To the surprise of even Ye Cangtian, Tang Xinwan emerged as the victor in the election for the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce!
Even though Tao Wenyu was now reneging on his word and trying to cause trouble, it seemed he couldn't change this established fact.
Furthermore, with the wealthy Pang Ping stepping forward, other wealthy individuals from Yangzhou who had voted for Tang Xinwan also came out, leaving Tao Wenyu in an awkward position on stage.
“Young Master Tao, this is an election for the new chairman of our Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce. Since Miss Tang has ultimately won, she has the support of the majority of us,” a voice spoke out. Old Fu finally chimed in.
The elder held considerable prestige in Yangzhou’s business circles. This was no surprise, given the century-old foundation of the Fu family. Despite experiencing a decline in the past, the family's status in the business world was undeniable. Moreover, when Old Fu was actively dominating the business scene years ago, some of the wealthy individuals present were merely juniors.
Tao Wenyu’s expression turned grim. The task entrusted to him by the Tao family was to ensure his uncle, Chen Guangyi, became chairman, thereby suppressing Haitain Pharmaceutical. However, the outcome was the complete opposite, with Tang Xinwan unexpectedly securing the chairmanship. How was he to report this back?
While he could ignore the words of others, Old Fu was different. Not only him, but even his father, Tao Chuanping, would respectfully address him as ‘Old Fu’. Old Fu’s meaning was clear: since the election for the new chairman of the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce was a democratic process, and the majority chose Tang Xinwan, even the provincial-level Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce had no right to interfere.
With no other choice, Tao Wenyu had to compromise. “Since Old Fu and everyone else thinks so, then Miss Tang will serve as the chairman of the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce for this term!”
A wave of congratulations from the wealthy individuals in the audience erupted once more towards Tang Xinwan. Even those who hadn't initially voted for her offered their congratulations with strained smiles. After all, she was the future chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, and it was necessary to curry favor with her. Who became the chairman was no longer important.
Only two people in the hall wore displeased expressions: Tao Wenyu and a middle-aged man, clearly Chen Guangyi.
Meanwhile, Tang Yongchang, Tang Xinwan’s uncle, was ecstatic. Tang Xinwan becoming the chairman of the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce was a monumental event for the Tang family.
“Xinwan, if the Old Master knew you became the chairman of our Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce, he would surely be overjoyed!” Tang Yongchang exclaimed, his excitement palpable. This signified the rise of their Tang family. As he spoke, he took out his phone, intending to call home and share the good news.
However, he soon paused, a look of confusion on his face. “Why is there no signal at all? That’s strange, I received a text message from the company just a minute ago.”
“It’s fine, telling Grandpa and the others when we get home is just as good!” Tang Xinwan replied with a smile. She didn't seem bothered, but Ye Cangtian, standing beside her, narrowed his eyes. Signal jamming? It seemed those individuals were preparing to make their move!
At this moment, Tao Wenyu on stage suddenly clapped his hands. The commotion in the audience subsided as everyone turned to look at him.
“Now that the Chamber of Commerce selection is complete, before the banquet officially begins, there’s a personal matter I need to settle first!” Tao Wenyu announced, then pointed towards Ye Cangtian. “Today, Ye Cangtian and I have a personal grievance to settle. If this causes any disturbance, please excuse us!”
The wealthy individuals in the hall were taken aback. Even Ye Cangtian was somewhat surprised. He had expected the other party to make a move after the banquet, not to act now.
From a distance, Old Fu frowned and spoke, “Young Master Tao, this is hardly an appropriate setting for such matters. What conflict do you have with Mr. Ye?”
It wasn’t just Old Fu who was puzzled; many wealthy patrons were also surprised. Although Ye Cangtian wasn't a core member of their circle, it didn’t mean they didn’t know him. Several significant events in Yangzhou recently had been linked to him. Whether it was the downfall of the He family or the major reshuffle within the underworld, Ye Cangtian’s shadow seemed to be present. Therefore, many in the wealthy circles were quite wary of Ye Cangtian, and even the Tang family. For the young master Tao to openly challenge Ye Cangtian now left everyone in a state of astonishment.
