Yang Yujiang rapped his index finger on the table a few times, drawing back everyone's attention until the hall fell instantly silent.

Having composed himself, he didn't start reprimanding them, but instead asked casually, "You've all heard about Wang Zhuo's new weight-loss drug, haven't you? What are your thoughts on it?"

"I know about that," Yang Jian spoke up first. "It might be a product that can't be underestimated, but it won't solve his immediate problems. It won't help with this acquisition attempt of his."

A young lady interjected with surprise, "It's just a diet pill? There are so many on the market..."

Mid-sentence, she was nudged sharply in the ribs by the elder next to her and wisely fell silent.

Yang Jian shook his head and explained, "The fact that he dares to launch the product in the US market first—offering free trials to ten thousand people—shows that this product has some genuinely unique qualities."

Seeing that he offered such an objective assessment that acknowledged the rival's strength, Yang Yujiang felt a slight softening of his mood. However, reflecting on how the Yang family, prosperous since the founding of the nation, had seen a decline in talent through the fourth generation, Yang Jian, he couldn't help but sigh internally.

The young lady who had flinched didn't speak again. But whether the somewhat overweight girl had secretly decided to try purchasing a dose of Wang Zhuo's new product was something only she knew.

"Does this Wang Zhuo even have the ability to borrow money from banks or friends?"

A cousin of Yang Jian asked this, more to himself than to the others, posing the very question occupying everyone's mind.

After a flurry of discussion, Yang Yujiang raised his hand in a placating gesture, gave a self-deprecating laugh, and said, "Have you ever considered what Wang Zhuo's true objective is in attempting to gain controlling shares in Tongyuan Nonferrous with such a massive move?"

Among those present, excluding Yang Jian and Yang Ru, no one—not even Yang Yujiang—knew that Liu Jieming had previously made a move against Wang Zhuo, attempting to end him, only for the plot to be exposed. This was a secret they absolutely had to keep buried. After all, Yang Yujiang wasn't their direct father, and if their involvement caused him to become profoundly disappointed in them and instead focus on cultivating his own maternal grandson, they would be left with endless regret.

So, when Yang Yujiang posed his question, Yang Jian and Yang Ru’s thoughts converged instantly on a single word: "Retaliation." But the others immediately considered a different angle: profit!

At the end of last year, the Kong family ceded their shares in the Taoyuan Copper Mine, marking a significant concession following the recent leadership reshuffle. After a dazzling redistribution of interests, this block of equity was ultimately divided into several pieces. Although this further solidified Wang Zhuo's controlling position, it brought him no immediate direct financial gain.

Now, with Wang Zhuo suddenly wading into the nonferrous metals industry, everyone suddenly connected the dots: Was he planning a strategic realignment in this sector, aiming to encroach upon the downstream processing chain following ore extraction?

While the Yang family fretted over Wang Zhuo's sudden offensive, the master strategist, Wang Advisor, who could plan a thousand miles ahead, was enjoying a leisurely existence.

His days were filled with reading books, fiddling with test tubes, exercising in the early morning, and walking his bird in the evening. His life was bathed in sunshine.

A tender offer for acquisition is time-bound. During the forty-five days of Wang Zhuo's offer, shareholders certainly wouldn't agree immediately at the outset; they would observe, and observe again, delaying their decision until the very last moment. Currently, Shengshi Wangchao claimed to hold only five percent of the shares, but only a fool would believe that figure was accurate. The real number was almost certainly higher, possibly reaching seven or eight percent, perhaps even ten.

Ten percent—that amounted to over eight billion. Truly a substantial undertaking.

Though the battlefield was the stock market, this was a clash between old and new powers. Yang Yujiang of the Yang family was already over sixty, having failed to advance further during the recent reshuffle; the hope for progress in the next cycle was extremely slim—in common parlance, he was "nearing the end." Qin Xue, however, was a rising star, vigorous and strong, and Wang Zhuo's push coincided precisely with Qin Xue's admission to hospital for treatment. The timing of this alignment was particularly telling.

This time, the Yang family dared not resort to underhanded schemes. On one hand, Wang Zhuo was employing an "open strategy," playing everything out in the open and following the rules. On the other, and more importantly, the Number One Leader had inspected Wang Zhuo’s Wangchao Wuliang at the end of last year and taken a warm photograph with him—a picture that might very well be hanging in Wang Zhuo's office right now. At such a sensitive time, even if the Yang family possessed the audacity of a bear, they wouldn't dare entertain any crooked ideas!

As February began, ten days had passed since the tender offer was issued. During this period, Wang Zhuo received several calls inquiring about the situation, all of which he deflected with the excuse of "industrial layout."

In reality, he mused internally, Industrial layout my foot. My true ambition lies among the stars and the ocean! No matter how much money the nonferrous industry generates, it's a traditional sector where my talents are wasted. Real prosperity lies in pursuing scientific research and conquering humanity's medical challenges. Becoming a history-making savior a few times would be a multi-faceted victory!

He conceded that the Taoyuan Copper Mine was indeed highly profitable, but after inventing the new weight-loss drug, his vision had expanded far beyond that. The mere lure of the Taoyuan Copper Mine no longer held his attention; its significance was now even less than that of the open-air hot springs at Taoyuan...

