Chapter Sixteen: Turmoil Within the Gu Family (3)

The butler, seeing the young masters and ladies doubting, thoughtfully switched on the television and turned the volume up to its highest. He wanted these snobbish people to see for themselves whether his young master’s words were true.

When the old witch took him away, the second master arranged for a group of reporters to attend a press conference on the company’s share transfer. Although his young master didn’t go in person, nor did the second master, everything proceeded as planned.

“Three days. After that, there’ll be no second chance,” Gu Zhiheng said irritably, pulling the blanket over his head. He really didn’t want to see these people. There was a mountain of tasks waiting for him; he couldn’t let Gu family affairs drag on forever. The plan had only just begun—he couldn’t afford to be hampered from the start.

Already, the likes of Gui Zhi and Mo Han had appeared, creatures of formidable power. Who knew what greater beings might surface later? He could fight, but taking lives was something he simply couldn’t do.

“Gu Zhiheng, you really are a piece of work, teaming up with outsiders to bully your own kin.” The speaker this time was the boy who’d held a concert last night.

“Mind your manners! This is your Ninth Uncle, the head of the Gu family,” the butler snapped at Gu Yaming, unable to contain his irritation. He might be just a butler, but his weight in the Gu family was considerable, especially as the confidant of the family head.

“Grandpa Butler, you say so, but it’s the first time he’s returned in years, and all he’s done is throw the house into chaos,” Gu Yaming retorted, clearly unaware of last night’s events and only now daring to speak up.

“Can’t you find another phrase? Always calling yourselves chickens and dogs—I can hardly bear to look at you,” Gu Zhiheng said disdainfully, turning his head away. These people were unbearably stupid, utterly dull. With evidence and reality staring them in the face, they still failed to recognize the truth. What else could he do to wake them up?

The greasy man fixed his gaze on Gu Zhiheng, plotting, “Why are you so arrogant? If no one knew you’d returned, do you think you’d still have all this?”

Indeed! Gu Zhiheng had been taken to the ancestral shrine from birth; no one outside knew what he looked like. Apart from the Gu family, no one recognized him. If the Gu family refused to acknowledge his identity, could he still hold the company shares or remain in the family head’s seat?

If Gu Zhiheng were quietly dealt with, what could those ghosts in the ancestral shrine do? No one could let them out—they could only watch helplessly as Gu Zhiheng vanished.

Moreover, even if they wanted to intervene, only one could emerge at a time.

“Nice idea, shame you’re useless,” came Mo Han’s voice from the doorway. The Black Snake clan possessed the innate ability to read minds, so Mo Han easily saw through the greasy man’s schemes.

“So that’s it—you come back and make a big splash, all because you’ve hooked up with the Mo family!” Gu Yaming shouted, pointing at Mo Han and Gu Zhiheng. No wonder Gu Zhiheng had the courage to defy the family.

Gu Zhiheng didn’t care for these words. He might never have returned to the Gu family or been raised by his parents, but he wasn’t a waste. Did he really need outsiders to help with such matters? The Gu family clearly underestimated him. Compared to these spoiled sons and daughters, he was far stronger.

“Butler, show them out.”

A bunch of mindless fools. At a time like this, instead of going home to secure their shares, they still had the energy to play games with him. The mundane procedures for handling affairs were endless—Gu Zhiheng had no patience to jump through all those hoops. He only wanted to settle things quickly, then retrieve the essence from Mo Han and move on to the next destination.

Compared to Mo Han and Gui Zhi, the Red-Tailed Fox was a genuine fox, who had cultivated for years without ever taking human form. Whether in human shape or its true body, the Red Fox’s ability to hide was extraordinary. Who knew how long it would take to find him?

Now, though, he was stuck here, trapped by the family’s internal squabbles.

Truthfully, if it weren’t for his position as family head, for the responsibilities weighing on him, he wouldn’t spare the Gu family’s troubles a second glance. But in this matter, his own kin were victims—he had no choice but to take it seriously.

“Don’t be too soft-hearted. Strike when you must, instead of letting others think you’re riding on my coattails,” Mo Han advised, though she wished to stay out of it; unfortunately, Chu Xingran had poured her whole heart into Gu Zhiheng.

Mo Han felt a bitter ache in her heart. Three centuries, and still he hadn’t seen her worth.

“I know. I just don’t want innocent people drawn in,” Gu Zhiheng replied. After all, they were Gu family members. No matter how little he thought of them, they still carried the Gu name.

The butler, fearing Gu Zhiheng might abandon ship, hurried to speak. “Young master, just as you said, the company’s been in turmoil since this morning.”

The young master’s foresight was uncanny; neither the company nor the private sphere had a single person from the eldest and third branches behaving themselves.

And then there was the old witch’s faction, wailing at the company gates as if someone had died.

“Let my father handle the company.” He’d arranged things as soon as he returned this morning, though he hadn’t expected the chaos to escalate so quickly. The Gu family was in turmoil, but someone needed to stabilize the situation. That person wasn’t Gu Zhiheng himself, but rather the second master—Gu Zhiheng’s father, who had never been favored by the family.

“Is Second Master up to it, young master?” The butler wasn’t trying to meddle, but he couldn’t see any obvious qualities in the second master to handle the job.

Gu Zhiheng lowered his head with a smile and looked at the butler. “He’s kept his head down for so many years. Do you really think he’s weak?”

He didn’t care much for the family’s affairs, but he knew a little about the key players. After all, Gu Zhixia, with her loose tongue, always sent him news and gossiped about everything.

Especially when it came to their parents, Gu Zhixia could talk endlessly. Perhaps, in her eyes, he was simply her brother and nothing more.

“Your second master is no ordinary man. Otherwise, how could his whole family have survived so many years unscathed?” Mo Han pointed out. The butler said no more, turning to call Second Master Gu, clearly conveying Gu Zhiheng’s intentions and silently praying for a smooth outcome.

Although the young master had a good relationship with the Mo family’s eldest, the Mo family was, after all, outsiders.

But the young master was right: the Gu family members might not accept him, but they couldn’t deny Second Master Gu. They could question Gu Zhiheng, but not Second Master Gu.

Therefore, given the current situation, Second Master was the most suitable person to take charge. Unpleasantness was inevitable, but compared to Gu Zhiheng, Second Master was far more appropriate.