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“But…” The crowd felt uneasy in their hearts. Xie Zheng’s attitude was really strange.

“No ‘buts.’ We have torn off all pretenses. No matter what Xie Zheng is capable of, all of you will stabilize the group for me. As long as we get through this turmoil and start the development plan, what is the main branch?!”

Old Lady Zhou scolded the members of the collateral branch.

At this point, they had no other choice. They had to go down this path.

Although Old Lady Zhou didn’t have much knowledge in business, she had a general sense of direction.

The shares held by the main branch of the Xie family must not be sold to others, including the shareholders of the group. Otherwise, the second branch would be constrained. Whether Xie Group could still be called Xie Group after that would be a question worth considering.

Old Lady Zhou had indeed considered the possibility of Xie Zheng selling the shares to the second branch with some hidden agenda. However, even if she felt uneasy about it, they had no choice but to go ahead with the purchase. They couldn’t just stand by and watch as Xie Zheng’s shares fell into someone else’s hands. Even if there were problems with these shares, they could figure out a solution later. Xie Group couldn’t just collapse after Xie Zheng left, right?

Perhaps Xie Zheng was truly left with no choice. Otherwise, how could he have agreed to adopt Xie Wenxu back then? Xie Zheng, no matter how capable he was, was just one person. How could he compete against the talented members of the second branch?

Furthermore, the second branch had already obtained enough leverage to turn the tide. Regardless of how Xie Zheng retaliated, they were not afraid.

Although the main branch held a significant number of shares in Xie Group, it wouldn’t be difficult for the second branch, which had been planning for years, to acquire those shares. Even if they lacked sufficient funds, the second branch had inherited a considerable amount of the Xie family’s assets, properties, and jewelry and antiques.

So, on the following day, the second branch of the Xie family approached the main branch and quickly completed the transaction of shares and the old mansion.

Xie Zheng didn’t say anything. Once the funds were in place, he directly transferred the ownership of the shares and the old mansion to the second branch. At the same time, the adoption relationship with Xie Wenxu was also terminated.

Both parties had no objections, and the procedures went smoothly.

Once all the formalities were completed, Xie Zheng and the official representatives of Xie Group jointly announced his resignation and the news of the separation between the two branches of the Xie family.

The news shocked everyone.

Compared to the Fang family from before, the Xie family was the true prestigious family. The separation and estrangement between the two branches of the Xie family indicated that something dirty had happened. Everyone could easily guess what.

Especially the fact that Xie Zheng directly resigned from Xie Group. The impact on the network of power and connections was immense.

Therefore, when the news about the Xie family broke out, it attracted not only the ordinary people who enjoyed observing the gossip of prestigious families but also the attention of the entire upper-class society.

No one understood why Xie Zheng chose to leave the Xie family. They simply couldn’t believe that someone as capable as Xie Zheng would be defeated by the second branch of the family and leave in such a dejected manner. Was this really the same Xie Zheng they knew, the one known as the “Shark” in the business world?

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Even the members of the second branch of the Xie family didn’t believe that Xie Zheng would leave so easily.

…

As expected, the day after the news conference announcing the separation and estrangement between the two branches of the Xie family, Xie Group was hit with the news of a mass resignation by half of its employees.

This sudden event was both expected and unexpected.

They knew that with Xie Zheng’s abilities and charisma, it wouldn’t be strange for some people to follow him. However, they never expected this many!

What made them even more furious was that all the contracts of these resigning employees had significant flaws. When the employees wanted to leave, the company couldn’t use the contracts to hold them back because the contracts were set to expire this month.

What did this mean?

It meant that Xie Zheng wasn’t forced out by them. He had planned to leave the company himself from the beginning!

“Chairman Huang, all these employee contracts are incorrect. It’s impossible for such a coincidence to happen, and our company’s contracts are all signed for a period of ten years. But these employees’ contracts are all for five years. Mr. Xie probably planned to leave the company a long time ago…”

Some of the shareholders turned pale with trembling voices.

They had all been trapped by Xie Zheng.

When Xie Zheng first joined the company, he used his powerful methods to intimidate them, making them afraid to provoke him. Soon after, he displayed astonishing management and operational capabilities and secured several highly profitable foreign orders, establishing his position in the company. Over the years, Xie Zheng had also negotiated many foreign contracts.

Since every order was profitable, and aside from a few prominent contracts, the rest were inconspicuous small ones, no one paid much attention and simply waited for the dividends.

But now…

The door to the conference room was pushed open in a rush, and a secretary entered in a panic, shouting, “Chairman Huang, Director Xu, Director Zou, something bad happened! The International Orders Department just called. Several foreign companies want to terminate their contracts abruptly. It involves over a hundred orders!”

A snap echoed through the room as Old Lady Zhou’s pen broke in her hand.

“And also…,” the secretary continued hesitantly.

“What else?” Old Lady Zhou asked urgently.

“There’s more. Our group’s land properties have just been discovered to contain ancient relics…”

The trembling secretary’s report trailed off.

In the real estate business, nothing was worse than discovering ancient relics or tombs on your land. Once such a situation occurred, it not only meant an indefinite extension of project timelines but could also result in the loss of valuable land obtained through high bids.

For smaller companies with tight finances, this could be the kiss of death, and even for larger corporations, it meant losing a significant chunk of their assets.

At this point, several shareholders couldn’t sit still any longer. They stood up abruptly, their faces filled with shock and fear, and asked, “Which properties are affected?”

Real estate was one of the main businesses of Xie Group, and each development project was significant.

The trembling secretary was on the verge of tears but managed to say, “It’s not just one property; it’s several. It’s the F City Villa and Commercial District project, the Y City Emerald Waters Villa project… All three properties have ancient relics excavated on them.”

Boom!

The shareholders were momentarily blinded by what they heard and nearly fainted.

The F City Villa and Commercial District project, the Y City Emerald Waters Villa project—these were the major investments of the real estate department for the next five years!

Old Lady Zhou’s face also turned pale, and she looked at the shareholders with a mix of anger and disappointment. “You all are in the company every day. Did none of you participate in these three major projects? These properties belong to the Xie family!”

In other words, all the real estate development plans were just excuses concocted by Xie Zheng to siphon off the company’s funds.

She had thought that even if Xie Zheng had made some preparations to strike back after leaving, it wouldn’t be too severe. After all, if the company encountered any scandals or project issues, it wouldn’t be their responsibility but rather Xie Zheng’s, as those problems occurred during his tenure. Xie Zheng wouldn’t be foolish enough to harm himself like that.

But now…

Old Lady Zhou realized how wrong she was.

Xie Zheng was truly ruthless. He probably never intended to take over Xie Group! The compromises they made before were all a facade! Everything was a lie!

“For heaven’s sake, you fools! Xie Zheng was making all these moves right under your noses, and none of you noticed? Do you all just stroll around the gardens every day?”

Old Lady Zhou looked at the shareholders with a furious expression.

“And you people from the second branch, you’ve embedded so many people in the company, and none of you noticed? And the land properties—your own family’s properties—were put up for auction, and you didn’t even know!”

The shareholders were on the verge of vomiting. They had no idea that the infighting within the Xie family had become so severe that Xie Zheng would directly abandon the Xie family and Xie Group.

They could still clean up this mess, but the losses would undoubtedly be enormous!

Just then, the secretary who had been reporting shakily held out her phone once again.

“Chairman Huang, Director Xu, you need to see this news. Mr. Xie and Tang Xun, they’ve been interacting on Weibo…”

Old Lady Zhou and the shareholders’ faces changed once more.

They snatched the phone and looked at the screen, gasping for breath simultaneously.

On Weibo…

New World Technology Tang Xun V: Boss, welcome back with your resignation letter~ 👏😄 Xie Zheng.

New World Technology Official Weibo V: To all employees, say hello to the boss! 🙏😮 Xie Zheng.

New World Technology Xie Zheng V: Well, comrades, you’ve worked hard.

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The atmosphere in the Xie family’s hall fell into silence for a moment.

The expressions of the shareholders and the members of the second branch of the Xie family turned somewhat grim upon hearing Xie Zheng’s words about wanting to withdraw from Xie Group.

Especially the members of the second branch.

Although they wanted to remove Xie Zheng from his position of power and have their own branch’s representative in charge of Xie Group’s decision-making, it didn’t mean that they wanted to escalate the situation to the point of “you die, I live” and make Xie Zheng leave. They simply wanted control over the family.

They acknowledged Xie Zheng’s capabilities, despite their disagreements with the main branch. Xie Zheng stepping down and Xie Zheng leaving were two different concepts.

The former meant Xie Zheng stepping down from the decision-making position while continuing to work for Xie Group, with only a change in the distribution of final benefits. The latter, Xie Zheng leaving, signified the separation of Xie Group.

Although they would enjoy peace and comfort if the family split, asset depreciation would also mean a decrease in benefits. After all, investments and returns were closely related.

Don’t forget, regardless of their hopping and jumping, the shares in the hands of the main branch remained unmoved.

Unless the second branch could acquire the shares held by the main branch, whether Xie Zheng left or not would be irrelevant. If the shares held by the main branch were sold off, the question of whether Xie Group would continue to bear the Xie surname would arise…

The shareholders didn’t want Xie Zheng to leave either. To be honest, Xie Zheng had managed Xie Group quite well in recent years. They simply wanted more benefits, which was why they supported the second branch’s ascension.

Suddenly, the tone of both sides softened a bit.

“Xie Zheng, we are currently discussing the selection of the family’s decision-makers. Our goal is for the benefit of the Xie family, not to blame you for anything. Why be impulsive and angry?” someone said.

“Yes, yes, no matter how we handle things between the two branches, it’s an internal matter. There’s no need to escalate it to the point of splitting the family. If the ancestors in the afterlife were to know about this, they would surely be angry,” another person added.

“The position of decision-maker should be held by the capable ones. Currently, the main branch is lacking talents, so it’s only natural for our second branch to step up. When the main branch has talented individuals again, we can compete for it. This kind of healthy competition based on conscience will contribute to the better development of the Xie family, don’t you think?” several elderly members of the second branch started persuading.

Regardless of how unpleasant their interactions with each other were, the Xie family absolutely couldn’t split. A split would mean asset depreciation, which was detrimental to both branches.

The shareholders also nodded.

“Mr. Xie, we are all businessmen. We shouldn’t have conflicts when it comes to money. How about you take a look at the resources that Old Lady Zhou and her side can provide, and then we continue to discuss? Mr. Xie, we assure you that these resources will make Xie Group shine in the new century, creating glory together…” one of the shareholders suggested.

“Creating glory together? Are you sure it won’t turn into killing the donkey after it has served its purpose?” Xie Zheng’s gaze remained indifferent as he directly signaled his assistant to bring a few resignation letters and threw them on the table.

“Since you’ve made your decision, there’s no need to speak any more empty words. These are the resignation letters from the managers of all the companies under the main branch. From today onward, the main branch of the Xie family is no longer part of the Xie family.”

“As for the distribution of assets between the two branches, it has already been settled and won’t change. As for the shares held by the main branch in Xie Group… Since the second branch is so concerned about the family’s well-being, if you can afford it, then buy back the shares held by the main branch. If you can’t afford it, then don’t have any objections when we sell our shares in the future.”

“Furthermore…”

Xie Zheng’s gaze fell upon the members of the Xie family’s collateral branches sitting at the back.

“As for the collateral branches, I have no suggestions. Those who are willing to follow the main branch, please stand on the left side. Those who don’t want to leave the Xie family can do as they please.”

