LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 760-769
Chapter 760: My Life
However, no matter what, since she had arrived, there was no way he was not going to meet her. He Lan Chang quickly had his men show her in. At the same time, the maids performed a thorough body check on her. Xinghe was led in after it was confirmed she had nothing dangerous on her.
A woman like her walking into the lion’s den with nothing to protect herself, even the maids could not help but be worried for her.
He Lan Chang was relaxed when he heard the news, he only kept one of his bodyguards around.
The moment Xinghe stepped into the living room, she came face-to-face with He Lan Chang’s sharp and diabolical gaze. Similarly, the gaze Xinghe returned was chilling and devoid of any warmth.
This was the second time Xinghe and He Lan Chang met in person. The first time was when she first came to Country R; he was the graceful and kind host and she was the polite guest then.
However, the way they looked at each other was completely different this time. It was like they were staring their nemesis. They were on the opposite camp from each other; they each wanted the other dead.
He Lan Chang did not waste time with pretenses. He laughed fiendishly and praised, “Miss Xia truly is an impressive character, I admit I underestimated you earlier.”
He really did not expect a woman would create continuous trouble for the He Lan family. She not only managed to silently steal He Bin out from under his nose but also managed to avoid being detected by his search for such a long time. This time truly had far exceeded his expectation.
Xinghe strode forward calmly and said, “Old Master He Lan is equally impressive as well, therefore, I suppose this time we have both met our match.”
He Lan Chang suddenly started guffawing but the iciness in his eyes never went away. “Met my match? A little girl such as yourself? Xia Xinghe, don’t make me laugh. You are too young to come after someone like myself! Furthermore, you came to my house today without any backup, if that is not the height of stupidity, I do not know what is!”
He Lan Chang’s lethal intent towards her was revealed openly but Xinghe showed no trace of fear, she only smiled thinly. “Since I dared come alone, naturally, I have made some preparation, so you might want to reconsider your plan to kill me.”
He Lan Chang smirked coolly. “There is no need to consider so much to take the life of someone insignificant like you. After I kill you, there will be someone who looks like you that will walk out this place to assume your life. Do not worry, I have also prepared fully, no one will be able to pin your death on me.”
“Is that so?” Xinghe nodded with intrigue. “Looks like I have to leave my life here today.”
“That’s right!” He Lan Chang glared severely at her. “You should have known death was waiting for you when you decided to come after us! Xia Xinghe, if you give me He Bin’s location, I might consider giving you a swift death or there will be pain that you are unable to imagine waiting for you. Little girl, heed my advice when I tell you to not go after your experienced elders because your ending will not be pretty.”
He Lan Chang’s every word was dripping with venom. This was his true face; this man had more in common with venomous scorpion than his fellow human.
However, Xinghe maintained her composure. There was no trace of fear on her face. She even sat down across from him and replied, with a raised brow, “You have done your damage on He Bin so why do you care where he is? He is your son, is he not? Why not just let him be?”
“Because he has not paid with his life for his betrayal. Even if he is nothing more than a dog that I have raised, he has to be given adequate punishment,” He Lan Chang said matter-of-factly.
Chapter 761: Take Your Secrets With You to Hell
Xinghe nodded with understanding. “Since you aren’t even going to show kindness to your son, my death was sealed the moment I walked in here.”
“It is good that you can understand that.”
“Since I am a dead woman, why would you help me understand this? I have been searching for my mother my whole life, so I just want to know where she is,” Xinghe asked as she stared at him, there was a great serenity behind her. This was an answer she had to find out.
He Lan Chang scoffed with derision. “Why would you ask me something like that? He Lan family’s orphanages are not an intelligence agency, we are only responsible for raising her, we do not keep track to what happens to her after she reached legal age.”
“He Lan Chang, you can drop the pretense in front of me,” Xinghe interrupted him. “She is definitely in your hands and what is Project Galaxy?”
He Lan Chang was taken aback. His eyes scanned the full length of Xinghe’s frame and the venom in his eyes deepened. “You know about Project Galaxy?”
