255 Protecting an Outsider
Tang Xia ignored Tang Li’s question and persisted in his doubts. “You don’t have to care how I found out about this or who told me. You just have to tell me if you did anything against the law.”
“As long as you tell me if Shan Yue told you about this, I’ll tell you the truth immediately.” Tang Li’s eyes could not help but narrow, emitting waves of coldness, as if they were tempered with ice. “There’s only the two of us in this room now. Are you going to choose to protect an outsider?”
At this moment, Tang Xia fell into hesitation. This was because he had once promised Shan Yue that he would not say anything he should not say. This definitely included Shan Yue’s identity. However, at this point, if he did not say it, he would not know if his daughter was involved in smuggling.
In the end, after weighing the pros and cons, Tang Xia chose to go against his principles and reveal Shan Yue’s identity.
“You guessed right.” Tang Xia’s tone was very slow, as if there was a sense of guilt in it. “Shan Yue did come to the house this afternoon and told me some things about you at the company. If she hadn’t come to me, I think I would still be in the dark.”
“I’m not deliberately hiding it from you.” Tang Li put down the teacup in her hand and her expression became serious. “You’re right. I’m using the company as a cover to carry out the firearms business behind the scenes. However, everything I’m doing is for the future development of the Tang Corporation. If we let the company develop like you did in the past, we’ll never be able to surpass the Zhou family. Can you bear to see us forever being stepped on by the Zhou family and never be able to raise our heads?”
Tang Xia looked at his daughter, who had clearly done something wrong, but was still so eloquent. He was so angry that he wanted to slap her, but in the end, he could not bear to hit Tang Li. He covered his face with his other hand, wanting to cover the extreme grief and indignation on his face. Then, he slowly lowered his hand.
“We can stay true to our hearts and slowly develop. We can also not become the number one company in the central city of the Federation. We can completely accept all of this.” Tang Xia’s tone became more and more agitated. “I’ve taught you since you were young to have the most basic moral conscience no matter what you do. I never dreamed that you would do such a thing under my nose. You really disappoint me. Don’t say that it’s for the company’s own good. It’s all just some dignified excuses.”
A cold sneer appeared between Tang Li’s lips. “That’s just your opinion. Your aging thoughts are no longer enough to support the current competition. If you don’t eat others step by step, you’ll definitely be the one to be destroyed in the end. I’m only doing this to prevent the company from being annexed by them. What’s wrong with me?”
Tang Xia’s anger was gradually written on his face, and his eyebrows were furrowed. “If you really did it for the sake of the company, you shouldn’t have done smuggling. Have you ever thought that if you’re discovered and exposed in the end, you won’t be the only one punished by the law? You’ll implicate the entire company. Do you have to see the Tang Corporation fall into the hands of others before you’ll stop?”
“I’ve been doing this in private for so long. The entire plan is flawless. No one has ever found any clues.”
“Then why did Shan Yue find out? Since the operation you’re talking about is so perfect, how did she find enough evidence to sue you? Do you really want to see Shan Yue get the corporation that our family ran?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Tang Li’s eyes were immediately filled with confusion. Her pupils dilated slightly. “What do you mean? What substantial evidence does Shan Yue have to make you feel so afraid? Also, what do you mean by Shan Yue obtaining our Tang Corporation? What else did she say to you?”
At this point, Tang Xia let out a long sigh and told her everything. “Shan Yue has a photo in her hand. It’s clearly printed with the transaction record of the arms smuggling. There’s also your personal seal in the lower right corner. She requests to use 20% of the Tang Corporation’s shares and 50 billion yuan in exchange for this photo. Otherwise, she’ll send this photo to the court to sue you. That’s why I quickly called you home to confirm if you did such a thing.”