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

“Now, you have ten minutes to consider. After ten minutes, those who are willing to leave with the main branch can stand on the left side.”

Having said that, Xie Zheng fell silent.

Although the members of the main branch were angry and stared at the others, Xie Zheng’s words didn’t hold any meaning for them.

When the conflict between the two branches erupted in the past, the distribution of the family’s assets had already been completed, leaving only the shares and rights within Xie Group. Now, as long as the main branch was willing to sell their shares, the split would be straightforward.

“Since that’s the case, let the collateral branches decide.”

Seeing the resignation letters on the table, Old Lady Zhou knew that there was no room for further negotiation and could only nod with a cold face.

If the family split, she refused to believe that the second branch alone could accomplish anything without Xie Zheng and the main branch. With the information provided by Yan Tong, what did asset depreciation matter? Within a few years, they would make Xie Group surpass its past glory.

In these years, the members of the second branch have not been idle in Xie Group. Even if Xie Zheng takes away all the capable members of the main branch, so what? She doesn’t believe that Xie Group can’t survive without Xie Zheng!

The main branch and the second branch of the Xie family are engaged in a fierce struggle. It’s a matter of life and death.

The collateral branches of the Xie family are truly vexed and troubled. This choice is extremely difficult, and the consequences are unimaginable if they make the wrong decision.

The members of the collateral branches began to discuss.

“What should we do? Should we go with the main branch or stay with the second branch?”

“Do we even need to think about it? Of course, we should go with the main branch. Xie Zheng’s abilities are evident. Xie Group has safely weathered various crises in recent years, and who was it relying on each time? Xie Zheng was personally taught by the patriarch…”

“But even if Xie Zheng is capable, it won’t be easy for him to start anew after leaving Xie Group. Even if he has made preparations, the second branch is not to be underestimated. Can they just let him develop in peace?”

“That’s right, I heard that all the shareholders of the group are standing with the second branch this time. The second branch has managed to win the cooperation of a mysterious figure, the one who researched the world of sleep…”

“The second branch is ambitious. I don’t trust their character. I’m going with the main branch.”

“Me too. The second branch has caused so much chaos in the Xie family over the years. I have no idea what they will do if I stick with them. Besides, our blood ties are closer to the main branch. I’m going with the main branch.”

“You idiots, this is a fight between the two branches. It has nothing to do with us. The second branch is clearly gaining momentum now. How can we miss such a great opportunity?”

“I don’t trust the second branch. Even if it means giving up the opportunity, I’m willing to start anew with the main branch and expand our territories.”

“Leaving Xie Group like this will definitely bring trouble to the main branch. I, I’m still going with the second branch…”

Although the benefits offered by the second branch were tempting, not everyone would sacrifice their conscience for the sake of benefits.

Besides, Xie Zheng had earned a considerable amount of prestige within the Xie family over the years. His attitude during this whole process left the remaining members of the second branch feeling a bit uneasy.

“Is Xie Zheng really not caring about Xie Group anymore?”

“He didn’t even fight for the ownership of the old mansion. Why do I feel so unsettled?”

“Could it be that he has some tricks up his sleeve?”

Although it was a good thing that everything went smoothly, if it went too smoothly, it would make people feel anxious and uneasy.

Xie Zheng was not an easy target. When he fought for power with the second branch in the past, his methods were ruthless and terrifying. Now, he had let the second branch win so easily. Something didn’t seem right.

Even Old Lady Zhou hadn’t expected Xie Zheng to so easily fulfill her goals. She was waiting for a verbal battle with him. Could it be that Xie Zheng had some other plans waiting for them?

But even if he had other plans, so what? As long as Xie Group existed, as long as they had those documents and the mysterious tycoon, the second branch had nothing to fear.

Thinking of this, Old Lady Zhou coldly swept her gaze over the worried crowd and sneered.

“What are you afraid of? The main branch only has Xie Zheng, the one person who can hold up the whole family. Even if he has some tricks, once he leaves Xie Group, he is nothing! Have we spent all these years working under Xie Group for nothing? Just because of Xie Zheng, all of you are so easily frightened. If you’re so cowardly, why didn’t you go with the main branch earlier?!”

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After all, Xie Wenxu was cultivated by the second branch as the elite successor to replace Xie Zheng. But he was snatched away by Yan Tong and even had a noticeable decline in his intelligence. It would be strange if the second branch found him pleasing!

The members of the second branch wouldn’t agree, and it wouldn’t be easy for Xie Wenxu to use the family’s power to resolve his admission to a prestigious university.

As the summer vacation was about to end and the start of university approached, the issue of Yan Tong’s school admission had not been resolved. Furthermore, there were signs of Xie Wenxu’s old feelings for Fang Ziyang rekindling after their encounter in Baixing Village.

Yan Tong was finally getting anxious and had to bite the bullet and once again use the information from the golden finger as a bargaining chip.

Of course, this time it wouldn’t be as straightforward and simple as the deal with Fang Yandong. Instead, he used the identity of a “mysterious tycoon” and presented his capital to the members of the second branch of the Xie family as a cooperative gesture. Otherwise, if he presented everything at once, what if the members of the second branch reneged and kicked him out?

With the assistance of the mysterious tycoon friend who had developed the Dreamscape, Yan Tong successfully gained the favor of the second branch of the Xie family, which was instantly attracted to him.

As is well known, in this flourishing and developing era, the industrial business wasn’t easy to do. Even for a huge company like the Xie Group, although it seemed to be thriving, the profit margins of many of its companies had declined significantly compared to before.

Venturing into the internet and technology sectors was the best direction for current business development.

However, while this industry appeared prosperous with enormous profits, it also carried significant risks. Ordinary people couldn’t fathom how many companies went bankrupt each year after entering these industries. Without a certain level of confidence and capital in these fields, who would dare to venture into them?

Even for the Xie Group, it was a challenging business.

Because conducting research and development required substantial investment. For slightly larger projects, investing tens or even hundreds of billions of yuan without obtaining any returns was not uncommon. Without sufficient capital and confidence in technology, who would dare to touch these areas?

The reason Xie Zheng was able to defeat the second branch and take control of the Xie family was not only due to his management and operational capabilities but also because Xie Zheng himself was a technical expert.

Because of Xie Zheng’s understanding of computer-related industries, he was able to lead the Xie Group better, and most of the talents supported him.

The reason the second branch of the Xie family chose to invest heavily in cultivating Xie Wenxu was precisely because Xie Wenxu possessed such talent.

Now, with Yan Tong bringing out the information from the mysterious technology tycoon and expressing a willingness to cooperate with the second branch of the Xie family, it meant that the second branch’s plan to control the Xie Group didn’t need to wait any longer; it could be realized immediately!

With the information provided by Yan Tong, the second branch believed they had enough leverage to bring Xie Zheng down from his high position.

…

The old Xie residence.

All the influential members of the Xie family and various shareholders of the group were gathered here.

Their expressions varied—some were excited, some were smug, some were angry, and some were solemn. But regardless of their expressions, the atmosphere was tense.

In fact, the division between the Xie family’s main branch and the second branch was not based on the commonly understood concept of dividing the siblings into different branches. Instead, it was based on the criteria of the original and subsequent wives.

When the Xie family first became prosperous, during the Republican era, it was common for wealthy families to have concubines.

Just like in ancient mansions and palaces, where there were numerous wives and concubines, fierce conflicts naturally arose among the children of the original wife, subsequent wives, and concubines.

The Xie family was no exception. Fortunately, the old patriarch of the Xie family had some conscience. Although he was a bit promiscuous, he respected his main wife. Before his death, he let his children from the main wife inherit most of the family assets.

He also left behind instructions that only successors from the main wife could take control of the Xie family, unless the descendants of the main wife proved to be unworthy.

Therefore, in the Xie family, the so-called main branch represented the main wife, while the children of subsequent wives and illegitimate children were collectively referred to as the second branch.

Naturally, under the inherent identity conflict and greed, the relationship between the main branch and the second branch is very delicate. It can easily become hostile.

Xie Zheng sat on the golden nanmu chair representing power in the Xie family, his gaze coldly sweeping over everyone in the room, finally settling on the members of the second branch seated on his right side, as well as those who supported the second branch. His voice couldn’t reveal any joy or anger.

“What’s this? Calling everyone together like this, even the shareholders of the group are here. Are you planning to go against me?”

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere grew even more tense.

The supporters of the main branch, seated on the left side, glared angrily at the members of the second branch across from them.

Although the main branch had never been particularly close to the second branch, they had always been tolerant. But the members of the second branch were never satisfied or grateful. They resented the main branch and always felt that the family was unfair to them. Why should most of the family’s assets be left to the main branch?

Hmph, why? How dare the second branch ask why?

It was because the main branch married various wealthy young ladies from respectable families, while the wives of the second branch used various means and their beauty to become concubines and mistresses. They only squandered the family’s wealth and made no effort for the family’s sake!

The current achievements of the Xie family were all accumulated and achieved by the main branch’s hard work. Why should they share with these undeserving individuals?

In the past, the rivalry between the two branches had some limits, but with Old Lady Zhou here, the members of the second branch resorted to every despicable means. As a result, the main branch was now left with only Xie Zheng, a capable successor. How could he not resent and hate them? Every time they met, there would be explosive confrontations.

Old Lady Zhou’s face turned unsightly under the insults.

She wanted to retort, but the problem was that she couldn’t match up to this stepson. All she could do was snort coldly and look towards the shareholders of the Xie Group, indicating for them to speak.

In the face of the struggle for interests, the verbal disputes meant nothing to the second branch. After all, the main branch was already doomed today.

A few shareholders didn’t want to get involved in the internal conflicts of the Xie family. However, for the sake of their own interests, they could only be drawn into the mix.

The second largest shareholder, Director Huang, immediately stood up to mediate with a smile.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

“Haha, alright, let’s calm down. We’re all family, so why hold grudges? We can discuss these matters later. Time is limited for everyone, so let’s get to the main topic quickly.”

With Director Huang taking the lead, the other shareholders nodded in agreement.

“Yes, that’s right. Let’s focus on the important matters. It’s time to discuss the decision-makers for the next board meeting. We have some free time today, so let’s have a brief meeting.”

“According to the rules, the decision-maker should still be chosen from the Xie family. Although Xie Zheng has done well in recent years, there are still many areas where he falls short. The performance of the Xie Group has declined by more than two percentage points compared to before…”

In reality, the shareholders were somewhat uneasy as they spoke.

In recent years, the industrial sector had been tough, and the Xie Group was undergoing a transformation. The fact that Xie Zheng had managed to make the Xie Group profitable was already commendable. How could the percentage points during the economic downturn compare to the prosperous times? They recognized Xie Zheng’s abilities.

However, even though they recognized his abilities, they were businessmen, and businessmen wanted to make money. When greater benefits appeared, their alliances couldn’t help but change.

Moreover, the benefits presented by the second branch of the Xie family were unimaginably tempting.

After saying so much nonsense and finding so many reasons, the ultimate goal was simple—to remove Xie Zheng from his position and place the second branch of the Xie family in power.

In the end, whether the decision-maker would be from the second branch or the main branch, as long as the group remained profitable, these shareholders didn’t really care.

“So, in other words, are you all standing with the second branch?” Xie Zheng’s cold gaze fell upon the shareholders, and the chilling coldness made their backs shiver.

The shareholders were a little afraid of him and dared not meet Xie Zheng’s gaze directly. They could only awkwardly respond, trying to smooth things over.