Xinghe nodded casually. “I have heard of it, but I have no clue what it really is. The reason I came today to know everything before I die. I will trade you He Bin’s location for the truth.”
“There is no need for a dying woman to know so much,” He Lan Chang said wickedly. He gestured to his bodyguard. The bodyguard whipped out his pistol immediately and aimed it at Xinghe. The murderous intent unfurled across the living room like fog.
He Lan Chang was ready to kill Xinghe. Even though he had already suspected that Xinghe knew their secret, hearing her say it aloud still gave him quite a shock. Since she knew their secret, she had to die!
The depths of He Lan Chang’s eyes were a bottomless pit of cruelty. With his one order, a bullet would rip through Xinghe’s heart. However, at that moment, Xinghe was still as collected as ever.
She laughed. “There is no need for you to rush to kill me. Are you not interested in He Bin’s location?”
He Lan Chang smirked viciously. “Compared to you who knows too much, he is no longer important. Furthermore, I will eventually have him returned to this house and pay for what he did! Xia Xinghe, you have volunteered your life to me so do not come back to haunt me. After you die, your mother will come to accompany you soon, so you can ask her everything when you two have your reunion down there.”
Xinghe did away with her smile and asked directly, “So you are not going to give the satisfaction of knowing the truth before killing me?”
He Lan Chang sneered with evilness. “I would much prefer you die with this great regret in your heart.”
Xinghe sighed. “I was hoping you would tell me everything before you die, but it looks like you are going to take all your secrets with you down to hell!”
He Lan Chang was confused, and before he could understand what was happening, the bodyguard turned around and pointed his gun at He Lan Chang!
He Lan Chang’s face hardened immediately. He glared at his bodyguard with surprise and demanded with an angry boom, “Idiot, what are you doing‽”
The bodyguard answered coolly, “Old Master, please forgive me. I am only following the young master’s orders.”
“Young master?” He Lan Chang was surprised once morning. He had no idea what the bodyguard was talking about. He felt like someone had gone into his brain and moved everything around; he had a difficult time computing what was happening. Am I dreaming? Why did my man suddenly turn on me‽
“That’s right, he is merely carrying out my order.” Suddenly, He Lan Qi slowly strode down from upstairs.
Chapter 762: I Am Not Him!
His voice was cold and devoid of warmth. He Lan Chang’s brain went into another shut down when he heard him.
He widened his eyes in shock and asked with disbelief, “It was you? He Lan Qi, what are you doing‽ I am your father, have you lost your mind? What are you planning with this‽”
“Of course, he is planning to kill you, have you still not understood that?” Xinghe stood up and answered coolly.
He Lan Chang whipped his head around to stare at her. “What do you mean?”
Xinghe sighed and looked at him like he was a stubborn child. “I mean, today will be your last.”
He Lan Chang’s face hardened. He Lan Qi strode to before him and he levelled He Lan Chang a cheerless gaze. He Lan Chang’s confused eyes met his gaze. Why would my precious son look at me in such a manner, and more than that, plan to kill me? What in the world is really happening?
“Why?” He Lan Chang looked at He Lan Qi and asked. There was a deep well of pain in his voice. He really did not understand why his son would commit something as atrocious as patricide!
He Lan Qi savored the disbelief on his father’s face and his face broke into a satisfied smile. “Because this is payback for not treating me as your real son and for planning to have me murdered!”
“When have I not treated you as my real son? And when did I plan to kill you‽” He Lan Chang demanded angrily.
He Lan Qi did not answer. Instead he aimed his pistol at He Lan Chang and ordered the bodyguard, “Go guard the door, make sure no one come near.”
“Yes, Young Master.” The bodyguard nodded and moved to oblige. The spacious living room was left with only the three of them.
He Lan Chang gripped the arm of his chair tightly while staring guardedly at He Lan Qi. He was trying to figure out a way to save himself. However, He Lan Qi’s eyes were on him constantly, he gave him no chance to save himself.
