Worthy of His Genius

Shen Can's inner thoughts plunged the Shen family and Lu Shao into silence. They had imagined that Huo Xi's father might have an illegitimate child, but none of them had considered that Huo Xi's grandfather might be the one with an illegitimate child.

They had barely met Huo Xi's father and figured that it would not be surprising if he had fathered an illegitimate child somewhere outside.

But on second thought, Huo Xi's father's illegitimate child would not have had much of a chance at competing. After all, Huo Xi's father had less say in the Huo Household than Huo Xi did.

What sort of influence could strip Huo Xi of the family head position? Huo Xi's father had actually been quite famous among Father Shen's generation.

Because Huo Xi's father had been the first rich young master who did not love wealth and status, but flowers and plants. Sending him to paint flowers and grass made him happier than having him manage company projects.

Later, the Huo Household forced him to marry Huo Xi's mother. Everyone thought marriage would change him, but as soon as the child was born, he ran off to another continent, traveling and painting from life.

Shen Hong could not help thinking of Huo Zhang. That unconventional man—could it be that his love for painting had actually been deliberately cultivated by Old Master Huo?

He truly could not help indulging in conspiracy theories. Was it really impossible that the family had deliberately neglected to foster his interest in business and intentionally guided him toward other interests instead?

Huo Zhang had clearly been an excellent student when he studied with them, one of the best in their circle. Yet later, he had insisted on pursuing art. Shen Hong felt that making art was far harder than making money. This was no longer an era when painters could easily become famous.

If there really was a child outside, and Old Master Huo truly loved his first love, then perhaps he really could do something as far as paving the way for his first love's child.

It was just that for more than twenty years afterward, that first love's child had never come looking for him. Meanwhile, Huo Xi's brilliance had shown itself from childhood, so dazzling that it could not be concealed. So Old Master Huo had simply let things be?

That woman is clever. How could she possibly show herself while Huo Xi's grandmother's relatives were still alive?

Now, Huo Xi's grandmother's two older brothers have been dead for years, and Huo Xi's grandmother herself has been dead for two years. At the beginning of this year, Huo Xi's grandmother's youngest brother died too. The White Household now only has its younger generation left.

Besides, the White Household has not been doing too well these past few years. All the elders who could have stood up for Huo Xi's grandmother are dead. To Old Master Huo and that woman, the ones left are all juniors. Even if they tried to stand up for her, it would be useless.

Huo Xi's relationship with the White Household is only average. After all, it is merely his grandmother's maternal family. He must naturally be closer to his mother's family, the Han Household. Huo Xi's father should have interacted with the White Household more, but unfortunately, all he ever cared about was painting.

The White Household actually needs a helping hand right now. It seems they have a very promising project but lack the funds? If I remember correctly, that should be it.

I just wonder whether they will come to Huo Xi. The plot never mentioned it, but for some reason, I feel they would sooner seek out Old Master Huo than Huo Xi.

After all, Old Master Huo had, in a sense, watched them grow up. They do not know that there is someone else in Old Master Huo's heart. But perhaps Huo Xi, because he is known as a genius in others' eyes, feels harder to approach instead.

Lu Shao and Shen Father were both somewhat tempted. Lu Shao had plenty of money, and if the project was truly good, he could invest in it. Shen Father, meanwhile, felt sorry for Huo Xi. He truly pitied that child a little.

Recently, aside from Shen Yu, he had interacted with Huo Xi more than anyone else. He genuinely thought Huo Xi was a good child. The reason everyone did not dare communicate much with Huo Xi was that they felt he was too distant.

But Shen Father did not think so. Huo Xi was quite easy to talk to, intelligent, and speaking with him was effortless. Working with him in business was even easier. Shen Father simply did not know whether learning of all this sordid business would hurt him.

Besides, he and Huo Zhang had attended school together. They had gotten along fairly well in middle school, but after Huo Zhang entered an arts program in high school, they communicated less and their relationship became ordinary.

But Huo Xi truly deserves his reputation as a genius. After his grandfather found a way to seize his power and drive him out of the Huo Household, he did not collapse from the blow. Instead, he became determined to take revenge.

He went alone to a country where the Huo Household had no influence and worked hard to build himself up. Once he had developed enough strength, he began fighting the Huo Household.

That was basically the most exciting part of the plot—the protagonist group and the great villain, Huo Xi, constantly scheming and battling each other. You set a trap, then I set a trap. It was so exciting that I could not sleep.

In the end, even the plot could not handle him anymore and could only arrange for him to get caught up in a major shooting involving foreign terrorists and die after being shot. The disgusting part was that after Huo Xi left the Huo Household, the business he had built was still taken over by those Huo family members related to him by blood.

That further strengthened the Huo Household's power, and those people even sanctimoniously claimed that Huo Xi had taken the wrong path himself and therefore deserved that ending. Sigh, forget it. It has nothing to do with me anyway.

Shen Can stopped thinking about the Huo Household. Though Huo Xi was pitiful, the Shen Household was pitiful too. Compared to the Huo Household's affairs, he cared more about the Shen Household's own problems.

Huo Xi found a suitable moment to take his leave. Shen Can probably would not think about him again today. He had things to do as well.

Shen Yu watched Huo Xi's departing figure and sighed. He had always greatly admired this schoolmate who was four years younger than him.

The Huo Household was a century-old prominent family. It had both advantages and disadvantages. Its advantage was its deep foundation; its disadvantage was that its members were too numerous and complicated. The older generation could be conservative and unwilling to accept new things, while there were not many capable people among the younger generation.

Yet under such circumstances, Huo Xi had risen to power. He could keep the Huo Household's people under control. He had single-handedly developed its internet business, and many of its overseas ventures had been secured through Huo Xi's planning.

He had ensured that the Huo Household would remain a giant among prominent families for decades to come, rather than gradually decline like certain families that failed to grasp new opportunities for development.

Yet in this situation, he had actually been making a wedding dress for someone else. Was Huo Xi's grandfather really so heartless? He had even driven Huo Xi out of the Huo Household. Though even if he had not, Huo Xi probably would not have wanted to stay there anyway.

Assistant He, who had been waiting in the car for Huo Xi to come out, had not expected to see Huo Xi emerge in a fury. Others might not have noticed it, but he and Secretary Wu certainly could.

They had followed Huo Xi for a long time and could accurately sense changes in his mood. But this was the first time they had felt Huo Xi this angry. What exactly had happened at the Shen Household?

"Have Zhao Liang arrange for someone to keep a close watch on the overseas sanatorium. Send over information on what the old master does each day and whether he meets anyone. Also, immediately ask Butler Zheng whether anyone from the White Household has contacted the old master recently."

As soon as Huo Xi gave the order, Assistant He immediately began making arrangements. Before long, Assistant He received a call from Butler Zheng, who said there had been one instance of contact.

"Send someone to tell the White Household that I will visit their home tomorrow." After saying that, Huo Xi recalled what might happen next and added, "If Butler Zheng sends any information afterward, remember to verify with Zhao Liang's side whether it is true."

Assistant He was somewhat surprised, but he still acknowledged the order. Since Huo Xi had taken power, had Butler Zheng not always been on their side?

After all, the boss Butler Zheng would serve in the future was President Huo. But Assistant He did not dwell on it. He only needed to follow Huo Xi's arrangements.