Su Zheng Ting looked at Gu Jing Shen.
In his mind, the question was nothing more than a sign that Gu Jing Shen had finally begun to waver.
The corners of his lips lifted slightly, revealing a hint of smugness.
“Of course.” Su Zheng Ting leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands over his stomach.
His tone became noticeably more relaxed.
“I already told you.
You can ask for as much as you want.
As long as you sign the divorce papers and leave Jin Yue, you can fill in whatever amount you like on that check.” He paused for a moment, his eyes filled with disdain.
“But I advise you to know when enough is enough.” Gu Jing Shen merely smiled.
Su Zheng Ting did not understand the meaning behind that smile.
All he saw was the reaction he had been waiting for.
After all, everyone had a price.
A young lawyer with no influential family and no one to back him up might have some ability, but faced with the wealth and power of the Su family, could he really remain unmoved?
He looked at Gu Jing Shen, his voice carrying a hint of condescension.
“You’re still young.
You have a career and a future ahead of you.
Take the money, leave Jin Yue, and you can start your life over however you want.
I guarantee I won’t make things difficult for you anymore.” Gu Jing Shen did not answer immediately.
His eyes remained fixed on the divorce papers and the blank check before him.
On one side was the marriage Su Zheng Ting wanted to buy an end to; on the other was the condition he believed could make any man hesitate.
But to Gu Jing Shen, none of this was more than a test.
He wanted to know just how far the man in front of him was willing to go to protect everything he had, and he also wanted to know how Su Zheng Ting would choose to strike back if he were truly pushed into a corner.
After a moment, Gu Jing Shen slowly reached for the pen on the desk.
His slender fingers rolled it lightly between his knuckles.
The seemingly casual movement immediately caught Su Zheng Ting’s attention.
He waited, expecting Gu Jing Shen to write a number on the check.
But only a few seconds later, the corners of Gu Jing Shen’s lips slowly curved upward.
He raised his eyes, and for the first time, a sharp glint appeared in those usually calm eyes, sending an inexplicable chill down the other man’s spine.
“So…” He deliberately paused for a moment, the pen in his hand coming to a stop.
“What if I want all the assets in Chairman Su’s hands…” Gu Jing Shen placed the pen back on the desk.
His voice was so calm that it sounded as though he were asking about something completely ordinary.
“…would that be possible?” The smile on Su Zheng Ting’s face immediately froze.
The next moment, he slammed his hand against the desk, his furious voice echoing through the room.
“Impudent!
Do you know who you’re talking to?
Don’t think you can act arrogant just because I have only one daughter!
She is only valuable when she is put in the right place!” The room fell into a brief silence.
Gu Jing Shen neither grew angry nor immediately argued back.
He simply looked at Su Zheng Ting as though he had just heard something perfectly ordinary, then let out a soft laugh.
He reached out and pushed the check back toward him.
“Oh… So to you, she’s just a chess piece.” Gu Jing Shen rose to his feet and adjusted his cuff.
His movements remained elegant and unhurried, completely unlike those of a man who had just been threatened with the destruction of his career.
He lifted his eyes and looked directly at Su Zheng Ting, his voice lowering.
“But in my eyes… my wife is worth far more than everything Chairman Su owns.” Su Zheng Ting froze.
It lasted only a moment, but Gu Jing Shen caught it clearly.
He said nothing more.
With a man like Su Zheng Ting, sometimes one sentence was enough.
The rest did not need to be said.
Gu Jing Shen turned and walked toward the door at an unhurried pace.
His tall figure gradually moved out of the light spilling across the room.
When he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and slightly turned his head.
“If there’s nothing more for us to discuss… then I’ll be going.” The corners of his lips lifted.
After a brief pause, he said, “Goodbye, Uncle.” As he said it, Gu Jing Shen seemed to remember something and immediately corrected himself.
“Ah, no… Father-in-law!” He gave a slight bow, a faint smile flashing across his lips before he opened the door and walked out.
The office door slowly closed behind him.
Inside the spacious room, Su Zheng Ting remained motionless behind his desk.
After a long while, his hands slowly clenched into fists, the knuckles turning white.
His expression darkened, and his voice seemed to come from between gritted teeth.
“That bastard with nothing and no one to rely on… Just wait.” Out in the hallway, Gu Jing Shen walked on as though nothing had happened.
But deep down, he understood perfectly that the meeting had never been a negotiation.
From the moment Su Zheng Ting placed the divorce papers on the desk, there had been no turning back between them.
It was a declaration of war.
After walking some distance, Gu Jing Shen’s phone suddenly vibrated.
He stopped, took it out, and answered the call.
His assistant was on the other end, his voice carrying a note of urgency.
“Jingshen, the client in the Dong Cheng case just called.
They’ve decided to withdraw the case and terminate our contract.” A flicker of change passed through Gu Jing Shen’s eyes.
“What’s the reason?” “They said they’ve found another partner.” The assistant hesitated for a moment before continuing, “And… they’re willing to forfeit the entire deposit.” Gu Jing Shen fell silent.
He walked over to the railing and leaned against it lightly.
From where he stood, he could see the entire lobby of Sheng Shi Group below.
Employees hurried back and forth, phones rang incessantly, and meeting room doors continued to open and close.
Everything appeared perfectly normal, but Gu Jing Shen knew that the first gear of the game had already begun to turn.
“I know.” He ended the call, lowered his eyes to the phone screen for a few seconds, then let out a quiet laugh.
The smile on his face was cold, yet there was not the slightest trace of surprise.
“They moved fast.” Gu Jing Shen slipped his phone back into his pocket and looked toward the end of the hallway, where the light was gradually being swallowed by darkness.
“Good.” He straightened and slowly walked forward.
With every step, his resolve grew firmer.
Gu Jing Shen’s lips curved into a faint smile.
“The game… has officially begun.”