Ch 24: Rebirth of the Tool Man in a Pampered Protagonist Novel

“…Actually, we didn’t know everything about what happened back then. Most of it was based on various clues and speculation, but even without concrete evidence, we can be fairly certain that these speculations are close to the truth.”

“I was hired by Madam shortly after she married into the Fang family. At that time, Madam offered a high salary, and she had a good personality. I valued this job greatly and worked diligently. To secure this position, I was more attentive than other maids and nannies. From the moment Madam became pregnant with the eldest young master until his birth, I never let my guard down.”

“During the entire year of Madam’s pregnancy and childbirth, I didn’t even take a single day off. On the day of Madam’s delivery, I stayed by her side from beginning to end. Fortunately, the eldest young master was safely born, and Madam understood my dedication, so she insisted that I take a vacation and rest at home.”

“At that time, after a whole year without rest, and considering that there were no major events during Madam’s confinement period, I happily went back home for half a month… But little did I know that when I returned after half a month, something was amiss.”

“Although most newborn babies look similar, there are always some differences. I remember the eldest young master had a red birthmark on his chest when he was born…”

“We folks from the countryside have our superstitions, and birthmarks have their own interpretations depending on where they appear on the body. A birthmark on the front of the body is said to bring good luck and blessings. I even happily praised it to other nannies and maids at the time.”

“However, when I returned from my vacation, I noticed that the red birthmark on the eldest young master’s chest was gone…”

At this point, Aunt Zhang couldn’t help but steal a glance at Fang Ziyang’s expression. She found that apart from a deep gaze, his expression remained unchanged, which made her even more nervous and fearful.

However, things had reached this point, and the young master was the only lifeline for their family. She had no choice but to gather her courage and continue her confession.

“At the time, I found it strange, but because the eldest young master resembled the master so much, I didn’t think much of it. I thought it was my own eyes playing tricks on me, that I had remembered incorrectly…”

“But later, when Madam went to the hospital for a check-up and surgery for her tumor, the surgery went smoothly. The doctor said that as long as she took good care of herself during the recovery period, complete recovery wouldn’t be a problem. But who could have known that just a few days after the surgery, Madam suddenly had a respiratory emergency one night and stopped breathing.”

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

“Although all the examinations at that time indicated that Madam’s passing was due to her own health issues, I had a feeling that something was amiss.”

“At that time, we weren’t lacking money in our family, and Madam had always treated me well. I had a favorable opinion of her. So, after much thought, I secretly had Uncle Liu investigate if there was anything unusual on the day Madam passed away… And the result…”

“What was the result?”

Fang Ziyang’s expression remained indifferent, and his voice seemed devoid of emotion.

Aunt Zhang trembled and dared not speak.

Uncle Liu had no choice but to speak up, albeit with a trembling voice. “The result was that I checked the hospital surveillance footage, but conveniently, the cameras were malfunctioning that day. However, according to the nurse on duty, the afternoon of the day Madam passed away, the eldest young master visited her and stayed for half an hour…”

“After the eldest young master left, Madam pressed the emergency button in an agitated state and called Mr. Fang. But on that day, Mr. Fang was busy and didn’t go in the afternoon. He only went later in the evening and spent an hour alone in the room with Madam.”

“But it seemed that their interaction wasn’t pleasant, as if they were arguing. In the end, Mr. Fang left angrily. And Madam… she had a sudden medical emergency and stopped breathing in the middle of the night.”

Uncle Liu’s voice grew quieter as he spoke.

Although the entire story was based on various speculations and abnormal incidents, when connected together, it was an incredibly terrifying sequence of events.

If it was true that Fang Qianhao was indeed Fang Yandong’s illegitimate child, many questions that had been troubling Fang Ziyang could be explained.

Because they had different mothers, he and Fang Qianhao weren’t as close as other siblings.

But because they had the same father, their blood relationship confirmed their kinship.

And because they had different mothers, Fang Yandong treated the two brothers completely differently…

And then there was his mother’s death.

Perhaps it was truly an accidental death due to health reasons, but it was highly likely that there was more to the story than met the eye.

One daring speculation was that on the day his mother passed away, she had met his elder brother and learned from his actions and words that the child she cared for so deeply was actually her husband’s illegitimate child, while her own biological son was nowhere to be found.

Enraged and irrational, she called Fang Yandong to confront him, and the conversation turned highly unpleasant. Her husband left in anger, and his mother, unable to comprehend the situation, became emotionally agitated and suddenly died in the middle of the night…

After all, a person who had just undergone surgery would be extremely weak physically and highly susceptible to stress.

