Chapter 76 The Start Of Nightmare


    It was in the Tang Group.


    The door of the CEO office was pushed open. The thrust echoed through the office as Lionel stormed


    towards Rufus, who was signing off some document. The loud noise made him look up from the


    document and gaze at the approaching figure of Lionel. He stopped in front of Rufus''s desk, then


    pped hard on it with his palms, making it shake under his hands.


    "Rufus Luo! What on earth do you want?" Lionel questioned, his voice trembling with rage.


    Rufus stared back at him with a rather nonchnt look. Refusing to pay any heed to Lionel''s


    intimidating demeanor, he turned his head towards Leo and instructed, "Send this document to the


    human resource department. Tell them toplete all the procedures within a week."


    Leo took the file and paced towards the door. But before he could even reach the door, he found Lionel


    standing right in front of him. In one smooth move, Lionel blocked his way out of the room and grabbed


    the file from his hand.


    After that, he pped the file back on the desk so hard that all the contents inside the file came out and


    got scattered on the floor.


    Lionel''s eyes fell on a piece of paper on top and his pupils got dted. It was a dismissal notice.


    Picking up the note, he thrust it back in front of Rufus and shouted with disbelief, "He is the marketing


    manager of ourpany! How can you just dismiss him! Have you ever considered the


    consequence?"


    Rufus did not reciprocate to the temperament disyed by Lionel. Rather he maintained a calm and


    coolposure. He just leaned back to the backrest of the chair, folded his arms as he maintained the


    indifferent gaze on Lionel. It was as if he wasn''t a part of the quarrel and he was just watching the


    episode as an outsider.


    Rufus''s cool and adamant behavior frustrated Lionel all the more.


    "Rufus Luo! Right now you are too much indulged in your role as the CEO of thepany! Don''t forget


    the person who granted you the power! If father ever realizes that you are dismissing the employees at


    the management level randomly as per your own whim, which will adversely affect thepany, he will


    take his action against this!" Lionel attempted to threaten Rufus.


    However, Rufus lookedpletely disinterested in getting into a confrontation. He even refused to utter


    a single word in retaliation to Lionel''s threat. Instead, he lifted his head, and gave a cold stare at Lionel.


    "This is the decision of the board of directors, not me. We had a vote. As the marketing manager, he


    didn''t actively establish rtionship with new clients, which was part of his responsibilities. Moreover,


    some of our regr customers even turned to ourpetitors because of him! How can we continue to


    hire such a worthless man?"


    Lionel''s rage was showing in his eyes which were literally burning. He was aware of the meeting, but


    wasn''t informed that it was about human resource management. Busy with Ivy, he decided not to


    attend. Now he regretted, and attempted to revoke this decision.


    "He was hired during father''s term. Now you want to fire him, but you haven''t asked for his approval!"


    Lionel brought up the topic once again to negotiate with Rufus.


    Rufus''s silence was getting on his nerves by now. He brought up the name of Horace once again and


    tried to suppress Rufus.


    Rufus then stood up. With his height and build, he was firm and unwavering.


    "When you referred him to father, you had never mentioned that he was Ivy''s cousin," Rufus stated


    coolly.


    This sentence, though not long, thumped on Lionel''s heart heavily.


    Indeed, this person was suggested by Ivy. After talking to him for several times, Lionel felt that this


    person could possibly be hired for the manager''s role. And it happened that there was a vacancy for


    marketing manager. So, he suggested his name to his father.


    In order to avoid suspicion from others, he had never revealed this fact to anyone else. How could


    Rufus possibly know about the secret!


    Yet Lionel wasn''t ready to give up. Suppressing his voice low to sound firm, he warned Rufus, "You


    know that Ivy is pregnant with the eldest grandson of the Tang family. If she gets to know that her


    cousin is fired, she may get agitated, which in turn would probably affect the baby. Do you think you


    can escape from the me?"


    Rufus smirked at Lionel in a sardonic manner. Then his face broke into a mocking smile as though he


    regarded Lionel as a clown.


    "Well, the eldest grandson of Tang family is not from your wife. Is that something to be proud of?


    Besides, what has this got to do with me?" Rufus sneered.


    The coldness in Rufus''s voice and his indifference rendered Lionelpletely at a loss of words. He


    could not find any other way to bargain his way to save the job of Ivy''s cousin.


