After Wen Yibei forcibly endured the discomfort in his stomach and talked to Shi Yunnan, he then fell asleep again.
Shi Yunnan cautiously walked out of the ward and saw Luo Lingsheng still waiting for him alone in the corridor.
The two looked at each other. Luo Lingsheng noticed Shi Yunnan’s complicated red eyes and frowned, “Yunnan, what did your brother tell you?”
Shi Yunnan approached him and sat on the lounge chair,“… Luo Lingsheng.”
“I’m here.”
Luo Lingsheng turned the wheelchair to face him and said in a gentle low voice, “It’s almost three o’clock. Are you tired?”
Shi Yunnan shook his head, “I’m not sleepy.”
He had just learned about the past from Wen Yibei’s mouth, so how could he have the heart to sleep?
Luo Lingsheng didn’t rush to ask questions but just stayed with Shi Yunnan quietly for some time.
It took a while before Shi Yunnan, who had organized his thoughts, opened his mouth and told Luo Lingsheng everything that had happened.
“…This matter can’t be left like this!“
Shi Yunnan took a deep breath, and the unrestrained “vengeance” in his heart surged out again, “Some stuff, even if I don’t care about them, I can’t let that mother and son have it.”
Luo Lingsheng didn’t think there was anything wrong with Shi Yunnan’s idea.
To put it bluntly, Shi Sheng’s infidelity was not worthy of forgiveness, and Xie Wei’s actions back then could be regarded as indirectly harming Shi Yunnan and Wen Yibei’s mother.
Which child can remain completely unmoved?
On top of that, old man Shi had been showing blatant favoritism toward Xie Keyue over the past decade or so. The fact that Shi Yunnan and Wen Yibei were able to endure until now can be regarded as the utmost benevolence and righteousness.
“Do you need my help?” Luo Lingsheng asked.
To the Luo family, the Shi family could be called a fat mouse at most. It did have some meat, but it wasn’t difficult to clean up.
“No need.” Shi Yunnan shook his head and said, “Once you and the Luo family make a move, it will only give them a reason to slander and spread nonsense behind your back in the future.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Luo Lingsheng didn’t care about that.
Shi Yunnan played with Luo Lingsheng’s fingers in an attempt to stabilize his emotions from this action. “I just think that simply going bankrupt is too easy for them.”
His eyes were sharp, “Watching your stuff being taken away little by little and not being able to do anything about it might maximize the pain.”
He wanted Xie Keyue and Xie Wei to think they were “winning.” But eventually, they were only drawing water with a sieve1A waste of effort; Doing something in vain…!
As for the father and son, old man Shi and Shi Sheng, who were also rotten to the core, don’t they love to save face? Then he will have to trample their faces into the mud in front of everyone!
Shi Yunnan calmed down slightly and said, “Luo Lingsheng, my brother and I have to deal with the people in the Shi family by ourselves. It’s also counted as a late explanation to my mother.“
“However, I need someone to help me keep an eye on Xie Wei and Shi Sheng, and then go check something.”
Shi Yunnan’s thoughts were understood by Luo Lingsheng, who nodded, “Okay, I will ask Qin Jian to find some reliable people to help you.”
“Yes.”
…
Half a month later
A lavish banquet was about to be held in the banquet hall of the Imperial Hotel.
Old man Shi, with a cane in his hand, was observing the hall. His eagle-like sharp eyes finally showed some satisfaction.
Xie Keyue, who was wearing a formal suit, quickly greeted him, “Grandpa, why are you here so early?”
“There’s nothing to do at home anyway, I might as well come early and have a look.” Old man Shi took another two steps forward. He was already eighty years old, but he was as high-spirited as ever.
“Dad.”
Shi Sheng and Xie Wei walked up to him arm in arm, looking very reverent and respectful.
Xie Wei smiled with concern, “Dad, please take a look. Are you satisfied with this arrangement? Is there anything you want to add? While the guests have not yet arrived, I’ll ask the hotel to help make it up.“
Old Man Shi gave a rare affirmation, “The arrangement is good; it adds a lot of grandeur to our Shi family.”
“That’s a must.” Xie Wei’s eyes showed a little pride, “Today is our Shi family’s big day, I…“
Before she could finish speaking, Xie Wei was blocked by her son’s eyes.
