When Wong Liqing spoke, he instantly drew everyone's attention.

"What is it?" Wong Qifu asked.

"Don't you think you owe us an explanation?" Wong Liqing said.

"I can give you one. My explanation is the same report I just delivered," Wong Qifu stated directly. "For the company's reputation, the gains from denying my relationship with Xu Ke are far outweighed by simply refuting the rumors at a press conference. Between refuting rumors and clarifying the situation, it's obvious which one will generate more buzz. I don't want to be a celebrity, but if I can generate a massive amount of discussion for the Wang Family Corporation, I don't mind making headlines for a few days. Are you satisfied?"

Wong Liqing gritted his teeth. "But this is the corporation's..."

"Don't start with me about the corporation's resources. I'm sick of hearing it." Wong Qifu had already guessed what Wong Liqing was about to say.

"Fine..." Wong Liqing took a deep breath and looked toward Xu Ke. "In that case, I want to make a bet with you."

Upon hearing this, a flicker of surprise appeared in Wong Qifu's eyes. Wong Liqing actually agreed? Then she glanced at Wang Tianlu, her eyes flashing for a moment.

"What's the bet?" Xu Ke asked, a look of keen interest on his face.

Wong Liqing said coldly, "Prove to me that you really contributed one billion. If you can't, you'll compensate me and get on your knees to apologize! I know the Wang Family can't shake you off like a sticky plaster, but as your elder, I must teach you what it means to respect your seniors! The Wang Family can't have a son-in-law as ill-mannered as you."

Nearby, a barely perceptible, sinister smile crossed Wang Tianlu's face. He had promised Wong Liqing certain benefits last night. While it wasn't enough to make him switch sides completely, the offer had clearly had an effect. Previously, if Wong Liqing had wanted to put Xu Ke in his place, he would have done it privately, intercepting him at a place like the Wangjiang Hotel, and he would have specifically chosen a time when Wong Qifu wasn't around.

But now, Wong Liqing was openly demanding that Xu Ke kneel right in front of Wong Qifu, which was an indirect challenge to her authority. In their eyes, Xu Ke was a dog, and Wong Qifu was his owner. It seemed like he was demanding Xu Ke kneel, but in reality, he was slapping Wong Qifu in the face. He could also use this incident to slowly chip away at Wong Qifu's unshakable prestige within the Wang Family Corporation. After all, how much trust could a chairwoman who chose the wrong husband command on the board?

Xu Ke, however, just watched Wong Liqing quietly, not saying a word.

"Do you accept or not?" Wong Liqing pressed, seeing Xu Ke's silence.

But Xu Ke remained quiet.

The atmosphere in the room grew tense. Everyone looked on with contempt. So, Xu Ke was just posturing after all. Now that Wong Liqing has proposed the bet, shouldn't he have accepted immediately if he really did make a one-billion-dollar contribution? But he didn't. That can only mean one thing: he's scared. And being scared means he was bluffing from the very beginning.

Seeing Xu Ke's silence, Wong Liqing sneered, "What? You were running your mouth so fiercely just now, but you don't dare accept the bet?"

Xu Ke suddenly spoke. "If I lose, I kneel. What about you if you lose?"

Wong Liqing's eyebrow twitched. "I'll resign from the board of directors. Isn't that what you want?" Leaving the board would be embarrassing, but with Wang Yu's support, he wouldn't lose much in terms of tangible benefits even if he lost the bet.

"I don't want that anymore," Xu Ke said calmly.

Wong Liqing frowned, a strange premonition rising within him. "What do you want?"

"I want you to kneel and apologize to my parents." Xu Ke's gaze was ice-cold as he stared at Wong Liqing. The moment he heard Wong Liqing mention respect for one's elders and proper manners, his mind was flooded with images of that night at the Wangjiang Hotel.

As his words fell, the expression on every person's face in the conference room changed.

"What did you say? You want me to kneel to two pig farmers?!" Fury erupted on Wong Liqing's face. Is Xu Ke humiliating me? Kneel to pig farmers? Impossible! Not in this lifetime!

The boardroom erupted into an uproar. A distinguished member of the Wang Family, kneeling to a pretty boy's parents? Xu Ke isn't just insulting Wong Liqing; he's insulting the entire Wang Family!

At that moment, Zhan Yunning stepped forward and whispered to Wong Qifu, "Director Wang, isn't this going too far?" She was filled with resentment toward Xu Ke. His demand would undoubtedly fill the other directors with disgust, and the scene would only grow more chaotic.

But Wong Qifu simply gave her a cool glance without a word. Zhan Yunning's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly retreated.

Wong Liqing was deeply provoked. Being compared to pig farmers by Xu Ke at a board meeting was an unbearable blow to his pride. If word of this got out, how could he ever show his face again?

He immediately burst out in rage, "You want me to kneel and apologize to your pig-farming parents? Even if you signed a deal that brought the corporation one hundred billion in profit, I would never do it in this lifetime! Impossible! Xu Ke, recognize your own status! Don't think for a second that just because you can make a bet with me, you're living in the same world as us. The very air we breathe is different from that of people like you!"

As he finished speaking, many of the directors nodded in agreement. The air they breathed was indeed different from that of lower-class people like Xu Ke.

And in Xu Ke's eyes, the iciness had already condensed into killing intent.

But just then...

CREAK.

The door to the conference room swung open.

An abrupt voice sounded from outside. "Sorry to interrupt."

Everyone was stunned. Who would dare to barge in during their meeting?

They turned to look. A panic-stricken Wang Family Corporation employee stood trembling. "S-Sorry..." He hadn't been able to stop the person from entering.

Beside the employee stood a man nearly two meters tall with a cold expression. When they saw the man's face, everyone's expression changed drastically.

Yuan Shang! The Vice Leader of the Martial Alliance!

The enraged Wong Liqing froze. Why is Yuan Shang here?

Wong Qifu instinctively looked at Xu Ke. Only Xu Ke had been in contact with Yuan Shang that morning; his presence here was almost certainly related to him. To her surprise, however, Xu Ke looked just as astonished as she was.

Seeing this, Wong Qifu immediately walked over. "Vice Alliance Leader Yuan, what brings you here so unexpectedly?"

"Director Wang, my apologies," Yuan Shang said, his words apologetic but his expression icy. "I'm sorry for interrupting your meeting. However, I could hear everything from the stairwell as I came up, so I assume it wasn't anything confidential, right?"

Seeing Yuan Shang's murderous demeanor, all the directors felt a sense of dread. Could he have come to the Wang Family Corporation to cause trouble?

"Rest assured, if this were a confidential meeting, it wouldn't be held here," Wong Qifu said with a smile.

At this time, Wang Tianlu also quickly stood up. "Come, Vice Alliance Leader Yuan has graced us with his presence. Let's all welcome him to guide our corporation's work." At his words, the others prepared to applaud.

Yuan Shang immediately held up a hand. "I just have a couple of things to say. There's no need for that."

Wang Tianlu frowned at the dismissal. Even if he's the Martial Alliance Vice Leader, does he have to be so discourteous? Does he really think he can barge into our meeting room without any consequences?

But Yuan Shang turned to look directly at Wong Liqing. "Wong Liqing, may I ask you a question?"

Everyone was taken aback. So he came here to question him?

Wong Liqing hurriedly replied, "Yes, of course. Please, ask away."

"Why don't you explain to me," Yuan Shang said, his eyes cold as he stared at Wong Liqing, "what the hell is so different about the air you breathe?"

Wong Liqing's face changed drastically.

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