CHAPTER 360: CHAPTER 360 COLLAPSE

"How could it be!" Sheng Hong looked at Xu Ke with a shocked expression, as if he couldn’t believe what he was saying.

"You must be lying to me. I’m the president of the company. Without my permission, without my seal, no one can make this deal happen." Sheng Hong yelled at Xu Ke, forcibly suppressing a pain akin to being torn apart.

"Ha, Mr. Sheng, you’re joking. There’s nothing in this world that can’t be done. I believe you understand the saying ’where there’s a will, there’s a way’ even more deeply than I do." Xu Ke twirled a strand of Lin Mengyao’s hair and looked at Sheng Hong with a teasing gaze.

"What do you mean by that?" Sheng Hong’s eyes widened, the whites and blacks of his eyes seemed as if they were about to pop out of their sockets the next second.

He questioned aloud, but in his heart, he already had a conjecture, one he absolutely couldn’t accept. He couldn’t believe that the woman who had been with him for half a lifetime would betray him; this result was something he couldn’t accept at all.

"You’re a smart man, Mr. Sheng. I think you already have the answer in your heart. Your acting skills are impressive; I believe even if you lose everything, you can still shine in the entertainment industry." Xu Ke said in a bland tone, as if losing interest in continuing the conversation with Sheng Hong, ready to leave the ward the next moment.

"Impossible, this isn’t true, it can’t be true." Sheng Wenhao mumbled softly in disbelief, completely oblivious to the reactions of others in the room.

Sheng Wenhao had already said everything he wanted to Sheng Hong, and having watched the spectacle, he no longer felt like staying. After all, the smell of disinfectant in the hospital was quite pungent, making him uncomfortable.

"I have nothing more to say to this person, let’s go." Sheng Wenhao said to Xu Ke.

"I have nothing more to say to him either, so let’s leave." Xu Ke said, looking at Lin Mengyao, who was watching the scene with bright eyes in his arms.

The three of them silently left the ward. By the time Sheng Hong regained his senses, he was the only one left in the room.

Sheng Hong unhesitatingly dialed his mistress, calling her over. At this moment, he no longer cared about what would happen if his affairs were exposed. He could only think of this woman who was utterly devoted to him, could only trust her.

Receiving the call, Liang Rou’s mother was inexplicably shocked to hear Sheng Hong was in the hospital. Could it be the Sheng family’s matriarch had become this fierce? She thought to herself, but soon she received another order from Sheng Hong, or rather an instruction—to go to the Sheng family and bring out his company seal.

With a serious yet subtly excited expression, Liang Rou’s mother listened to Sheng Hong’s instructions. Once Sheng Hong had explained everything, she gently said, "Rest assured, I’ll definitely bring it to you. I’m heading to the Sheng house now."

Hearing his mistress’s consistently gentle voice, Sheng Hong’s expression finally improved somewhat, though his face still showed concern. "You must be quick, don’t let anyone else get ahead, and once you have it, come find me immediately, understood?" Sheng Hong couldn’t help but urgently warn again.

"Don’t worry, I won’t forget anything you told me. Wait for me at the hospital. I’ll come to you once I have it." A peculiar gleam flashed in Liang Rou’s mother’s eyes, but Sheng Hong and she were separated by a phone, unable to see each other’s expressions. He could only hear the warmth in her voice, which calmed his anxious heart.

"I’ll wait for your good news at the hospital." Sheng Hong’s voice subconsciously softened significantly because of the reassurance.

It wasn’t until he hung up the phone that Sheng Hong felt like he might break. Sweat instantly poured out, staining his blue-striped hospital gown a deep blue.

Sheng Hong pressed the emergency button by his bedside, and before long, the room was once again filled with people.

The stitches on Sheng Hong’s lower body burst open once more, needing to be sewn up again. Hearing this, Sheng Hong gritted his teeth in anger and silently cursed Sheng Wenhao and the others, wishing to tear them to pieces.

On the other hand, Liang Rou’s mother was satisfied with the current outcome. Ever since hanging up the phone, she couldn’t stop smiling.

Seeing the smile on her face, Liang Rou asked in surprise, "Mom, did something happen? You look really happy." Tilting her head with curiosity, Liang Rou asked.

"The day we’ve been waiting for has finally come." Liang Rou’s mother suppressed her emotions, looking at Liang Rou with eyes full of complex hues.

"We are about to succeed." Seeing Liang Rou still dazed, her mother gave her a look of exasperation.

Liang Rou’s mother was a decisive and ruthless woman. Once she made up her mind, she never looked back. Initially feeling some reluctance, once she acted, she knew there was no turning back, thus she proceeded more meticulously, fearing any misstep could lead to doom. But now, with victory so close, she felt everything she had done was worth it.

"You stay home and pack up. Once I get your father’s seal and gather our belongings, we’ll leave China—it doesn’t matter where. As long as we are together, no one will bully us." Liang Rou’s mother said, stroking Liang Rou’s silky hair.

"Okay, I’ll get ready now. Mother, please be quick." Liang Rou kissed her mother’s cheek and dashed off to her room like a joyful bird, beginning to pack her things, while Liang Rou’s mother took the car keys and drove toward the Sheng Mansion.

Having been given permission by Sheng Hong, Liang Rou’s mother entered smoothly. With Madam Sheng also recuperating in the hospital, the Sheng Mansion felt like an icy chamber, unbearably cold. Rubbing her arms, she followed Sheng Hong’s instructions to the study, opened the safe as directed but found it empty. The smile on her face froze instantly; she had never cried as hideously as she did now, resembling a ghoul reborn.

Just out of surgery and awakening from anesthesia, Sheng Hong didn’t see his mistress upon opening his eyes but received her call. Hearing the safe was empty, he felt a bitter taste in his throat, spewing a mouthful of blood upon opening his mouth. The very fear he had been worrying about finally materialized. In that instant, Sheng Hong didn’t know how to react.

He lay like a corpse, eyes blankly staring at the ceiling, mouth stained with blood. The voice of Liang Rou’s mother on the phone was no longer audible. He didn’t even know when the call ended, only that this time, he was truly finished.