Although on the surface, it seemed more likely that Uncle Cheng would open a hospital or a pharmaceutical factory, Qin Er just had a gut feeling… Uncle Cheng would definitely do something with that game he’d spent so many years playing.
Uncle Cheng was the biggest backer he’d ever met in this life. Whatever Uncle Cheng wanted to do, he just had to follow without a second thought.
The Gu Martial Association might be called a professional association, but it was an actual official organization at heart, and all its industries were undoubtedly state-owned. If they partnered up with the association, his dad wouldn’t have to stress so much about acquiring Sanjiu Network.
It was inconvenient for Qin Er to lower his head, so even with five silver needles sticking out of him, he made a video call to his dad.
Upon learning that there was a chance to cooperate with the Gu Martial Association, Father Qin clearly felt a lot more relaxed.
The Qin Family was a true blue billion-yuan conglomerate, but to acquire a gaming company worth tens of billions was still a lot of pressure.
The Gu martial master, his neck covered with fragrant medicinal gauze, listened for a while, then suddenly opened his mouth. “My daughter and I both have a little stake in Sanjiu Network. I’m not out to make money. Just… looking to make friends?” He gently pressed the edge of his injury. “To tell you the truth, I didn’t believe it when the Vice President found me, but I figured I might as well give it a shot, even if it meant being a guinea pig for a Ling Yi. Turns out, I don’t think I’m doomed this time. I’ll have my daughter come by. You’re all young folks, I’m sure you’ll get along well.”
Qin Er’s dad immediately asked, “Your daughter isn’t married, right?”
The Gu martial master smiled cautiously, feeling that his wound didn’t hurt or itch. He perked up immediately and started bragging about his daughter, “Of course. My daughter isn’t like me, she’s gorgeous…”
Qin Jingzhou looked like he was wholly focused on an instance, with no particular expression.
His system laughed loudly, “What a guy, absolutely relentless! If this keeps up, your place is going to turn into a matchmaking center sooner or later.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” Qin Jingzhou replied. “My cheap son getting divorced earlier would save me the trouble.”
“…That’s true.”
Between their banter, an hour passed quickly.
Xu Chen smoothly removed the needles for his buddy, then asked the Gu martial master, “Need my help, or do you want to do it yourself?”
At this point, the Gu martial master found this group of young men thoroughly pleasing to the eye. “Thank you for your trouble.”
Xu Chen stepped forward, carefully peeled away the gauze, and upon seeing the wound, couldn’t help but sigh, “There’s always something new to see every day.”
The Gu martial master couldn’t see his own neck, but the surprise and joy on everyone else’s faces was enough to fill him with confidence.
Once the gauze was fully removed, he hurried off to the bathroom to check in the mirror. The wound on his neck was already covered with a thin scab, and no raw flesh was exposed.
He returned to the living room, stood outside the study, and pointed to his neck. “Will it fully heal?”
Qin Jingzhou didn’t so much as glance at him. “Yes. It’ll take about a month. Come every other afternoon. Qin Er, collect the payment.”
Qin Er quickly replied, “Got it!”
One hundred and fifty thousand per session. After happily transferring the money, the Gu martial master still couldn’t help but remind him, “Mr. Cheng, your fees are too low.”
Qin Jingzhou sounded as lazy as ever. “Guinea pigs get discounts. Once I’ve got this fully mastered, it won’t be this price.”
“That’s good.” The martial master looked eager. “Is there a limit on your guinea pigs?”
Qin Jingzhou thought for a moment. “Thirty or fifty I can manage, more would be too much.”
The martial master was overjoyed. “I’ll hold you to that!”
Qin Jingzhou waved his hand, unwilling to keep talking. The meaning was clear: Go on, you’re disrupting my gaming time.
Once the gleeful Gu martial master was seen off, everyone in the living room continued to carefully sort medicinal ingredients, chatting and laughing as they worked.
Only Lu Jiuxiao, curled up on the sofa, seemed out of place. He knew very well that his disability and ruined face ultimately came from fighting over family assets, and yet he couldn’t help but resent his father. Although this resentment was less intense than last time he saw him… just a little bit less.
He couldn’t figure out the reason for it.
If he thought it through, his father never loved him—never cared or took charge of him—yet at least managed not to cause him harm despite the lack of affection. So really, his resentment… wasn’t particularly reasonable. Logic told him he had better cause to hate his grandfather instead.
After all, his relationship with Lu Zhentong was a fight to the death, something his grandfather had passively allowed, if not encouraged.
But emotionally, he just couldn’t control himself.
Stuck between “Should I hate him,” “Why do I want to hate him,” and “How do I get back at him,” Lu Jiuxiao struggled all afternoon. When Qin Er and the others clocked out at six, he was still at a total loss.
Qin Jingzhou logged off the game, and when he saw the gray mist in Lu Jiuxiao’s mind still churning, he couldn’t help but smile. “Every time the gray mist churns, it’s another mood swing.”
The system chimed in, “No wonder Gu Su wanted to marry him. He’s so sensitive and emotional, perfect for harvesting negative emotions! The male lead Lu Zhentong never had this much inner drama, even if his IQ is tanked.”
