Chapter 97: At One's Wits' End

Murong Wan took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.

She knew that now was not a time for panic.

She had to devise a solution as quickly as possible.

She picked up her phone and dialed a number.

The call connected quickly, and a familiar voice came through the receiver.

"Murong, why are you calling me at this hour?"

Ye Wan's voice carried a hint of laziness,

"Ye Wan, Yongxing Engineering Group ripped up the contract, did you know?"

Murong Wan's voice was cool, getting straight to the point.

There was a moment of silence on the other end, then Ye Wan's surprised voice came.

"What? Have they gone mad?"

"What on earth is going on?"

"I don't know either."

Murong Wan's tone carried a hint of fatigue.

"The most important thing now is to find a new party to take over as soon as possible."

"Otherwise, all our previous efforts will go down the drain."

"Don't rush yet, I'll also help you make contacts on my side."

Ye Wan's voice became serious.

"I'll see if there are other companies willing to take over this project."

"Alright, inform me immediately if there's any news."

Murong Wan replied softly and hung up.

She leaned against the back of the chair, closed her eyes, and her mind was in chaos.

Suddenly, a series of knocks sounded.

Breaking the silence in the office.

"Come in."

Murong Wan opened her eyes, her voice a little hoarse.

The secretary pushed the door open, looking flustered,

"General Manager Murong, I just contacted several companies, they all..."

The secretary hesitated, his expression grim.

"They all refused, right?"

Murong Wan gave a wry smile, as if she had already anticipated this outcome.

"Yes, General Manager Murong."

The secretary lowered his head, his voice low.

"When they heard it was the Star Plaza Project, they all expressed no interest."

"Some even hung up outright."

Murong Wan fell silent, and the last sliver of hope in her heart was shattered.

It seems this time they've truly run into a big trouble.

At that moment, Murong Wan's phone suddenly rang.

She picked it up and saw it was Ye Wan calling.

A spark of hope ignited in Murong Wan's heart.

She quickly answered, her voice tinged with urgency.

"Ye Wan, how's it going? Any news?"

"Murong, over here I also..."

Ye Wan's voice sounded a bit dejected,

"I've also contacted several companies, but they all said they lack the capacity to take on such a large project."

"Moreover, they seem to have reservations about the Star Plaza Project."

"They don't want to wade into this mess."

Murong Wan felt a weight in her heart, and her complexion grew even sicker.

"Murong, don't lose heart yet."

Ye Wan comforted.

"I'll think of another way and see if I can find other avenues."

"Hmm."

Murong Wan gave a soft response and hung up.

She leaned helplessly against the chair back, her gaze vacant, as if she had lost all strength.

Could it really be that there's no way?

Could the Star Plaza Project truly be doomed by her own hands?

No!

I won't accept it!

A flash of determination crossed Murong Wan's eyes.

She could not give up like that.

There must still be a way!

There must still be!

She forced herself to perk up and picked up her phone again.

She began flipping through her contacts.

She would call them one by one; even if there was only a sliver of hope, she would give it a try.

Time ticked by, and beads of sweat formed on Murong Wan's forehead.

Her voice also grew increasingly hoarse.

Finally, after dialing the Nth number, a low voice came from the other end of the line.

"Hello, who is this?"

Murong Wan's spirits lifted, as if she had grasped a lifeline.

"May I ask if you are General Manager Wang of Tianyu Construction Group?"

"General Manager Wang, hello, I am Murong Wan of Xingchen Group."

Murong Wan's voice carried a hint of fatigue,

On the other end of the line, there was a moment of silence.

"Oh, General Manager Murong, I have long admired you."

A middle-aged man's voice sounded, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.

"I don't know why General Manager Murong is calling me; what's the matter?"

Murong Wan took a deep breath,

"General Manager Wang, I'd like to discuss the Star Plaza Project with you."

She got straight to the point.

"Xingchen Square?"

Wang Mingzhi's voice was playful, with a deep meaning,

"General Manager Murong, this project is currently a hot potato."

"Yongxing Engineering Group said they'd withdraw, just like that—there's deep water here."

Murong Wan's heart sank; Wang Mingzhi's words had hidden meaning, obviously he knew something.

"General Manager Wang, Yongxing Engineering Group withdrew due to some special reasons."

Murong Wan tried to make her voice sound calm.

"We, Xingchen Group, are willing to bear all losses and guarantee the project will proceed smoothly."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Wang Mingzhi gave a light laugh.

"General Manager Murong, in business, it's not enough to just talk."

"The Star Plaza Project now carries high risk."

"We, Tianyu Construction Group, also need to assess the project's risk. Normally, we wouldn't undertake the Star Plaza Project, but since General Manager Murong's call has reached me, we can still talk."

Murong Wan bit her lip tightly; Wang Mingzhi's words were like a knife, stabbing her heart.

She realized Wang Mingzhi was taking advantage of the situation, raising the price.

"General Manager Wang, feel free to state your conditions."

Murong Wan suppressed the anger in her heart,

"As long as Xingchen Group can do it, we will surely satisfy you."

"Haha, General Manager Murong, you're indeed straightforward."

Wang Mingzhi burst out laughing.

"If that's the case, then I won't stand on ceremony."

"I want sixty percent of the shares in the Star Plaza Project."

"Furthermore, all project payments must be made in advance."

Silence, deathly silence.

Murong Wan felt a chill surge from her feet to her head.

Wang Mingzhi's demand was nothing short of lion's mouth wide open.

Sixty percent shareholding means that the Murong and Ye families will lose control of the Star Plaza Project.

Moreover, requiring advance payment of all project funds would shift all risk onto the Murong and Ye families.

This is nothing short of blatant robbery!

"General Manager Wang, your demand is simply too excessive."

Murong Wan's voice turned icy.

"The Star Plaza Project was built from scratch by the Murong and Ye families through hard work."

"You now want to swallow it all, which is simply too greedy."

"Greedy?"

Wang Mingzhi gave a cold snort,

"General Manager Murong, this isn't greed; it's a helpless measure."

"Now, in the whole of Yuncheng, besides our Tianyu Construction, who dares to take on this project?"

"Think it over carefully: either you keep the project, or you watch it rot away unfinished."

His tone was full of threat, completely lacking the earlier politeness.

Murong Wan fell silent; at this moment, her heart was torn.

Wang Mingzhi's words, though harsh, are still the truth.

Now the Star Plaza Project is like a hot potato; no one dares to take it.

If she refuses Wang Mingzhi, the Star Plaza Project could truly fizzle out.

When that time comes, all her efforts will be in vain. Her promising future within the Murong Family will be completely lost, and she will become a marginal figure of the clan.