CFRFGC Chapter 122

⌈【Shen Corporation’s financial loopholes exposed!】⌋

The signing ceremony for the HZ project was fast approaching.

The event was set to take place at the Central Hotel.

As the largest commercial project in the chemical industry in recent years, it garnered significant attention.

The attendees included not only the Fang and Shen families but also renowned figures in the industry and prominent business leaders interested in investing in the project.

Early in the morning, a line of cars began forming outside the hotel.

Hotel staff busily directed vehicles into the parking area.

Once most of the guests had taken their seats, Shen Hongyuan arrived with his wife and children.

This occasion was of utmost importance to the Shen family. Given Shen Hongyuan’s concern for appearances, he had ordered the entire family to attend.

Everyone, including the usually absent Shen Xingzhuo, had been summoned—except for Lu Ran.

As soon as they stepped out of the car, the waiting media swarmed around them.

Hotel staff worked to maintain order.

Shen Hongyuan stopped at the red-carpeted steps, pulling Madam Shen close as they posed for the cameras.

On his right stood Madam Shen, while on his left were their three children: Shen Xingyu, Shen Xingzhuo, and Shen Xingran.

Madam Shen, dressed in an elegant haute couture gown, wore limited-edition luxury jewelry in her hair, smiling graciously at the cameras with her usual poise.

Shen Hongyuan exuded confidence and determination, coupled with the polished charm characteristic of a seasoned businessman.

There was no hint of his fiery temper from home.

Shen Xingyu, Shen Xingzhuo, and Shen Xingran each harbored their own thoughts but behaved impeccably.

For this chaotic, dysfunctional family, at least at this moment, their mood was probably unanimous—unanimous joy.

They lingered on the steps for quite some time.

The media captured plenty of photos, while the Shen family played their roles as a picture-perfect household.

Only then did Shen Hongyuan lead his family inside.

The moment they entered the hotel lobby, familiar faces approached them with greetings.

“Mr. Shen, it’s been so long! You’re as impressive as ever!”

“Oh, not at all. Still can’t compare to you, Mr. Li.”

“Come on, we’ve been friends for ages—no need to compare. But I’ll be honest, I might need your support more in the future…”

Meanwhile, Madam Shen was also surrounded by people exchanging pleasantries.

Compliments on appearances and clothing were exchanged, but the most common topic of conversation soon shifted to the children.

“This must be Xingyu, right? It’s been a while! Xingyu must be 27 or 28 now. Are you engaged yet?”

Shen Xingzhuo and Shen Xingran also received plenty of praise.

Particularly Shen Xingran, whose delicate features and obedient demeanor made him the favorite among the older generation.

Yet, for some reason, Shen Xingran seemed a little distracted this time.

At this signing ceremony, the Shen family was undeniably the center of attention.

Some media outlets even approached Madam Shen for an interview, asking about her parenting philosophy.

Madam Shen smiled gracefully, exuding warmth and intelligence.

She replied, “We don’t put too much pressure on our children. As a mother, I focus more on accepting them and allowing each child to develop according to their strengths…”

Her words drew admiring looks from the surrounding ladies.

However, upon hearing her remarks, Shen Xingyu lowered his gaze.

Shen Xingzhuo glanced at the ceiling as if rolling his eyes.

Shen Xingran maintained his flawless and obedient smile, resembling a lifelike mannequin.

Even Shen Xingzhuo, despite his usual outspokenness, recognized the importance of the moment and refrained from making any untoward comments.

The gathered reporters continued to ask various questions.

Suddenly, one journalist—whether out of carelessness or deliberate provocation—posed an unexpected question: “May I ask if the young master who was lost and later found isn’t attending today’s event?”

The moment the words were spoken, everyone froze.

Whether it was Shen Hongyuan, engaged in mutual flattery with business acquaintances, Madam Shen, eloquently addressing the reporters, or the three sons present—each paused in unison.

The silence was brief yet striking, revealing the deep, invisible fractures within this seemingly perfect family.

Before long, other media outlets drowned out the question by diverting attention away from the source.

The atmosphere at the venue quickly returned to its lively facade.

However, the Shen family members all seemed somewhat distracted.

Shen Hongyuan sighed helplessly, adopting the demeanor of a benevolent father burdened by concerns for his children.

Madam Shen spoke with a hint of urgency in her tone. She ignored the reporter’s question entirely but proactively elaborated on her experiences as a mother, almost as if trying to preemptively ward off any accusations of negligence.

Shen Xingyu grew even quieter, only speaking when questioned about Shen Corporation’s business matters.

Shen Xingzhuo opted out of the media’s attention altogether, retreating to a corner seat.

Even Shen Xingran, typically flawless in such settings, broke character for a moment to glance at his phone.

Soon after, the Fang family—representatives of the project—made their entrance.

Unlike the Shen family, who had come in full force, the Fang family was represented solely by Fang Lin and his eldest son.

