Within the suffocating tension of the boardroom, Adisorn slowly rotated the fountain pen in his hand. The overhead lights glinted off the polished barrel, a cold shimmer that mirrored the depth of his calculating gaze. He watched the CK Group legal team with the calm scrutiny of a seasoned professor sizing up an overconfident student impressive effort, but still miles from mastery.
"Counselor, your proposal is quite reasonable," Adisorn said, his voice a smooth, resonant baritone. "The use of the Shanghai International Arbitration Center and the establishment of a joint committee… I accept them in their entirety."
Lin Jian shifted warily, his posture rigid with caution, eyes scanning Adisorn like radar locking onto incoming fire. Li Ming watched in cold silence. A man like AP Markrim doesn't simply surrender; that would be beneath a devil's nature.
"Since we are to deposit an additional 15% and place the patents in a third party's hands," Adisorn continued, his gaze sweeping the room before settling on Li Ming, "I require only two additional conditions in the contract annex."
Li Ming's lips curved almost imperceptibly. A wolf is a wolf. He felt grim satisfaction his rival had not disappointed him by being easy prey. "Proceed," he gestured open-handed.
Adisorn straightened, exchanging a brief glance with his legal team before beginning.
"Since the Chairman emphasizes transparency, I wish to help manage your risks personally. First, regarding the three board seats promised to ZX… I want it specified that one of those seats must be on the Audit Committee, with oversight of the escrowed funds and all three of our representatives must hold full voting rights on every agenda concerning the hydrogen project."
A murmur of protest erupted instantly. Board members bristled, objecting to the Chairman's unilateral concessions to ZX without a general resolution.
"Second…" Adisorn's voice cut through the noise, leaving no room for interruption. "Since we are using SHIAC in Pudong as the neutral venue, I propose that the fifth committee member the government proxy slot be replaced by an independent auditor from the International Energy Agency. Total neutrality. ZX Capital will personally bear the entirety of that cost."
He remained a pillar of cold calm amid the rising tide of opposition. Li Ming narrowed his eyes, a mocking smile forming in his mind. The boy is lethal.
Adisorn met Li Ming's gaze and offered a faint, chillingly polite smile. "Sincerity must be met with sincerity… wouldn't you agree, Mr. Chairman?"
Stolen novel; please report.
The soft words sliced through the hesitation like a double-edged blade. The board descended into heated, distrustful debate.
Then Chen Ming silent until now erupted into a dry, hollow laugh, fixing Adisorn with naked disdain.
"Hah. So the saintly face of ZX finally slips," Chen Ming sneered, sweeping his gaze across the board. "Gentlemen, what Mr. Markrim is offering is nothing but old wine in a new bottle. It's no different from VCC's original debt-to-equity terms. In the end, they just want seats in the boardroom same old play."
Adisorn listened to the insult with a face like stone, as though hearing a joke told in poor taste.
"Mr. Chen Ming… I'm mildly disappointed that you fail to see such a critical distinction," Adisorn replied evenly.
"VCC's debt-to-equity conversion would force CK Group to issue new shares at an unfairly low valuation diluting every existing shareholder, including the Chairman's own stake. That is not what ZX seeks."
His razor-sharp gaze swept the boardroom. "ZX's proposal wipes CK Group's debt clean with cash not by squeezing equity out of you. Our three board seats touch not a single percentage point of the Chairman's ownership."
Adisorn turned back to Chen Ming, his eyes laced with quiet pity. "Most importantly… ZX brought $350 million in cold cash to solve a problem not to put a noose around your neck for shares. I trust the seasoned investors in this room can tell the difference between an opportunity and a robbery."
He held Chen Ming's gaze. The man's face had begun cycling through pale and green. "Mr. Chen Ming… if after all these years you still cannot tell the difference, perhaps VCC headquarters should reconsider your posting as Shanghai representative."
Adisorn shifted his gaze to the VCC staff standing behind Chen Ming. They had begun exchanging uneasy glances.
"Should VCC ever require a negotiator with greater finesse… ZX would be happy to recommend top-tier talent."
The sentence landed like dropping Chen Ming into the grave he had dug for himself. His subordinates now regarded him with thinly veiled contempt. The board members shook their heads in shared irritation.
Li Ming chuckled low in his throat, acknowledging the ruthlessness of the man across from him. "Since you're willing to stake this much on transparency, I see no reason to refuse. Agreed we proceed on your amended draft."
The announcement sent the board into an uproar. But Li Ming ignored every voice in the room. Ming Zhi and Lu Rong sat perfectly still, watching the Chairman with fresh, careful calculation. This was no surrender. It was the opening move of the Old Dragon's endgame and no one in the room could yet see where it led.
Minutes later, the revised contract was placed before them. Adisorn picked up his gold-nibbed fountain pen and signed with a crisp, decisive stroke. Li Ming followed.
Thud.
The seal pressed into the final page official, irrevocable.
Adisorn rose and extended his hand to Li Ming with an ice-cool smile. "Thank you for placing your trust in ZX. From this point forward, CK Group and ZX will be the twin gears driving this industry toward a new horizon together."
Li Ming stood and clasped the hand in return, his eyes glittering with lethal cunning already mapping the next move in a war that had only just truly begun.
