Otto lay on the bed, tears streaming from his eyes.
There was no way out for the good guys.
They beat me up and gave the money to Fyren.
Sabrina entered. Otto quickly wiped away his tears.
Sabrina looked surprised. "Young Lord, you're crying?"
"No, I'm not crying."
Sabrina's expression softened with sympathy. "It's all because of that Fyren! That troublemaker must be dealt with!"
Otto leaned closer to Sabrina. "Sabrina, I need to rest. You must go to Fyren."
"Understood."
Otto gritted his teeth. "Bewitch him. Drive him mad for you! I need his money. I want him to return what he stole from me!"
"Young Lord, don't worry. Sabrina will fulfill her mission!"
Otto's eyes burned red with overwhelming hatred. "Fyren! What you've devoured, you'll vomit out! What you've taken, you'll return!"
...
The next day.
Elton Leng felt both exhilarated and under immense pressure.
His joy came from Otto introducing him to a new consortium—the Dongfang Group.
He had heard of the Dongfang Group before but had no connections with them.
Now that Dongfang Group was focusing on Northlandia, with Qianfeng as their first partner, he was thrilled.
Yet the pressure was crushing. The day before, Hakan and Fyren had clashed, each seizing a large portion of Qingfeng Group's shares.
Hakan now held 29%, and Fyren held 20%.
Together, they were nearly halfway to control.
Now, Qingfeng Group was divided four ways—between themselves, Hakan, Fyren, and Eliza.
But they still held the majority.
Anyone wanting control of Qingfeng Group would have to cooperate with them.
An alliance of just two wouldn't guarantee dominance.
After yesterday's financial battle, Qingfeng Group's stock price had surged, making it highly coveted.
Among Fyren, Hakan, and Eliza—whoever Eliza sided with would still keep Qingfeng Group under her influence.
Elton Leng called Eliza home and prepared an elaborate meal.
"Eliza, Qingfeng's stock soared yesterday. Hah, this round was very profitable! Eat, eat."
Eliza remained motionless. "Father, just say what you want."
"Ah? Oh, heh." Elton Leng felt awkward being so direct, but he knew his daughter's temperament. He sighed. "Eliza, much has happened lately. You resigned as CEO, but you're still a Qingfeng shareholder."
"Father, speak plainly."
"Fine, I'll be blunt. Here's my request: I want you to transfer all your shares to me."
He quickly added, "Temporarily, of course. I can draft a written agreement. I can't pay you cash for them now, but I'll repay you as soon as possible. Once the situation stabilizes, I can return the shares. What do you think?"
Eliza had long understood her father's intentions.
At this moment, she looked calmly at him, hands in her pockets, leaning against the back of her chair, and said coolly: "I want to take over Qingfeng."
"Huh? What did you say?"
"I said I won't give you my shares. Instead, I'll use all my strength to reclaim Qingfeng."
Elton Leng immediately flew into a rage. "Eliza, do you realize what you're saying?"
"Of course." Eliza continued, "Qingfeng Group can't remain in your hands. I must take it back."
"Qingfeng Group is the achievement of my lifetime!" Elton Leng stood up. "No one can take it from me!"
"Oh? Then you'd better try to hold onto it."
"You... What are you planning to do!?"
"I said—you try your hardest to keep it, and I'll fight desperately to take it. Let's see who comes out on top in the end."
"I'm your father!"
Eliza smiled. "Now I have a father."
"Ah? What nonsense is this?"
Remembering how she'd called Fyren "father" just to tease him, Eliza's cheeks flushed slightly.
Then she said seriously, "I know you're collaborating with Hakan, but let me remind you—Hakan's goal is to devour Qingfeng. Just look at yesterday's transaction records and everything will be clear."
"Humph! He'd need sharp teeth for that! Fyren also wanted to swallow our family's assets, didn't he? It's all the same! This is a dog-eat-dog world. Every ally wants to be the top dog. But if we, father and daughter, unite, no one can stand against us!"
Eliza slowly shook her head. "It's too late. I had that thought years ago—even a few days ago, I still believed it. But now... I just want to devour Qingfeng and become the top dog myself."
Elton Leng could no longer contain his fury. "Why!? You're my daughter! How could you bite off more than you can chew at a time like this!? Both Fyren and Hakan want to buy Qingfeng. If we work together, their shares won't be worth shit! Why turn against me? Why!?"
Eliza stood up. "When you're ready to sell your shares, just call me. I'll buy them with cash."
"Cash? Do you even have that kind of money?" Elton Leng shouted.
"Ask my father for it."
"Your father? That's me!"
Eliza smiled. "I meant Fyren."
"You've lost your mind!"
Eliza said, "I'm his now. From this moment on, everything revolves around him. He's interested in Qingfeng, so I'll take it and give it to him."
"You... you're insane!!"
"Not yet," Eliza replied. "You always wanted me to marry him so he'd pour money into Qingfeng and turn its fortunes around. Well, you got your wish—I'm his now. But it seems you not only failed to get Fyren's money, but you've also lost your daughter."
