In a dark room, a thin bodied young man was tied to the four pillars of a bed, from head to toe, covered in sticky, greasy sweat. His eyes were deeply sunk in, his skin color revealed signs of drug abuse. He'd barely struggled through the first round of withdrawal symptoms, his eyes unfocused, staring at the bed canopy above, it's unknown what was running through his mind.
Steady footsteps slowly approached, a man with an especially tall stature wearing an iron gray suit opened the door and walked in, stopping at the bedside to look over the man. His dark hair was combed back, revealing an extremely handsome face and long and narrow eyes, which occasionally flashed a daunting dangerous light.
"I'll let the nurse help you bathe." He took out a handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiped off the cold sweat on the youth's forehead.
The young man licked his dry, chapped lips, saying in a hoarse voice, "Uncle, Zhou Yun Sheng set me up. I remember, I've seen that woman before, she was with Zhou Yun Sheng in a bar, drinking Bourbon Whiskey. They looked intimate. I'm sure of it, he told that woman to harm me!"
This youth was Zhou Wenjing, now a second-year university student. A few months ago, he got involved with a beautiful woman, but he didn't expect that woman was harboring ulterior motives. She gave him a modified cigarette, a strong drug was mixed inside, just smoking it once could lead to addiction. Zhou Wenjing, although his nature was distrustful, also very cautious about his own safety, he happened to have a fatal weakness. That was, beauty greed, as long as it was a beautiful woman, he'd undoubtedly welcome them.
When the first signs of drug addiction showed, he'd finally reacted, but it was already too late. He had no choice but to call his uncle in the far away J Country.
Du Xu Lang expressionlessly threw the half-soaked handkerchief into the trash, his heart turning over in anger. This anger wasn't because he'd heard his nephew's accusation, but hating his undeniable disappointment. He had warned him numerous times, don't accept edible things handed to him from strangers, he even sent a few bodyguards to secretly guard him.
But bodyguards weren't full-time nannies, they couldn't dig into the employer's private affairs. Zhou Wenjing chased after girls and they couldn't intervene.
He simply courted his own disaster!
Du Xu Lang restrained his fury to wash his hand, then he picked up the phone to inform the workers to come give his nephew a bath. Then he sat on the sofa, saying in a heavy voice, "Yun Sheng isn't behind this, who else have you offended, think about it."
He had already found out who was behind it, but he didn't intend to tell his nephew. If he wasn't even clear on who were his real enemies, sooner or later, he would be plotted against into becoming an unidentifiable corpse. He would guide him, if necessary, assist him, but he wouldn't personally eradicate his enemies. Back then, if he hadn't told him that his sister harassed to death by Yang Xi, resulting in her taking her own life in Yang Xi's bathtub, he wouldn't have thought about killing Zhou Yun Sheng.
Strong hatred was contagious, his nephew hated the Yang Xi mother and son to the bone, so he didn't pay any attention to it, only wholeheartedly deciding to help him get revenge. If he wasn't awakened by Zhou Yun Sheng's condemnation, he would've almost become a vile person who bit the hand that fed. Since then, his trust in his nephew's words had greatly reduced.
"If it's not him, then who? Who else would profit from killing me?" Zhou Wenjing's thin face was filled with resentment and unwillingness. He was already aware of his uncle's growing favorable impression of Zhou Yun Sheng, and also his inexplicable concern. Once, when he walked past his uncle's bedside cabinet, he found many photos of Zhou Yun Sheng, from the perspective, each one was sneakily shot, beautiful aesthetics and vivid facial features.
Zhou Yun Sheng, although he wasn't as handsome as himself, his slightly feminine facial features had a strange appeal, especially his pair of clear eyes, like a moon reflected in water. When he just slightly glanced towards the camera, the heart would beat out of control.
The corners of that glancing photo had some wear and tear, which showed how much the collector couldn't put it down. If it weren't for himself, Zhou Wenjing believed that his uncle would frame and mount up the photo, covering the whole wall.
He didn't understand where this kind of concern came from, was it because his mother sent a few clothes and toys to him when he was a child? Uncle left the orphanage when he was five years old, how much of his grace could she get? Even if she sponsored his mother, his mother used her life to pay off all she owed, was that not enough?
Yes, Zhou Wenjing finally realized – Zhou Yun Sheng's mother didn't hound his mother to death, rather, his mother hounded Zhou Yun Sheng's mother to death. At first, he thought that his mother cut her wrist in Yang Xi's bathtub to retaliate against her, until that day in the dark alley with Zhou Yun Sheng, when he rained curses on him. He understood that his mother was so kind-hearted, her heart was certainly filled with guilt for Yang Xi. She chose to kill herself in Yang Xi's bathtub to tell her – All I owe, I give back to you.
But her idea was too simple and too ignorant, she didn't expect that her death would indirectly lead to Yang Xi's death. After that, they forced their children on the road of hatred, until their relationship could no longer be fixed. Even if he was willing to make up with Zhou Yun Sheng, Zhou Yun Sheng would never accept him.
