Chapter 335 — A Bolt from the Blue

"Chairman Chu, isn't this against the rules? Mr. Xie Guangbo, the company's third-largest shareholder, is not present at this very moment!" Jin Gubang spoke out directly against Gu Pengzhan's proposal. "Even if he has health problems, he ought to have sent a representative! I suspect you deliberately bypassed Mr. Xie to convene this shareholders' meeting!"

Though Jin Gubang's attack came off as somewhat rash, he had already decided to tear off all pretense with Gu Pengzhan, so he held nothing back. Rash it might be, but rashness was better than sitting idle while Gu Pengzhan cooked up some scheme or other.

"Heh heh, please calm yourself, Vice Chairman Jin. The purpose of convening this extraordinary shareholders' meeting is precisely to discuss certain matters concerning Mr. Xie Guangbo." Gu Pengzhan took no offense whatsoever; he glanced at Jin Gubang, then nodded at him calmly.

Jin Gubang felt the peculiar helplessness of striking with all his might at a bale of cotton. He had expected Gu Pengzhan to dodge his question with all his might, giving him an opening to seize upon — to cling fast to the fact that Xie Guangbo had not attended the shareholders' meeting, and so prevent Gu Pengzhan from conducting today's meeting smoothly!

But Gu Pengzhan had met his question head-on, lightly and casually, and stated plainly enough that the purpose of convening this shareholders' meeting was to discuss matters concerning Xie Guangbo!

"Very well, I am all ears!" That being so, Jin Gubang could only choke down his resentment, unable to vent it. After a flat, lukewarm remark, he shut his mouth — but he was determined to see just what tricks Gu Pengzhan could produce!

Surely Gu Pengzhan would not claim that Xie Guangbo had given advance notice and entrusted him with full authority to act as his proxy? That was impossible too — Gu Pengzhan would never resort to such a crude and childish maneuver!

"Mr. Wei Zhao, please take a seat!" On formal occasions Gu Pengzhan would never call Wei Zhao "Xiao Yi" — especially not at a shareholders' meeting, where he must address Wei Zhao by his proper name; after all, Wei Zhao was now a shareholder of the company! In private, any form of address would do, but before others he could not let Wei Zhao appear here in the capacity of a junior.

Gu Pengzhan bade Wei Zhao sit, and the seat he indicated was the one Xie Guangbo customarily occupied. Wei Zhao nodded and was about to sit down — but Jin Gubang would have none of it!

"Hold on! Young man, don't you sit down yet!" Seeing that Wei Zhao meant to take Xie Guangbo's seat, Jin Gubang immediately objected. "Chairman Chu, what is the meaning of this? Are you perhaps suggesting that this youngster can represent Director Xie? But as I recall, he seems to be your daughter's bodyguard, does he not?"

At these words of Jin Gubang's, the company's other directors all turned to look at Wei Zhao, uncertain whether what Jin Gubang said was true.

"Bodyguard?" Gu Pengzhan laughed aloud at that. "Wei Zhao is indeed a good friend of my daughter Mengyao — though calling him a bodyguard is not entirely amiss either! A knight-errant guarding the flower!"

With this explanation of Gu Pengzhan's, all the shareholders present understood: what he meant was that Wei Zhao was his daughter's boyfriend! And if one called him a bodyguard, that was not wrong either — a knight-errant guarding the flower was a bodyguard!

"A knight-errant guarding the flower?" Jin Gubang gave a cold snort and said dismissively, "Bodyguard or flower-guarding knight, I don't care what he does. What I should like to ask Chairman Chu now is this: why is he attending the shareholders' meeting, and why is he sitting in Director Xie's seat? Does Chairman Chu mean to tell me that this is Director Xie's wish? Or is someone trying to use public office for private gain?"

"Are you brain-dead? I see you've been overdosing on idiot pills, just like that fool Xie Guangbo!" Wei Zhao spoke up before Gu Pengzhan could open his mouth. "You ask why I'm sitting here? I'd like to ask why you're sitting here — what the hell are you? And Director Xie's wish? Is that fool Xie Guangbo even qualified to appoint me? What is he? He's only a little better than you..."

"I... I... I am a shareholder of the group, and one of its three largest shareholders — why shouldn't I sit here?" Jin Gubang was smoking with rage at Wei Zhao's words. When had anyone ever called him brain-dead? And Wei Zhao had insulted him before so many people, leaving him utterly humiliated. Jin Gubang was beside himself at once. "Chairman Chu, I should like to ask — can a man like this attend a shareholders' meeting? What qualifications does he have? And he dares to insult a shareholder! Security — where is security? Throw him out!"

The other shareholders likewise looked at Wei Zhao in bewilderment, thinking to themselves: even if you are Gu Pengzhan's prospective son-in-law, you can't be this arrogant, surely? Jin Gubang was the largest shareholder after Gu Pengzhan; within the company, only Gu Pengzhan and Xie Guangbo dared to oppose him so openly — the other minor shareholders had no such standing!

But you are merely Gu Pengzhan's son-in-law, not Gu Pengzhan himself. Isn't it going too far to insult a shareholder like this? If you dare revile the company's second-largest shareholder, then we minor shareholders will simply be at your mercy!

Just as these people were thoroughly despising Wei Zhao for borrowing the tiger's might, Gu Pengzhan spoke up: "Vice Chairman Jin, Mr. Wei Zhao is now a newly appointed shareholder of the company — and, apart from you and me, the largest shareholder of all!"

At these words of Gu Pengzhan's, the whole room was in an uproar! Everyone stared at Wei Zhao in disbelief. Was not the company's third-largest shareholder Xie Guangbo? How had it become Wei Zhao?

Jin Gubang was stunned. He looked at Gu Pengzhan in disbelief, then at Wei Zhao. "How is this possible? This is impossible! Gu Pengzhan, what game are you playing?"

This time Jin Gubang was utterly frantic; he simply refused to believe Gu Pengzhan's words, for they were far too fantastic! The company's third-largest shareholder was plainly Xie Guangbo — how could it possibly be Wei Zhao?

"No time to waste words on you. Here are the share transfer documents — see for yourself." Wei Zhao tossed out a document at random: the share transfer agreement signed by Xie Guangbo.

Jin Gubang snatched up the transfer documents and read them over. When he had finished, he glared at Gu Pengzhan with a hideous expression. "Impossible! I don't believe it — this must be forged by you! How could Xie Guangbo transfer his shares to you? And as a gift, no less, for nothing? Is he brain-dead?"

In his fury, Jin Gubang too had taken up the phrase "brain-dead."

"Are you brain-dead or what? Just make a phone call and you'll know!" Wei Zhao curled his lip, staring at the frantic Jin Gubang as though looking at an idiot.

Jin Gubang was by nature a steady man, but the day's events had repeatedly slipped beyond his control, so there was no way he could calm himself. Everything before his eyes, as he saw it, was utterly impossible, a thing beyond the bounds of common sense.