“CEO Xie, you’re overreacting. What do you mean by choosing sides? We’re all part of the Xie family. Moreover, even if the decision-maker changes, you will still be the CEO of the Xie Group. The group will still rely on you, CEO Xie…”

These high-sounding words infuriated the main branch of the Xie family.

“You bunch of turncoats! The Xie family has weathered numerous challenges over the years, and who was it that helped us get through each time? It was Xie Zheng from the main branch. How can you just turn your back on us like this? You greedy bastards!”

“You want to bring down the people from the main branch and still expect us to work hard for you? You want to take everything and don’t think your faces are swollen enough!”

“To think that we’re labeled as the second branch, it’s simply an eight-generation curse. We from the main branch are not extinct yet, don’t think we have no one left! “

The anger of the main branch of the Xie family couldn’t be contained any longer, and their words poured down like a torrent, showering everyone with scorn and contempt.

A few of the shareholders of the group couldn’t hold their expressions.

The members of the second branch couldn’t help but retort, “Who’s the one who can’t make it? The decision-making positions should go to the capable ones. The talents of the main branch have withered, so why shouldn’t the second branch fill in? If Xie Zheng is truly competent, would the group’s profits have declined in recent years?”

“This is the market trend, what do you know?”

“Anyway, data is the truth.”

“Your mother is the truth! Are you really trying to push us around, second branch?”

“Yes, we’re pushing you around, so what? The main branch has held power for so long, shouldn’t the tide turn?”

“To hell with the tide! You bunch of ambitious wolves!”

The grievances between the two branches had been building up for a long time, and now they were arguing directly.

Old Lady Zhou sat on the side, wearing a satisfied expression on her face.

Xie Wenxu remained silent, feeling somewhat embarrassed with his head lowered. Although he belonged to the second branch, he also looked down on their tactics and demeanor.

Xie Zheng looked at the quarrelling family members without saying a word, his face calm and cold from beginning to end.

It was only when the two sides had almost stopped arguing that Xie Zheng spoke calmly,

“If the group believes that I’m not competent enough and that I’ve managed Xie Group poorly in recent years, then starting today, I will withdraw from Xie Group.”

Withdraw from Xie Group?

How would he withdraw?

Would he simply step down from the decision-making position at the shareholders’ meeting?

Or would he directly submit his resignation and leave?

The faces of the shareholders changed drastically upon hearing his words.

The members of the second branch of the Xie family also fell silent, all looking towards Xie Zheng.

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“Hahaha.”

When Tang Xun and Xie Zheng’s Weibo updates came out one after another, the first reaction of the netizens who saw the news was to burst into laughter uncontrollably.

If Tang Xun and Xie Zheng were already well-known figures before, their true influence lying in the academic and upper-class circles, the general public’s perception of them as celebrities didn’t necessarily entail an overly enthusiastic attitude.

However, now, after the Fang family’s high-profile events and the scandal of Xie family’s heir’s engagement, the passion generated by Tang Xun and Xie Zheng’s appearance was no less than that of any A-list celebrity.

There was no doubt that gossip and scandals always gathered attention, and after several waves of online scandals, the two of them attracted many gossip enthusiasts and fans of their looks.

Tang Xun’s Weibo post was undeniably sarcastic.

Anyone with a normal level of intelligence and frequent exposure to the internet could easily perceive the mocking tone of Tang Xun’s Weibo post and understand who the term “monsters and ghosts” referred to.

Although Yan Tong’s marketing campaign to whitewash his image on the internet had been quite successful in the past few days, not everyone in the public was foolish. Many people could see through Yan Tong’s tricks to reshape his image, and they could distinguish the truth from the previous scandals. However, these rational individuals usually refrained from engaging in excessive online arguments with those keyboard warriors who lacked clarity of mind. This allowed Yan Tong’s whitewashing narrative to dominate.

Therefore, when Tang Xun’s clearly sarcastic Weibo post was published, everyone immediately grasped the key message.

Wasn’t this Yan Tong the exact embodiment of monsters and ghosts, following wherever he went?

Young Master Fang studied at No.1 High School by coincidence and became classmates with Yan Tong.

Young Master Fang had a poor social circle during his three years of high school, and there were faint traces of Yan Tong’s presence in it.

Young Master Fang was pushed into the trending topics due to the bullying video, and the victim was none other than his classmate, Yan Tong.

Young Master Fang’s family had their conflicts within the prestigious family, and once again, you, Yan Tong, were involved.

Finally, Young Master Fang’s top-ranking score in the college entrance exam was replaced, and it was linked to you, Yan Tong!

What kind of karma or fate caused this? How did you and Yan Tong coincidentally end up like this…

And now, this time.

You say you’re whitewashing your reputation, but then you come and cling to Young Master Fang as a shield, using his experiences as capital to whitewash yourself. That’s a bit shameless, isn’t it? When it comes to shearing a sheep, you don’t always hold onto just one sheep.

At the time when Yan Tong’s whitewashing campaign emerged, many clever netizens had already started making such sarcastic comments.

And now, when Tang Xun’s Weibo post came out, everyone suddenly had a moment of realization. So, Yan Tong went to such great lengths to whitewash his image just to attend the same prestigious university as Fang Ziyang!

It made sense. Even if Yan Tong truly became engaged to Xie Wenxu and had the support of the wealthy Xie family pulling strings for him, renowned universities like Qingda and Nanda still valued their reputation. Even for less popular majors like dance performance, they wouldn’t relax their standards for accepting students. Regardless of the reality, students shouldn’t have any conspicuous blemishes on their records.

Yan Tong’s plan itself wasn’t a big deal, but it was absolutely unwise for him to use Fang Ziyang as a scapegoat and an example while trying to gain an advantage. Did he really think Young Master Fang was still the pampered, background-less playboy with nothing but a pile of inheritance? Well, Young Master Fang now had an older brother who was a scientific prodigy.

If Tang Xun had any brotherly feelings for Fang Ziyang, he wouldn’t allow others to use his own younger brother as a shield, especially someone who had a complicated relationship with his brother.

So, when netizens saw Tang Xun’s straightforward statement, they didn’t feel any discomfort. On the contrary, they admired Tang Xun’s straightforward and domineering protective stance for his younger brother, and their howls of support were unstoppable.

“Haha, I always thought my brother Tang was a gentle and warm guy, but I didn’t expect him to be such a straightforward boy. Is this what they call ‘wearing the crown of anger for a loved one’? Oh no, it’s for his little brother. Feeling a bit domineering, right?”

“Dongfeng Pharmaceutical… I just checked it out. It used to be the leading pharmaceutical company in Jiang City, and it was acquired just over two months ago. It’s a medium-sized enterprise with a market value of several billion… Did he really just… give it to his little brother as a game?”

“Oh my god, Young Master Fang, I envy you! I wish I had a brother like this! Give me a dozen like this!”

“I’m not greedy, I just want one…”

Tang Xun’s straightforward and clearly sarcastic Weibo post not only didn’t make netizens uncomfortable, but it also made them envious of his protective and forthright declaration. His popularity soared instantly.

Having seen numerous dog-eat-dog dramas among the wealthy brothers, everyone rarely witnessed Tang Xun’s protective attitude toward his brother, and it caught their attention.

Of course, the most important factor was that Tang Xun was handsome, and Fang Ziyang was also exquisitely good-looking. In this era where looks were considered justice, when a handsome guy did anything, it would make people scream with excitement!

If Tang Xun’s Weibo post enlightened people about the ongoing discussion regarding Yan Tong’s actions, then Xie Zheng’s Weibo post brought a sense of schadenfreude and sparked curiosity. People gathered to watch and eat popcorn.

Compared to Tang Xun, people had even higher expectations for Xie Zheng.

Setting aside Xie Zheng’s astonishing background, his legendary star-studded scandals alone had made countless men and women who were envious of his looks and financial status both yearn for and despair over him, knowing they could only admire from afar.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

As the saying goes, the more unattainable something is, the more it stirs up restlessness. Xie Zheng was precisely that kind of presence.

So, despite Xie Zheng’s uptight and old-fashioned personality, and the fact that he had never managed his own public image, relying solely on various staged photos and work videos circulating on the internet, he still had a large fan base.

Under the attention of these fans, whenever something happened to Xie Zheng, it would undoubtedly explode on the internet, generating so much traffic that it made other celebrities in the entertainment industry both envious and resentful.

One might wonder why these people, who didn’t rely on exposure for their livelihood, always tried to grab the headlines. They really wanted to destroy their own careers!

Therefore, when Xie Zheng posted a Weibo that broke away from his usual serious image and carried a hint of mockery, the entire internet exploded.

“Ah, my male god can actually make jokes? Someone please tell me if I’m dreaming!”

“Yes, yes, our male god has finally descended from the heavens and become down-to-earth. It’s cause for celebration. Let me screenshot it as a memento…”

“The first time I discovered that CEO Xie could be so humorous. Adopting a son? A son’s engagement that even the father didn’t know about. Hahaha, CEO Xie, tell me, is this what you really wanted to say?”

“Male god, have you finally expressed your discontent? Can I tell you that I’ve been wanting to mock you, who is only nine years older than your ‘son’? Your looks really don’t match at all. Thank goodness, my male god, you finally woke up and stopped being a pushover.”

“If I could, male god, I would gladly give birth to monkeys for you! Even if I died young, it wouldn’t matter…”

“Get lost, everyone! Male god, look at me! I’ve had my fortune told, and you’re the lone star of calamity, while I’m the one destined to hinder you. We’re a perfect match!”

“Get lost, all of you! The male god is mine! You bunch of jealous little bitches, trying to steal my man…”

A group of fans screamed with excitement, and their responses to Xie Zheng’s Weibo were unanimously positive.

Honestly speaking, when it came to Xie Zheng adopting Xie Wenxu, netizens really couldn’t understand or agree with it, especially those die-hard fans. When they first heard the news, they were on the verge of collapsing. They collectively flooded the official Xie family website with months’ worth of opposing comments.

Actually, netizens didn’t have much objection to Xie Zheng adopting a child. After all, Xie Zheng had broken off several engagements one after another, and even fans who didn’t believe in curses felt that the likelihood of their male god getting married was slim. So, adopting a child was somewhat acceptable.

But the problem was, was Xie Wenxu, who was only nine years younger than their male god, the right choice?

Was this really adopting a son? It was simply absurd!

Netizens weren’t fools; on the contrary, their imaginations ran wild. After analyzing the relationships within the Xie family, they understood clearly that the Xie family was blatantly bullying their male god and cursing him to die early, while eagerly awaiting the inheritance of their male god’s Alipay and WeChat accounts. This was going too far!

Family feuds are truly annoying, and their male god is really pitiful.

During that period, Xie Zheng’s fan base skyrocketed. With the promotion and support of the existing fans, Xie Zheng gained a new group of motherly fans.

For a long time, Xie Zheng found himself in a state of bewilderment when he encountered screams from strangers during his outings…

Now, Xie Zheng’s Weibo post was nothing more than a simple complaint.

It represented a declaration of war, a signal that exposed the scandals of the Xie family.

No matter how absurd the adoption relationship between Xie Wenxu and Xie Zheng was, now Xie Zheng was officially Xie Wenxu’s father, yet he didn’t even know about his son’s engagement. What did that signify?

It meant that either Xie Wenxu acted on his own and messed things up, or the Xie family was challenging Xie Zheng’s authority!

