"Why?"
After hearing Lin Tiannan's words, Liu Qiyue looked at him mockingly. "Because he is more handsome than you, wealthier than you, and has a stronger body than you."
"That's enough!"
"You...!"
"You bitch! You adulterous whore!" Lin Tiannan pointed his trembling finger at Liu Qiyue, his face twisted in rage. Her words had struck him deeply. Ever since he developed that strange illness, he had become impotent. Because of this, he and Liu Qiyue had maintained a distant relationship, treating each other with formality rather than intimacy.
"Slap!"
Jiang Che had no patience for Lin Tiannan's insults. Without hesitation, he delivered a hard slap across Lin Tiannan's face.
"Who are you?" Lin Tiannan gritted his teeth, his face burning from the strike. "Aren't you afraid of revenge from the Lin family?"
After being slapped, Lin Tiannan momentarily snapped out of his rage. He stared at Jiang Che with murderous intent. As the head of the Lin family—one of the four great families of Jiangbei City—he had just been humiliated by a young man. If word got out, he would be a laughingstock.
"My name is Jiang Che," Jiang Che said calmly, withdrawing his hand.
Lin Tiannan's face, already pale from years of consuming the poison Liu Qiyue had been secretly feeding him, now turned a splotchy mix of red and white due to the force of the slap. It was almost comical.
"Jiang Che?" Lin Tiannan frowned, trying to recall the name. But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't place it. That wasn't surprising—since falling ill, Lin Tiannan had rarely appeared in public. Except for highly important occasions, he spent most of his time recuperating at home. Although Jiang Che's name had spread throughout the upper-class circles of Jiangbei City, Lin Tiannan had never heard of him.
"No matter who you are, I will make you pay the price for this!" Lin Tiannan snarled, his eyes burning with hatred. He wished he could tear Jiang Che apart with his own hands.
Jiang Che laughed. "You? Take revenge on me? With your weak and dying body?"
Lin Tiannan's face darkened at Jiang Che's taunt. He clenched his fists but knew deep down that Jiang Che was right. No man could endure such humiliation.
"If you want to die with dignity, just sign this contract," Jiang Che said, smirking as he pulled a share transfer agreement from Liu Qiyue's hand and placed it in front of Lin Tiannan.
It was a contract transferring ownership of the Lin family's shares and the chairman's position.
Lin Tiannan's expression twisted in fury. "You're dreaming!"
With just a glance, he understood what Jiang Che was trying to do. This bastard is forcing me to abdicate!
"Why? Still refusing to sign?" Jiang Che raised an eyebrow. "Do you think you have the right to resist?"
As he spoke, Jiang Che swung his hand again, delivering another brutal slap to Lin Tiannan's face.
The attack enraged Lin Tiannan even more. The harder Jiang Che hit him, the more determined he became to resist.
"Stop. Don't beat him to death." Liu Qiyue frowned and stopped Jiang Che. She wasn't worried about Lin Tiannan's suffering—he was going to die today regardless. But before he died, she needed him to sign the papers.
Jiang Che narrowed his eyes. "System, do you have any pills that can temporarily confuse someone's mind?"
When in doubt, rely on the system. Since Lin Tiannan refused to cooperate, other methods would have to be used.
"Yes. The Puppet Pill meets the host's requirements," the system responded.
A virtual screen, visible only to Jiang Che, appeared before him.
Puppet Pill: Costs 100 plot points. Controls the mind for three minutes.
Without hesitation, Jiang Che exchanged 100 plot points for the Puppet Pill. In one swift motion, he stuffed it into Lin Tiannan's mouth before he could react.
"What did you just feed me?!" Lin Tiannan's eyes widened in horror. Jiang Che had moved too fast—he hadn't even realized what was happening until the pill was already down his throat.
"Something useful," Jiang Che said with a sinister smile.
Lin Tiannan wanted to curse, but his expression suddenly became vacant.
"Sign the contract," Jiang Che commanded, handing him a pen.
Without hesitation, Lin Tiannan picked up the pen and signed his name on the contract.
