WBSGVS Chapter 184 V1

When the Shen family officially declared bankruptcy, Qingli still felt a bit dazed.

It really happened.

All she had done was give a little push. After taking a half-month break, she returned to the Chi Corporation, but didn’t touch anything related to the matter—everything afterward was handled solely by the Chi family’s parents.

Still, the outcome had been expected.

One company, Chi Corp, had grown stronger because of Qingli. The other, Shen Corp, had exposed fatal weaknesses, also because of her. Naturally, the balance tipped in favor of Chi. Not to mention the many other companies eyeing Shen Corp like hungry wolves, eager to devour the carcass.

The corporate war was intense and ferocious. Chi Corp paid a steep price, but thanks to a problematic project early on that later turned into a big profit, the payoff was well worth it.

When the dust settled, those who knew the inside story couldn’t help but sigh.

Especially those familiar with the entanglements between the Shen, Chi, and Huo families, they were stunned. As a key figure in it all, Huo Qingli became the center of public discussion.

As Shen Yanjun’s ex-wife, she was now the heir of Chi Corp—the very company that crushed the Shen family. That kind of identity shift caught the attention of many.

Some whispered, “This woman’s ruthless. Her husband cheats, and she doesn’t yell or make a scene. She just divorced him, took a huge settlement, and then married the Shen family’s old rival. Then she watches them go bankrupt with a smile!”

Others sneered, “How does the Chi family even live under the same roof with her? Aren’t they afraid they’ll end up like the Shen family, too?”

“She controls most of Chi Corp now. She’s no different than the actual head of the company. Bet the Chi family regrets their decision now.”

“If they knew this would happen, they’d never have agreed. She married into Chi right after her divorce. I knew something was fishy. But Chi’s cunning too. They did it to save the company, and now their empire’s in the hands of an outsider!”

“Wonder how long until Chi Corp goes under too. What idiots, handing their lifeline over to a woman like that!”

“Don’t know what people are thinking nowadays. A woman running a company? She’ll probably hand it over to someone else before you know it!”

A few men stood around mocking Huo Qingli, their disdainful tone growing louder and more obnoxious, drawing attention from passersby. They took it as a sign that they were speaking the truth and continued to raise their voices.

Not far away, a young woman listening grew more and more agitated.

Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore and stepped forward, snapping, “Do any of you realize that if it weren’t for Huo Qingli, the Chi family would probably be in the same state as the Shen family right now?”

One of the men, who had been mocking her the loudest, froze and scoffed, “That Chi project had issues, sure, but it wasn’t enough to bankrupt them.”

Feng Yan sneered. “But once they scaled back operations, do you think the Shen family would have let them off the hook?”

The man fell silent. Just like how Chi Corp didn’t spare Shen Corp now, the roles would’ve been reversed if not for Huo Qingli.

Still unwilling to lose, he grumbled, “That doesn’t change the fact that Huo Qingli is ruthless. So her husband cheated—she had to destroy the whole Shen family over it? With someone like her, it’s only a matter of time before the Chi family ends up the same way!”

Feng Yan’s laugh grew more sarcastic. “So what? In business, you guys crush other companies and call it competition. But when Huo Qingli does it, is it revenge for cheating? What dirty tricks did she use, huh? Besides, shouldn’t cheating have consequences? And if you’re so afraid of the Chi family ending up like the Shen family, it’s simple—just don’t cheat. That’s a fair deal, isn’t it? Who gave you the right to criticize? Unless… you’re guilty of the same and afraid you’ll end up just like Shen Yanjun?”

Her words turned the men red-faced and sputtering with rage. “You’re making stuff up!”

“Oh really?” Feng Yan pressed on, voice sharp and biting. “Why are all of you so sympathetic to Shen Yanjun then? Huo Qingli’s ‘ruthless,’ but when Shen Yanjun shamelessly cheated and humiliated her in public, that wasn’t ruthless? They were equals—she just played the better hand. Why does that make her cruel?”

The men couldn’t respond. Grim-faced, they muttered, “No point arguing with you!” before slinking away in embarrassment.

Feng Yan watched their retreating backs and snorted. When she turned around, she spotted a familiar face smiling at her. She immediately ran over and hooked her arm through hers. “Sister Li! You finally made it! I just roasted a bunch of useless men—felt amazing!”

“Thanks, Yanyan~” Qingli laughed. She’d arrived just in time to hear Feng Yan shut them down one by one. “You did great—sharp tongue, strong presence, and solid logic.”

Qingli had heard plenty of that kind of gossip before, but she never bothered to engage. Verbal battles weren’t her style—she’d just quietly blacklist those people and only collaborate with their competitors. But seeing a younger girl speak up for her still warmed her heart.

“Then can I come be your assistant this summer?” Feng Yan asked quickly.

She was Qingli’s younger cousin—the daughter of Qingli’s mother’s brother. While Qingli’s mother, Feng Ying, believed a girl only needed to grow up happy and well-provided for, that mindset came from the traditional values of the Feng family.

The Fengs favored sons over daughters. Girls didn’t inherit anything; they just received a generous dowry when they married. Feng Yan had grown up hating that system.

Since her parents wouldn’t give her a legacy, she decided to build her own. She started running businesses while still in college—some wins, some losses, but mostly profitable. She hadn’t interacted much with Qingli until recently, but once she witnessed her cousin’s decisiveness and strength, she was starstruck and proactively sought her out as a mentor.

Qingli was happy to teach her, but didn’t want her to get too distracted from school, insisting she focus on finishing her degree first.

But since the girl had just done something praiseworthy and was asking for a reward, Qingli hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. But once summer ends, you have to go straight back to school and finish your last year. After you graduate, come back and continue—I’ll hold your spot.”

“Deal!” Feng Yan bounced with joy.

The two continued chatting and laughing as Father Chi, having just finished a conversation nearby, walked over and smiled. “What are you two so happy about?”

“Yanyan’s coming to intern as my assistant over the summer,” Qingli replied. “She’s thrilled I’m giving her the chance to exploit her.”

“Haha, that’s great.” Father Chi turned to Feng Yan and reminded her, “Just be prepared—your cousin is a lot stricter at work than she is in everyday life.”

“I’m not scared!” Feng Yan shook her head firmly.

Qingli smiled and let her go off to have fun while she accompanied Father Chi to mingle and make more connections.

Chi Yue rarely attended events like this. With Qingli now managing the company, Mother Chi had retired. So at these kinds of business functions, Qingli always accompanied Father Chi.

In another couple of years, he would retire as well, and Qingli would take over completely.