"Yes, Chairman!"
Luo Bin quickly responded and then asked, "Do you have any other instructions?"
"Oh, right, and the Xiong family—let them off for now, but they must still face appropriate punishment." Yang Chen remembered that he had promised Qin Xi to spare the Xiong family.
After hanging up, Yang Chen started the car and drove away.
After leaving the Qin Corporation, Xiong Bocheng sneered, "A good-for-nothing son-in-law from a third-rate family, and he actually thinks he's some big shot? If it weren't for pinning this crisis on Xiong Boren, would I ever apologize to him?"
As he spoke, he took out his phone and dialed a number. "Brother Kai, I have a favor to ask!"
"Is it about getting your family's entertainment venues unsealed?" Brother Kai clearly knew about the Xiong family's troubles.
Xiong Bocheng hurriedly replied, "Brother Kai, since you already know, I won't beat around the bush. Help me out this once. Once I become the family head, we brothers can join forces—what would we have to fear from even the top four families of Jiangzhou?"
In front of Brother Kai, Xiong Bocheng didn't hide his ambitions at all.
Brother Kai sighed. "Bocheng, it's not that I don't want to help you, but this time, your family has really offended someone powerful. To be honest, I already tried pulling some strings for you. At first, people were willing to meet with me, but the moment I mentioned the Xiong family, they kicked me out. I'm powerless here."
"What?" Xiong Bocheng was shocked. "Even you can't handle this?"
Only now did Xiong Bocheng realize that the Xiong family had truly kicked an iron plate this time. But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't figure out who the Xiong family had offended to provoke such a powerful figure that even Brother Kai couldn't resolve it.
As for Yang Chen, whom he had just met, he dismissed the thought entirely.
At the Xiong family estate, all the direct descendants were gathered.
Xiong Qingshan sat at the head, his face filled with anxiety. Just then, his phone rang.
He quickly answered and heard the news: "Family Head, apart from No. 1 Mansion, Boren Entertainment, and Bocheng Entertainment being permanently shut down, all other Xiong family venues have been unsealed."
"Family Head, how did it go? Has the Xiong family crisis been resolved?"
After Xiong Qingshan hung up, all the direct descendants looked at him expectantly.
The tension on Xiong Qingshan's face gradually eased, and a smile appeared. "Bocheng didn't disappoint me this time."
"Haha, great! The Xiong family is saved!"
"Bocheng is amazing—there's nothing he can't handle."
"Of course, Bocheng is the heir the Family Head has chosen."
Cheers erupted, and everyone praised Xiong Bocheng.
But a shadow of gloom flickered in Xiong Qingshan's eyes. Others might not know, but he understood his son all too well.
If he hadn't publicly declared Xiong Bocheng as the heir, Xiong Boren would have long since disappeared from this world.
He had a secret—one only he knew. Xiong Bocheng wasn't actually his biological son but the result of his wife's infidelity in her youth.
If it weren't for the family's reputation back then, he would have killed that wretched woman long ago.
As Xiong Qingshan's thoughts wandered, Xiong Bocheng returned.
"Bocheng, you truly live up to being the heir chosen by the Family Head. Without you, the Xiong family would've been finished!"
"That's right, Bocheng. On behalf of my family, I thank you."
"Bocheng, you're the most outstanding of the younger generation. You'll surely lead the Xiong family to a brighter future."
As soon as Xiong Bocheng entered, the relatives swarmed around him.
Hearing their words, he was inwardly shocked. He had already sought help from many people, but none could resolve the family's crisis. How had it suddenly been lifted?
Though puzzled, he maintained a humble smile. "Everyone is too kind. As the family heir, this is my duty."
Xiong Qingshan walked over and patted Xiong Bocheng's shoulder heavily. "Well done. Even if I die now, I can rest in peace."
On the surface, Xiong Qingshan had to show the appropriate goodwill toward this son.
Xiong Bocheng quickly replied, "Dad, don't say that. You'll live a long life."
"Alright, since the crisis is resolved and everyone's been up all night, delegate your tasks and go home to rest." Xiong Qingshan waved his hand dismissively.
After everyone left, Xiong Qingshan suddenly asked, "Why didn't Boren come back with you?"
A flash of ruthlessness crossed Xiong Bocheng's eyes. "Boren was seriously injured. After apologizing to Mr. Yang, I sent him to the hospital."
"Good, that puts my mind at ease." Xiong Qingshan didn't notice Xiong Bocheng's expression and turned to return to his room.
"You old fool, did you really think I wouldn't find out? Let's see what tricks you'll try once your only son and grandson are dead."
Watching Xiong Qingshan leave, Xiong Bocheng's gaze was filled with killing intent. He took out his phone and dialed a number. "Xiong Wei and Xiong Boren must disappear—but they have to die in the hospital."
Xiong Bocheng hadn't planned to act so soon, but this was the perfect opportunity.
He murmured to himself, "Xiong Wei was already severely injured—his death won't raise suspicions. But Xiong Boren's death needs a convincing explanation."
Soon, he figured out what to do and smirked coldly. "Since you love pretending to be a big shot so much, you can take the blame for this."
Before long, shocking news broke from the Xiong family: "The Xiong family's only third-generation heir, Xiong Wei, succumbed to repeated infections and died. His father, Xiong Boren, collapsed emotionally upon hearing the news. While rushing to see his son, he fell down the stairs, suffered massive brain hemorrhage, and died despite emergency treatment."
As a prominent first-tier family in Jiangzhou, the news quickly spread throughout the city.
"Yang Chen, have you heard? Xiong Wei and Xiong Boren are dead."
Yang Chen had just picked up Qin Xi at the Sanhe Corporation entrance when she asked him with a grave expression.
"Dead?"
Yang Chen hadn't heard about it, and now that Qin Xi mentioned it, he was equally surprised.
"Why are you looking at me like that? You don't think I had something to do with their deaths, do you?" Yang Chen asked.
Qin Xi shook her head slightly, her face full of worry. "I'm not suspecting you. But if Xiong Wei really died from repeated infections, the Xiong family will definitely blame you—after all, his injuries were your doing."
Yang Chen chuckled. "Xiao Xi, don't worry. This won't be pinned on me. I did hurt Xiong Wei, but it wasn't fatal. Even if they investigate, it has nothing to do with me."
"Even so, you should still be careful with the Xiong family."
"Don't worry, I'll be cautious. Don't overthink it—let's go pick up Xiao Xiao."
Yang Chen started the car and headed toward Lantian Kindergarten.
What Qin Xi didn't notice was the sharp glint in Yang Chen's eyes as he thought to himself, "The Xiong family's waters run deeper than I thought. But no matter how deep, they won't rise above my ankles—or else, I won't hesitate to crush them underfoot."