Chapter 129: Step by Step, Like the March of a Demon!

The next day, at daybreak, when the truth of Liu Group’s deliberate poisoning scandal exploded into the public eye, the entire nation was thrown into uproar.

“People died? So what if a few died? The more, the better! After all, there are so many people in this country; losing some just saves national resources!”

A single sentence from Liu Kaifeng in a video instantly ignited the fury of the entire nation. Before this, their anger was directed at Xiao Yu for using inferior beef—she had acted out of greed—but Liu Kaifeng’s actions were sheer slaughter, a blatant disregard for human life. To deal with Xiao Yu, he had stooped to such depths? It was utterly unfathomable.

The matter escalated beyond control, to the point where no one cared anymore whether Chen Feng had earned the title of Food God. Chen Feng’s achievement points did increase by three thousand, though he still hadn’t crossed the ten-thousand mark. Fortunately, achievement points grew daily, so breaking ten thousand was just a matter of days.

Wang Zhi became the scapegoat. The video wasn’t made by Xiao Yu but by Wang Zhi. Whether he admitted it or not, that heavy accusation was firmly pinned on him. Meanwhile, Liu Kaifeng was taken into police custody.

“The Liu Group is utterly heartless! Everyone must boycott Liu Group! I will never set foot in any supermarket under Liu Group ever again!”

“Exactly! My mom used to shop at Baihua Supermarket all the time. Who would have thought Baihua Supermarket is hiding so many filthy secrets!”

“Baihua Supermarket is a total disgrace! Anyone who goes there again is a complete fool!”

Overnight, Baihua Supermarket under the Liu Group became deserted. Propelled by this wave of public opinion, no one was willing to visit Baihua Supermarket the next day. Liu Shihui had anticipated this scenario long ago, but when the day actually came, he felt deeply powerless.

At his large office desk:

“Chairman Liu, the downstream companies just informed us they will refuse to supply the Liu Group starting today. They are willing to pay the breach of contract penalties as per our agreements.”

“Chairman Liu, not long ago, the store manager at Donghai XX Road resigned; he refuses to continue working for us.”

“Chairman Liu, bad news! The Baihua Supermarket in Jiangzhou XX was just set on fire!”

The phone kept ringing with one piece of bad news after another. Liu Shihui clenched his fists in pain, his eyes fixed coldly on his computer screen. At the market open that morning, Liu Group's stock was under attack; from the start of trading, the share price plummeted relentlessly.

Xiao Yu showed no mercy, dumping her entire 10% stake in the company. Her move shattered any remaining confidence investors had in Liu Group. The scandal had already sown panic, and now, with Xiao Yu’s sell-off, most retail investors lost all hope.

Liu Shihui, of course, could not watch his company’s stock collapse passively. He hurriedly injected large sums to stabilize the market. However, this was no good news for Liu Group; he had already spent heavily attacking Qingxue Group before, and now his available funds were running low.

“It’s okay. As long as we can weather this storm, Liu Group will rise again!”

Though his funds were limited, Liu Shihui was not desperate. As long as the major shareholders held firm, he believed he could remain safe. He was confident these shareholders wouldn’t easily part with their shares.

After all, this crisis was temporary. Once overcome, Liu Group would surely recover. Baihua Supermarket had branches nationwide; surviving this ordeal meant countless future opportunities for profit.

But then, the scene that made Liu Shihui feel like vomiting blood unfolded.

The stock market, which had begun to stabilize, suddenly became volatile again. This time, another massive sell-off occurred—7% of shares changed hands. In other words, a major shareholder had started unloading stock.

Fear gripped Liu Shihui instantly. Only one thought echoed in his mind: Xiao Yu had already secured control as a major shareholder of Liu Group. What now?

The stock market plunged violently. Hesitant retail investors now cast aside all doubts and mercilessly sold their Liu Group shares. In an instant, the stock price collapsed like a house of cards. It was a chain reaction that left Liu Shihui utterly defenseless.

He knew well he was facing a monumental crisis. Liu Group was no small company; its daily expenses were astronomical. Without money, just the daily overhead alone could cripple the group. Worse yet, Xiao Yu was deliberately suppressing the share price, preventing him from raising funds. If he tried to cash out, the stock would plummet even further, allowing Xiao Yu to swallow up his shares.

