Chapter Thirty-One: The Largest Shareholder
At this moment, Lan Tian and Wang Ling were still monitoring the progress of the meeting, listening intently as Zou Linsen suddenly bared his fangs. Lan Tian’s expression grew approving. “This Zou Linsen truly lives up to his reputation as the richest man. He has everyone firmly under his control, step by step, manipulating the entire meeting process. His skills are indeed remarkable!”
“Oh? Are you praising him or yourself? If I guessed correctly, this whole series of recent events was orchestrated by you, wasn’t it?” Wang Ling shot back reflexively, her eyes gleaming, staring at him without blinking.
“Ah, my stomach hurts. I need to use the restroom.” Lan Tian suddenly clutched his belly and hurried out.
“Scoundrel... That was far too obvious!” Wang Ling exclaimed in exasperation, stamping her foot with annoyance.
So infuriating!
...
Inside the meeting hall, Zou Linsen’s tiger-like gaze swept over the shareholders, intimidating the group as they exchanged nervous glances. His voice was cold and resolute: “Since no one objects, I hereby declare that the next chairman of Forest Realty shall be Mr. Zou Tao!”
At last, everything was settled!
Zou Tao, his face flushed with excitement, felt as though he had ascended to the pinnacle of his life. He stood up and declared in a loud, spirited voice, “Thank you, uncles and elders, for your support. I, Zou Tao, will not disappoint you and will lead Forest Realty to new heights of glory!”
No one applauded; no one spoke. Most shareholders turned simultaneously toward the doors of the meeting hall.
“What’s going on?” Zou Tao noticed their strange reaction and felt a sudden unease. Now that he was confirmed as chairman, these people showed him no respect—not even a token applause. Was he too lacking in authority, or did they simply not want to stay with the company?
But what were they all looking at?
He didn’t have to wait long for answers. Moments later, a clear, cheerful laugh was heard from outside.
“Did I misremember? Since when did the election of a chairman no longer require the approval of the largest shareholder?”
Zou Tao’s expression darkened. Forest Realty’s largest shareholder was himself—so whoever was causing trouble was doing so in a laughably amateur way.
He wondered who these shareholders had brought in; was this the person daring to create chaos in Forest Realty? But who was this person outside the door? The voice sounded... oddly familiar.
“Who are you?” Zou Tao frowned, addressing the still unopened doors. “If you claim to be the largest shareholder, then who am I?”
“You? Just a poor loser who can’t accept defeat.”
---
Zou Tao was instantly enraged, about to retort when the doors of the meeting hall slowly opened.
And behind them appeared two figures he would never have expected.
“I heard you’re becoming chairman of Forest Realty?” Lan Tian, hands in his pockets, smiled faintly. “But... have you asked me?”
“And what are you supposed to be? This isn’t a place for people like you. Get out, now!” Zou Tao had been worried about surprises, but seeing it was only Lan Tian, the poor kid, he relaxed and shouted angrily.
But in the next moment, his eyes widened as he watched the shareholders rise quickly from their seats, all looking incredibly respectful.
Around the table, most shareholders stood up and greeted in unison, “President Lan!”
“You... You all...” Zou Tao looked as if he’d witnessed a ghost, his expression shifting wildly.
“What’s happening?! Who is he?” Zou Linsen couldn’t sit still either, glancing at Zou Tao and demanding angrily. He had never seen Lan Tian before and didn’t know who this unexpected young man could be.
“Mr. Zou, right? My name is Lan Tian. I believe you’ll soon know exactly who I am.” Lan Tian ignored Zou Tao entirely, smiling as he addressed Zou Linsen.
“Who are you, really?” Zou Linsen’s brow furrowed, his presence intimidating. “This is the headquarters of Forest Realty—how did you get in?”
Lan Tian chuckled. “Mr. Li, would you kindly tell our Mr. Zou who I am?”
