After Wang Liben left, the forced indignation and humiliation on Gong Ze’s face receded like the tide. Calmly, he pulled a handful of chopsticks from under the bed, wrapped them in paper, and threw them into the trash bin.
Bloodstained chopstick (handle) x1
Description: Perhaps it once claimed the virginity of two men, earning it the title of “Chrysanthemum Killer.”
The system clicked its tongue in amazement. The explosive scene was still fresh in its mind.
The system realized that its Host actually cared about saving face. Back then, no matter how large that bundle of chopsticks was, even if they couldn’t all fit, Gong Ze stubbornly refused to reduce the number by even one.
[Chrysanthemums wither, the floor is stained with wounds – the once-pristine chopsticks have yellowed.]
[Sigh…]
Gong Ze left the hotel with a cigarette dangling from his lips. He hailed a taxi. Hearing the system’s comment, he raised an eyebrow. “If you like them so much, keep them. I won’t stop you.”
The system was horrified. [No, no, no! I don’t want them!]
Those were chopsticks that had been stuck into that place. They had blood on them, and possibly even poop.
Even if there was no poop, Qin Chuan was an incredibly promiscuous guy behind closed doors – who knew if he had diseases?
“It’s your choice not to take them. Don’t say I never gave you the chance.”
A hint of amusement flickered in Gong Ze’s eyes.
He took the taxi back to the Sang Corporation. As a company that was still in a tense period following the disappearance of its former chairman, Gong Ze had to show up at the company every day to check in and clean up the mess left behind by the Sang family.
Not to mention, although Sang Corporation appeared prosperous on the surface, it was riddled with various internal problems.
Before, Gong Ze hadn’t cared. He would be leaving sooner or later anyway. Once he was gone, what did it matter if Sang Corporation collapsed?
But now, the Sang Corporation was his wife’s company.
How could Gong Ze bear to leave such a huge mess to his wife after he left this world – to have her worry and frown every day over this ruined company, ruining her health?
So Gong Ze buckled down, pouring his heart and energy into repairing Sang Corporation from every angle.
Time was already tight. On top of going through the plot and managing the company, Gong Ze also had to teach his wife.
Even this outing to the hotel to handle Wang Liben and Qin Chuan was squeezed out during work hours. After finishing, he still had to drag himself back to work.
Sure enough, the moment he arrived at the company, HR and the secretary came clip-clopping over on their high heels. Gong Ze signed what needed signing and gave out the necessary instructions.
“Mr. Gong, there’s also a resignation application here – from your assistant, Mr. Wang Liben. What do you think…”
Everyone in the company knew that Wang Liben was Gong Ze’s trusted right-hand man. With Wang Liben suddenly resigning, the secretary hadn’t heard any wind of it from Gong Ze and didn’t dare approve it casually, so she brought the resignation application to him.
“Approve it. Give him the highest severance package.”
Gong Ze glanced at Wang Liben’s resignation and said.
The secretary cautiously watched Gong Ze’s expression. “Alright, I’ll take care of it right away.” Seeing no change in her boss’s face, her gossip-laden heart settled back down.
“Wait,” Gong Ze called her back and took a tender document from the safe. “Give this to Sang You. Put together an elite team for him and put him in charge of this project.”
“Huh? You mean this government tender?”
“Yes.”
The secretary’s eyes widened in surprise.
She muttered inwardly: Even if Mr. Gong was being irrational, he couldn’t possibly give such a big project to the little boss’s wife, right?
After all, the little boss’s wife was still just a trainee assistant. His daily responsibilities were things like recruitment and buying office supplies.
Even in video games, when you fight monsters, you go through a leveling-up process. You don’t leave the beginner’s village and go straight to fighting the final boss.
But, they were a married couple. Only a fool of a secretary would be stupid enough to say that aloud.
“Alright, Mr. Gong.”
The secretary respectfully took the sealed project documents and left.
Left alone, Gong Ze closed his eyes tiredly and pinched the bridge of his nose.
With Wang Liben’s appearance, Gong Ze realized that he had previously been too careless with the mission.