He Lan Chang demanded again, “Little Qi, what is wrong with you? How can you treat your own father this way, have I ever treated you wrongly in your life‽”
“Yes, you have treated me wrongly my entire life,” He Lan Qi spat out with hatred. “I have always treated you as my father, but I realize now I am nothing more than a dog for you! He Lan Chang, I bet you did not envision this situation when you ordered to have me killed, right?”
He Lan Chang was befuddled. He roared, “What are you talking about‽ When have I ordered a hit on you, I have done nothing wrong by you, right‽ He Lan Qi, do you understand what you are doing‽”
“Do not call me He Lan Qi, I am not him!” He Lan Qi yelled in return, his eyes flashing with resentment. “He Lan Chang, I am not your golden boy, He Lan Qi. I am He Bin, the abandoned son that you have been trying very hard to find and eliminate.”
“What?” He Lan Chang’s emotion could no longer be described as shock. He stared at He Lan Qi dumbly. The person standing before him was indeed He Lan Qi, so why did he say he was He Bin?
He Lan Chang scanned He Lan Qi’s full frame slowly and closely but there was no way he could convince himself this was He Bin.
Xinghe walked to stand beside He Lan Qi and explained softly to He Lan Chang, “Do not look so surprised, he is He Bin, it is just that the body is He Lan Qi’s.”
“What, what are you two talking about…” He Lan Chang asked like he was a senile old man. What does she mean by he is He Bin but the body is Little Qi’s. How come I cannot understand a word that she is saying?
Xinghe looked at his reaction and scoffed aloud, “How can you claim to be the mastermind behind Project Galaxy and not know what a memory cell is?”
“Memory cells‽” He Lan Chang was shocked once more. How do they know about memory cells?
Chapter 763: A Dream
“It is the creation of one of the members from Project Galaxy. Memory cells can swap the memory of a person, did you not know that?” Xinghe stared at him and asked.
Comprehension dawned then for He Lan Chang. There was a mixture of emotions on his face, there were shock, understanding, and disbelief.
“You have traded away my son’s memory‽” he demanded angrily.
“That’s right. Now He Lan Qi’s memory has been replaced by He Bin.” Xinghe nodded slightly.
The disbelief on He Lan Chang’s face deepened. “Impossible, the research on memory cells cannot be a success, this is impossible!”
Even if the research was successful, how would it end up in their hands?
He Lan Chang probed agitatedly, “Exactly how much did you know‽ How much did you know about Project Galaxy‽”
This time, the tide had turned. He was the one doing the asking. Xinghe studied his reaction and realized he did not know anything about her mother’s batch. She answered, “We know quite a bit, memory cells, DNA modification, we know about all that. Why, don’t you know about it?”
Indeed, he did not know about them. He Lan Chang felt like he was in a dream. Why would they have more information than he did? And how exactly did they find out about all of this? Furthermore, does this mean that research on memory cells and DNA modification are all successful? The things that he had dreamt of are all stuff of reality?
He Lan Chang said excitedly, “What you’re telling me is all real? The research on memory cells is successful, even the research on the DNA modification technology that can extend one’s lifespan was also successful‽”
Xinghe frowned slightly noticing his reaction. He Lan Chang seemed to have forgotten there was a pistol pointing at his head, he demanded from Xinghe, “Quick, tell me. Is all that research also successful‽ When did they achieve success? How come I had no clue about it but you do?”
“Because they did not want to tell you,” Xinghe answered coldly. The ‘they’ she referred to were Xia Meng and Xie Xiaoxi’s fathers.
“Impossible!” He Lan Chang retorted angrily, “Their freedom can only be gained once their research is successful. They are all still in my grasp, so it is impossible for them to not tell me! Furthermore, how could they possibly tell you when they are still in my hands? It is impossible for you to know any of this!”
These unknowns that were out of his control irked He Lan Chang. He stood and tried to rush at Xinghe but He Bin’s pistol pressed heavily on his brain. He Lan Chang seemed to suddenly realize the situation he was in.
He glared at He Bin viciously and demanded, “He Bin, I am your father, how dare you treat me like this‽ You ingrate, quickly put your gun down!”
