DASFAM_86

"……"

Sun Chuan turned to face Shang Qishun, and that hint of agitation vanished instantly, "Eldest Young Master."

A simple form of address, yet his tone carried more respect than it ever had back when he was part of the household.

Shang Qishun ignored his greeting, walking up step by step.

Sun Chuan hurriedly stepped aside to clear the way, hastily kicking the broken glass shards on the floor out of the way with his shoe, and not forgetting to drag the wooden chair forward, carefully wiping the spilled liquor off the seat with his sleeve.

"Eldest Young Master, please, sit."

"Mm."

Old Master Shang watched this exchange between the two of them, and along with his understanding came a wave of thick disappointment—

Because no substantial evidence had ever pointed to Shang Qishun regarding the third branch's car accident, even though Shang Yanxiao and the others harbored deep resentment toward the first branch, he, as the head of the family, had still held onto hope for this 'eldest grandson' of his.

Even having guessed that Shang Qishun might not be as gentle and amiable as he appeared on the surface, Old Master Shang still hadn't wanted to believe the man harbored such a viciously calculating heart.

But the situation before him now said everything!

Shang Qishun colluding with Sun Chuan, forcibly bringing him, unable to move on his own, to a place like this, didn't this lay bare the man's true nature and the scheming he'd kept hidden from view?

"Grandfather, why are you looking at me like that?"

Shang Qishun set the bag he'd brought with him down on the table, then sat down so he was at eye level with Old Master Shang.

He noticed the liquor stains on Old Master Shang's head and on the shoulders of his clothes, clicking his tongue in displeasure, "Butler Sun, I told you to take good care of the Old Master, is this what you call taking care of him?"

A faint curve still lingered at the corner of Shang Qishun's mouth, but the tone in which he spoke was genuinely chilling in its coldness.

Sun Chuan, well aware of how frightening Shang Qishun could be, explained in a panic, "It, it was my fault."

"A mistake is a mistake."

Shang Qishun pulled out a custom-made handkerchief from his pocket, putting on an air of filial devotion, "Grandfather, don't be afraid. With me here, Butler Sun wouldn't dare do anything to you."

As he spoke, he took the handkerchief and dabbed bit by bit at the liquor stains on Old Master Shang's forehead.

"……"

Old Master Shang caught sight of the leather gloves deliberately worn on those hands, how could he fail to understand Shang Qishun's careful scheming? Wasn't it simply to avoid leaving fingerprints inside this room?

After all, the moment the Shang family went to the police, this could escalate to a kidnapping case at any time.

Though Old Master Shang was limited in movement and speech, his eyesight and mind remained sharp as ever. Growing increasingly disappointed in Shang Qishun's actions, he turned his face away.

Shang Qishun noticed Old Master Shang's resistance, the curve at the corner of his lips withdrawing, "Grandfather, you've always had this temperament. Whenever you encounter people or things you dislike, your emotions show right on your face."

Old Master Shang used every bit of strength he had to force out a hoarse demand, "You... what exactly... are you, planning to do?"

Though the words came out garbled, Shang Qishun understood them.

Shang Qishun withdrew his handkerchief, "Grandfather, don't worry, I won't hurt you. I just think, given the state you're in now, you might as well let go of your attachment to the company and the family assets, agree to divide up the family estate properly. Wouldn't that be for the best?"

"With a family this big, gathered together day after day, how could we not end up fighting? Don't you agree?"

Old Master Shang opened his mouth, but found it hard to clearly articulate even the words "Don't you dare".

Shang Qishun understood anyway, letting out a light laugh, "You don't agree? Or is it that you've already chosen your successor in your heart, is it Shang Yanxiao? Or Shang Queyan?"

As he mentioned these two names, a visible darkness and viciousness crept over Shang Qishun's expression.

"Grandfather, what I don't understand is, why am I, as the eldest grandson of this family, by all rights the most suitable successor, yet over these years, your attention has drifted further and further away from me?"

"Is it because Third Uncle was so outstanding while he was alive, and that made you favor the third branch's two sons even more?"

"Or is it because you think my mother never followed your wishes, and my father's a worthless man who married into the family and lives off his wife, so by extension you don't think much of me either?"

"Or, deep down, do you simply not consider me part of the Shang family at all? Even though I carry the surname 'Shang,' even though publicly I'm acknowledged as the eldest grandson of the Shang family, do you only see me as a grandson born of a daughter?"

Just a grandson on the daughter's side, not measuring up to a grandson by true blood lineage, so how could he possibly inherit the company?

Shang Qishun had nearly settled on this answer in his heart, malice flooding his eyes, "Answer me! Isn't that exactly how it is!"

