Chapters One to Three: A Grand Spectacle? (Second Update)

The sky gradually darkened.

After leaving the Qingxue Group, Liu Kaifeng hurried back to the Liu Group and went straight to the office on the top floor.

“Dad!” Liu Kaifeng addressed the middle-aged man before him with marked deference.

“Hmm.” Seated in the chairman’s chair was Liu Kaifeng’s father, Liu Shihui. Though already middle-aged, Liu Shihui carried a large belly that made him look faintly comical. Yet despite his somewhat ridiculous appearance, there was an unusual bearing and authority about him.

The Liu Group had been built by his own hands. Baihua Supermarkets might not have been the largest supermarket chain in the country, but ranking among the top three was certainly within reach.

“How are things?” Liu Shihui asked, looking at his son.

“Xiao Yu has been taken away by the police!” Liu Kaifeng said quickly. “The entire Qingxue Group is now in a state of panic. I think this is the perfect opportunity to make our move. We can short their shares and take advantage of the chaos to seize the Qingxue Group!”

“There’s no need to rush just yet.” Liu Shihui shook his head slightly. “The Qingxue Group’s stock is still holding steady. Wait. By this time tomorrow, we should be able to make our move.”

Although he had temporarily rejected his son’s proposal, deep admiration still showed in Liu Shihui’s eyes as he looked at him. He knew that his son had apparently suffered humiliation in Jiangzhou, but he had never expected Liu Kaifeng to devise such a plan in barely half a month.

Liu Kaifeng was not merely seeking revenge against Xiao Yu and Chen Feng. He intended to swallow Xiao Yu’s entire Qingxue Group in one bite.

Xiao Yu’s Qingxue Group was an enormously influential hotel chain, widely regarded as number one in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai region. If the Liu Group could acquire it, the Liu family’s strength would be greatly enhanced. The moment Liu Shihui heard the plan, he had agreed without hesitation.

Liu Shihui was a typical businessman. With profit before his eyes, there was nothing he would not do. He could cooperate with Xiao Yu one moment and stab her in the back the next, without feeling the slightest trace of guilt.

“By the way, is that fellow Chen Feng willing to sell us the recipe for the Exploding Juicy Beef Balls?” Liu Shihui asked after a moment of thought.

“No!” Liu Kaifeng replied through clenched teeth. “That Chen Feng seems to trust Xiao Yu completely. He refuses to hand over the method for making the Exploding Juicy Beef Balls.”

Liu Shihui smiled faintly and spoke with unhurried confidence. “There’s no need to worry about that for now. Chen Feng will surrender sooner or later. Without Xiao Yu backing him, what does he have left to be arrogant about? Once we get him thrown into prison, he won’t have any choice about whether to agree.”

“That’s true.” Liu Kaifeng nodded. “Dad, what should we do about Xiao Yu?”

“This matter has caused far too much commotion.” Liu Shihui shook his head slightly and continued in a slow voice, “Even if Xiao Yu isn’t sentenced to death, she certainly won’t escape life imprisonment. She’ll never be able to continue fighting us.”

“Dad…” Liu Kaifeng spoke through clenched teeth. “I want to get that woman out. No—first, let her suffer in prison for a few years. Then I’ll keep her by my side as my sex slave, my personal bitch. I want to humiliate and torment her for the rest of her life!”

As he uttered those words, Liu Kaifeng suddenly felt heat in his groin. His manhood, which had been numb for so long, seemed to be stirring again. Excitement surged through him. Could he truly experience that ultimate pleasure between a man and a woman once more?

Liu Shihui failed to notice his son’s expression. He merely shook his head and said, “We can discuss that later. For now, there is one more important thing we need to do.”

“What is it?” Liu Kaifeng asked, looking at his father in confusion.

“Kick a dog while it’s down.” Liu Shihui gave a cold laugh and looked calmly at his son. “The plan has gone smoothly so far, but this isn’t enough. We need to take things further. I’ve already contacted all the major media outlets and newspapers. By this time tomorrow, I want this matter to cause a nationwide sensation. All responsibility must be placed on Xiao Yu. At the same time, we’ll show the world our generosity by donating ten million yuan to the victims’ families.”

“Understood.” Liu Kaifeng nodded. “I’ll take care of it immediately.”

