I’m a Villain! Why Are You Trying to Date Me?

Chapter 17: Jiang Yifeng — Where Did It All Go Wrong?!

Bai Bing’er: Jiang Yifeng, I didn’t think you were this foolish!

Zhao Zhong’s appearance signaled that everything was about to come to an end—or perhaps reach a dramatic turning point.

Just how much power this sole surviving elder of the Zhao family held… no one could say for sure.

“Grandfather.”

“Father.”

“Patriarch.”

“Master Zhao…”

The crowd addressed Zhao Zhong with varying titles as he entered.

Clad in a traditional Zhongshan suit, Zhao Zhong’s expression was calm, entirely devoid of any visible pressure or dominance. Yet the gleam in his eyes was sharp—completely at odds with the image of a frail, aging man.

The sound of his dragon-headed cane tapping against the floor echoed until he finally reached the front of the hall. There, Zhao Zhong stood in front of Shang Chan.

Reaching out with a wrinkled, weathered hand, he gently stroked her hair.

“Chan’er, you’ve worked hard.”

“It’s nothing, Grandpa. It’s just that Second Uncle and Third Uncle went too far.”

Shang Chan paused, lips pressed together, then continued calmly, “If I’m not wrong, Second Uncle and Third Uncle didn’t just want to seize power—they wanted to hand me over to Jiang Yifeng.”

The seasoned CEO, hardened by countless corporate battles, showed little emotion as she spoke of Zhao Dongshan and Zhao Dongshui’s despicable intentions. She had faced this kind of thing far too often.

How many people over the years had coveted her body?

But none had ever succeeded.

Zhao Zhong’s gaze turned icy. He had always known his second and third sons were foolish, but he hadn’t expected them to be this utterly brainless.

Using outside forces to tear down the Zhao family’s foundations just to seize power—did they ever stop to consider that if the family’s foundation was gone, what meaning would their power even hold?

Zhao Zhong could almost predict that if Zhao Dongshan, Zhao Dongshui, Jiang Yifeng, and Bai Binger’s schemes succeeded, the Zhao family might not collapse completely, but it would undoubtedly fall from the ranks of the top families in Licheng.

The others were merely using the Zhao family as a stepping stone, while Zhao Dongshan and Zhao Dongshui treated this stepping stone as if it held a treasure trove of gold and silver!

The elderly man nodded, his gaze sweeping across the crowd.

At this moment, many figures in the crowd could no longer suppress their trembling.

The most affected was none other than Zhao Dongshan.

Though he appeared as the second master of the Zhao family in front of others, enjoying high status and a respected position, only he knew that in the presence of Zhao Dongyun and Zhao Zhong—real power figures of the Zhao family—he was nothing.

Aside from some of the Zhao family’s peripheral businesses that could still be used to squander, Zhao Dongshan’s greatest asset seemed to be his bloodline…

But talking about bloodline in front of Zhao Zhong? That was no laughing matter!

Zhao Dongshan’s eyelids twitched, his face turning red, his teeth chattering in agitation.

He looked at his father, older brother, and niece on the stage, his lips trembling.

In his eyes, a complex mix of fear, resentment, helplessness, and panic seeped out.

After a while, it seemed like he had figured something out—or perhaps he was just resigning himself to his fate.

“Shang Chan, what nonsense are you talking about? When did your second uncle ever conspire to seize the Zhao family’s power? Heh, don’t speak without evidence!” Zhao Dongshan sneered, his body shaking, yet he continued speaking.

“The old man isn’t dead yet. The Zhao family’s power is still in the hands of my older brother and father. Shang Chan, you’re accusing me of power struggles, but do you have any solid proof? Whatever you heard in the wind or rain, I don’t buy it!”

Meanwhile, Zhao Xinghui, who hadn’t yet realized what was happening, stared blankly for a moment before quickly speaking up.

“That’s right! Sis, Grandpa, my dad really didn’t try to seize any power! Our talks with Brother Jiang were just about business matters!”

Upon hearing this, a mocking laugh suddenly echoed through the banquet hall.

Everyone turned toward the source of the laughter, and it was none other than the strikingly red-lipped Bai Binger. She lightly hooked her arm around Bai Ze’s, her eyes exuding a lazy indifference as she looked at Zhao Xinghui and Jiang Yifeng, sneering.

“Jiang Yifeng, is this your business partner?”

“I really didn’t expect you to be this stupid…Shang Chan, my Bai family acknowledges it, but is owning 51% of the Ice Eye enough compensation?”