He Bin could not help but laugh. “He Lan Chang, even at a time like this, do you think you can still order me around? Do you really think I will still treat you as my father‽”
He Lan Chang was stunned. He realized he could no longer lord over He Bin like he used to. He saw the hatred in He Bin’s eyes. He Bin was going to kill him, but he must not die yet.
He Lan Chang immediately changed tact and expressed his sadness. “He Bin, no matter what, I am still your father. I have raised you single-handedly, even if you hate me, you should not treat me like this. Furthermore, it was never my intention to kill you, I merely wanted to physically punish you for betraying me. I am your father, so how could I have the heart to have you killed? You must not let yourself be seduced by this vixen!”
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Chapter 764: Kill Him and I Will Save you
“You have never planned to kill me‽” He Bin pressed his pistol deeper into He Lan Chang’s temple and hissed, “He Lan Chang, do you really think I am an idiot? Even at a time like this, you can still lie without batting an eye and believe that I will buy into your nonsense‽”
The thick-skinned He Lan Chang continued, “But I really did not want to kill you, it was just a way of speech, an exaggeration. You are my son, my flesh and blood, how could I order you killed? Son, put the gun down, we should be working together to face this woman and not each other! We are kin after all.”
“So, this is how Old Master He Lan treats his own kin, with such cruelty,” Xinghe commented with a smirk.
He Lan Chang suddenly roared angrily, “B*tch, stop trying to drive a wedge between us! This is between father and son, who are you to meddle in our business? If not for you, how could have I doubted my own precious son? This is all your ploy; you are trying to pit us against each other…”
At that moment, He Lan Chang seemed to have found the hope, he turned to tell He Bin excitedly, “Son, that’s right. This is her plan to divide us! You must not fall for it. I am your biological father! After you kill me, you will be an orphan! Son, do not do something that you will regret for the rest of your life, okay?”
He Lan Chang even managed to squeeze in a tear at the end of his speech. Even Xinghe had to be impressed by his acting. She thought someone as vicious as He Lan Chang would have a cavalier attitude regarding life; she really did not expect him to be so afraid of death.
Then again, he stood to lose a lot if he died. Furthermore, now that he knew the memory cell and DNA modification research had been successful, his desire to live must have gotten stronger. Alas, he had to die, even if they allowed him to live, he would be incarcerated and lose all his power as well as influence!
He Bin’s internal emotions were a wreck witnessing He Lan Chang in this state. His eyes shuddered temporarily but no one could tell what he was really thinking.
“Did you really not plan to kill me?” he asked He Lan Chang cautiously.
He Lan Chang saw the salvation of hope and piled on his argument. “Of course, I do not have the heart to have you killed! You are my son, of course, I would not give such a ridiculous order.”
“But, He Lan Qi said you did!” He Bin smiled coldly. “It was him who put me in this state, I am a cripple because of him. Furthermore, I am sure he definitely wanted me dead!”
He Lan Chang’s eyes shivered and made a solemn promise. “I will make sure he will not lift another finger against you ever again. He Bin, there are many things that we have done wrong by you, but I swear we will make it up to you in the future. Son, can you not trust your own father one more time?”
“Okay,” He Bin promised.
He Lan Chang was shocked, but it was quickly followed by joy. “You finally chose to believe me? Wonderful, I am glad…”
“But I have to kill He Lan Qi!” He Bin interrupted him. This time He Lan Chang did not even have the time to react.
He Bin stared at him and these words tumbled out of He Lan Qi’s mouth, “The only way to squelch the hatred in my heart is to kill He Lan Qi. Only by killing him can my safety be guaranteed. Furthermore, this is the only way I can believe you are not lying to me. Say yes and I will let you go free.”
He Lan Chang’s eyes chilled and his jaw shuddered involuntarily, but it was unknown whether it was from shock or from anger.
He lectured He Bin with equal measure vehemence and pain, “He Lan Qi is your own brother, how can you be so heartless towards him? He Bin, how can you even fathom doing something so despicable as fratricide?”
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Chapter 765: Both Go and Die
He Bin laughed internally. He Lan Qi could kill him because it was not fratricide, but if he wanted to return the favor, it was cruel?
