Chapter 145: A Crazy Decision

Chapter 145: A Crazy Decision

"According to just-received reports, a serious accident occurred a mere ten minutes ago at the Space Building, our city's new landmark structure currently under construction. The newly completed top floor collapsed, claiming the lives of two workers and leaving more than a dozen injured. Let us immediately cross live to our field reporter for the latest updates."

The television screen cut to the construction site of the Space Building. Several ambulances were parked at the scene, and smoke could still be seen billowing from the recently collapsed top floor. A reporter wearing a hard hat was delivering a live broadcast.

"Hello, viewers and friends. Behind me stands the Space Building, hailed as our city's new landmark. This edifice, constructed by the Yinlong Real Estate Development Co., Ltd.—a subsidiary of our city's Yinlong Group—was set to break several local records upon completion: the highest investment, the tallest architectural height, and the most advanced design concepts, to name a few. Yet, this building filled with such high expectations has just suffered a collapse, resulting in the grave consequences of two deaths and fourteen injuries. Based on an analysis of the situation on the ground, it was likely caused by the use of substandard construction materials. Relevant authorities have stated that a thorough investigation will be conducted to the end, and regardless of who the responsible party may be, they will be punished according to the law. Reporting from the scene, this is Jiang Wei."

It was a bolt from the blue, no less devastating than a sudden earthquake. For Yinlong, the Space Building was practically a frail skiff carrying all its hopes, having just weathered a conspiracy in the stock market only to be struck again by an unexpected catastrophe.

"You stay here, I'll go take a look." Chu Dong had no time for further words; he simply told Tan Xue and rushed out.

"Hey, wait for me!" Tan Xue turned back to tell George, "You guys go ahead and play; I'm going with Brother Dong too."

Watching his boss and boss's wife vanish like the wind, George clicked his tongue in astonishment, "They really are a family; neither of them lacks speed."

Just as Chu Dong reached downstairs and before he even got into the car, he saw Tan Xue chasing after him in high heels. He stopped to wait for her. "What are you doing here? Go back, I can handle it."

"I... I'm worried." Tan Xue was still carrying her down jacket, her face flushed from running. The moment she stopped, the biting cold hit her, and her body shivered.

"Put your coat on." Chu Dong took the jacket from her hand and draped it over her shoulders. "Get in the car, or you'll catch a cold."

"Okay," Tan Xue readily agreed, bounding happily over to the passenger side, opening the door, and slipping inside, her pretty face beaming with happiness.

By the time Chu Dong arrived, warning tape had already been cordoned off around the Space Building, though a considerable crowd still lingered at the perimeter. Dozens of police officers were maintaining order at the scene, while rescue teams continued to search for any other potential casualties.

Upon making inquiries, he learned that the senior management of Yinlong Real Estate Development Company had been "invited away for tea," and even the person in charge of on-site construction had not been spared. Personnel from the supervision company had also been taken into custody. Not a single person was left behind who could clearly explain what had happened.

Remaining outside the police line, Chu Dong gazed from a distance at the nearly completed Space Building. The fan-shaped body of the building was fully visible; aside from the topmost floor, the rest was completely intact, yet the piles of shattered concrete scattered everywhere told a wordless tale.

Chu Dong picked up a piece of cement from the ground and crushed it into powder with a slight exertion of force. This was a textbook example of a shoddy, jerry-built project.

"Was this entire building constructed by our own construction crew?" Chu Dong turned his head to ask Tan Xue, who was linked to his arm. He hadn't been there very long, and moreover, he had been constantly preoccupied with the overall macro and micro aspects of the Yinlong Group. The investment and related matters for the Space Building had been settled long ago; as long as the funding was secure, there was no need for him to worry excessively. Consequently, this was his first time seeing the Space Building up close.

"It should be. These projects are handled by the subsidiaries, so I'm not sure either," Tan Xue said, feeling a bit frightened when she noticed dried blood still on the ground.

"Let's go back. It will all be sorted out." Although Chu Dong hadn't gone up to the building, he could roughly tell that the trouble was confined to the top floor, while the rest of the structure should not have any major issues. With the scope narrowed down, it would be easier to investigate, and once they figured out whose fault it was, the truth would soon come to light. Even so, the reputation of the Space Building was now ruined, and it might well turn into an unfinished eyesore. Yet, this was no time to dwell on such matters—resolving the immediate crisis was paramount.

Wang Dongliang watched as Yinlong's stock plummeted immediately following the broadcast of the news, barely stabilizing at ten yuan, leaving him with a mountain of unvented fury. Even at nine-and-a-half yuan, it had not reached Yinlong's danger threshold. Had it not been for the miscalculation by Luke Hans, causing him to deploy this tactical move earlier, Yinlong would have already collapsed by now.

"Useless trash," he cursed bitterly, then rose to leave, abandoning Luke Hans, who sat with his lips tightly pressed together in absolute silence.

Acting swiftly, Wang Dongliang mobilized several banks within a short span of time to call in their loans from Yinlong. He knew that Yinlong currently had no liquid cash on hand, and with the accident at the Space Building, the banks demanding loan repayments was a matter of course. Once the banks initiated calls for repayment and Yinlong found itself unable to settle the debts, that news leaking out would inevitably deliver a fatal blow to Yinlong's stock market performance. It was only natural for the general public to dump the shares of a disgraced company. In this way, Chu Dong would undoubtedly be driven to a dead end.

