Jiang Chuan gasped, “Old Madam!”

She slumped in her chair, speaking with difficulty, “Don’t make a fuss.”

That night, at ten o’clock, a black private car was parked outside an old residential area with the windows rolled up tightly.

Soon after, a man wearing a mask and a duckbill cap came out of the residential area, looked around, and walked towards the private car.

“Miss Jiang.”

The car window rolled down.

The man shook his head, “The door was open, but no one was there.”

The person sitting in the car was none other than Jiang Fuli from the second branch of the Jiang Family.

“Find the whereabouts of that mother and son as quickly as possible,” she instructed.

“Yes.”

She was too late. The fox spirit and the wild child she bore had been hidden by someone.

At eleven o’clock at night, Jiang Weili was taken out of his cell.

The person who wanted to see him at this hour definitely couldn’t be from the prosecutors or the police.

He was alert, “Who wants to see me?”

“Go in and you’ll know.”

The guard opened the door to the interrogation room and pushed him in.

There was only one person inside, standing with his back to the door.

He turned around, “Uncle.”

It was Jiang Xiaolin.

“Why are you here?” Jiang Weili paused, “Did your grandmother send you? Did she find a way? When will you get me out?”

Jiang Xiaolin looked up.

The guard at the door conscientiously closed it and stood outside.

Jiang Xiaolin, sitting leisurely in the chair, succinctly answered Jiang Weili’s earlier question with four words: “Can’t get you out.”

Jiang Weili was taken aback.

“The evidence is clear; even the Jiang Family can’t cover up the sky,” Jiang Xiaolin relayed, disclosing, “Those were Old Madam’s exact words.”

Jiang Weili could not believe it, “Impossible, there must be a way. The Jiang Family has money, there’s nothing in this world that money can’t solve.”

How absurd a statement for a politician, but that was the reality.

“The Jiang Family is wealthy, but,” Jiang Xiaolin calmly watched the man across from him, “do you think Old Madam would invite a multitude of troubles for one troubling matter?”

Jiang Weili was left speechless.

“There is a family rule in the Jiang Family: once you enter politics, you must not meddle in the family business. This rule was set by Old Madam to ensure that if one side is in trouble, the other remains intact.”

Because of this rule, the shares of the second branch had always been managed by Jiang Fuli.

Jiang Xiaolin slowly stated, “Uncle, you are the one being abandoned.”

The Jiang Family was a family of pharmaceuticals, where business was the focus and politics just an embellishment—why would Old Madam shake the foundation of the Jiang Family for such an embellishment?

The more Jiang Weili thought about it, the more disheartened he became. He scoffed while sitting in the chair, “I’m already a discarded pawn. What are you doing here?”

Jiang Xiaolin cut straight to the point, “The second branch owns ten percent of the shares.”

He had come for the shares.

Jiang Weili immediately retorted, without hesitation, “Don’t even think about it!”

Jiang Xiaolin, seemingly anticipating this reaction, remained composed and turned on a video on his phone, pushing it across, “Take a look at this.”

In the video, seven or eight men were searching around a room. A segment later also captured a private car parked outside the residential area, the license plate of which Jiang Weili recognized as Jiang Fuli’s car.

“With both you and your aunt in prison, once the son you’ve hidden is found, who do you think will get your second branch’s shares?”

Without a second thought, Jiang Weili replied, “It’s better they end up with Fuli than you.” Fuli was at least his daughter.

Jiang Xiaolin laughed at his naivety, “Do you think Fuli, once she gets the shares, will keep your illegitimate son?” After asking, he answered himself, “If I were her, I’d make sure to eliminate the roots.”

Jiang Fuli was a person who could not tolerate flawed characters and could very much do such a thing. Jiang Weili was well aware of this, but he equally distrusted Jiang Xiaolin, the eldest grandchild of the Jiang Family’s eldest branch. He couldn’t be as gentle and scholarly as people said; he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

“So if you get the shares, you wouldn’t eliminate the roots?”

Jiang Xiaolin responded unhurriedly, “Just don’t let them fall into my hands then.”

Jiang Weili immediately asked, “What do you mean?”

