Everyone stopped in their tracks. They had intended to vent their anger on Lu Ming, to beat him soundly and relieve their pent-up fury.
But who could have imagined that Lu Ming would be so vicious?
Jiang Yang, with his excellent skills, was now crying his eyes out under Lu Ming's foot. For others whose skills were inferior to Jiang Yang's, it was suicide to step forward.
Seeing his son so pathetic, Jiang Anzhi became even more enraged.
He rushed forward and roared, "Get your stinking foot off!"
Lu Ming frowned. Not only did he not move his foot, but he pressed down harder, distorting Jiang Yang's entire face.
"Wail~~" Jiang Yang cried out in pain.
Jiang Anzhi's fury burned.
He questioned, "Lu Ming, what do you think you're doing?"
Lu Ming retorted, "That's what I should be asking you, Uncle Jiang, and all you senior Jiang family members. You charged at me menacingly, what were you trying to do?"
Jiang Anzhi said, "We want an explanation! Lu Ming, you knew from the start that there was an ancient tomb under Qunhui Road. Why didn't you try your best to stop us? You watched us jump into a fiery pit, and you did nothing? Are you even human?"
Before Lu Ming could reply, Jiang Lan stepped forward.
She sneered and said, "Didn't my brother-in-law try to advise you? He explained all the dangers clearly and warned you not to invest. He cautioned you not to trust Cheng Hai. Did any of you listen?"
She paused, then continued, "If you had all listened to my brother-in-law's advice like I did, would you have been scammed? Now that something has happened, instead of reflecting on yourselves, you're blaming my brother-in-law. Uncle, you're truly skilled at shifting blame!"
Jiang Anzhi and the other high-ranking officials were so shamed they couldn't lift their heads.
Yes, it wasn't that Lu Ming hadn't warned them; it was that they hadn't listened!
Thinking back to how terribly Jiang Anzhi had berated Lu Ming then, and how disdainfully everyone had treated Lu Ming, it was indeed inappropriate to blame Lu Ming now.
Jiang Mengxin regretted it even more.
Back then, she had looked down on Jiang Lan, thinking her shortsighted and incapable of making money.
In the end, she realized she was the one who had been ignorant.
Everyone fell silent.
Only Xu Qin stepped forward, cursing and saying, "Is this our fault? Lu Ming, a nobody who guards graves, can his words be trusted? He said there was an ancient tomb, why didn't he tell us how he got this information?"
Lu Ming's brows furrowed deeply.
He had gotten this information from the mayor, Xu Zhijian.
However, Lu Ming could not reveal this.
If he mentioned Mayor Xu, it would undoubtedly bring untold disasters upon him.
Lu Ming shook his head and said, "I cannot disclose the source of the information."
"Heh heh." Xu Qin laughed, "Did everyone hear that? Even now, this piece of trash is holding back. He'd rather watch the Jiang family perish than reveal the source of the information or be honest with everyone. He's deliberately humiliating us and laughing at our expense!"
The crowd's anger was reignited.
Jiang Anzhi said, "Whether it's Jiang Mengxin's fault or Lu Ming's fault, in the end, it's your family's fault! Xu Qin, Lu Ming is your son-in-law, and you can't escape responsibility for his mistakes!"
He continued, "Therefore, my suggestion is to expel Lu Ming from the Jiang family and send him back to guard graves! Simultaneously, dismiss Jiang Mengxin from her position as CEO and never allow her to participate in Jiang's enterprise decision-making!"
BOOM!!!
Xu Qin was struck by lightning.
She didn't care about Lu Ming being expelled, but she couldn't accept her daughter Jiang Mengxin being dismissed.
Just now, Xu Qin had pushed all the blame onto Lu Ming, intending to use that as a pretext to drive Lu Ming out of the Jiang family while clearing Jiang Mengxin's name.
But she never imagined that Jiang Anzhi wouldn't fall for it and would insist on dealing with both Jiang Mengxin and Lu Ming.
