Chapter 5

Zhang Linmo asked somewhat unhappily, "You met with the people from the city too? Do you think they were right?"

Zhang Xianyang shook his head. "The current mayor only arrived this year. He has no foundation in the Old District, and I heard he has no backing above either. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been sent here. So it's only natural that he's anxious to produce some achievements for his superiors to see. But he underestimated the Old Zhang Family's position in the Old District, and he also underestimated how important the Old Zhang Family is to the Zhang Family. I don't think he necessarily knows about the Zhang Family Secret Passage. He probably just thinks this land has redevelopment value. So my view differs somewhat from Dad's. Rather than passively guarding against the city, I think it would be better to keep the initiative in our own hands."

Zhang Linmo blinked thoughtfully as Zhang Xianyang continued persuading him. "The Old Zhang Family may rule the Old District, but since ancient times, civilians have never fought officials. If we leave them without even a shred of face, I'm afraid they'll become even more fixated on the Old District."

In his previous life, the Zhang Family had used forceful methods to make the city abandon its plans to redevelop the Old District. When word reached Yanjing, it caused a nationwide uproar. Only then did the Li Family and the Kyoto Zhang Family take notice of this place. They resolved to spend ten years dismantling the Underworld Zhang Family's power in the Old District, using it as an achievement for promotion and winning a sweeping victory in the next election.

Given another life, Zhang Xianyang would never allow anyone to use the Zhang Family's blood as a stepping stone to advancement. He had to stop the Old Zhang Family from taking any radical measures in anything they did.

Zhang Linmo thought for a moment, then sighed. "Then what do you suggest? We can't just let them level the Old District until nothing is left. Wouldn't all our secrets be exposed then?"

Zhang Xianyang chuckled. "The Old District's secrets are underground, not aboveground. Besides, keeping the initiative in our hands doesn't mean the Old Zhang Family has to surrender without a fight. As long as we agree on the overall direction, many of the details can be negotiated."

There had always been plenty of cases of "collusion between officials and businessmen." As long as the Old Zhang Family could define this matter as one of "collusion and bribery," allowing those above to see the family's active cooperation, no one would care about the rest.

Zhang Linmo turned to look at Zhang Xianyang, whose face was wearing a fox-like smile, and something stirred in his heart.

When they got home, eldest brother Zhang Muyang and second brother Zhang Xiyang, both seniors in high school, had already returned. Seeing Zhang Linmo and Zhang Xianyang enter together, the two brothers exchanged looks and asked suspiciously, "Why did Dad come in with Third?"

Zhang Xianyang stood where he was, staring at his two brothers, still lively and full of life, and felt dazed.

Zhang Linmo gave Zhang Xianyang an odd look. He felt that his youngest son had been acting strangely these past two days. He was much quieter than before, and his mind had become sharper too. Still, this habit of spacing out for no reason was not a good one.

Obviously, Zhang Muyang and Zhang Xiyang had noticed Zhang Xianyang's abnormal behavior as well. Zhang Xiyang cleared his throat and tested the waters. "Third hasn't been waiting for us after school lately. Don't tell me he's dating someone?"

Zhang Xianyang came back to himself and smiled at the two of them. "Nothing like that. I went to the casino to find Dad today, and while I was there, I picked up a clothing factory. I'll make clothes for you to wear in the future."

Zhang Xiyang and Zhang Muyang exchanged another look. Zhang Muyang said, "There's wild chicken stewed with mushrooms in the kitchen, your favorite. If you're still hungry tonight, have some more."

Zhang Xianyang nodded and turned toward the kitchen, not forgetting to ask, "Have you eaten? Want me to bring out a few bowls for you too? Dad was busy in meetings tonight, so he definitely needs to eat."

Watching Zhang Xianyang's back, Zhang Linmo casually said, "Then bring out four bowls. We'll all have some together."

After Zhang Xianyang disappeared into the kitchen, Zhang Muyang and Zhang Xiyang asked Zhang Linmo, "Dad, don't you think Third has been a little strange these past few days?"

Zhang Linmo nodded. "The kid has more on his mind than before, and his temperament has gotten softer too."