As a matter of fact, there are two purposes for the Shi family’s banquet today—
One is to publicly acknowledge Xie Keyue’s identity.
Secondly, old man Shi will announce his complete withdrawal from Shi’s management and give up his position to the father and son, Shi Sheng and Xie Keyue.
The reason Xie Wei worked so hard was obviously for her future glory and wealth.
It’s just that, before the official announcement, she couldn’t get too carried away in front of old man Shi.
Sure enough, the corners of old man Shi’s lips flattened, and then he took on the attitude of the head of the family, “I’m old and willing to retreat behind the scenes to give Keyue a chance to try, but I’ll say something up front—”
“If you father and son dare to occupy the position and act recklessly, I still won’t give you anything.”
The implication is that the majority of the Shi family’s assets were still in the palm of his hand.
Xie Wei looked at her husband and son and hastened to smile and cater, “Dad, what are you talking about? If we don’t respect you, who else can we respect? You know, the two of them are just sharing the burden for you. When it comes to any important matters, you’re still the one who makes the final decision.“
Old man Shi understood Xie Wei’s deliberate flattery, but he was willing to accept it with one eye closed.
“Keyue, you made an investment mistake without telling me last time. In the future, you will obediently work at Shi company. Don’t come up with any messy investment ideas.“
In this opinion, Shi Logistic was the empire that he had built. As long as it was well operated, it would be enough for his children and grandchildren to eat for several generations.
When Xie Keyue heard this, he immediately responded obediently, “Grandpa, I know, I will never do anything wrong again.”
The last cosmetics fiasco was so big that Xie Keyue, as the boss behind it, almost had to be taken away by the authorities and imprisoned. It was old man Shi who was looking for someone to take him out.
As for the lost money, Xie Keyue also tried to persuade old man Shi in many different ways. In the face of familial affection, the other party helped repay it without batting an eyelid. It seemed that his private bank was very sufficient.
In this way, Xie Keyue was being more filial and obedient to Old Man Shi on the surface.
Because what he wanted wasn’t only Shi company management but also old man Shi’s hundred years’ worth of private property!
Xie Keyue put away his thoughts and said, “Grandpa, there is a private room in the side hall. Why don’t you go and rest for a while? There is still some time before the banquet begins.“
“Alright.” Old Man Shi nodded his head and suddenly inquired about another matter, “Did you notify those two ungrateful brothers about this banquet?”
Hearing this question, Shi Sheng shook his head hesitantly and said, “Yibei has always refused to contact our family. I thought that even if I sent the invitation letter to Wen’s family, it would be thrown out by Mr. Wen.“
“As for Yunnan, I’m afraid he’ll make you unhappy when he comes, so…”
Shi Sheng hesitated to speak. He did harbor some guilt toward his twin sons.
However, Xie Wei kept persuading him every night, and over time, he became more and more indifferent to his two sons, who were “at odds” with him.
In the future, he had Xie Keyue who would help provide for him in his old age, which made him feel at ease.
“It’s better not to come.”
Old man Shi responded coldly. The heart that was made of stone was harder than anything.
He believed that Wen Yibei, as the eldest grandson, had stayed in the Wen family for so many years and was unwilling to return. He had long forgotten that his roots were in the Shi family.
Shi Yunnan was even more extreme. At first, he was unwilling to help when the Shi family had an accident. Later, he got together with Luo Lingsheng and only knew how to enjoy himself without helping his family in private.
Both of these brothers are white-eyed wolves with their elbows turned out2Elbow turning out means taking an outsider’s side instead of your own family or people.. They are very unpromising!
Xie Keyue and Xie Wei quickly exchanged glances. The mother and son had the same thoughts and pleasant feelings in their hearts.
“Dad, I’ll help you go in and sit first.”
“Ok.”
After Shi Sheng accompanied old man Shi into the private room, another familiar figure walked in.
Xie Keyue met Luo Yanchuan’s gaze with a trace of playfulness on his face. He took the initiative to bring two glasses of champagne and said, “Mom, my friend is here. I’ll go chat with him. You can deal with the guests first.”
Xie Wei followed her son’s line of sight and was a little surprised when she recognized Luo Yanchuan, “Luo Yanchuan? How did you meet him?”
“Xiao Yue, don’t blame Mom for not reminding you. This man is a playboy. Didn’t we plan to let him harm that little bastard, Shi Yunnan? You…”
“Mom, I know what I’m doing.”
