DASFAM_91

At exactly six o'clock in the evening, the interface of the Shang Group's official website switched to black and white.

The obituary announcing Old Master Shang's passing attracted intense attention from all sectors of society as soon as it was published, with major social media platforms rushing to repost and report on the sorrowful news.

It was well known that Old Master Shang was one of the top figures in China's business circles, having consistently ranked among the top of Forbes China's celebrity list. Now, this sudden obituary instantly sent netizens buzzing with discussion—

"Oh my god, this is way too sudden!"

"Was it a natural death? Or did something happen? The obituary doesn't say anything about it."

"Old Master Shang suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage in the second half of last year. He's been receiving stable treatment for the past few months. I even saw him at the hospital last week, and he seemed to be in pretty good spirits."

"My younger sister works at the city center hospital. She heard that Old Master Shang fell from a great height and couldn't be saved!"

"Word on the street is that Old Master Shang was kidnapped and taken away from the hospital! The police were even deployed yesterday afternoon! He's old, so he probably couldn't handle the shock and ended up in an accident!"

"What the hell, is that true?"

"It's true! The Shang family is in complete chaos right now. And as for the kidnapping of Old Master Shang, the Chairman, word is it was orchestrated by the Shang family's first branch!"

"In the past I wouldn't have believed it, but now I'm all for believing it. The Shang family's first branch has been stirring up quite a lot of trouble these past six months, hasn't it? Rich families fighting over wealth and power, it's terrifying."

"Ah, the Old Chairman may have seemed stern, but he did a lot of charity work during his lifetime, donating to children in impoverished mountain areas, and many of the industry chains under him carried out targeted one-on-one poverty relief every year! Rest in peace!"

What had originally been nothing more than netizens' speculation and imagination quickly became an opportunity seized by tabloids and independent media outlets, who launched comprehensive speculative breakdowns—

From mapping out the group divisions among the various Shang family branches and their relationships of interest, to the accidental kidnapping Old Master Shang had suffered, they ultimately worked backward to identify the mastermind behind all of these incidents.

Every angle of analysis and deduction pointed to none other than Shang Qishun of the first branch.

It was well known that the Shang family maintained a notably strict grip on media and public opinion control. Whenever there had been even the slightest hint of trouble in the past, the PR department and legal department would step in to handle it at the very first opportunity.

Now, whether it was because Old Master Shang's death had thrown everything into chaos, or because what the media had analyzed was all based on facts, there had been no PR clarification whatsoever.

For a time, the netizens following these developments grew increasingly conspiracy-minded.

"How vicious!"

"To harm your own flesh and blood for the sake of money and personal gain, the first branch really is despicable!"

"If I were Old Master Shang, I wouldn't let that bastard off even as a ghost. What kind of person does something like that!"

"This is terrifying. If he died as a result of the kidnapping, won't the authorities thoroughly investigate who's really behind it?"

"Shang Qishun always seemed refined and courteous, I never would have thought he was a wolf in sheep's clothing! I'll be waiting for the police's final announcement. Something about this whole thing is definitely off!"

"Scum. Go to hell!"

...

Shang Qishun stared at the endless stream of insults on the screen, his expression growing darker by the second. The ice pack clutched in his hand was so hard it was making his palm ache, and the emotions he had no outlet for kept building deeper within him.

The next second, he hurled the ice pack hard against the wall.

Crash!

The assistant's hand froze mid-reach for the medicine, not daring to breathe, "Mr. Shang, should I go manage the public opinion?"

Shang Qishun's bruised lip still throbbed with a dull ache, "You go manage it? Can you clean it up completely? This is clearly Shang Yanxiao's doing!"

The other party was dead set on using this to completely destroy his reputation, sever all his connections, and cut him off entirely from any chance at the chairman position?

"No matter how much money we throw at it, Shang Yanxiao will put out double, triple, even many times more to keep driving this public sentiment."

The assistant asked, "Then what do we do now? With the Old Chairman gone, the position at the group is completely up in the air."

