Chapter 76: Li Jiaojiao Is Completely Astonished

Ten minutes later.

After leaving Shen Wanjun’s office, Zhang Kun was drenched in cold sweat. His legs trembled uncontrollably, barely able to keep him upright. His face was ashen, stricken with terror. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that Ye Tianlin possessed such an astonishing identity. If Shen Wanjun hadn’t revealed it personally, he would have dismissed the notion as sheer madness.

But the most crucial point was this: the Yunhai Chamber of Commerce had been founded for the sake of Su Rulan! That revelation, combined with the contract involving the Wang family from Yandu, chilled Zhang Kun to the bone, leaving him utterly panic-stricken.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Zhang Kun forced himself to suppress his agitation and hurried back to his own office.

Inside, Li Jiaojiao was seated, and the moment Zhang Kun entered, she greeted him with a beaming smile, “How did things go? What’s President Shen’s attitude?”

Zhang Kun took a deep breath, but instead of answering, he shakily opened his safe. From within, he retrieved a bank card, which he returned to Li Jiaojiao, stammering, “This card—you gave it to me. I—I... I don’t want it. Let’s just pretend none of this ever happened!”

“What do you mean by this?” Li Jiaojiao asked, stunned as she accepted the card.

“I can’t take your Wang family’s money from Yandu—not anymore. From this moment on, all cooperation is canceled. Find someone else!” Zhang Kun was so frightened he felt on the verge of a heart attack.

Li Jiaojiao was thoroughly perplexed. She stood up and demanded, “Vice President Zhang, what exactly happened? You weren’t like this just moments ago. Why this sudden change?”

“You nearly got me killed, and you still have the audacity to question me? Do you have any idea who Ye Tianlin is?” Zhang Kun stamped his foot in fury, wishing he could boot her out of the chamber’s doors and sever all ties immediately.

Li Jiaojiao frowned. “Isn’t Ye Tianlin just the young master of the Ye family? But he angered the old matriarch over that wretched Su Rulan. The Ye family won’t support him at all now—his status is useless. What are you so afraid of?”

Her words only made Zhang Kun’s face drain even more of color; it was as if he’d been struck by lightning. He collapsed onto the floor, trembling violently. “What? Ye Tianlin is still the young master of the Ye family? President Shen didn’t even mention that!”

“What do you mean ‘still the young master’? Does he have some other identity?” Li Jiaojiao grew increasingly uneasy.

Zhang Kun’s heart pounded furiously as he whispered, “The entire Shangjing Consortium was founded by Ye Tianlin himself. Who do you think he is?”

As his words settled in the air, Li Jiaojiao’s eyes widened in shock. She gasped, pupils dilating in disbelief.

“That’s impossible! How could the Shangjing Consortium have been founded by Ye Tianlin? There’s no way he’s the legendary figure behind it!” Li Jiaojiao cried out, unable to accept it.

Zhang Kun wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. “It’s the absolute truth. President Shen told me himself just now. What I didn’t expect was that Ye Tianlin is also the Ye family’s young master. Good heavens! You’d best leave now. Don’t drag me into this any further!”

At that moment, Li Jiaojiao felt utterly suffocated, her mind awash with turbulent waves of disbelief. No wonder Ye Tianlin had remained so calm throughout—it turned out, after all this chaos, that whether it was the Ye family or the Shangjing Consortium, everything was inextricably linked to Ye Tianlin.

Didn’t that mean the Wang family of Yandu was...?

At this realization, Li Jiaojiao nearly coughed up blood.

“If things continue like this, there’s simply no way I can complete my mission this time. How will I ever answer for this when I return?” Li Jiaojiao trembled in fear.

Zhang Kun struggled to his feet, his voice bitter. “Li Jiaojiao, you need to leave. The Wang family’s hopes are finished—unless you go and apologize to Ye Tianlin and Su Rulan right now. Perhaps there’s still the faintest sliver of a chance. But just the faintest.”

Li Jiaojiao was at a loss for words. She’d said so many harsh things and behaved so terribly in the business department just now. To turn around and apologize within half an hour—it was almost unthinkable, a humiliation she could barely stomach.

Yet the Wang family’s predicament was undeniable. As the Yandu Wang family’s representative in Jiangnan, if she failed to resolve this trouble, she would be held responsible.

After several minutes of hesitation, Li Jiaojiao finally left Zhang Kun’s office. She walked carefully, step by step, toward the business department.

Reaching the doorway, she immediately saw Su Rulan’s family—alongside Ye Tianlin, who stood by Su Rulan’s side.

In an instant, their eyes met.

Su Weimin, unconcerned, was the first to hurry over, speaking timidly, “It was all our fault just now. Miss Li, please give us another chance. Please don’t hold it against us.”

He hesitated, then tried to shift all blame onto Ye Tianlin. “Ye Tianlin is just being thoughtless, and then had the nerve to claim you’d come back to beg us. What nonsense! With your status, it should be us begging you, not the other way around.”

“I...” Li Jiaojiao’s face was taut as she swallowed hard, her skin prickling as if all her pores had burst open. She couldn’t tell whether Su Weimin was truly unaware or only pretending.

When Li Jiaojiao’s gaze met those of Ye Tianlin and Su Rulan, her heart quaked. Her face turned ashen, and she wished she could vanish on the spot.

Seeing her remain silent, Su Weimin assumed she was still angry and, with a pleading expression, said, “We’re just nobodies, not worth such treatment. This would only harm the Wang family’s reputation. I beg you, please be merciful just this once.”