Shen Hongyuan immediately stepped forward to greet Fang Lin.

The two exchanged pleasantries before Fang Lin glanced at the surrounding media and said, “Shall we officially begin the ceremony now?”

Shen Hongyuan had no objections and promptly agreed.

The media could be attended to afterward; signing the agreement was the real priority.

However, this signing ceremony wasn’t just about publicly sealing the deal and officially entrusting the project to the Shen family. It also included an explanation of the specifics of the HZ project to the public.

Fang Lin, ever professional, got straight to the point after taking the stage.

Meanwhile, Shen Hongyuan and Shen Xingyu sat below, waiting.

Shen Hongyuan thoroughly enjoyed the process of Fang Lin explaining the project. The higher the value of this project, the more prestigious the Shen family would become for securing it.

As the presentation progressed, Fang Lin delved deeper into technical jargon from specialized fields, and the content grew increasingly dry.

Shen Xingyu, who had done extensive preparation to secure this project and was already well-versed in this domain, found the details manageable.

Shen Hongyuan, however, had to rely on an assistant with the appropriate expertise to explain the content in whispers beside him.

The rest of the audience wasn’t much better off. Other than the invited experts, many in the media and business circles started losing focus.

Even Shen Hongyuan briefly spaced out.

Unable to resist, he picked up his phone and scrolled through social media, only to be greeted by a striking news headline: “Breaking! Lino Group Overcomes Technical Hurdles, Nano-Particle Technology Achieves New Upgrade! Precision Outperforms Shen Corporation’s Announced Data…”

At that moment, Fang Lin on stage was explaining why he ultimately chose Shen Corporation: “Shen Corporation’s innovations in nano-particle technology have been a major driving force for this project…”

Shen Hongyuan’s heart skipped a beat.

He was no longer concerned about focusing on the presentation. He looked down at his phone again, alarmed.

What was going on?

Wasn’t this technology a recent breakthrough from Shen Corporation’s labs?

It was precisely because of this technology that they managed to overshadow the Lino family.

However, due to the rush, the patent application for this technology was still being processed.

And now…

Looking at the headline, Shen Hongyuan couldn’t help but feel a surge of panic.

But after some thought, he reassured himself. At this point, the Shen family had already privately negotiated with Fang Lin.

Even if the Lino family also mastered the technology, as long as the gap wasn’t too significant, the Fang family wouldn’t abandon Shen Corporation to side with Lino.

Having figured this out, Shen Hongyuan calmed down.

He put down his phone, regained his usual smile, and leaned back in his chair with ease.

Still, he instructed his assistant to suppress any news related to the Lino family as soon as possible.

A while later, Shen Xingyu’s assistant approached him with a hurried expression, leaned in to whisper something, and handed him a phone.

Shen Xingyu glanced down at the phone screen, and his expression immediately darkened.

His face grew increasingly grim, a sharp contrast to his usual composure.

Noticing this, Shen Hongyuan found it almost amusing.

Shaking his head with a faint chuckle, he sighed, “Ah, youth. Panicking over something so trivial?”

Then, with a stern tone, he admonished, “Mind your expression. This is not the place for that. Don’t let the media catch a picture of you looking like this—it’s unsightly.”

At his words, Shen Xingyu’s expression turned even darker.

He quickly instructed his assistant in a few short sentences. Though he wanted to leave for a moment to address the situation, he remained seated, conscious of the occasion.

Still visibly tense, Shen Xingyu unlocked his phone, turned the screen toward Shen Hongyuan, and slid it in front of him.

Shen Hongyuan waved dismissively. “I’ve seen it already.”

But even as he spoke, his gaze involuntarily shifted to the screen.

That single glance left him frozen in place.

On the screen were two adjacent news headlines.

The first was the same Lino Group technological breakthrough news that had unsettled Shen Hongyuan earlier.

However, the news that had rattled him just moments ago was now relegated to second place.

The headline at the top read: “Shen Corporation’s Financial Irregularities Exposed!”

“Is Entrusting the HZ Project to Shen Corporation Safe?”

The moment Shen Hongyuan saw the headline, he shot upright in his seat, his movements so abrupt he nearly stood up entirely.

At the critical moment, Shen Xingyu pressed a hand firmly on his shoulder, keeping him in place.

Shen Hongyuan’s pupils contracted sharply and his face went momentarily blank.

Yet, despite his shock, he managed to suppress an outburst, his lips trembling as he fought to maintain composure.

He was painfully aware that the media stood in every corner of the room.

Dozens of eyes were on Shen Corporation at this event. Any slip in their demeanor would immediately draw suspicion.

On stage, Fang Lin continued explaining the project’s goals.

But Shen Hongyuan, who had been so eager for every detail earlier, now felt an unprecedented sense of urgency.

He could only hope that neither Fang Lin nor his team had noticed the breaking news.

