After giving herself an injection at home, Xia Shuangshuang felt like she was floating on clouds, incredibly excited. At that moment, she saw comments online saying that no one was targeting Xu Zifan, and with a grin, she clicked on Social Media Platform and posted a long message.
[ Xia Shuangshuang v: I've been so caught up in the drama lately that I couldn't resist sharing this. Some people already guessed the truth, so why don't you believe it? Do you even need to think about who's targeting Young Master Xu? Young Master Xu isn't in the entertainment industry, so who would have the time to smear him? It must be someone with a vested interest in him. Think about it, who was constantlytrending and getting the most criticism recently? To divert attention and make people realize he did nothing wrong, of course they had to drag their rivals down with them, right? Everyone guessed it, right? It'sChairman Xu! He's been hoarding Xu Corporation for so many years, isn't that obvious? Young Master Xuhas always had a reputation for being incompetent, isn't that obvious too? This kind of thing is common in ordinary families. Have you ever had parents who died, lived with an uncle, and ended up losing your house and savings? There are countless examples. Just look at me and you'll know. ] Chairman Xu'smethods are ruthless; it seems Young Master Xu is doomed.
Xia Shuangshuang's social media post was a complete bombshell, drawing a huge response from netizens. Many were asking, "Is this real?"
Xia Shuangshuang both replied, "It couldn't be more true." When the negative rumors about her first surfaced, she sued several people who were attacking her. Because they lacked evidence, the judgments have now been handed down, with most rulings ordering the defendants to issue public apologies and pay her some damages for defamation. She has now posted these judgments on social media platforms to prove that she was innocently targeted.
[ Xia Shuangshuang v: Think back to how I was attacked online. Isn't Young Master Xu just like me now? This is all Chairman Xu's usual tactic. Who can blame him for wanting a good reputation? You don't know, but when I went to a banquet with him, he warned me several times not to embarrass him. Heh, this is probably because he didn't get his position legitimately; he seized the company from someone else, so his position is very secure. That's why he's so concerned about what others think of him and his reputation. Don't criticize him, or he might retaliate.]
Xia Shuangshuang's actions were quite persuasive, given that outsiders didn't know the true situation. She portrayed herself as an innocent victim of Xu Hao's smear campaign, and further claimed that Xu Hao wanted to seize Xu Corporation and target Xu Zifan —it was easy for people to believe. After all, she was both Xu Zifan and Xu Hao's ex-girlfriend; who could know the inside story better than her?
Netizens urged her to provide concrete evidence, but she said she didn't dare, fearing retaliation from Xu Hao. This further deepened people's antipathy towards Xu Hao, as Xu Hao had already retaliated once by banning Xia Shuangshuang. These actions seemed plausible, and given previous speculation about a power struggle within a wealthy family, this theory became the most credible. The news that Xu Hao wanted to take over Xu Corporation became a hot topic, and because Xu Corporation is a large company, everyone was watching to see if Xu Haowould oust Xu Zifan.
Xu Hao immediately had Xu Corporation's public relations department issue an official statement, taking a firm stance and stating that he would pursue legal action against those spreading rumors. However, where there's a will, there's a way. Netizens all used "xh" to replace his name, so what could he do? He could sue anyone, and they could say that "xh" wasn't him. He couldn't possibly sue them, and he wouldn't do something that would lower his status, just like how he always had the company issue statements instead of ever saying anything himself.
Xu Zifan's assistants, Li Ping and Liang, were shocked by the news. They also thought Xia Shuangshuang's words might be true, since Xia Shuangshuang had been dating Xu Hao for several months. The two approached Xu Zifan to ask what his plans were and if he needed to do anything. Xu Zifan was busy at the time, but after looking at the online comments and Xu Corporation's statement, he laughed and said, "The timing is good. I don't have much time, so I might as well go see him directly. I'll see when Xu Corporationhas its shareholders' meeting, and I'll go there without notifying them."
"Yes, Young Master Xu."
The two immediately checked the time, and Xu Zifanled them to the company during Xu Corporation'sshareholder meeting. Everyone recognized him and knew that Dao was the owner of Xu Corporation, so no one dared to stop him. He was only stopped at the meeting room door by Xu Hao's secretary, " Young Master Xu, the chairman is in a meeting with the shareholders to discuss matters. It's not convenient for you to go in right now. Would you please wait in the waiting room for a moment?"
Xu Zifan raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a puzzled expression. "I'm not a shareholder of Xu Corporation? Why can't I go in? Do you think I'm not qualified?"
The secretary paused for a moment, then quickly shook her head. "No, Young Master Xu, that's not what I meant, it's just..."
"That's good, I thought I wouldn't even be able to get into my own company's meeting room anymore. A secretary like this is unacceptable." Xu Zifan turned his head, pointing at the secretary to Li Ping. Dao, "Go check with HR to see if this secretary has received any job training. In this company, when is there any place I can't go? Who taught her this?"
The secretary, Dao, said nervously, " Young Master Xu, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stop you, but the chairman and the others are in a meeting..."
"Now everyone's here, perfect." Xu Zifan shrugged, ignored her, and walked past her to open the conference room door.
The table in the conference room was oval-shaped. Xu Hao sat at one end, with four people on each side, making a total of nine people. Several assistants were taking meeting notes at the back. Upon seeing Xu Zifan, they stopped talking and looked at him with confusion, wondering what his appearance meant.
Xu Zifan looked at them, smiled, and said as he walked to an empty seat, "Excuse me, I just came from the lab. My assistant told me that Miss Xia Young had caused a stir, so I rushed over to check with my uncle. I didn't expect you guys to be in a meeting."
Xu Zifan casually sat at the end of the table, but Aurawas quite assertive, almost stealing the show andovershadowing Xu Hao's presence. He said apologetically, "I've been really busy, I only have this much time, so I came in to ask, sorry to bother you."