“Yes, President Lan.” Mr. Li—the shareholder with the most serious criminal allegations—now followed Lan Tian’s orders without question. “President Lan holds 52% of Forest Realty’s shares, making him the largest shareholder. Today, we convened this meeting on his behalf, by his commission.”
“Lies! That poor kid?! Impossible! How could it be?!” Zou Tao was the first to lose control, unable to accept a single word of it.
Who was Lan Tian?
A penniless nobody!
Just days ago, he’d taken Lan Tian’s girlfriend—a poor kid who couldn’t even hold onto his own girlfriend, how could he possibly own 52% of the company’s shares?!
Was this some fairy tale?
Even the day Lan Tian spent eighty million, he’d assumed it was just a staged act among several people.
But now—how could this be explained?
It was more unbelievable than seeing a dinosaur resurrected!
And what happened next left him truly desperate. Wang Ling stepped forward, produced a thick stack of documents, and smiled. “These are the share transfer agreements signed and effective between President Lan and the major shareholders of your company. To be precise, President Lan now holds 52.7% of the shares.”
---
“Impossible! Who are you really?!” Zou Tao was nearly incoherent, his eyes bloodshot as he glared fiercely at Lan Tian. He began to suspect that the whole thing—from start to finish—was a setup, even Li Mei’s appearance possibly orchestrated from the beginning.
“There’s no such thing as impossible. One must learn to accept reality.” Lan Tian spoke calmly. “You took my girlfriend; I accepted the reality. Now, I’ve taken your family’s company. You should accept reality as well.”
“Isn’t it fair?”
“You’re the one who had someone throw paint on my wall a few days ago, weren’t you? So, dealing with you is only right, isn’t it?”
Suddenly, Zou Linsen, who had been quietly watching the developments, spoke up. His face was ashen, his voice cold. “Mr. Lan... If I’m not mistaken, the recent news was your handiwork as well, wasn’t it?”
Lan Tian smiled, neither confirming nor denying.
“So, the mastermind behind the scenes was you!” Zou Tao exclaimed in shock. He truly hadn’t expected that the person who had ensnared his whole family was the poor kid he’d always looked down upon!
Then, Zou Linsen abruptly stood and walked up to the terrified Zou Tao. Without a word, he suddenly slapped him hard across the face.
“Dad?! What are you doing?!” Zou Tao cried out, clutching his cheek in pain.
“Beast! Look at what you’ve done! How did I end up with a son like you!” Zou Linsen’s face twisted with rage as he roared, “I was about to hand over the chairman’s position to you—who knew our family would be ruined by someone like you!”
“From now on, I have no son!”
“Mr. Lan... Sir, I must apologize for failing to raise my child. Whether this disgraceful wretch lives or dies is no longer the concern of the Zou family. Please... show mercy!” Zou Linsen truly possessed the charisma of a formidable leader—decisive to the extreme. Facing Lan Tian, a young man no older than his son, he discarded all pride, stepped forward, and bowed deeply in earnest supplication.
“Ha! Mr. Zou truly lives up to his reputation,” Lan Tian nodded with a smile. “But... what if I refuse?”
“Mr. Lan, it’s wise to leave room for others. I’m old—I fear nothing. But you’re young...” Zou Linsen smiled as well, though his smile sent a chill down Wang Ling’s spine as she stood beside Lan Tian.
“Oh? Are you threatening me, Mr. Zou?” Lan Tian’s smile didn’t change.
“If that’s how you wish to interpret it, so be it. After all, I’m about to lose everything.” Zou Linsen’s smile grew even brighter.
Lan Tian shook his head, chuckling softly. Now, he cared little for any threats. “Whatever tricks you have, Mr. Zou, feel free to try them. Perhaps you’ll only find yourself even more despairing.”
He continued, “But now, I propose that I myself serve as chairman of Forest Realty. Anyone object?”
He paused, then laughed quietly and clicked his tongue. “Never mind, there’s no need to ask. Any opposition would be useless anyway—after all, I am the largest shareholder.”