Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Mysterious Assassin (Part Two)

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Gao Qisheng was sixty-one years old. In his youth, he had been a university student who ran a small PHS phone shop. His elder brother, Gao Qiqiang, had sold fish, yet within just a few years he had transformed himself from a humble fishmonger into a successful entrepreneur.

Later, the business developed into the Prosperity Group. It opened breeding farms, packaging plants, an alcohol factory, bars, and game arcades. In only a few more years, it amassed a fortune of ten billion yuan.

This business genius was not content to stop there. His ventures gradually expanded into supermarkets, real estate, and other industries. After another decade, once the Prosperity Group was listed on the NASDAQ in America, its total assets had reached twelve billion dollars.

The Prosperity Group became the undisputed leading enterprise in Crane City and the surrounding cities, while Gao Qiqiang, with a fortune of twelve billion dollars, entered the top twenty of the richest people in the Xia Kingdom.

His younger brother, Gao Qisheng, held deeply feudal beliefs. On the surface, he treated men and women equally, but the notion of carrying on the family line was etched into his very bones. He was forty-three when he finally had his only son, Gao Qianduo.

Now Gao Qianduo was dead.

The old man standing before his son’s corpse was tall and gaunt, his hair completely streaked with gray, his face so grim that it seemed twisted out of shape. His eyes were as dim as dead ashes.

Behind him stood several important members of the Gao family: his eldest daughter, Gao Feng, and her husband, Zhang Haitao, chief of the Crane City Police Department; his second daughter, Gao Lian, and her husband, Liu Wuren, president of the Crane City Court; and his youngest daughter, Gao Lan.

More than fifty bodyguards in black suits surrounded the Gao family villa. Seven police cars were parked before the entrance, while more than thirty officers hurried about the scene.

A forensic examiner stood awkwardly beside Gao Qianduo’s body. Until the old master of the Gao family gave permission, the minor official did not dare make a move.

Staring at his son’s corpse, Gao Qisheng remained silent for a long while before saying coldly, “Feng’er, draw up a list of every organization and individual with whom we’ve recently had business disputes.”

Gao Feng nodded and acknowledged the order.

Everyone knew what the old master meant. He intended to move against every suspicious person without sparing a single one. From tomorrow onward, it seemed Crane City was destined to suffer a massive upheaval.

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“Lian’er, go to Qianduo’s school tomorrow and compile a list of every student who had conflicts with him. I can’t let Qianduo go without peace of mind. We’ll have to send a few more people down to keep him company. Heh heh. Qianduo had no other hobbies—he just liked playing with little girls, bullying younger children, and drinking AD Calcium. Boys are all like that.”

Gao Qisheng had already descended into a calm madness. His tone was not impassioned; he issued his commands with chilling composure. Yet his orders made everyone present shudder.

To declare such intentions of bloody revenge in front of the police—perhaps only Gao Qianduo in all of Crane City could inspire such shamelessness.

“That… doesn’t seem appropriate,” Gao Lian said hesitantly. “It could have a very serious impact…”

“What’s inappropriate about it?” Gao Qisheng swept his second daughter with a cold glance. The icy look made her swallow the rest of her words. “Remember this: Qianduo is dead. As his sisters and brothers-in-law, you have a duty to avenge him. Impact? Whose death could possibly have a greater impact than my son’s?”

Gao Lian sighed silently and answered that she understood.

“Haitao, cast your net tomorrow. Arrest every criminal who has drifted into Crane City, especially those with blood on their hands. Scum like that only waste food by staying alive. It would be good if they could be buried alongside my son.”

Gao Qisheng gave the order to his eldest son-in-law in an indifferent voice.

Zhang Haitao nodded briskly.

“And the underworld… the underworld…” Gao Qisheng murmured several times before turning to the butler, Mao Feng. “Feng, mobilize everyone under Little Lan tomorrow. Flatten every underworld establishment and arrest all their leaders. I don’t care whether they live or die. Good. Now begin the autopsy on Qianduo. Little Lan, come with me.”

Uneasily, Gao Lan followed Gao Qisheng upstairs and entered the study, closing the door behind her.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Gao Qisheng stared into the pitch-black night beyond the window. Only after a long silence did he speak slowly.

“Tell me exactly what happened today.”

Gao Lan said, “Today… today I was sleeping upstairs. I didn’t know anything. I only heard a scream. By the time I reached the first floor, Big Brother was already dead, and several bodyguards had been killed as well…”

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“Useless!”

At last, Gao Qisheng tore away his mask of calm composure. He spun around and roared, then struck Gao Lan across the face with such force that a large swelling rose on her smooth cheek.

“You’re nothing but a useless piece of trash!”

Pointing at Gao Lan, he bellowed, “Why the hell did I bring you back? What did I raise you for? Damn it, I raised you to protect my son! Now he’s dead—why aren’t you dead too? You were supposed to be an excellent shot! How did you fail to protect my son? Tell me! Tell me who killed him! Who killed my son?”

As he shouted those words, his face twisted into something hideous. He seized Gao Lan by the throat with both hands and shook her violently.

“Father…” Gao Lan did not dare channel her power to force Gao Qisheng away. She struggled for breath, her face flushing crimson.

“Don’t call me Father! I’m not your father! You little savage! If it weren’t for your decent fighting skills, do you think I would have brought you back and wasted food raising you? What the hell are you? Do you deserve the Gao name? Do you deserve to be called my daughter? I’m telling you, you’re nothing but a bastard. I raised you like a dog!”

Gao Qisheng had lost all reason.

“My son was alive, so you had a reason to live. Now that he’s dead, there’s no need for you to keep breathing! I know Qianduo always liked you. I’ll strangle you to death right now and send you down to accompany him. Then you can continue protecting him in the afterlife! Die!”

Gao Lan was stunned. Her eyes widened, their light almost entirely gone.

Gao Qisheng’s words struck her heart like a succession of heavy blows. His final sentence shattered it completely. Tears streamed down her face as all strength seemed to leave her body. She simply let him shake her by the throat.

Gao Qisheng was powerfully built. Though he was old, his hands remained strong. He squeezed with all his might, and Gao Lan felt her breathing begin to fail. Tears poured down her cheeks, her eyes seemed ready to bulge from their sockets, and her tongue slipped uncontrollably from her mouth.

She knew she was close to death. It was as though she had lost both the will and the support to go on living. She forgot that all she needed to do was lift a hand and kill the old man instantly.

“Riiip!”

At some point, Gao Qisheng freed one hand and tore away half of the skirt covering Gao Lan’s upper body.

But that tearing sound also brought Gao Lan back to her senses.

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