He Mingyi closed the file and took a deep breath.
With his other hand, he fumbled in the drawer, found his blood pressure medicine, and swallowed it with water.
Finance Magazine depicted He Board Director as a beacon in the business sea, with the entire He Family following his lead. The Gu Family’s Little Sister didn’t even dare refute him to his face, and both the Group and the family were ruled by his word alone. Besides the fact that He Corporation was indeed powerful, another reason was that only his words held weight in the He Family.
Was it that he didn’t want to delegate power, didn’t want to nurture his descendants?
It was because there was no one to succeed him.
The little bit of resources he distributed—his Son only thought about chasing women, married a beautiful but useless Giant Baby, and gave birth to two little Giant Babies… He Mingyi watched coldly, not satisfied with any of them. He wanted his Son to respond to the National Three-Child Policy and try his luck with the Gene Lottery again, but the Private Doctor told him his Son had played around too much outside and had lost his fertility.
That day, He Mingyi personally drove to sweep his Old Wife’s grave.
He remembered back when he worked overtime, busy with his start-up, flying all over the country for business, so exhausted that he’d fall asleep in his suit. His Old Wife scolded him for not doing his “marital duty.” He said one child was enough and didn’t want her to suffer the pain of childbirth again—
He Mingyi regretted it.
Wife, can’t you get up from the grave for a moment?
If he could do it over, he’d fulfill his marital duty, seven times a week if needed, even if it meant taking medicine!
Our family really does have a huge fortune to inherit!
No one knows a Son better than his Father. After years of living together, He Mingyi knew his brood were all useless.
Song Tianyang, this Pearl of the Ocean, was a gift from the heavens—a chance to draw another card.
Grades weren’t important; character and skill were what mattered.
That’s why he not only had extra patience with Song Tianyang, but also paid her more attention than anyone else. Everything she did online, as long as it could be obtained legally, would be delivered to him at top speed.
Staring at the file with words like Unwed Fiancé, Coming Out, Contract Marriage…
All these, He Mingyi didn’t want to deal with for now.
But the line, “I ate two extra Swisse Rolls at my mom’s house and got scolded by her—even though I’m her own daughter!” truly stung his eyes.
“Our family…”
“Has it really fallen to such poverty?”
He Mingyi couldn’t understand.
Was his Granddaughter deliberately smearing the family? She didn’t name names, and even deleted the post soon after, more like she was confiding in the void.
Besides, He Mingyi felt that nothing his Daughter-in-law did would surprise him anymore.
His Son and Daughter-in-law, in his eyes, were only vaguely human.
His Grandson barely counted as a person.
He Mingyi gave orders on the internal line: “Stock up on more Swisse Rolls at home, every flavor, and buy two cases of each. Deliver them to the Young Lady’s house.” He paused, even more annoyed at his Daughter-in-law. Talking to her would make the blood pressure medicine pointless, so after hanging up, he found his own Son: “Tell your wife not to be so petty. If the child likes something at home, let her eat as much as she wants. Don’t let people laugh at us.”
He Chengsheng, who was busy with his sixth girlfriend and blissfully ignorant of the world, was a bit confused:
“Dad, why say this all of a sudden?”
The He Family had several walk-in fridges, and all sorts of food and drink would be cleared out before their expiry date—there was no way anything would be lacking.
After hearing Master He’s words, He Chengsheng was still puzzled: “Two Swisse Rolls, how is that possible? And Tianyang is her own daughter…”
“When your wife used to short Deep’s living expenses, you said it was impossible too—and that was her own Son.”
At this, He Chengsheng’s face turned a bit awkward.
After all, Zhang Shiya was the wife he insisted on marrying despite his parents’ objections.
In earlier years, He Madam would claim she was signing up the kids for tutoring classes, interest classes, and all sorts of random insurances—then took kickbacks. She’d use the family account to pay the home teachers and insurance, and those people would secretly return cash to her.
Back then, even the ten hunting dogs the He Family kept were signed up for Preschool Enlightenment Class. He thought He Madam was about to make waves in evolution, but she ended up in the Finance Channel next door.
The little company Master He gave her to practice with ended up showing losses across the board.
He thought maybe his Daughter-in-law was just getting started, and losses were understandable, so he personally went to inspect the company he’d set up for her. The staff list looked exactly like her maternal family’s genealogy—not only did she bring the family business into his house, but when he asked the finance department for the books, the accountant (He Madam’s sister’s daughter) smiled obsequiously and asked whether he wanted the real one or the fake one.
Considering the next three generations of the He Family would need to pass civil service background checks, He Mingyi told his Daughter-in-law to go home and never do business again.
After sweeping out her seven aunts and eight grandaunts, he also sent his Special Assistant to check if any Branch Company was evading taxes. Losses and closures were fine, but no breaking the law.
That very night, He Mingyi saw his Daughter-in-law’s WeChat Moment: “Chinese Family, you win.”
So helpless.
Every time he saw his Son and Daughter-in-law, He Mingyi wondered why he wasn’t dead yet—he almost wanted to join his Old Wife.
But when he looked at his children and grandchildren, he didn’t dare die.
“Be nicer to your daughter, try to build a better relationship,” He Mingyi sighed.
“Okay, okay,” said the utterly confused but obedient He Chengsheng. “I’m free anyway. Tonight I’ll find Tianyang and give her some private lessons, teach her business?”
“…You come home tonight!”
Once again, scolded by his own father for no reason.
It’s wrong to do nothing, wrong to do something—what is he supposed to do!