Of course, it was also possible that someone tampered with the hospital equipment and breathing tube, but after so many years, it would be incredibly difficult to find any evidence. Even if there was evidence, it was likely destroyed long ago.

Fang Ziyang’s face remained expressionless, but inside, a volcanic eruption of anger surged, accompanied by a chilling sensation down his spine.

He was aware that Fang Yandong was ruthless, but if what Uncle Liu and Aunt Zhang said was true, then he had clearly underestimated Fang Yandong’s cruelty toward him, his mother, and perhaps even his true older brother.

A tiger does not eat its cubs. What kind of person was his father, whom he once respected and admired?

Forcing himself to calm down, Fang Ziyang fell into a long silence and took out the photo he had received from Yan Tong. He handed it over.

“Do you recognize the woman in this photo?” Fang Ziyang asked as he handed it over.

Uncle Liu and Aunt Zhang exchanged glances and cautiously took the photo.

Then, Uncle Liu shook his head.

However, Aunt Zhang seemed to recall something. After hesitating for a while, she nodded as if confirming, “I have a vague impression of this woman…”

Fang Ziyang’s heart tightened.

Aunt Zhang continued to recall, “I have seen this woman before, but I don’t remember her exact name. She can’t be considered a close friend of Madam’s, but they happened to meet during Madam’s prenatal check-ups… “

“At that time, Madam and she had a pleasant conversation. Later, it happened that their hospital rooms were next to each other, so the two pregnant women naturally became closer as they talked about their children. However, it was limited to socializing within the hospital.”

“The background of this photo is that hospital. It seems to have been taken right after Madam gave birth to the eldest young master. I happened to be on vacation at home, so I don’t remember Madam taking a photo with her.”

Although her memory was a bit hazy, Aunt Zhang still remembered the general details. After all, this woman had discussed child-rearing experiences with Madam for two or three months.

Aunt Zhang carefully handed the photo back, a bit curious. “Young Master, where did you get this photo? I don’t recall seeing this photo among Madam’s belongings…”

Fang Ziyang didn’t answer.

He also wanted to know where Yan Tong obtained this photo and what it had to do with him.

Or rather… what it had to do with his true older brother.

Fang Ziyang closed his eyes and tried to suppress his emotions. “Since you suspect that Fang Qianhao is my father’s illegitimate child, do you have any speculations about that woman?”

If there is an illegitimate child, there must naturally be a lover, and it might even be some kind of ‘true love.’ Otherwise, why would Fang Yandong be so biased and affectionate towards Fang Qianhao?

“Well…” Uncle Liu shook his head with difficulty. “Although we have some speculations, we don’t have any clear direction. Master seems to be very upright and clean.”

Since the suspicion of Fang Qianhao being the illegitimate child arose, they, as a couple, had conducted several investigations in private. They hoped to gather some substantial evidence to hold onto, just in case it became useful in the future and they needed to protect themselves.

But unfortunately, Master had hidden it very well, and they had gained nothing.

However, Aunt Zhang, being a woman, was more gossip-prone and knew more details.

“We don’t know if Master has any secret lovers, but there was a woman who used to pester him. It wasn’t much of a secret; many people knew about it back then. That woman was shameless, like a crazy person. No matter how much Master rejected her, it was futile. She clung to him like a piece of adhesive plaster…”

“Even after Madam gave birth to the eldest young master, that woman didn’t stop. She kept causing trouble for Master for several years until Madam became pregnant with you. Only then did that woman give up and leave.”

“Was her name Zheng Yating?”

Fang Ziyang recalled the contents he had read in that golden book.

If he was the vicious cannon fodder in that golden book, then this Zheng Yating was the ultimate villainess. This woman was infatuated with Fang Yandong to the point of madness.

In the plot, Zheng Yating was willing to commit crimes and steal Fang Yandong’s sperm for artificial insemination in order to marry him and achieve her goals.

Unfortunately, the child didn’t survive. Because of this, Zheng Yating was relentless and adopted Yan Tong from an orphanage, planning to continue her insane and irrational plan.

But in the end, she failed, and the truth came to light. Yan Tong, Fang Yandong, and a group of backup men continued their love and affection…

His speculation was correct.

Aunt Zhang nodded. “That’s right, that’s her name. Young Master, have you heard of her? Speaking of this woman, she was truly bothersome. I heard that if it wasn’t for her sister having some connection with Master in the past and saving his life, Master would never have tolerated her for so many years.”

Sister?

Wait!

Fang Ziyang suddenly sat upright, an incredible guess flashing through his mind.

Investigate.

