[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-national-guardian-s-gone-and-we-re-done":3,"chapter-national-guardian-s-gone-and-we-re-done-national-guardian-s-gone-and-we-re-done-chapter-10":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","National Guardian's Gone and We're Done",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1743776,2228,"Chapter 10: Without Chu He, You Are Nothing","national-guardian-s-gone-and-we-re-done-chapter-10",10,"\u003Cp>The Shuling Company Building soared into the clouds. Its fifty stories gleamed in the sunlight, like a steel giant in the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But inside the spacious and bright top-floor office, the atmosphere was unusually tense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man in a crisp suit stood anxiously before the desk, clutching a stack of documents. His voice trembled slightly as he spoke, \"As of now, thirty-six major companies have issued statements severing their partnerships with us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"These companies are all leaders in their respective fields. If they really cut ties with us, our business will be crippled. It’s... it’s like they’re pushing us into an abyss.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Shuling sat on the other side of the desk, listening to the man’s report. Her brow was furrowed, and a powerful sense of unease washed over her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scenes from the banquet flashed before her eyes, and waves of doubt and shock crashed through her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Why?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’What in the world is going on?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She murmured, her mind a whirlwind of confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After she got home that day, she had immediately arranged for a detailed investigation into her cousin. As expected, it had uncovered a lot of problems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she had handled it officially, there was enough evidence to send her cousin to prison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she had chosen to stay silent. She never expected him to be so shameless as to storm into her office and cause a scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And his words chilled her to the bone, leaving her shocked beyond belief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, she completely forgot to be angry about his insolence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You still don’t get it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her cousin suddenly grew calm. \"Of course it is. The news of your divorce from Chu He broke, and in our circles, everyone knows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you really think you landed this building and all these contracts on your own merit?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmph, so naive!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let me be honest with you. All of this is thanks to Chu He.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why didn’t you discuss it with me before you acted? You just went ahead and divorced Chu He on your own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, look at the mess we’re in now. The results are staring you in the face. What do you have to say for yourself?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Shuling felt a sharp sting in her heart as she listened to her cousin’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stared at her cousin in disbelief, as if seeing him for the very first time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She remembered what President Yang had said to her at the banquet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Could it be... could it really be true?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You... You’ve been investigating me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her cousin’s tone suddenly turned cold as he changed the subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Shuling froze. Her mind was in turmoil, and she didn’t want to get dragged into this topic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her cousin clearly wasn’t going to let it go. He slowly pulled out a pack of cigarettes, took one out, and lit it. He took a deep drag before exhaling a plume of smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you think I was taking kickbacks, accepting bribes, and acting so brazenly just because I’m greedy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her cousin said coldly, \"It’s because I knew your backer was Chu He.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As long as the National Guardian War God is alive, no one in the entire Great Jing Empire would dare disrespect me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even when I took kickbacks, accepted bribes, and made exorbitant demands, they had to just suck it up. They wouldn’t dare make a peep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course, I was always careful not to push it too far. I’d make them unhappy, but I wouldn’t cause them any real damage.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chill went through Gu Shuling as she listened to her cousin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She finally understood. It was all because of Chu He.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’How ridiculous,’ she thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I actually believed I had earned all these partnerships through my own hard work.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it had always been Chu He.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, through her own foolishness and arrogance, she had destroyed it all with her own hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t know how to face this cruel reality, or how to salvage any of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She just felt hollow inside, as if she had lost something precious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the strength drained from Gu Shuling’s body. She slumped into her office chair, her eyes vacant, as if her soul had fled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every word from her cousin was a sharp knife,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>slicing away the veils of self-deception deep inside her, layer by layer, to reveal the bloody truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, she had believed her success in the business world was won through her own effort and intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now she understood. It had all been built in Chu He’s shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without Chu He, she was nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The partners who had once bowed and scraped before her were now ruthlessly cutting ties, one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her cousin stood before her, his gaze chilling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He viciously stubbed out his half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He and Gu Shuling were in the same boat now. They would sink or swim together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to find a way to salvage the situation, and fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This isn’t the time for that. We have to figure out a way to solve this crisis.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her cousin’s voice was like ice. \"Tell me, is there any chance of getting back together with Chu He?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Shuling looked up at her cousin, a flicker of confusion and despair in her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She gave a bitter laugh. \"How could I? Chu He didn’t even blink when he signed the divorce papers. He has no feelings left for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her cousin frowned, a hint of disappointment in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he didn’t give up. He kept thinking, searching for a solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, his eyes lit up as if he’d had a brilliant idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Getting back together might be impossible, but I have another plan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her cousin’s voice took on a sinister edge. \"Did you know? The Great Jing Empire has produced another exceptionally talented genius, a true prodigy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But the news is being kept under tight wraps. This person is meant to be the Great Jing Empire’s final trump card.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They won’t reveal his identity unless it’s a matter of absolute necessity.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Shuling’s expression grew curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While she knew the business world like the back of her hand, she was completely in the dark about such secrets of the Martial Arts world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her cousin continued, \"This genius is the same age as Chu He, and he’s also virtually unrivaled within the King’s Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unless he runs into one of those old-timers who’ve been in the King’s Realm for ages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have an idea. You can get close to him. Seduce him, even.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As long as we can win him over, those companies that cut us off will naturally come crawling back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The color drained from Gu Shuling’s face when she heard this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew her cousin was unscrupulous when it came to the company’s interests, but she never imagined he would suggest something like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wave of disgust and fury washed over her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could you say that? I... How could I possibly go and seduce someone?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Shuling said furiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her cousin just laughed, completely unfazed. \"A pretty face needs to know its place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who do you think you are?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Without Chu He, you’re nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is our most difficult time. You have to think about the company’s interests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you’re not willing, then you can just watch the company go bankrupt.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Shuling trembled with rage at her cousin’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She felt as if she’d been shoved into a bottomless abyss, surrounded by nothing but darkness and despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had no idea what to do.\u003C\u002Fp>",1253,"2026-06-06T16:46:31.807Z",1,"novelbin.me","7d5e02e80cb5acc99b87f4ab6102e748f4d8425710558fbdb3592b667ac685dc","national-guardian-s-gone-and-we-re-done-chapter-11","national-guardian-s-gone-and-we-re-done-chapter-9",274,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fnational-guardian-s-gone-and-we-re-done-cover.jpg"]