Given Old Madam Shang's current health condition, it was clearly impossible for her to continue serving as acting chairman. If they didn't move quickly, wouldn't the third branch end up with a complete head start?

"It doesn't matter," Shang Qishun turned off his phone and used the black screen to check his swollen eye corner, "The chairman position, I don't want it anymore."

Given his current situation, his odds of securing the chairman position were already low. Since that was the case, he might as well convert all the chips in his hand entirely into money.

As long as he held enough capital in his hands, where couldn't he establish himself? In China, he could no longer continue staying here.

"......"

The assistant was startled, but didn't dare ask why.

Ever since the engagement banquet was called off and the scandal broke out, he had felt increasingly unable to read his own boss. The man was gloomy and unsettling all day long, always making people feel anxious and on edge.

A knock sounded at the door.

The assistant seized the opportunity to escape his gaze and hurried to answer it.

Old Yue, with his fierce-looking face, stood in the doorway, "Is Boss Shang in?"

The assistant noticed the unfamiliar face and frowned, "You..."

Old Yue had no patience for pleasantries with this kind of soft, refined type. He shoved past the assistant and walked straight in.

He caught sight of Shang Qishun's thoroughly battered face and looked somewhat surprised, "Boss Shang, haven't seen you in half a day, that's quite the look you've got going on."

"......"

Shang Qishun had no interest in wasting words with him. He signaled the assistant to close the door and wait outside.

The moment the door clicked shut.

Shang Qishun spoke in a cold voice, "Cut the nonsense. Is it taken care of?"

Old Yue had long been an off-the-books man who licked blood off knife blades, "That place had no surveillance, the car has been taken care of, and the police won't find their way to me that easily."

"But just to be safe, I still need to lie low for a while."

Shang Qishun said nothing in response, and gestured with his eyes toward the bottom of the coffee table.

Old Yue reached under it and pulled out a suitcase. Opening it, he found it packed full of cash. He pulled out a stack and sniffed the crisp, satisfying scent of new money, then closed it with satisfaction, "Boss Shang is generous."

"The matter I tasked you with, how is it coming along?"

"......"

Old Yue fished a slip of paper from his pocket. On it was a string of contact information, "I asked around. This foreigner has serious backing, probably looking to launder dirty money. Takes all kinds of dealings, the bigger the transaction the better."

"Boss Shang, as long as that transfer contract you have is legitimate and valid, he'll take it."

Shang Qishun committed the contact information to memory and leisurely tore the paper to shreds, "Understood."

The transfer contract he had coerced Old Master Shang into pressing his fingerprint on covered the Shang family estate under Old Master Shang's name, nearly a hundred properties and real estate developments, as well as various privately owned mineral assets, with a total value of at least tens of billions.

Naturally, all of these hidden assets had been quietly uncovered by Sun Chuan during his time as head steward. Authenticity guaranteed.

As long as he could convert these fixed assets into cash through special means, once the storm surrounding Old Master Shang's death had blown over, he could just as well clear his own name and make a flourishing life for himself overseas.

Old Yue picked up the heavy suitcase, "Boss Shang, I'll be taking my leave. If you need anything in the future, those brothers of mine from the underworld are all willing to put their lives on the line, as long as the money is right, they'll help with anything."

Shang Qishun gave a slight nod. Before he could respond, a familiar voice rang out from the doorway.

"Why are you blocking the way! Is Qishun in there! Let me in!"

"......"

Shang Qishun recognized Shang Keyi's voice, and his expression shifted subtly.

Old Yue, ever perceptive, picked up his suitcase and headed out. He walked straight into Shang Keyi as she came barging in, and left without a word.

Shang Keyi caught the murderous look in his eyes and figured he was no decent person. Spotting her son's figure, she rushed into the living room.

"Qishun, who was that just now? You..."

"What are you doing here?"

Shang Qishun cut her off with cold, sharp words, none of the respect a son ought to show his mother.

Seeing this, the assistant, taking note of Shang Qishun's various behaviors lately, couldn't help but stay on guard. Pretending to comply, he stood watch at the door, but quietly left it open just enough of a crack to eavesdrop.

