DASFAM_93

The Capital Center Hospital.

The ICU ward, fairly spacious in size, was now filled with members of the Shang family.

The caretaker blended the cut fruit pieces into a smooth puree, poured it into a cup, and handed it to the Old Madam on the hospital bed, then withdrew from the ward with good situational awareness.

Bai Xu and Shang Yanxiao were the last to arrive. They exchanged a glance with Shang Queyan, who had gotten there ahead of them, before looking around at the others in the ward.

Shang Keshu was seated right by Old Madam Shang's side, close to the head of the bed.

Shang Yun and Fang Yuhua sat on stools beside the bed, while Shang Songming and Shang Le'er stood alongside them.

Shang Keyi sat in silence on the sofa in a corner, every trace of her former haughty air completely gone. The invisible weight of guilt seemed to bow her very back.

Old Madam Shang gestured, "Yanxiao, you two are here, come in."

The two stepped forward a few paces and, with a mutual understanding, took their place in the same camp as Shang Queyan in his wheelchair.

Bai Xu asked with concern, "Grandmother, are you feeling better?"

Though the news of Old Madam Shang being 'gravely ill from grief' had been somewhat exaggerated for the sake of their plan, Old Master Shang's passing had still dealt her a tremendous blow.

The grief of losing one's lifelong love was not something that could be eased in a short while.

Old Madam Shang nodded, "I'm fine."

Seeing that nearly everyone in the family had gathered, she composed herself and raised the matter at hand, "The reason I called you all here today is because there is something I need to announce."

"All this time, you have all felt that the Old Master's need for control was too strong, resenting him for refusing to relinquish power even at his age, and even quietly stirring up no small amount of trouble behind the scenes over positions in the group and the matter of family assets."

"......"

Shang Keyi thought of Wu Wei, now behind bars, and of Shang Qishun, who had lost all sense of right and wrong in his madness. She couldn't bring herself to lift her head.

The second branch's couple similarly wore sheepish expressions.

Shang Yanxiao and Shang Queyan, having acted with integrity throughout, met her gaze without flinching. As for Shang Keshu and Bai Xu, the two had never cared about the group or its assets from beginning to end.

Old Madam Shang took in every person's expression, her resolve growing firmer, "The Old Master is gone, and I myself am halfway into the grave. So starting today, the family assets will be divided."

Those words, once spoken, drew a range of expressions from those present.

Old Madam Shang, having considered the practical circumstances thoroughly, continued, "The shares I currently hold in the company will be divided in equal proportions according to the number of people present in this ward. As for my own portion, that goes to Queyan."

Shang Queyan was somewhat surprised, "Grandmother?"

Old Madam Shang simply said, "I have my reasons. Just accept it."

Bai Xu lowered his eyes. As an observer, he understood well enough—

By redistributing the shares currently in her hands, Old Madam Shang was effectively ensuring that whichever branch had more members would benefit more.

Bai Xu had no designs on the Shang family shares. Even if Old Madam Shang gave him a portion, he would transfer it back to Shang Yanxiao in full.

As things stood, even counting him, the third branch and the second branch were still at a disadvantage in terms of numbers. Old Madam Shang's portion being transferred to Queyan was precisely to offset the third branch's numerical disadvantage.

"As for the chairman position, I will convene a new round of senior management meetings as soon as possible. It will go to a vote, and you will each make your case to the senior shareholders on your own merits."

Shang Yun and Fang Yuhua exchanged a glance, their thoughts as clear as a mirror—

By now, who didn't know that the two brothers of the third branch were the most prized assets in the Shang Group? Even if the shares held by both branches were comparable in proportion, the second branch likely stood no chance of competing.

"Taking the past as a lesson, I will have a lawyer draw up a will. After my death, the private assets in my hands will be distributed proportionally. But until then, not a single one of you should even think about coveting them!"

At those last few words, Old Madam Shang's gaze drifted pointedly toward Shang Keyi in the corner.

"......"

Shang Keyi felt that gaze land on her and replied listlessly, "Mother, it's fine even if I get nothing."

