409: surrender?

Or did he want to come and enjoy the sight of their desperate misery? A surge of wicked fire shot straight to the top of Qin Zhenhua's head.

His face was ashen, and his teeth ground together audibly. Answer? Why should he answer this bastard's call? But... what if he didn't? Was he making a deathbed struggle, lacking even the courage to face his enemy one last time?

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, though his voice remained hoarse and filled with suppressed rage: "Connect it! Patch him through! I want to hear what kind of nonsense he's going to spew!"

He even resorted to crude language, showing just how agitated his emotions were.

The secretary nodded hurriedly and ran out to make the arrangements.

Soon, the indicator light on the speakerphone on the conference table lit up, followed by the faint static of a connected line.

"Hello? Chairman Qin? And Chairman Zhang, President Zhao, President Bai? You're all there, right? Hehe." A young, lazy voice, filled with undisguised smugness and mockery, came through the speaker. It was indeed Young Master Chen.

Young Master Chen's voice continued in a frivolous tone: "I heard you're still searching everywhere for a life-saving straw? You've been quite busy, haven't you? Making call after call? Well? Have you found anyone who can help you? Hmm?"

These words were like knives stabbing into everyone's hearts.

"Don't waste your energy." Young Master Chen's voice suddenly turned cold, carrying a tone of condescending charity. "In Dragon City, I have the final say. It's useless no matter who you look for. Lei Jun? He has no authority here. Why look for some crooked connections? In the face of absolute strength, it's all a joke."

He paused, seemingly enjoying the feeling of controlling others' fates, before revealing his true purpose: "I didn't call today to laugh at you. I'm giving you one last chance."

"A chance?" Qin Zhenhua squeezed the words through his gritted teeth, suppressing his fury.

"Yes, a chance," Young Master Chen said unhurriedly. "A chance to surrender. Right now, immediately, stop all futile resistance and accept the merger and acquisition proposal from our Tengda Technology. I can guarantee the acquisition price won't make you look too bad—of course, it's a far cry from your peak, but it's better than bankruptcy liquidation, where you get nothing and end up buried in debt, right?"

"And," his tone carried a hint of temptation, but even more humiliation, "considering you've all been around in Dragon City for so many years, if you're sensible and cooperate obediently with the handover, I can consider arranging some idle positions for you within the Chen Group after the merger. You can hold the title of consultant, collect a monthly salary, and retire peacefully. How about it? These terms are generous enough, aren't they? It's better than jumping off a building, isn't it?"

His final sentence carried blatant threat and contempt.

"I'll give you half an hour to consider. After half an hour, if I don't see your sincerity in raising the white flag... then don't blame me for being ruthless and crushing every last bit of your bones! By then, even if you want to jump off a building, you'll have to wait in line!" Having finished, Young Master Chen seemed to have no interest in hearing any rebuttal and hung up directly, leaving behind only a series of busy tones.

For several seconds after the call ended, the conference room was deathly silent. But soon, a suppressed, extreme rage erupted in everyone's chests like a volcanic eruption!

"Surrender?! To hell with surrendering!!" Zhang Long was the first to explode. He slammed his hand down and stood up, kicking over a nearby chair. His eyes were bloodshot like a thoroughly provoked trapped beast. "I'd rather let the company rot in my hands and jump off a building than bow my head to this bastard! A man can be killed, but not insulted!!"

Zhao Hu also opened his eyes, which burned with a rare fire and determination: "He wants to swallow us? And expects us to wag our tails and beg for food under him? In his dreams! This technology is our lifeblood; I'd rather destroy it than let a villain like him have it for cheap!"

Bai Zhantang was shaking with rage. Pointing toward the phone, his voice was shrill: "Who does he think he is! He thinks he's worthy of arranging jobs for us? A consultant? Ptu! I'd rather sweep the streets than take this kind of humiliation!"

Qin Yu also scrambled up from the floor. Although his face was still pale, a flame of anger had ignited in his eyes. Young Master Chen's words hadn't just insulted his elders; they had completely trampled on his dignity as a young man.

He clenched his fists tightly.

Qin Zhenhua's chest heaved violently. Young Master Chen's "invitation to surrender," filled with humiliation and charity, was like a loud slap across his face, snapping him out of his despair.

Yes, the company might be finished, but one's integrity cannot be lost!

If he surrendered on his knees like this, he would not only be failing his life's work but also the old brothers who had fought alongside him. He wouldn't even be able to rest in peace after death!

Moreover, the opponent was so arrogant; even if they surrendered, would there really be a good outcome? They would likely just be discarded like trash after every last bit of value was squeezed out!

A surge of blood, mixed with anger, humiliation, and the resolve to burn his bridges, rushed to his head.

Qin Zhenhua slammed the table hard. Facing the direction of the hung-up phone, he used all his strength to roar hoarsely: "Chen! You listen to me! Tianqiong Technology would rather be a broken jade than an intact tile! You want us to surrender? Not a chance! Bring on whatever tricks you have! We'll see it through to the end! You want to swallow us? Go dream your daydreams!!"

His roar echoed in the conference room, carrying a tragic sense of finality... Meanwhile, in the General Manager's office of Tengda Technology.

Young Master Chen had hung up the phone with the pleasant mood of a cat playing with a mouse, imagining how those old fogies at Tianqiong Technology would look in a panic after receiving his "ultimatum," eventually forced to submit piteously.

He had even begun calculating how to report his success to the family after taking over Tianqiong Technology's assets.

However, what he received was not a call of surrender, but a trembling report from his subordinate—over at Tianqiong Technology, Qin Zhenhua had not only refused but had also fired back with extremely strong and insulting language.

"What?! Rather be a broken jade than an intact tile? Seeing it through to the end?!" The smile on Young Master Chen's face froze instantly, then turned twisted and hideous. He could hardly believe his ears! Under his powerful offensive and "merciful" invitation to surrender, those stray dogs from the nearly bankrupt Tianqiong Technology actually dared to refuse him so stubbornly? They even dared to curse at him?

Clang! He slammed the solid gold lighter he was playing with onto the floor, and it deformed instantly.

Crash! He swept the expensive jade paperweight off his desk, shattering it to pieces.

"Bastards! Unappreciative dogs!!" He was fuming with rage, pacing back and forth in the office like a mad lion, kicking whatever he saw. Documents, pen holders, and decorations were scattered everywhere.

He came from a privileged background and had always had things his way. When had he ever endured such "ungrateful" defiance and insults?

Especially from those he viewed as fish on a chopping block!