Chapter 147 - 146: Construction Site Inspection

Yang Tao couldn’t just brush it off like Yang Kui did. After all, Lin Aoxue was Ye Xuan’s ex-wife. If Yang Tian married Lin Aoxue, how awkward would it be for the four of them? He had to find a way to ruin this arrangement.

For the next period of time, Yang Bingyu was spinning like a top. As soon as Yang Zhennan’s funeral concluded, all the company’s affairs crashed down on her shoulders. She began working from dawn to dusk.

White Snake had been dispatched by Ye Xuan to investigate Butterfly, leaving the rest of their men with Lin Aoxue. Yang Bingyu’s safety now fell entirely on Ye Xuan’s shoulders.

However, their relationship seemed to have dropped to freezing. Ever since Yang Bingyu’s manic episode where she blurted out those words, she had been actively avoiding Ye Xuan. Aside from essential matters, they had zero interaction. Ye Xuan had no idea what to do with her, so they remained in this stalemate.

To establish a strong professional image, Yang Bingyu was working herself to the bone. She personally reviewed almost every company matter, no matter how trivial, and even insisted on inspecting the construction sites herself.

When Yang Zhennan was still alive, he had purchased a plot of land in Yuexi Bay at the southern port. He had planned to develop it into a trendy beach and water park tourist attraction. Due to his severe illness, the project had been temporarily shelved. Now that she had taken over the company, she restarted the project.

Today, she took her secretary and the developers’ design team to inspect the site. Yet, the moment she arrived, the site manager gave her a hostile reception.

"Oh, what wind blew our Miss Yang the Elder here today? Can a delicate girl like you really handle the hardships of a construction site?"

A man in a suit, wearing a hard hat and holding a briefcase, looked at Yang Bingyu and spoke with a sarcastic sneer.

Ye Xuan vaguely recognized him. This was Liu Maohua, the son of Yang Bingyu’s eldest aunt. To put it nicely, he was the site manager; in reality, he was just a glorified foreman. However, due to his family ties with the Yang Family, developers and executives in Jianghai City generally gave him some leeway. Back when Yang Zhennan was still around, Liu Maohua had constantly thrown his weight around using his status as Yang Zhennan’s grandson. He even boasted that he would get a share of the Yang Family’s estate, claiming to be a young master of the family.

Yang Zhennan had never been fond of his idle grandson, but for the sake of his daughter, he had appointed him as a site manager for the Yang Group. All construction-related projects of the Yang Group were handed over to him. Though the work was demanding, the income was substantial, pulling in tens of millions a year.

But while Liu Maohua lacked ability, he had plenty of ambition. He was always scheming to enter the core of the Yang Group, hoping to land a title like Vice President. When Yang Zhennan drew up his will, Liu Maohua held onto the pipe dream that his grandfather would leave him at least a few shares. To his dismay, Yang Zhennan didn’t give him a single share. Instead, he transferred a full twenty percent to Yang Bingyu. This left Liu Maohua incredibly dissatisfied, breeding a deep resentment toward Yang Bingyu.

"Cousin, as the company president, inspections are still necessary." Yang Bingyu was naturally aware of Liu Maohua’s intentions. Still, with so many employees present, she had to maintain professional decorum. Otherwise, if people with ulterior motives saw this, who knew what scandalous gossip would spread?

"Heh, calling me ’cousin’ out of nowhere is ridiculous. We don’t even share blood. You’re just an adopted daughter who takes herself way too seriously."

Unfortunately, while Yang Bingyu considered the Yang Family’s reputation, Liu Maohua did not. Right now, he was eager to blow things out of proportion to drag Yang Bingyu into another public relations crisis. That way, he and his allies could seize the opportunity to strip away all the inheritance Yang Zhennan had left her.

Hearing this, Ye Xuan quietly cast a glance at Liu Maohua. This man was obviously trying to stir up trouble.

"Bingyu, let’s take a walk around the site," Ye Xuan said. Not wanting to engage with Liu Maohua, Ye Xuan took Yang Bingyu’s arm, preparing to leave. The best way to deal with people deliberately picking fights was to ignore them.

"Hold on! Can’t you see I’m talking to her? You’re just a live-in son-in-law. What right do you have to interrupt?" Liu Maohua wasn’t about to let Yang Bingyu off the hook so easily. He blocked their path, his stance aggressively overbearing. He genuinely had no respect for Yang Bingyu. He didn’t even bother acknowledging her as family anymore, opting to use her full name.

Ye Xuan frowned and looked at him. "It’s working hours. If you have personal grievances, save them for after work. Right now, business comes first."

The workers on-site were already staring in their direction. Continuing this confrontation would only complicate matters. The Yang Family already had enough on their plate; minimizing trouble was the priority.

"Yang Bingyu? Where is Yang Bingyu? Get the hell out here! A life for a life! The Yang Group must give us an answer today!"

Suddenly, a gruff male voice reached Ye Xuan’s ears. Immediately after, a dozen men and women barged through the main gate of the construction site. Yang Bingyu froze, looking at the group in total bewilderment.

"Which one is Yang Bingyu? Tell her to get out here! Your Yang Group killed my older brother, and you think fifty thousand bucks can settle it?

"Are you paying off beggars? Are you trying to bully us working folks?

"Get out here, Yang Bingyu! A life for a life! You must give us an explanation today!"

Amidst the chorus of furious shouts, Ye Xuan listened closely and soon pieced together the cause of the uproar. Sometime earlier, a worker had accidentally fallen to his death on the site. It had been a massive incident at the time, and the victim’s family had protested fiercely. When Yang Zhennan fell ill shortly after, the matter was gradually suppressed. Ye Xuan didn’t know the exact details of how it had been handled.

It had been about a month since then. Why were these people causing a scene again now?

Frowning, Ye Xuan scanned the area and noticed Liu Maohua hiding off to the side, snickering. His eyes narrowed as the truth clicked into place. The worker had died on Liu Maohua’s site, meaning the task of appeasing the family should have fallen to him. Liu Maohua had likely used heavy-handed tactics to forcibly suppress the scandal at the time. When he could no longer keep a lid on it, he simply dumped the blame on Yang Bingyu. Not only did this serve as a vicious show of dominance, but it also let him pass the buck to someone else.

Furthermore, he was probably the one who leaked the news of Yang Bingyu’s site inspection today. Otherwise, it couldn’t have been such a coincidence that these people arrived shortly after she did.

"I am Yang Bingyu. What can I do for you?"

Before Ye Xuan could share his suspicions with her, she foolishly stepped forward and revealed her identity. Ye Xuan couldn’t stop her in time. Hearing her words, the rioting family members immediately flew into a frenzy. They began hurling objects and screaming insults at her.

"You bitch! Give me my brother back! You murderer!"

"Oh, my son! Mother has finally found someone from the Yang Family! I will definitely avenge you today!"