Her husband had been unfaithful and was now behind bars. Her son was unfilial, and his whereabouts were still unknown. When it came down to it, she no longer knew what all these years had even been for.

Old Madam Shang knew that her eldest daughter had unspeakable sorrows of her own. Yet she was already utterly disappointed in Shang Qishun, and looking at Shang Keyi, she couldn't help but be reminded of the beast that woman had raised!

"As for Keshu and Keyi, I will transfer a sum into designated funds separately. I will entrust a third-party institution to make regular annual payments to the two of you."

"Even if either of you remarries or gets married in the future, this annual sum will remain your own private money."

Shang Keshu's eyes stung with the threat of tears, "Mother."

Old Madam Shang patted her wrist and continued, "The estate is too large. It is a home, and yet it doesn't feel like one. Whether now or in the future, if any of you want to move out, find your own places."

"When the day comes that I am gone, I will have someone sell the estate and establish a foundation to make regular charitable donations each year."

The Shang family estate was the keepsake Old Master Shang had left behind for her. She would spend her remaining years there in peace, until the very last moment of her life.

Old Madam Shang had arranged everything in order, "Starting next month, whatever becomes of the four branches is no longer my concern. Go and live your own lives."

Everyone, each carrying their own mix of emotions, nodded in agreement one by one.

...

Old Madam Shang finished giving her most important instructions and let the others leave first. Only after the ward door had closed again did she turn to the third branch with a question.

"What is the situation with that wretched creature right now?"

Shang Yanxiao glanced at Bai Xu, "He took the transfer contract bearing Old Master's fingerprint and went to find someone from the foreign underworld to use it as collateral for cash. Tonight."

Old Madam Shang shook her head, "He certainly had grand ideas."

A question that had been lingering in Bai Xu's mind finally slipped out, "Grandmother, have the family's private assets always been kept under your name?"

He had originally been worried they wouldn't have enough time, intending to have Old Madam Shang see through Shang Qishun's scheme and move quickly to inherit and notarize the assets Old Master Shang had left behind. Yet it turned out—

Those private assets had long been registered under Old Madam Shang's name! The contract Old Master had been coerced into pressing his fingerprint on had been void from the very beginning!

Shang Qishun had thought himself clever by abandoning the competition for the group chairman position and turning his sights to these private assets instead. Yet no matter how carefully he had plotted, it had all amounted to nothing in the end.

Old Madam Shang took a sip of the fruit puree and spoke plainly, "In truth, the family's private assets were originally registered under your grandfather's name."

They had simply existed as marital joint property, and Old Madam Shang had never been concerned, nor had she ever feared that the person beside her would plot against her.

"It was around half a year ago, right around the time he came back from Singapore. He suddenly said he wanted to draw up a formal agreement to quietly transfer all the assets into my name."

Old Madam Shang hadn't understood why at the time, thinking that at their age, what difference did it make whose name it was under?

"Having gone through everything now, I realize your grandfather had been preparing for a rainy day all along."

Though in Singapore, Old Master Shang had flown into a rage over his suspicions toward Shang Yanxiao, a seed of doubt had still taken root in his heart.

If the first and second branches had truly harbored thoughts of harming their own kin, someday they might also set their sights on him, the nominal head of the family, for the sake of inheritance and private assets.

He had two aims: to prevent this wealth from falling into the hands of those with ill intentions, and to protect his wife's safety. So after quietly completing the transfer, he said nothing, letting everyone continue to believe he was still the one holding the purse strings.

Which just went to show, ginger gets spicier with age.

Old Master Shang had outwitted Shang Qishun's schemes and ambitions. It was only a pity he hadn't been able to save himself.

Whenever Old Madam Shang thought about how her husband's death had been indirectly caused by Shang Qishun, she felt it was unforgivable, "What do you plan to do about that wretched creature going forward?"

"We've already bought off his assistant. He plans to tip off the police when Shang Qishun meets with the other party for the transaction. We don't know the identity and background of the people on the other side, but they're certainly involved in dirty money, the police won't turn a blind eye."