Qin Jingzhou laughed in agreement. “He really is fun to tease.” He walked over to his cheap son, removed the silver needles from his jaw and the back of his neck, picked him up, and placed him in Qin Er’s wheelchair. Then he returned his phone, tablet, and both laptops.
He’d requested “to-go packaging” at Jingguan Hospital, so naturally Qin Er’s group made sure to bring Lu Jiuxiao back, luggage and all.
The first thing Lu Jiuxiao did upon getting his phone was to plug it in and turn it on.
Seeing the familiar boot screen, he became even less certain of how to deal with his biological father, his heart a complicated mess of emotions. “I haven’t touched my phone since I was put in the ICU.” He was silent for a moment before speaking again. “Can you really make my face heal completely? If you can’t, what right do you have to call yourself a divine doctor?”
Qin Jingzhou lit a cigarette, picked up his phone to order takeout, and answered his cheap son unhurriedly, “Looking at your face right now makes me lose my appetite.”
Lu Jiuxiao immediately got agitated. “You’re disgusted by me! That’s why you dumped me without a second thought!”
Right on cue, his phone began buzzing and pinging noisily.
Qin Jingzhou didn’t look up, but the implication in his words was clear. “You’d better hurry up and reply to your friends who still care about you. And your wife too.”
Lu Jiuxiao snorted, then lowered his head to check his messages. His grandfather’s assistant sent a message every hour asking where he was. His wife Gu Su simply announced she was coming back to the country, and begged Mr. Cheng not to make any rash moves.
A whole day had passed. His wife was one thing, but there was no way his grandfather and Lu Zhentong didn’t know where he’d gone. Yet all they did was send messages, not even a single call had gotten through to his father.
He glanced at his biological father, who clearly didn’t have him in his sights, took a deep breath, and messaged his wife Gu Su, “I’ll wait for you.”
As it happened, Gu Su received the message from her nominal husband Lu Jiuxiao just as she’d landed.
She’d been spending time with Lu Zhentong these days. She sensed that, after being burned, Lu Jiuxiao didn’t have much longer to live. Though it was a pity to lose such an excellent “resource-gathering tool,” she knew she had to look to the future, focusing her energies on Lu Zhentong and Xiang Feng.
Before her return flight, she’d even spent some sweet moments with Lu Zhentong.
As soon as she heard, “Cheng Jingzhou has tied in with the Qin Family and brought Lu Jiuxiao home,” she’d commented sarcastically, “What, now that his son’s about to die, Cheng Jingzhou is suddenly growing a conscience?”
Lu Zhentong shook his head. “Cheng Jingzhou is capable. He’s managed to turn the Qin heir Qin Er into a complete fan… Qin Er is an only child and has glioma. His parents dote on him and let him have his way. If Lu Jiuxiao is willing to stay with Cheng Jingzhou, and gets Qin Er’s backing, there’s nothing I can do about father and son. And Lu Jiuxiao still has three percent of the Lu Corporation’s shares. If he leaves those to Cheng Jingzhou, that’s a real problem for us.”
The Lu Family’s overall assets were several hundred billion, and the Lu Corporation itself, as a mega-giant, was worth over a trillion.
Lu Jiuxiao’s three percent stake alone was worth at least thirty billion. Even with Gu Su’s standards, that was a staggering sum. With that stock in hand, she wouldn’t need to bother currying favor with Lu Zhentong or Xiang Feng.
She did need to collect their negative emotions, but frankly, she was sick of always being the one to act weak, pitiful, and magnanimous. If she got the chance to be on top, with these men desperately vying for her, feeding her negative emotions left and right… wouldn’t that be perfect?
So she fixed her gaze on Lu Zhentong’s brow and said, “That money should go to our son.”
Lu Zhentong’s gray mist pulsed slightly in his mind. He was dazed for a moment, then agreed. “You’re right. We need to make Lu Jiuxiao realize what an ungrateful scumbag his father is, and how truly wonderful you are…” He wrapped Gu Su in his arms. “It’s been hard on you.”
She nestled into his chest and whispered, “With you… it’s not hard.”
After that, she parted ways with Lu Zhentong and quickly flew back. Japan was close, and she could buy a ticket anytime. Although she knew their relationship had to remain hidden, she was still a little bitter that he hadn’t let her use his private jet.
Then, when she received Lu Jiuxiao’s “I’ll wait for you,” her expression didn’t change much. She knew that Lu Jiuxiao knew about her and Lu Zhentong, and that he even knew their child was actually Lu Zhentong’s… Hmph, she really hadn’t meant it to be so convoluted.
But Cheng Jingzhou probably didn’t know the child wasn’t his and Lu Jiuxiao’s. She was sure, given how tangled and prideful Lu Jiuxiao was, he wouldn’t confess to Cheng Jingzhou about that green hat on his head.
Maybe she could play the family card?
Cheng Jingzhou was the beautiful woman the eldest Miss Lu fell for at first sight and insisted on marrying. If the rumors were true… the negative emotions she could collect from Cheng Jingzhou might have quite the unique flavor.
She wasn’t afraid of things going wrong. Even if things fell apart, there’d be plenty of negative emotions to harvest.
With this in mind, she pinched the delicate earring on her ear. Tomorrow, she would bring the child to meet Cheng Jingzhou.