Chapter 108: The Confrontation!

Fu Yuantu stood upright in the banquet hall.

Everyone present could hardly believe their eyes, rubbing them in disbelief.

This venerable figure, once greatly accomplished and virtuous, yet tragically wronged and bedridden for over a decade, had miraculously recovered from a grave illness and returned to the public eye!

News of this would surely cause an uproar.

“Elder Master Fu, why are you not resting at home today? Instead, you appear so free to attend this modest opening ceremony,” Xie Donglin forced a composed expression.

He could never have imagined that Fu Yuantu, who had long been confined to bed, would appear in person.

“Where I go is no one’s business but my own,” Fu Yuantu waved his hand lightly.

“But, Vice President Xie, do you mean to imply you hoped I wouldn’t make it here?”

Fu Yuantu’s complexion was ruddy, his spirit invigorated, and before Xie Donglin, he seemed every bit the formidable figure he once was.

“Of course not. The whole city would rejoice at Fu Zheng’s recovery,” Xie Donglin replied, then subtly turned to whisper to Xie Tingting, “What’s going on here?”

“It seems that Qin was the one who cured Xu Feng’s poison...” Xie Tingting said bitterly.

She had withheld this information before, unwilling to believe anyone could purge a toxin so deeply embedded for over a decade.

And since Fu Yuantu had not appeared earlier, she hadn’t told Xie Donglin.

Now, however, Fu Yuantu’s unexpected arrival had caught Xie Donglin completely off guard.

“I wonder, Vice President Xie, what is the meaning of this plaque you brought?” Fu Yuantu glanced at the item beside Xie Tingting.

The plaque was dilapidated, carved from the most shabby wood, emblazoned with four large characters meaning “Eternal Infamy,” clearly a custom piece commissioned by Xie Donglin himself.

“The meaning is quite literal,” Xie Donglin composed himself and faced Fu Yuantu squarely.

Though Fu Yuantu had recovered, Xie Donglin had controlled Jiangcheng for so long that, in terms of influence, he still held the upper hand.

“Then tell me, how is Baidi City destined for eternal infamy?” Fu Yuantu asked.

At this, Xie Donglin sneered, “Surely Fu Zheng knows of that despicable woman who nearly brought Jiangcheng to ruin?”

Fu Yuantu frowned deeply. “I was recuperating at the time and honestly unaware of what that innocent woman had done to earn such hatred.”

He had always acted with a clear conscience, but the incident two decades prior remained his lifelong regret.

Xie Donglin scoffed, “Innocent? How dare you call her that?”

“That vile woman occupied so many of Jiangcheng’s resources. Had it not been for the rise of the Jiang Alliance to overthrow her, who knows what would have become of Jiangcheng?”

“There were rumors among some who couldn’t see the truth that the Jiang Alliance forced her to her death.”

“Ridiculous! Everyone in Jiangcheng knows she jumped to her death—an act of shame and failure.”

“A woman so lacking in virtue, who else could she be but despicable?”

After this tirade, Xie Donglin glanced sideways at the exquisite plaque Fu Yuantu had sent, his face twisted in sarcasm.

“I think the phrase ‘everlasting glory’ on this plaque is a misnomer,” Xie Donglin proposed brazenly, “Why not just smash it?”

“How dare you!” Fu Yuantu’s fury blazed.

Xie Donglin’s audacity was shocking—to destroy a plaque personally gifted by Fu Yuantu, in his presence!

“If not smashed, should it be left for that woman? If word gets out, it could harm Fu Zheng’s reputation.”

Fu Yuantu was momentarily speechless.

Xie Donglin’s heart hardened as he signaled to his men, shouting loudly, “Smash it!”

Those on Xie Donglin’s side ignored Fu Yuantu standing before them, emboldened by Xie’s authority. They surged forward, grabbing chairs to strike at the plaque.

“Bastards!” Fu Yuantu roared in anger.

But Luo Song was absent for some reason, and Fu Yuantu alone could not suppress Xie Donglin’s overwhelming power.

The group advanced relentlessly, intent on shattering the plaque bearing “Everlasting Glory.”

Yet, before they could take two steps, the leader, Gao Juncai, seemed struck by an invisible bronze hammer, flying dozens of meters outside the hall, rolling several times before coming to rest before a crowd of reporters.

The others fell silent, staring at Gao Juncai’s battered form, unwilling to move forward another step.

What had just happened?

None of them saw anything, yet Gao Juncai had been flung away as if by force.

“Who gave you the right to call her a despicable woman at every turn?” a voice rang from the head table.

Xie Donglin scowled and turned toward the source.

Sitting silently until now, Qin Mu rose at last.

“She single-handedly built the number one enterprise in Jiangcheng,” Qin Mu stated.

“Every penny she holds was earned through her own painstaking efforts. What does that have to do with your Jiang Alliance?”

“In what way is her conduct any less honorable than your ragtag Jiang Alliance?”

Qin Mu’s three pointed questions challenged Xie Donglin.

Before Xie Donglin could reply, Qin Mu stepped down from his seat.

The crisp, commanding sound of his boots on the floor made Xie Donglin flinch inexplicably.

“You dare call the Jiang Alliance a ragtag group?” Xie Donglin declared, chest puffed with rage.

Qin Mu ignored him, casually waving his hand.

“To put it simply, the Jiang Alliance coveted her assets, conspired to sabotage her, and intended to force her death to divide her wealth.”