Chapter 58: Xiaoshuâs Skin Gets Thicker Every Year
As if possessed, Yu Peishang paused in his tracks. He tilted his head slightly, casting a sidelong glance at the crowd beside him.
This single movement terrified Gu Lanxiao so much that he didn’t dare to breathe. He covered his mouth tightly with both hands, his entire body hunched over.
Even through the sea of people, he could feel the bone-chilling aura emanating from the man, like iron chains locking his hands and feet.
Fortunately, the other didn’t linger. He simply lifted his leg and stepped past the crowd with an elegant, composed grace.
He walked slowly, each step steady and deliberate, as if he were waiting for something with extreme patience.
Behind him followed over a dozen fully armed bodyguards, their presence so menacing that people instinctively cleared a path.
On the stage, Old Master Yuâs expression was far from welcoming. His gaze was so dark it seemed as if it could drip ink.
That unfilial son actually dared to return?!
A dull ache began to throb in his heart. Was this man trying to take advantage of his birthday to literally provoke him to death?
Xiao Chenâs hand, which was supporting the Old Master, trembled uncontrollably. “Chairman… this, is that the Er Shaoye?! What… what is he doing back here?”
“I don’t know.”
Old Master Yuâs face was as cold as ice, his voice thick with suppressed rage. “I only know that he no longer carries the surname Yu, nor is he a member of the Yu family.”
Xiao Chen was left speechless, unable to find the right words. He could only take a deep breath to steady himself.
The Yu Er Shaoye of today was a far cry from who he used to be. He was no longer the profligate, dandy madman of over a decade ago.
Yu Peishang strolled past the head table, completely ignoring the row of aggressive glares directed his way. He looked straight at the elderly man on stage whose hair was white at the temples and smiled. “Father, itâs been a long time. How has your health been lately?”
Looking at that hypocritical, nauseating display, the Old Master thought of his deceased wife. Hatred flared in his heart, but he was forced to suppress it.
He swept a cold, expressionless gaze over the youngest son he had once loved and spoiled the most. Looking away, he said indifferently, “Thanks to you, I haven’t breathed my last yet.”
Yu Peishang stood with his hands in his pockets, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Father, you must be joking.”
The Old Master let out a bitter, angry laugh. “So, have you graced us with your presence specifically to witness my disgrace?”
Yu Peishang shrugged. “How could you say that? I came here today to bring you a gift.”
After speaking, he gave a slight nod to the secretary beside him.
The secretary immediately pulled a document from a briefcase, stepped forward, and presented it to Old Master Yu.
But before the Old Master could even reach for it, Yu Xiuqing snatched it away. As he flipped through the first few pages, a dark shadow fell over his face, growing so grim that those around him felt a wave of unease.
Under the gaze of countless eyes, he suddenly let out a sharp scoff. He twirled the document in his hand and said:
“Xiaoshu, itâs been many years. Youâve truly come up in the worldârich and powerful. Everything about you has changed, but your skin… it truly gets thicker every year.”
Hearing this, Yu Peishangâs brow twitched imperceptibly. His expression darkened for a moment, but he quickly regained his calm, putting on a look of mild surprise:
“Oh? You must be Xiuqing. We haven’t met in so many years; I didn’t realize my little nephew had grown so much.”
As he spoke, he even turned slightly to scan the surroundings as if looking for someone. “Where is Xiao Kuo? I remember he used to love clinging to me when he was little.”
Yu Beikuo, who was shrinking into the crowd, didn’t dare make a sound. Cold sweat poured down his forehead as he hid in the back.
He certainly didn’t want to step forward and catch a bullet!
“What’s inside?”
The Old Master gestured with his chin. His intuition told him that nothing good would be found in that document!
Yu Xiuqing gripped the file tightly, the paper wrinkling under his fingers. With an unreadable expression, he handed it over.
“Grandfather, see for yourself.”
Old Master Yu took it and scanned a couple of pages. The further he read, the more his face changed. Finally, his aged face turned a deep, angry red. Panting for breath, he slammed the document onto the floor.
With a sharp crack, the folder split open, frightening the surrounding elders into a deathly silence.
The document happened to land right at Jiang Tianming’s feet. After gauging the room, he couldn’t contain his curiosity and leaned down to pick it up. He was instantly shocked.
It was clearly a contract for the transfer of 40% of the Yu Group’s shares! Forty percent!
In an instant, the hall fell silent.
The atmosphere was tense to the breaking point.
Even though the high-level executives of the Yu Group were filled with indignation, none dared to stand up and protest. They were all terrified of the disciplined, professional bodyguards standing behind Yu Peishang.
Shen Yuan had already secretly crouched down to hide behind the piano. He had never seen the Old Master so enraged; he began to weep in fear.
He peeked timidly at the uninvited Yu Peishang. For a moment, that face felt strangely familiar.
Even the man’s voice felt like something he had heard before, accompanied by the same sense of dread and terror he felt now.
Yu Peishang acted as if he hadn’t seen the Old Masterâs fury. The corners of his eyes lifted slightly as he took a cup of tea from his secretary. He took a slow sip before unhurriedly explaining:
“Father, don’t be so quick to throw it away. I’ve recently suffered some setbacks in business and lost some money. Regardless of the past, the Yu Group still holds shares that I never took with me. Shouldn’t you return what belongs to me to its original owner?”
