Chapter 314: Plans Beneath Calm Waters
Plans Beneath Calm Waters
"Take a look at this first."
Bianca De Dominicis slid a thick stack of documents across the polished desk toward Julian D’Aurelius.
The file glided smoothly over the glossy surface before coming to a stop directly in front of him.
Julian leaned forward, picked it up, and flipped it open without a word.
A quiet silence settled over the office.
The steady hum of the central air conditioning blended with the soft rustle of turning pages. Warm afternoon sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long golden streaks across the room. Beyond the glass, Silverhaven City’s skyline stretched into the distance, vibrant and alive. From up here, everything looked calm and orderly.
But Julian knew better.
Behind that polished skyline, companies were tearing each other apart in boardrooms, investors were gambling fortunes, and billion-dollar battles were being fought without a single bullet fired.
His expression gradually shifted as he read.
The relaxed smile faded, replaced by quiet concentration.
The report was exceptionally thorough.
Every section had been meticulously organized, covering financial statements, stock performance, corporate restructuring, overseas acquisitions, capital flow, and confidential intelligence gathered through the De Dominicis Group’s extensive network.
Nothing important had been overlooked.
Julian couldn’t help but feel impressed.
Whenever Bianca was working...
She became an entirely different person.
Cold. Precise. Efficient.
The playful woman he knew seemed to disappear, replaced by someone who could command an empire with nothing more than a few carefully chosen decisions.
After reading several more pages, the overall picture became perfectly clear.
The moment Steffan seized control of Valemont, the Bear Groups had been rebranded as Blackstone Global Group.
Not long afterward, the company announced a high-profile merger with a massive overseas corporation worth several hundred billion.
The news exploded across Japan’s financial market.
Investors rushed to buy shares.
Financial analysts praised the merger as a masterstroke.
Media outlets hailed Blackstone Global Group as the nation’s newest business miracle.
Confidence soared.
Within an astonishingly short time, the company’s stock price skyrocketed.
Its market capitalization had now climbed to nearly seven hundred billion.
To ordinary investors, Blackstone Global Group looked unstoppable.
A company destined to dominate the future.
Julian, however, simply smiled.
He knew what everyone else failed to see.
From the outside, it looked magnificent.
Powerful.
Untouchable.
But appearances could be deceiving.
A towering skyscraper didn’t collapse because it wasn’t tall enough.
It collapsed because the cracks hidden deep within its foundation finally gave way.
And Blackstone Global Group...
Already had those cracks.
Julian calmly turned the final page before closing the folder.
He tapped the documents lightly against the desk, neatly aligning the edges, then placed them down with unhurried confidence.
Finally, he looked up at Bianca.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"So," he said calmly, "when do we start shorting them?"
His tone remained relaxed, but his eyes carried a sharp glint.
Business was no different from warfare.
One mistake could cost billions.
Bianca folded her hands neatly atop the desk.
Her beautiful crimson eyes reflected absolute confidence.
"The Ashbourne household plans to act in five days, so we’ll enter on the fourth day at the peak and short them with leverage."
She spoke methodically, every sentence carrying the calm confidence of someone who had already calculated every possible outcome.
There wasn’t the slightest hesitation.
"Your family can just transfer fifty billion to me, and I’ll handle it."
Julian nodded slowly.
He trusted Bianca completely when it came to finance.
Perhaps she wasn’t the strongest cultivator.
Nor the strongest fighter.
But inside the business world...
She was undoubtedly one of the most dangerous opponents anyone could face.
She could quietly erase hundreds of billions from someone’s company without ever drawing a sword.
"Alright, then I’ll leave it to you."
Julian smiled warmly.
"How about I treat you to lunch?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Bianca’s expression remained perfectly composed.
Her tone became even more professional than before.
"Forget lunch. Let’s keep it professional; you don’t owe me anything."
She calmly adjusted another document.
"After all, we’re exes. Having a meal together and being seen wouldn’t be good."
Her voice remained completely flat.
Not a trace of emotion could be heard.
Julian blinked.
"..."
His smile froze slightly.
Inside his mind, countless possibilities flashed past.
Exes?
When did we even become exes?
We were never officially together...
He carefully observed Bianca.
She still looked completely serious.
Not even a tiny smile.
Meanwhile...
Bianca was secretly delighted.
Hearing Julian’s increasingly confused inner thoughts made it incredibly difficult not to laugh.
She had purposely maintained this cold attitude since he entered.
The result...
Was even better than expected.
You really are adorable when you’re confused...
Let’s see how much longer you can endure.
Julian quietly cleared his throat.
Something definitely felt wrong today.
Yet he couldn’t figure out what.
Had he accidentally offended her?
Forgotten something important?
Or...
Was she simply teasing him again?
No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t find an answer.
Seeing Julian’s increasingly tense expression, Bianca was inwardly amused.
She had specifically called him over today just to mess with him!
Watching the usually calm Julian become completely bewildered was unexpectedly satisfying.
He looked so intelligent most of the time.
Yet whenever she teased him...
He became surprisingly easy to fool.
Julian silently sighed.
Stay calm.
Don’t panic.
Women are mysterious creatures.
The more you ask, the worse things usually become.
Just as he was still wondering whether he should apologize for something he didn’t even know he had done...
Bianca stretched lazily in her chair.
Her graceful movement carried effortless elegance before she looked toward him with the faintest trace of a smile hidden deep within her eyes.
"By the way, I have a favor to ask."
Her sudden change of topic caught Julian’s attention immediately.
He instinctively straightened his posture.
"What is it?"
Bianca’s lips curved ever so slightly.
"I’m planning to shoot a commercial and need a male actor. Could you help out?"
Julian didn’t even hesitate.
"Sure thing."
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