At the Lin Family Banquet in Long Island, United States, Shang Xinglu casually mentioned that Xiao Zai had a stroke.

Actually, someone in the Xiao family had suffered a stroke, and it was true that Xiao Zai’s father had been hospitalized for it.

Yes, the father who in a Cinderella-like story, worked tirelessly and neglected his family, only to die early.

After his death, the entire family business was taken over by his second wife, and his legitimate daughter was reduced to a maid.

However, the situation was slightly different.

Xiao Zai’s father did have a stroke and was indeed in the hospital.

His condition was serious, no doubt about that. But he wasn’t dead yet.

And for now, Xiao Zai couldn’t let him die.

It wasn’t because of some deep father-son bond, but because Xiao Zai’s unreliable, scummy father had recently made arrangements with a lawyer to draft a will.

The general content of the will was this: After I die, 80% of my estate will go to my youngest son, and the rights to run the company will also be passed to him. Until my youngest son comes of age, his mother will manage the company for him.

In other words, if Xiao Zai’s father died, Xiao Zai would inherit only a portion of the estate and a small share in the company his mother left him.

The company would have nothing to do with him from then on.

That was, of course, assuming his father died.

But he hadn’t died yet; he was still hanging on.

Also, according to some rumors, the will hadn’t been notarized before Xiao Zai’s father was hospitalized.

So, during his coma, it became a major issue as to who would control his assets.

The Xiao family was in disarray these days, with both factions hiring lawyers and suing each other.

Shang Xingyu had a general idea of the situation at the Xiao family.

But apart from helping find a good lawyer, he didn’t have much else to offer.

Even Xiao Zai himself couldn’t do much either.

Shang Xingyu asked, “About the lawyer, why don’t you ask my sister? She has connections and might know someone more suitable.”

For someone like Xiao Zai’s father, a wealthy man with a massive estate, it was like blood in the water to sharks.

As soon as news of the inheritance got out, lawyers flocked in, eager for a slice of the pie.

So, the two of them moved downstairs.

Shang Xinglu’s room had finally quieted down.

Before long, a nurse came in to administer an injection.

Not long after that, blood was drawn.

Soon after, another IV bag was replaced.

Not long after that, Shang Xingyu and Xiao Zai arrived.

At this moment, Shang Xinglu was lying under the covers, pretending to be a mole, and when she heard the door open, she said, “The patient isn’t here, don’t look for her.”

But of course, her younger brother had to come in.

And he forcefully pulled the blanket off Shang Xinglu’s face. “There’s an urgent matter—something worth billions!”

This phrase sounded so familiar.

Shang Xinglu quickly sat up, “You’re talking about something important, say it!”

Shang Xingyu patted Xiao Zai’s shoulder, “I told you, my sister will help. She might not say it, but she actually likes you a lot.”

Xiao Zai, who usually had a carefree attitude and didn’t care much about things, suddenly had a blush spread across his cheeks at Shang Xingyu’s words, looking unexpectedly embarrassed.

Shang Xinglu, on the other hand, tilted her head, “Ah?”

She looked like a duck about to be slaughtered, utterly confused.

Xiao Zai’s embarrassment quickly faded, replaced by a perfectly practiced fake smile.

Shang Xingyu then explained the current situation in the Xiao family, which wasn’t exactly a secret.

Shang Xinglu listened and glanced at Xiao Zai.

His face showed no emotion at all.

If Shang Xinglu hadn’t heard about the Xiao family’s situation from her brother, she would have never guessed anything from just looking at him.

Honestly, at the age of university graduation, her younger brother still acted like a goofy dog. It was impressive that Xiao Zai could be so calm and composed.

But this level of maturity, uncommon for his age, made Shang Xinglu reflect on how brutal the world of the rich was.

If you didn’t grow up fast, you were bound to get eaten up by it.

Shang Xinglu said, “I understand. I’ll ask around.”

Xiao Zai remained silent, standing there awkwardly, looking like a child unsure of how to accept someone’s kindness.

Shang Xinglu continued, “Since your father made such a will, whether he truly meant it or was pressured into doing so by your stepmother, you can’t trust his lawyers right now. Oh, and by the way, give me the names and contact details of the lawyers you’ve been in touch with. I’ll ask some friends for advice.”

Xiao Zai had a special holder for business cards in his pocket.

He reached into his pocket but didn’t pull out any cards.

Looking at Shang Xinglu, Xiao Zai said, “Sister, I’ve resigned from Huanylong Corporation.”

His gaze was clear, a kind of clarity she hadn’t seen before.

Shang Xinglu sighed lightly, “You should have quit earlier. I get why you did it. It’s just a performance for your stepmother, to show her how useless you are, so she’ll let her guard down and stop bothering you.”

That was exactly the case. But…

Xiao Zai paused, as if wanting to say—If I hadn’t met you at Huanylong Corporation, and if you weren’t already married, would you like me?

In a romantic sense.

At that moment, Shang Xinglu slightly lifted her chin, with sunlight streaming through the window and casting a clear line of light and shadow across her profile.

Her eyes were clear, steady in their gaze, looking directly at him as if seeing only him and nothing else behind that look.

