The Secret Within

Qiushou Chen lay on the bed, looking weary, but his eyes suddenly lit up. It seemed that whenever business was mentioned, something in his blood awakened, rejuvenating him.

"Needless to ask. If there's an opportunity, you should absorb the Lengs' business. But if Eliza has someone backing her, this could get complicated."

"Eliza is no pushover—you must be cautious. That girl has been manipulative since childhood. When kids played together, she always had the most schemes. She'd want something done but never act herself, letting others take the lead while she orchestrated from the sidelines, avoiding blame when things went wrong."

Fyren smiled. "She still operates that way."

"Her weaknesses are clear, though. A few years ago, when she was in college, I saw her several times. She was growing increasingly reclusive. Hehe, for a strong - willed girl like her, romance might not come naturally. She could do reckless things for a man, let emotion cloud her judgment. If she overcomes that vulnerability, there'll be nothing she can't endure in this world."

"Xena?" Fyren peeled an orange, feeding Qiushou Chen segment by segment and carefully wiping his chin. Saliva dribbled from the old man's mouth, but he remained animated as Fyren tended to him.

"Xena's a good child, but too headstrong. Her parents were too strict earlier, then too lenient. I worry she'll stir up trouble. But like Eliza, if she lets love make her reckless... once she conquers that, she'll be unstoppable."

"Cora is kind, too."

Qiushou Chen shook his head. "Cora can't—she can't express her feelings."

"Haha, Grandpa, you noticed that?"

"She's generous and has a good heart, no doubt. But if she's disappointed, she grows agitated and irrational. She can't grasp the big picture. Thinking of the Chen children angers me: Eason fools around, Huan is worse. His elder brother is dutiful but ignores his parents, let alone me..."

Fyren's mind churned. The situation was growing complex. Though he'd won again, this victory felt like a disaster, likely triggering Otto's more vicious retaliation. Would he even survive? Looking at Qiushou Chen, he thought, I might not outlive you.

"Grandpa, I've been protecting Qianfeng for Eliza these days," Fyren said, smiling. "I considered acquiring it, even making Eliza work for me. But..."

"Got soft - hearted?"

"Yeah."

"But Fyren, are you strong enough now?"

Fyren lowered his head. "This time was actually terrifying. I just got lucky. So much happened beyond my imagination. I improvised most of the way. Like you said, I can't even tell if this counts as a win."

"Ah, don't dwell on that. The past is set, the future unwritten. Focus on the present. If you stay kind—if the Chens face trouble and you help them like you did the Lengs, success or not—Grandpa will thank you in the afterlife."

"Grandpa, don't talk like that. We're family. You provided my baby formula, bicycle, schoolbag, even tuition when I was little. I am your grandson."

"Hahaha, good grandson, good grandson. Grandpa... cough, cough... Grandpa... cough, cough, cough..."

Cora, who had stood silent for a while, suddenly said, "Grandpa's tired, Fyren. Let him rest."

"Oh." Fyren stood. "Didn't you say your flight is tonight?"

"So you purposely avoided me to see Grandpa, huh?"

Fyren flushed, scratching his head. "No, that's not it. I just had time at noon."

Cora approached the bed. "Grandpa, Fyren's busy. Let him go, okay?"

"Um, yes, yes. Work hard, big boss. Hehe, my grandson..."

Cora tucked the quilt around the old man. Perhaps exhausted by the day's chatter, he drifted off.

Walking in the Chen family garden, Fyren squirmed. Being alone with an ex - lover was always awkward. The lie of "staying friends" after a breakup—once severed, contact only rekindles old feelings or breeds resentment. Or, like now, left him itching to crawl out of his skin.

Cora eyed his discomfort. "Looking for an excuse to bolt?"

"Ah? No, of course not. Hey, don't worry. We're still friends, right?"

She stopped, chin raised. "Fyren, listen: I'll never be friends with you."

"Why?"

"Remember when you used to corner me and make me take off my shorts for 'checkups'? Forgotten all that?"

Fyren wanted to die of shame. "I... when I was a kid, I... was just being a brat."

"When I grew up, I realized how tainted that made me. I can't be with anyone else now."

"It's not that dramatic. We were just kids messing around."

"Then what do you call it?"

"Nothing... Cora, can we drop this? Let's leave those stupid, innocent childhood antics in the past."