    Atst, Lionel stood up and with a faint hope in his heart, he made hisst attempt.


    "Rufus, do you think that you can get control of the entirepany just by sacking all the people who


    are associated with me? I have been in Tang Group for so many years, during which you never had a


    chance to step you foot in the business. And now, how is it even possible for you to clear all my people


    from thepany!" he scowled.


    The agitation from Lionel once again met a cold and t reaction from Rufus. A sinister smile gradually


    crept on Rufus''s lips, which made him look like a blood-thirsty and cruel monster.


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    "Whatever I am doing is just for the benefit of Tang Group. As regards to how you interpret my actions,


    I don''t care," Rufus stated with a scornful face.


    Lionel realized that it was his turn to rest his case. The argument with Rufus was not going anywhere. It


    was clear that he had no way to turn it around. He couldn''t change Rufus''s decision, nor was he in the


    position to threaten him. Lionel found it difficult to calm himself down though. He raised his hand and


    pointed his finger at Rufus for thest time and said, "You… You just wait. Rufus, sooner orter, I will


    make you regret!" Lionel''s voice creaked and his hands were trembling out of fury as he spoke.


    Nonchnt to Lionel''s desperate words, Rufus just shrugged and maintained the cold gaze at Lionel


    with a cynical smile on his face.


    "Whatever you say!" Rufus replied tantly.


    Lionel turned around and stormed out of the office. Rufus remained unaffected. The usual indifferent


    look was back on his face as he summoned Leo to discuss about a few more dismissals that had to be


    processed. He instructed Leo, "There are three more dismissal notices in this week. Get it done fast. I


    don''t want to give them any chance to fight back!"


    Leo nodded in agreement as he picked up the dismissal notices from Rufus''s desk, and then he


    headed towards the human resource department straight.


    After Leo left, Rufus rose up from the chair and walked towards the floor-to-ceiling windows. A very


    clear view of the city could be seen from this ce. Rufus set his eyes on the panoramic view and got


    lost in his thoughts.


    From the pinnacle of the tower that was centrally located in the city, the bird view of the city was


    breathtaking. Rufus took a deep breath and then recollected as he relished the city view from his office.


    Standing alone in front of the windows overseeing the busiestmercial space in the city, Rufus


    remembered his first visit to the Tang Group building. It was ten years ago. What an overwhelming


    experience it had been to stand on the ground and look up at the skyrocketing building that soared


    higher to literally engulf the sky! The very thought of it gave him goose bumps.


    His mother had a cerebral hemorrhage. Though she was lucky to be saved by the surgeon, she had


    be like a vegetable.


    For further medical treatment of his mother, Rufus nned to take her to a better hospital abroad.


    Before he left the country, he decided to pay a visit to the building that had cast the gloomy shadow on


    his and his mother''s lives.


    Each and every moment of that day yed like a screenshot in front of Rufus''s eyes. He was standing


    at the entry gate in front of Tang Group building, gazing at the magnanimous height when very


    unexpectedly, Horace and Jill walked out hand in hand.


    Horace, still a healthy man at that time, thanks to his healthy lifestyle, had absolutely no sign of ageing


    at all.


    And Jill was like a woman of ss, wearing an arrogant smile on her face.


    Busy inughing and chatting between themselves, they boarded a luxurious car and drove away.


    Their radiant faces,ughters and their jovial camaraderie were still so fresh in Rufus''s mind.


    No one had noticed, that a tall man with a cold and stern look, stood with clenched fists at the main


    entrance of Tang Group.


    No one could feel the fire seething inside Rufus''s heart that day. His gaze was so intent, and the color


    of his eyes was even darker than the darkest night.


    It was the rightful ce for his mother beside Horace.


    And Rufus should be the rightful owner of this building. He remembered how loathsome it was to watch


    Horace with Jill in front of the Tang Group building that day.


    As he was witnessing their happy time, Rufus then thought to himself, ''Horace is at the peak of his life


    because of the support from his wife''s family. He left my mom for money. And now my mom is lying on


    the cold patient bed, unable to utter even a word!''


    Immense hatred soon brimmed his eyes as he watched Horace that day. At that moment, he vowed to


    himself, ''Someday, I''m going to take back all these!


