Chapter Five: The Price of Marriage

“Stop.” Zhiwei closed her hand around his. “I need them alive to vote.” As Hengfeng's new largest shareholder, she called an emergency resolution: freeze all Aftertaste payments and seal the century's ledgers. Faced with voting or public exposure of their secrets, every director raised a hand. Jiming released the threads and sagged against her. “Eighty million for a company. You spend better than I do.” “The company is shared property. Stand still.” “Concern from my wife?” “A creditor protecting collateral.” In the underground vault they found the first debt contract. Beside the Lu and Xie seals was a half-burned fingerprint. Ultraviolet light revealed: XU MANQING, SECOND WITNESS.