As long as Shang Qishun was detained by the police, within a day or two, Old Yue, who had likewise been arrested, would certainly confess to his crimes—

At that point, whether it was Shang Qishun orchestrating the kidnapping, or hiring someone to run a person down and kill them, every single count would be enough to bring him to justice under the law.

Of course, the wrongs he had committed were by no means limited to those alone.

"Grandmother, don't trouble yourself over Shang Qishun's affairs anymore."

Shang Queyan steered his wheelchair closer and tucked in the corner of her blanket, "My brother, Bai Xu, and I will make sure he faces the consequences of the law."

Bai Xu added, "All you need to do is take good care of yourself. Everything else, leave it to us."

Old Madam Shang understood the concern and goodwill of the young ones before her and nodded in agreement, "Alright."

She looked down at the blanket over Shang Queyan's legs, unable to conceal her heartache, "I heard from your butler that the wound on your leg was badly scraped open a few days ago. You can't even wear your prosthetic comfortably now?"

Shang Yanxiao, hearing this, couldn't help but furrow his brow.

His younger brother's lost legs were a source of regret and guilt he carried no matter the occasion.

Shang Queyan smiled calmly, "It's nothing. I just wasn't used to the new prosthetic and took a bad fall. It'll scab over in a couple of days and be fine. Once it heals, I'll put the prosthetic back on and do a few extra laps around you."

A faint smile finally crossed Old Madam Shang's face, "You, as long as you're alright."

...

Seeing that the time was about right, the three of them left the ward.

Xie Qi, who had been waiting at the door, came forward immediately. After confirming that everyone present was one of their own, he spoke, "Third Young Master! The police have already been deployed."

Shang Yanxiao and Bai Xu exchanged a glance and lowered their voices, "What's the situation now? Has Shang Qishun been caught?"

Xie Qi relayed the message from Assistant Xiao word for word, "No. The other party was too quick to catch on. The police didn't manage to apprehend Shang Qishun at the scene. However, they reportedly found..."

Xie Qi paused, and his expression turned somewhat strange.

Bai Xu narrowed his eyes, "Found what?"

Xie Qi suppressed his revulsion, "...Several severed fingers."

Those few words alone were enough to paint a vivid, grisly picture in the mind.

Shang Queyan's expression stiffened slightly, "Shang Qishun's?"

Xie Qi didn't dare speak with too much certainty, "They'll need further DNA confirmation from the police. But from the sound of it, he's either dead or badly maimed."

Bai Xu glanced at the closed ward door and said carefully, "Yanxiao, the three bodyguards including Brother Fei still cannot be withdrawn. They must keep watch over Old Madam around the clock."

Shang Yanxiao nodded, likewise agreeing that the bodyguards needed to remain stationed there.

After all, as long as Shang Qishun remained at large for even a single day, he could still do something even more unhinged.

Shang Queyan asked, "Brother, what do you think Shang Qishun's next move will be?"

Shang Yanxiao answered plainly, "He has no way out left in the country. His first instinct will be to get out."

Bai Xu let out a cold snort, "Too bad for him. He won't be able to leave anytime soon."

Once Old Yue was arrested, he would inevitably give up Shang Qishun as the mastermind. Even if the former held out and refused to talk, the latter had already been implicated in the money laundering case.

"That being the case, the police will certainly restrict him from leaving the country."

Under normal circumstances, he would have no way of using public transportation to leave China smoothly.

In a more extreme scenario, he also had no way of finding a means to flee across the border illegally in such a short time.

The ruthlessness and cruelty Shang Qishun had once wielded, like a bullet fired on a fixed trajectory, was now relentlessly ricocheting back and striking him—

He was now like a rat hiding in a gutter, despised and hunted on all sides. Even Shang Keyi, his own birth mother, had been completely disillusioned with him.

What awaited Shang Qishun was the inescapable net the police would surely cast. One appearance, and he would be under surveillance. And every last bit of this bitter fruit was of his own making.

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