    And I am going to take all these away from them!''


    Rufus closed his eyes as he remembered his moment when he took the resolution. And now he


    seemed to havepleted it. He had reached the height and the position that he had aimed to


    achieve. Even though he was standing in the office of the highest power, he couldn''t afford to rx. He


    heaved a sigh as he brought himself back to the present time.


    Horace''s health was deteriorating very fast. Lionel was incapable as a leader. The men in the


    management and directorial levels had conflicting interests. And Horace had lost his control.


    In such a dire situation, Rufus came in the picture, with his perfect scores in college and management


    experience. Horace had no choice but to assign him as the CEO of Tang Group, hoping that he could


    handle the issue.


    Rufus proved himself and met Horace''s expectation. Within only half a year, the situation in the


    company started looking up. The slumping trend of thepany was reced with a thriving one, and


    the people who held power in thepany didn''t dare take advantage because of his strict and tough


    policies.


    Despite the situation going in his favor, Rufus knew well that this was far from his final victory. The


    battle had just begun. The power that Horace had granted him was only temporary.


    Rufus knew it in his heart that even though Lionel did not deserve bing the heir of the Tang family,


    Horace would ultimately give all he had to his dear younger son.


    And then? What would happen to Rufus? His tenure was meant to be short-lived in the Tang Group.


    Once Tang Group got back on track, Rufus''s presence in thepany would no longer be critical.


    Lionel woulde back, backed by his father''s support and love. And the first thing he would do was


    to throw Rufus out of thepany.


    As Rufus thought through the obvious consequences, his face broke into a cold smile.


    No one knew better than Rufus that Horace was a typical businessman, whose action was dictated


    only by profit. He was in no way a man for him to be loyal to, nor did Rufus aspire to be the right


    hand man for Horace. His purpose behind joining the Tang Group was different. He had a very discreet


    vision in his mind when he joined thispany.


    He was here to make Horace regret. Yes! He wanted to make him regret the choice he had made.


    Horace deserved it. He should regret choosing Jill over Rufus''s mother. He should regret devouring all


    his love on Lionel instead of Rufus! Rufus gritted his teeth, and his jaw line stiffened as he thought


    about it.


    He could not wait for the time when he would make Horace aware, that his return wasn''t the hope of


    Tang family. Rather, it was the start of a nightmare!


    At the hospital, Cassandra looked out of the window wistfully. Pristine white snowkes transcended


    from the sky and touched the ground. The view was extremely soothing and she could spend hours


    looking at this surreal phenomenon.


    It had been five days since she was hospitalized. No matter how upset, how bored she felt, she never


    mentioned about getting discharged from the hospital.


    When the female doctor with a poker face checked on her, she whined once, "Everyone whishes to get


    out as soon as possible. This girl is so special. She loves staying here instead of going home."


    Cassandra justughed helplessly as the doctor stroked the tip of her nose and said that she was just


    feeling sick.


    But in her heart, she was still dreadful at the thought of getting back to Tang family.


    Except for Horace and Rufus, no one in the family would be kind to her. The very thought of it made her


    shudder.


    This was especially the case with Jill, who had never given her a smile since the first day they met. The


    old woman sincerely disdained the girl who got married to her son only to save her own family.


    Lionel was enjoying his life with his old girlfriend Ivy. He never developed any attachment towards


    Cassandra.


    As for Ivy… It was better for Cassandra to stay away from that woman. As the faces of Jill, Lionel and


    Ivy shed though her mind, she could feel the coldness inside her heart. All these people were so


    distant from her without a touch of warmth, care or concern.


    After a few days of hospitalization, she had recoveredpletely from the fever, but Rufus insisted that


    she should stay in the patient ward.


    He was trying to protect her as he feared that she would be ill-treated in the Tang family.


    Cassandra was moved by Rufus once again. The care and concern that she could not find in her family


    came to her from an absolutely unexpected corner. She had never expected to get sce and a sense


    of warmth from Rufus.


    Her eyshes quivered and she closed her eyes to control the tears that began to surface on her eyes.


    ''Rufus, what shall I do? Every time I want to push you out of my mind, I feel your love for me.


    How can I make up my mind to stop thinking about you?'' she asked herself.