He Bin understood then, in his father’s heart, the only son he recognized was He Lan Qi.
He Bin said expressionlessly, “Father, no matter what you say now, it is useless. There are only two choices before you, either I kill both of you and ensure my own safety, or you abandon He Lan Qi and take me as your only son. Make your choice quickly, I do not have all day.”
He Lan Chang was angered. “Do you have to give me such an ultimatum? Both of you are my sons, I…”
“Make your choice!” He Bin demanded severely, he did not want to hear his nonsense anymore. “If you cannot make one, I will just kill you now and end your suffering!”
He Lan Chang was startled, and his face shifted. This was because he saw the murderous intent in He Bin’s eyes. This assassin son that he cultivated really did not disappoint him; there was no way trying to appeal to his heart, because it was already removed during his years of training.
If he had known this day would have happened, he would have strangled him when he was born!
If possible, he would not hesitate to kill him there and then. However, that was impossible, because he was their hostage.
He Lan Chang hid the viciousness in his eyes and closed his eyes to sigh. “I have treated you wrongly for so many years, so I cannot allow myself to do that anymore. Son, if you really want me to choose, I will have to choose you, but I beg you to not kill your brother. You can take your revenge all you want on him but please keep him alive.”
He Lan Chang’s speech was full of emotion, melancholy, and helplessness. It was as if the choice was very difficult for him and he was really a loving father who could not afford to lose any one of his sons.
But would a real loving father make the choice he did? Sacrificed his own son to save himself?
Thankfully, He Bin had already seen through his cruelty and despicability. If he continued to buy into his sweet words, then he would really be the dumbest person ever.
He Bin asked coldly and forced He Lan Chang to admit his choice clearly, “So your choice is for me to kill He Lan Qi?”
Hearing his decision stated out loud make the hidden hatred in He Lan Chang’s eyes rose to the surface once more.
“… That’s right because I cannot continue to disappoint you anymore,” He Lan Chang hissed through gritted teeth, but at the same time, he swore internally he would chop this bastard son of his into pieces when the chance presented itself!
He Bin suddenly laughed.
He Lan Chang opened his eyes to look at him in shock. “What are you laughing about?”
He Bin’s laughs had petered to a mirthless chuckle. He stared at He Lan Chang like the latter was an idiot. “What am I laughing about? I am laughing at you! You are heartless enough to even abandon your precious He Lan Qi, do you think I am dumb enough to trust someone like that?”
“You…” He Lan Chang was shaking with anger. This bastard has been toying with me!
The fact that He Lan Chang had been playing the role of loving father for their amusement flared him up! He felt humiliated from being played a complete fool.
“He Bin, what do you want‽ You are the one who forced me into making this choice, aren’t you‽” He Lan Chang demanded angrily like he was disappointed in him. Even at the time like this, he was still playing his part.
He Bin realized there and then that he really did not feel any connection to this man anymore. He refused to spend another second in his presence; it was making him sick from within.
“I was only testing you for fun. Actually, there was no choice to begin with because both you and He Lan Qi will have to die!” He Bin glared into his eyes and said ferociously.
He Lan Chang widened his pupils—
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Chapter 766: He Lan Chang’s Ending
The next second, He Bin grabbed at his throat, his eyes burning with nefarious intent.
“What are you doing‽” He Lan Chang tried to pull his arms off, but he was no match for a young man in his prime. He Bin tossed his gun away and pulled out a medicine bottle from his pocket. He then poured it down He Lan Chang’s throat.
The liquid drug swirled down He Lan Chang’s throat easily. Even though he had no idea what it was, he knew for a fact that it was not going to be something beneficial. He Lan Chang struggled with his full strength; he tried to vomit out the medicine, but He Bin slammed his mouth shut and forced the medicine down his throat.
When he made sure that the medicine had gone down into his stomach, He Bin tossed his father away and he landed on the sofa with a soft thud.
He Lan Chang tried his best to induce vomit, but it was already too late, he could feel his heart palpitate.
“What… what did you just give me?” He Lan Chang interrogated with authority.