“Your son is in a safe place now. I can protect him for now and in the long term. Just one condition: sign a contract with me, I will hold the ten percent of the shares until your son comes of age, ensuring he survives until eighteen. After he turns eighteen, and once you’re also out, the shares will be transferred back to you,” he added, “Of course, all profits from these shares during this period will be mine.”

Jiang Weili was half-incredulous, half-tempted, “How can I be sure you won’t harm my son?”

“You can add a clause in the contract that if the child suffers an accident caused by human actions, I must not only return the ten percent of the shares but also provide compensation.”

The conditions of the deal seemed like a pie falling from the sky.

Jiang Weili still wasn’t fully convinced, trying to gauge, “I could discuss the same conditions with Fuli.”

Jiang Xiaolin laughed, “Uncle, you clearly don’t understand your daughter. What she wants isn’t temporary custody but full ownership.”

On that point, there was no doubt.

Jiang Weili replied, needing more time to think.

Think?

No matter how much he pondered, the outcome would only be one—for their branch had already reached a dead end, with nowhere to retreat.

When Jiang Xiaolin returned to the Jiang Mansion, it was already deep into the night. As soon as he entered, Gui Family’s member approached, “Young Master, Old Madam asks for you.”

Old Madam’s room door was closed; he knocked.

“Is it Lin?”

“Yes.”

There were sounds of coughing from inside as Xu Jiuru invited him in.

Jiang Xiaolin stood outside the curtain, “Aren’t you unwell? Why aren’t you sleeping yet?”

Xu Jiuru sat up, donned a robe, and stood up, “Did you see your uncle?”

“Yes.”

Jiang Xiaolin went to support her; she had been severely ill these past few days and had difficulty walking.

“Did you get the shares?”

His purpose in seeing Jiang Weili could only be for the shares. She didn’t care about the means, only the results.

Jiang Xiaolin didn’t mention the deal but simply nodded.

This outcome pleased Xu Jiuru; indeed, the eldest grandchild of the Jiang Family’s eldest branch needed to be crafty and ambitious, “Lin, tell your grandmother the truth, do you also want Brother Zhi’s position?”

He didn’t deny it.

“Just wait a bit longer.” She too was impatient, a flicker of excitement visible in her eyes, “It won’t be long before we, the Jiang Family, call the shots in the business circles of Imperial City. And that position, Brother Zhi, will only belong to you.”

Only after the Lu Family falls will the business world of Imperial City truly belong to the Jiang Family. By then, Jiang Zhi would have outlived his usefulness.

Jiang Xiaolin stepped out of the Old Madam’s room and met Jiang Fuli outside.

She called out to him, “Cousin.”

“Not asleep yet?”

She was too impatient to beat around the bush, “Did you go to jail?”

“Uh-huh.”

It was indeed him.

“My cheap little brother, I don’t know if cousin has met him?”

Jiang Xiaolin leaned on the staircase’s handrail, “I have.”

His honesty was unexpected.

Jiang Fuli asked again, “Where is he?”

“Overseas.”

Sending him away so quickly revealed nakedly ambitious motives.

“Jiang Xiaolin, did you arrange all of this?” She accused, referring to her parents turning against each other, then seizing the opportunity.

Jiang Xiaolin slightly pondered before answering, “No.”

Although he had caused trouble in the second branch, the match that ignited everything was struck by Jiang Zhi—he was the one truly reaping the benefits.

Recently, the Jiang family had faced gloomy times; the court date for Jiang Weili and his wife was set, with numerous negative rumors circulating outside, placing the Jiang family in the line of fire. Xu Jiuru’s spirits were worsening day by day, and the hospital couldn’t pinpoint a problem, merely attributing it to old age.

That day, the sky was clear and the clouds light.

At noon, Jiang Chuan came in saying, “Old Madam, there is good news.”

Xu Jiuru was dining, “What good news?”

“Yesterday, there was a minor smoke incident at Baidex Medical Equipment’s warehouse. They didn’t supply raw materials to the Lu Family on time. Second Miss Lu is panicking, searching everywhere for new suppliers because a large international order couldn’t be shipped on time.”

“Smoke from the warehouse?”

The smoke seemed rather suspicious.