Tang Xun’s Weibo post was amusing for everyone to see.

But Xie Zheng’s Weibo post indicated that everyone was about to witness a new drama in the wealthy family.

And in fact, everyone’s speculations were correct.

Xie Zheng was indeed planning to break free from the Xie family using this opportunity, thanks to Fang Ziyang’s advice and the long-awaited opportunity for Xie Zheng.

Xie Zheng actually valued the Xie family. Under the guidance of the old patriarch, he diligently shouldered everything for the Xie family.

But no matter how strong and powerful he was, as long as the second branch existed, the Xie family could never regain its former glory and cohesion. The second branch was like a rat dropping that completely spoiled the soup, which was already losing its aroma.

In Xie Zheng’s view, instead of putting in so much effort to maintain the Xie family and sharing hard-earned money with the detestable second branch, it would be better to leave with loyal family members and establish a new Xie family.

Now was the opportunity.

Clearly, the second branch was likely preparing to have a real falling-out with him.

Xie Zheng guessed right.

The second branch of the Xie family indeed wanted to sever ties with him. Both sides had been enduring each other for many years, and once a spark ignited, war would break out.

And that spark, without a doubt, would be Yan Tong.

Although Yan Tong had a good hold on Xie Wenxu’s heart and could make him do many outrageous things, that was limited to Xie Wenxu alone. The members of the second branch despised him.

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After all, if his guess was correct, he currently didn’t have the ability to rescue Cheng Jun. The power of that wealthy family was too strong. If he wanted to intervene, he could only wait for that family to encounter trouble and take advantage of the chaos to find Cheng Jun.

“… That’s the general situation. Cheng Jun is missing, and I’ve used all the resources available to me. It’s unlikely that there will be much progress in the short term.”

“So, Grandpa, please consider it. If you really don’t want to leave, I won’t persuade you further. However, out of respect for Li Xiao’s face, I will continue investigating Cheng Jun’s whereabouts, but I can’t guarantee a timeframe.”

With things turning out this way, Fang Ziyang didn’t expect to necessarily convince Grandpa Li. He left the decision to him.

Grandpa Li looked at the documents, his eyes reddening as he fell into deep thought.

Fang Ziyang didn’t try to persuade Grandpa Li any further and instead stayed at the Li family’s place as if taking a vacation, while discussing the challenge of the prescription with Ming Bai.

Ming Bai, being a renowned figure in his previous life, truly had remarkable expertise in his field.

The prescription he presented to Ming Bai didn’t pose any real difficulty for him. The study of pharmacology and the substitution of medicinal ingredients were swiftly conducted by Ming Bai. In less than half a month, he had replaced most of the unobtainable ingredients in the prescription.

At this rate, it was almost certain that Ming Bai would pass the challenge.

Fang Ziyang was delighted. Although he had high intelligence, he wasn’t omnipotent. His primary field of study and research was similar to Tang Xun, focused on scientific and technological research, with less involvement in medicine.

So, Ming Bai’s inclusion in Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals was truly an important and celebratory event for him.

With Ming Bai and Grandpa Li’s matters settled, Fang Ziyang could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

As for Xie Wenxu and Yan Tong, who were also in Baixing Village, he didn’t have any spare attention for them. After all, he knew these people inside out.

To put it crudely, he could tell whether the other party wanted to fart or take a dump as soon as they took off their pants…

So, without affecting the overall plan, Fang Ziyang didn’t want to bother with these people. No matter how they jumped around, he had ways to counter them.

Besides, if Yan Tong didn’t jump around, how would he be able to sabotage Yan Tong’s harem?

Fang Ziyang remained indifferent.

Not knowing if his attitude had influenced Xie Wenxu, the latter didn’t stay in Baixing Village for long and soon left with Yan Tong.

He didn’t know if they had reached an agreement with the Shi siblings.

But it didn’t matter.

Fang Ziyang’s ability to endure had become extremely powerful. He had stuck to his principles, and if others still didn’t leave him alone, they couldn’t blame him for being merciless.

So, during the last half of the summer vacation, Fang Ziyang had a relaxed and leisurely time.

Calculating the time, he hadn’t experienced such a peaceful life in almost ten years. This carefree life truly made his soul bubble with comfort.

Of course, it would be even better if Xie Zheng called him a little less during this time…

And as the summer vacation neared its end.

Grandpa Li finally made his decision—he would also come out of seclusion with Ming Bai!

Since he had learned about Cheng Jun’s situation, he couldn’t stay in his hometown waiting foolishly. Although Fang Ziyang promised to do his best to continue the investigation, he couldn’t guarantee how much effort he could put in.

Grandpa Li wasn’t fond of socializing, but he was still quite clever.

This trip to Baixing Village had successfully achieved its goal, and Fang Ziyang was very happy.

However, there was another thing that made him even happier.

Xie Wenxu and Yan Tong were going to get engaged!

…

Yes, Xie Wenxu and Yan Tong were getting engaged.

When Fang Ziyang first saw this trending news online, he was dumbfounded for a moment and couldn’t believe his eyes.

But after his disbelief, he burst into laughter.

Yan Tong was indeed Yan Tong, never failing to “surprise” him.

He had always wondered how Yan Tong would turn around the current dire situation, how he would handle the issue of falsified exam scores, and solve the problem of entering university. Given Yan Tong’s current connections, the most likely person to help him would be Xie Wenxu.

But could Xie Wenxu, as capable as he was, just watch while Yan Tong made a mess?

However, now it seemed that he had underestimated Yan Tong. Not only had he convinced Xie Wenxu, but he was also engaged to him. Now, the news was spreading all over the internet and Weibo.

If Yan Tong successfully got engaged to Xie Wenxu, it wouldn’t be impossible to manage the previous scandals through public relations and marketing, and then use connections and money to enter less competitive arts programs at prestigious universities like Tsinghua University and Nanda University.

Fang Ziyang checked the comments on Weibo, and as expected, there was a flood of whitewashing for Yan Tong.

And the content of this whitewashing…

Hmm, it was quite interesting.

“Damn it! Xie Wenxu is actually getting engaged to Yan Tong? Seriously, is this real? Doesn’t Xie Wenxu know what kind of person Yan Tong is? It was just a fling, but now it has turned into true love?”

“Well, although I’m a bit shocked, I can’t deny that it might be true to say that Xie Wenxu and Yan Tong are in love. After all, Xie Wenxu is the heir of the Xie family. He couldn’t find just anyone as his fiancé. If it’s not true love, it’s unlikely to reach this level, right? Besides, Yan Tong is currently being heavily criticized on the internet.”

“Actually, speaking of Yan Tong, don’t you guys feel that his current situation is quite delicate? It’s somewhat similar to the situation when Fang Ziyang was heavily criticized on the internet for no reason…”

“Are you implying that Yan Tong is also being wrongly accused? Are you comparing these two situations? Don’t be ridiculous. The internet has a memory, and all the evidence is there! Yan Tong is definitely not a good person, no need to explain!”

“Just because you have a strong opinion, why do you have to be so confrontational? It’s just a personal opinion. The internet is a virtual and real place. If Yan Tong has really done so many bad things, why is there no evidence? Why…”

Then this self-proclaimed “personal opinion” netizen started their analysis, claiming to be the only one who was clear-headed while everyone else was intoxicated.

During this period, many major events involved Yan Tong, such as the bullying video reversal, Xie Wenxu breaking off the engagement, the conflicts between the Fang and Shi families, and the substitution of exam scores… Every single thing could be connected back to him.

However, who made Yan Tong too cunning? He never personally intervened in matters, always instigating others to handle them.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Even if problems arose, he was always as steady as an old dog, letting others create a fuss while he quietly profited from the situation, never exposing himself.

So, even if the truth came to light and people looked at him with suspicion, making random guesses, there was no substantial evidence to prove anything about him.

“Personal opinions” seized upon this point and brainwashed everyone with various analyses.

“…In the case of the bullying video, Yan Tong was also a victim. He was confused from beginning to end. It was that perverted Xu Jiaqing who pursued him and instigated the internet attack against Fang Ziyang. The reversal happened later, and Fang Ziyang’s speculations were highly suggestive, with a suspicion of venting anger.”

“Regarding Yan Tong’s interference in the engagement of Fang and Xie, it doesn’t hold up either. Breakups between couples are normal, and according to insiders’ revelations, Fang and Xie’s relationship had long been problematic, so their separation was only a matter of time. Yan Tong just happened to be involved…”

“As for the conflicts in the Fang family, Yan Tong is the true victim. He was deceived by his stepmother and even abducted as a child…”

“The substitution of exam scores is also Yan Tong’s misfortune. He encountered a second Xu Jiaqing, Fang Qianhao. Yan Tong chose to major in dance and performance. With his grades, it would have been enough to pay some money to pursue that major. There was no need to take risks and substitute his scores…”

Under the analysis of “personal opinions,” Yan Tong became a poor unfortunate soul who was dragged into trouble and implicated. The online rumors lacked substantial evidence and might have been intentionally released by someone who disliked Yan Tong to tarnish his image. After all, it was normal for envy to arise when an ordinary student like Yan Tong became the boyfriend of Xie Wenxu, who had no money or power.

Moreover, wasn’t Fang Ziyang once subjected to similar baseless speculations, maliciously edited videos, and internet attacks?

Now, Yan Tong’s path of being criticized was remarkably similar to what Fang Ziyang had experienced…

These analyses presented by “personal opinions” wouldn’t withstand scrutiny from truly intelligent individuals. They were merely crude methods of distorting the truth and whitewashing one’s reputation.

But most netizens weren’t particularly rational and were easily influenced by various opinions.

Moreover, they were intentionally led by marketing accounts.

As a result, these analyses ultimately convinced some people, especially considering that Yan Tong’s appearance was deceiving, and his background belonged to a vulnerable group that was easy to sympathize with.

Thus, with the example of Young Master Fang being misunderstood across the internet, Yan Tong’s whitewashing was quite successful…

After reading it, Fang Ziyang couldn’t help but curl his lips.

Did Yan Tong think he could use him as a stepping stone to whitewash his image?

Did he really think Fang Ziyang couldn’t handle the dynamics of public opinion on the internet?

If Yan Tong wanted to go to a prestigious university together with him, did he even ask for his consent?

After finishing reading the Weibo trending topics and comments, Fang Ziyang didn’t hold back. He directly had a video call with Tang Xun and Xie Zheng for half an hour.

Then, Tang Xun and Xie Zheng each posted a Weibo.

New World Technology, Tang Xun V: Is my little brother having a rough year? How come he’s changing which university he’s attending? Can he still keep up with all the monsters and ghosts? No worries, big brother has your back, play games with Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals. [Heartache, kissy face] Our Troublemaker Little Lord V.

Xie Group, Xie Zheng V: My beloved son is getting engaged? When did this happen?

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“Brother Xie, are you really not busy?” Fang Ziyang held his phone and couldn’t help but confirm once again.

In fact, when he made the call earlier, he regretted being too impulsive and hasty. He should have waited until evening to contact him.

After all, Xie Zheng, despite facing the challenges from the second branch of the Xie family, still held apparent power in Xie Corporation. He was busy managing the vast Xie Corporation and rarely had time to rest, even during his lunch break. Would it be inappropriate to disturb him at work?

But unexpectedly, Xie Zheng answered that he wasn’t busy. It sounded like he was genuinely leisurely, which surprised Fang Ziyang.

However, when he asked again, the response was still, “Not busy. What’s the matter? Just tell me…”

Xie Zheng’s voice was gentle, so gentle that it carried a hint of joy.

