The Cannon Fodder Alpha Who Made the Heroine Pregnant - Chapter 53

53:

The noose was tightening around Zhou Xianling’s neck, yet the man refused to go quietly. Like a cornered beast, he lashed out with increasing desperation, manipulating every pawn still within his grasp to mount a futile counterattack.

Though Zhou Corporation stood as Jiangning’s undisputed business titan, to the investigative teams it was just another target. Unless Zhou Xianling could miraculously disband the investigation permanently—an impossibility, his resistance merely postponed the inevitable collapse. And when the final blow came, it would be devastating.

Zhou Lan observed these death throes with clinical detachment. After careful deliberation, she made the call.

The phone connected instantly. “You dare contact me now?” Zhou Xianling’s voice dripped with venom. “Do you think distance makes you untouchable?”

Zhou Lan suppressed a sigh at his posturing. Some people never abandoned their delusions.

“I understand Zhou Corporation’s predicament completely,” she said evenly. “But your panic isn’t just about the evidence others possess, is it? What truly terrifies you is the thought of those laboratories being exposed. The moment that happens, your life’s work—the Zhou Corporation you’re so proud of—becomes society’s pariah, erased from existence.”

The stunned silence on the line confirmed her deduction.

Zhou Xianling had always operated on one principle: his personal reputation was expendable, but Zhou Corporation must endure. Zhou Lan’s words shattered that fantasy. If she knew about the labs, his enemies certainly did.

“How…?” The single choked word carried his final hope.

Zhou Lan set her phone on the coffee table, savoring a sip of freshly brewed coffee before responding. “If I know, your adversaries definitely do. Their silence? Psychological warfare, letting you twist in the wind.”

She couldn’t fathom why Chu Zhao withheld the damning evidence, but the tactic’s effectiveness was undeniable. Zhou Xianling’s frantic scrambling proved that.

“You knew all along,” he realized hollowly. “That’s why you refused succession.”

“Precisely. My life was unblemished until now. Associating with Zhou Corporation would have been my greatest stain. Even as things stand, being your daughter invites scorn. But imagine if the entire corporation collapsed, that shame would haunt generations of my descendants.”

Her clinical assessment forced Zhou Xianling to confront reality: Zhou Corporation was doomed. The political protection that had shielded it was gone, and predators circled.

“What would you do?” The question came unexpectedly, almost… respectfully.

“Preemptive strike,” Zhou Lan suggested, meaning voluntary surrender.

But Zhou Xianling’s interpretation differed entirely.

His final words before hanging up: “Then I’ll leave the rest to you.”

The next morning, news broke of Zhou Xianling’s sudden death from “acute illness”—with Zhou Lan named sole heir.

The maneuver left her simultaneously furious and sorrowful. This final, selfish act dumped Zhou Corporation’s crumbling empire in her lap. Did he truly believe she could salvage the unsalvageable?

Her response was immediate and decisive. She donated all shares and assets to the government, transforming Zhou Corporation into the state-owned “Lanzhou Group”—a play on her name meaning “gratitude.” The move froze all investigations; while discreet inquiries continued, no findings would be published.

Ling He’na’s frantic calls went unanswered throughout the transfer process. Among the torrent of abusive messages Zhou Lan later deleted was one critical voicemail: “What about your child with Chu Zhao?”

With Jiangning’s affairs concluded, Zhou Lan was finally free—her role in this story officially complete.

According to the novel’s trajectory, Chu Zhao would soon relocate Chu Yue Entertainment to Luoan—the entertainment industry’s other powerhouse hub alongside the capital. The move promised both opportunity and new adversaries.

Yet a month passed without word about dissolving their marriage. Zhou Lan kept meaning to raise it, but The Rolling Eggs’ variety show premiere consumed her attention.

The band’s resurgence, particularly after performing her compositions—catapulted “Ming Xiao Zhou” into industry consciousness. Overnight, her songs became coveted commodities, though she doubled her rates to filter out undeserving artists.

Then came unexpected news from Hua Qiao: Chu Zhao’s ambitious Luoan expansion while maintaining their capital branch had created cash flow problems.

Zhou Lan stared at the message, an idea forming. Perhaps their marriage didn’t need ending just yet…