Even more so, he prayed that the other attendees were polite enough not to check their phones during the event.

If they could just get through the ceremony, sign the contract, and formalize the agreement, any issues could still be negotiated with the Fang family later!

At that moment, Fang Lin displayed a new chart on the screen.

While Shen Hongyuan had previously found such details fascinating, he now wished he could press a fast-forward button.

Stop explaining! Stop explaining!

None of this matters! Just sign the contract already!

Cold sweat began to bead on Shen Hongyuan’s forehead.

This behavior drew the attention of an older executive standing nearby.

The man couldn’t help but ask with concern, “Is everything alright, Mr. Shen? Are you feeling unwell?”

Shen Hongyuan quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead and forced a smile. “It’s a bit warm in the venue.”

In the hopes of finishing the event as quickly as possible, both Shen Hongyuan and Shen Xingyu were relieved when Fang Lin finally wrapped up his explanation.

Fang Lin smiled at the audience and extended an invitation, “Now, may I ask Mr. Shen to come up and complete the final signing ceremony?”

Applause erupted from the crowd.

At that moment, both Shen Xingyu and Shen Hongyuan simultaneously let out a sigh of relief.

So tense were they that Shen Hongyuan even stumbled a couple of steps as he stood up.

Someone nearby chuckled, “Mr. Shen must be very pleased.”

Shen Hongyuan could only smile in response.

Together with Shen Xingyu, he walked up to the stage.

The applause grew even louder.

Shen Hongyuan sat opposite Fang Lin, with their respective lawyers standing behind them. In front of them, a contract was laid open.

Shen Hongyuan eagerly reached for the official seal.

As he grasped it, his hand slipped briefly before he firmly held it.

At that moment, the applause began to taper off.

But just as the clapping weakened, an odd sense of unease seemed to rise within the crowd.

First came a suppressed gasp from someone.

Then whispers began to spread.

The whispers grew louder. Soon, the entire room was filled with a sense of shock and suspicion.

The volume of voices from the crowd became so loud that even Fang Lin across the stage had to take notice.

Frowning, Fang Lin was about to speak into the microphone when his assistant rushed over from behind and whispered something in his ear.

Fang Lin furrowed his brow, and his expression slowly turned grim.

He looked toward Shen Hongyuan and Shen Xingyu, his face growing as dark as thunder.

“Mr. Fang, we…” Shen Xingyu immediately took a step forward to speak.

But Fang Lin suddenly stood up, interrupting Shen Xingyu.

Grabbing the microphone, he faced the audience and said coldly, “Thank you all for coming, but there’s been an issue with the backstage materials. Unfortunately, the signing ceremony cannot proceed today. We apologize for the inconvenience.”

With that, Fang Lin didn’t even spare a glance at Shen Hongyuan and Shen Xingyu. He swiftly left the stage.

This turn of events was entirely unexpected.

The room was thrown into an uproar.

Some people who weren’t fully aware of the situation were left utterly confused, scrambling to ask around.

But others, who were more astute, immediately understood.

The financial loopholes within Shen Corporation were likely real.

Otherwise, with Fang Lin’s level of professionalism, he wouldn’t have left so abruptly after seeing those two news headlines.

After the initial shock, the others remained seated.

But the media, scattered all around, immediately went into a frenzy.

The Shen family, who had been surrounded with enthusiasm for interviews earlier, were now swarmed once again.

Shen Xingyu, who had the strongest execution ability, quickly gave instructions to his public relations assistant while heading in the direction where Fang Lin had just left.

Meanwhile, Shen Hongyuan, who was still on stage, and the others like Madam Shen, who were frozen in their seats, were suddenly blocked from moving.

Countless cameras instantly zeroed in on Shen Hongyuan’s face.

“Mr. Shen, have you seen the news? Are you aware of the financial loopholes mentioned about your company?”

“Did Mr. Fang’s abrupt exit after the signing ceremony suggest that you didn’t fully disclose your company’s situation during the negotiations?”

“Is Shen Corporation’s relentless pursuit of the HZ project simply to fill in internal financial gaps? Does this align with your initial statements?”

“Is there any connection between the technological breakthroughs by Lino Group and your company?”

“We’ve heard that Lino Group’s precision in technology surpasses that of Shen Group—what’s your opinion on this?”

Just an hour ago, when they first entered, the Shen family had been the center of attention, warmly surrounded by the media, who gently inquired about their work, family, and personal ideals.

But in the blink of an eye, the situation had turned completely. They were now bombarded with sharp, aggressive questions.

Shen Hongyuan looked at the crowd before him.

He stared at the people who had just greeted him with smiles, now showing hostile expressions.

At over fifty years old, the harsh, familiar scolding from his father suddenly echoed in his ears: “You useless thing!”

Amid the chaotic noise, Shen Hongyuan’s assistant suddenly shouted, “President!”

Shen Hongyuan collapsed.

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