Start with Zheng Yating’s sister.

By following the thread, he might stumble upon a pleasant surprise.

If everything went smoothly, he would not only uncover the events of the past, but also possibly find his true… older brother.

Surprise, uneasiness, anticipation.

Although he didn’t yet know if his real older brother was as terrible as Fang Qianhao, Fang Ziyang couldn’t help but feel hopeful.

What if the other person was different from Fang Yandong and the other relatives?

Wouldn’t that mean he wasn’t alone in this world anymore?

He had to continue investigating.

But it wasn’t something that could be resolved quickly. For now, the most important thing was to quickly retrieve the money Fang Yandong had deceived from him over the years.

Finally, he couldn’t contain his emotions any longer and took a deep breath.

Fang Ziyang suppressed his joyous feelings and looked straight at Uncle Liu and Aunt Zhang.

“I won’t hold you accountable for what happened in the past, for now. But starting from now, if you’re on my side, don’t even think about having any other ulterior motives. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee if I’ll be even harsher than Fang Yandong.”

“Now, I’m giving you your first task. Inform Fang Yandong that I’m planning to organize an antique jade exhibition…”

As for Fang Yandong.

Regardless of his cold and heartless nature in his previous life or the things Fang Ziyang gradually discovered after his rebirth, he had to give up on the idea of having a loving father.

If he used to deceive himself by thinking that his father had been misled and treated him poorly, the evidence now indicated that Fang Yandong probably never had a shred of paternal love for him.

In that case, he didn’t need to hold back anymore.

Just as Fang Yandong had deceived him out of his money, he would retrieve it from Fang Yandong!

…

After receiving Fang Ziyang’s instructions, Uncle Liu and Aunt Zhang wasted no time and went to “report” to Fang Yandong that night.

Now that they had boarded Young Master’s ship, there was no turning back. Even if they didn’t consider Young Master’s methods, betraying Fang Yandong would likely shorten their lives.

It’s all because of their greed in the beginning, not seeing through Fang Yandong’s character and falling into his trap. They’ve been walking down this path all along.

Uncle Liu and Aunt Zhang were never particularly loyal and steadfast individuals. To protect themselves and their family of three, they had no pressure in betraying Fang Yandong.

“What? He wants to organize an antique jade exhibition?”

Fang Yandong never expected his obedient son, who had been docile for over a decade, to suddenly awaken. He also didn’t regard Uncle Liu and Aunt Zhang as anything significant. When he heard their report, he furrowed his brows.

His youngest son wanting to organize an antique jade exhibition was not good news for him.

Over the years, he had put in a lot of effort to coax the dividends from Fang Ziyang’s shares. He had deliberately molded him into a character that indulged in extravagant pleasures, and he had devised a plan to use fake antiques and fake jade to extract large sums of money from Fang Ziyang.

It was precisely because of these funds that he could easily participate in the company’s activities and eventually take the position of Chairman of the Board.

Now, Fang Ziyang wanted to organize an exhibition, which meant that those fake antiques and fake jade locked in the basement would be put on display for everyone to see?

If all the visitors to the exhibition were ignorant, it would be fine. But what if even one knowledgeable person attended? Wouldn’t they expose the whole scheme?

Considering the position of the Fang family, it was impossible that all the people who heard about the exhibition would be clueless fools. Even if one person who knew their stuff accidentally let slip, it would be a disaster.

Fang Yandong was in a bad mood.

“Why would he suddenly have such an idea?”

Everything was fine, so why organize an exhibition? Couldn’t he just enjoy the treasures locked in the basement by himself?

Uncle Liu wiped his sweat and spoke cautiously,

“According to Young Master, he feels that he has been unlucky and gloomy these past few days, so he wants to find something joyful to cheer himself up. He doesn’t want to attend parties or gatherings for the time being, and he finds bungee jumping and skiing too tiring. So, the only thing left is to play with his favorite antique jade. He thought it would be great to organize an exhibition to have some fun…”

Aunt Zhang nodded, looking very troubled.

“We have advised Young Master, but as you know, he has a temper. These past few days, he has been in a bad mood because of that viral video incident. He doesn’t listen to anyone’s advice. Whenever we mention it, he becomes irritable and angry. We can’t stop him at all.”

“Sir, what should we do now? Those antique jades are all fake. If we bring them out and someone sees them, the truth will be exposed!”

What should they do?

Fang Yandong also wanted to ask what they should do!

In these past years, everything had been smooth sailing, and he hadn’t been troubled like this in a long time. He never expected that the viral video incident would have such a big impact on his youngest son.

