097 Madness
Yang Shiren was seven years younger than Yang Ying, although he was his uncle. In big families, such situations were quite normal and not particularly unusual. What was truly interesting, however, was that the twenty-eight-year-old Yang Shiren had far more experience than the thirty-five-year-old Yang Ying.
He was a "Soldier King"—literally a Soldier King. He had served at the Japanese garrison on Futami Island, participated in peacekeeping missions in French Louisiana, and spent eighteen months stationed on the kilometer-scale space station "Lingxiao Station." In short, he was formidable.
After looking up some information for a while, Boss Li sensed that this guy was no ordinary person, definitively stronger than his own nephew Yang Ying, who was more isolated than an orphan.
"@What am I doing here?"
Li wasn’t quite sure about Yang Shiren’s actions. After all, Li was not known for his wisdom, nor did he possess the vision or perspective of a major entrepreneur. So when Yang Shiren showed him that the Kaihuang Group had sent eighty million yuan in New Year’s consolation money to the Yunzhong Group... what was the meaning behind that?
Not understanding, Li directly asked Yang Shiren.
Yang Shiren hadn’t expected Li to respond so quickly. He simply left a message on the “Houlang” Weibo: “Mr. Li, better to resolve enmity than to forge new grudges. Harmony brings wealth.”
Harmony brings wealth? Better to resolve enmity than create it?
“I already broke Yang Ying’s two legs, and you’re telling me this?”
“No.”
Li replied with two words, then immediately blocked Yang Shiren.
“Divine Jin, I don’t believe a word you say. If your noble family really had such magnanimity, why have I been at odds with that damn Yang Ying for so long?”
With limited wisdom and narrow perspective, Boss Li was obstinate. If this harmony-brings-wealth nonsense was true, why didn’t Yang Shiren just come clean earlier?
Wasn’t it just because he realized he couldn’t beat me, so he chickened out?
I’m awesome.
Yang Shiren was dumbfounded. Seeing that he couldn’t reply to Li’s message, he cursed, “Damn it! What a damn idiot...”
He’d never seen such a brainless fool!
“Grandma’s leg...”
Flirting with a blind man, Li was truly the orphan! His attempt to show goodwill had failed—and spectacularly so on New Year’s Eve, leaving Yang Shiren feeling a bit unlucky.
But despite the misfortune, the situation reported by Han Zitong forced Yang Shiren to remain cautious. He suspected Li might have taken drugs and mutated in Sanjiang Province. But how could an orphan from a welfare home have the resources to take drugs? That was high-tech stuff.
Feeling a bit annoyed, Yang Shiren went to Han Zitong’s home. Han was also celebrating the New Year. Fireworks were still allowed in the capital as long as they weren’t set off inside the Luoyang Palace—anywhere along the second ring road was fine.
Following Zhuque Avenue south, then turning onto West Second Street, they arrived at an upscale residential area—a gathering place for tough guys.
Han Zitong had many old comrades living there, all working for noble families and great clans.
Though not a sprawling flat, the building had one apartment per floor, which was quite decent.
“Fifth Master.”
Han Zitong waited at the gate early. His injuries had mostly healed; he could walk now, thanks to the generous medical support from the Yang family.
“Come inside, let’s talk.”
Though Han was taller, Yang Shiren felt more powerful as they walked, accompanied by just a few others, conversing as they went.
“This Li Jie... do you think he’s a reckless fool?”
Having never dealt directly with Li Jie, Yang Shiren felt something was off.
“He’s pretty sly.”
“Sly?”
Seeing Yang’s confusion, Han explained, “The first time I took people to Jianye Art Academy, I treated him like a brainless college kid. So I had the Luzhou Police Department trick him a bit. But it backfired—he lost out and even took the chance to kick me. Later, I realized when he said ‘don’t say I didn’t warn you,’ he truly intended to confront the Second Young Master.”
“...”
Ordinary young men would definitely choose to smooth things over and cut their losses, but what was Li Jie’s game?
Did he actually learn art at Jianye Art Academy?
But then, thinking that his nephew Yang Ying, seven years older, also studied art, Yang Shiren felt a sense of relief.
Perhaps this was just a clash between two idiots.
“Uncle Han, help me check something.”
Yang Shiren said, “See if any equipment leaks have occurred in the Southeast War Zone.”
