chapter 13: cooperate opera

The next day, Mina arrived at Chenxiu's private suite to find an unexpected confrontation brewing. Chenxiu sat calmly at his desk, perusing documents with an air of casual indifference. Across from him stood his cousin Yun, his face flushed with barely contained anger.

Mina stepped into a scene of barely contained chaos. Chenxiu sat behind his massive mahogany desk, the picture of composure in a crisp charcoal suit. His long fingers idly toyed with an antique letter opener as he perused a stack of documents before him. Across the room, pacing like a caged tiger, was a man Mina instantly recognized as Chenxiu's relative by the tiny resemblance that others would barely notice.

Where Chenxiu exuded an aura of icy calm, Yun radiated fury. His face was flushed, eyes glittering with barely suppressed rage as he whirled to face the newcomer.

"And who might you be?" he snapped, his tone bordering on rudeness.

Before Mina could respond, Chenxiu's cool voice cut through the tension. "Dr. Mina Han, my attending physician. I believe introductions are unnecessary, given your... thorough investigation into my recent misfortune."

Yun's jaw clenched visibly. "Of course. Dr. Han, my apologies for the oversight." His attempted smile looked more like a grimace. "I'm Yun Liang, acting Vice President of Liang Enterprises."

Mina nodded politely, acutely aware of the undercurrents swirling around her. "A pleasure, Mr. Liang. I hope I'm not interrupting anything important?"

"Not at all," Chenxiu replied smoothly, finally looking up from his papers. "My dear cousin was just expressing his... concerns about my fitness to lead the company. Weren't you, Yun?"

Yun's nostrils flared. "This is no joking matter, Chenxiu! The board meeting is tomorrow, and you sit there as if nothing is amiss. This arrogance, this complete disregard for protocol - it's precisely why we need to take action!"

Chenxiu's eyebrow arched slightly, the only indication that he'd even heard Yun's outburst. "And what action might that be? Another ill-conceived coup attempt? Really, cousin, I expected more creativity from you."

"You insufferable-" Yun cut himself off, visibly struggling to regain composure. He turned to Mina, a desperate edge to his voice. "Dr. Han, surely you can see the strain he's under. As a medical professional, don't you agree that he needs time to recover, away from the pressures of running a multinational corporation?"

Mina felt the weight of both men's gazes upon her. She chose her words carefully. "As Mr. Liang's physician, my primary concern is his health and recovery. While I appreciate the complexities of your situation, I can assure you that Mr. Liang's condition is steadily improving."

"Improving?" Yun scoffed. "He nearly died! And now he's expected to make critical decisions that affect thousands of employees and billions in assets? It's irresponsible!"

"What's irresponsible," Chenxiu interjected, his voice sharp as a blade, "is attempting to use my temporary setback as a means to fulfill your long-standing ambitions, Yun. We both know this has nothing to do with the company's wellbeing."

Yun's face contorted with rage. "How dare you question my motives! I've dedicated my life to this company, while you-"

"While I what?" Chenxiu stood slowly, his calm demeanor somehow more intimidating than Yun's fury. "While I've successfully steered us through global financial crises? While I've doubled our market share and expanded into emerging markets? Or perhaps you're referring to my 'reckless' decision to pivot towards sustainable technologies, a move that's positioned us at the forefront of the industry?"

Each word seemed to deflate Yun further, his anger giving way to a mix of frustration and grudging respect. "Your achievements are not in question, Chenxiu. But your recent... incident... it raises concerns. The board simply feels-"

"The board will feel whatever I tell them to feel," Chenxiu cut in smoothly. "Now, I believe we're done here. I have a company to run and a meeting to prepare for."