Xiao Zai understood.

His words had no meaning.

He let out a light chuckle.

He didn’t speak, but he felt a little lighter in his heart.

He handed Shang Xinglu the business card holder. “The small stack on the left is inside.”

Shang Xinglu took them out one by one, snapped a photo, and then handed it back to Xiao Zai.

Xiao Zai took the card holder, thanked her, and then went upstairs again.

Leaving behind her purebred husky little brother, who tilted his head and asked, “What is ‘Huanlongshi’?”

Shang Xinglu: “…”

How should I even explain this?

Maybe I should just tell him how I know about Huanlongshi?

Shang Xingyu continued, “What is Huanlongshi? Why do you and Xiao Zai know about it, but I don’t? You can’t do this to me!”

Actually, Shang Xingyu had already briefly looked it up, but he had only heard part of the pronunciation and wasn’t sure about the three characters.

The character “Huan” in Huanlongshi wasn’t common, so he didn’t jump to conclusions.

The way he was going on, it seemed like he wasn’t going to give up until he got an answer…

Shang Xinglu, feeling slightly dizzy, replied, “It’s… a duck shop. Xiao Zai works there sometimes.”

Shang Xingyu: “Huh? Does the Xiao family still do the duck business? How come I didn’t know about it?”

Of course, he had no idea!

Shang Xinglu rolled her eyes and decided to switch the topic. “By the way, how’s the matter you were working on?”

The “matter” Shang Xinglu was referring to was the investigation into Bu Zheng’s shady dealings behind the scenes, which she had assigned to Shang Xingyu two days ago.

Of course, investigating was a job for professionals, and Shang Xinglu was just the one paying for it.

Shang Xingyu was in charge of liaising with the people handling the investigation.

After a call with Shen Wang, the brother and sister duo—well, mostly Shang Xingyu—had confirmed that the message from their brother-in-law was true.

Though he didn’t want to believe it, he had to admit that it was likely that their aunt and uncle were behind it all.

The previous day, the two of them met again in a restaurant—this time, a Western one.

Their meeting was open and above board, but the contents of their conversation were secretive.

It was really tricky dealing with people who were sabotaging things from behind the scenes.

Should they just issue a public statement, cutting ties with the family? Or maybe shout from the rooftops, “What they’re saying isn’t true, it’s what we say that’s the truth!”

…If explanations worked, then there wouldn’t be misunderstandings in the world.

Because people tend to trust what they “see” as fact, while what they “hear” from others often becomes gossip in their eyes.

Shang Xingyu was frowning deeply, his mind clearly elsewhere. “What should we do?”

Shang Xinglu, having believed Lin Heng’s message from the beginning, had been considering it carefully.

She said, “For example, if we were to file a lawsuit…”

“Huh? We need to sue?”

“…I’m just using it as an example!” Shang Xinglu glared at her brother. “Let’s say Person A says they didn’t steal something, but the accuser insists that A did, and they get Person B to testify that they saw A stealing. How would you argue that A didn’t steal anything?”

Shang Xingyu: “…But most places have surveillance footage now.”

Shang Xinglu: “Can you let me look good for a second?!”

“Just tell me what you think.”

Shang Xinglu rolled her eyes and continued, “If there’s no way to tamper with the physical evidence, then first, we should question B’s credibility. If B is known to be a liar and has even committed perjury in the past, doesn’t that mean B’s testimony could be fake too?”

Shang Xingyu, lost in his emotional turmoil about his aunt’s involvement, suddenly understood. “So, you mean we need to prove that Uncle is a liar… no, find evidence that he’s used similar tactics before?”

“Mm, something like that. I suspect he’s not a beginner, given how skilled he is. And it’s said that their venture capital company, when facing risky projects, brings in several companies to invest together to lower the risk. But with Bu Zheng’s actions, he essentially convinced others to pull out, while he invested the money himself, waiting for Yunshi to be acquired by someone else, and then he would profit. Isn’t that just spreading rumors to corner the market? Dragging others into the mess while he reaps the rewards. How shameless!”

Shang Xingyu immediately said, “I know the right investigators! Last time, Liu Heguang’s mom hired some detectives to catch a cheater, and they were super efficient!”

Shang Xinglu: “…………”

Catching a cheater…

My high-level strategy…

“…Is this not good?”

Shang Xinglu’s voice was weak. “L-let’s just make a phone call for now…”

That was the “secret plan” the siblings came up with a few days ago.

Yesterday, when Shang Xinglu was in the hospital, the investigators had informed Shang Xingyu that they had found the evidence.

Now that the room was empty, Shang Xingyu had been holding it in all morning, and finally had the chance to speak.

At that moment…

The busy hospital room door was pushed open again!

Mr. and Mrs. Shang, along with Lou Shanglu’s aunt, Shang Yingxue, and her uncle, Yuan Kaiyi, made a grand entrance.

“Oh my dear daughter, how did you end up in the hospital?” This was Mrs. Shang’s first concern.

Shang Xinglu thought for a moment about the reasons behind her hospitalization.

She discreetly rolled her eyes.

Please don’t talk to me, thank you!