Old Master Shang glared at him furiously, wishing he could rise from his wheelchair and slap the man across the face twice, just to knock some sense into this ungrateful grandson once and for all!

He admitted that, back then, he hadn't been pleased with the marriage Shang Keyi had chosen for herself, and hadn't liked Wu Wei, this son-in-law who'd married into the family and seemed 'honest and dutiful' on the surface.

But when Shang Qishun was born, he'd genuinely felt joy!

All these years, he'd never once overlooked Shang Qishun's upbringing, in fact, he'd cared more about it than the boy's own parents, Wu Wei and Shang Keyi, ever had!

In the early days of Shang Qishun joining the group, Old Master Shang, worried that the staff might 'look down on' this young, inexperienced young master, had personally sought out project partners behind the scenes, helping him secure contracts so he could build up his confidence and reputation.

This kind of special treatment, none of the three brothers, Shang Songming, Shang Yanxiao, or Shang Queyan, had ever received!

Everyone said his temper had grown worse with age, but Shang Qishun, just like Shang Yanxiao, had almost never received so much as a harsh word of criticism from him.

Even before what happened to the third branch, the chances of inheritance in Old Master Shang's heart had been split roughly fifty-fifty between Shang Qishun and Shang Yanxiao. He'd even worried about hurting either grandson's feelings, and had discussed it with Old Madam Shang—

Whether they should split up the company, or simply divide the family assets evenly, letting each of the four branches go their own way, just to avoid souring the harmony between the siblings.

Only, however much he'd planned for, none of it had measured up to the secret rivalry brewing among his children and grandchildren behind his back.

"Old man, I already told you, stop looking at me like that."

Shang Qishun changed how he addressed him, no longer even willing to say 'Grandfather', "I, I just want to take back what's rightfully mine."

He pulled out a document from the bag he'd brought with him, along with a box of red ink paste.

Old Master Shang vaguely understood what he was about to do, his expression shifting slightly.

Shang Qishun calmly laid out the document and ink paste on his own, "I already asked a lawyer. Given your current limited mobility, as long as you understand the contents of the division agreement and voluntarily press your fingerprint, it's still legally valid."

Whether the understanding and the fingerprint were truly voluntary, who would care about that? In matters of property disputes like this, whoever gained the upper hand could afterward twist black into white.

Old Master Shang made out the contents of the document, a sharp breath catching in his throat.

"Old man, I know you don't like me right now, you probably wish you never had a grandson like me. So why not use this chance to 'cast me out'?"

"I don't need the chairman's seat at the company. Right now, all I want is money."

As long as he got enough money, he could still make his own way in the world!

"While I still have my patience, you'd better cooperate," A faint warning edge crept into Shang Qishun's raised brow, "Otherwise, next time it won't be you I target, it'll be Grandmother."

Hearing this, Old Master Shang trembled all over with rage, "You..."

Shang Qishun rose from the wooden chair, signaling to Sun Chuan beside him with a look.

Sun Chuan had already taken the money beforehand, so naturally he knew exactly whose side to be on. He hurried forward and forcefully grabbed Old Master Shang's right thumb.

Buzz buzz.

The phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated with a message.

Shang Qishun took the opportunity to check his phone, and his expression changed after just a glance.

He looked suspiciously at Old Master Shang, who was still struggling, and suddenly caught sight of the watch on the man's wrist, "Wait a moment!"

Shang Qishun strode over and yanked the watch off Old Master Shang's wrist, the latter's pupils trembling instantly.

Before Shang Qishun could fully confirm what was suspicious about this watch, the iron gate was pulled open again, "Boss Shang, the lookout at the road junction spotted a suspicious vehicle, we need to go!"

The man was hired muscle from the black market that Shang Qishun had paid for, all of them carrying cases on their backs and well-versed in counter-surveillance.

Shang Qishun guessed at something, smashing the watch on the ground at once. He had no time for anger, instead grabbing everything off the table in one sweep.

"Butler Sun, take the Old Master out and find somewhere to hide! Old Yue, drive with me!"

Hearing this, Sun Chuan immediately panicked, "Eldest Young Master, at my age, having to bring along the Old Master in a wheelchair, where exactly am I supposed to hide?"

"Less talk! Go out the back door! Find a way to circle around to the roadside, I'll have someone drive over to pick you up there."

Shang Qishun reacted quickly, tossing the bag to his hired muscle Old Yue, then shot Sun Chuan a vicious glare, "For the sake of your son and grandson, you know what to do!"

"……"

Sun Chuan watched as Shang Qishun and Old Yue rushed out the front door, then looked at Old Master Shang in the wheelchair, at a loss.

To save his own skin, he steeled himself and pushed the wheelchair, hauling the man out through the dilapidated back door.