Xie Keyue threw this sentence out casually, unwilling to pay attention to his mother’s inquiry.
Xie Wei stared at her son’s back, always feeling inexplicably abandoned.
She frowned slightly and couldn’t help but mutter under her breath, “This child is still mad about the diamond necklace last time? Didn’t I help him save money?“
In her opinion, it was Mrs. Zhao who was too pretentious and fussy.
What if it’s a fake necklace? Is the price of three or four million not good enough?
Xie Keyue didn’t know what his mother was thinking. He walked straight to Luo Yanchuan, who appeared without prior notice. He handed over the champagne in his hand and said, “I didn’t expect Young Master Luo to come.”
His voice was light and floaty, but it seemed to be deliberately hooking people with a little claw.
“Today is the third young master’s auspicious day. How could I not come?” When Luo Yanchuan took the champagne, he deliberately rubbed his fingers on the back of Xie Keyue’s hand for a moment.
Xie Keyue smiled and gave him a secret wink, “There are too many people here. Let’s talk in another place.”
“Alright.”
The two quickly walked to the waiting room on the other side, and as soon as the door closed, each revealed their true appearance.
Xie Keyue put away his usual kind smile and sat comfortably on the sofa. “Tell me, why did you avoid mentioning the cooperation with Mrs. Fang?”
“Young Master Luo, you can’t even handle that little girl, Mo Xuanqi?”
Luo Yanchuan retorted, “It has nothing to do with her, it’s just that Fang’s auction has cooperated with your old acquaintances.”
“Old acquaintances?” Xie Keyue reacted, “Shi Yunnan and Yuan Rui?”
Luo Yanchuan approached him and sat on the sofa as well, half-embracing Xie Keyue in his arms, “If I remember correctly, Yuan Rui is your good friend, right? When did he go to Shi Yunnan’s side?“
Xie Keyue clenched the wine glass in his hand and squeezed out a few words, “Why do you mention him?”
“Shi Yunnan and Fang have already cooperated. If I rashly talk about cooperation now, the news will inevitably leak to Luo Lingsheng.“
Luo Yanchuan’s face turned ugly for a moment when he mentioned this name, and he continued to say—
“In order to avoid stirring the grass and alarming the snake, I had to change the target first. Anyway, there are other domestic auction houses besides the Fang family. The batch of real and fake jade jewelry that you and Gu Jue cooperated can be sold at other smaller auctions. “
Xie Keyue Yue wrinkled his brows, somewhat disagreeing with his words.
“Don’t worry, although the final profits of other auctions are not as good as Fang’s, the level of customer connections is only a little inferior.”
“Most of the people who participate in the small auction are upstarts. How can they have the ability to evaluate real and fake goods? You can still make money as usual.“
In other words, it is good to have fewer risk factors.
Xie Keyue pondered for a moment and said, “Then you’re in charge. From today onwards, I have to concentrate on staying in the Shi family for a period of time. I can’t handle too many external assets, so as not to arouse the old man’s suspicion.“
As he spoke, Luo Yanchuan’s hand hooked on his shoulder, “Isn’t Third Young Master Xie’s affection a little too meager? How long has it been since we’ve seen each other?”
Their wine glasses collided, making a charming sound.
Xie Keyue snorted coldly and drank the wine by himself, “Haven’t we met now? I just hope Young Master Luo doesn’t forget his goal. Since we are allies, there are some things that I can’t be the one to contribute to all the time.“
The two had hooked up after the cosmetics incident. To put it superficially and coldly, it was a mutual use masked by a “f*ck buddy” relationship.
Now they were profiting from each other, so they were willing to cooperate while getting physical pleasure along the way.
As for the future?
There was no stronger ally than money and power.
Xie Keyue asked, “Shi company is already in my pocket. When does Young Master Luo plan to attack Mr. Luo?“
“It is said that a thousand-mile dyke can collapse because of an ant colony3Small carelessness can lead to great disaster.. To bring down a behemoth, naturally another behemoth needs to step in.“
Luo Yanchuan shook the glass, “Soon enough, that day will come.”
1A waste of effort; Doing something in vain…2Elbow turning out means taking an outsider’s side instead of your own family or people.3Small carelessness can lead to great disaster.