There was no longer any time for him to slowly teach Sang You.
However, Wang Liben’s resignation was a good thing.
In the hotel, he had instructed Wang Liben to get close to Yan Cheng and win his trust.
Given this poisonous hound’s obsession with the original character, as long as Gong Ze didn’t reveal what had actually happened in the hotel, Wang Liben would help him infiltrate Yan Cheng’s side and do his bidding.
But Qin Chuan was a different story.
Qin Chuan was selfish and cold by nature. Even if Gong Ze had ‘been intimate with him’ and raised his affection considerably, if Gong Ze asked him to betray his father to help him, Qin Chuan would never do it.
Unless Gong Ze not only gave him a taste of sweetness but also offered him tangible benefits.
And why would Gong Ze give him that?
What a joke.
Gong Ze had already devised a way to deal with him.
The second task he had given Wang Liben was to suppress the Qin family, and especially to target Qin Chuan harshly!
“You need to win Yan Cheng’s trust and affection. Given how obsessed Yan Cheng is with his son, that should be easy.”
“Then what should I do…”
“Then I want you to whisper in Yan Cheng’s ear, letting him know that you dislike the Qin family. Use his power and influence to openly target Qin Chuan and the Qin family.”
Back in the hotel, Wang Liben was confused. “Why?”
Gong Ze, pretending to be humiliated and furious, said that Qin Chuan had been harassing him — that on the day of the holiday gathering, Qin Chuan had done some obscene things to him under the table.
Wang Liben had personally seen the naked desire in Qin Chuan’s eyes when he looked at Gong Ze. He believed it completely, his expression twisting with the urge to kill Qin Chuan on the spot. He immediately declared that he would take care of it.
“Remember, be as harsh as possible.”
“Don’t worry, A Ze. I’ll do everything you’ve asked. And even if you hadn’t said anything — Qin Chuan dares to harass you? I’ll make him pay!”
Since the two of them had had their ‘substantial interaction,’ Wang Liben had shyly changed how he addressed Gong Ze. He no longer called him “young master” but called him “A Ze.”
After Wang Liben left, the system had asked Gong Ze why he was going through all this trouble.
Gong Ze said, “Because I want the Qin family and Yan Cheng to fight each other first!”
“Yan Cheng dotes on his son so much. He’s finally found his long-lost biological son. Even if the son is antagonistic toward the Qin family — so what?”
“Given Yan Cheng’s guilt and his desire to grow closer to his estranged son, even if Wang Liben targets the Qin family, Yan Cheng will indulge him.”
It is said that the common people don’t fight merchants, and merchants don’t fight officials.
No matter how big the Qin family’s business was, hadn’t Qin Chuan’s father been obliged to cater to Yan Cheng for all these years?
If Yan Cheng’s son started causing problems for the Qin family, Qin Chuan’s father would inevitably go to Yan Cheng to mediate. But if Yan Cheng didn’t care and indulged his son instead, both Qin Chuan’s father and Qin Chuan would just have to swallow their bitterness in silence.
Resentment would accumulate in their hearts.
At the same time, they would become dissatisfied with Yan Cheng.
Especially Qin Chuan’s father, who had been forced to watch Yan Cheng’s moods for so many years — could he truly have no complaints?
And everyone knew that Wang Liben was so obedient to Gong Ze that he was like a dog.
When Qin Chuan was targeted by someone who used to be just a lowly henchman, he would naturally be furious.
Being furious, he would certainly come to Gong Ze for help.
“When Qin Chuan begs me, entreats me, offers me conditions in exchange for help — then we’ll turn the tables from passive to active. I’ll pretend to help the Qin family because of my personal relationship with Qin Chuan.”
Would Qin Chuan be suspicious?
No.
Because people always have an inexplicable confidence in those with whom they’ve had an intimate relationship — believing that those people wouldn’t betray them.
He would only be touched by how good Gong Ze is to him, and then use Gong Ze’s help to retaliate against Wang Liben.