Liu Qiyue, watching from the side, was stunned. "What did you just feed him?"
"An elixir that makes people obedient," Jiang Che replied, smirking as he took out his phone and began recording a video.
"Say it clearly: You are voluntarily transferring the chairman's position to Liu Qiyue, without coercion."
Lin Tiannan, still under the influence of the Puppet Pill, repeated the words like a puppet.
Jiang Che stopped recording and sent the video to Liu Qiyue. "Keep this safe. Use it as evidence if needed."
Liu Qiyue accepted the video, looking at Jiang Che with complicated emotions. She hadn't expected him to possess such a sinister trick. Mind control? Isn't this sorcery?
She hesitated before warning him, "You'd better not practice these dark arts. People who use such sorcery often face retribution."
Jiang Che chuckled. "What are you thinking? I'm not practicing any sorcery. And even if I were, what could possibly happen to me?"
He wasn't afraid of fate, nor of any so-called "divine punishment." But Liu Qiyue's concern warmed his heart. Her worried expression was genuine.
"Why did he faint?" Liu Qiyue asked, retrieving the signed contracts. "Did he die already?"
She had already achieved her goal, so Lin Tiannan's survival was no longer of concern. But if he had collapsed from Jiang Che's pill, it might arouse suspicion. It would be safer to use the poison she had prepared—colorless, odorless, and undetectable. She could simply say he died of a heart attack.
"He's not dead yet," Jiang Che said, glancing at Lin Tiannan with disdain. "The pill's side effects just knocked him out. But he'll wake up soon."
"Go prepare the poisoned soup. I'll wake him up."
Liu Qiyue nodded and left the room.
Jiang Che grabbed a bottle of mineral water from the table and poured it directly over Lin Tiannan's face.
"Cough! Cough!"
Startled awake by the cold water, Lin Tiannan groggily opened his eyes.
"You...!" He tried to speak, but his voice was weak, and he began coughing violently.
"What? Today will be your funeral anniversary. Any last words?" Jiang Che leaned back in his chair, lit a cigarette, and deliberately blew smoke in Lin Tiannan's direction.
Lin Tiannan coughed even harder, his face contorted in agony. "You... You'll regret this!"
"I don't know about that, but you're certainly going to die," Jiang Che said. "Good people die young, but scum like you always seem to linger."
He smirked. "Don't worry, though. After you're gone, I'll take good care of your wife."
Lin Tiannan's bloodshot eyes glared at Jiang Che. If looks could kill, Jiang Che would be dead ten times over.
"Even as a ghost, I won't forgive you!"
Jiang Che sneered. "Too bad. I don't think you'll even get the chance to become a ghost."
At that moment, Liu Qiyue returned with the poisoned soup. Without hesitation, she forced it down Lin Tiannan's throat.
Lin Tiannan's breathing grew weaker. He could feel death approaching.
"Why?" he whispered, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Why are you doing this to me?"
Liu Qiyue's expression remained cold. "Why? Do you remember what you did to the Liu family?"
Lin Tiannan's eyes widened in shock. "You're... from the Liu family?"
Liu Qiyue smirked. "Good and evil are always repaid in the end."
Lin Tiannan let out a weak sigh, then closed his eyes, awaiting death.
For half his life, he had never imagined it would end like this. Lin Enterprises had grown into a massive empire, but its foundation was far from clean. Over the years, countless people had suffered or died because of his decisions, even if indirectly. In the quiet of the night, he would sometimes wake in a cold sweat, haunted by dreams of vengeful spirits.
He had always known—if one wanted to die peacefully, they had to do good in life. But now, it was too late.
Jiang Che stood over Lin Tiannan's lifeless body and turned to Liu Qiyue. "What now?" he asked, his tone calm and curious.
With Lin Tiannan dead, the biggest obstacle to her taking over the Lin Group was gone.
"Spread the word that Lin Tiannan died of a sudden heart attack," Liu Qiyue said flatly, barely sparing the corpse a glance.