Sure enough, just as Chu Dong was driving Tan Xue back to the company, she received six or seven phone calls from various banks. Without exception, the content of every call began by inquiring about the incident at the Space Building, and even when Tan Xue promised to give them a reply as soon as possible, they all went on to mention the imminent collection of overdue loans.

After managing to dismiss the callers, Tan Xue simply turned off her phone.

"Turn it on," Chu Dong said concisely, his mind racing at top speed.

"No. They're all just coming after money, and I don't have any to give them. They're all petty villains kicking a man when he's down." Tan Xue stubbornly refused to comply.

"Listen to me, turn it on. Tell the banks to come to the company tomorrow; I will meet them personally." Chu Dong quickly adjusted his state of mind, concentrating fully on driving.

"What are you going to do?" Tan Xue had no idea what his plan was.

"Just trust me, I'll explain when we get back." Chu Dong sounded somewhat urgent.

"Oh." Seeing him frown, Tan Xue stopped asking questions. She powered on her phone, replied to the incoming calls exactly as Chu Dong had instructed, and subsequently called back each of the banks that had previously tried to reach her, relaying the message one by one.

Yinlong was, after all, a veteran enterprise; even when faced with a crisis, it did not descend into complete panic. Routine operations continued in an orderly fashion.

Personnel were quickly dispatched to investigate the cause of the Space Building accident in an effort to produce a factual accident investigation report.

News came back swiftly, and Chu Dong immediately took the report to analyze it.

The cause of the accident was the use of low-grade cement. Furthermore, the concrete had exceeded the mandatory time limit for application after mixing, severely aggravating the quality issues. The on-site construction crew had been contracted by Yinlong Real Estate Development Co., Ltd. to a subcontractor nicknamed "Fatty Lao," and this person had already vanished. The workers who became casualties belonged to his crew. The building materials were managed directly by the Yinlong Construction Company; according to the warehouse entry and exit logs, the cement used at the site definitely did not originate from Yinlong's inventory—it had been swapped. All evidence pointed to the fact that the accident was caused by the construction contractor cutting corners. However, the suspicious part was that apart from the topmost floor, all other sections met the required standards without any similar anomalies. In other words, Fatty Lao had only tampered with the very final stage.

This meant the incident was definitely not as surface-level as Fatty Lao simply cutting corners to pocket some illicit profits. Yinlong's budget had been entirely adequate; even with the goal of securing the construction payments, Fatty Lao would never have taken such a reckless risk.

Thus, the question arose: what drove him to abandon the money he was about to receive and choose such a desperate gamble? Could someone have offered him an even greater benefit?

Chu Dong gripped the materials Xie Yaomei had handed him, crushing them into a ball in his hand.

Though Tan Xue hadn't seen the contents of the documents, she could tell from Chu Dong's expression that something was gravely wrong. Choosing not to disturb him, she quietly poured a cup of water and placed it before him. "Brother Dong, don't be angry. It will be resolved."

"Mn." Chu Dong had not exactly led a life untouched by bloodshed, but this was the first time he had witnessed innocent lives snuffed out. He inevitably lost his composure for a moment, only regaining his calm upon hearing Tan Xue's voice.

"Xiaoxue, summon the reporters. I'm going to hold a press conference."

"Alright. I'll see to it immediately." Without asking a single question, Tan Xue went off to execute his instructions.

As the workday drew to a close, the lobby of the Yinlong Group was packed to capacity with reporters. Microphones of all shapes and sizes were thrust toward Chu Dong. Dispensing with any question-and-answer segment, Chu Dong went straight to making his announcement.

"I know many of you have numerous questions, but please allow me to forgo excessive explanations. I have called this press conference today to announce three matters. First, the accident at the Space Building constructed by Yinlong is a matter of public knowledge. Until the incident is thoroughly investigated, Yinlong will assume full responsibility for all injured individuals and the families of the deceased. Second, tomorrow Yinlong will discuss debt repayment matters with the banks; we will not cause any financial losses to the banks due to management errors on the part of this company, and we pledge to refrain from taking out any further loans from the relevant banks. Third, all shareholders holding Yinlong shares may exchange them for cash at Yinlong after fifteen working days. The unit price per share will be calculated based on Yinlong's recent average stock price—not the highest or lowest—to ensure the rights and interests of shareholders are protected to the maximum extent possible. Finally, on behalf of Yinlong, I declare once again that even if Yinlong were to face an unforeseeable catastrophe, the aforementioned commitments shall forever remain valid. Thank you all."

With that, Chu Dong turned and stepped into the elevator amidst a flurry of camera flashes, returning to his office and leaving behind a stunned crowd.

"Boss, you've gone mad. You've completely lost your mind." George stared at Chu Dong in disbelief. Seeing no reaction, he turned to Tan Xue and said, "Boss's wife, you should talk some sense into the boss. A decision like this is sheer insanity. I've never seen anyone make a choice like this under these circumstances. To use a Chinese idiom, it's like an old god playing at hanging himself—he's simply tired of living."

Tan Xue's eyes were now filled with sheer adoration. She didn't care whether the company lived or died; all she could see was Chu Dong's unshakable composure even if Mount Tai were to collapse before him, alongside the magnificent magnanimity with which he had made those promises. Her large eyes were brimming with awe, deep affection, concern, and intoxication. "I think Brother Dong did nothing wrong. Anyone running even a small business knows the value of honest trading and fair dealing without deceiving young or old. Why shouldn't we hold ourselves to that standard? Even if I might not be as decisive as Brother Dong, if I had to choose, I would rather stand by Brother Dong. Brother Dong, I support you."

"The boss's wife has gone mad too," George groaned as if in physical pain.