Hearing that, Zhang Muyang hesitated for a long while before asking cautiously, "Dad, do you think Third might know about—"

"Impossible!" Zhang Linmo cut him off decisively. "He doesn't know about that, and he never will."

As they spoke, Zhang Xianyang came out of the kitchen carrying a black lacquered tray. On it sat a large bowl of wild chicken stewed with mushrooms and four bowls of white rice. He carried the slightly heavy tray to the dining table, set everything down, and called out, "Dad, Big Brother, Second Brother, dinner's ready."

The Zhang father and three sons stopped talking and filed over to the table. The Old Zhang Family had never followed rules like not speaking while eating or sleeping. Zhang Xianyang, however, had picked up all sorts of useless etiquette after returning to the Capital Li Family. The elegant way he held his bowl and ate now made everyone feel as though Zhang Xianyang had been possessed by a ghost.

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Xiyang had no choice but to suggest, "If you're not hungry, stop picking at every grain of rice. You're making us lose our appetites."

Zhang Xianyang's arm holding the bowl paused slightly. Zhang Muyang immediately smacked Zhang Xiyang on the head and barked, "What are you saying?"

But Zhang Xianyang was thinking about the ten years he had spent in Yanjing. Whenever his eldest and second brothers came to visit him, they always asked whether he was used to living there and whether he was used to the food. They always believed Zhang Xianyang ate badly, slept badly, and suffered abuse in the Li Family. At that time, Zhang Xianyang had already learned dining etiquette. In Zhang Xiyang's words, his behavior at the table was "sullen" and "unable to swallow a bite," utterly devoid of any joy in eating.

The Zhang father and sons had always loved Zhang Xianyang with all their hearts, through their actions and their way of thinking. But Zhang Xianyang, blinded by his so-called relatives and high society, never understood their worries. He had even secretly mocked his brothers for being old-fashioned and ill-mannered, enthusiastically teaching them how to eat, hold their bowls, and use their chopsticks...

Zhang Xianyang had never considered what his two brothers thought after traveling such a long way to see him with such warm hearts, only to be faintly disliked by him. He only knew that after they investigated and learned the Li Family did not dare mistreat him, they came to the capital less and less often. By the last two years, apart from Zhang Muyang still remembering to write him regularly, his father and second brother barely contacted him at all.

Zhang Xianyang had always thought the Zhang father and sons were angry, so he became even more afraid to contact the Old District. But later, when the Li Family and the Capital Zhang Family's conspiracy was exposed, Zhang Linmo and his sons learned the truth and disregarded the danger to their lives, rushing to the capital overnight to rescue Zhang Xianyang, who had already been imprisoned in the attic... Thinking about it now, during those final two years without news, the Zhang father and sons were probably busy dealing with the forces in their gang that had been infiltrated by the Li Family and the Capital Zhang Family.

And all of it was his fault.

Thinking of that rainy night, of his father and two brothers being shot to death before his eyes, their bodies cold and desolate, Zhang Xianyang's heart twisted with pain.

He owed the Zhang Family and the Old District far too much. The blood debt of his wrongfully killed brothers, the Zhang Family line passed down for a hundred years... Zhang Xianyang wondered whether, if he worked hard in this life, he could ever repay it all.

Lost in wild thoughts, Zhang Xianyang felt someone push his shoulder. When he came back to himself, he saw Zhang Xiyang wearing a sour expression as he said stiffly, "I only said one thing, and you're already crying. Are you that upset?"

Zhang Xianyang instinctively wiped his cheek with the back of his hand. It came away cold and wet, and only then did he realize he had actually cried so uselessly. He had been this pathetic in both his past life and this one. Whenever something happened, he would hide in a corner and cry like a girl, hoping someone would solve it for him, hoping someone would come comfort him... That was pretty annoying, wasn't it?

Zhang Xianyang blinked and let Zhang Muyang pull him into his arms as he had when they were children, gently patting his back and soothing him in a low voice. Looking at his second brother rolling his eyes helplessly and his father beside them, chattering on about how Second Brother was wrong, Zhang Xianyang quietly pressed his lips together. This life, he would definitely work hard to become stronger. He had to protect his father, his brothers, and everyone in the Old District from being bullied.