It not only almost made him lose his son’s trust, but he also heard that his son had even fought with Xie Wenxu yesterday! Many people witnessed the incident in public!

He hadn’t figured out how to handle that situation yet, and now this exhibition issue came up.

It was like opening Pandora’s box, one bad thing after another.

Fang Ziyang hadn’t obtained the shares of the company held by Fang Ziyang, and they couldn’t access the inheritance left by his grandfather Lu yet. If the youngest son noticed something now, given his temperament, he would probably make a big fuss.

A trace of darkness appeared on Fang Yandong’s elegant face. “We cannot proceed with the exhibition. Aunt Zhang, go and call Young Master over…”

Upon hearing this, Aunt Zhang hesitated.

Uncle Liu spoke up persuasively, “No, sir, it’s not possible. Young Master has been greatly affected by the viral video incident. He’s in a temperamental state right now. Given his temperament, the more we try to dissuade him, the more he will insist on doing it.”

“Are we just going to let him go wild and then report it to the police after the incident? It’s not a matter of a few dollars of junk; it’s worth over 2 billion! “

The series of unfortunate events recently had made it difficult for Fang Yandong to control his temper.

He looked at Uncle Liu and Aunt Zhang with displeasure in his eyes.

“I give you a large sum of money every year to keep an eye on him, and is this how you repay me? You didn’t even notice when he contacted a team of lawyers to livestream, and now you can’t even stop him from organizing an exhibition. Am I feeding you for nothing?”

Anyone familiar with Fang Yandong would know that he was getting angry from his tone.

Uncle Liu and Aunt Zhang had been with him for so long; how could they not sense it?

Aunt Zhang was frightened and hurriedly defended herself, “No, sir, that’s not the case. We have always been careful in looking after Young Master. But Young Master’s temperament is like that. He tends to act recklessly when he’s under some pressure…”

Uncle Liu nodded in agreement and cautiously suggested, “Sir, I and Huifen don’t mean to shirk responsibility, but unexpected things happen. It seems difficult to stop Young Master from organizing the antique jade exhibition. If we say anything, Young Master will definitely become suspicious. Why don’t we just go along with him and let him proceed?”

“After all, it’s just an exhibition. Young Master doesn’t pay much attention to those antique items in the basement. Before the exhibition, we can find some genuine items to replace them. We can deceive him on the day of the exhibition, and everything will be fine.”

“As for the items, my son has connections and can borrow them. It’s just the cost…”

It’s not easy to borrow a collection worth 2.3 billion; there are considerable fees involved.

Fang Yandong considered it with a grim face for a while before handing over a card.

“If you can’t handle this matter properly, the three of you can go back to the countryside. I won’t keep idle people here.”

His tone was no longer the usual elegance, but rather a commanding and authoritative tone, as if he held the power of life and death.

“We understand, sir.”

Aunt Zhang and Uncle Liu lowered their heads, trembling with fear, as they assured him as always.

However, deep down, they harbored some resentment. Wasn’t it just because he had more money than them? He wasn’t an ancient emperor, yet every order was given with this condescending manner, as if he didn’t regard them as human beings.

Since the sir didn’t see them as worthy of a livelihood, it was no wonder they resorted to betrayal.

…

Using the excuse of a drastic personality change due to being affected, Fang Yandong couldn’t stop the antique jade exhibition in order not to fail in his plan. However, he had a hunch that something wasn’t right. While he couldn’t prevent the exhibition, he could expedite the process of authorizing the Fang Corporation’s shares.

He promised to return the day after the exhibition, and he would have the share authorization agreement ready as previously agreed.

Fang Ziyang had anticipated this and didn’t resist. He obediently signed the documents.

Of course, as compensation and appeasement, Fang Qianhao was also forced by Fang Yandong to sign a renunciation of inheritance document for Grandfather Lu’s estate. All the inheritance funds left for their mother would be inherited by Fang Qianhao.

Naturally, Fang Qianhao was very unwilling. But compared to the shares of the Fang Corporation, he could bear to part with the money from Grandfather Lu’s estate!

His loved one was being bullied by Fang Ziyang, and now his own money was taken away by Fang Ziyang as well. When Fang Qianhao finished signing the renunciation document, the gaze he cast toward Fang Ziyang was filled with a desire for revenge.

In the past, if faced with such a gaze, Fang Ziyang would have felt distressed and hated himself for having such a selfish and greedy brother.

But now, all he had left was a cold sneer.

Since Fang Qianhao was not his mother’s biological son, why should he inherit Grandfather Lu’s estate? Why should he inherit his mother’s shares?

