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墨書 Inktalez
After hanging up the phone, I saved the recorded video and smiled with satisfaction.
The next day, at the funeral home, was Lu Fei's funeral. It was a grand affair, with nearly everyone of note from Shanghai in attendance. The crowd was overwhelming, a sea of people.
Lu Xian was busy receiving guests on his own. Normally, I should have been helping him, but I had more pressing matters to attend to.
Dad, I can't hide these things from you any longer. The North Hongmen approached me a while ago; they kidnapped Kang Qin to threaten me. At first, they only asked me to do small favors, and for Kang Qin's sake, I complied. But now they want me to conceal my brother's true cause of death!
I reported this to Lu Ding Tian! Now I have a video of North Hongmen threatening me to help Lu Xian clear his name. While it doesn't prove Lu Xian's guilt directly, anyone who sees this video will surely think he has something to hide. Why else would they threaten me in such a way?
What?
Lu Ding Tian was taken aback and urged me to take my time explaining what had happened. His brow furrowed; Lu Fei's death had hit him hard, and his sole focus now was on avenging Lu Fei. Hearing that someone was threatening me, especially the North Hongmen, would naturally infuriate him.
I nodded silently and showed him the video I had recorded yesterday, letting him figure it out for himself.
After watching it, Lu Ding Tian was furious and smashed my phone into pieces!
"Damn you, North Hongmen!" he shouted angrily.
I quickly interjected, "I didn't want this either! Initially, they just wanted me to look the other way regarding Tian Ye Group. I agreed because I didn't want Kang Qin to get hurt. But now..."
I believed that Lu Ding Tian wouldn't blame me for this. Compared to Lu Fei's death, this situation was trivial. Besides, even though I was threatened by North Hongmen, I hadn't done anything too outrageous; I merely turned a blind eye.
Once I finished speaking, Lu Ding Tian waved his hand dismissively and said, "Enough! Your girlfriend has been kidnapped. While you were wrong in this situation, I understand your reasons. The fact that you’re telling me now is commendable; your sacrifice is noted."
Despite his anger, both he and I knew that without a clear conclusion on this matter, Qing Gang would never go to war with North Hongmen. Moreover, if Lu Ding Tian acknowledged this situation outright, it would confirm Lu Xian's guilt in his brother's death. I knew he was weighing his options carefully.
He wanted to punish Lu Xian but feared being left without support afterward. Although Lu Ding Tian treated me decently enough, deep down we both understood that my relationship with him and with Lu Xian and Lu Fei existed on entirely different levels. With Lu Fei dead, if it were me instead, I suspected Lu Ding Tian would only feel a fleeting sense of loss; after all, I was just an illegitimate son with little emotional connection to him.
"Let’s keep this matter between us for now," he said firmly. "I know you have a good relationship with your brother; it doesn’t necessarily mean Brother Two is responsible for this."
"Understood," I replied quickly as he asked.
"Lu Yan! What are you doing? There are so many guests outside; why are you here talking to Dad?"
I had just finished talking with Lu Ding Tian when Lu Xian appeared, looking extremely nervous. I knew he was afraid that I would speak ill of him to Lu Ding Tian, which would increase his suspicion.
"Father, how are you? You should rest a bit; you've been too tired these past few days."
Seeing Lu Ding Tian's pale face, Lu Xian hurried over to support him. Although Lu Ding Tian looked unwell and had begun to suspect Lu Xian, he said nothing and allowed Lu Xian to help him to a seat. He didn’t even glance at Lu Xian.
When I witnessed this scene, disappointment washed over me. I had expected Lu Ding Tian to confront Lu Xian right then and there, but instead, he suppressed his anger. This was not the outcome I had hoped for.
"Prepare the reception for our guests; we must maintain dignity for the Lu Family during this mourning period."
Though Lu Ding Tian spoke in a calm tone, the sadness on his face was evident. Both Lu Xian and I nodded obediently. After stepping outside, Lu Xian asked me, "What did you say to Father? Let me tell you, Lu Yan, we are brothers; don’t say anything reckless. I would never harm my elder brother. Similarly, if one day I become the leader of Qing Gang, I would never harm you!"
Lu Xian looked at me seriously as he spoke, and I couldn’t help but scoff inwardly. What did he mean by that? It indicated that he was already aware of the situation at hand. If I found strong evidence proving that Lu Xian was the mastermind behind Lu Fei's death, then Lu Ding Tian would have no choice but to let me take over. Therefore, he was worried that I might intentionally frame him because of this.
This aligned perfectly with my previous thoughts; it was my goal all along. After my conversation with Lu Ding Tian today, I realized that I had overestimated myself and underestimated the weight of Lu Xian and Lu Ding Tian in each other's eyes.