What's more, everyone else seemed to agree with this proposal.
"Expel Lu Ming from the Jiang family, dismiss Jiang Mengxin as CEO!"
"I support Uncle Jiang's resolution."
"Jiang Mengxin and Lu Ming are sinners of the Jiang family. We cannot allow two sinners to continue managing the Jiang family!"
Seeing that the situation was spiraling out of control.
Xu Qin shouted, "Jiang Anzhi! My daughter Mengxin's position as CEO was personally appointed by the Old Master. You can't dismiss her just because you want to. You don't have the authority!"
"I don't have the authority, heh heh." Jiang Anzhi sneered twice. "Does Grandma have the authority?"
Suddenly, the crowd parted to both sides.
Two old women helped an elder walk forward. The elder wasn't very old, around her seventies, but she carried herself with great authority and presence.
She was the matriarch of the Jiang family, the wife of Old Master Jiang Dingbian, the mother of Jiang Anzhi and Jiang Xueyi, and Jiang Mengxin's grandmother.
Cao Chunhui!!!
As Old Madam Cao appeared, everyone fell silent, afraid to act rashly.
Even the fiery Xu Qin became a docile cat.
Jiang Anzhi walked over and paid his respects to the old lady, saying, "Mother, Jiang Mengxin is immoral and incompetent. She caused the entire Jiang family to fall into the deep pit of Qunhui Road. As for Lu Ming, he is petty and narrow-minded. Knowing it was a trap, he didn't stop us and instead watched us make fools of ourselves. This couple has brought the Jiang family to the brink of disaster! Mother, I implore you to speak the word and expel Lu Ming from the Jiang family, and dismiss Jiang Mengxin from her CEO position!"
Xu Qin looked anxiously at Old Madam Cao, swallowing nervously.
Old Madam Cao held a respected position.
With a single word from her, Jiang Mengxin could be dismissed.
The old lady approached Jiang Mengxin, looked at her, and said with great disappointment, "When the Old Master was alive, he favored you the most and relied on you the most, Mengxin. But I never imagined you would be so incompetent. Your incompetence has brought suffering to the Jiang family."
Jiang Mengxin dropped to her knees before the old lady with a thud.
Tears streaming down her face, she said, "Grandma, I'm sorry, your granddaughter is incompetent."
"Sigh..." Old Madam Cao waved her hand. "Since you are incompetent, you should no longer hold the position of Jiang family CEO."
Jiang Mengxin lowered her head, speechless.
Xu Qin's legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground.
Only Jiang Anzhi rejoiced in his heart. With Jiang Mengxin dismissed, who else could take the CEO position if not him?
Old Madam Cao then turned to Lu Ming, her face filled with disgust and anger, and said, "Actually, I don't understand why the Old Master would have a grave-keeper 'save' the Jiang family. He was wise his whole life, but he made a foolish mistake this time. It seems even he could err. This trash who guards graves, get out of the Jiang family immediately!"
Lu Ming, expelled.
Jiang Mengxin, dismissed from her CEO position.
Everything seemed to be decided.
If this were the case, the Jiang family would have no chance of recovery, and Lu Ming's promise to Old Master Jiang Dingbian would remain unfulfilled.
At this moment.
Jiang Lan stepped forward and said, "Grandma, expelling brother-in-law and dismissing sister won't solve the problem. I hope you can give them a chance to atone for their mistakes. Give them three days to help the Jiang family recover their losses. If they fail, then it won't be too late to punish them."
Jiang Lan was the only one who remained clear-headed.
Although she didn't know Lu Ming's true identity, she was very clear about one thing: the only person who could save the Jiang family from this crisis now was Lu Ming!
Therefore, Lu Ming must not be driven away.
With a thud, Jiang Lan also knelt down and said sincerely, "Grandma, I beg you, please don't drive away my brother-in-law!"