CHAPTER 831: CHAPTER 828: THE END

The fifth member of the Yu family was named Yu Haichao, primarily responsible for the real estate business of the Four Seas Group, and his father Yu Lianshui and the Yu Family’s backer were cousins, naturally very close.

Yu Haichao once had a cousin, but he died young from illness, so the Yu Family’s backer regarded Yu Haichao as his own son.

Because of this relationship, the backer almost gave all connections and resources to Yu Haichao.

This is also one of the reasons why he could be responsible for the real estate business of the Four Seas Group, which was an absolute cash cow, a money-printing machine, over the decades.

And because of this relationship, Yu Haichao would return to Xiajing every year to celebrate the New Year with the elders.

Yu Haichao was "filial," year after year, not only coming himself but also bringing his wife and children to Xiajing to celebrate with the elders, even when the elders were bedridden.

All kinds of good medicines were used on the elders, just to prolong their lives.

As long as the elders are around, their backing remains; if the elders are gone, their greatest support would also be gone.

Although the Yu Family has cultivated many talents over the years, not one has entered the central hub.

This is not only Yu Haichao’s crisis but also the Yu Family’s crisis.

Because of Shen Siyuan’s request, which required a large sum of money, the Special Affairs Bureau held a small cocktail party after obtaining the elixir from Shen Siyuan.

Called a cocktail party, it was actually a small auction, but the payment for auction items required not just money, but also connections or policy support.

Only those with power and money could enter the cocktail party.

The Yu Family perfectly met these two criteria, as they were not short of money, and with the Yu Family pushing this matter in the Southern coastal region, it went much smoother.

So after Yu Haidong promised various requirements and paid a large sum of money, he obtained a "Leg Stretching Eye Bulging Pill."

At first, Yu Haidong had doubts about the pill’s effects, but thinking how those attending the cocktail party were unlikely to conspire against him, he decided to give it a try, and at significant cost, won a pill from many strong competitors.

But after the elder at home took the elixir, the drastic changes that occurred shocked him.

He even regretted not bidding on more pills.

Being a businessman, he understood the potential value of the elixir; if he could learn its formula or production method, no real estate project could compare. He could not only sell it to Da Xia people but also worldwide, and even if the efficacy was slightly inferior, the Four Seas Group would become the world’s largest pharmaceutical giant.

So he grew greedy and began secretly investigating the source of the elixir, and indeed, without much effort, he learned information about its main supplier. The most exciting discovery was that this person was from the Southern coastal area.

He felt blessed by heaven, as if the Yu clan was favored by fortune.

The reason he believed so was that the Yu family held significant power in the South, like a sprawling octopus with tentacles reaching into various aspects of the Southern coastal area.

Therefore, he was very confident in persuading the source to hand over the formula, believing that even if the person had special abilities, unless they were divine, they would still be at the mercy of the Yu Family.

In hindsight, it all seemed too smoothly orchestrated.

Yu Haidong wasn’t foolish, seeing how things had escalated, he seemed to finally realize that those attending the cocktail party were not of lesser status than him, and some were even people he looked up to and depended upon. Yet even they, after knowing the elixir’s effects, were they not tempted? The thought seemed impossible.

But why hadn’t they acted? Was it because they hadn’t had the chance? Or was it because, being in the South, they were wary of the Yu Family? That seemed improbable, too.

The Yu Family was powerful, but this was Xiajing, the central authority, where many could easily crush the Yu Family.

Why would such a big opportunity only fall into their hands?

The more Yu Haichao thought, the more fearful he became, and his face turned extremely pale.

When he heard of the deaths of Yu Donghai, Yu Yongliang, and others, he prepared for the worst.

He immediately sent his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren away to a hotel—not back to Yangcheng or abroad, but to a hotel.

He even booked the hotel closest to the central hub for them.

Yet he himself didn’t choose to flee, even leaving his wife with him, which made her complain.

"Why are you sending the children away during the New Year? Did something happen?"

His wife wasn’t naive and sensed something was amiss.

Yu Haichao gave her a long, penetrating look and then said, "I provoked an enemy, and I’m worried the kids might get involved and be in danger."

Yu Haichao’s wife frowned upon hearing this, "We’re in Xiajing; who would dare cause trouble here? And if that’s the case, should we also hide?"

Although their current residence wasn’t in the core area of Xiajing, the people living nearby were not ordinary, and the security around the community, as well as within it, was far superior to typical neighborhoods.

"There’s no need to hide; there’s no escaping it," Yu Haichao said, gazing deeply at his wife, who had been with him through thick and thin for decades.

When she was young, she was very beautiful, the ’white moonlight’ in the hearts of many, including his. Even after all these years, she retained her grace, with vestiges of her youthful beauty still visible.

However, acquired ’white moonlight’ is called frost on the ground instead; over the years, Yu Haichao had been surrounded by countless women, and the love between them had long faded. Children and money had become the bonds between them, with interests binding them together.

Yu Haichao could die, but the Yu Family must not perish, nor could the Four Seas Group collapse. In these most critical times, external enemies lying in wait were not the biggest threat; it was always internal threats like parasitic relatives that posed the greatest danger.

His wife wanted to ask more, but Yu Haichao didn’t respond; instead, he turned and walked to the backyard.

In the warm room of the backyard, an elderly man with a small build but full of energy was tending to his flowers and plants.

"Uncle."

Yu Haichao called out, his voice filled with complexity. If it weren’t for the person before him, the Yu Family wouldn’t be facing such a catastrophe.

The old man paused slightly upon hearing the voice.

Then he slowly asked, "Did something happen?"

Yu Haichao was about to speak when he suddenly sensed something and sharply looked up, peering through the greenhouse glass into the sky; but it was too late.

A streak of light descended from above, instantly eliminating the greenhouse’s solid glass roof, and his entire being was blown into a cloud of blood mist.

This scene was witnessed by both the old man and Yu Haichao’s wife, who had chased after him.

They felt terror alongside shock.

Because from that beam of descending light, a young man emerged, wielding the Seven-Colored Glazed Sword in his hand.

"Yu Guochang?" the young man asked.

The old man nodded instinctively, "I am."

Then—

Then nothing, the young man thrust his sword, piercing through the old man’s throat, granting him a slightly more dignified death.

Shen Siyuan shook the bloodless blade, lamenting, "Such a waste of a pill."

He then turned his gaze to the woman present.

She had already collapsed to the ground in fear, with a large wet patch beneath her.

But Shen Siyuan didn’t act, instead looking past her, focusing on something behind her.