Long Jian was once again rendered speechless but couldn't argue with what Iris said because it was the truth, plain and simple. Indeed, there was no genuine trust between them right from the start, and yet somehow they still ended up becoming allies.

It would serve him well to remember that theirs was just a temporary alliance. Once they attained their own objectives, they would become rivals fighting against each other for the top position.

That was how it should be.

But why was it that right now he was thinking that it would be such a big shame to sever their pleasant relationship afterwards? They had only been working together for a short period of time but they already developed a camaraderie that surprised him.

He even started bringing little sweets in his pocket for whenever she had her childish cravings, for goodness' sake! Was he raising a pet or what?

Before he could examine his own feelings about their alliance, the party's emcee called everyone's attention to begin a round of important speeches from the company's key executives.

The atmosphere was very festive with a collective feeling of great relief after overcoming the nerve-wracking stock price crash.

As the big boss, Long Tengfei was the last one to take the mic and give a speech. Truth be told, almost all the executives' speeches sounded the same—mostly boring. Fortunately, he kept his speech brief and concise.

"Tonight we celebrate our tenacity to survive despite all the odds against us," he said. "We, Long Industries, are strong, dedicated and tough. We don't give up!"

His passionate statement earned the cheers from everyone.

He continued, "We fell dangerously close to the bottom but thankfully, we have talented individuals who quickly burst into action to solve our company's greatest predicament so far. And I'm proud to say that the leading figures who pulled us from drowning were two of my own children."

The cheers immediately became louder, the loudest being the ones near the entrance. Everyone knew who Long Tengfei was talking about. The large group near the entrance may have low positions in the company but they had the advantage in numbers. Many of them were Black Stars, so they couldn't help themselves but cheer with all their might.

"I would like to invite the Deputy COO who's also my second son, Long Jian, and of course, our company's current celebrity brand ambassador and also my youngest daughter, Iris Long, to come join me on the stage."

Amidst the almost deafening cheers and applause, mostly from the loyal Black Stars, two figures made their way to the stage to join their father. One was handsome while the other was beautiful. Both were elegant in their own way. Together, they looked divine. If people didn't already know that the two gorgeous individuals were siblings, it wasn't far-fetched to think that they were romantically well-matched.

Like a gentleman, Long Jian escorted Iris up the stage. They instantly became the centre of attention. A famous celebrity like Iris Long was already used to this kind of environment so there were no surprises there.

It was Long Jian who surprised everyone with his poised charisma. He looked very natural being the centre of attention just like his sister.

Long Tengfei commended the two siblings for their roles in solving the company's stock price crash. Although his praises for them were brief, there was no mistaking the pride in his voice. It was a refreshing sight for the employees because they were so used to seeing their President-CEO always looking serious and strict.

A few tables away from the stage, Long Hui plastered on a neutral semi-smile on his face while he followed along with everybody else and clapped, only his rhythm was slow and weak like a robot almost drained of its battery. [This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l . c o m (remove spaces). If you're not reading this chapter on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It's very discouraging to see thieves profitting from my hard work. Please read this novel on W e b n o v e l. Thank you! -Arria Cross]

Inside, he was seething as he watched his father sing the praises of Long Jian and Iris. Even with the loud cheering and applause, he could still hear snatches of mocking comments about him causing the overnight stock price crash. He could feel the judgmental stares being thrown at him like arrows deepening and widening the wounds on his pride and ego.

The contrast in treatment tonight between him and his half-siblings didn't escape his notice. On the contrary, he could feel it like a huge mountain pressing down on him and suffocating him and making it difficult to live as he normally did.

It was torture pretending to not be affected right now. He wanted to escape away from all the prying eyes but forced himself to stay and maintain the fake semi-smile on his face. People were bound to notice if he left when his half-siblings were still on the stage.

'Endure. You'll be the one standing at the top in the end,' he told himself like a prayer.

Remembering the appointments he managed to arrange with some shareholders earlier, his mood improved. He became aware through talking to them that a representative of Iris was going around and making offers to them to purchase their shares but was unsuccessful. He felt even better after thinking about her repeated failures in acquiring shares.

'Now you know it's not that easy to try and take over the company and contend against me.'

He watched the trio of Iris, Long Jian and their father climbing down the stage. They were a picture of a harmonious family. An ugly feeling filled him to the point that his chest tightened so much that it literally hurt. The good mood he had flew away as quickly as it came.

What happened? How did everything come to this?

He, Long Hui, had always been their father's biggest pride among them siblings. He had been groomed to be the successor ever since he could remember. Yet now there was disappointment in their father's eyes whenever he looked at him.

The thought of suffering the punishment his father gave him worsened the ugly feeling in his heart. He, the Deputy CFO, temporarily exiled to some useless branch?

Unable to take it anymore, he slipped away, walking aimlessly far away from everyone in order to keep his sanity.

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