Zhi Corporation — CEO Office
A week after Zhi Lei's funeral, Zhi Corporation held its official inauguration ceremony.
Zhi Lia formally assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer.
The announcement stunned the employees.
For years, the public had only known of two direct heirs of the Zhi Family—Zhi Shun and Zhi Lei. Many assumed that Zhi Shun would eventually inherit the company. Others speculated that Zhi Hao might step forward.
No one expected the successor to be Zhi Lei's twin sister.
Rumors spread quickly through the corporate floors. Some whispered that Zhi Lia had been raised in Europe. Others claimed she had a powerful and mysterious background overseas.
Aside from the Zhi Family elders and the board of directors, no one knew the truth behind the youngest daughter's return—or the tragedy that had preceded it.
⸻
After she officially took her seat, the company underwent drastic changes within a single week.
The declining stock prices rebounded at an astonishing rate. Shares surged to levels the company had never achieved before. New projects were launched aggressively, strategic partnerships were signed, and departments were restructured.
Human Resources scrambled to recruit new employees after a sweeping internal "cleanup."
Those who understood the internal structure knew what that meant.
Zhi Lia was removing the branch family's influence.
Meanwhile, in the CEO's office, she sat behind her desk, buried beneath towering stacks of reports.
Since taking control, she had been cleaning up years of corruption, hidden debts, and manipulated contracts left behind by the branch family.
She signed documents efficiently, her expression calm but distant.
Then—
Bang!
The office doors flew open violently.
A young man in a disheveled suit stormed in, fury written across his face.
"Zhi Lia!" he shouted. "You ungrateful woman! My father contributed so much to this company, and you threw him out just like that? You even pushed my own company to the brink of bankruptcy!"
The man was Zhi Hao—her cousin.
He had just returned from Indonesia, where he had been handling a major shipping crisis. The moment he stepped back into the country, he discovered that the company he had painstakingly built was collapsing under sudden financial pressure.
Zhi Lia merely glanced at him before lowering her gaze back to the documents in front of her.
Her indifference only fueled his anger.
Seeing that she was ignoring him, Zhi Hao strode toward her desk and, in a burst of rage, swept the stacks of papers onto the floor. Documents scattered through the air before landing across the polished marble.
Silence followed.
Zhi Lia slowly lifted her eyes.
"Zhi Hao," she said evenly, "did you come here just to pick a fight?"
He scoffed. "What if I did? You're just a woman who inherited Grandfather's shares. That doesn't give you the right to throw us aside!"
She leaned back against her chair, unfazed.
"Can you even afford to fight me?" she asked coldly. "You should be grateful that your company only suffered losses. Be thankful I didn't completely annihilate Uncle Fu's entire household."
Zhi Hao slammed his palm against her desk.
"Annihilate? Are you insane? Are you determined to sever all ties within the Zhi Family?"
Zhi Lia's voice dropped several degrees.
"Cousin, it wasn't I who grew greedy and coveted the position of Family Master."
Her gaze sharpened.
"You know exactly how your father contributed to this company—through underhanded dealings and financial manipulation. I am the one cleaning his mess."
She paused.
"You should be grateful that I removed him only from the company—not from the family registry."
Zhi Hao's fists tightened.
He knew.
He had always known what his father had done. But he chose silence for the sake of family harmony.
Seeing his reaction, Zhi Lia's expression grew colder.
"Consider this my final act of mercy. If you continue accusing me of stealing this position, I assure you—you will not survive the consequences."
Her tone was not loud.
But it carried absolute certainty.
"If you want your company—and the thousand employees depending on you—to survive, then keep Uncle Fu out of my affairs."
She leaned forward slightly.
"Remember this: it was not the direct line that abandoned filial piety. It was your branch that chose betrayal first."
Her eyes were icy.
"Touch me or my family again, and filial piety will no longer exist in my dictionary."
The room fell silent.
Zhi Hao slowly released his clenched fists.
His company was young but already supported over a thousand employees. If it collapsed entirely, he would not only destroy their livelihoods but also disgrace the Zhi name.
He lowered his head.
"…Fine. I'll do as you say."
A faint smile appeared on Zhi Lia's lips.
She knew Zhi Hao's nature well. He was intelligent and fundamentally kind. He cared deeply for the family—but had taken the wrong path by shielding his father's misconduct.
"You're a smart man, Zhi Hao," she said calmly. "You've made the right choice."
She picked up her phone and called Shen Hiro.
When Shen Hiro entered, he paused briefly at the sight of papers scattered across the floor. He could easily piece together what had happened.
"Escort my cousin out," Zhi Lia instructed. "In three days, your company will return to normal operations."
She rose from her chair and began gathering the fallen documents herself.
Zhi Hao stared at her for a moment before bowing slightly.
"Thank you… Cousin. And I apologize for the mess."
Her expression returned to its usual impassive state.
"We're family," she replied evenly. "It's only natural to help one another."
Whether it was sincerity or sarcasm—only she knew.
As Shen Hiro escorted him out, Zhi Hao finally understood the unspoken meaning behind her words.
As long as his branch stayed out of her path, she would not destroy them.
They would mind their own affairs.
And allow the Zhi Family—
To prosper under her rule.