On stage, Shang Chan gave a faint shake of her head.

Bai Binger’s lips curled into a smile as she glanced at her father beside her.

Bai Ze spoke in a deep voice.

“Dongyun, I heard that the Zhao family wants to enter the real estate business. I have a plot of coastal land. It’s not too expensive, but the location is a bit remote, in Liulang Bay. I wonder if you would be willing to accept this gift?”

On stage, Zhao Dongyun remained composed, his gaze shifting to Shang Chan beside him, his eyes filled with intense curiosity.

The crowd was momentarily stunned. Was Zhao Dongyun really choosing to hand over control?

What they didn’t know was that this was typical for the Zhao family. After the successor ceremony, Zhao family matters would be entirely handled by the successor. For the next thirty years, Zhao Dongyun would remain the family head, but his role would simply be to protect and guide Shang Chan.

Shang Chan thought for a moment, her eyes sweeping across the room. Finally, she found Lin Tian in the farthest corner of the banquet hall.

However, she didn’t pay much attention to him.

Since Lin Tian wanted to stay hidden, Shang Chan naturally played along with his intentions.

“Uncle Bai, I believe you’ve been misled by Jiang Yifeng. The conditions are as you’ve mentioned,” Shang Chan said in a cold tone.

Bai Ze looked at Zhao Dongyun and Shang Chan with a knowing smile.

After a brief pause, the influential figure of both the black and white markets nodded with a grin.

“Your niece is truly exceptional. In the future, I must encourage Binger to spend more time with you,” he said, clearly amused.

“Thank you for the compliment, Uncle Bai.”

……

The clash between the Bai and Zhao families had no dramatic flair from the start.

Both Bai Ze and Bai Bing’er knew that business was business, and it could always be solved with profits. When the stakes were small, it was money; when the stakes were large, it was power.

But when money could turn into power, these profits could cover everything.

However, even Bai Ze didn’t expect that Shang Chan’s appetite was so large. The 51% stake in Ice Eye wasn’t enough, but she also demanded the piece of land at Liulang Bay.

What she called “remote” and “inexpensive” were just excuses to save face for the Bai family.

That piece of land had a basic value of over 3 billion, and its commercial value was easily worth over 10 billion!

Although Bai Ze wasn’t concerned about such a small amount of money, giving it away so easily left a bitter taste in his mouth, as if he had swallowed a fly.

And the source of his discomfort? It was Jiang Yifeng standing beside him.

Bai Ze was always clear about his grudges. He wouldn’t direct his anger at the Zhao family, as they had been victims from the start.

The true instigator was Jiang Yifeng!

Only now did Bai Ze glance at Jiang Yifeng. However, his gaze was not one of admiration or warmth, but of endless coldness.

Even with Jiang Yifeng’s composure, when he met Bai Ze’s gaze, he couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

At this moment, he was utterly bewildered!

The power struggle had been exposed, and his manipulation of Bai Bing’er had been revealed…

This meant he had not only offended the Zhao family but had also directly offended the Bai family!

The status of the Bai and Zhao families in Licheng was not something a mere Fengchen Group could challenge.

Jiang Yifeng’s face was as dark as night, his eyes filled with a humiliation that couldn’t be put into words.

What stung him the most was not the failure of this plot, but the fact that Bai Bing’er had publicly called him foolish!

Was he really that foolish?

Using only his intellect, Jiang Yifeng had played top-tier listed companies like Ice Eye and Xinghai like toys in his palm, and even someone with the status of Zhao Dongshan had to consider him on the same level…

If things had gone smoothly, he should have been the center of attention by now, like the moon surrounded by stars!

Tonight, the cold and aloof female CEO might have even ended up in his room.

The vast wealth of the Zhao family would one day be his, and after tonight, Bai Bing’er would also be added to his harem. The progress in unlocking the Heavenly Sacred Body would continue…

Everything had been calculated perfectly.

So, where had things gone wrong?

Jiang Yifeng simply couldn’t understand. Even if the plot was exposed, there was no way it could have been so thoroughly investigated in such a short time. Did he have a mole among his ranks?

But throughout the entire process, he had never handed this over to anyone else to execute!

Jiang Yifeng’s mind was in chaos, and he couldn’t figure out where the flaw had occurred.

On one side of the banquet hall, Lin Tian puffed away on his cigar. Amidst the smoke, a thoughtful expression appeared in his eyes.

The plot had changed so drastically, hadn’t it?