Author's note:

Chapter 5

When Zhang Xianyang was in high school, the country was implementing policies to reduce students' academic burdens, so his first year of high school was extremely leisurely. On ordinary days, school ended before six in the evening. Saturdays and Sundays were both days off, nothing like the students of later generations, squeezed like factory laborers, rising early and sleeping late while carrying over twenty pounds of books to school.

At this time in his previous life, Zhang Xianyang always used replenishing his intelligence as an excuse to sleep in on weekends. The Zhang father and sons had long been accustomed to his schedule and would never have imagined they could drag Zhang Xianyang out of bed on a Saturday or Sunday morning. So when Zhang Muyang and Zhang Xiyang, preparing to head to school that Saturday morning, along with Zhang Linmo, who habitually rose early, sat at the table and watched Zhang Xianyang stumble down from the second floor, every one of them wore a horrified expression.

Zhang Xiyang studied Zhang Xianyang, who was still rubbing his sleepy eyes, for a long while before turning to the Zhang father and sons and solemnly declaring, "I told you Third was possessed. Why don't we hire a spirit medium to take a look at him?"

Zhang Xianyang reached out and shoved Zhang Xiyang, mumbling groggily, "You're the monster. Sooner or later, I'll find a monk to exorcise you."

"Aren't you supposed to sleep in? Why are you up so early today?" Zhang Linmo asked Zhang Xianyang while telling Sister Li to serve him breakfast.

Zhang Xianyang dropped into a solid wood carved chair, scratching his head and yawning as he said, "I said last night that I was going to the clothing factory to design clothes. I even specifically told you to wake me this morning, but not one of you listened."

Sister Li placed meat buns and rice porridge before Zhang Xianyang. The sight of the greasy meat buns made him feel queasy, and he turned to ask, "Is there nothing besides meat buns?"

Zhang Muyang, seated beside him, broke his red bean bun in half and handed one half to Zhang Xianyang. Somewhat puzzled, he asked, "Don't you love Sister Li's pure meat buns the most?"

Zhang Xianyang paused slightly, then said without changing expression, "If you eat the same thing all the time, you get tired of it. I feel like having something vegetarian now."

The Zhang father and sons nodded skeptically, feeling that Zhang Xianyang's recent actions were truly strange. Zhang Xianyang lowered his head and focused on eating, feeling helpless inside. A person's habits from ten years ago were certainly different from those ten years later. The more familiar the Zhang father and sons were with him, the more strange things they would notice in the future. He needed to find a way to dispel their suspicions.

The Brain AI in his mind gave a contemptuous snort, clearly not holding much faith in Zhang Xianyang's intelligence.

Zhang Linmo, always rough and straightforward by nature, did not notice his youngest son's dilemma at all. After noisily finishing a bowl of porridge, he wiped his mouth and asked Zhang Xianyang, "Is your clothing factory business urgent?"

What Zhang Linmo meant was that he had something to assign him. Whether Zhang Xianyang's clothing factory was urgent or not, it would probably have to make way for Zhang Linmo's matter. So Zhang Xianyang did not hesitate and immediately nodded. "My matter isn't urgent. Dad, go ahead first."

Zhang Muyang and Zhang Xiyang were also curious about what task Zhang Linmo wanted to assign Third, and their movements as they ate slowed down.

Zhang Linmo said directly, "It's still about the people from the city coming to discuss redeveloping the Old District. You explained things quite clearly the other night. The city people are coming this morning, so come listen with me."

Before Zhang Xianyang could react, Zhang Muyang and Zhang Xiyang were visibly curious too. Zhang Xiyang, always blunt, asked, "Didn't we already decide not to redevelop it? What is there left to discuss?"

Zhang Linmo had never treated his sons as children who knew nothing of worldly affairs. In his eyes, the Old Zhang Family's empire would eventually be handed over to his children, so it was better to become familiar with it sooner rather than later. That was why, ever since the three Zhang brothers graduated from elementary school, Zhang Linmo had deliberately begun revealing the gang's affairs to them bit by bit. Now, hearing Zhang Xiyang's question, Zhang Linmo immediately recounted everything Zhang Xianyang had said the night before last.