“You suspect Li Jie’s on drugs and high-tech enhancements?”
“What do you think?”
“Doesn’t seem like it. He looks normal—probably just naturally strong. But just in case, I’ll visit the Second Young Master in Xuzhou tomorrow, then head straight to the testing center in Huating.”
“Good.”
Yang Shiren nodded but remained uneasy. “Bring a set of ‘Solo Soldier 500.’ If I encounter that kid again and can’t use firearms, it’s better to have defensive gear.”
“Wait.” Han suddenly realized something. “That kid doesn’t plan on reconciling with the Yang family?”
“I chatted with him briefly on Weibo, and he blocked me.”
“...”
Crazy!
Han secretly followed Li Jie, and when he checked his phone, all he saw were the words “No.”
“What kind of mind is that?”
“Don’t overthink it, Uncle Han. Getting entangled with someone like that, the Second Young Master is just unlucky.”
Yang Shiren then asked, “How’s the Second Young Master doing?”
“He often has nightmares, suffers from insomnia daily, and has lost over ten pounds. But his physical indicators are still normal. Mentally, he’s in bad shape—likely traumatized. They’ve restricted his access to mobile devices; he probably doesn’t know that Du Gu Sheng is dead.”
“My eldest brother should visit him in Xuzhou tomorrow. Then we’ll know. This whole mess...”
Yang Shiren cursed, hands on hips. “Why provoke an orphan to such an extent? He’s a damn waste!”
“...”
The Fifth Master scolding the Second Young Master was like an uncle scolding a nephew—reasonable and justified.
Han Zitong agreed in his heart but wouldn’t voice it aloud.
Ding.
Yang Shiren’s phone buzzed—Li Jie had posted another Weibo. Again, he tagged Yang Ying, the Chairman of Daye Film and Television, and the Luzhou Police.
Damn idiot...
“Recently, how’s Young Master Yang’s health? I know a Mongolian doctor from Niutou Mountain whose folk remedies are incredible—specializing in treating injuries, bone-setting, and realigning. Even crippled dogs from Niutou Mountain get straightened on the spot. Luzhou’s rat, please pass on the message. The police and civilians are like fish and water, rat.”
“...”
“...”
It was just past midnight, making this Li Jie’s first Weibo post of the New Year.
“Houlang” Weibo was running a New Year reward event, and Li Jie’s post gained huge traction, netting him an 888-yuan bonus.
Originally, it was just a swarm of “ten-year haters” firing responses, but many congratulatory replies flooded in.
The snowball effect was real—this post soared into the top hundred New Year greeting posts.
The tone was completely different.
Other celebrities and public figures posted “Happy New Year,” “Wishing you prosperity,” and “Season’s greetings,” but Li Jie’s was “How’s Young Master Yang’s health?”
Then the “ten-year haters,” always eager for drama, dredged up old scandals about Young Master Yang.
During the New Year, the Weibo administrators’ blood pressure shot higher than the bonus payouts.
Damn it, stirring up trouble on New Year’s, huh?
Fortunately, Young Master Yang was unaware of all this. At the Kaihuang Rehabilitation Center in Xuzhou, he only had access to a landline. Calls to his father never connected, but calls to his mother did—though she sounded upset.
“Mom, New Year, new beginnings. Cheer up a bit.”
“Second son, your father will visit you in Xuzhou tomorrow. Behave well.”
“...”
Yang Ying’s mind raced. When had his father ever been so attentive?
Skipping visits to old family allies and long-time Yang family veterans to see him—the black sheep, the troublemaker?
If that was the case, then something serious had happened.
Something big.
What could it be?
An explosion at the medical experiment center?
An accident at the space testing station?
What else?
As he pondered, his face twitched suddenly. He remembered that two days ago, his cousin Du Gu Sheng had arrived in Jianye with top members of the Yunzhong Society to help him exorcise his inner demons.
Why? Had they not even mentioned it at the New Year’s Eve dinner?
“Mom,” Yang Ying asked softly with a tremor in his voice, “Please tell me the truth. Has something happened to Sheng?”
“...”
Du Gu Wen was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath before uttering words that sent a chill through Yang Ying’s entire body:
“Sheng is dead.”
(New book ranks seventh in the monthly ticket list—sixth is just within reach!)
(End of chapter)