He Bin looked down on him and answered expressionlessly, “A type of medicine that will make you senile for the rest of your life.”
“What?” He Lan Chang was shocked.
He Bin laughed with deprecation. “In the end, I decided to keep you alive, you don’t need to thank me.”
“You, you b*stard, I am going to kill you!” He Lan Chang rushed at He Bin with his claws lashing. As his fingers clamped around He Bin’s throat, he started to feel difficulty in his breathing and the world started to spin…
He Bin looked at him coldly; there was barely a ripple of emotion in his eyes. There was no joy from having taken his revenge, or even sadness from losing his father. If there was an emotion to describe what he was feeling then, it was relief, relief that everything was finally over. He no longer felt tied to the He Lan family and his father’s shadow was no longer looming over him. He could finally be himself again, without having to answer to anyone but himself.
However, He Lan Chang was not yet ready for this ending!
He had worked for so many years to support the He Lan family and he had just gotten wonderful news about his project, but it was ruined by his own son at the very last minute, how could he accept such a fate?
He did not want to go senile, he did not want to lose his memory and the success that was so deliciously close to his reach!
He tightened his grip around He Bin’s throat and used his last bout of strength to try to snap his neck. There were tears flowing down He Lan Chang’s eyes; these were probably the only genuine tears of regret he had in his life…
However, no matter how unwilling his was or how deep his regret, he could feel his consciousness fading and the strength leaving his body. His knees started to give, and he knew he was going to fall at any moment.
He Lan Chang subconsciously grabbed at He Bin’s shirt, trying to steady himself. Before he crumbled, he hissed out the very last thought that was on his mind, “No, not yet…”
Looking at the ‘dying’ He Lan Chang on the floor, He Bin laughed. “Think this is too soon of an end for you? Perfect, because this is the punishment that you deserve!”
“Well done,” Xinghe told He Bin softly. She had made herself invisible during the father and son exchange earlier but she did approve of He Bin’s final decision.
He Bin asked her, “You are not angry that I did not kill him?”
Xinghe shook her head. “I am not always out to kill. If anything, this will be a greater punishment to him than death.”
A lifetime of senility, a life where he had to depend on others for even the most basic of human functions. A life with zero honor. This kind of life was the most fitting punishment for He Lan Chang.
However, He Bin was still appreciative of her understanding. “I am still thankful that you guys are willing to let him live. I am sorry because I could not find it within myself to kill him with my own two hands.”
“I understand, but you have done very well. I will leave the rest to you, because from today onwards, you will be the head for the whole He Lan family,” Xinghe told him matter-of-factly.
Chapter 767: Settle Everything
He Bin understood, from then on until the very end, he had to carry on as He Lan Qi. This was to facilitate Xinghe’s plan.
He Bin nodded. “Do not worry. I know what to do.”
“Good.” Xinghe nodded in return. She left after settling some more things. There was already a car waiting for her outside when she left He Lan Villa. Mubai and her friends were in the car. They knew the plan had been a success when they saw her exit the house safely.
“Xinghe, is He Lan Chang dead? The plan was a success, right?” Ali who sat in front asked her excitedly as she hopped into the car. Sam, who was driving, and Mubai, who sat beside her, looked at her, also waiting for her to answer.
Xinghe shook her head. “No, he is still alive, He Bin did not have the heart to kill him. However, He Lan Chang will have to spend the rest of his life in bed now.”
“Wonderful!” Ali cheered. “That is not a bad thing as well. Serves him right. I still cannot believe the plan has gone so smoothly, now no one will stand our way.”
Sam said with a smile, “This is all thanks to these memory cells. This thing is just incredible, if you change your memory right before you die, does this not mean you can practically live on forever?”
When they first found out about memory cells, they were shocked beyond words. They couldn’t believe such a thing actually existed in the world. However, they had to believe it when the reality was right there in front of their eyes.
Regardless, until now, Sam’s group still found the whole thing very hard to believe.
Xinghe shook her head. “No, Lu Qi’s research has brought to light one great weakness to this memory cell technology. They have a short active period; it will take about half a year for all of them to naturally die out. Therefore, He Bin can only be He Lan Qi for at most another half a year.”