If it came down to a situation where only one of us could survive, I could guarantee that Lu Ding Tian would unhesitatingly choose Lu Xian!
Looking at today’s evidence pointing towards Lu Xian—though not irrefutable—Lu Ding Tian remained calm upon seeing him, which spoke volumes. It was very likely that even if I had strong evidence against Lu Xian, Lu Ding Tian would still staunchly protect him and ensure he inherited his position.
How would Lu Ding Tian protect Lu Xian? By targeting whoever accused him! If I were to vehemently accuse Lu Xian, there was a high chance that I would be abandoned by Lu Ding Tian and become a scapegoat for him!
After all, until we confirmed who the suspect was, the biggest beneficiary of this incident was indeed Lu Xian. With Lu Fei dead, no one would contest his claim to the family legacy. If it were established that Lu Xian was guilty, then the greatest beneficiary would be me!
Just like in reality, the biggest beneficiary is often the one who orchestrated everything. If Lu Ding Tian wanted to pin this on me, it wouldn’t be difficult.
So now that I had said what needed to be said to Lu Ding Tian, it was time for me to remain silent on the surface. This way, I could better protect myself and keep others from realizing the danger posed by my status as an illegitimate son.
"Brother Two," I said with a chuckle, "you really know how to joke. I'm well aware of how much my father weighs these matters in his heart. If I didn’t have solid evidence, how could I dare suggest any suspicion about you? Don’t worry, Brother Two; I just told Father that this matter shouldn’t involve you. After all, with our elder brother gone and us two left standing, there’s still a long road ahead where we need to look out for each other."
I smiled as I placed my hand on Lu Xian's shoulder, thinking that my words could ease his wariness towards me, which would also mean easing North Hongmen's suspicions. I knew that Lu Ding Tian would not reveal the information I reported to him, so when I said this to Lu Xian, North Hongmen would surely believe I was cooperating with them.
Lu Xian chuckled and replied, "You're right. With our elder brother gone, I’m all you have left. If I don’t follow you, who else would I follow?"
I nodded in agreement, smiling as I said, "Brother Two, there are some things we need to discuss. Your sister-in-law hasn’t been found yet, and I'm quite worried."
I spoke candidly; although this might make Lu Xian think my intentions were ulterior, North Hongmen had made it clear that they wanted me to protect him. Under normal circumstances, I would certainly have discussed this with Lu Xian. If I didn’t bring it up, it would seem odd and raise suspicions about my motives.
Indeed, it had been a while since his sister-in-law had gone missing. After all, she was my sister-in-law too; you are my brother. Brother Two had sent people out to search for her, but there had been no news yet. "Don’t worry, Third Brother," he said. "No one in the Lu Family would dare lay a finger on our women. Once this matter is resolved, I will turn this world upside down to find your sister-in-law!"
Lu Xian patted my shoulder as he spoke. There were unspoken words between us; neither of us had torn off the facade, and we spoke very tactfully.
Lu Xian’s implication was clear: once this matter was settled, Kang Qin would be released. I believed they had originally planned it this way. If this issue was resolved and had nothing to do with Lu Xian, then he would undoubtedly become the heir of Qing Gang. Keeping Kang Qin captured would serve no purpose; if she returned, she could remain by my side as an undercover agent and continue to play her part.
However, these matters didn’t truly concern me.
"Well then, Brother Two, I’ll be relying on you from now on," I said with a smile to Lu Xian. He nodded in agreement and assured me it wouldn’t be a problem. It was evident that he felt much more at ease now, and he then led me to entertain the guests arriving.
The day was busy; Lu Fei's funeral was tense and somber. No one dared show a smile, and many were in tears—not necessarily because they mourned Lu Fei or because his death had caused them any loss of benefit but perhaps to demonstrate their loyalty in front of the Lu Family.
At that moment, the hardest position belonged to Lu Fei's former confidants. With Lu Fei dead and despite any suspicions surrounding Lu Xian, there was still no evidence against him; he remained the most likely candidate to inherit Qing Gang’s leadership.
Many of Lu Fei's former subordinates held grudges against Lu Xian; their animosity had reached an irreconcilable point. Others could flatter and curry favor with Lu Xian; they could not afford to do so. Even if they tried to ingratiate themselves with him, he wouldn’t pay them any mind.
This situation benefited me greatly; if Qing Gang was to survive, they could not allow Lu Xian to rise to power—if he did, they were finished. Thus began a series of overtures directed at me from those who previously opposed him.
I accepted their advances without hesitation. Although things seemed to be going well overall, Lu Ding Tian’s reaction left much to be desired for me. If things continued like this, it seemed that the heir of Qing Gang would still be Lu Xian—and that was something I couldn’t accept.
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