Chapter 6
The executive boardroom on the fortieth floor of the Chu Tower smelled of stale espresso and high-stakes tension. Sunlight poured through the electrochromic glass windows, casting a clinical white glare over the twenty-seat conference table. The independent directors sat in stony silence, their tablets open to the forensic audit Lin Xi had quietly uploaded three hours prior.
At the head of the table sat Chu Lao, his face etched with the bitter realization of betrayal and impending catastrophe. To his right, an empty leather chair marked the spot where Mu should have been sitting to defend his division.
Marcus Vance, serving as corporate counsel for Xi’s personal holdings, stood near the projection screen. He clicked a remote, bringing up a detailed flow chart tracing millions of dollars in corporate subsidies siphoned directly into shell accounts managed by Su Mumu’s family real estate firm.
"As you can see from Exhibit C," Marcus stated evenly, his professional cadence cutting through the heavy air, "these transactions were authorized using forged procurement signatures under the guise of overseas expansion. The total liability currently rests on the subsidiary's balance sheet—a subsidiary managed exclusively by executive director Chu Mu."
An elderly board member, Director Han, slammed his pen down onto the blotter. "Incredible! To steal from our own reserves while negotiating municipal contracts is corporate suicide. Where is the defendant?"
"Mr. Chu was uninvited from the premises earlier this morning," Xi said, speaking for the first time. She sat midway down the table, dressed in a charcoal-grey business suit that matched the severity of the proceedings. "Furthermore, my legal team has filed an emergency motion for asset freezing to protect the remaining capital from being seized by creditors."
Chairman Lao raised a trembling hand, stopping the rising murmur of indignation among the directors. He looked across the table at his daughter-in-law, his eyes filled with a mixture of profound resentment and grudging respect. He realized that attempting to shield his son would only drag the entire family empire down into the unfolding bankruptcy proceedings.
"The board acknowledges the findings," Lao said, his voice strained and gravelly. He cleared his throat, forcing himself to adopt the detachment of a seasoned executive sacrificing a limb to save the body. "We accept the resignation—effective immediately—of Director Chu Mu. His voting shares are hereby sequestered pending the outcome of the forensic audit."
Mumu, who had managed to slip into the back of the boardroom accompanied by her legal counsel, gasped audibly. The reality of what Mu's ruin meant for her own ambitions crashed down instantly. The lavish lifestyle, the high-society circles, and the promised inheritance were evaporating before her eyes.
May you like
Xi didn't even bother to turn around to look at her. She simply nodded to Marcus, gathered her tablet and leather portfolio, and stood up. The trap was fully sprung, and the machinery of justice was running precisely on schedule.
***
