Shen Jinci's father, Shen Shu, was a lover of literature and ink when he was alive, with a profound understanding of Suzhou gardens.
Many places in Shen's Manor were ingeniously crafted, with highlights worth pointing out; the overall garden bore the Jiangnan style, with large areas of artificial mountains and rock formations transported from Suzhou and Hangzhou.
Such landscaping was luxuriously extravagant, and completed ancient residences were extremely rare in Xiangjiang.
Kang Yu opened the car door for the man in the back seat.
Under the deep night sky, Shen Jinci's figure was shrouded in darkness as he stepped out of the car, his black suit accentuating his fair complexion even more.
After bidding farewell to Bian Yue at night, Shen Jinci went to Ling'an Temple, his body still carrying the lingering scent of burning tranquil sandalwood.
He went there to pay homage to his father, Shen Shu.
Shen Shu was a Buddhist, and after his death, his cremains were not placed in the Shen Family ancestral temple but were placed behind the Buddha statue in the main hall of Ling'an Temple according to his last wishes.
Ling'an Temple was closed for these few days every year because Shen Jinci was going to offer incense to Shen Shu.
"Everyone has arrived," Kang Yu tilted the umbrella towards Shen Jinci, his voice respectful: "Your eldest uncle, Shen Shiniang, and second uncle, Shen Jian, have been waiting for you for over an hour."
Hearing this, Shen Jinci remained expressionless and walked toward the front hall.
On the way, the sound of rainwater hitting the drooping eaves was crisp and clear.
Shen Jinci entered the front hall, where a group of solemnly dressed middle-aged men were present.
The leading man was savoring his tea, and upon hearing the footsteps, he looked towards Shen Jinci's direction without showing much reaction.
Shen Shiniang was over fifty this year, but due to his privileged upbringing and the naturally distinguished appearance of the Shen Family, he looked mature and inscrutable beyond his years.
"Jinci, your uncles and I have been waiting here for you for a long time."
Putting down the cup in his hand, Shen Shiniang smiled at Shen Jinci, his expression could be considered kind: "The roads are difficult to navigate during the rainy season, it's not hard for us sitting here drinking tea, but you had to travel to offer incense. You've had a tiring journey."
Shen Jinci did not perceive any concern in those words; instead, he heard something profound.
Shen Jinci wiped his hands with a warm towel, his movements slow and graceful.
Someone continued, "Today is the memorial day of the old family head, and by rights, you should have taken us old folks with you to pay our respects wholeheartedly."
Shen Jinci threw the towel onto the tray, "Those who truly want to pay respect don't need these rituals."
He walked with large, composed strides towards the main seat, his demeanor cold and distant, eliciting breath-holding respect from the middle-aged men who had spent half their lives in the business world as he passed by.
"I've been abroad these past years, and the Shen Group has put in a lot of effort in working together." Shen Jinci sat down, directly ignoring Shen Shiniang's small talk, and began indifferently: "I'm planning to stay in Xiangjiang now."
Shen Shiniang and Shen Jian exchanged glances across him.
Shen Jian had a scholarly air about him, appearing genteel. He put on a smile laced with probing: "Does the family head mean..."
Fidgeting with a bare ring on his finger, Shen Jinci didn't look up, stating flatly, "You and Shen Shiniang find some time tomorrow to handle the transfer of matters at Shen Group."
Shen Shiniang's face became difficult to maintain. Shen Jinci was a ruthless man with immense ambition; he sought to firmly occupy the seat of power through the route of enforced centralization.
As for them, though nominally Shen Jinci's uncles, in Shen Jinci's eyes, they might as well be less than a dog!
"Shen Jinci! Remember to leave room for mercy! Your ruthlessness is pointless!" Shen Shiniang scolded angrily: "You're young now and don't appreciate the value of family bonds!"
Shen Jinci tugged at the corner of his lips, his smile cold and thin. He finally gave Shen Shiniang a look, haughty and indifferent, "Let's make it tonight then. We'll go tonight."
Once Shen Jinci made a decision, he would follow through. Thus, three hours later, during the board meeting of Lixing Group, Shen Jian and Shen Shiniang were almost powerless to resist as they were stripped of their rights in hand.
Shen Jinci sat casually in the main seat, taking the already signed documents from Kang Yu's hand, and closed them with satisfaction.
His tone was cold and indifferent, even towards his blood relatives, merely stating calmly, "You uncles are getting on in years as well. It's better to stay at home and wait for dividends than to come to the company every day for work."
Shen Jian sighed and didn't argue.
He knew that with a new ruler comes new officials. They couldn't trust Shen Jinci at all; hence today's outcome was only a matter of time.
However, Shen Shiniang felt an extraordinary indignation.
He glared at Shen Jinci, unable to say much more. Furious, he threw his pen down and turned to leave. Rising too abruptly, his chair made a muffled noise as it slid back across the floor.
In the elevator, Shen Shiniang, with trembling hands, dialled the chief editor of Xiangjiang Daily.
Shen Shiniang planned to teach Shen Jinci a lesson.
Once the call was connected, Shen Shiniang sneered with a sinister tone, "I have a tip..."
The next morning, the continuous rain in Xiangjiang briefly ceased.
And yet, the night before at Lixing Group, the news of Shen Jinci's dramatic consolidation of power had spread, causing quite a stir in the inner circles.
Feuds within families were not uncommon, but the ruthlessness of Shen Jinci's kind was rare.
As dawn broke, Li Sihe's secretary Bai Xu called Kang Yu.
Having honed his skills over many years at Fengcheng Group, Secretary Bai was more than capable. His invitation was couched in meticulous terms, which essentially was to extend an invitation on behalf of Li Sihe's father, Li Tingmo, to Shen Jinci for a chat in the evening.
During Shen Shu's lifetime, the Shen and Li Families had always cooperated closely. In recent years, Shen Jinci had been overseas and had less interaction, which was understandable. But now, it was Li Tingmo who was taking the initiative—whether out of courtesy or not, face had to be given.
Thus, that evening, at the luxurious private room on the top floor of Xiangjiang Hotel, Shen Jinci entered to find Li Sihe and Li Tingmo, who had been waiting for some time.
"Mr. Shen, it's not easy to travel at night, especially during the rainy season. Thank you for coming," Li Tingmo greeted with a warm smile, his face expressing the warmth of an old friend. "Li Shiheng and Secretary Kang have been inquiring about your preferences. We've ordered some dishes, but I'm not sure if they'll be to your liking."
Shen Jinci's expression remained indifferent. Hearing this, he replied slowly, "A simple meal, you've gone to too much trouble."
He finished speaking, lifted his eyes slightly, and met Li Shiheng's gaze.
The two exchanged looks but offered no expressions.
Seated, Li Tingmo said with a smile, "The domestic market has not been great these past two years, and Lixing Group is thriving. Mr. Shen should have stayed abroad a while longer."
Shen Jinci blew on his cold cup of tea, taking a sip unhurriedly, his jade-like white hands contrasting his cool, reserved demeanor.
He said, "I have someone in the homeland I care for; I had to come back."
Li Shiheng had been inwardly troubled since he saw Shen Jinci today, and upon hearing Shen Jinci's words, an inexplicable wave of irritation surged in his heart.
"A beloved one?" The question caused Li Tingmo to laugh even more heartily. "I wonder which family's young lady is so fortunate to have caught Mr. Shen's eye."
Li Shiheng stared intently at Shen Jinci, unconsciously gripping the cup in his hand harder.
The next moment, Shen Jinci spoke, his voice calm and collected, saying, "Bian Yue."