Chapter 84: The Power of the Capital Consortium

The Shangjing Consortium abruptly announced the suspension of their cooperation.

For the Ye Family, this blow was nothing short of devastating. If the collaboration were to cease, the losses they would face would be immense. Moreover, the Shangjing Consortium declared that they would not entertain any negotiations, effectively forcing the Ye Family into an extremely passive position.

What was most striking was the sheer coincidence of the timing. Ye Tianlin had barely finished his words—less than a night had passed—when such a significant upheaval took place. It was impossible not to ponder the underlying causes.

“Could this really be because of Tianlin?”
“Back in the restaurant, did Tianlin actually tell us the truth?”
“Who else but that person could influence the Shangjing Consortium to make such a decision?”

The more Jiang Yingxia thought, the more she was shaken, exclaiming in disbelief. Zhao Shanhe, listening by her side, though unclear on what had happened earlier, could not help but feel a surge of unease from her reactions.

The Matriarch gripped the document tightly, her old face cast in shadow and disbelief as she stared at its contents. Yet she quickly regained her composure and shook her head, signaling, “It can’t be Ye Tianlin. I know better than anyone what that boy is capable of—there’s no way he could pull something like this off!”

“Then what do you think happened?” Jiang Yingxia asked.

The Matriarch gave a cold snort. “From where I stand, it’s likely that scoundrel Ye Tianlin went to the Shangjing Consortium himself, explained the situation, and secured their support—hoping to use this as leverage to undermine my authority in the Ye Family and drive me out early!”

At these words, Jiang Yingxia and Zhao Shanhe both paled in shock. If the Matriarch’s suspicion was correct, and Ye Tianlin had used the Shangjing Consortium’s power to threaten the family and force her hand, it would be a grave act of betrayal—one that, by the Ye Family’s rules, would see him cast out.

“Could it really be that serious?” Jiang Yingxia asked, her nerves fraying.

“Do you have a better explanation?” the Matriarch retorted. “Perhaps from the very beginning, the Shangjing Consortium had ulterior motives in establishing the Yunhai Chamber of Commerce!” With a furious motion, she tore the document to shreds.

Zhao Shanhe bowed deeply, pleading, “Please quell your anger, Matriarch. The young master acted on impulse—he never truly meant to defy you.”

“Isn’t the evidence plain to see?” the Matriarch thundered. “This ungrateful wretch is a disgrace to the Ye Family. If we do not respond firmly to this incident, things will only get worse. I’d like to see if the Shangjing Consortium can bear such losses themselves!”

Jiang Yingxia’s face drained of color—events were spiraling out of control.

“Matriarch, you mustn’t be rash. The Shangjing Consortium is powerful, and we have no idea what other forces might be concealed behind the scenes. If this escalates, the losses could be catastrophic!” Zhao Shanhe urged.

“So what?” the Matriarch fumed. “Am I to let the Ye Family be treated like a soft persimmon, ripe for squeezing? Sending such a notice is a direct slap in my face!” She raged, reaching for the phone to contact the capital.

But before her hand could touch the receiver, the phone rang.

She answered, and whatever was said on the other end left her expression ashen, her previously uncontainable fury doused as if with cold water. She sat in stunned silence as the call ended.

Sensing something was wrong, Jiang Yingxia asked carefully, “Matriarch, was that a call from the Ye Family’s contacts in the capital?”

“Could something else have gone wrong?” A sense of foreboding swept over Zhao Shanhe.

The Matriarch finally came to herself, her voice suffused with unprecedented resentment as she ground out, “Just moments ago, nearly half of the Ye Family’s overseas operations have been brought to a halt!”

“What?” Jiang Yingxia felt as if struck by lightning.

“How is that possible?” Zhao Shanhe was so shaken his legs nearly gave way.

Grinding her teeth, the Matriarch cursed, “I never imagined the Shangjing Consortium wielded such power—they’ve managed, through their connections, to freeze almost half of our overseas business overnight. This is nothing less than a show of strength against us!”

“Given the situation, we must be even more cautious. Otherwise, we’ll only end up harming ourselves,” Jiang Yingxia said, her face bloodless, fear creeping into her voice.

The Matriarch knew better than to act recklessly now. The Ye Family had truly become a soft persimmon, squeezed tight in the grip of the Shangjing Consortium, unable to move. No matter how furious she was, she had to swallow her rage, or risk irreparable damage.

Zhao Shanhe bowed again, his tone earnest. “Matriarch, if you hadn’t pushed the young master so far, he might never have resorted to leveraging the Consortium against the family. The breakthrough must lie with him—you should resolve things with the young master as soon as possible.”

“So, you mean to tell me, an elder, that I should admit fault to Ye Tianlin?” The Matriarch’s anger flared, and she nearly struck Zhao Shanhe with her cane.

Jiang Yingxia interjected urgently, “I agree with Zhao Shanhe. The matter is too grave—we must resolve it quickly!”

Zhao Shanhe pressed on, hands clasped in supplication. “Matriarch, now is the time to focus on the bigger picture. The collaboration with the Yunhai Chamber of Commerce hasn’t been completely halted yet, and there’s a business meeting tomorrow. The young master is sure to attend.”

“I—” The Matriarch was so furious her lips twisted.