Shang Keyi paid no attention to this and launched into speech on her own, "There's a huge mess both at home and at the group right now, come back with me!"

Ever since the first branch got into trouble, Shang Qishun had moved out of the estate and had been staying here ever since.

Though Shang Keyi was utterly disappointed in him, the person before her was still flesh and blood of her own. She hoped that Shang Qishun could turn over a new leaf and become a decent person.

With that thought in mind, Shang Keyi tried her best to reason with him, "Qishun, the Old Master's passing had nothing to do with you to begin with. The more you hide away, the more..."

Shang Qishun let out a cold laugh, "Mom, are you genuinely clueless, or just playing dumb?"

Shang Keyi's expression stiffened, "What do you mean by that?"

The swelling on Shang Qishun's face was agonizing, and it had cost him some of his composure, "Exactly what you think it means. If anything, I have you and the message you sent me to thank for it."

Though he hadn't laid out the truth plainly, the implication between the lines was clear enough.

Shang Keyi shot back shrilly, "What nonsense are you talking!"

The previous day, once everyone had confirmed that Old Master Shang had been taken by Sun Chuan, they had launched a rescue effort using a tracking device. Unable to reach her son by phone, Shang Keyi had no choice but to contact him by text message—

"Qishun, what on earth are you so busy with? Why aren't you picking up?"

"Come back quickly, something's happened at home! Your grandfather has been taken away! But his location has already been tracked, the third branch and the police have already gone there. Call me back when you get a chance!"

It was precisely because of those two messages that the ever-suspicious Shang Qishun immediately sensed something was wrong. He smashed the wristwatch Old Master Shang had been carrying on him and chose to leave without a moment's delay.

If not for that lucky escape, a few minutes more and they would have all been caught in the police's net!

Shang Keyi still hadn't recovered from the shock, "Shang Qishun! Have you lost your mind! That was my father! Your own grandfather!"

"Does it matter?"

Shang Qishun laughed as though he'd gone mad, yet his eyes held nothing but deep, unrelenting hatred and murderous intent, "Who told him to keep taking the third branch's side? Who told him to never once trust me!"

Then, as if suddenly catching himself, he feigned ignorance and distanced himself from it all, "But I didn't do anything. It was Sun Chuan, it was Shang Queyan who killed Grandfather."

Though his current circumstances and public opinion were against him, when broken down piece by piece, there was no direct evidence pointing to him as the one who had done it—

Old Master Shang had been kidnapped by Sun Chuan and died by accident. And Sun Chuan hadn't been run over and killed by him either. Without sufficient evidence, the police had no grounds to arrest him!

"Mom, can't you see? It's the third branch who's desperate to take over the group! Now that Grandfather is dead, they want to finish me off completely and utterly destroy my reputation and standing!"

Shang Yanxiao and Bai Xu were certain that the car accident involving the third branch's couple had something to do with him. Even though Wu Wei and his illegitimate son had already been put behind bars, the third branch still refused to let him go and targeted him at every turn.

"I had no choice! Look at how hard I've worked all these years, I can't end up with nothing in the end! Grandfather was already that old. Isn't it perfectly normal that he didn't pull through?"

"......"

Shang Keyi had thought her life had already hit rock bottom, but only now did she understand that beneath hell, there were still demons.

And worse, the demon before her was one she had raised with her own hands.

Shang Qishun rose to his feet and looked down at Shang Keyi, whose face had gone ashen, "Mom, I've already gotten what I wanted. Once things settle down, I'll take you abroad with me."

With that, he moved to help Shang Keyi to her feet.

Shang Keyi stared at Shang Qishun, who seemed like a completely different person, and screamed in terror, "Get away from me! I, I have no son like you, you heartless monster!"

Shang Qishun let out a scornful laugh, and the false warmth on his face vanished without a trace.

"What can be done? You and I share the same blood, and I'm the only son you have left."

He had long since had a firm grasp on Shang Keyi's nature, "Mom, you have to side with me and keep my secret."

With that, he left without looking back.

