Chapter One: The Same Day, Twice

Lin Wanqing publicly suspended their engagement, saying she could not entrust her life to a man incapable of managing himself. The more he protested, the more unstable he looked. His authority was frozen, a press release went out within thirty minutes, and Hanhai's stock rose the next morning. Everyone praised Gu Zhengrong for choosing duty over blood. It took Chenzhou three years to learn that Zhou Xu had been paid, that the Lin family had shorted companies tied to Cloud Harbor, and that someone altered his brake records. He learned too slowly. Now Chengze approached with a glass and a humble smile. "Brother, Grandfather only wants me to share your burden. You will always be the man I respect most."