Fang Ziyang realized that sometimes it was better to be ignorant. He didn’t know how to handle this strange Xie Zheng.

He wasn’t a clueless teenager, and he could clearly sense Xie Zheng’s changing feelings towards him.

But he was well aware that he and Xie Zheng were people from two different worlds. He couldn’t afford to approach someone as pure and clean as Xie Zheng…

Taking a deep breath, Fang Ziyang suppressed the complexities in his heart, put on a smile, and returned to the familiar role of the cheerful and obedient younger brother. He briefly explained the situation with Grandpa Li to Xie Zheng over the phone.

“I have tested Grandpa Li and Ming Bai’s skills in traditional Chinese medicine, and they are very proficient in restoring and repairing ancient formulas. Although we have already incorporated the research team from Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals, I’m still a bit concerned. We need true core forces…”

“…That’s the situation with Grandpa Li. My network is limited, and this person named Cheng Jun went abroad many years ago. I can’t reach Rick or my brother at the moment, so, Brother Xie, I can only trouble you now.”

Fang Ziyang felt helpless.

He had been reborn for such a short time, and no matter how capable he was, his limited network and influence were a hindrance.

On the other end of the phone, Xie Zheng felt a slight disappointment after hearing Fang Ziyang’s intention for calling. So, the young man called not because he wanted to talk to him?

But Xie Zheng quickly replaced that sentiment. He remembered that Fang Ziyang didn’t know that he was the one being silently admired. How could Fang Ziyang think of him? He was being foolish. In Fang Ziyang’s eyes, he was simply Big Brother Xie.

And the fact that Fang Ziyang thought of him first when he had something to deal with indicated that he had a strong reliance on him. The young man was so clingy…

Thinking like this, Xie Zheng’s mood improved. After all, it was just a matter of activating his international network to find a person. It was not a difficult task for him.

“No problem. Send the specific information to my personal email, and I’ll arrange for someone to investigate,” Xie Zheng readily agreed. Then he immediately changed the topic and inquired,

“When will you be back in Jiang City? The summer vacation is almost over, and you haven’t gone out to play yet. Although studies and career are important, you should also relax in life. Your brother and Rick have been busy lately, but I have more free time. If you want to go somewhere, I can accompany you…”

Clearly, the latter part of the sentence was the key point.

The department heads in the office, holding their thick files, had their jaws drop.

When had they ever seen their CEO Xie speak so gently? And he had free time? Recently, Xie Corporation had been so busy that the CEO’s words were unbelievable.

Who on the other end of the phone could make CEO Xie agree to accompany them on a trip? It was like the sky was falling!

Fang Ziyang also felt like the sky was falling and quickly responded, “Um… Brother Xie, it’s not necessary. I don’t like going out to play. I wasted too much time before, and now I want to learn more. I don’t want to embarrass my brother when we go out, so I won’t trouble you, Brother Xie.”

“I don’t know the exact return date yet. Let me check. I’ll send you Cheng Jun’s information later. Sorry for bothering you, Brother Xie. You should take a nap now and take care of yourself. Don’t worry about me, really, I’m not a child anymore.”

Anyone could hear from his words that he was trying to end the call.

However, Xie Zheng had different thoughts.

He chose to ignore Fang Ziyang’s string of excuses and focused on the words “take care of yourself.” He felt happy instantly.

Was the young man concerned about his well-being? He was so obedient and adorable!

So, Xie Zheng’s smile became even more pleasant. “It’s okay if you don’t want to go out. Then, I’ll take you to Yujing Garden for a meal. Once you know your return date, give me a call, and I’ll pick you up at the airport.”

After speaking, he felt it wasn’t appropriate and said again, “Forget it, I’ll just come directly to pick you up. It’s not safe for you to travel alone.”

Fang Ziyang wanted to cry. “Brother Xie, I’m already eighteen. I’m not a celebrity, and I actually have bodyguards…” So, there’s no safety issue, thank you!

Xie Zheng fell silent upon hearing this.

After a while, he calmly said, “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Fang Ziyang:…

“Let’s talk about this later. Brother Xie, please help me find that person. We can discuss other matters later!”

Firmly hanging up the phone, he executed the disappearing technique and slipped away.

Xie Zheng, who only heard the busy tone: “I feel like my mood has worsened?”

The department heads in the office: Helpless and weak once again!

…

With Xie Zheng’s powerful assistance, finding the person mentioned by Grandpa Li became much easier.

In less than three days, Xie Zheng sent over all the detailed information about Cheng Jun after he went abroad.

However, what Fang Ziyang didn’t expect was that the investigation results were not good.

“Ziyang, this Cheng Jun you investigated is quite complicated… All his original identity and background are fake. According to the current information, if nothing unexpected happens, he should be someone from the government. His departure for abroad wasn’t due to family matters but likely because he accepted certain special tasks.”

“After Cheng Jun went abroad, he changed his identity several times, and his final identity was as a computer teacher at a certain school in Country M. However, he didn’t stay in that job for long before he disappeared.”

“Because Cheng Jun is of Chinese descent and his identity indicated he was an orphan, his disappearance at the time didn’t attract much attention. There was limited information left behind, and we were able to investigate him because a few students who went missing together with him.”

“It was because of the missing students that the local authorities in Country M left records of this missing persons case…”

Xie Zheng’s voice sounded serious.

Originally, they thought it was a simple missing person case, but they ended up uncovering shocking information. With Xie Zheng and Rick’s connections and influence in Country M, the fact that they could only find this much information indicated that Cheng Jun’s disappearance likely had a much bigger story behind it.

Especially considering Cheng Jun’s apparent connection to the government and the fact that he went abroad for special tasks, the situation became even more complex.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Fang Ziyang’s mood also grew heavy after listening.

Setting aside the true nature of Cheng Jun’s identity, if Xie Zheng and Rick’s network and resources could only gather this limited information, then how did Yan Tong find out about Cheng Jun’s whereabouts in his previous life and convince Grandpa Li?

Judging from Grandpa Li’s attitude, if it wasn’t for the news about Cheng Jun, he would definitely not have left his hometown. And during Yan Tong’s time, his biggest network was just Xie Wenxu and his two despicable father and brother.

Could it be that Yan Tong had actually met some powerful figure that he didn’t know about? Or did he overlook something in the plot of that golden book?

But that couldn’t be possible. When he read that golden book with Yan Tong as the protagonist, he paid careful attention to it. Afterwards, fearing he might forget the details, he even made a note of it. It was impossible for him to have overlooked anything.

Wait.

It wasn’t an oversight!

It might be…

A sudden realization struck Fang Ziyang, and he immediately asked, “Brother Xie, were the students who went missing with Cheng Jun particularly good at computers? Or were they generally fond of playing computer games? Were these students of Chinese descent?”

“Wait a moment…”

Xie Zheng paused upon hearing Fang Ziyang’s question, then typed and clicked on his computer. He was probably asking the investigator online.

After about ten minutes, Xie Zheng’s voice came through, “You’re right. those students were indeed of Chinese descent and particularly good at computers. How did you guess?”

During Grandpa Li’s time, even in the more developed Country M, computers were not widely used. So, it was relatively easy to investigate if they had any interaction with computers at home.

Fang Ziyang knew what was going on when he heard this.

“It’s just that Grandpa Li mentioned some information. Thanks for your help with this matter, Brother Xie. That’s all for now. I know how to talk to Grandpa Li.”

Fang Ziyang smiled and ended the call, not daring to chat too much with Xie Zheng. He was afraid of letting something slip.

After hanging up, he let out a long breath.

If his logic wasn’t wrong, he might have caused a butterfly effect for Yan Tong this time!

He remembered that in that golden book, not long after his death, Rick emerged with the excuse of avenging him by claiming to have had a one-night stand with him, and he opposed Yan Tong and the others.

During the various conflicts, a significant piece of news broke out about the harem behind that rich heir.

It was said that for the sake of their interests, that family not only shamelessly stole top-secret information from various countries but also kidnapped many relatively unknown but highly talented researchers, keeping them captive to develop technological products for them…

However, this news was later labeled as “defamation” and resolved, not causing much of a stir.

Fang Ziyang hadn’t paid attention before, but now he was sure that this news was definitely true! It’s just that there were probably too many things involved, and the countries whose secrets were stolen couldn’t directly take action, resulting in unforeseen consequences.

And the rich heir was following Yan Tong, benefiting from his protagonist halo, so he was able to easily and perfectly resolve the situation.

In the plot, although the rich heir only appeared later in the story, the book mentioned that the two had already known each other.

So Fang Ziyang boldly speculated.

In his past life, during this period of time, Yan Tong probably didn’t know through what channels he had already met that rich heir. But now, with several instances where he made Yan Tong busy and unable to take care of himself, their acquaintance might have been disrupted like this.

In other words…

There was at least a 90% chance that Cheng Jun was one of the kidnapped researchers.

With the understanding of Cheng Jun’s disappearance, the situation became easier to resolve.

However, Fang Ziyang didn’t voice his speculation but directly showed Grandpa Li and his family the investigation results provided by Xie Zheng.

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Hypnosis was a common method used by many psychologists, but it wasn’t as miraculous in reality as it was portrayed in TV dramas. Moreover, there were not many mental health professionals who could achieve hypnotic effects.

His so-called hypnotic software was indeed derived from the Dreamscape. He could create a similar sound wave hypnotic software that influenced the brain’s neural networks, and it wasn’t difficult to make a similar software of the same kind.

This kind of extraordinary method was currently considered advanced and extraordinary. However, in the realm of the golden finger, it was just ordinary technology.

Li Xiao was also involved in computers and programming, so he naturally understood what Fang Ziyang meant.

He was both shocked and excited. “Damn, Ziyang, you actually figured something out from that Dreamscape? You’re not fooling me, right? Can it really be used? Are there any dangerous side effects?”

After all, it was something that worked on the brain, so it was normal to be concerned.

Fang Ziyang smiled and shook his head. “There’s no danger, I’ve tried it on myself. As for side effects… I’m more worried that we might learn Grandpa’s secrets, and he might hit me for it.”

“How could that be? Don’t you know how frustrated my Grandpa is in his current state? He’s been like this for decades. Our family has consulted many psychologists, but it hasn’t helped. My Grandfather was worried about this even on his deathbed…”

Li Xiao sighed.

Grandpa Li’s autism was still a serious problem for the Li family.

In the past, they were poor and uneducated and didn’t know what autism was. Later, when they found out, it was too difficult to correct Grandpa Li’s condition, especially since he strongly resisted seeing any mental health professionals.

He himself was a doctor, and he felt that he wasn’t sick. He was just a bit timid and didn’t like interacting with outsiders. He believed he was mentally and physically sound!

Grandpa Li refused to accept any treatment for autism. He was already old, so the Li family could only give up and let Grandpa Li continue living in his own world.

But in Fang Ziyang’s eyes, perhaps Grandpa Li didn’t really have autism. Although he wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about these conditions, if Grandpa Li really had autism, it wouldn’t be possible for him to live all these years. After all, many people with autism have poor mental states, but Grandpa Li, who was in his sixties, had a very good mental state. As long as he didn’t encounter strangers, there was no problem at all.

So Fang Ziyang speculated that Grandpa Li must have some psychological issues or reasons that caused him to become like this.

After explaining the situation to Li Xiao’s family and obtaining their agreement, Fang Ziyang proceeded to hypnotize Grandpa Li.

