"Go to hell," he declared, almost as soon as Lin Ting finished speaking, his voice full of dominance. "Do you think Han Guangyao still believes he's the impregnable fortress he once was? We hold the initiative now, and we have his fatal weakness in our hands."
"I'm sure if that old geezer wasn't afraid of the ace up our sleeve, he wouldn't be groveling like this."
Wang Bailin nodded. "Director Dan is right. Han Guangyao and I are from the same era, and we've known each other the longest. I understand his character too well."
"Han Guangyao is no pushover. On the contrary, he's ruthless, decisive, and always lives by the creed of 'those who follow me prosper, those who oppose me perish'."
"His uncharacteristic meekness this time, his desire for a peaceful resolution and a meeting with us, only proves that the ace we hold has truly grasped him by the throat and instilled fear."
Everyone agreed wholeheartedly. If Han Guangyao were a benevolent person, the people present wouldn't have formed this "Avengers Alliance" to oppose him collectively.
It was precisely because of Han Guangyao's ruthless and poisonous methods that they were forced into this situation today.
"So, we proceed with the plan?" Lin Xiang asked.
"Naturally!"
As the night passed, they woke the next morning to find a light rain falling, a drizzle under a sky shrouded in clouds.
In a room of the villa, the table was covered with countless newspapers.
"See? Such a major event happened yesterday, yet not a single newspaper reported it this morning. What does that tell you?" Qin Chuan put down a newspaper and looked up at the people sitting around him.
"It tells us that the Han family's influence is far greater than we imagined."
"They can control the media at will, preventing any publication from reporting yesterday's events."
Lin Xiang sipped his morning tea, his eyes dark. "Let's act. We can't wait any longer!"
"The longer we wait, the more unstable factors will arise." Qin Chuan's stance was firm. "According to the plan, we'll hold a press conference. We will not only declare war on Han Guangyao but also expose the countless wicked deeds committed by his Han Group Coal Industry over the years."
"Let everyone see clearly that the rapid development of Han Group Coal Industry over the years has been entirely built on the corpses of others, a dark and evil force."
Around nine in the morning, news suddenly spread through the upper echelons of Dragon City. The protagonists of this news were a coalition of over ten companies, including Xishan Coal Industry, Taishan Enterprises, and Jin'an Group.
These individuals were scheduled to hold a large press conference at three in the afternoon, at a five-star hotel. Attendees invited were not only members of the Coal Association but also elites from various sectors.
Upon hearing the news, the entire circle was shaken. Everyone understood that the real battle was about to begin.
At the Han family's old mansion, upon receiving this news, Han Guangyao was so enraged that he smashed the valuable porcelain in the room into pieces, his old face a terrifying shade of dark.
He hadn't expected these people to be so audacious. He had humbled himself, yet they not only refused to back down but escalated their actions, no longer concealing their intentions, and openly declared war on the Han family.
"Father, I told you long ago that those people have gone mad. If we want to curb them, our attitude should be even tougher, more decisive, and more ruthless. Only by utterly crushing their spirit can we make them submit." Han Zongren said.
"Crush them? How?" Han Zongyi asked his second brother with a cold laugh. "With force or with resources?"
"With force? These are sensitive times. Every move the Han family makes is under scrutiny. Who would dare defy the world like that!"
"But if we use resources... I'm not saying this to be provocative, but with all the helpers they've gathered, they've truly become a force to be reckoned with."
Han Zongren turned to his younger brother, extremely annoyed. "If you say so, is our Han family just supposed to sit here and let them smear our name and continuously attack us?"
"Of course not!" Han Zongyi said coldly, then turned to Han Guangyao. "Father, don't you know many influential people above? Now is the time to leverage those connections!"
"Our only way out of this predicament is to find a powerful figure who can swiftly quell this storm."
"Every enterprise has its vulnerabilities; none are flawless. We just need to break them down one by one to find a way out."
After Han Zongyi finished speaking, everyone in the room's eyes lit up.
"Father, third brother's method is our most effective and powerful option right now. We've been so generous to those people over the years; it's finally time for them to contribute!"
Under the tense gazes of his three sons, Han Guangyao's old face shifted between gloom and determination. He truly had a bitter tale to tell.
If not for those photographs, he wouldn't need his sons to boss him around. Han Guangyao had weathered storms all his life; he had thought of such methods on the first day trouble started.
But the problem was, if he did that, it would almost force the other side to release those photographs prematurely.
Han Guangyao understood why those people hadn't released the most crucial photos; they were keeping them as trump cards to be revealed at the last moment.
This was undoubtedly the sharpest sword hanging over his head, capable of taking his life at any moment.
"Father, are you hiding something from us?" Seeing that even at this point, Han Guangyao remained indecisive, his three sons sensed something unusual.
In their memory, their father was never a hesitant person. On the contrary, he was decisive and ruthless in his actions, otherwise, he wouldn't have led the Han family to become a leader in the industry.
But after this incident, their father seemed like a changed man, timid and indecisive in his actions, which naturally aroused suspicion.
"Yes, you're not usually so indecisive!"
"You often taught us to be decisive and ruthless in our actions, that hesitation only leads to failure."
Han Guangyao opened his mouth and instinctively looked at the most reliable person beside him, Kong Nanchao, unable to speak, his face filled with bitterness.
He truly didn't know how to reveal those matters, as they were too significant. Even with his sons present, once that incident was exposed, even father and sons would immediately break ties, leading to true disaster.
Kong Nanchao also pursed his lips, unsure what to do. As Han Guangyao's most trusted confidant, he knew all the secrets.
"Father, tell us honestly, did the items lost from your safe include more than just those private photos? Is there something more important that has fallen into someone else's hands?" At this moment, Han Zongren asked a sharp question, his eyes burning.
This question reminded Han Zongshu and Han Zongyi. Both of them also fixed their gazes intently on their father.
"I..."
Just as Han Guangyao was about to speak, he suddenly coughed violently.
"Master, it's time for your medicine!" Kong Nanchao quickly stepped forward to support Han Guangyao and then turned to the others. "You all go about your business. The Master has been greatly depleted in energy and spirit these past two days and needs rest."