He Chengsheng felt a bit wronged.
An hour later, Song Huafeng, having signed for a special delivery, hurriedly sent her daughter a photo—
Mountains of delivery boxes filled every corner of the New Home. Amidst the stacks, the bed looked especially shabby: “Qidian Group sent these. Mom checked, all Swisse Rolls. What’s going on? We can’t finish them, and there’s no space! The neighbors think a Swiss Spy moved in!”
In the photo, Song Huafeng didn’t even have space to get down; she had to climb over the boxes.
Is this some new kind of tycoon bullying?
The moment she received the message, Song Tianyang instantly remembered the post she made on Busy Fish, her hair standing on end.
Was this a warning from Master He?
She did respect her Grandfather quite a bit.
After thinking for a moment, Song Tianyang didn’t want to worry her Mom, so she said, “Earlier I told Grandfather—Master He that I wanted to eat Swisse Rolls, so maybe he stocked up for me. If you can’t finish them, just sell them on Busy Fish. It’s fine.”
“It’s the thought that counts—how can we sell them!” Song Huafeng retorted, then paused. “If you’re used to calling him Grandfather, that’s fine. Mom doesn’t mind. Last time your Grandmother even said your Grandfather isn’t single, right? If he wants to remarry, she wants to recommend herself. When she worked as a Care Worker in a Small County, she sent off plenty of old men—she’s really good at taking care of people. If it works out, you won’t have to worry about your own parents bullying you.”
Song Tianyang: “……”
Song Tianyang: “Mom, your ethics are a bit too Swiss. Let’s not talk about this in China, okay?”
She let her Mom deal with the Swisse Rolls as she saw fit.
Tianyang’s Daily Record: [The Empress Dowager welcomed me at the Palace Gate, seeing paper-sealed food boxes coming in an endless stream, lined up from the Palace Gate to the Red Steps, all covered in Yellow Silk, a strange fragrance filling the courtyard. Upon opening, they were Western tribute from the Swiss nation, called ‘Swisse Rolls,’ golden and crispy, coiled like Dragon Coil, boxes stacked to the rafters, filling the entire Imperial Palace in an instant.
Emperor Tianyang was stunned and said to those nearby, “With Grandmother’s generous gifts, does she wish me to fill the palace with pastries?”
The food boxes kept coming, gradually blocking the corridors and clogging the imperial walkways. By noon, there was hardly a place to stand in Qianqing Palace, even the beds buried under pastry boxes. Emperor Tianyang frowned for a long time, then suddenly clapped and laughed: “Why not follow the people’s example on ‘Busy Fish’ and make full use of these things?” So she went to Cining Palace to ask the Empress Dowager to order the Imperial Household Department to open a ‘Heirloom Market.’]
Staring at the virtual screen’s text for a while, Song Tianyang sometimes really wanted to put the Daily Record up for sale on Little Yellow Car too.
She raised her hand and rubbed her tightly knitted brow.
Compared to her Grandfather and Unwed Fiancé, Song Tianyang had more urgent matters at hand.
On the other side, Chi Zhiqing finally saw the Little Emperor’s location update again.
The address was K University’s Female Dormitory.
On the Panel he opened, it showed the Lesser Emperor was upset and hadn’t slept for twenty-four hours.
What could trouble his Main Lord so much that she’d be restless day and night?
If he appeared now to share the Emperor’s worries, he’d surely win her trust quickly.
Under a gloomy sky, heavy rain poured down as he opened his umbrella and headed for K University.
The midsummer rain was especially stifling. The Security Guard in the Security Booth enjoyed the cool air conditioning and felt drowsy. There were fewer people coming and going at the university in this weather, which made his job easier.
As he dozed, a dark figure slowly emerged in the rain.
The man’s features were deep, with a high nose bridge and slightly thin lips forming a cold, distant face, yet his eyes held a tragic compassion that made him look devoted to whomever he gazed at.
With such a striking face, Chi Zhiqing had even considered plastic surgery in his past life.
Every fortune-teller said he couldn’t keep money, had a bad fate, was prone to disaster, and that his face lacked the warmth needed for business deals. Politics was out of the question—ordinary people would see him and think of a corrupt official, making it hard for him to earn trust.
Seeing him approach, the Security Guard asked, “Do you have an appointment? Please register your ID.”
Chi Zhiqing stepped forward and calmly said, “I’m Professor Chi here. You see me every day.”
Under the dark clouds, his left eye gleamed faintly.
The Security Guard’s expression turned dreamy, then he snapped to attention and let him through: “Oh, right, my memory! Professor Chi, come in quickly, don’t get wet.”
—One of the loyal minister skills Chi Zhiqing drew: [Chen Ping’s “Six Stratagems” Passage Technique]
Han Dynasty Advisor Chen Ping used six cunning plans to help Liu Bang escape danger: forging documents, sowing discord, escaping at night.
When encountering obstacles anywhere, he can temporarily fabricate an identity and automatically gain supporting memory details. This can be used twice a week, corresponding to two key stratagems from the Six Stratagems. After use, he enters a weakened state due to “too much scheming, which is Daoist Ban.”
After being let through, Chi Zhiqing’s face grew a bit paler.
His gaze turned toward K University’s Library.
K University Library’s Study Room is open 24 hours and even has a Coffee Vending Machine. Students and staff often come late at night. With his “Professor” identity, he passed through without a hint of suspicion.
At last, deep in the Study Room, he found a chestnut-brown head.
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