The night was already deep.
The clock hands pointed to midnight. Tang Youyi still sat in the chairman's office, a thick stack of gathered evidence lying on the desk before him.
He hadn't known until he investigated, but upon looking, he discovered his eldest grandson was thoroughly rotten.
To date, the public funds he had misappropriated amounted to over eighty million.
The bribes and valuables he had accepted, just counting those on the surface, totaled more than one hundred million.
He had trusted this grandson so much, nurturing him with all his heart for so many years, only to raise a major parasite.
His uncle was right; the boy was completely incapable of becoming the helmsman of a great family. If the Tang family were handed to him, their century-old legacy would be ruined sooner or later.
The chairman's secretary stood trembling to the side. "Should we have the young master come over?"
Tang Youyi was about to speak.
His phone vibrated. It was Ji Jingchuan sending him dozens of pictures.
He opened them. They were all of Tang Jiaquan and a woman, naked and entangled together...
He knew Tang Jiaquan's private life was messy, but he had never seen it so directly... These photos were too explicit, making him almost vomit.
Was the money embezzled from the Tang Group used to support these loose women?
Originally, he planned to simply send Tang Jiaquan abroad. That's how major families typically handled errant children.
But on second thought, abroad with no supervision, wouldn't he become even more lawless? What if he produced a bunch of illegitimate children? What if he got involved with drugs? The Tang family, as one of the four great families, would truly struggle to maintain its standing.
For someone this rotten, he should be locked up.
Now, as the head of the Tang family, it was time he did something to satisfy his uncle.
He said calmly, "First announce to the public that Tang Jiaquan is no longer a descendant of the Tang family. Then call the police... Actually, never mind. It's the middle of the night; let's not disturb the police. First thing tomorrow morning, contact them. Say Tang Jiaquan misappropriated public funds and accepted bribes, and the Tang Group will pursue full legal accountability."
The secretary nodded in agreement.
A spring rain fell through the night, pattering softly.
Ji Jingchuan slept well. Upon waking, he received a call from Tang Jin.
"Chuan, good news! The Tang family has publicly severed ties with Tang Jiaquan. His own grandfather personally sent him to prison. He embezzled up to a hundred million, enough for a lifetime behind bars," Tang Jin's bright voice came through. "It's almost the weekend. Do you want to go look at engagement dresses together?"
Ji Jingchuan agreed.
Leaving his room, he encountered Ji Zhouye, who whistled. "Fourth Brother looks radiant. Seems you've made up."
Duoduo clapped her hands. "Great! I'll soon have a fourth aunt. Oh, Fourth Uncle, can I be a flower girl at the engagement?"
Ji Jingchuan picked her up. "Of course."
Ji Zhouye mimicked Duoduo, speaking in a pinched voice. "Fourth Brother, I want to be a flower girl too. I heard flower girls get a super big red envelope."
"Hearing you, this unlucky child, acting cute first thing in the morning is enough to finish me off!" Old Master Ji glared at him with feigned annoyance. "If you can get into Tsinghua or Peking University, I'll reward you a million."
Ji Zhouye pouted. "That's a pie in the sky I can't reach."
"I'll help you," Ji Jingchuan said. "Great-Grandma is going to Hong Kong for the competition next. I'll move to sit next to you. Let's aim for your next monthly exam score to break five hundred."
Ji Zhouye felt a chill.
He remembered when Great-Grandma first arrived, he was at the bottom of his class, with a total score under a hundred.
Later, under Great-Grandma's devilish tutoring, his scores climbed step by step through each monthly exam, reaching around 480-490... and then got stuck.
The progress was very obvious at first, but now it was getting harder and harder.
His homeroom teacher said this score should be enough for university, but getting into a good one would be very difficult.
Honestly, his expectations weren't that high. Just getting into any university would be fine. Like Silin—Silin didn't even go to a regular university and was always happy as can be.
But!
In this family, Eldest Brother was a business genius, Second Brother a performance genius, Third Brother a research genius, Fourth Brother... also showed genius potential. Even Duoduo was often praised by her piano teacher for having talent and was about to enter a piano competition.
If he fell too far behind, left in the dust by his family, then the Ji family really would have no place for him in the future.
"Fourth Brother, I want to get into a first-tier university!" Ji Zhouye clenched his fist. "I don't dare dream of Tsinghua or Peking, but I must get into a first-tier one!"
Ji Jingchuan picked up his schoolbag. "Then let's go. School."
The two brothers left for school.
Rong Yu did not go.
Because she was heading to Hong Kong for the global finals.
Butler Yu had people pack the luggage—two large suitcases.
Before Rong Yu could question it, Old Master Ji puffed out his chest, putting on a serious face. "I heard a hospital in Hong Kong developed the latest anti-aging drug. An injection can maximally delay organ failure. I need it, and Uncle Tang needs it too. I'll go investigate on-site first. I think Mom won't object, right?"
Rong Yu: "..."
This old rascal had even prepared such a high-sounding reason. What could she say? Naturally, she had to take her old son to Hong Kong.
However, Hong Kong wasn't like Haicheng. The Ji family had few connections there. If something happened, it would be hard to handle. She asked Butler Yu to arrange for a bodyguard and a nurse to accompany them.
Ji Zhiyuan looked up. "I remember the Ji Group's real estate division has been wanting to buy land in Hong Kong to build a shopping mall. Perfect, I'll go for an on-site inspection too."
He really wasn't at ease letting the two elders travel alone. One was too old, not keeping up with the times; the other had traveled from seventy years ago, also not keeping up with the times...
He had to go personally to feel at ease.
Rong Yu was both amused and exasperated. It was just going for a competition, yet several generations were traveling together.
Well, it was the children's filial piety.
After the three finished their meal, they set off for the airport with the bodyguard and nurse.
Pei Yaru was already waiting at the airport. She was in charge of logistics for the two competing students. Also going together were Song Huai's mother, Madame Song, and Rong Wangtian.