Just then, Ming Hongwei’s call came through, “Old Lady Jiang, you see my sincerity, don’t you?”

The smoke, as suspected, hadn’t been an accident.

All was clear, and Ming Hongwei bluntly stated, “Isn’t it time for the Jiang Family to show sincerity too?”

Xu Jiuru promptly agreed, “Of course.” After hanging up, she immediately instructed Jiang Chuan, “Call Brother Zhi over.”

Three days later, news broke that Baidex Medical Equipment was officially incorporated into Jiang Group, ending its cooperation with the Lu Family. To show his sincerity, Ming Hongwei would hold a five percent stake in Jiang.

That portion of shares was pulled out of Xu Jiuru’s own pocket. Currently, both Jiang Zhi and Jiang Xiaolin each held twenty-eight percent of the shares in Jiang; to ensure Jiang Zhi remained the main shareholder and to help Jiang Xiaolin fortify, she had no choice but to tap into the shares “hidden” at the Jiang family’s collateral branches.

Xu Jiuru had gone all-out, the signal for battle clearly sounded.

June 10.

Xu Jiuru obtained some business information and summoned Jiang Xiaolin.

“Grandmother, you wanted to see me.”

She motioned for him to close the door, “This is customer information given by Ming Hongwei. The Lu Family is experiencing a temporary gap in their supply chain; our chance has come.” She pointed at a few companies on the document, “The rest doesn’t matter, but these companies I’ve marked out, even if it means lowering profit margins, must be secured.”

Jiang Xiaolin glanced at the names of the companies, “I’m afraid we can’t swallow them all at once.”

Xu Jiuru shook her head, “Baidex leads the medical equipment industry, not only do they have a substantial output internally, but they also maintain a stable partnership with several external processing factories. It’s precisely for this reason the Lu Family cooperated with Baidex for nearly a decade without ever changing suppliers.”

It was also for this reason that Jiang Zhi painstakingly pulled Ming Hongwei to the Jiang’s side. This blade could not only slay enemies for the Lu Family but also stab back at them.

“Why not let Brother Zhi go?”

Xu Jiuru spoke with definite seriousness, “Because you are the eldest grandson of the main family, the most legitimate heir to the Jiang Family.”

Legitimate?

Jiang Xiaolin understood.

June 10, what was Jiang Zhi doing?

He was at home.

Zhou Xufang found it odd, “Aren’t you going to the company today?” He had been quite busy recently.

“I’m spending the day with you.”

While Xu Jiuru was busy expanding territory and didn’t have the energy to keep an eye on him, he had already set the bait and was waiting to net the catch.

Zhou Xufang, “Oh.”

Her response was mild, only the corners of her mouth curled slightly.

Shouldn’t she be ecstatic?

Jiang Zhi felt like he was doused with cold water, “That’s it?”

Zhou Xufang’s head popped with a question mark, “Huh?”

Straight women just don’t understand.

He expressed his dissatisfaction, “I said I would spend the day with you, yet you don’t seem very pleased.”

In fact, Zhou Xufang was happy, but did it need to be shown?

Fine, she clapped her hands, “Oh, wonderful!”

Because of the exaggerated tone, it came off as slightly stiff.

Jiang Zhi, “…”

He felt aggrieved and very unsatisfied, complained in a petulant tone, “Zhou Xufang, you’re dismissing me!”

Zhou Xufang’s expression was sincere, “I’m not.” After all, she had applauded…

Jiang Zhi insisted, “You are.”

Zhou Xufang wasn’t as good at acting spoiled and couldn’t outtalk him, “I’m going to make formula now.” It was about time for her to drink her pregnancy milk.

The doctor said her weight was on the low side, bad for the baby, and she needed more nutrients.

She went to the dining table to make formula.

Jiang Zhi followed her, “Zhou Xufang.”

She focused on making the formula, “Hmm?”

Jiang Zhi leaned against her back, rubbing her neck with his chin, like a cat that hadn’t seen its owner for many days. It would first claw and fuss in anger, then resort to cajoling and cuddling. The cat was actually telling its owner that it was upset and needed affection.

“You haven’t told me you loved me for many days.”

Old couples didn’t need to say it every day.

Zhou Xufang continued making her milk.