The Lunar New Year was fast approaching.
Yet, Xu Zengdong leaped from the fifth floor, causing quite a stir.
Many speculated that his drastic action stemmed from the immense mental pressure of his recent notoriety, leading him to choose death.
Or, more simply put—
Xu Zengdong was using this extreme method to tell all those who had insulted him: "You are the ones who were wrong!"
Evening.
Professor Han and others gathered again in the small plaza. While lamenting Xu Zengdong's despair, they received astonishing news.
"Xu family, Xu Zengdong's own brother, Xu Zengtian, who served in the International Department. This morning, he also leaped from the eighth floor of his workplace!"
In the morning, a brother with a bright future jumped to his death.
In the afternoon, a brother with similar influence followed suit, chasing after his sibling in the same manner.
What could be said about this?
The Xu family in Siji.
Over a dozen young people stood in the courtyard, their expressions incredibly solemn, their faces filled with fear.
Everyone periodically glanced up at the main gate of the mansion.
They were truly afraid that someone would suddenly burst in from outside and kill indiscriminately!
Many outside were discussing the Xu brothers' simultaneous deaths by falling from buildings on the same day.
Yet, they did not know—
Within the few hours after Xu Zengdong's fall, six more core members of the Siji Xu family had ended their own precious lives in the same manner at different locations!
Eight core members of the Xu family had chosen to end their lives by jumping from buildings on this very day?
Ordinary citizens naturally had no idea.
But everyone in the old Xu mansion, even the domestic staff, knew the true cause of their deaths!
The Xu family was shrouded in death—
Solely because Elder Xu had instructed Xu Zengtian, who held a crucial position in the International Department, to summon Li Qianfan, who had just returned to the country, with five people including Du Wei. However, for reasons unknown, Du Wei’s mind went askew, and he attempted to shoot Li Qianfan on the spot, resulting in bloody retaliation!
When the news arrived that Li Qianfan had led his men to the Siji Du family and publicly hanged Du Liang and others, the Xu family knew disaster was imminent.
Elder Xu, who usually remained unperturbed even when Mount Tai collapsed before him, began to tremble as if suffering from senile dementia.
Fortunately, Ding Xiaolang arrived in time.
Elder Xu immediately saw Ding Xiaolang as a lifeline.
However, the women of the Xu family immediately questioned Ding Xiaolang, asking how he could allow Li Qianfan to kill innocents!
Ding Xiaolang sneered, stood up without a word, and left.
The women of the Xu family were utterly dumbfounded.
Elder Xu no longer cared about trembling. He first sternly berated the women in his household, then personally chased after Ding Xiaolang, clasped his hands in a ninety-degree bow.
"Truly a bunch of ignorant good-for-nothings with more hair than sense!"
Out of respect for Elder Xu, Ding Xiaolang returned to the living room. He then unceremoniously berated the women: "Do you still think the Xu family men haven't died enough? Or perhaps, once all the male heirs of the Xu family are dead, will you finally lower your heavily made-up faces and submit to the cruel reality?"
The women of the Xu family dared not utter another word.
Especially after they soon heard that Long Yun, Du Wei’s wife, had also died from food poisoning.
All their resentment towards Li Qianfan vanished.
Only a terrifying thought swirled in their minds: "So, that little brat even dares to kill women!"
Many women are domineering because they have consumed too much toxic chicken soup.
Ladies first.
A man who hits a woman is not a man.
Even if a woman makes a mistake, a man must forgive her, and so on.
After drinking too much chicken soup, many women’s values underwent significant changes.
Only one day, when a man suddenly appeared and inflicted the greatest harm upon them, did they suddenly realize that not all men could pamper them like their fathers or husbands.
As the Xu family women's thinking was rapidly twisted by the cruel reality, Su Nanyin arrived for a visit.
When Su Nanyin arrived at the Xu family and found no trace of Li Qianfan's visit, she visibly relaxed.
Then, she and Ding Xiaolang waited together for Li Qianfan's arrival.
Li Qianfan never came.
Instead, news of the accidental deaths of Xu Zengdong and seven others by falling from buildings successively arrived.
With every man's reported fall, the atmosphere in the Xu family grew more somber.
The faces of the Xu family women turned paler.
When Li Qianfan went to the Du family, he did so "openly" to kill.
But he did not come to the Xu family openly. Instead, he hid in the shadows, causing seven core male members of the Xu family (excluding Xu Zengtian) to fall to their deaths successively!
One overt, one covert.
However, the psychological pressure on the Xu family far exceeded what the Du family endured.
Because no one knew when Li Qianfan, who was lurking in the shadows and slaughtering the Xu family, would stop.
Finally.
An hour passed without any further incidents.
