After taking a shower, I lay down on the bed, contemplating what I should do next.
"System, how much time is left until the plot begins?"
[There are still two months remaining.]
I sighed, recalling the contents of the novel. It tells the story of Lin Fan, one of the four major families in Shanghai. He witnessed the massacre of his family when he was young and was exiled. After 19 years, he returns to Huaysha (China) to seek revenge and build his business empire. He gathers beauty and challenges the wealthy second generation. And of course, I am one of those fools from the wealthy second generation, belonging to one of the top ten richest families in Shanghai, the Shun family.
In the original plot, I felt envious of the protagonist, so I stood in his way and tried to kidnap his younger sister, Lin Shui (one of the heroines), which led to my death at his hands.
The first time I entered the novel, I was only two years old, at the time my mother divorced my father. I couldn't blame her for the divorce because he was just a womanizer who did nothing but indulge in pleasure and frivolity, which caused my mother to hate me.
I tried to mend our relationship, but to no avail. I studied hard, did everything, inherited the company, and elevated the Shun family to one of the top ten richest families, just to earn her praise and change my fate. But in the end, I was betrayed by those I trusted the most. But it doesn't matter now; I will live freely. So the first thing I need to do is leave the Shun family.
"System, what will happen if I kill the protagonist?"
[The host cannot kill the protagonist as you will face severe consequences.]
"Damn it, I knew that... Well, it doesn't matter. We won't meet anyway."
~Knock, knock, knock~
I heard a knock on my room door, followed by the voice of my personal servant.
"Young master, breakfast is ready."
"Alright, I'll come down now."
I went downstairs and headed straight to the dining table.
"Donald, prepare the car."
"Yes, young master."
Donald, a man of 65 years old with a mix of white and black hair due to his age, sharp eyes, and some wrinkles on his face, had served in the military but retired after an injury. He then served the Shun family, serving only the head of the family. He was my grandfather's servant, then my father's, and now he is my personal servant.
He had cared for me since I was young; he was both father and mother to me and the only one who stood by me when everyone else abandoned me. But in the end, I had to dismiss him, fearing he would be killed by the protagonist, just as in the original story.
After finishing breakfast, I headed outside, and as I was about to get into the car, I remembered something.
I said to Donald, "Dismiss all the servants."
Donald was surprised by my command but still carried it out. "Yes, young master."
After that, I went to my aunt Shun Rui's villa (one of the heroines). I knew that my mother and cousin would be angry now that I had dismissed their servants, but I didn't care. I am no longer Alex who seeks your love. As the saying goes, there are two types of people: those who see you as kind and love you, and those who see you as kind and eat you. Since you want to eat me, let's make my flavor bitter. From now on, I will leave this damned city and live my life happily. As for the plot, damn it.
••••------------------••••••••
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In the Shun family's villa, Shun Rui sat with her long black hair cascading to her waist and brown eyes, dressed in a traditional Chinese outfit that accentuated her curves. She had received a call from her nephew, Alex, informing her that he would be visiting.
As a result, she had risen early that day, a rare occurrence for her, as she no longer needed to work since Alex took over the family business. His management allowed her to enjoy a well-deserved rest.
She was immensely grateful to Alex, but there was an issue. Her daughter, Han Zui, disliked him because she had hoped to inherit the company herself. However, Alex, with his remarkable talent, had managed to double the company's value from 100 billion to 200 billion in just two years.
Shun Rui sighed, thinking, "I hope the two of them can reconcile. They were like brothers when they were young, but after Alex's engagement to Han Shui, their relationship deteriorated. My daughter started to distance herself from him and seize every opportunity to control the company. Thankfully, Alex is kind-hearted and hasn't taken things too seriously yet."
Shun Rui went downstairs and found her daughter at the breakfast table, which she rarely saw these days. Han Zui, with her long brown hair, brown eyes, porcelain-like skin, and beautiful face, was dressed in a professional gray outfit.
"Good morning, Mom. Why did you call me? Is something wrong?"
"Yes, Alex just called me. He said he wants to see us urgently."
"What does he want this time?"
Han Zui frowned upon learning that she would meet her cousin today, especially after hearing from one of her servants that all the household staff had been dismissed except for Donald.
"I don't know; all I know is that it's urgent."
Before Shun Rui could finish her sentence, a male voice spoke from behind them.
"We will discuss the future of the company."
Shun Rui and Han Zui turned around to see Alex standing behind them. He was an attractive man, with black hair tied back, standing at 1.90 meters tall, with a well-built physique. Upon arriving at his aunt's villa, he headed straight to where they were sitting. Han Zui frowned and said:
"The future of the company?"
Alex took a seat at the table and spoke directly.
"Yes, I want to resign from my position as manager and sell all my shares."
Both mother and daughter were shocked by Alex's statement, as they had not anticipated this. Shun Rui, in particular, was aware of the effort Alex had put in over the past two years to gain her approval. Now, he wanted to give it all up. She frowned slightly and asked:
"Why do you want to give up your shares?"
Alex turned to her and spoke in a flat tone, "Miss Shun Rui, when you have a cousin who tries to betray you at every opportunity to become the manager of the company, it's better to step down and enjoy peace rather than risk betrayal in a moment of weakness."
Shun Rui was stunned, so much so that she couldn't focus when he addressed her by name, as he usually called her "aunt." She lowered her head, unable to find words to counter what he had said, as she knew all too well what her daughter had done. When she wanted to say something, Han Zui, who had remained silent, spoke up:
"Fine, I assume you don't want to leave the position of company manager without conditions, right?"
"Yes."
"Okay, what are your conditions?" Shun Rui said when she heard her daughter's words and added firmly, "Zui, be quiet."
"But, Mom—"
"I said be quiet!"
Han Zui was shocked by her mother's outburst, as it was the first time she had seen her so angry.
"Alex, sit down and let's talk. I know you're upset because of her actions, but this is a company that I inherited from your grandfather."
Alex spoke without emotion, "I've thought about it thoroughly. If you don't want to buy the shares from me, I will find someone else who will."
Shun Rui realized that Alex was serious and would not back down from his decision. She asked, "What about your mother? Have you discussed this with her?"
Shun Rui and Han Zui felt the temperature in the room drop as Alex spoke coldly.
"That bitch has no place in my personal affairs."
The mother and daughter were left open-mouthed, unable to react. They knew how much Alex loved his mother, even though she was indifferent to him. He had never given up trying to gain her recognition, but to no avail. Now, hearing him insult her was shocking.
Alex interrupted their thoughts, saying, "Will you buy the shares or not?"
Shun Rui understood that the matter was serious and said, "What are your conditions?"
"I have two conditions. First, I want the company to remain under the Shun family name. If Han Zui marries in the future, the company name should not change to her husband's. Second, I want the partnership between us and the Han family to continue after you take over the company."
Han Zui scoffed, "It seems you're still infatuated with that fox from the Han family."
"Who I like and who I dislike is none of your concern. If you agree to the conditions, let's proceed with the paperwork because I have other matters to attend to."
Shun Rui said, "Alright, we agree to your conditions."
Han Zui asked, "How much do you want for your shares?"
"25 billion."
Han Zui took out her phone and asked her secretary to prepare the contract. Alex said, "I'll leave now. Send the contract to my home."