After Being Betrayed I Married the Glamorous CEO-Chapter 144: Is Money Amazing? Money Is Really Amazing!

A trickle of blood spilled from the corner of Gu Feng’s mouth. The slap had sent the promising young cosmetics owner’s head snapping to the side, nearly toppling him and his chair to the ground.

HISS! Gu Feng sucked in a sharp breath. The slap was excruciating, sending tremors through his entire body. At the same time, it shattered his previous composure and confidence. He truly hadn’t expected the man beside Su Xiyang to be so direct and brutal. He had already apologized, yet the man still struck him without mercy.

"My apologies," Gu Feng muttered, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. Given Shen Fanyun’s sheer influence, he knew he couldn’t afford to provoke him. This time, he had no choice but to accept his defeat.

Shen Fanyun reminded him with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, "Next time you see me, walk the other way. Understood?"

Gu Feng nodded, committing the warning to memory.

"I know you dislike me because of Su Xiyang and that you were intentionally trying to antagonize me," Shen Fanyun continued, raising an eyebrow. "But the men pursuing Su Xiyang these days are as numerous as the hairs on a cow. Do you really think you stand out? That you’re worthy of her?"

His words made Gu Feng so ashamed he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.

Standing nearby, Zhang Lifeng and Hu Yue didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly. When Shen Fanyun’s gaze turned toward them, they both jumped in fright, especially Hu Yue. Just moments ago, she had been cocksure and self-righteous while accusing Shen Fanyun of theft. And now?

"You, come here," Shen Fanyun said, beckoning to Hu Yue.

Frozen with fear, Hu Yue clung tightly to Zhang Lifeng’s sleeve. Zhang Lifeng could only maintain an awkward smile, unsure whether to stay or go. He felt as if a million ants were gnawing at him from the inside.

"Wh-what do we do, President Zhang?" Hu Yue whispered, tugging at him urgently.

Zhang Lifeng was at his wits’ end. In desperation, he cast a pleading look toward Su Xiyang. They had worked together for so many years; surely she would remember their past camaraderie now that he was in hot water?

Su Xiyang pointedly ignored him.

"We... we lost something earlier and were too rash in our panic. We truly didn’t mean to offend either of you," Zhang Lifeng stammered. Steeling himself, he declared, "It’s my fault, all my fault," and slapped himself twice across the face.

He’s pretty good at playing his part.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry!" Hu Yue cried, not daring to delay. She followed suit and slapped herself, prompting looks of derision from the onlookers at such a public display of humiliation.

Still, it left everyone wondering. Who exactly was this Shen Fanyun? And how was he on such good terms with Su Xiyang? Rumor had it that Su Xiyang had completely broken ties with the Su Family. Old Master Su was reportedly furious, vowing to teach her a lesson she would never forget.

Many people attending this exhibition, including some from the Charity Association, had ties to Old Master Su Ke. They planned to use their seniority to put Su Xiyang in her place. One such person was the chairman of the Charity Association, Liao Wei. He was an old friend of Su Ke’s. Although Old Master Su’s influence wasn’t what it used to be, he still had a few friends willing to help him out. Otherwise, his entire life would have been for nothing.

The crowd looked around, but Liao Wei was nowhere to be seen, likely busy entertaining an important guest. The minor disturbance quickly subsided, and everyone returned to their seats. A moment later, a spotlight flared to life, revealing Liao Wei center stage, looking dapper and wearing an expensive wristwatch. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Hello, everyone," Liao Wei began. "Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend this charity conference. I, Mr. Liao, am deeply honored."

As always, the opening was a series of rote, meaningless pleasantries, followed by thunderous applause.

Shen Fanyun had never liked such occasions. They were pretentious—a waste of time and life. Soon, the donation segment began. The amounts were not particularly large, mostly in the hundreds of thousands of yuan. There were also pledges of material goods, valued anywhere from two to five million, but very little actual cash was being put forward.

What kind of charity conference is this?

"It’s always like this," Su Xiyang informed him. After a pause, she added, "The real money comes from public donations."

Spot on! Shen Fanyun was starting to understand. The whole event was about boosting the Charity Association’s influence and fame to trick the general public into donating. The wealthy people here were just putting on a show. Some even held nominal, part-time positions at the association, drawing a salary that offset their "donations." In the end, they might even turn a profit. The tycoons’ money would be returned in full, while the public’s donations were subjected to a seventy-thirty split.

As for how much of this endless stream of "charity" actually reached the hands of people in need, only the Charity Association knew, and they held the exclusive right to both interpret the numbers and keep them private.

What a clever racket. Shen Fanyun mused. He had heard about the inner workings of this industry before, but this was his first time seeing it up close.

"Well, look who it is! Isn’t this Xiaoyan? Our very own President Su, the talk of Hangcheng City!" Liao Wei boomed. "I haven’t seen you in a few months, and you’ve gotten even more beautiful! Come, come, turn a spotlight on her!"

Suddenly, a beam of light landed squarely on Su Xiyang, making her the sole focus of the entire room. Remaining composed, she took the microphone and greeted him softly, "Uncle Liao."

"I heard you had a falling out with Old Master Su? That you left the Su Family to start your own company? What an impressive up-and-comer. Truly admirable," Liao Wei said, his words clearly carrying a double meaning. He first praised her, then advised her to think things over carefully, and finally suggested she go back and apologize to Old Master Su. A family, after all, should remain a family.

"We’ll have a proper chat after the conference is over." Liao Wei’s tone shifted as he lowered the microphone, pointedly ending the discussion. He was clearly waiting for Su Xiyang to make a donation; the implication was obvious.

"How much are you going to donate?" Shen Fanyun asked her. He then remembered the ten-million-yuan cashier’s check in his possession. "How about ten million in cash?"

"Ah? Are you crazy?" Su Xiyang exclaimed. She had just explained that this money would never reach the people who actually needed it. Wouldn’t donating ten million be a complete waste? For her, even, that was no small sum!

Ten million? Liao Wei was stunned. He’d never expected such a delightful surprise at today’s conference.

"Xiaoyan is truly generous! This ten million marks the single largest donation in our conference’s history! Thank you, thank you!" Liao Wei led the applause, and the entire venue erupted with a thunderous ovation.

"Oh, you’re going to be the death of me," Su Xiyang muttered, feeling completely trapped. Why did Shen Fanyun have to speak so loudly? Didn’t he see she was still holding a live microphone?

Shen Fanyun was unfazed. "Then let’s not donate."

An astonished silence fell over the crowd. Liao Wei’s expression froze. Was this man deliberately causing trouble, offering a donation one moment only to withdraw it the next?

"Hey pal, you aren’t just some broke loser putting on a show, are you?"

"Casually talking about ten million... Do you even know how high a stack of ten million yuan is?"

A buzz of disgruntled murmurs swept through the room. Liao Wei’s brow furrowed as he shot a look of sharp displeasure at Su Xiyang and Shen Fanyun.