Tao Wenyu let out a cold snort, making no attempt to hide his animosity. Gritting his teeth, he declared, “This person has insulted me repeatedly. He injured me in Suhang before, and just a few days ago, he assaulted me in broad daylight. I cannot tolerate this insult any longer.”
The crowd understood. It was known that Tao Wenyu had been thrown out of the backstage area during a concert a few days prior, and this incident had been witnessed and spread by those with ulterior motives. However, everyone knew that Ye Cangtian had connections with Yangzhou’s underworld. While the Tao family held influence in Suhang City, what power did they possess to seek revenge in Yangzhou?
Tao Wenyu then cast a sinister gaze at Ye Cangtian and stated, “You surnamed Ye, I told you, I will definitely make you regret this.”
Leaning back in his chair, Ye Cangtian replied with a smile, “I believe I also told you, if you want revenge, just come at me!”
“Very good!” Tao Wenyu sneered. The reason he chose to make his move now was to humiliate the other party in front of so many people, thereby avenging his wounded pride. The thought of the reinforcements the butler, Li, had arranged filled him with confidence.
“I know you are capable in a fight, but this time, I will show you how foolish it is to offend me.” With that, Tao Wenyu clapped his hands.
Soon, two figures emerged from behind the platform: one was Butler Li Jiu, and the other was a person wearing a silver mask.
Tao Wenyu commanded them with an imperious tone, “Butler Li, I entrust Ye Cangtian to the two of you. I want you to break his legs! Just leave him with a breath.”
However, Butler Li did not respond. Instead, he respectfully stood behind the middle-aged man in the silver mask. Tao Wenyu frowned, about to issue another command, when the silver-masked man spoke.
“Tsk, tsk, who would have thought!”
“Truly, who would have imagined that such a small city like Yangzhou could have so many wealthy individuals, and that so many would be gathered here today!” the silver-masked man exclaimed with a hint of excitement in his voice.
The audience below frowned. Who was this masked fellow? Speaking so arrogantly? Tao Wenyu grew even more incensed. This person was invited by Butler Li, but seemed rather disobedient. He sternly called out, “Butler Li!”
However, Li Jiu ignored him and explained to the silver-masked man, “My lord, nearly all the prominent wealthy individuals and influential families in Yangzhou are present here.”
“Each of these wealthy individuals has assets in the billions! Moreover, the Fu and Guo families are top-tier families in Yangzhou!” conservatively estimating, the 31 wealthy individuals present possessed a combined net worth of no less than one hundred billion. This was almost all the magnates in Yangzhou City!
The silver-masked man laughed heartily, “Excellent! It seems the harvest from this trip will directly allow us to complete our first mission!”
What mission? What did this have to do with them? The wealthy patrons were all bewildered, and some even frowned and questioned Tao Wenyu, “Young Master Tao, what is the meaning of this?”
Tao Wenyu was also somewhat confused. He had no idea what was happening, especially since Butler Li, who was usually so deferential to him, was now disregarding his orders.
“Butler Li, I instructed the two of you to deal with Ye Cangtian, not to spout nonsense here!”
“Please do not worry, Young Master Tao! We will handle Ye Cangtian for you, but…” the silver-masked man paused, then added with a smile, “However, Young Master Tao has also done us a great favor by gathering so many wealthy individuals in one place.”
“What do you mean?” Tao Wenyu began to sense that something was amiss.
At that very moment, screams were heard from outside. Before anyone could react, the banquet hall doors were kicked open, and a group of people wearing bronze masks stormed in. The blades in the hands of these bronze-masked individuals were stained with blood. Seeing this, the faces of the wealthy patrons turned ashen!