CHAPTER 72: CHAPTER 72; PRESIDENT SHEN...

"Yes, President Shen."

As the directors rose, bowing with hushed relief, Shen Xiao stood, buttoning his jacket once more. His tall frame cast a long, imposing shadow across the gleaming table.

Without another glance at any of them, he turned and strode out of the boardroom, the silence he left behind oppressive and absolute.

Outside the boardroom, his polished leather shoes clicked sharply against the glossy marble floors as he walked down the executive corridor.

The tall glass windows lining the hallway flooded the space with brilliant daylight, illuminating his cold, chiseled features and the faint shadows under his eyes.

Assistants standing along the corridor bowed quickly as he passed, their voices low and hurried.

"Good morning, President Shen."

"Your eleven o’clock has been rescheduled to.....

"Send the contracts to Xu Min," he cut in curtly, his tone flat and final.

"Yes, sir."

He didn’t slow his pace as he reached his private office at the far end of the corridor.

The frosted glass doors parted silently under his biometric scan, revealing the vast minimalist space within, a sleek dark mahogany, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the sprawling cityscape, and the faint scent of dark roast coffee lingering in the still air.

He walked straight to his desk, setting down his tablet and phone before shrugging off his charcoal suit jacket. The tailored fabric whispered softly as he draped it neatly over the leather chair behind him.

For a moment, he stood by the window, staring down at the bustling city streets far below. His dark eyes were unreadable, glinting faintly under the pale morning sun. Cars streamed like silver ants along the highways, unaware of the silent, coiled fury watching from above.

His fingers curled slowly into fists at his sides.

Trapped.

The thought pulsed through his mind like a blade pressed against bone. No matter how much power he amassed, no matter how vast his reach grew, that room remained locked, an impenetrable fortress that neither his influence nor his desperation could breach.

His phone vibrated against the mahogany desk.

"President Shen," Xu Min’s composed voice came through. "Director Fan is here."

"Send him in."

He turned away from the window, his tall frame calm and still as the office door opened to reveal Director Fan stepping in with cautious reverence.

"President Shen," Director Fan bowed quickly, clutching his folder to his chest. "You called for me."

Shen Xiao remained silent for a long moment, his obsidian gaze pinning the man in place like a blade pressed against his throat.

Finally, he moved to his chair, sitting down with unhurried grace as he gestured for Director Fan to approach.

"We will acquire their patents within the month," Shen Xiao said quietly, his voice cold and measured. "If you fail to deliver the necessary leverage or compliance, prepare your resignation letter and submit it alongside your final report."

Director Fan’s throat bobbed as he swallowed. "Understood, President Shen."

"Leave."

"Yes, sir."

As the door clicked shut behind the trembling director, silence filled the office once more.

Shen Xiao leaned back in his chair, pressing his long fingers against his temples as a pounding headache bloomed behind his eyes.

Beyond the glass walls, the sun blazed brilliantly across the city skyline. But within him, darkness churned relentlessly, growing heavier with each passing second.

He exhaled slowly, his gaze fixed on the golden horizon.

Hold on, he thought, his chest tightening painfully. Just... hold on a little longer. He was capable of finding solutions.