Ye Chen left, leaving behind a carefree figure for Xu Jia, Liu Zhuo, and Xiao Qiang to ponder.

However, Xu Jia was still dazed by Ye Chen's parting words: "Taking steps too big can tear something vital."

The public had always been critical of Henda Group's ventures into various industries. Even within the circle, many doubted its potential.

Yet, for Xu Jia, those voices didn't matter. His rise to success had always been forged amidst skepticism and doubt.

But for some reason, Ye Chen's casually spoken words—spoken by someone who had managed to turn millions into ten times that in mere days—struck a chord within him.

Even so, he quickly shook off that fleeting sentiment.

The die was cast, and there was no turning back now. Even if there were a way back, Xu Jia wasn't one to abandon his convictions due to a single comment. Otherwise, he wouldn't have achieved his current stature.

"Chairman, about Ye Chen..." Xiao Qiang returned to her senses and spoke up.

"He's a talent, a rare one!" Xu Jia replied. "From his earlier analysis of the suburban area, it's clear he alone surpasses the entire strategic advisory team of Henda Group. It's a shame I couldn't bring him aboard!"

Xiao Qiang was taken aback.

In her memory, no one had ever received such high praise from Xu Jia. Yet Ye Chen, after a single encounter, had earned it.

"Enough about him," Xu Jia said, shaking his head to end the discussion.

Turning to Xiao Qiang, he said, "Xiao Qiang, you're in charge of acquisitions. Draft the contracts immediately. Securing that piece of land is critical for the foolproof execution of our suburban development plan."

"Yes, Chairman!" Xiao Qiang responded promptly.

"Liu Zhuo," Xu Jia continued, "you will liaise with the municipal government. Submit our development plan and emphasize that we've already secured Jinzhong Village. With Henda's brand power and our vision, I'm confident there won't be any hurdles in acquiring the development rights."

"Understood, Chairman. I'll get on it right away!" Liu Zhuo said seriously.

#BlueOceanBrewery

#FakeLiquorSoldInLiya'sLivestream

#FatalitiesFromCloudBrew

As Ye Chen drove his G-Wagon away from the Henda Group, Weibo exploded with these trending topics.

The second topic, in particular, surged past 100 million views and tens of millions of discussions.



At Yunshan Network Company

In Zhang Jingshan's office, Jiang Jingwen, the head of business partnerships, barged in without knocking, visibly shaken.

"Manager Jiang, what's the matter?" Zhang Jingshan frowned at her abrupt behavior.

"President Zhang, have you checked Weibo's trending topics?!" Jiang Jingwen's voice trembled with a mix of fear and relief.

"Weibo trends? I've been too busy. What happened? What's so serious?"

Realizing Jiang Jingwen wouldn't act like this without cause, Zhang Jingshan's expression turned grave.

"Please check now!" Jiang Jingwen urged.

Though hesitant, Zhang Jingshan opened Weibo on his phone.

And froze.

His face contorted with shock as he tapped into the top three trending topics.

Blue Ocean Brewery's new product, Cloud Brew, was found to be adulterated with industrial alcohol. It was promoted via livestream sales by influencer Liya, resulting in over 80,000 bottles entering the market. Among consumers who bought and drank Cloud Brew, there were nine deaths and 28 hospitalizations.

Authorities urged the public to stop consuming Blue Ocean Brewery's products, especially Cloud Brew, and to hand over purchased bottles to local police for testing and investigation.

Blue Ocean Brewery was shut down, with its general manager, Liu Dezhu, and production workers detained. Liya was arrested as well, and her livestream company was ordered to suspend operations. Its legal representatives and executives were also detained. Products promoted by the company's streamers were confiscated for further testing.

Online outrage spread like wildfire, consuming Liya, her livestreaming platform, and Blue Ocean Brewery. It was clear: Liya would never return to the public eye, and her platform was beyond recovery.

These consequences were just the beginning.

Reading the news, Zhang Jingshan broke into a cold sweat.

If not for Ye Chen's warning days earlier—if not for his decision to heed Ye Chen's advice and terminate the contract, even at the cost of a 3-million-yuan penalty—his Yunshan Network Company would now be trending for all the wrong reasons.

Given his status, the backlash would have been even more ferocious, dragging down his family's reputation and tarnishing the legacy of his highly respected father. The very backbone of the Zhang family would have been shattered.

And could his father, who valued honor above all, withstand such a blow?

The more Zhang Jingshan thought, the more terrified he became. His face grew pale as fear took hold.

Once again, Ye Chen had saved him.

"President Zhang, thank goodness we terminated the partnership with Blue Ocean Brewery. Otherwise... I can't even imagine!" Jiang Jingwen said, trembling.

"Didn't you question my decision to end that deal? Didn't you find it irrational?" Zhang Jingshan shot back, swallowing hard.

"President Zhang, could it be that Mr. Ye already knew about Blue Ocean Brewery's shady dealings? Without him, Yunshan Network... would have been finished!" Jiang Jingwen stammered.

"Ye knew about their misconduct?" Zhang Jingshan paused, realizing the possibility.

Otherwise, why had Ye Chen been so insistent on terminating the contract?

But if Ye Chen had known about the brewery's crimes, why hadn't he reported them?

"President Zhang? President Zhang?" Jiang Jingwen called, breaking his train of thought.

"Hmm?" Zhang Jingshan shook his head, regaining focus.

He said, "Keep Ye Chen's involvement in this matter strictly confidential. We don't want to create unnecessary trouble for him."

Jiang Jingwen was momentarily stunned but quickly understood. "Understood. I won't say a word."

After all, if word got out, online speculation and even police inquiries could draw unwanted attention to Ye Chen.

"Alright, you may go."

After Jiang Jingwen left, Zhang Jingshan, now alone in his office, urgently dialed his father's number.