The air in the Han Group's main conference room was suffocating.
Chloe Han sat at the head of the long mahogany table. Her face was an impassive mask of ice, but her knuckles were white as she gripped a fountain pen.
To her left and right sat the board of directors—old foxes who had been with the company since her grandfather's time. Right now, they looked like vultures circling a dying animal.
"President Han," a balding man with a thick neck spoke up. This was Vice President Liu, the man Blake had circled in the dossier the night before. "The bank has frozen our credit line. The R&D department is bleeding money. If we don't accept the acquisition offer from the Sky River Corporation, the stock will hit rock bottom by Friday."
Chloe's eyes narrowed. "Sky River is offering pennies on the dollar. It's a hostile takeover, Liu. I won't sell my grandfather's legacy."
"It's better than bankruptcy!" Liu slammed his hand on the table, feigning anger. "You're too young, Chloe. You're letting emotions drive the bus. We need liquidity, and we need it now."
The other directors murmured in agreement.
In the original plot, this was the moment Lin Feng would burst in. He would use his martial arts to intimidate Liu, then produce a magical pill or an ancient prescription to sell for billions, instantly solving the cash flow problem.
It was a classic "Hero Saves Beauty" moment.
Bang!
The double doors of the conference room flew open. It wasn't a kick; it was a casual push, but the force slammed the heavy wood against the walls with a deafening crash.
Every head turned.
Blake Vane strolled in. He wore a charcoal grey suit, tailored to perfection, with a silk tie loosened slightly at the collar. He held a takeaway coffee cup in one hand and a thin blue folder in the other.
"Who let you in?" Vice President Liu stood up, his face flushing red. "This is a closed board meeting! Security!"
Blake didn't even look at him. He walked straight to Chloe.
"Morning, honey," Blake said, placing the cheap coffee cup on the expensive table. "You forgot your breakfast."
Chloe stared at him, bewildered. "Blake? What are you doing here?"
"Saving you," Blake whispered, winking.
He turned to face the room. The playful smile vanished, replaced by the cold, predatory gaze of a shark entering a pool of minnows.
[System Active.][Skill: God-Level Business Intuition engaged.]
The room shifted in Blake's vision. Numbers floated above the directors' heads—Loyalty values, Greed indices, and hidden connections.
Above Vice President Liu, a bright red text box hovered: [Target: Liu Wei][Status: Traitor][Secret: Embezzled $40 million via 'Project Alpha' dummy accounts. Secretly working for Sky River Corp.]
"Get out, Blake!" Liu shouted, pointing a shaking finger. "You're a disgrace to the Vane family. You have no business here!"
Blake walked over to Liu. He moved casually, but there was a dangerous weight to his steps.
"Vice President Liu," Blake said, his voice smooth. "You seem very eager to sell the company to Sky River."
"I am thinking of the shareholders!"
"Really?" Blake tossed the blue folder onto the table. It slid across the polished wood and stopped right in front of the other directors. "Open it."
A director hesitantly opened the folder. His eyes went wide.
"Bank transfers..." the director stammered. "Cayman Islands. Shell companies. Liu... these accounts are linked to your wife's name."
The room went deadly silent.
Liu's face drained of color. "That—That's a fabrication! Slander!"
"Page four," Blake said, leaning against the table, looking bored. "You diverted funds from the R&D budget to cover your gambling debts in Macau. And Page six? That's the email chain between you and the CEO of Sky River, guaranteeing you a golden parachute bonus if you tank the Han Group's stock price."
Blake tapped his temple. "I see everything, Liu. Did you really think you could hide from me?"
It was a bluff. He saw it because the System told him. But to everyone in the room, Blake Vane suddenly looked like a terrifying, omniscient monster.
"You..." Liu backed away, sweat pouring down his face. "You investigated me?"
"I didn't need to investigate," Blake scoffed. "You're sloppy."
He looked at the security guards who had just rushed in.
"Take him," Blake ordered. "And call the police. I believe the charge is corporate espionage and grand larceny."
"No! You can't! I'm a board member!" Liu screamed as the guards grabbed him. He looked at Chloe, pleading. "President! He's lying!"
Chloe stood up. She looked at the documents, then at Blake. Her chest heaved. The pressure that had been crushing her for months—the internal sabotage, the financial leaks—it was all laid bare by this man in seconds.
"Get him out of my sight," Chloe said, her voice icy.
As Liu was dragged out, screaming curses, Blake sat in his empty chair. He propped his feet up on the boardroom table.
"Now," Blake said, scanning the terrified directors. "Who else wants to sell the company?"
Silence. Absolute, terrified silence.
[Ding!][Villainous Act Complete: Destroying a Minor Antagonist.][Reward: 500 Villain Points.][Reward: Heroine Chloe Han's Trust Level increased to 50%.][Note: You have successfully replaced the Protagonist in this 'Face-Slapping' scenario. Lin Feng has lost a major opportunity to gain the Han family's financial backing.]
Blake turned to Chloe. The "Iceberg CEO" was looking at him with a strange light in her eyes. It wasn't love yet. It was shock. And maybe... a little bit of awe.
"Meeting adjourned," Blake announced.
The directors scrambled out of the room like rats fleeing a sinking ship, leaving Blake and Chloe alone.
Chloe walked over to him. She didn't say anything for a long moment. Then, she picked up the cheap coffee he had brought. It was a latte. Her favorite.
"How did you know?" she asked quietly.
"I told you," Blake stood up, towering over her. He reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm not the man you thought I was. I'm the man who owns this city. And you..."
He leaned in close.
"You're the woman who belongs to him."
Chloe's breath hitched.
[Ding!][System Alert: Protagonist Lin Feng has acquired a 'Blood Rage' technique from the mysterious woman. His Combat Power is rising rapidly.]
Blake's smile didn't waver, but his eyes grew cold.
'Training montage, Lin Feng? Cute. But while you train, I'm buying the stadium.'