Su Nanyin, who hadn't eaten lunch, raised her hand and rubbed her throbbing forehead, looking at Elder Xu: "It's estimated that no one else in the Xu family will have any accidents. I just don't know what the Xu family will do from now on."
Elder Xu slowly raised his head, his voice numb: "Eight people from my Xu family have accidentally died successively. Are you, are you still not satisfied?"
Ding Xiaolang let out a silent scoff.
Su Nanyin, however, said calmly: "Actually, according to me, all seventeen core male members of the Xu family deserve to die. After all, back then, when the Xu family arrogantly supported Xu Zengtian and made things difficult for Li Qianfan. If even one person had stood up and strongly objected, I imagine Du Wei wouldn't have appeared at the airport."
All core male members of the Xu family deserve to die!
Su Nanyin, without politeness, "slapped" this sentence onto Elder Xu's face.
Elder Xu's old face suddenly flushed red.
"The Xu family was not originally among the 13 prestigious families. But this time, they voluntarily stepped forward to trouble Li Qianfan. It is clear that the Xu family will gain much from this. It's a pity that what you gained is far less than what you lost."
Su Nanyin gracefully rose.
Due to sitting for too long, her circulation was poor, and her lower limbs felt slightly numb.
She instinctively patted her back a few times.
Instantly, her hips swayed, exuding a mature charm.
Fortunately, only Elder Xu and the women of the Xu family were in the living room, and no one paid it any mind.
Everyone was just watching her.
"The Xu family should return to their ancestral home in Huai Dong. Otherwise, with the severe damage to your core strength, you will not only lose the benefits you gained but may even lose your ancestral assets. Wealth can be earned again. But if people are lost, you might not even be able to keep your women. This is my personal advice, whether you listen or not is up to you."
Su Nanyin walked towards the door, taking off her black mink coat: "Xiaolang, I'm leaving."
"Let's go together."
Ding Xiaolang stood up, stretched, and yawned: "I still have to deal with the Shen family. Heh, it's funny that the Shen and Miao families, who should have been the first to act, have remained silent. It seems the patriarchs of these two families truly possess wisdom that the Xu and Du families lack. But even if the Shen family stays quiet, I won't let them off the hook."
Elder Xu's old face contorted again.
The regret in his old eyes deepened.
The incredibly cruel reality proved—
The Xu and Du families had been used as pawns by certain individuals!
For a little benefit, both families' core strength suffered heavy losses, and most importantly, they might permanently withdraw from Siji!!
It was one thing for the Du family.
After all, the Du family was already one of the 13 prestigious families.
What about the Xu family?
The Xu family could have sat back and watched the conflict, profiting from it!
"Could it be that they were afraid of my Xu family sitting back and watching the conflict like before, and then seizing their high-quality assets, thus setting a trap for me? And to make me willingly fall into it, they even sacrificed their staunch ally, the Du family?"
By the time Elder Xu finally came to his senses, Su Nanyin and the other had been gone for an hour.
The "survivors" of the Xu family looked at him with frightened eyes, not daring to speak.
"We will prepare to return to our ancestral home and develop."
Elder Xu said with difficulty: "Anyone who doesn't want to leave can stay on their own. But if you face pressure from certain individuals, you must be able to withstand it."
The survivors of the Xu family—https:/
Elder Xu said no more, his hunched back carrying him with staggering steps to the study.
After the study door closed, tears of regret streamed down his face.
It hurt.
His heart bled, his toes were bruised!
The reason he had decided to step forward with the Du family was because of the immense benefits offered by the Shen and Miao families.
The Xu family simply couldn't refuse!!
Moreover, the Xu family had merely used Xu Zengtian's position in the International Department to make things difficult for Li Qianfan, indirectly helping the 13 families to deflect the impact of Young Master 26's crimes.
But who could have imagined that Du Wei would dare to shoot at Li Qianfan!?
"Damn Du Wei, damn the 13 families."
Elder Xu cursed softly, slowly sat down, picked up the phone, and called Manager Zhao.
Through the phone—
Elder Xu informed Manager Zhao that the Xu family had suffered severe personnel shortages due to the sudden accidents of eight people falling successively, making them unable to support their industries in Siji. Therefore, Elder Xu earnestly requested Manager Zhao to personally help find suitable buyers and handle those high-quality assets.
Manager Zhao remained silent for a long time after hearing this.
Before receiving Elder Xu's call, he had just seen off Old Man Du, who had come to visit.
Old Man Du had also earnestly requested Manager Zhao to personally help find buyers for the family's excellent assets.
The reason was that the Du family had suffered an unprecedented food poisoning incident in its history today, resulting in heavy losses to its core members, rendering them unable to protect their family property.
"Alas, if only we had known, why did we do it in the first place?"
Manager Zhao sighed, hung up the phone.
But immediately called Su Nanyin: "Where is that little rascal? Tell him to get over here to my place, I want to see him!"