The result?

As soon as the hypnosis took effect, Grandpa Li burst into tears and hugged Li Xiao, as if he had finally seen someone he had been longing for. He started to express his grievances, saying things like “you heartless person,” “I waited for you so hard,” “why did you only come now,” and other classic lines from TV dramas.

Grandpa Li’s demeanor changed so quickly that Fang Ziyang couldn’t keep up…

Li Xiao: Grandpa, you’re making me a little nervous like this!

After Grandpa Li finished crying and woke up, Fang Ziyang pieced together those intermittent words.

Together with the information revealed when Grandpa Li was in a fit of anger, he finally understood why Grandpa Li refused to leave his hometown.

In fact, the reason was simple. It ultimately came down to an eternal emotion: love.

When Grandpa Li was young, he had a lover, but that person was of the same sex. At that time, homosexuality wasn’t accepted in China, and male pregnancy capsules hadn’t been developed yet. Moreover, China was going through internal turmoil.

Naturally, the outcome of this relationship wasn’t good.

The two of them could only keep it a secret, and later, due to family reasons, Grandpa Li’s partner had to leave the country. Before leaving, they made a promise that they would reunite once everything was settled.

Unfortunately, after that person left, there was no news.

However, Grandpa Li didn’t believe that his lover had abandoned him. Over the years, he hadn’t stepped out of Baixing Village, firmly believing that the person would come back to find him.

After listening, Li Xiao thought his Grandpa was incredibly naive. At his age and with his experiences, he couldn’t comprehend such a firm and persistent feeling.

“Grandpa, do you really think he will come back to find you? It’s been so many years without any news. It’s obvious that he either died or forgot about you. You’re really persistent, just for a person like that to spend your whole life trapped in your hometown. You have quite the determination!” Li Xiao blurted out without thinking.

As soon as the words were spoken, they were met with the fierce gazes of Wei Yue and Grandpa Li.

Grandpa Li, in his anger, completely transformed from his usual timid and cowering self. He raised his hand and slapped Li Xiao on the forehead, displaying a stark contrast in his demeanor.

“You ignorant child! You know nothing! Cheng Jun loved me! He would never abandon me! He said he loved me the most, and you have no idea how difficult it was for us back then, you unfilial scoundrel!” Grandpa Li exclaimed.

“He will definitely come back to find me, even if he becomes a ghost. We have true love!”

Grandpa Li was filled with anger.

Li Xiao, holding his head and tears in his eyes, said in a pitiful tone, “Yes, yes, you’re right, Grandpa. It’s true love! But Grandpa, even so, you don’t have to confine yourself to this place and never leave. You’ve been waiting for so many decades; you should live for yourself…”

Li Xiao’s grandparents nodded. While they appreciated his deep love, they couldn’t bear to see him sacrifice himself for someone who might never return. After all, how many years did this person have left? Now that they knew the reason, they wanted their brother to live the remaining years for himself, not in vain.

However, if Grandpa Li’s stubbornness could be changed, things wouldn’t have turned out like this.

“He won’t break his promise. He said he loved me the most. He won’t abandon me…” Grandpa Li didn’t listen to any refuting words, firmly believing in his own obsession.

Even at his advanced age, talking about love didn’t make him feel embarrassed. He was unapologetically proud of his devotion.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Love in that era was exceptionally pure, and Grandpa Li had been steadfast for so many years. It was impossible for his mindset to change easily, and he couldn’t bring himself to believe that he might be deceived.

Waiting for his lover’s return had become a kind of faith for Grandpa Li.

Love was such a powerful force.

Although Li Xiao felt that it wasn’t worth it for their Grandpa, he couldn’t help but admit, “Grandpa, you’ve made me believe in love again…”

Grandpa Li raised his chin, looking pleased with himself.

The meek and introverted appearance he had shown earlier seemed like an illusion when he talked about his lover.

However, Wei Yue wasn’t pleased and gave her boyfriend a strong pinch in the waist. What an idiot he was.

Fang Ziyang started contemplating this.

He didn’t know how Yan Tong convinced Grandpa Li and Ming Bai to come out of seclusion in their previous life, and naturally, he wouldn’t be concerned about Grandpa Li’s love issues.

If that’s the case… it was possible that Grandpa Li was persuaded to come out because of this long-awaited lover?

Thinking of this, Fang Ziyang immediately said, “Grandpa Li, if I can find information about the person you’ve been waiting for, would you be willing to leave this place?”

“Can you find him?”

Grandpa Li’s spirits were somewhat stirred by the words.

“I’ll try…”

Fang Ziyang smiled faintly.

His current network might not be enough, but don’t forget that he was his brother’s person now! Being his brother’s sibling was valuable, especially considering that his brother had been living abroad for many years and even had a powerful foreign pursuer.

Therefore, it wouldn’t be difficult to find someone who went abroad several years ago.

“If you can help me find him, I’ll do anything you ask!” Grandpa Li was excited. As long as he could receive news of his lover, he didn’t care about anything else.

If he couldn’t hear news of his lover before he died, he wouldn’t be able to rest in peace.

…

Finally, a breakthrough was found.

Fang Ziyang didn’t waste any time and immediately walked out of the room, dialing Tang Xun’s number.

Unfortunately, Tang Xun was in the laboratory again. Since receiving the information from the golden finger, Tang Xun had been working overtime even more. As a professional researcher, his pursuit of knowledge was extremely intense.

Rick naturally accompanied him in the laboratory.

Fang Ziyang had no choice. After hesitating for a long time, he could only bite the bullet and bother Xie Zheng…

Such a fateful connection!

Xie Corporation.

The atmosphere in the boardroom was tense.

Several department heads held their documents and nervously lowered their heads, waiting to report their work and then… wait for Xie Zheng’s expressionless face to provide merciless criticism.

There was no choice; recently, CEO Xie’s mood seemed to be not so good, and as a result, the pressure on their work increased dramatically.

Originally, they were already extremely nervous when facing CEO Xie, but now, they were even more frustrated. Every time they came to report their work, it felt like going to the execution ground.

In the past couple of days, the situation had escalated further, and CEO Xie’s aura was approaching freezing point.

Especially at this moment, as the current department head finished reporting, he cautiously asked, his forehead covered in sweat, preparing himself to face the ruthless strike from the boss.

Xie Zheng raised his eyes, his cold gaze fixed on him, and was about to speak.

Just then, his phone rang.

The hearts of the department heads pounded, and they held their breath. They wondered who the fool was that dared to call and disturb CEO Xie. If it was another piece of bad news, they would be even more miserable after CEO Xie finished the call!

However, to everyone’s surprise, when Xie Zheng saw the caller ID on his phone, he didn’t show any annoyance at the interruption. Instead, his entire body seemed to relax instantly.

Then, they witnessed something even more shocking. The perpetually expressionless CEO Xie suddenly softened his facial expression.

Xie Zheng answered the call, his demeanor relaxed, “Hello…”

That deep, magnetic voice not only sounded pleasing to the ear but also carried an indescribable tenderness.

The department heads widened their eyes.

Then they heard something from the other end of the phone.

And they saw their awe-inspiring CEO Xie smiling and casually saying, “I’m not busy. I was just taking a nap.”

Taking a nap?

The department heads, who clung tightly to their thick files, felt pitiful, helpless, and weak.

---

Sandy: I finally get it. Grandpa Li is the brother of Li Xiao’s grandmother or grandfather.

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Yan Tong and Xie Wenxu both left with unpleasant expressions.

Xie Wenxu’s face turned pale. He had originally thought that he could easily let go of Fang Ziyang. When they first encountered the engagement, he was relieved. But now that he realized Fang Ziyang had truly moved on from him, he felt an indescribable discomfort and pain in his heart.

The indifferent attitude, without even a trace of mockery, made him feel like he had lost something important.

Yan Tong, on the other hand, was struck by those words and felt a deep sense of worry in his heart.

If in the past, he had absolute confidence in himself, believing that he was the protagonist of this world, that the men he set his eyes on would kneel by his side and fall in love with him, and that he was the center of this world with everyone revolving around him.

But ever since the trending video turned against him and the Fang family encountered one mishap after another, his self-confidence had been severely undermined.

Especially now that he had become Xie Wenxu’s official boyfriend, various small problems arose in their interactions. Xie Wenxu, who used to look at him with adoration, now occasionally showed disappointment because of him. It made Yan Tong deeply understand one thing.

That is, this world is not just like the novels he had read before. This is the real world.

The people here might be influenced by the world’s consciousness, but they definitely won’t be completely controlled, and their character settings won’t remain unchanged.

In other words, if he doesn’t take good care of it, Xie Wenxu’s feelings for him won’t always stay deep and affectionate.

That’s why he was so eager to inform Xie Wenxu about Shi Liangchen’s existence.

He even half-revealed the information about the golden finger, because he needed to increase his weight in Xie Wenxu’s heart. He no longer had confidence in solely relying on their feelings to hold onto Xie Wenxu.

This was his most secret concern, and now Fang Ziyang had directly pointed it out to him.

Looking at the increasingly dazzling and radiant Fang Ziyang, Yan Tong felt an indescribable panic and worry in his heart.

He felt that he couldn’t just sit back and wait anymore.

With Fang Ziyang’s rising speed, every day he delayed would add another obstacle to his path of counterattack.

…

The panic in his heart forced Yan Tong to regroup and decide to formulate a new plan.

On the second day of knowing that Fang Ziyang was also in Baixing Village, Yan Tong couldn’t contain himself and secretly sought out Shi Meijing.

“Ten million. No matter what method you use, persuade your brother to get close to Fang Ziyang and participate in the next Hongmeng Computer Competition together with him. Once it’s successful, besides the three million reward, I will also find you the perfect bone marrow match.”

Yan Tong took out a check as soon as they met, getting straight to the point with a slightly superior and condescending attitude.

He was no longer the insignificant character he used to be before transmigrating. Not to mention his identity as a transmigrator favored by Heaven, with the halo of the Heavenly Dao shining upon him. Even with the money he had in his hands now, he could afford to live a little luxuriously.

Although Fang Yandong had forcibly obtained some information from him regarding the college entrance examination scores, it wasn’t for free. He had demanded a substantial sum of money for that information.

During the time he spent with Xie Wenxu, Xie Wenxu had also given him a considerable amount of pocket money. While he felt somewhat reluctant to spend tens of millions all at once, he could still afford it if he gritted his teeth.

Even if Shi Liangchen couldn’t be persuaded at the moment, having Shi Meijing as a burden would surely make Shi Liangchen lower his head.

A check for ten million may sound simple, but when placed in front of an ordinary person, no one would remain unaffected.

However, although Shi Meijing was somewhat tempted, she didn’t immediately lose her composure.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

“Fellow student Yan, what do you mean by this? What do you want my brother to do? Although our family is in need of money, we won’t do anything that goes against our conscience. Moreover, Fang Ziyang isn’t someone to be trifled with. His own elder brother is Tang Xun…”

Trying to make her deal with Fang Ziyang with just ten million? Did he think she was foolish? Regardless of anything else, Fang Ziyang was the top scorer in the college entrance examination. Could he be lacking in intelligence? And behind him was a research genius like Tang Xun, with a solid background. It was a guaranteed powerhouse in a few words.

Shi Meijing wasn’t foolish. She rejected his offer with a sense of dignity. “I don’t need that much money. My brother has already raised enough funds for my surgery, and a suitable match will be found soon. I don’t want to get involved in your conflicts.”