"Madwoman! You madwoman! How could I have raised such an unfilial child! You... You're despicable!"
Eliza finally snapped, whirling around to shout: "That's right! I am despicable! I'm your daughter! You're the one who raised a despicable daughter!"
"You... You're deranged!"
"I am insane! Let me make it clear—I'm in love with Fyren! From now on, I won't be that aloof, proud Eliza anymore, but just a shameless woman by Fyren's side! For his ambitions, I'll personally help Qianfeng devour Qingfeng Group! Personally deliver Qianfeng to him!"
"Mad! Absolutely mad! You've lost your mind! You're not thinking straight!"
"My mind has never been clearer!" Eliza suddenly turned fierce. "My whole life has been about finding someone who truly loves me! Someone who treats me like a human being! And now I've found him—it's Fyren! Once I secure majority shares in Qianfeng, I'll present Qingfeng Group to him as a gift. He'll be happy, he'll appreciate me, he'll praise me as his good girl, and from then on, he'll cherish me!"
"You... You..."
Eliza stared at her father. "Starting today, we're business rivals! Come at me, Father! Let's see if you can withstand the younger generation's assault!"
"I... I..."
"I'll personally take away what matters most to you—Qingfeng! With my own hands!"
Elton Leng collapsed into his chair, staring at the deranged Eliza, actually too terrified to speak.
Even after Eliza left, he still hadn't recovered.
A servant approached. "Master, shall I bring more dishes?"
"More? Damn it all!" Elton Leng flipped the table with one hand.
...
In the office, Fyren was teaching Chloe how to play indoor golf.
He embraced Chloe, his face nearly touching hers, breathing in her scent while admiring her flushed cheeks—his thoughts in complete disarray.
[What a perfect day! Hugging my sexy secretary while taking liberties... This is the CEO life!]
[Oho! This minx even pushed back against me with her hips! She's no easy mark!]
Chloe's face burned crimson, but she no longer resented Fyren. Instead, she relished these working hours with her boss, enjoying their flirtations.
"Relax your arms... yes, your waist too... ah, gently now, follow this rhythm... mmm, just like that..."
Just then, the door opened and Eliza walked in.
Her first sight was Fyren embracing Chloe. Superficially, they were playing golf, but both seemed exhilarated, faces flushed.
The man laughed with lewd greasiness while the woman feigned shyness, yet with undeniable coy enjoyment.
Spotting Eliza, Fyren immediately released Chloe.
He awkwardly cleared his throat. "Ah, Eliza! We were just... randomly exercising."
Eliza snorted. "I spoke with my father."
"Right, right!"
Fyren secretly patted Chloe's backside twice. Gracefully, Chloe excused herself. "Eliza, Fyren, I'll leave you to talk. I'll prepare coffee."
As Chloe left, Fyren settled into his executive chair. "No feud lasts between father and daughter. With your shares combined with mine, Hakan can't make waves! Did he ask you to return to Qingfeng?"
"Your little secretary is quite the temptress."
"Ah? Hey!" Fyren said awkwardly, "It's not what you think. We're completely platonic. Like siblings—I protect her, and she... works hard. Just now I was tired and wanted to stretch a bit..."
"Stop making excuses."
Eliza said, "I've completely severed ties with my father."
Fyren's eyes widened. "Severed ties? What do you mean by that?"
"I confronted him. I'm going to fight for Qingfeng."
Fyren shook his head. "Why? You're family. What's there to fight about?"
"For you."
Fyren's eyes widened further. "For me?"
"I told him I'm yours now. I'll take Qingfeng from him and give it to you."
Fyren froze for six or seven seconds, speechless.
[This is way too extreme! What are you doing?]
[Father and daughter turned enemies? And... wait, what's going on in this crazy girl's head?]
Fyren said:
"I have no interest in Qingfeng. I told you that! And since when are you 'my person'? I don't recall that."
"Since right now."
Eliza toyed with the ornaments on Fyren's desk, her expression indifferent. "If you like, I'll play golf with you every day."
Fyren leaned back. "What are you saying?"
Eliza moved closer, grabbed Fyren's tie and pulled him toward her until their faces nearly touched.
"Whenever you want me, I'm yours. Want to play golf? Hug while playing? I'll even play naked golf with you."
Fyren retrieved his tie and nervously tucked it back into his suit.
"You... You're kind of terrifying like this!"
Eliza smiled. "Why does everyone look at me like they've seen a ghost? Am I that scary?"
Fyren nodded. "Stop being so reckless. I'm actually quite timid—can't handle being frightened."
Eliza pushed Fyren, making his chair roll back slightly.
She perched directly on Fyren's thigh, pressing close. "Do you play golf?"
Just then, voices carried from outside.
Chloe said anxiously: "Xena, please wait! Let me check if Fyren is available—"
"Check what!? I'm his fiancée! From now on I come and go as I please at Dasheng Group! Move aside! Who's so important in his office?"
Xena shoved the door open and immediately saw a beautiful woman sitting on Fyren's lap, teasing him.
Fyren leaned back as far as possible, meeting Xena's eyes. "This isn't what it looks like."