Chapter 239
Jin Zhengxiong forcibly stabilized his mind and spoke in a steady voice, “How many years did your parents raise you for, and how many years have I raised you for? The resources I gave you are ones your parents could never provide in their lifetime. I made sure you were well-fed and properly clothed, gave you the best educational opportunities, and spent money to send you to study at a butler school in the Empire. Do you know how much I’ve invested in you over the years?”
“What’s so good about being a lousy teacher? Do you know how much money you’ll earn annually after you graduate from the butler school? It’s money you wouldn’t make even after ten years as a teacher. All these years I’ve been more than kind and righteous to you. Even if I wasn’t your biological parent, I raised you. Moreover, I didn’t even know they were your parents; ignorance is no crime.”
“Over the years, you’ve done a lot wrong by my side. Although today’s incident is terrible, if you admit your mistake right now, I can treat it as if it never happened. What you previously took from me is still yours. Afterward, if you want to stay with the Jin family, you’re welcome to. If you want to leave, I won’t stop you, so just stop what you’re doing.”
The ruthlessness in Jin Zhengxiong’s eyes almost became tangible, yet the words that came out were much softer and more compassionate, the stark contrast making the old man appear almost insane.
“I’ve been by your side for seventeen years, and I’ve been involved in almost everything you’ve done. I know exactly what kind of scum you are. If I stop now, a fate worse than death awaits me, so I’m not only going to keep going, but I’m also going to add more fuel to the fire. I’ve waited too long for this opportunity.” The assistant looked up at the cloudless blue sky and said, sighing.
“What are you going to do? Are you crazy? Don’t forget that I had you do a lot of things that can’t see the light of day; you’re not clean either. If you ruin me, you won’t have a good outcome,” Jin Zhengxiong, having completely shed his facade of benevolence, shouted angrily.
“Yes, I’m crazy. I went mad the day my parents died eighteen years ago. I know I’m dirty, and I know I’ve become scum too. So I never planned on living; I’ll drag you all down with me. See you in Hell, hahaha!”
The call ended amidst the laughter.
On the street, the assistant laughed maniacally like a madman. He laughed so hard he bent over, tears streaming down his face. His eyes wept, but his mouth was curled in a smile of satisfaction.
Jin Zhengxiong held the now black-screened phone, enveloped in an extremely oppressive state.
“I raised you to be a grown-up. I nurtured you, and now you want to kill me? You ungrateful wretch, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It was my mistake, but bringing me down won’t be easy,” Jin Zhengxiong said viciously.
Jin Zhengxiong, like a madman, with eyes burning bright, trembling dry hands flipping through his phone contacts, finally found the person he wanted to reach. His eyes burst with a startling brilliance, and without any hesitation, he decisively dialed the number.
“President Lin? It’s Jin Zhengxiong. I’m reaching out to discuss the online issues. These things are unfounded; it’s all the ramblings of that ungrateful assistant of mine. We’ve dealt with each other for years, you know what kind of person I am, right? Please help get those things removed, and once I’ve dealt with matters here and returned to Bai City, I’ll surely thank you properly,” Jin Zhengxiong said in a loud voice.
On the other end, President Lin rubbed his aching forehead, a sardonic smile already deeply etched in his scornful expression, “Old Jin, it’s not that I’m unwilling to help you, but I simply can’t. You’d better consider who you’ve offended; someone made an effort to destroy you, hiring skilled hackers. Our site is compromised; we can’t delete or undo the information about the Jin family. I’m also in a rush to get help fixing it. It’s not that I’m not helping, but I’m truly powerless. I’ve got matters to attend to, so we can’t catch up, maybe another time for that meal.”
President Lin scoffed at the disconnected call, wrapping his arm around his secretary’s slender waist, “Hah, an old guy already halfway to the grave, still thinks he’s important, showing off in front of me.”
“What’s the matter, President Lin, who made you unhappy?” the secretary swayed her slim waist and sat on President Lin’s lap, pulling a cigar from the box, lighting it, taking a drag herself before handing it to President Lin.
“Sweetheart, I’m not unhappy; I’m just too happy,” President Lin groped his secretary’s smooth face and spoke cheerfully.
“That old geezer Jin Zhengxiong, looking down on everyone just because he has some money, from the moment I saw him, I knew he’d have his downfall sooner or later. Didn’t expect it would come so soon, and he wants my help? Gah, not gloating is already kind of me. Go tell the tech department to take their time fixing it; drag it out until the Jin family’s done for.”
On the other side, Jin Zhengxiong stared in disbelief at his phone now unexpectedly black-screened, it took him quite a while to come to terms with reality. Instantly, his already aged face flushed black and red, lips turning pale from their initial dark shade. Trembling fingers tried to fish out medication from his pocket, but his severe shaking caused the bottle to fall to the ground.
“Heh!” Jin Zhengxiong glared at the nearby yet distant-seeming medicine bottle, veins popping on his temple, eyes gradually bloodshot, bulging, breathing becoming difficult, vision darkening as if brushing death’s edge.
Jin Zhengxiong entered the emergency room; Jin Zhengxiong was hospitalized.
On hearing the news, Xu Ke and Lin Mengyao were huddled in the kitchen, planning dinner for the night.
Upon sudden reception of this news, Lin Mengyao’s hands paused for a moment, her watery eyes involuntarily turning towards Xu Ke.
“Why are you suddenly looking at me like that?” Xu Ke sneakily smeared flour on Lin Mengyao’s nose with his flour-coated hand. Seeing the white mark paired with her current expression made her look a bit silly, bringing a warm, twinkling smile to Xu Ke’s eyes.
“How did Jin Zhengxiong end up hospitalized all of a sudden? Wasn’t he in good health when he visited us before? Could he be in any life-threatening situation?” Lin Mengyao asked with furrowed brows.