Moreover, once she captured Xie Wenxu, would she still need these few paltry tens of millions?

However, they were both cunning foxes. Who couldn’t see through the other?

Moreover, Yan Tong was someone who knew the world’s plot, and he understood Shi Meijing better than anyone.

Yan Tong’s gaze was disdainful. “Shi Meijing, do you really think you can find a suitable bone marrow match?”

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what it means. Besides me, no one else can help you find a match, and I won’t let such a thing happen.”

Yan Tong sneered. “Shi Meijing, I thought highly of you by giving you this task. If you don’t know what’s good for you, I don’t mind making sure your surgery can never be completed. If you don’t believe me, feel free to give it a try.”

“You… How dare you openly threaten someone! Aren’t you afraid I’ll go to the police station and report you…”

Shi Meijing’s face changed drastically.

She never expected that Yan Tong would threaten her so directly, without giving her a chance to negotiate. It was audacious and brazen to the extreme.

In fact, Yan Tong was feeling extremely audacious at the moment.

Because he was facing Shi Meijing, a weak and powerless woman with no money and a frail body.

If he didn’t dare to confront Fang Ziyang head-on, would he still be afraid of bullying Shi Meijing? He had been suffocating during this period of time, and now Shi Meijing was like an ant he could easily manipulate.

Facing Shi Meijing’s angry questioning, Yan Tong didn’t feel guilty at all. On the contrary, his smile became even more contemptuous.

“If you don’t want your dirty secrets to be exposed in advance, and if you don’t want your brother to kill you, then go ahead and report me to the police station, or go outside and spread the word about how I threatened you. Give it a try, and you’ll be the one to suffer first. If I die first…”

This was the trump card that made Yan Tong dare to directly manipulate Shi Meijing. With the plot in his hands, he held the world.

Although Shi Meijing didn’t say anything, her gaze was filled with resentment, and she tightly clenched her fist.

…

Fang Ziyang was unaware of the private situation with Yan Tong.

However, it didn’t prevent him from guessing that the more successful he became, the more anxious and desperate Yan Tong would become, trying to hinder him in any way possible.

In short, the worse he fared, the more reassured and happy Yan Tong would be.

And one of Yan Tong’s biggest advantages was his familiarity with the plot. He would definitely use the characters he was familiar with to achieve his goals.

Now, Shi Meijing was a good choice.

But Shi Meijing wasn’t just a minor character. In the previous life, this woman had caused a lot of trouble for Yan Tong, jumping up and down like a super scheming green tea bitch, with formidable tactics. Many times, she had made Yan Tong feel extremely frustrated.

But back then, Yan Tong’s protagonist halo was powerful enough to prevent Shi Meijing from succeeding.

Now, in this life, these two white lotus green tea bitches had come together again, and he had given them a small push. So, what kind of scene would it be when Shi Meijing faced off against Yan Tong once more?

Fang Ziyang believed that Shi Meijing would definitely not disappoint him.

In the following days, although Xie Wenxu and Yan Tong were still in Baixing Village, they didn’t come to bother him anymore.

Fang Ziyang breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t in the mood to waste time with these people. There was less than a month left of summer vacation, and he had to convince Grandpa Li to go to Jiang City before it ended.

Initially, he was confident about convincing Grandpa Li.

But when he actually tried to put it into action, he realized it wasn’t easy!

Li Xiao had mentioned that Grandpa Li was stubborn and extremely timid, and he wasn’t exaggerating at all!

No matter how many years had passed since the reform and opening up, for Grandpa Li, he still lived in the shadow of the chaotic era. He not only resisted the outside world but also had a strong aversion to strangers.

Fang Ziyang felt that it wasn’t just the influence of the environment that caused Grandpa Li to become like this. There must have been something that happened when Grandpa Li was young, which made this old man behave this way even at this age.

However, when he talked to Li Xiao’s family about it, they were also unaware of what had happened.

As for communicating with Grandpa Li… forget it, there was no hope of getting the old man to speak up voluntarily.

In the end, Fang Ziyang had no choice.

He could only resort to unconventional means and find Li Xiao.

“I have a method that might uncover the reason behind Grandpa’s condition, but it requires the consent of your family.”

“What method?”

“Hypnosis. There was a sleep software that appeared online before, right? It influences the brain’s neural networks through sound waves to create dreams. I’ve studied that software in detail, although I haven’t fully grasped it, I’ve figured out something and made a similar hypnotic software myself…”

Fang Ziyang explained, half-truth and half-falsehood.

---

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Although she had thoughts in her mind, she wouldn’t be silly enough to show them immediately.

Setting aside the fact that Yan Tong was able to snatch Xie Wenxu from Fang Ziyang, who was a wealthy and good-looking young master, which definitely required some extraordinary means, it was also a challenging task to approach Xie Wenxu under his watchful eyes.

Regarding Xie Wenxu, even though his behavior so far had been despicable, it was evident that he wouldn’t be interested in willingly inviting a third party into his relationship.

So, if she wanted to seize this opportunity, she had to be careful not to be too obvious about it.

Shi Meijing was smart enough not to rush into action. Instead, she subtly established a familiar relationship with Xie Wenxu by finding topics of conversation related to her elder brother, taking advantage of Xie Wenxu’s interest in him.

If Xie Wenxu wanted to recruit her elder brother into the team, she would help persuade him.

In short, patience was necessary to win this opportunity. She would start by getting to know Xie Wenxu and familiarizing herself with him. Once her elder brother became an invaluable assistant to Xie Wenxu’s team in the future, she would have a chance to connect with him.

Shi Meijing’s plan was excellent.

However, Shi Liangchen was already cautious, and it wouldn’t be easy for her to persuade him. Moreover, saying too much might have a counterproductive effect.

So, Shi Meijing couldn’t go too far. She could only occasionally show her concerns about not being able to find a bone marrow donor, subtly stirring her brother’s thoughts.

Then she turned her attention to Li Xiao.

That’s right.

All Shi Meijing needed was an excuse to get closer to Xie Wenxu in the future. If she couldn’t convince her brother for the time being, she could use Li Xiao instead.

After all, Xie Wenxu was looking for someone with good computer skills, and Li Xiao was studying computer science, and he was even a student at Qing University. Didn’t this meet the requirements perfectly? When the time came, she could use Li Xiao as an excuse to approach Xie Wenxu. Perfect!

Yan Tong and Xie Wenxu had no idea about her thoughts.

When Shi Meijing mentioned that there was a talented computer science student from Qing University in their village, although she didn’t show much interest, Shi Liangchen had made no progress so far. Since they had nothing better to do, they decided to take a look.

As a result, they ended up at Li Xiao’s house.

And then, they naturally ran into Fang Ziyang, who was lazily playing with his tablet on a recliner in Li Xiao’s yard.

The result…

Fang Ziyang genuinely wanted to kill Shi Meijing right then and there.

He had known that Shi Meijing was skilled at stirring up trouble ever since their previous life. A significant reason why Shi Liangchen came to deceive him was because of this sister. If it wasn’t for Shi Meijing, Shi Liangchen wouldn’t have abandoned his conscience, given up on his dreams, and turned into a liar full of deception, which led to their grudges.

In this life, he tried every means possible to avoid any interaction with these two brothers. But Shi Meijing just had to stir things up.

…

“Fang Ziyang, what are you doing here?!”

Yan Tong looked at Fang Ziyang incredulously, clearly not expecting to run into him here.

Xie Wenxu was also a bit surprised, staring blankly at the young man sitting in Li Xiao’s yard, leisurely playing with his tablet.

“You… know each other?”

Shi Meijing was confused by the sudden turn of events.

Fang Ziyang? What did Yan Tong call that annoying rich second-generation guy? Fang Ziyang? Wait, isn’t it Lu Yang?!

Suddenly, something clicked in Shi Meijing’s mind, and she quickly took out her phone to search for pictures of Fang Ziyang online.

Then her face turned pale…

And when she looked up at Fang Ziyang, her expression soured.

She hadn’t expected Fang Ziyang to be so cold towards her, not only ignoring her before but also not even mentioning his real name. She had never been neglected like this by anyone in her life.

Great, no wonder his own fiancé was stolen away by someone else. This Fang Ziyang truly deserved it.

Now that she encountered he former fiancé and his love rival, she wanted to see how Fang Ziyang would react later!

Unable to contain her schadenfreude, Shi Meijing raised her voice, deliberately pretending to be shocked, and said,

“Ah, you, you… You’re Fang Ziyang? You’re Mr. Xiao’s former fiancé?”

Although her words seemed ordinary, they were actually like lighting a match in a fireworks pile, capable of causing an explosion.

If Yan Tong and Fang Ziyang both had bad tempers, there would definitely be a big showdown between the ex-boyfriend and the current boyfriend, instantly eliminating two love rivals. Shi Meijing’s cunning plan was truly devious.

However, Shi Meijing had miscalculated.

Yan Tong knew well that Xie Wenxu preferred a gentle and considerate type of boyfriend. No matter how restless he felt inside, he would never show his bad side in front of Xie Wenxu.

So, the expected showdown didn’t happen.

On the contrary, Yan Tong used this opportunity to gain favor. He immediately grabbed Xie Wenxu’s arm in a timid manner, looking like he needed protection, and tearfully called out, “Brother xu…”

When it came to playing the role of an innocent, lovable flower that could make a man feel pity, he ranked second to none.

Xie Wenxu almost instinctively protected him behind him before giving a complicated look to Fang Ziyang and greeting him, “Ziyang, it’s been a while.”

“Not long, didn’t we just see each other in the news a few days ago? Your boyfriend accidentally replaced my college entrance exam scores, and it’s still trending online. Since we’re all old acquaintances, there’s no need for pleasantries when we meet,” Fang Ziyang lightly laughed and countered, not willing to play the role of a resentful ex-boyfriend for Shi Meijing to see. He wasn’t in the mood to be verbose with Xie Wenxu either, so he directly retorted with a smile.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

The issue of college entrance exam scores was still a thorn in Yan Tong’s heart. It made him feel uncomfortable whenever it was mentioned.

Xie Wenxu’s mood was also complicated. He had always thought Fang Ziyang was a useless person with poor grades and a bad temper, which embarrassed him. But now he didn’t expect Fang Ziyang’s grades to be excellent, which was both shocking and created a significant contrast in his mind.

He thought he would be happy after leaving Fang Ziyang, but now that he saw him again, he found himself inexplicably feeling uneasy.

Especially Fang Ziyang’s gaze, which no longer held the familiar warmth of their close relationship. It turned pitch black, revealing no trace of his former self…

Xie Wenxu suddenly felt a sense of emptiness in his heart.

Faced with Fang Ziyang’s sarcasm, he couldn’t help but defend himself,

“Ziyang, I know I’ve wronged you before, but we don’t have to end up like this. I…”

But before he could finish, Fang Ziyang raised his hand to interrupt him, “Enough, Xie Wenxu. You don’t need to emphasize that you’ve wronged me. We’ve already terminated the engagement. You don’t need to say anything, let alone talk about being friends after breaking up. You should know my temper.”

“Today is just my unlucky encounter with you. If you have something to discuss with the host, do so. If not, just leave. I’m in a good mood on my vacation and don’t want to argue with you. It’s meaningless.”

After speaking, Fang Ziyang picked up his tablet, lowered his head, and continued playing games.

It was clear that he had no intention of reminiscing or chatting like before.

There was no anger or rage from before, nor the emotional stimulation of encountering a betrayed fiancé and a love rival. His indifferent attitude was as if he was treating someone completely unrelated.