Night had fully fallen by now, and raindrops were beginning to patter against the windshield.

Shang Yanxiao had already driven to the fork in the road, and watching the sudden light rain falling, an unease he'd never felt before welled up in his chest, "A' Xu, has Grandfather's location changed?"

"No, it's still at the same spot."

Bai Xu was in charge of keeping a direct line of communication with Shang Queyan and the police in the back seat, "Queyan says the location's somewhere in that abandoned residential area, but the exact spot still needs to be pinpointed."

"I told him to wait for us in the car with his assistant, not to act on his own."

After all, with no idea how many people they were dealing with or what their intentions were, if any commotion broke out, it could only end up creating more trouble.

The words had barely settled before an unfamiliar call came through.

Shang Yanxiao gave a slight nod, steering the car off the national highway, and soon spotted a familiar license plate by the roadside.

Bai Xu caught on too, "That's Queyan's car."

The two vehicles pulled up side by side, and the window of the white car rolled down.

Shang Queyan's assistant, Guo Wangquan, saw Bai Xu and Shang Yanxiao and immediately explained the situation, "Third Young Master, Mr. Bai, Fourth Young Master worried you might take the wrong fork, so he specifically had me wait here to meet you and the police."

Bai Xu caught sight of the empty passenger seat and immediately sensed something was off.

Shang Yanxiao got there first with the question, "Where's Queyan?"

Hadn't they agreed everyone would wait in the car? Why was it just the assistant alone now?

Guo Wangquan said, "Fourth Young Master said that abandoned residential area is too large, and he was too worried about the Old Master, so he wanted to go down and look for him first."

A peal of thunder crashed down suddenly.

Shang Yanxiao, rarely losing his temper, snapped, "What kind of recklessness is this! And you, as his assistant, didn't even stop him!"

Bai Xu reached over and steadily took hold of Shang Yanxiao's wrist to calm him, while explaining further to Guo Wangquan, "He's not easy to move around in his condition even normally, and now with rain coming down this hard, with no idea how many people we're dealing with, if it spooks them, it could turn dangerous."

Shang Yanxiao had no time to think further, hurriedly dialing Shang Queyan's number.

Beep—beep—beep—

The suddenly intensifying rain nearly drowned out the sound of the call.

After a long stretch of several dozen seconds of waiting, rustling sounds finally came through from the other end.

"... Brother."

Shang Queyan's voice carried a restrained sob unlike anything he'd ever shown before, "Brother."

Shang Yanxiao and Bai Xu both went pale with shock at the same moment, "Queyan, what happened?"

"Something's wrong! Grandfather... he fell..."

Shang Queyan's words came out broken and halting, as though he were suppressing a violent trembling from the pain, "Where, where are you? Hurry, get here!"

"Where are you right now?"

Shang Queyan on the other end gritted his teeth, his weak reply mixed with the sound of howling wind and pouring rain, "By the national highway, the exact, the exact spot..."

Bai Xu decided instantly, "WeChat, share your location! Right now!"

Shang Yanxiao caught on, not willing to wait even a moment longer, bursting out of the car into the rain.

"Yanxiao!" Bai Xu followed close behind, getting out of the car too, only managing to throw a hurried word to Guo Wangquan, "Wait here!"

The wind howled fiercely, rain whipping wildly through the air.

Shang Yanxiao sprinted forward following the location on his phone, and only when he saw the shared location markers overlap did he come to a stop, disoriented.

Bai Xu followed close behind him, stopping with a ragged, gasping breath.

All around them was pitch black, only the streetlights along the highway giving off a faint glow, but with the rain hampering visibility, what they could see with the naked eye dwindled to almost nothing.

"Queyan!"

"Queyan!"

Bai Xu switched on his phone's flashlight, trying to search.

Suddenly, the two of them heard a hoarse voice respond, "Brother! Bai Xu! I'm down here!"

Shang Yanxiao and Bai Xu pinpointed the direction of the voice, and almost in unspoken unison, swung their phone flashlights downward.

This stretch of highway had been built up on raised ground, with slopes of five or six meters dropping away on either side. Below the slope was overgrown grass that had lain abandoned for who knew how many years, along with piles of bricks and rubble scattered about.

The moment the two of them took in the scene below, their expressions changed at once—

Down the slope, Old Master Shang's wheelchair lay overturned and rolled some distance away. One of Shang Queyan's prosthetic legs had come loose, his body twisted at a near-grotesque angle on the ground.

And Old Master Shang, cradled protectively in his arms, was covered in blood, its source unclear, the pouring rain overhead washing the blood out and spreading it everywhere, a sight that struck the eye with sheer horror.

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