Chapter 97: Lambs to the Slaughter (Part 2)

Words : 979 Updated : Sep 28th, 2025

The ruthless boss’s face trembled with anger; his store, combined with the property, was worth at least three million. Adding the employees and the goods on hand, even a fire-sale price would command six hundred thousand. Even in unfavorable market conditions, a total of five million would still be needed. The quiet calm of the cafe was shattered, and amidst the ongoing piano music, many patrons turned their attention toward this scene. The waiter looked distressedly at Su Ziceng’s table, unsure whether to intervene. "Your body is full of fat; just starving could tide you over for a while. I wonder if your family could survive it," Su Ziceng said nonchalantly, ignoring the visible rage about to erupt from him, and sipped on his soda water, relishing its coolness: "It’s easy to switch from frugality to luxury, but difficult the other way around. This is something even a second-generation rich kid like me understands." The ruthless boss was stunned. His available cash was indeed not much after paying off various debts, and what was left for his family wasn’t substantial. Moreover, his lawsuit was still unresolved, and he had to be cautious... This situation seemed oddly familiar. Su Ziceng smirked, recalling before his rebirth how he dealt with Hang Yishao’s women, encountering reactions similar to the ruthless boss’s current one: initial outright rejection followed by hesitation and eventual decisiveness. "That won’t do; the price is too low." The boss’s eyes were filled with uncompromising resolve. "Let’s settle all assets and debts," Su Ziceng carefully uttered this term that he learned from a finance class, gaining useful knowledge through immersion. The ruthless boss swallowed nervously and began to sweat. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "Settling all" was not the same as "clearing all"; it meant that the one million would be net money, and she would take care of repaying all debts owed by the wine shop, including liquor procurement and staff salaries. In the mind of the ruthless boss, numbers rapidly danced; a rough estimate brought the shop’s value to about two and a half million already. The "Turkish March" reached its climax, with the pianist’s hands rapidly hitting the black and white keys densely like hailstones, beating down on people’s nerves, seemingly urging the ruthless boss to make a decision quickly. "It’s still too low," the ruthless boss fixated on Su Ziceng, a novice in business; she shouldn’t be calling such exorbitant prices, he had to regain the upper hand. "I’m not hiding from you, Miss Su. The Fei Family had contacted me a few days ago; their offer was three million, which I rejected. The land of the Wine Shop appreciates every year. It has doubled in the past ten years." He regretted not negotiating back and forth with the Fei family, perhaps having reached around four million then, unaware of how difficult business would be. Su Ziceng remembered a woman who had quoted the highest price to her before, also "three million"; how had she dealt with her then? The straw was pulled out; temptations only truly work when supplemented by threats. "I offer four million," Su Ziceng said. As the words had barely left her lips, the greedy facade of the ruthless boss was exposed without disguise. "But the cash amount remains one million," Su Ziceng, like a dodgeball, seemingly dodged away, only to turn around and deliver a critical blow. The facial expression of the ruthless boss fluctuated, and, unknowingly, he fell into the net cast by Su Ziceng. "On the basis of settling all assets and debts, I’m buying your freedom." This was Su Ziceng’s most crucial chip today. The money she had was just over a million; offers from Sister Mu and Shang Qing were still bounced checks, so she had very limited funds to use, which is why she insisted on sticking with one million. The piano music slowly subsided, following the climax, and gradually steadied. Good friends and intimate couples, the cafe restored its initial calm. "Freedom?" The ruthless boss looked incredulously at Su Ziceng; if he remembered correctly, the young lady of the Su Family was still not twenty this year. How could he believe that she could spare him from prison? What the ruthless boss worried about at the moment was not the sale of the wine shop; he was most concerned about the unresolved lawsuit. He had also approached the government officials, and each one of them was evasive, giving no clear answers. "Will Mr. Su personally intervene?" The ruthless boss thought of the powerful Buddha behind Su Ziceng; if Su Qingzhang was willing to intervene, with his good relations with the government, it could allow him to escape this disaster. "My father will not interfere in any of my matters," Su Ziceng said, shaking her head. "..." The ruthless boss was silent as well, doubting that without Su Qingzhang’s help, Su Ziceng would have enough connections to resolve this difficult situation. "After the transfer of ownership, the Wine Shop will not be associated with the Su Family in any way." Su Ziceng was well-prepared; having neither fame nor authority, it was no wonder the ruthless boss was unwilling to believe she had the capability. But she didn’t have the capability to resolve this matter by herself. "However, one of the major shareholders of the Wine Shop, Mr. Shang Yin, has the capability." Su Ziceng dropped this statement, then watched the ruthless boss without further prompting. "Shang Yin?" The reclusive rising star of Mo City, the ruthless boss, was speechless for a long while. As the piece ended, Su Ziceng, sitting opposite him, began clapping, signaling the pianist’s impressive skills. "It is indeed extraordinary," sighed the ruthless boss. Su Ziceng had used the technique of boiling a frog in warm water, shaking his final line of mental defense. "Miss Su, you win."

Chapter 97: Lambs to the Slaughter (Part 2)

Comments (0)