Yang Sandao and his gang, who had made such a dramatic entrance, ended their journey in a similarly dramatic and unexpected manner. Yang Sandao fled, while his henchmen, Iron Head and Ah Yong, were arrested, along with all their subordinates. Not a single one escaped, as none of them had clean records. It's foreseeable that the criminal underworld of Haixia City will undergo a significant change in the coming days.
Haixia City might be small, but its underworld is chaotic. Aside from Yang Sandao, there are numerous other gang leaders. Now that Yang Sandao has run off, his businesses will undoubtedly become the target of fierce competition among these other leaders.
One by one, everyone was escorted out of the courtyard.
Shen Hongyue's face darkened. She hadn't anticipated Yang Sandao being so utterly useless.
"As expected, this place is just too small. What kind of 'big boss' of the underworld? Just a bunch of thugs!" Shen Hongyue seethed through gritted teeth.
"Absolutely!" Wu Zhixing agreed, nodding.
"This morning, someone delivered a substantial amount of evidence to the police, detailing the crimes of Yang Sandao and his gang," Zhou Jianye said, looking at Wu Zhiming.
"Really? It seems there are still many righteous people in this world," Wu Zhiming replied.
"Any criminal is destined to face the consequences of the law," Zhou Jianye added before turning to leave.
"See Captain Zhou out," Wu Zhiming instructed Wang Hai.
"No need. I'm just doing my duty," Zhou Jianye said, waving his hand dismissively.
Wu Zhiming smiled and turned to Wu Yuwei, "Keep the gift that Yang Sandao sent. We'll find a use for it later."
"Use for it?" Wu Yuwei was puzzled. How could those rotting animal carcasses be of any use?
"Alright, shall we proceed with our ceremony?" Wu Zhiming asked with a smile.
"Yes, we can," Wu Maocai nodded. He then called out, "The succession ceremony continues!"
At his command, several younger family members brought a red table to the center of the courtyard. The table was adorned with offerings such as a pig's head and gingko nuts, and prominently displayed in the middle was a portrait of an ancestor in a Zhongshan suit.
This ancestor was the father of Wu Zhiming's grandfather, who had led the Wu family to Haixia City, where they had thrived ever since.
Wu Maocai donned a yellow ceremonial robe and a lotus hat, taking his place beside the table. Holding the family's genealogical record, he began murmuring in the local dialect of Haixia City.
The Wu family's genealogical record was a thin book, as their presence in Haixia City spanned less than a century. The record did not mention where the family had originally come from.
Wu Maocai muttered for about ten minutes before lighting three incense sticks and placing them in the incense burner. Then, he prostrated himself on the mat in front of the table.
"Honored ancestor of the Wu family, today, Wu Zhiming, a descendant of the Wu family, with your blessings, has proven to be a young talent with a successful career and the support of many. According to the Wu family's rules, Wu Zhiming will now succeed as the head of the Wu family. We beseech our ancestors to continue blessing our family with prosperity and flourishing descendants!" Wu Maocai proclaimed loudly.
All the Wu family members present bowed to the portrait of the ancestor after Wu Maocai finished speaking.
"Wu Zhiming, step forward!" Wu Maocai called out.
Taking a deep breath, Wu Zhiming walked up behind Wu Maocai.
Wu Maocai stood up and moved to the side, asking, "Do you accept the responsibility of leading the Wu family, becoming its head, and guiding the family to greatness?"
"I do!" Wu Zhiming affirmed with a nod.
"I do not!"
As soon as Wu Zhiming finished speaking, a discordant voice suddenly interrupted. It wasn't Shen Hongyue or Wu Zhixing, but Wu Maohua—the third uncle of Wu Zhiming!
"Third Brother, what are you doing?" Wu Maocai frowned and asked.
"I do not agree with Wu Zhiming becoming the head of the family!" Wu Maohua declared, his face dark with anger.
"And what gives you the right to disagree?" Wu Maocai demanded.
"I have the right because I am an elder of the Wu family! Because I have a heart willing to sacrifice everything for our family!" Wu Maohua replied passionately.
"According to our family rules, with Wu Zhixing voluntarily relinquishing the position of head, Wu Zhiming is the rightful successor! You have no authority to object!" Wu Maocai shouted back.
"What qualifies Wu Zhiming to be the head of the Wu family? His bloodline? Everyone here, think back. What kind of person is Wu Zhiming? For over twenty years, he was a useless member of our family. Weak and incompetent, he was bullied by everyone. For more than two decades, he brought nothing but disgrace to the Wu family," Wu Maohua exclaimed.
"But now Wu Zhiming has transformed. He is no longer the same person. Today, he controls assets worth billions. Who dares to bully him now?" Wu Maocai argued.
"Hah! Controls billions in assets? Everyone knows Wu Zhiming is merely a puppet. Everything he has now was given to him by someone else. The person behind him is after our Wu family! If Wu Zhiming becomes the head, the entire Wu family will fall into that person's hands. Our family name will no longer be Wu! It's a disgrace! That's why I oppose Wu Zhiming becoming the head unless he reveals who is behind him!" Wu Maohua's voice echoed with conviction.
