Chapter 125: The Shocking Scandal of Changqing Group!

"Wow, our Su Hao is so capable now! He can sit on equal footing with those big bosses and give them his opinions?"
Dad exclaimed proudly, his face beaming.
"Of course!" Mom chimed in, her voice brimming with pride.
"Look at him! The company provides him with a luxury car and a driver. I heard his salary and bonuses are outrageously high!
Otherwise, how could he sit in meetings with big shots like those from Jiang Jin Group and have them all listen to him?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Su Hui nodded repeatedly, like a chick pecking at rice.
"Our CEO Qin, she's a real powerhouse at Jiang Jin Group. She's usually so arrogant, but she was completely humiliated by my brother the other day! Hehe!"
Being showered with praise by his family, Su Hao felt like he was on a rollercoaster, floating on air, but also a little embarrassed.
But he had to admit, this feeling… was fucking awesome!
The feeling of being recognized and admired by family is so blissful and warm.
"Oh, right, brother, this is for you." Su Hui seemed to remember something, picking up a delicate shopping bag from the sofa and handing it over.
Su Hao asked, "What's this?"
"This? Jiang Jin Group invested in a mobile phone manufacturer called WoVi, and this is their newly developed phone, called the Note 7!
I heard it hasn't officially launched yet, but the company held an internal lottery as a perk for us employees, and I was lucky enough to win!
I was thinking I just got a new phone not long ago, the one you bought me last time.
So this new one is for you, brother, your old phone should be replaced."
Su Hao didn't usually play mobile games much and didn't have high demands for phone performance, so his old phone wasn't inconvenient.
However, after hearing his sister's explanation, he looked at it closely:
His old friend, which he had used for several years, had several glorious scratches on the screen and some dents on the edges; it really was time for it to retire.
"Can I take it apart and have a look?"
"Of course, look all you want! Go ahead and take it apart, bro!"
It's supposedly the new high-end Note 7 from that WoVi phone factory. Although it hasn't officially gone on sale yet, the ads are everywhere, boasting explosive performance and tons of cutting-edge technology.
"How is it? Not bad, right?" Su Hui looked at him expectantly.
Su Hao held the Note 7 in his hand and weighed it in his hand. It was indeed much lighter and thinner than his old phone, and the design was more stylish and full of technological feel.
Especially the screen—vibrant colors, delicate and clear.
He tried swiping the screen; the touch was silky smooth, the feedback excellent…
Just as he was about to experience it further—
*Sizzle—!*
A blinding spark suddenly erupted from where the phone screen touched his fingertip!
The blue-white arc of electricity even illuminated his astonished face!
"Holy crap!"
Su Hao felt a sharp, tingling pain and numbness in his fingertips, like he'd been given a violent electric shock!
Startled, his hand trembled, and his phone flew out of his hand with a "whoosh."
The phone traced a graceful parabola through the air, first slamming against the hard corner of the coffee table with a "thud," then crashing heavily onto the polished marble floor with a "thud."
The screen shattered instantly, turning into a fine spiderweb of cracks.
The phone itself bore several jagged cracks, clearly beyond repair.
A brand-new flagship Note 7, not even ready for its maiden voyage, had gloriously sacrificed itself, its soul returning to Huaqiangbei.
"..."
Su Hao and Su Hui stared at each other, the atmosphere incredibly awkward.
"Brother... even if you didn't like it, you didn't have to smash it like that..."
Su Hui's lips twitched, her face a mixture of disbelief and heartache.
"Sorry, I'm sorry," Su Hao rubbed his still-numb fingertips, equally bewildered, "I didn't mean to... it was purely accidental."
Damn it, what just happened?
Static electricity?
But why were there sparks?
How bizarre!
"It's alright," Su Hui quickly recovered, waving her hand and comforting Su Hao instead.
"It's free anyway, no big deal. But... it's a bit of a shame, the Note 7 is supposedly highly regarded, great feel and looks."
"If you like it, I'll buy you a new one later?" Su Hao felt a little guilty.
"No need, I just changed my phone a short time ago, why waste the money?" Su Hui shook her head.
Su Hao bent down, carefully trying to pick up the "heroically sacrificed" Note 7 wreckage.
The moment his fingertips touched the cold metal frame of the phone, another sharp pain shot through him!
Su Hao hissed and gasped, quickly pulling his hand back, shaking his numb fingers, his eyes filled with surprise and confusion as he looked at the broken phone.
"What the hell is this damn phone?"
Why did he feel such a strong... threat emanating from a single phone?
***
[Shocking Scandal at Changqing Group!]
[Chairman Shen Zekai Approves Sale of 43 Strategic Ports to US Consortium BlackRock for 22.8 Billion Yuan!
Including several strategically vital locations at the heart of international trade, this move is accused of seriously jeopardizing national logistics and economic security!]
The bold red headline was like a nuclear bomb, unleashing an unprecedented storm in the business world and across the country!
The news caused a national uproar!
Major media outlets published strongly worded commentaries, directly accusing him of "being blinded by greed and disregarding national strategic security!"
While official media outlets didn't directly name names, they published a series of editorials condemning certain companies for being "profit-driven, lacking patriotism, and wavering in the face of vital national interests," emphasizing that "the development of any enterprise is inseparable from the support of the country, and in critical moments, it should share the fate of the nation!"
The criticism was directed at Changqing Group.
Public anger was ignited, and Changqing Group's stock price plummeted, instantly shattering investor confidence.
Its subsidiaries faced unprecedented and comprehensive boycotts, partners sought to distance themselves, and banks began significantly downgrading its credit risk.
Just as Jiangjin Group swiftly entered the fray, Changqing Group's deal, tantamount to shaking the very foundations of the nation, was exposed, immediately igniting a media frenzy.
Whether Jiangjin Group had secretly planted a dagger pointing at "treason" in the shadows, or whether Shen Zekai, blinded by greed, had dug his own grave, no one delved into the matter.
The undeniable fact was—the authorities had set the tone this time: to thoroughly condemn this "commercial traitor"!
Changqing Group, this time, had utterly lost both moral standing and public support!
As a result, Changqing Group, which had stubbornly resisted for so long, completely lost its will to fight back in the face of overwhelming public condemnation and market panic.
The iconic building that once symbolized Changqing Group's glory—'Changqing Tianxi'—ultimately, beset by internal and external troubles and a broken cash flow, signed a "sell-out contract," falling into the clutches of the covetous Fang Huan Investment like a sacrificed flesh to feed a tiger.
(My darlings, there's one more chapter today, I'll post it a little later.)