“Damn it! Damn it! This woman must have planned this from the start. I was fooled. From the beginning, she never intended to defeat me with just that 10% stake. She was lulling me into a false sense of security, bribing shareholders on the side, and…”

Liu Shihui’s face turned pale, his mind racing with countless thoughts.

“No, this cannot continue. If it does, Liu Group will no longer be mine!” He gritted his teeth and quickly dialed a number.

“Sorry, the number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable.”

The voice on the line drained more color from Liu Shihui’s face. He gritted his teeth and tried another number; still no answer. He tried five numbers in total, all unanswered.

On the sixth call:

“Chairman Liu, is that you?” To Liu Shihui’s surprise, someone picked up. At such a moment, the fact that someone answered moved him slightly.

“President Qin!” Liu Shihui swallowed nervously and spoke politely. “I need a large sum of money, a very large sum. I hope you can lend me some.”

On the other end, President Qin’s voice remained calm and gentle. “Chairman Liu, I’m afraid that’s not possible. You have already borrowed a significant amount from us, and you have yet to repay it fully. Getting another loan now will be very difficult.”

“President Qin, we’ve been old friends for many years. I’m just facing a temporary difficulty. I need your help. Rest assured, as soon as I stabilize the situation, I will repay the bank immediately. I won’t let you down,” Liu Shihui said hurriedly.

“Chairman Liu, this matter is indeed complicated. The higher-ups are watching closely, especially regarding Liu Group. I can’t make decisions lightly. But I do have an idea,” President Qin said quickly. “Are you familiar with Thorn Investment Company?”

“Thorn Investment Company?” Liu Shihui’s brow furrowed slightly before he replied swiftly, “Yes, it’s a fairly well-known investment firm abroad. Why do you ask?”

“A representative from Thorn Investment Company is currently in Donghai,” President Qin said quickly. “They seem interested in investing in some projects and have connections with us. I can introduce you to them. Thorn Investment might be able to help you.”

Liu Shihui frowned, puzzled. “How much can they lend me?”

“Four to five hundred million US dollars shouldn’t be a problem. Thorn Investment is quite reputable in this industry. But Chairman Liu, you must be prepared—Thorn is not a charity. Even if they agree, you’ll have to pay a steep price,” President Qin continued. “If you want, I can arrange a meeting for you at noon today.”

“Four to five hundred million US dollars!” Liu Shihui’s pupils contracted slightly as he calculated in his mind. With this capital base, he could definitely survive the crisis. Paying a price was unavoidable. Right now, saving Liu Group was his top priority. As long as the company didn’t collapse, he still had hope for a comeback.

With that thought, Liu Shihui quickly said, “Alright, President Qin. Please arrange the meeting at noon. I want to talk to them seriously.”

“Very well!” President Qin smiled faintly. “Chairman Liu, I’ve heard about your situation. I believe Liu Group can get through this. Stay positive!”

Hearing President Qin’s words, Liu Shihui felt a surge of gratitude. He nodded. “Thank you, President Qin. If Liu Group recovers, I will repay your kindness many times over.”

After hanging up, Liu Shihui quickly tidied his clothes and regained a confident smile.

What he didn’t know was that right after President Qin ended the call, he immediately dialed another number.

“Chairman Xiao, Liu Shihui just called me. I’ve introduced Thorn Investment Group to him.”

“Mm,” Xiao Yu nodded slightly and politely said, “Thank you, President Qin.”

“No trouble at all. It’s just a small favor and not against bank rules. Besides, if not for your help, my son would probably be dead by now. This is nothing,” President Qin said with a sigh.

Xiao Yu smiled and casually ended the call. Then she turned to a tall, fair-skinned blonde woman in the office and said calmly, “Alice, the next steps are up to you.”

Alice smiled faintly. “Don’t worry, my dear boss.”

A slight curve appeared at the corner of Xiao Yu’s lips. Liu Shihui thought he had found a lifeline, unaware that he was being led step by step into the abyss.

One step after another, like the march of a demon.

(To be continued…)