His words struck hard. Even Wu Maocai was momentarily speechless, unable to refute him.
Shen Hongyue watched Wu Zhiming with cold eyes. This was her trump card!
Everyone knew Wu Zhiming was a puppet, but the person behind him had always remained in the shadows. Shen Hongyue had devised this plan to force Wu Zhiming to reveal his backer.
If Wu Zhiming couldn't name that person, he would remain a puppet, unworthy of being the head of the family. If he did reveal the person, that ally would surely abandon him. Without their support, Shen Hongyue had countless ways to turn him back into the useless man he once was.
This was her masterstroke. She was convinced that with this move, Wu Zhiming's good days were numbered.
"I have no one behind me," Wu Zhiming stated for the first time, facing everyone.
Nobody believed him.
They couldn't accept that a man who had been weak for over twenty years could suddenly amass such wealth. They didn't believe his years of frailty were a facade.
There were many things they refused to believe, so they were convinced that someone must be backing Wu Zhiming.
"Do you think anyone will believe that? Name the person behind you, or you can forget about being the head of the family! Let me tell you, Wu Zhiming, being a puppet will get you nowhere. Once you lose your usefulness, you'll be discarded. If you reveal your backer now, we might still forgive you!" Wu Maohua shouted.
"Forgive me?" Wu Zhiming repeated the words, looking around at everyone. "Forgive me for what? For the twenty years of humiliation I endured from you? For nearly being killed by Wu Zhixing over twenty years ago? For my weakness and incompetence for over two decades? What right do you have to forgive me? Why should I need your forgiveness? It is you who should pray for my forgiveness!"
"And what right do you have to forgive us?" Wu Zhixing shouted angrily.
"What right?" Wu Zhiming stared at him. "The right that I didn't die when you pushed me off that building twenty years ago! The right that I endured humiliation and suffering for over twenty years, waiting for this moment! The right to the wealth and connections I've accumulated over these years! The right that for over twenty years, I haven't had a single night of peaceful sleep! From the moment you pushed me off that building, I knew many wanted me dead. I told myself that no matter what insults I faced, I had to endure. No matter the humiliation, I had to survive because only by surviving could I see this day. I am twenty-eight years old. I have endured for over twenty years! You ask what right I have? I stand here now, and everyone must live at my mercy. That is my right!"
Wu Zhiming's words landed with the force of thunder, echoing in the ears of everyone present. They had long been reluctant to believe that Wu Zhiming had truly been lying low for over two decades, but now, looking at him, it was undeniable—he really had endured in silence for all those years!
"You have suffered, Young Master!" Dong Jian stepped behind Wu Zhiming and prostrated himself on the ground.
"Boss, you have endured much!" Wang Hai, accompanied by the top executives of the Wu Group, knelt down behind Dong Jian, their heads bowed to the floor.
Not far away, Yao Jing looked at Wu Zhiming, her eyes glistening with tears. As Wu Zhiming's wife of four years, she knew better than anyone the hardships he had faced during their time together. And for Wu Zhiming, these hardships had spanned over twenty long years.
Whether or not someone had supported Wu Zhiming from the shadows was irrelevant now. The Wu Zhiming of today was undeniably successful, standing at a height that required others to look up to him.
Wu Maohua was rendered speechless. He had not expected Wu Zhiming to deliver such powerful and resolute words.
"But… you are unknown and lack prestige. If you become the head of the Wu family, you will be a laughingstock!" Shen Hongyue interjected.
As soon as Shen Hongyue finished speaking, a commotion came from the entrance.
Several men in black suits entered, carrying a large flower basket.
"Ma Teng, Chairman of Tengying Group, presents a pair of antique blue and white porcelain vases, congratulating Wu Zhiming on becoming the head of the Wu family," announced the doorman loudly.
Tengying Group? The crowd was stunned. Tengying Group was a renowned company across the entire nation! And they were sending blue and white porcelain vases?
Before the porcelain vases could be set down, another group arrived.
"Ma Xiaoyun from Tianchuan Province presents an exquisite luminous pearl, congratulating Wu Zhiming on becoming the head of the Wu family!"
Ma Xiaoyun? The wealthiest man in Tianchuan Province?
The crowd was once again in shock.
"Zhang Xiaoqian sends a painting, congratulating Wu Zhiming on becoming the head of the Wu family."
Zhang Xiaoqian? The master of Chinese painting?
"The Wen family of Lingnan sends a pair of jade ornaments, congratulating Wu Zhiming on becoming the head of the Wu family."
The Wen family of Lingnan? That ancient and prestigious family with nearly a thousand years of history?
One after another, flower baskets and gifts were carried into the Wu family's old courtyard. Names that were only ever seen on television or mentioned in the news were now being called out.
In the courtyard, no one could utter a word.
"And now… who dares to say I am unknown?" Wu Zhiming looked around calmly and said.
Majestic and commanding!