This was the scene that Xie Wenxu had originally hoped for, hoping that after terminating the engagement, they would no longer be entangled in troubles.

But when he truly faced such an indifferent attitude, he couldn’t help but feel an inexplicable discomfort in his heart.

Fang Ziyang had truly let go. All those happy memories between them had completely vanished…

Xie Wenxu’s face suddenly turned pale, and his heart ached.

Seeing this, Yan Tong silently clenched his fist and quickly interjected to break the tension, trying hard to maintain his image, “Ziyang, I’m sorry. I didn’t know that Brother Qianhao would actually go as far as to help me switch the exam scores, let alone involve you. I know it’s useless to say anything now, but I still want to apologize to you. But why did you come to Baixing Village? Do you know Brother Wenxu…”

He didn’t finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Was it just a coincidence that Fang Ziyang came to Baixing Village? Or was he following them?

Or did he still want to snatch Xie Wenxu back? After all, Fang Ziyang had deep feelings for Xie Wenxu, so it wouldn’t be strange if he deliberately came to meet by chance.

Upon hearing this, Xie Wenxu couldn’t help but show a nervous expression, involuntarily.

Shi Meijing also perked up her ears.

Fang Ziyang looked at these pretentious people.

Why couldn’t they find something to do? Why did their eyes have to be fixed on him?

Putting down his tablet, he looked directly at Yan Tong with a smile that wasn’t really a smile, “Yan Tong, what are you so worried about? Worried that I will come back and snatch Xie Wenxu away? I thought you were more confident than that, but it seems not. It makes sense, you and Xie Wenxu have known each other for less than half a year, not even a quarter of the time I spent with him. It’s not strange that you’re worried about our old feelings reigniting.”

“But rest assured, I won’t go back to someone who betrayed me. I will never forgive those who betray me. Considering how hard you worked to snatch a man from me, let me give you a piece of advice: instead of worrying about me, you should worry about yourself.”

“After all, relying solely on impulsive feelings won’t work. Just like me, I can only indulge in eating, drinking, and having fun, and I’ll eventually be disliked by others. As for you… you’re worse than me. You may be a little gentle and know how to please others, but you’re not attractive enough in appearance, your grades are just average. I suppose you won’t have much to talk about with Xie Wenxu when it comes to computers. Tsk, tsk, I managed to endure being with him for three years. I wonder how long someone like you can endure?”

Fang Ziyang’s smile was faint and full of endless mockery.

Yan Tong’s complexion turned sour, showing a hint of worry deep in his heart.

Shi Meijing’s gaze fell on Yan Tong’s face, her eyes rolling, thinking about something.

---

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“No!” Yan Tong, however, didn’t want to give up. His anxiety grew as he spoke, “Brother Xu, trust me, you must win Shi Liangchen over. Otherwise, he will become a great trouble for you in the future. Shi Liangchen truly has immense potential. Brother Xu, you mustn’t give up…”

Mainly because Shi Liangchen was the future great assistance for Fang Ziyang, how could he let such talent be left for Fang Ziyang’s rise!

Seeing Xie Wenxu’s furrowed brows, Yan Tong gritted his teeth and straightforwardly said, “Brother Xu, do you remember when Fang Yandong mentioned that the research material for the sleep software was given to him by me? I denied it to the police at that time, but I lied. I did give him that material.”

“What?” Xie Wenxu was shocked by the revelation.

Was it true that Yan Tong had presented the research material for the sleep software? How was that possible?

Although he hadn’t personally seen the specific material, with the connections of the Xie family, he had heard about the importance of the sleep software material. It was a groundbreaking technology. That’s why when Fang Yandong claimed to have received the material from Yan Tong, no one believed him.

After all, Yan Tong, from both his own perspective and that of his friends, didn’t have the qualifications to possess such material.

Looking around, Xie Wenxu quickly pulled Yan Tong into the off-road vehicle, and in a low voice, he confirmed, “Are you telling the truth? How did you get that material?”

Yan Tong didn’t want to say it, but if he didn’t, Xie Wenxu definitely wouldn’t listen to him and try to win over Shi Liangchen.

He gritted his teeth and had no choice but to take the risk. He explained, partially true and partially false, “Brother Xu, I couldn’t originally reveal this, but for your wish and because I can’t control myself anymore, I have to tell you. But Brother Xu, you must promise me that no third person can know about this…”

“The sleep software research material that Fang Uncle wanted was indeed given to him by me, but I obtained it from a friend a while ago. We started as ordinary friends, but our relationship became close over time. Although I’ve never met that person and they remain mysterious, they are truly a great person and highly skilled in computer technology.”

“At first, I wanted to help Uncle Fang by obtaining the material for him. However, he was too impatient and wanted to go public and make money before completing the research, which led to the subsequent accidents… The material is of great significance, so I didn’t dare admit it when the police came.”

Yan Tong looked softly at Xie Wenxu, his eyes filled with complete reliance.

“In fact, this time, I persuaded Brother Xu to come and find Shi Liangchen because my friend asked me for help. He said he had some connections with the Shi family, and Shi Liangchen’s sister needed a bone marrow transplant. He wanted me to quietly assist, and after it’s done, he can give me another set of material.”

“I know your greatest wish is to create your own technology company. Although I don’t understand computers, I also want to help you…”

“So you’ve been persuading me to come and find Shi Liangchen?” Xie Wenxu was shocked and moved.

He never expected that Yan Tong had quietly done so much for him. He was truly grateful… Now he knew what to do. “We’ll come back tomorrow.”

“I’m glad I could help, Brother Xu.”

Yan Tong shyly agreed, feeling relieved.

After hearing Yan Tong’s words, Xie Wenxu finally took the matter of winning over Shi Liangchen to heart.

However, it wouldn’t be easy to convince Shi Liangchen in a short period of time. But with the connections that Yan Tong mentioned, Xie Wenxu became patient.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

In order to persuade Shi Liangchen, the two of them found a decent house to rent in Baixing Village and prepared to use the sincere approach to move the master out of hiding. Yan Tong fully agreed with this approach.

Baixing Village wasn’t that big.

When Xie Wenxu and Yan Tong arrived in their million-dollar off-road vehicle, their presence naturally attracted attention, and it was impossible for Li Xiao not to hear the news.

Therefore, on the second day of their arrival at Li Xiao’s place, Fang Ziyang learned that Xie Wenxu and Yan Tong had also come, and his face immediately turned ugly.

Li Xiao’s expression wasn’t good either.

He knew some things about Fang Ziyang’s past, and through his brother’s connections, he knew even more about the details. He was well aware of Xie Wenxu’s tendency to easily change his mind and cheat, as well as Yan Tong’s habit of seducing other people’s boyfriends. Both of them were scumbags and despicable.

“Darn, why did they come here? Could it be that they knew you were here and deliberately came to show off? Well, it’s actually possible!”

Li Xiao immediately came up with a conspiracy theory. Having learned many details from his brother, his perception of the two individuals couldn’t be worse.

Although his argument was off the mark, his conspiracy theory attitude wasn’t wrong.

Fang Ziyang tried to control his swirling emotions. “It’s not about me. They’re probably here for Shi Liangchen. Xie Wenxu is also a computer genius who has always wanted to build his own tech team. If nothing went wrong, they probably found out about Shi Liangchen’s good computer skills and came here to recruit him.”

Li Xiao became even more frustrated upon hearing this. “What? Are they targeting Liangchen? This won’t do! With their character, following them in the future will definitely lead to no good. No, I have to go and tell Liangchen. This is really bad news!”

“Moreover, Liangchen has already sold the program to you for investment. If he truly joins their camp, how can we continue operating here? They would know all the vulnerabilities and core secrets…”

“No need,” Fang Ziyang stopped Li Xiao, his voice calm. “Brother Li, being overly eager isn’t a good thing. Meddling too much in personal matters often leads to grudges. Especially in matters involving one’s future, it’s best not to get too involved.”

“But dealing with Xie Wenxu and Yan Tong is clearly a trap!” Li Xiao became anxious, his character being straightforward.

“Do you think others can’t see what you already know?” Fang Ziyang’s voice turned cold. “The incidents involving Xie Wenxu, Yan Tong, and me have already spread all over the internet. Many people should be well aware of their character. I believe Shi Liangchen shouldn’t be ignorant about this.”

“If Shi Liangchen is a clear-headed person, he won’t associate with them. But if he still chooses to engage with them, Brother Li, do you think you can wake up someone who’s deliberately pretending to be asleep?”

It’s good to be concerned for a friend, but it depends on the friend’s own thoughts.

After all, if a cow doesn’t want to drink water, no one can force it, right?

With Fang Ziyang’s remarks, Li Xiao also calmed down.

Indeed, he had been too anxious. Now that Xie Wenxu and Yan Tong were so famous, if Liangchen realized who they were, he definitely wouldn’t continue the contact. There was no need for Li Xiao to unnecessarily remind him.

“Ziyang, you’re right. I trust Liangchen. He won’t make choices that he’ll regret.”

Li Xiao was firm. He knew his friend well, having grown up together.

In the past, Liangchen might have considered money, but now that he had resolved the surgery expenses, he wouldn’t mix with people like Xie Wenxu and the others.

“Let’s hope so…” Fang Ziyang didn’t say anything more, his gaze distant.

But his hands clenched tightly, the immense force causing his slender knuckles to turn white.

…

With Fang Ziyang’s reminder, Li Xiao didn’t rush to find Shi Liangchen.

To prevent Xie Wenxu and Yan Tong from knowing that he was also in Baixing Village, Fang Ziyang stayed inside Li Xiao’s house and continued his stay-at-home routine. He had no plans to leave until Xie Wenxu and Yan Tong departed.

After all, even if he didn’t go out, he could still meet with Grandpa Li and build connections. It didn’t matter if he stayed at home.

However, Li Xiao still had some concerns.

On that day, he found an opportunity to go and discreetly remind Shi Liangchen about the gossip news regarding Xie Wenxu and Yan Tong online. He didn’t want Liangchen to be deceived if he hadn’t noticed the news online.

He didn’t want to judge people with colored glasses, but the actions that Xie Wenxu and Yan Tong had previously taken, their questionable character, made it easy to doubt the outcome of dealing with them.

After receiving Li Xiao’s subtle reminder, Shi Liangchen carefully looked up the gossip about Xie Wenxu and Yan Tong and became even more vigilant. His already cautious mindset grew more serious.

Joining a team was an extremely cautious decision for someone like him, a programmer. Choosing the wrong team could hinder his career for a lifetime. Therefore, the team’s emphasis on the technical skills and character of its members was crucial.

If a team member’s character was problematic, it would lead to many issues in the future. At best, the team would disband, and at worst, it could result in conflicts.

And Xie Wenxu, who easily changed his mind and abandoned his old love for someone he had only known for less than half a year, was clearly not a good choice!

Shi Liangchen became even more cautious in his heart.

However, Shi Meijing wanted to interact with Xie Wenxu more.

Just by looking at Xie Wenxu’s attire and the car he drove, she guessed that he must be a rich second generation. And when she heard a somewhat familiar name, she went online and found out the truth, which made Shi Meijing feel like she had been hit by a pie in the face.

Xie Wenxu! The heir of the Xie Group! The one who could make it onto the world’s rich list!

Therefore, now that she had encountered such a fat sheep like Xie Wenxu, how could she easily give up?

But Shi Meijing wasn’t foolish.

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