The memory cells were not meant to aid human beings forever, although Xinghe had a deep suspicion that was why He Lan Chang initiated the research on this technology. Alas, this technology was too against the natural rule of life. It had this fatal limitation. Perhaps it was not meant to achieve absolute success, to overcome this fatal flaw.
Xinghe predicted that, at least in the next several hundred years, success would not be possible.
“Regardless, even if it can only last for six months, it is already very impressive. However, this kind of powerful technology must not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands or else the world will definitely be a chaotic place,” Sam observed.
“We understand.” Xinghe nodded. They had held a long discussion about this; the memory cells could never be announced to the public. Currently, only Xinghe’s trusted circle of friends knew about it, and they would not need to worry about He Bin leaking the information.
Of course, Xinghe would not let Chui Qian know of this technology. In conclusion, no one would know such a thing even existed.
“Where shall we go next?” Mubai leaned in to ask.
Xinghe smiled and said, “To meet Chui Qian and to resolve He Lan Qi’s case. Today, we will help He Lan Qi clear his name.”
Everyone understood that the He Lan Qi Xinghe referred to was He Bin, who was occupying He Lan Qi’s body. For the sake of their plan, they had to clear He Lan Qi of his charges and they needed Chui Qian’s help to do that.
Therefore, Xinghe soon contacted Chui Qian. She told him everything had been resolved and she wanted to meet him in person.
Chui Qian was shocked. “Everything has been resolved?”
Over the past few hours, his heart was burning from anxiety. Just as he was about to crack from pressure, Xinghe’s call was like an opportune rain that extinguished all his worry. He sat up straighter and color returned to his face.
“Yes, He Lan Chang will never be able to threaten you again. We have even managed to convince He Lan Qi to help us and he has sworn to secrecy,” Xinghe said confidently.
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Chapter 768: The Rush
“He Lan Qi?” Chui Qian was shocked. What did these people do to He Lan Qi so that he was willing to cooperate?
“That’s right, He Lan Qi. From now on, he is one of us.”
“One of us‽” Chui Qian repeated in shock. He found Xinghe’s words completely nonsensical.
Xinghe did not go into detail, instead, she said softly, “We will talk more in details when we meet.”
“Okay.” Chui Qian was fine with that. By then, he had developed some sort of reliance on Xinghe, so he was okay with everything she wanted. However, he still found it hard to believe that everything was resolved.
From then on, he had gained full freedom from He Lan Chang’s control?
During the period Xinghe travelled to meet him, Chui Qian was hyped with anticipation and consternation. On one hand, he was afraid Xinghe was pulling his leg, on another, he prayed that it was real. After meeting Xinghe and triple-confirming it with her, the rock lodged in his heart was finally removed and he felt relief swept over him. Chui Qian smiled brilliantly; a light shone from within him.
“Miss Xia, how did you take care of He Lan Chang? The plan went a bit too successfully I feel.”
Indeed, that was a suspicion for those not in the know. Xinghe explained calmly, “It was He Lan Qi who took care of He Lan Chang.”
Chui Qian was startled. “He Lan Qi‽ Is he not He Lan Chang’s son…”
“He is his son, but there are some secrets between the father and son. After He Lan Qi found out some truths, he decided to side with us.”
“Is that so? What kind of secrets was He Lan Chang hiding from his son?” Chui Qian was intrigued. He had known the pair of father and son for years, he never noticed any friction between them.
“I am sorry but that is their personal information that I do not have the liberty to release. Do not worry, He Lan Qi has really repented and will be our trustworthy ally. He even promised to cooperate with us unconditionally. He will not say a word about your situation.”
Chui Qian asked, “Then what about He Lan Chang?”
“He is alive, but he can only spend the rest of his life in bed because he has gone senile.”
At that moment, a thought cropped up in Chui Qian’s mind: The bastard deserves it!