The rest would be simple. With the signed share transfer agreement in hand, she was now the largest shareholder and the legitimate new chairperson of the Lin Group. Any lingering opposition would be dealt with easily—after all, the people she had threatened into submission wouldn't dare resist.
Jiang Che nodded. "Then I'll take my leave. No point in staying here any longer."
He could always return tomorrow for the funeral.
After Jiang Che left, Liu Qiyue took a deep breath, steadied her emotions, and forced out a few tears. Then, wearing a mask of grief, she ran out the door.
"No! The Patriarch died of a heart attack!"
The news of Lin Tiannan's sudden death spread like wildfire through the Lin family.
Members from outside the Lin family manor rushed over in shock, barely able to believe what they had heard. Among them was a man who couldn't shake his suspicions.
"Madam, how could the Patriarch die so suddenly?" he asked, watching Liu Qiyue cry. "He had a heart condition, but it wasn't serious enough to be fatal..."
"I... I don't know either," Liu Qiyue choked out between sobs. "When I came back from the company, I gave him his medicine as usual... but when I returned later, he was already gone..."
Her shoulders trembled, her weak, sorrowful figure evoking sympathy from those around her.
It was a brilliant act—so convincing that even those who had doubted her sincerity before were now completely fooled.
"The deceased has passed... Madam, please accept our condolences." An elder of the Lin family sighed and stepped aside.
Soon after, the Lin family's personal doctor arrived. After examining Lin Tiannan's body, he confirmed the cause of death as a heart attack.
Of course, this doctor had been bribed long ago. He simply recited the story Liu Qiyue had fed him.
With the "official" cause of death confirmed, the Lin family wasted no time in announcing the funeral arrangements.
News of Lin Tiannan's death sent shockwaves through Jiangbei's upper-class circles.
Nobody had expected such a sudden passing, and speculation ran wild. Was it truly just an unfortunate event? Or was there something more sinister at play?
Meanwhile, at Ivy Villa, inside his study, Jiang Che smirked as he read the news.
Everything had gone exactly as planned.
After the funeral, Liu Qiyue would officially take over as the head of the Lin family. Any obstacles she couldn't handle—well, he would take care of those for her.
After all, she was his woman now.
And once she was in control, the benefits to him would be enormous. The Lin Group's vast distribution channels would allow him to push his Beauty Pills nationwide.
Despite the initial buzz online when Luo Qingxuan endorsed the product, sales had plateaued. The high price of 3,000 yuan per pill made people hesitant, and the hype alone wasn't enough to convince them.
But with the Lin Group's backing, everything would change.
Their expansive network across all of Kyushu would ensure the Beauty Pills reached every corner of the country.
Jiang Che leaned back in his chair, a playful glint in his eye.
"Lin Fan, Lin Fan..."
He chuckled to himself.
"I hope you enjoy this little gift I've prepared for you."
He could already picture Lin Fan's stunned expression when he returned—learning that his father had suddenly died, his family's power had shifted, and the world he knew was crumbling.
Messing with the protagonist like this? Jiang Che relished it.
"System, open the properties panel."
A translucent screen appeared before him.
Host: Jiang Che
Identity: Chairman of Jiang Group
Cultivation: Mid-stage Master
Plot Points: 12,000
Cultivation Methods: Dao Heart Demon Planting Technique, Walking God Step, Sky Poison Sutra, Grass and Wood Sword Art
Items: Wannian Iceberg Snow Lotus, Human Cub Hiccup Bag x10, Da Huan Dan x1, Wannian Black Stone x1
Jiang Che's gaze landed on one particular skill.
"System, I want to learn 'Grass and Wood Sword Art'."
Ding!
[Deducting 1,000 plot points… Instilling 'Grass and Wood Sword Art'...]
As the system's voice rang in his ears, Jiang Che suddenly entered a mysterious state of enlightenment.
Countless sword techniques and movements flashed through his mind. The intricate maneuvers of Grass and Wood Sword Art unfolded before him, each strike and stance etching itself into his very being...