewel and personal obsession.
A glacial, jagged smile spread across Lu Rong's face. If he could force VCC to demand the intellectual property rights and technology patents of the Hydrogen Project as collateral for the debt, Li Ming would never dare sign with ZX Capital. The old man would be paralyzed.
He snatched up his smartphone and dialed Chen Ming, the lead representative for VCC.
"Mr. Chen... I have urgent intelligence," Lu Rong said, his eyes gleaming with a manic, calculated brilliance. "We need to pivot the negotiation strategy. I have a proposal that will make VCC more than just a creditor—it will give you absolute sovereign control over the CK Group's entire hydrogen technology suite."
Lu Rong's eyes burned with a frightening lunacy. He was prepared to set his own house on fire just to ensure his enemies burned inside it.