That day, he was instructing An Qi on playing snooker at An Guangjia's high-end private club. Boss An, who was personally accompanying them, stepped out to take a call and soon returned.

"This is quite interesting," An Guangjia said, his features typical of a Southerner—a face like a swollen walnut, fair-skinned and beardless, standing about 1.70 meters tall. He spoke cheerfully to Wang Zhuo, "A friend from our Wealth Club asked if you'd be interested in meeting with Yang Jian."

"Oh?" Wang Zhuo grinned slightly and asked with a smile, "What's the situation?"

"I don't know all the details myself. Ask him yourself," An Guangjia said, dialling a number on his phone and handing it to Wang Zhuo.

After speaking with the man named Chu Nan on the phone, Wang Zhuo understood the full story. It turned out that Yang Jian and Yang Ru had come to Jiangzhou. When they tried calling Wang Zhuo's mobile number, it wouldn't connect. They had resorted to contacting An Guangjia through Chu Nan, with whom they shared some connection, navigating winding paths until they finally reached Wang Zhuo.

Wang Zhuo naturally agreed immediately. Yang Jian was one thing, but Yang Ru's husband, Liu Jieming, was someone who had tried to harm him secretly, and Wang Zhuo had also crippled their biological brother—the upcoming meeting promised to be very interesting.

Seeing An Guangjia’s palpable interest, Wang Zhuo chuckled, "How about I have them come here?"

An Guangjia spread his hands generously, "Whatever you prefer. I don't mind."

In the world of business, one naturally considers home-field advantage. However, An Guangjia could tell that Wang Zhuo was overwhelmingly dominant and clearly didn't take the other party seriously; he hadn't even considered the question of home or away turf. Thus, An Guangjia accommodated Wang Zhuo's preference for convenience. Although An Guangjia was four years older than Wang Zhuo, in terms of seniority and strength, he couldn't claim seniority over Wang Zhuo. Furthermore, he was a snooker enthusiast, and Wang Zhuo’s skill on the table struck him as astonishingly brilliant. If only his own talent were greater, he would have already sought Wang Zhuo as his master.

With one call back, Chu Nan confirmed they would set off immediately, expected to arrive at the club in about an hour with Yang Jian and Yang Ru.

Hanging up, Wang Zhuo handed the phone back to An Guangjia and teased, "Jiangzhou is truly vast. It takes an hour's drive for an appointment within the same city."

An Guangjia smiled wryly, "You mean you think my club is too remote, don't you?"

Wang Zhuo shrugged, "I'm just eager to meet them."

Seeing him pick up his cue stick again, An Guangjia couldn't help but ask, "Don't you need to rest first?"

"Just the two younger members of the Yang family," Wang Zhuo smiled faintly and shook his head. "No need to prepare anything. They can come whenever, and I'll be ready whenever."

Giving a thumbs-up to this bold man, An Guangjia was sincerely impressed. Yang Jian was someone who could stride arrogantly even after coming to Jiangzhou from the capital; the Yang family possessed deep foundations and vast connections in both the military and political spheres. Yet this fellow didn't seem to care about any of that at all. Truly astonishing.

But a question still lingered in his mind: With so many lucrative ventures available, how deep could the feud be to compel this man to go to such lengths against the Yang family? Tongyuan Nonferrous was indeed a goldmine, but using commercial means to acquire it might be less efficient than starting a new venture from scratch. With Qin Xue's backing, securing an IPO for a new company would be a mere formality for Wang Zhuo.

What An Guangjia didn't know was that Wang Zhuo’s entire objective was to thoroughly annoy the Yang family, to settle scores with this old adversary. This revenge would simultaneously establish his authority to intimidate minor threats. He was determined to acquire the publicly listed Tongyuan Nonferrous, but he intended to sell it off soon after taking control.

Under the Yang family’s management, Tongyuan Nonferrous's profitability had been mediocre, yet it was fundamentally a publicly traded company raking in fortunes daily, simply because the Yang family were brazenly siphoning off the profits. There were so many shady dealings that even the factory workers, let alone someone of Wang Zhuo's caliber, were aware of what was happening.

Wang Zhuo's plan was simple, and correct. Once he secured controlling shares, he would swiftly sever all the parasitic Yang family assets attached to the company, allowing it to regain vitality. Then, with a dazzling financial report, the stock price would soar, ensuring massive returns upon resale!

As for figuring out this maneuver, quite a few people might have conceived of it. But to dare to think it, dare to execute it, and possess the ability to achieve it—counting across the entire globe, there was only Wang Zhuo.

Half an hour later, the instructional game concluded. An Qi’s skill had returned to its pre-illness level, greatly satisfying Wang Zhuo.

An Guangjia arranged a guest room for the two to rest and accompanied them throughout, completely unaware that Wang Zhuo genuinely hadn't taken the Yang siblings seriously. Calculating that they still had nearly half an hour before arrival, it was enough time for master and disciple to have a private conversation and spend some affectionate time together.

Alas, Boss An and Young Master An, usually perceptive in reading social cues, ended up acting as a blindingly bright 200-watt light bulb, illuminating the entire room. The young girl’s plan to give her master a massage was thus thoroughly ruined!