Chapter 7: The Trap at the Shareholders’ Meeting

Chen Kaiming showed up at the Lin Group on Monday morning.

He was a long-standing shareholder with wide connections in the business world, and he always claimed he wanted to help the Lin family grow sustainably.

In the original novel, Lin Qian had trusted him. She never knew that this man had opposed her father’s decisions many times and secretly looked for ways to weaken the family’s control.

After her father was hospitalized, Chen Kaiming would propose restructuring the company and use the chance to buy up shares cheaply.

It was one of the links in the chain that led to the Lin Group’s collapse.

But now, Lin Qian was prepared.

At the shareholders’ meeting, Chen Kaiming spoke up first:

“The Haifeng project is seriously damaging the company’s reputation. I believe management needs to reconsider Lin Qian’s competence.”

A few shareholders immediately chimed in.

Chen Kaiming turned to her.

“You’re still young and don’t have much experience. If you’re feeling the pressure, you can hand part of your management authority to people with more experience.”

Lin Qian calmly turned the pages of her documents.

“Uncle Chen is right. My experience can’t compare with our long-standing shareholders.”

He was a little surprised that she didn’t argue.

But right after, she set a report on the table.

“That’s why, before assessing my competence, I’d like the board to consider three issues.”

The screen lit up.

The first issue was the irregular costs in the Haifeng project.

The second was the transactions between the contractor and the intermediary company.

The third was the offers to buy Lin Group shares that had appeared right after the bad news about the project came out.

Lin Qian didn’t accuse Chen Kaiming of being behind it all.

She only asked for the transactions to be independently reviewed, for the parties involved to explain themselves, and for the board to consider possible conflicts of interest.

Chen Kaiming’s face changed for an instant.

“Are you suggesting something about me?”

“I’m not suggesting anything about anyone. I’m only proposing we check the numbers. If everything is in order, the review will prove it.”

Another shareholder spoke up:

“That’s a reasonable proposal. We need to know how the company’s money is being used.”

Chen Kaiming realized things weren’t going the way he’d planned.

He had hoped Lin Qian would lose her temper, attack him personally, and prove herself an immature heir.

But she didn’t.

She turned the meeting into an examination of management accountability.

In the end, the board agreed to set up an independent review team, required the relevant departments to hand over their records, and temporarily stopped approving any transactions without sufficient documentation.

After the meeting, Chen Kaiming stopped Lin Qian in the corridor.

“You really have changed a lot.”

Lin Qian smiled.

“Everyone has to grow up.”

“You think having Gu Yichuan behind you means you can win?”

“No.” She looked him straight in the eye. “I think if I have evidence, follow the law, and do my job properly, I’ll have a chance to protect the company.”

Chen Kaiming said nothing.

Lin Qian walked past him.

“And if someone really does want to hurt the Lin Group, that’s all the more reason for me to find them.”

For the first time, Chen Kaiming realized the girl he had once seen as an easy pawn to control had become unpredictable.

And he began to fear that secrets buried for years were about to be dug up.