Even though he did not personally take his revenge on He Lan Chang, he still felt the great rush of having taken his revenge. The biggest threat to his existence was He Lan Chang. Now that the old man was out of the way, he had nothing to worry about anymore. Since He Lan Qi was willing to pull the trigger on He Lan Chang, it went to show his trustworthiness.
The point was he trusted Xinghe fully. Therefore, he decided to stop trying to dig up the details, the result was satisfactory and that was what he needed.
“Miss Xia, this time, your party has truly impressed me, and I am glad I have chosen to cooperate with you. If you need my help in the future, please do not hesitate to ask, if I can fulfil your request, I will definitely do my best,” Chui Qian said faithfully, deep with appreciation.
Xinghe exchanged a look with Mubai who sat beside her and told Chui Qian, “It is such a coincidence that you would say that because we do need Mr. President’s help.”
Chui Qian asked in return, “What is it? Do tell.”
“We want to know everything you know about the He Lan family.”
Chui Qian was confused. “Couldn’t you get that information from He Lan Qi? I believe, he is more in the know than I am.”
“Turns out He Lan Chang was guarded against him as well. He only knows pockets of information; therefore, we wish to fill in the blanks with your help.”
Chui Qian nodded understandingly. Without asking any more question, he went into a history lesson on the He Lan family, “As you must know by now, the He Lan family migrated to Country R about sixty years ago.”
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Chapter 769: The Beginning of His Nightmare
“Within a few years, their business grew exponentially and became the richest in Country R… However, that was not where their ambitions stopped. Utilizing their immense wealth, they squirmed their ways into different governmental departments and greased a few important palms.
“Later on, they even sponsored Country R’s first satellite launching center. Then, the He Lan family started their orphanage to start training talents. After the kids grew up, the He Lan family arranged for them to enter different sectors and important government posts.
“You could say that from the very beginning, the He Lan family had never stopped growing and the true political power of Country R was in their hands. Curiously enough, they were related to every single president this country has ever had. Many of them got the presidency with their support.
“About thirty years ago, the He Lan family was a household name throughout Country R because their influence could be felt all over the country. However, several years after that, they started to retreat to the background and away from the public eye. Nonetheless, this did not mean that their ambitions had dwindled. Many of their pawns were still in the government and they still held great power and influence.
“The only accident happened about ten years ago. Due to the great advancement in terms of culture and economy, the lifestyle of the citizens underwent a major change. The opening of the borders made it so that the people started to believe in democratic ideals.
“Eventually, the streak of conservative presidents was broken, and a newly formed democratic party managed to win the presidency. From that moment on, the conservative party and Democratic Party had contested non-stop. While everyone’s attention was attracted to this tussle between the two parties, the He Lan family successfully faded from the public consciousness.
“During that time, they were trying to wrangle back power and that was where the Chui family came in. He Lan Chang was impressed by my family’s background and potential so chose to cooperate with us. He had been supporting and training us.
“After years of mutual hard work, I finally got the president’s seat with He Lan Chang’s help. I thought that was the beginning of nirvana for me, and life would be smooth sailing. How wrong I was, because that was the beginning of my nightmare.
“After I got selected, He Lan Chang started assigning me missions and the few initial ones were still within my acceptable range. However, the missions slid closer and closer to illegality after a not very long period of time. For example, he wanted me to cover up some of his family’s criminal activities, help get grants for him using my power, and assign his people into important government departments…
“It was a vicious cycle because the more I helped him, the more evidence I was giving him to use against me. It was like a swamp, the more I struggled, the faster and deeper I sank.”
Chui Qian sighed. Xinghe could see that this was a man of conscience and the illegal activities He Lan Chang had been forcing on him had taken its toll. However, he was trapped within this prison he had created for himself. This was the Chui family’s choice from the beginning; they had signed a deal with the devil, so they would have to live with it!
However, Chui Qian could no longer allow this malignant tumor called the He Lan family to continue sucking the life out of Country R, so he had been collecting damaging information on the He Lan family behind their back.
He planned to release all of the information once he retired or was forced into retirement. He hoped that the information he collected would be enough to destroy the He Lan family!
Then, Chui Qian planned to commit suicide to repent for the sins he had wrought on his beloved country.