"Wait a moment." He looked at Xu Hao and asked seriously, "Uncle, is what Miss Xia Young said true? Did you release those smears about me online? No wonder I offered a huge reward but no one could find out. You hired a hacker, didn't you? But are you really going to go against me for Xu Corporation? Is it really worth it for such a small amount of money?"
Xu Hao stared at him with a dark expression. "Nonsense! You come here to question me just because a stranger says a few random things? Don't you even consider me your uncle?"
Xu Zifan said in surprise, "Uncle, why are you asking me this again? Of course I'm asking you because I consider you my uncle. I trust you so much. So you mean you have no interest in Xu Corporation? When do you plan to hand over Xu Corporation to me?"
Xu Hao's eyes flickered, and he was instantly speechless. Xu Zifan's question had put him in a bind!All the shareholders of Xu Corporation were present. If he gave a specific timeframe, it would be tantamount to admitting that he was merely a manager and that he would soon put Xu Zifan in charge, which would immediately force the shareholders to side with Xu Zifan. But if he didn't give a specific answer, wouldn't that mean he genuinely wanted to seize control of Xu Corporation?
One of the shareholders who was on his side chuckled and said, " Young Master Xu, you're still young. Taking over Xu Corporation is a huge responsibility. It's not just about considering the interests of us shareholders; you also have to take care of all the employees under Xu Corporation. It's a massive undertaking. If you're really interested in Xu Corporation, why not start from the bottom and gain a deeper understanding of how Xu Corporationoperates before you can be a good leader? If you've only decided to come to Xu Corporation because of rumors, then I think... you've been a bit impulsive."
Xu Zifan thought for a moment, puzzled by Dao: "My uncle manages Xu Corporation very well. Did he start from the bottom and work his way up? Uncle, are you implying that you don't believe in my abilities? You're going to beat around the bush like this, almost confusing me. So, do you think I should just hold onto my shares in Xu Corporation and do nothing?"
"No, no, no, Young Master Xu misunderstood me."
Xu Zifan glanced down at his watch, then, without letting him speak further, continued, "From a legal perspective, am I qualified to manage Xu Corporation?"
Everyone was speechless. He then said, "Uncle, I'm still waiting for your answer. Why aren't you saying anything? I'm in a hurry to get back to the lab. Give me a definite answer and tell me when you're coming to take over Xu Corporation so I can plan my time. I don't want things to get chaotic later."
Xu Hao stood up, gave him a cold look, and said, "Nonsense! Come to my office with me!" Then he left.
Xu Zifan shrugged at the shareholders and said jokingly, "Did I ask anything I shouldn't have? Do you think my uncle wants to kick me out?"
One shareholder tentatively said, " Young Master Xu,when Chairman Xu took over Xu Corporation, Xu Corporation hadn't grown to this size. In recent years,Xu Corporation has become the leading company in the country, and Chairman Xu deserves much credit for that. Your question just now was very hurtful."
Xu Zifan thought for a moment and nodded, "Your theory is quite good. Let me ask you a question. I have a live streaming platform that I don't have time to manage normally, so I hired a professional manager. If this professional manager makes my company better and better, after a few years, should the company belong to him or me?"
Everyone was speechless again. Xu Corporation'sgrowth was based on the original Xu Corporation Real Estate. Without a strong capital foundation, how could it have developed to this extent? Even if Xu Haohad started from scratch, he wouldn't have achieved what he has today. And Xu Corporation should have originally belonged to Xu Zifan. Did it become XuHao's after being managed by him for a few years? He deserves credit, but the employees also deserve credit; why should everyone else want a piece of the pie?
The atmosphere in the meeting room was a little tense, but Xu Zifan laughed and waved his hand, saying, "Don't be nervous, I'm just asking a question. Why is everyone silent? Well, I'm very filial and respectful to my uncle, so of course I can't treat him like a professional manager, right? We have a bond. He helped me protect Xu Corporation Real Estateback then, which was a favor, and I can't be ungrateful. So I definitely have to give my uncle a big slice of the pie, right?"
He glanced at his watch again, stood up, and said, "Alright, I have something urgent to attend to. I won't go looking for trouble with my uncle. Uncles and elders, please remember to put in a good word for me. I've always been this way; I say what I think, and once it's out in the open, everything's fine. Why bother with me? I'm leaving. Since my uncle genuinely wants to help me and isn't trying to steal my assets, let's all work together to make money. I hope you uncles and elders will cooperate with my uncle to help Xu Corporation develop even better."
Having said what he needed to say, Xu Zifan left decisively, having achieved his goal. The remaining shareholders exchanged bewildered glances, and after a few minutes of silence, one of them asked Dao, " What does Young Master Xu mean by this? Does he want to come back and replace Chairman Xu, or not?"
"The rumors circulating outside have been too much lately. Isn't this the very reason we're meeting today? This is very detrimental to the image of our chairman and the company. Young Master Xu has definitely been affected as well. I think he's trying to testChairman Xu; otherwise, why would he ask Chairman Xu when he'll return the company to him?"
Some people didn't take it seriously. "You're overthinking it. Don't we understand Young Master Xu's personality after all these years? He doesn't like being tied down, he doesn't like going to work in a suit and tie, he just loves to enjoy life and have fun outside. I think he's just young and impetuous. He throws a tantrum when he hears rumors and comesback to embarrass Chairman Xu. He's a spoiled young master."
"No, the question he just asked was clearly pointed. By mentioning professional managers, he probably wanted us to recognize who the real owner of Xu Corporation is, and to remember that Chairman Xu is managing the company on his behalf. I think we should take him seriously," one shareholder remarked." He's grown up."