Once the Liu Group made its move, it took less than an hour for the incident to be pushed to the forefront of public attention. Soon afterward, news spread that the police had arrested Xiao Yu and brought her to justice. Everything seemed to confirm one thing:

Someone had to take responsibility for the incident, and Xiao Yu appeared destined to bear it.

As the news exploded across the media, the Qingxue Group’s stock began to fluctuate violently. With Xiao Yu arrested, the company had completely lost its central figure. Retail investors lost confidence and began dumping their shares in a frenzy. Although the Qingxue Group attempted to stabilize the market, it was unable to halt the continued plunge in its stock price.

In the blink of an eye, three days passed.

Chen Feng still came to participate in The Strongest Food God. He had no idea what kind of methods Xiao Yu possessed, but he had decided to follow her instructions. As for business operations, he understood nothing about them. Since he knew nothing, why meddle in such affairs?

Even so, the moment Chen Feng arrived, reporters who had been lying in wait surrounded him.

“Mr. Chen Feng, what do you think about the inferior beef allegedly used in the Exploding Juicy Beef Balls?”

“Mr. Chen Feng, you collaborated with Xiao Yu. Did you know that she was using inferior beef to make the Exploding Juicy Beef Balls? What is your opinion of this incident?”

“Chen Feng, where have you been these past three days? Do you still intend to compete in The Strongest Food God?”

These reporters still possessed a certain amount of professional restraint. They did not rush forward and curse Chen Feng to his face. They were seeking firsthand information. As for the more unscrupulous media outlets, no one could say what they might do next.

Looking at the reporters who had surrounded him so completely that not even a drop of water could pass through, Chen Feng merely smiled. Then he addressed them calmly.

“Friends from the press, I hope you won’t make reckless assumptions about matters you don’t understand. There is only one truth. The Food and Drug Administration has not yet reached a final conclusion, so why have you already begun accusing us of using inferior beef?”

Chen Feng glanced at all the reporters and smiled lightly before continuing.

“I believe in Chairwoman Xiao’s character. A person like her would never sacrifice her future for a handful of petty profits. I also believe that the law will give us a fair verdict.”

“Oh? You’re still expecting the law to give you a fair verdict, Chen Feng?”

At that moment, a sinister voice echoed beside him.

Chen Feng turned his head and saw Fang Yi and Liu Kaifeng approaching. Fang Yi wore a gleeful smile.

“I never imagined you’d still dare to come to The Strongest Food God,” Fang Yi said. “No matter how good your cooking may be, your character is beyond contempt. Hmph! I’m ashamed to be associated with someone like you.”

Liu Kaifeng also looked at Chen Feng with undisguised delight. “Chen Feng, do you still think you can win tonight’s title in The Strongest Food God? Tsk, tsk. Let me tell you—stop dreaming.”

“Annoying.” Chen Feng uttered the single word coldly, then walked straight into the venue.

“Chen Feng, after tonight, I’d like to see what you still have to feel proud of!” Liu Kaifeng ground his teeth and followed him inside.

Only four contestants remained in The Strongest Food God: Chen Feng, Fang Yi, Wu Lin from earlier, and another man named Lin Guo. Tonight, the true Strongest Food God would finally be chosen.

From the judges’ panel, Chen Feng spotted Star Master. He looked somewhat haggard, and Chen Feng could not help sighing inwardly. These past three days must have been extremely troublesome for him as well. Chen Feng could hide away and avoid the media, but Star Master could not do the same. For a public figure, evading reporters was no easy matter.

Chen Feng’s gaze swept across another row of chairs. Those were reserved for the investors, who would appear that evening. Everyone had arrived by then—everyone except for one vacant seat.

Chen Feng sighed softly. That seat belonged to Xiao Yu.

Time passed second by second. At last, everyone had taken their places. Liu Kaifeng sat among the investors and watched Chen Feng with undisguised delight. His heart was filled with anticipation. He had already notified the police, who would arrest Chen Feng that very evening.

Just imagining Chen Feng being taken away by the police in front of the entire audience filled him with excitement.

“Chen Feng…” Liu Kaifeng repeated silently in his heart. “Tonight, I’ll make you lose every shred of dignity. The humiliation you brought me—I’ll return it to you tenfold, a hundredfold!”

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a fine show was about to begin.

(The second update is here! The great comeback is about to begin. Brothers and sisters, are your monthly votes already thirsting for more? There will be another update tonight. Send those monthly votes in with even greater force, and Young Master Feng will update even more diligently. We will never retreat!)

To be continued…