The Old Masterâs face turned livid. He slammed his cane against the floor with a thunderous boom.
“You bastard! Have you forgotten? You severed ties with the Yu family over ten years ago! You are no longer the son of me, Yu Botang! What face do you have to come back and demand shares in the Yu Group? Youâre asking for the world!”
He roared in uncontrollable fury, the veins on his forehead bulging and his eyes turning bloodshot. He was clearly pushed to his limit.
As he shouted, his heart began to throb with an agonizing pain. His body swayed, his complexion turning even paler than before. He looked as if he might collapse at any moment.
Everyone present was terrified.
Even Jiang Tianming, who had long wished for the Old Master to pass away, was scared witless. He wanted to go up and check on him but didn’t dare; after a moment of hesitation, he silently sat back down.
Yu Xiuqing quickly supported the Old Master, one hand gently rubbing his chest to soothe his labored breathing. “Grandfather, don’t get worked up. Your health comes first. Xiao Chen, the heart medicine!”
Xiao Chen hurriedly handed the prepared pills to the man and quickly unscrewed a thermos, allowing the Old Master, whose eyes were almost rolling back, to swallow the medicine with some water.
Old Master Yu gasped for air for a few moments before the crushing weight in his chest eased. Supported by his assistant, he stood straight and pointed a trembling finger at Yu Peishang. “I won’t leave you a single cent! Get out! Get out of here!”
Seeing how stubborn the old man was, Yu Peishang dropped his polite facade. He barked:
“I know youâre still bitter about my unauthorized investments back then. But I only did it so the Yu Group could develop better and establish a foothold in the international market. Was I wrong? And yet, without a word, you kicked me out of the Yu family!”
Old Master Yu was so choked with rage he couldn’t speak. He glared at him fiercely, and it took a long time before he squeezed out a sentence:
“You know exactly what you did!”
Hearing this, Yu Peishang narrowed his eyes. The last trace of respect for his father vanished from his gaze.
All that remained was a piercing, absolute coldness.
Yu Xiuqing clearly noticed the change in the man’s emotions, and a sense of doubt and trouble filled his heart.
Just what had Yu Peishang done in the dark?
What could have provoked the Old Master to the point of a near-fatal heart attack?
A flash of gloom crossed his eyes, but it was quickly hidden. He stepped down from the stage with his hands in his pockets, standing directly before Yu Peishang.
The gazes of the two men locked. It was as if sparks were flying; though their eyes met for only a second, there were dangerous undercurrents between them. It felt as if even the slightest move closer would ignite a fire that would burn them both to ashes.
Yu Peishang suddenly curled his lips into a smile. “If my elder brother, who died so young, knew that his eldest son had become the youngest tycoon in Nangang, I wonder if he would feel comfort and pride in the afterlife?”
As he spoke, his eyes measured the man who was exactly the same height as himself. His gaze was deep and indifferent.
“If Xiaoshu wishes to know my father’s current state of mind, it would be quite convenient for you to head down to the underworld and ask him yourself.”
Yu Xiuqingâs voice was flat, but his gaze was as sharp as a blade staring at a dead man.
Upon hearing this, a few people who weren’t afraid of death let out soft snickers, though they quickly shut their mouths.
A flicker of ferocity passed through Yu Peishangâs eyes, but he didn’t get angry. He continued to smile gently. “Only the living are fortunate. When youâre dead, there is nothing.”
“Indeed. The living can wantonly plunder and seize the property of the dead without any regard for whether the family agrees. After all, Xiaoshu is the most overbearing of all.”
Yu Xiuqing looked at the man with a trace of nonchalance, his tone dripping with heavy mockery.
As soon as he finished speaking, the bodyguards behind Yu Peishang grew restless; there was even the sound of guns being cocked.
The surrounding guests immediately scrambled back a dozen meters, leaving the bodyguards and the uncle and nephew alone in the center of the hall.
Qi Yunzhao instinctively stepped in front of his boss.
Yu Peishang waved a hand to signal his bodyguards to stop. His cold eyes curved slightly as he spoke with total composure: “There is nothing I want that I cannot have.”
In the crowd, Gu Lanxiaoâs heart skipped a beat. His fists clenched involuntarily.
He desperately wanted to rush forward, grab Yu Peishang by the collar, and demand to know where Gu Di was hidden. But the other man had too many people; if he exposed himself recklessly, he would only be captured.
And if he were caught this time, he might never escape again.
“Then let’s see if Xiaoshu has the ability. Or perhaps, we can fight until both sides are broken.”
Yu Xiuqing let out a cold, sharp laugh. He reached out and symbolically straightened the other man’s collar.
The movement was incredibly gentle, but to anyone watching, it was an act of extreme provocation and mockery.
Yu Peishang never allowed himself to suffer a loss. A “lose-lose” outcome was clearly not a good strategy.
He heartlessly slapped away the hand on his shoulder. His gaze swept past Yu Xiuqing and, as if by fate, landed on Shen Yuan, who was shivering behind the piano.
A flicker of surprise flashed in his obsidian pupils. Yu Peishang narrowed his eyes, seemingly surprised that this youth was actually here as well.
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