The door slammed shut behind him. Shang Keyi crumpled to the floor from the force of it, overwhelmed by a remorse so immense she wished she could die right then and there.

"Father! I'm sorry! Father..."

Sounds of anguished sobbing came through the phone, shaking the eardrums.

Bai Xu made a swift decision and closed the phone app. His gaze turned to Old Madam Shang on the hospital bed. Shang Yanxiao and Shang Queyan were keeping vigil on either side of the bed, and the expressions on both brothers' faces were equally grim.

Old Madam Shang pressed a hand to her chest, which had begun to tighten. She felt as though she couldn't breathe at all.

Shang Keshu hurried to rub Old Madam Shang's back, "Mother! Are you alright! Take a deep breath!"

"What a sin! That beast!" Old Madam Shang trembled all over, wracked with grief and fury, "How did our Shang family ever raise such a heartless beast!"

Bai Xu quickly poured Old Madam Shang a glass of warm water, "Grandmother, please have some water first."

Old Madam Shang choked on her breath, "I don't want any!"

Shang Yanxiao, afraid that the old madam would work herself into such a rage that she'd end up directing her blame at Bai Xu as well, quickly stepped in to explain, "Grandmother, I'm sorry. I know this wasn't the right time to let you hear all of this."

Old Madam Shang had always been kind and soft-hearted, and had never been willing to believe that her own children could be so wicked.

At the time of the third branch's car accident, she, like the police, had concluded that it was Wu Wei's own doing, and bore no direct connection to her own daughter or grandson.

Shang Keshu spoke up in support, "Mother, I was involved in this too. It was me who placed the listening device in Big Sister's bag."

Shang Qishun had always been very good at keeping up appearances and would never easily let his guard slip in front of others. If not for this special method, those present likely would have had no way of getting a single truthful admission out of him.

Bai Xu took a deep breath and steeled himself to continue, "Grandmother, on the night Grandfather passed away, I found red ink on his thumb. I suspect Shang Qishun must have coerced him into pressing his fingerprint onto certain contracts."

"Now that Grandfather is gone, you are the first-in-line legal heir to his estate."

Bai Xu had never pried into the Shang family's assets, so he had no clear picture of the arrangements between the old couple, nor whether Old Master Shang had drawn up a will or had it notarized during his lifetime.

Though privately handling an estate could constitute the offense of misappropriation, the fact that Shang Qishun had dared to go this far meant he certainly had contingency plans and means of his own.

"My suspicion is that Shang Qishun may use the contract bearing the fingerprint, through certain special means, to convert some of Grandfather's estate into private ownership."

"So we must get ahead of him and handle this before he makes his move."

Otherwise, the Shang family could very likely find themselves mired in unnecessary legal disputes down the line. And more importantly—

Shang Queyan picked up where he left off, "Grandmother, we're also afraid that Shang Qishun may move against you."

This person had already descended into utter madness. If Old Madam Shang's existence were to interfere with his plans to seize the estate, there was every reason to fear he would cook up yet another scheme!

"Grandmother, the reason we had to tell you and let you know the truth is so that you yourself would be on guard. You must never again be taken in by Shang Qishun's outward appearance."

"Going forward, I will have bodyguards protecting you around the clock, and Younger Aunt will be by your side throughout."

Old Master Shang's sudden accident had already taught them all a hard enough lesson. This kind of situation absolutely could not be allowed to happen a second time!

Old Madam Shang had not grown muddled with age and could still tell right from wrong.

She looked around at everyone gathered at her bedside, and steadying herself against the weight of her grief, she spoke firmly, "Yanxiao, have Lawyer Xiao come at once."

Shang Yanxiao nodded, "Alright."

Bai Xu immediately added, "However, bringing Lawyer Xiao here must be kept quiet. Grandmother, I'd like to ask you to help us put on a show."

Old Madam Shang met his gaze, "Put on a show?"

Bai Xu's eyes shifted slightly, "Shang Qishun thinks he's hidden everything so perfectly that not even the police can trace it back to him, doesn't he? Then let's set a trap and make him walk right into it!"

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