Du Xu Lang frowned, quite dissatisfied with his nephew's extreme pigheadedness, saying in a low voice, "You can doubt anyone, except for Yun Sheng. Who else would benefit, don't tell me you can't you think about it?"
Yun Sheng? When did even the way he called him become so intimate? Zhou Wenjing's face revealed difficult to conceal jealous hatred, but when he saw his uncle's sharp and cold look, he seriously thought about it, and could only think of Zhou Wenang.
No, not Wenang. He was the only person in Zhou family who showed him goodwill. He would secretly send medicine when he was injured, secretly celebrate his birthday, secretly accompany him to sweep his mother's grave, how could it be him? Father already said that since he'd inherit Yang Xi's legacy, Zhou Group wouldn't go to him.
They had no conflict of interest, why would he harm him?
Zhou Wenjing shook his head to deny the idea, strenuously thinking in circles, he still felt that Zhou Yun Sheng was the black hand behind the scenes.
Du Xu Lang saw that he had no revelation. Too lazy to speak, he waited for the care workers to come up and returned to his study, then he initiated a video call.
"What do you need?" On the screen, a lazy looking handsome face appeared, because he'd stayed up late into the night, his eyes were a little flushed.
"You're still programming? It's already half past two, time to sleep." Du Xu Lang stared at his watch, his seemingly dull tone hid his deep concerns.
"Sleeping now." Zhou Yun Sheng looked up, dropping a few drops of eye drops to ease his dry eyes.
The youth wiped off the overflow of water droplets. He narrowed his glittering eyes slightly, moving the hearts and souls of men, making Du Xu Lang's breathing pause briefly. Feigning effortlessness, he leaned back in his chair, crossed his slender legs, waiting for his breathing and heartbeat to smooth out before opening, "Wenjing is currently being detoxified. Do you know an Elsa?"
Elsa was the woman who lured Zhou Wenjing into taking the drugs. Zhou Yun Sheng immediately laughed, "He'll die on a woman's belly sooner or later." Saying this, he picked a steaming cup of milk off the table and drained it in one gulp, licking his lips, he continued, "I know her. A few months ago, she tried to offer me a modified cigarette. You know that my nose has always been spiritual, so I refused."
With 007 in hand, Zhou Yun Sheng could freely adjust his physical data, such as enhancing the five senses, strength, spiritual power, and so on. But he'd adjusted his body according to the world's tolerance limits, it was good enough to surpass an ordinary person. He wouldn't make himself so strong that it defied the natural order, because that could cause the world to collapse.
Before Elsa's cigarette had even been handed to him, he'd already smelled the pungent scent of drugs.
Du Xu Lang had barely exhaled a breath of relief when the person on the other end of the video call said, "Don't you have people constantly watching me? You should be clear on all the facts. I won't harm your nephew, you can relax."
"How could I be monitoring you? My hand can't stretch so far." Du Xu Lang's pupils contracted, but his face gave nothing away. He was still using a fake identity, even Zhou Wenjing didn't know that his uncle was at the helm of Du Conglomerate. He only thought that after he'd resigned, he'd gone to J Country and joined some company, and was currently the working as middle management. He had a little money, but no power.
"There's no place in this world where your hand can not reach, Du Xu Lang. Look." Zhou Yun Sheng dug out a photo from a drawer, bringing it before the camera.
This was the sole photo of the Du Clan head captured by the media. By chance, the heavy layer of bodyguards had separated, but the lens was very far away, so only the profile view was captured, and it was very vague. Not to mention others, even Du Xu Lang himself may not recognize who it was. So, this picture, after it was leaked, wasn't blocked by Du Conglomerate.
"Who would think that this Du Xu Lang (previously fabricated alias) was also J Country's Du Xu Lang? Only one-character difference, the closest fact to the truth yet no one doubted. Patriarch Du, have you played around enough these few years?" Zhou Yun Sheng put down the photo, and raised his eyebrows slightly.
Du Xu Lang gave a final struggle, "That photo is so blurry, how can you be so sure that person is me?"
"I forgot to tell you, our company has just developed an identification software, forget about a profile view, even if it was a picture of the back of the head, we can distinguish the true identity of the person according to bone structure, height, weight, gait and other factors. Currently, A Country's defense department is preparing to purchase the software at a high price in order to track terrorists. How about I give you a demonstration?"
Zhou Yun Sheng picked up the scanner and was preparing to scan the photo into the computer to contrast it with the real Du Xu Lang.
He knew that his relationship with Noah Universal could never be concealed from the omnipotent Du Xu Lang, so he'd never bothered to hide it from him.
"You don't have to, I'm Du Xu Lang." Du Xu Lang laughed helplessly and asked, "When did you find out?" He was aware of his identity but still calmly interacted with him like this, inexplicably, this made him feel quite cheerful.
"Almost two years. You wanted to play with me so I played along, are you satisfied?" Zhou Yun Sheng moved his hand to turn off the video.