"They can't stay in the past. They're burned into my heart."

Fyren sighed. "What do you want, then? Want to hire guys to beat me up for closure?"

Cora burst into laughter. "Do you think I'm like you? Always picking fights."

Fyren chuckled too.

After walking a few steps, Cora said, "Let's have dinner together tonight. I'll make a reservation."

"Er... we'll see. I might not be free tonight."

"I'll wait for you, no matter how late."

Fyren looked at her. "Cora, thank you."

"For what?"

"For... well, I know how you feel. But I can't give you what you want."

"Because you still like Eliza?"

"Not just that." Fyren hesitated. "I... I can't explain it. Right now, I can't get involved with anyone—can't let anyone down. Maybe one day I'll have an accident and vanish. When that happens, I hope you can accept it calmly."

Cora frowned. "Vanish? Where to?"

"I don't know. Vanish... as in cease to exist."

"Stop acting mysterious. Xena asked your medical team—you're in perfect health. You're not sick!"

Fyren smiled bitterly as he got into the car. Zaring noticed. "Why the smile?" Fyren said nothing.

After a pause, he asked, "Zaring, if something happens to me, what would you do?"

"Like what?"

"Never mind. I'll handle it."

"Okay."

Back at the company, Fyren called a high-level meeting. As executives gave their reports, he stayed silent. Everyone noticed he'd been acting strange—very strange.

Before, Fyren was outgoing: he'd leer at pretty women, crack jokes, bark orders, and move at breakneck speed. Lately, he'd grown quiet. During meetings, he'd lean back in his chair, body slightly tilted, lost in thought. To be honest, he now had the air of a powerful CEO ruling the business world.

After listening for a while, he looked up. "Anyone else have something to add?" He put down the report. "Business Minister."

"Yes, Fyren." Solomon stood.

"Summarize the key points of the recent situation."

"Yes." Solomon remained standing. "Recently, under your wise leadership and strategic vision for Dasheng Group's operations—"

"Bullshit," Fyren cut in. "I said summarize the key points. How am I supposed to judge if I'm wise? Just talk about your work!"

"Right, sorry."

Everyone exchanged glances. First, Fyren's calmness was odd. Usually, they'd shower him with praise, and he'd soak it up before getting to business. Today, he didn't even tolerate flattery.

What was happening? Something was definitely wrong.

Solomon, the Business Minister, broke into a cold sweat. "Overall, Dasheng Group's financials remain stable. As of today, our market stock gains have stabilized, with recent returns up by 43.7 billion yuan."

"The largest investment is the well-known shantytown renovation project. It's extremely costly—we've already poured 12.03 billion yuan into the early stages."

"However, Houde Group (Xu), Xiangyun Group (Chen), and Qingfeng Group (Leng) have collectively contributed 36.9 billion yuan. This special fund is jointly managed by our project team, financial representatives from the three groups, and a dedicated government department—exclusively for the shantytown project."

"Additionally, including the initial 12.03 billion, we've allocated 30 billion to the dedicated account. That means we still owe 20 billion to fully fund the project."

"Per the contract, we must deposit the remaining 20 billion before the second-phase completion."

Fyren smiled, nodded, and clapped. "Good—meticulous work!"

"Really?" Solomon exhaled in relief. "Knowing how much you value this project, we dare not be careless. We monitor it around the clock, act with precision, and never let up."

"Admirable spirit," Fyren said. "I need a seasoned executive like you to hold down the fort."

"Your vision is far-reaching, Fyren. We merely follow your lead— 不敢贪天之功 (dare not claim credit beyond our due)."

Fyren stood and paced to the deputy minister. "Yesterday, I reviewed the books. They're perfect." His tone turned icy. "Too perfect."

The deputy minister stood, head bowed, 不敢抬头 (too afraid to meet his gaze).

Fyren continued: "The initial 10 billion investment is above board. But..." He slammed his hand on the table. "I found over 200 million yuan unaccounted for. The books balance, but that doesn't mean the money was spent wisely. Deputy Minister, do you agree?"

The man looked up, panic in his eyes. "Fyren! I... I've worked tirelessly. I swear I haven't embezzled a penny!"

Fyren narrowed his eyes. "When did I say you embezzled?" He whirled, shouting, "Who here heard me accuse him of embezzlement?!"

The room fell dead silent, everyone stunned.