Gong Ze would let Wang Liben slap him, and then, when Qin Chuan was at his lowest, Gong Ze would step in as the good guy, gently saying, “I’ll help you hit back.”
In the end, the affection points would go to Gong Ze, the benefits would go to Gong Ze.
The slaps would be endured by Qin Chuan.
And the blame would be shouldered by Wang Liben.
The system: So dark. So incredibly dark.
Gong Ze said, “With Qin Chuan’s 100% trust, when I represent the Sang family in forming an alliance with the Qin family in the future, Qin Chuan’s father won’t suspect me.”
“I’ll secretly support the Qin family from behind. I have Wang Liben, this filial son who’s actually working against his own family. Add to that the Qin family’s deep-rooted local power and Qin Chuan’s father’s years of accumulated influence — even Yan Cheng would have a rough time.”
The system clicked its tongue. [This is like a modern-day Three Kingdoms.]
So much scheming and intrigue.
[Besides, both Qin Chuan and Wang Liben think they slept with you, but actually, they were just mauling each other. And they have no idea. They’re going to kill each other — for you.]
[Hiss…]
The system said sympathetically, [When these two find out the truth, aren’t they going to go insane?]
Gong Ze let out a derisive laugh. “This is nothing.”
“Once the Qin family and Yan Cheng start fighting, I’ll have time to polish Sang You and help him stand on his own as quickly as possible.”
“In the end, whether the Qin family wins or Yan Cheng wins, whoever’s left will be on their last legs — no threat to the young master.”
[This plan is good, but it’s too risky.]
One wrong move, and everything would shatter into pieces!
If the truth were exposed, Wang Liben, Qin Chuan, Yan Cheng, the Qin family — including Sang You — would all hate Gong Ze enough to tear him apart.
“There’s no other choice. I don’t have much time left.”
As he said this, Gong Ze’s gaze softened.
Once the mission succeeded, Gong Ze would have to leave.
He could only calculate and scheme as hard as he could, to remove all the thorns from this scepter of power — so that his young master could grip it tightly without cutting his hands.
After a moment of silence, the system suddenly remarked,
[Host, your expression looks just like someone entrusting their child to a guardian before they die.]
Gong Ze: …
Gong Ze grabbed the little golden ball expressionlessly. “The sound of you flapping your wings is too loud.”
The system: Huh?
Gong Ze smiled. “Let’s just clip those wings off.”
The system: ヽ(°□°)ノ!
Nooo — boohoo—
·
What happened later proved that Gong Ze’s calculations were sound.
Wang Liben’s return to the Yan family went incredibly smoothly.
The reason the well-planned Hongmen Banquet — the banquet with hidden motives — had ended so anticlimactically back at the Qin residence was precisely because Yan Cheng had seen Wang Liben.
Wang Liben looked almost exactly like a young Yan Cheng.
And there are indeed families where generations share such strong genetic traits they all use the same face — so being recognized wasn’t surprising.
The son who had been lost all those years ago was Yan Cheng’s deepest regret. He placed extraordinary importance on any clue about his son.
Unable to wait, Yan Cheng had left the banquet alone and taken Wang Liben’s hair to a private hospital for a DNA test. When the results came back, they proved that Wang Liben was indeed the biological son he had lost all those years ago.
Tears welled in Yan Cheng’s fierce eyes. The moment the results were in, he went straight to Wang Liben’s rental apartment, wanting to compensate his son and bring him back to the family.
He even changed Wang Liben’s registered surname — it was now Yan Liben.
Yan Cheng was a man who valued sons over daughters.
In his eyes, only a son counted as offspring.
A son could carry on the family line; a daughter could not. Yan Zhenzhen might be his daughter, but in terms of the weight she held in Yan Cheng’s heart, she probably wasn’t worthy of even carrying the shoes of his newly recognized son.
Soon after Gong Ze let Wang Liben return to the Yan family, he heard that Yan Cheng — in order to bond with his son — had begun to settle accounts over Wang Liben’s past.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
He would not let a single person who had bullied his son off the hook!
And that man named Gong Ze — he would be top of the list!
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