"Don't log off yet, I have something to tell you." Du Xu Lang unconsciously leaned forward, staring into the camera, he earnestly said, "I'm not monitoring you, nor am I doubting you, rather, I'm trying to protect you. How much trouble do you think I've blocked for you these past few years? Two days ago, your bodyguard caught a mugger who was planning to rob you. He had a gun with a bullet already loaded. Do you know what this means?'
Zhou Yun Sheng pulled back his hand, sneering, "Someone wants my life, who?"
"Don't you already know?" Du Xu Lang pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, the white smoke blurred the coldness in his eyes.
Zhou Yun Sheng's company was growing bigger and bigger, he'd inevitably offend some people, but the one that truly wanted his life was only Zhou Wenang. He pondered for a moment, understanding streaking across his eyes.
Du Xu Lang spit out a mouthful of smoke, softly suggesting, "Go back home. Back to C Country, there he should not brazenly move against you. With your grandparents and uncles watching over you, it'd at least be safer than being abroad. After a few years, I'm afraid that the Zhou family won't have a place for you to stand. It's your family property, no one is qualified to fight with you for it."
"Even Zhou Wenjing is not qualified?" Zhou Yun Sheng subconsciously asked.
"Wenjing is also not qualified." Du Xu Lang nodded certainly. Maybe because of compensation, perhaps out of sympathy, the original Du Xu Lang believed that the Zhou family belonged to Wenjing, but now he'd changed his mind. He could help Wenjing open his own business, but Zhou family needed to belong to Yun Sheng. He was the Zhou Group's true, logical successor.
Moreover, he felt that the relationship between the two Zhou brothers was very strange. Zhou family were just ordinary businessmen, not a yakuza family like Du Clan, competing for family property didn't have to end in blood shed and loss of life. If Zhou Wenang won, he could just kick his brothers out of the house, why reach the stage of fighting to the last breath? The one he should hate was Wenjing, but he was contrarily even more cruel with his own older brother, this didn't make sense.
Du Xu Lang had investigated the two brothers, from small to big, Zhou Yun Sheng was always caring and considerate to Zhou Wenang, there were no traces of hostility. He couldn't understand why Zhou Wenang hated Zhou Yun Sheng to such a murderous extent.
Still pondering, he couldn't help but ask his concerns out loud.
Why? Because Zhou Wenang's name was ill begotten, and if Zhou Yun Sheng someday found out the truth, he would lose everything he now had. Even if Zhou Yun Sheng couldn't bear to attack him, Yang Xi's parents would make him die a miserable death. Although Yang Group was smaller in scale than Zhou Clan, their background was extremely complex and their industry stretched across black, white and gray. Yang Xi's parents and her siblings were ruthless characters, and ferociously protective. They doted on Zhou Wenang now, but if the truth was revealed, they'd immediately hate him to death.
Zhou Yun Sheng was a knife hanging over Zhou Wenang's head, a thorn stuck to his heart, only when Zhou Yun Sheng was eliminated could he really breathe a sigh of relief. And Zhou father probably felt the same, or he wouldn't instigate his eldest son to alienate the Yang family.
In that brief time, Zhou Yun Sheng thought a lot, but he didn't intend to explain to Du Xu Lang, while undressing, he sneered, "You've already done too much, I can solve my own problems. If he wants Zhou Clan, he can have it, it has never entered my eye. One day, my Noah Universal will crush the Zhou Clan."
Tossing away his clothes, he fluffed his hair and went straight into the bathroom for a bath, even forgetting to turn off the camera.
The young boy had already grown into an incomparably handsome young man. Because he traps himself in his room for long periods of time, hardly seeing the sun, his skin was almost transparently white, but his abdomen had compact muscle and graceful mermaid lines, showing that he had regular exercise. He stood up to remove his belt, revealing a flexible and powerful waist, but because his butt was very round, the trousers didn't slide down too much, hanging loosely on his hips.
That lazy and casual look was very sexy.
Du Xu Lang was unable to take his eyes off him, when the young man moved out of the camera frame, he even stuck out his neck, trying to follow his figure.
The young man quickly took a bath, and came out with a towel hanging on his waist, his straight and slender legs once again attracted Du Xu Lang's attention. The young man didn't seem to notice Du Xu Lang's strange expression and rigid posture, he just said good night and turned off the video.
The charming scene disappeared, Du Xu Lang slowly let out a shaky breath, supporting his forehead on his hand, he let of a bitter laugh. He seemed to be being seduced, but the tragedy was that the other side completely wasn't conscious of it.
—————-
Zhou Yun Sheng really wasn't conscious of it? As soon as he turned off the camera, his lips hoked into a slight smile. He was a gay man with very high standards. Du Xu Lang was bisexual, and had the best quality appearance and figure. Zhou Yun Sheng hadn't reached the point where he could refuse to eat the best quality goods and seek out inferior goods.
As for how to deal with the aftermath after the meal, he hadn't considered it yet. He'd had enough of being the system's puppet, he now just wanted to live according to his own feelings.
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T/N:
Du Xu Lang- The 'Xu' character is different in the alias.