Meeting Old Zhang once again—though they called it an early dim sum gathering, it was clear there was no room for pleasantries between them anymore.
Since their paths and values were fundamentally different, and their previous attempts at collaboration had failed, there was no need for further small talk. Being direct was the only way to avoid wasting each other's time. Wang Yibo booked a private room in a teahouse, respectfully invited Old Zhang to sit, poured him tea, served dishes—then sincerely and straightforwardly suggested that Old Zhang retire.
Old Zhang, once a big shot who made fortunes through sheer dominance, of course, would never agree.
Behind both men stood rows of well-trained bodyguards, prepared for the worst in case the negotiation fell apart and things turned violent.
Old Zhang's tone was nothing but scornful.
"Wang Yibo, if you dislike shady dealings so much, then just stop doing this! Let me take over. I'm the only one who knows how to run the empire your father built! Old Wang was such a powerful, fearless man—how did he end up with a coward like you for a son?"
Then he added,
"Don't worry. I'm a man of loyalty! You're Old Wang's son—even if you're illegitimate, you're still his flesh and blood. Since you refuse to carry on his legacy, I will. And you can go on living peacefully as the crown prince. You'll get every benefit you deserve. If you like being upright and clean, go ahead. Go back to the States, do whatever you want. I'll keep the money flowing into your bank account."
Wang Yibo had remained silent, sipping his tea. But after hearing this, he slammed his cup on the table with a loud thud.
There was little expression on his face, but his voice turned icy.
"Uncle Zhang, do you take me for a fool? If I really followed your plan, you think I'd make it back to the States alive?"
Old Zhang narrowed his eyes and studied the young man across from him.
He had underestimated him.
Wang Yibo pulled out a thick stack of documents from his briefcase and tossed them onto the table with a cold smirk.
"Uncle Zhang, I know you don't care to look at these, so I'll tell you what's in them. These are all the little tricks you've been playing behind my dad's back over the years—colluding with other gangs, pocketing kickbacks, and getting involved in all the things my dad warned you to stay away from. You've been building your own power base. If my dad hadn't protected me and sent me overseas early on, you would've buried me before I even had the chance to show up."
Old Zhang's expression changed dramatically—ugly and full of rage.
He had always ranked just below Wang Yibo in the gang's power structure. If Old Wang hadn't had a son, the empire would've naturally fallen to him.
Wang Yibo sneered.
"For years, your intentions were already clear. You were never truly loyal to my father, and now you dare to throw your weight around? Do you know why my dad turned a blind eye to your behaviour all this time? Because you once saved his life! You were his brother-in-arms, someone he trusted with his life. He didn't want to break things off with you over money."
Old Zhang's face turned a darker shade. "He breaks things off with me? And what about him—was he some saint? Every business under me flourished!"
Wang Yibo's gaze turned steely. "But he still left the business to me. Which means now, I call the shots!"
"And I," he added, "don't want you involved anymore."
He straightened the stack of papers and pushed them toward Old Zhang, his tone calm and detached.
"I'm not here to preserve tradition—I'm here to reform it completely. All the businesses I've taken over, if they can be cleaned up, I'll clean them. If not, I'll shut them down and destroy the roots. If you won't stand with me, that's fine. Considering your years of brotherhood with my father and the fact that you saved his life, I've had someone calculate a proper sum for you."
He flipped to a certain page and tapped a line on it.
"This number takes everything into account—your years of contribution and the success you built. It's what you've rightfully earned, and it's generous. Anything beyond this amount—even a cent—belongs to my father. Since he left it all to me, why should I hand it over to someone else?"
Old Zhang slammed the table. "You're starting a civil war!"
Wang Yibo remained composed and fearless.
"I already said—I'm bringing reform."
At this point, things had clearly reached a stalemate.
The bodyguards behind them had all subtly reached for their weapons, waiting for a signal to fire. But Wang Yibo suddenly stood up. He had never intended to incite violence or escalate things into a civil war.
"I still have to go to the office, so I'll be leaving first. All the dishes are served—might as well enjoy them before heading home. Uncle Zhang, take your time to think. You don't need to give me an answer right now."
He paused and added, "But eventually, I'll need one."
Old Zhang ran his hand over the teacup Wang Yibo had poured for him, then suddenly threw it with force. The cup shattered into pieces.
Wang Yibo calmly turned his gaze away and walked out of the teahouse. A driver was already waiting outside. As he stepped out the front door, he got into the car.
He sat quietly in the back seat, once again returning to his usual silence. It wasn't until the car merged onto the highway that he finally pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
"It's me. This won't end peacefully. Do what I told you before—exactly as I said."
He closed the phone and turned his gaze to the window.
***
The moment Wang Yibo returned to Yunshen in the morning, he immediately announced a meeting. Apart from the junior staff, almost everyone was summoned to the large conference room.
He didn't announce anything earth-shattering—just went through the routine of checking each department's recent operations. After listening to the reports, Wang Yibo nodded and, standing at the head of the conference table, looked around at everyone.
"I plan to spend more time managing other aspects of the business, so I might not be coming into the office much in the near future. You'll all continue working as usual, nothing changes. If there's an urgent matter, you can reach me through Xiao Xue or Xiao Chen."
He paused, and his gaze landed on Xiao Zhan in the corner, calling out.