He was only taking back what was rightfully his, yet Fang Qianhao looked at him with such malicious eyes. How audacious!

He wondered if Fang Qianhao was aware of his true identity. If he didn’t know, it was fine. But if he did… well, he shouldn’t be surprised if another entry was added to his notebook in the future.

Just wait and see. He would gradually reclaim all the debts owed to him.

Compared to Fang Qianhao’s bitter expression, Fang Yandong’s mood improved significantly. With the share authorization in hand, he wasn’t so annoyed by Fang Ziyang’s plan to hold an antique jade exhibition. He resumed his role as a perfect father.

He also wanted to inquire about the invitation list for the antique jade exhibition and give some suggestions.

“Since you’re organizing an exhibition, why not make it grand? Besides inviting your friends, Dad will also invite a few uncles who are experts in antique jade collection to oversee the event and guide you.”

“By the way, you should also give Uncle Xiao and Aunt Yao a call. They were your mother’s good friends before and they care about you a lot. Don’t forget about them…”

It sounded nice, as if he was a loving father who cared deeply for his son.

However, if you remove the filter, you’ll see that Fang Yandong never fails to exploit his son’s value. Holding a grand exhibition would conveniently counterbalance the negative speculation and comments about the Fang family online. Inviting his late wife’s close friends would help regain the connections that had faded due to her passing.

If they were going to pretend, then they should all pretend together.

If they were going to act, then they should all act together.

Fang Ziyang happily complied, smiling cheerfully.

“Sure, Dad. Please invite some influential and prestigious uncles for me.”

Fang Yandong was pleased with his son’s obedience.

Next to them, Fang Qianhao clenched his teeth in frustration and inserted a snide remark.

“Heh, Fang Ziyang, I didn’t realize you had such a good mindset. Calling the police during a live broadcast two days ago, publicly assaulting your own fiance yesterday, and now organizing an exhibition today. Do you feel like you’re not famous enough? Please, have some self-awareness and don’t drag our Fang family’s reputation down with you!”

It would have been better if he hadn’t said anything.

But now that he did, Fang Yandong also remembered the incident with Xie Wenxu being beaten. He immediately dropped his smile and put on a stern fatherly expression.

“Yangyang, your brother’s words may not be polite, but he does have a point. I heard that you beat up Xie Wenxu yesterday, and in front of others. What happened exactly? Did you have to resort to such violence, disregarding proper etiquette?”

“He cheated on me. If I didn’t beat him up, then who would?!”

His reason was valid, but Fang Yandong didn’t agree.

Men being indecisive is a common occurrence, not just in high society but also among ordinary people. Fang Yandong didn’t think it was a big deal at all. How many marriages in high society don’t involve playing around before or after the wedding? It’s just cheating, not something that ends in tragedy. Besides, the other party is the heir of the Xie family.

Fang Yandong furrowed his brows and spoke in an authoritative tone that brooked no opposition.

“Yangyang, although Dad loves you very much, living in our circle, you can’t be too willful. Sometimes, you have to endure certain things, especially in marriage. Being too demanding can easily lead to its breakdown.”

“Back then, Xie Wenxu voluntarily got engaged to you despite the pressure from his family, which means you held the most important place in his heart. Everyone else was just playing their part…”

He kept on talking, but in the end, wasn’t it all for his own benefit?

Fang Ziyang pursed his lips and interrupted, showing his displeasure. His eyes turned red as he exclaimed in a voice full of grievances,

“Dad, what you’re saying makes sense, but I can’t do it! You have no idea how Xie Wenxu treated me. He wasn’t just playing around. He acted all nice just to toy with me.”

“I’ve never suffered such humiliation before. Since he dared to cheat on me, what’s wrong with me giving him a beating? Not only do I want to beat him, but I also want to break off the engagement!”

Fang Yandong’s expression changed slightly, and his previous good mood vanished instantly.

How much would he lose if the engagement with the Xie family were to be broken?!

But Fang Ziyang didn’t give him a chance to continue speaking. He continued with his grievances,

“In any case, I must break off this engagement. Dad, don’t you love me the most? Why do you want me to tolerate Xie Wenxu’s infidelity? In the past, you used to do everything for me, but now you’re telling me to swallow my pride…”

“Dad, you’ve changed. You’ve become vulgar, materialistic, and unrecognizable! You’ve gone too far. I won’t give you the authority over my shares. I hate you!”

While uttering these exaggerated words, Fang Ziyang took the recently signed share authorization letter and tore it into pieces with a swift motion.

Fang Yandong couldn’t react in time, but Fang Qianhao felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

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