"Xiao Zhan."
Xiao Zhan, who had thought this was just a regular meeting and had absolutely nothing to do with him, was caught off guard by the sudden mention of his name and felt utterly bewildered.
He braced himself and looked up. "President Wang."
Wang Yibo gave a small smile.
"From now on, just focus on regular fund sales. You don't need to do debt collection this afternoon. I know I assigned you a few accounts recently, but your job is in the sales department—your actual role is to communicate with clients and make sales. The outstanding accounts you're holding can be handed over to accounting."
Xiao Zhan hadn't expected the usually sly Wang Yibo to show mercy and relieve him from debt collection duties. For a moment, he didn't know how to react.
Wang Yibo smiled at Xiao Zhan's stunned expression, then shifted his gaze to the rest of the employees.
"Any questions?"
Xiao Lan, a young girl who had recently been chatting with her coworkers in the breakroom, suddenly felt emboldened when Wang Yibo opened the floor.
"President Wang, I have a question!"
She held back a grin. "The company party for the annual celebration is coming up soon. Will you be attending?"
The meeting room buzzed with excitement. Yunshen Credit had always been known for its generosity. Every year at the annual party, valuable prizes were handed out—someone once even won a luxury double-occupancy cruise trip for seven days.
Wang Yibo pondered. "That'll depend on the situation at the time."
He smiled. "The most important thing is for all of you to have fun. If you have any requests, just let Xiao Xue know directly."
This was essentially a green light, and everyone's imagination began to run wild.
They had already dined at a Michelin-starred restaurant and had caviar at a past event—maybe this time, with requests allowed, they could enjoy even more luxurious food and drink? This thought got everyone excited, and the meeting dissolved in a wave of cheerful chatter.
Wang Yibo glanced at the time. Soon, he planned to head to a law firm in the centre of City B for a meeting with Lawyer Liu.
Back at the company, he asked the driver to take the car away; apart from essential bodyguards, he preferred driving himself—it gave him more freedom of movement.
He headed in the direction of the restroom and happened to pass by Xiao Zhan's desk.
The computer screen was displaying the official CFA website, specifically the page about the CFA Level 1 exam registration deadline and the exam dates for 2016 and 2017. It wasn't a big deal—no one expected a computer screen to show only spreadsheets or company intranet from morning till night. As long as it wasn't anything outrageous, no one really cared.
But Wang Yibo stopped—not because Xiao Zhan was looking at non-work-related content.
"You haven't passed the CFA exam yet?"
Xiao Zhan was already feeling frustrated while researching CFA materials, and the sudden voice above his head startled him.
"President Wang... can you please stop sneaking up on me?"
Wang Yibo looked surprised and stared at the screen with a complicated expression. "You haven't even passed Level 1?"
Xiao Zhan wanted to snap back at Wang Yibo for peeking at his screen, but given that his monitor faced the hallway and it was natural for Wang Yibo to see the big letters "CFA" on it while walking to the restroom, he couldn't really argue. Embarrassed, he quickly closed the webpage.
Now the desktop was nice and clean. Xiao Zhan forced a fake smile to deal with Wang Yibo.
"I've been kind of busy these past few years."
Wang Yibo thought back to how Xiao Zhan had worked in a bank before and asked thoughtfully, "Busy studying for the CPA exam?"
"..."
"..."
Xiao Zhan's dodgy eyes and suspicious silence made Wang Yibo raise his eyebrows high and widen his eyes.
He licked his lips, seemingly in disbelief, and cleared his throat. "Xiao Zhan, you haven't taken the CPA exam either?"
"..."
"No way, Xiao Zhan. I was overseas for three years and managed to finish everything!"
Xiao Zhan shot back, "I already said I've been busy."
Wang Yibo was speechless.
"You studied finance. You've been out of school for a few years now. If you haven't been taking any certification exams, what have you been busy with? Don't tell me you've been busy dating and buying houses!"
Already feeling pretty ashamed, Xiao Zhan became even more defensive when Wang Yibo brought up real estate again.
"Yes, I've been out of school for a few years and haven't earned a CPA or CFA. Unlike you, President Wang, who is young and accomplished—certified within three years of graduating and thriving at an investment bank! You're the model of the modern young man! I said it all for you—what more do you want to say? What does this have to do with you anyway?"
Wang Yibo was silent for a moment. He didn't seem to want to argue.
"You're right, it has nothing to do with me."
He turned and headed toward the restroom but stopped at the door. He turned back. Xiao Zhan was sitting up straight in his chair, eyes locked on him, looking wary and tense.
Wang Yibo seemed to sigh inwardly. His tone was light, but he still said to Xiao Zhan,
"I won't be around the office for a while. If you need anything, just message me on WeChat."
Xiao Zhan met his eyes directly. "What would I possibly need to message you about?"
The question was blunt, like an arrow slicing through the air, piercing the vague and fragile wall between them—it was a wake-up call.
Wang Yibo laughed. His jawline looked even sharper when he laughed, and faint dimples appeared. His eyes squinted slightly, though there was no real warmth in them.
"True. What would you need?" Wang Yibo echoed Xiao Zhan's words. His smile faded, and he returned to his usual cold demeanour.
He nodded at Xiao Zhan, pushed open the restroom door, and left behind a light remark:
"Work hard. Don't slack off."