The Martial Artist Turned Movie Mogul
Chapter 996 - 995. Are you very disappointed in me? (Fourth update)

Chapter 996: 995. Are you very disappointed in me? (Fourth update)

When Xu Chengfeng returned home, he noticed his eldest daughter’s car parked in the garage. After searching the living room for a while and not finding her, he knew she must be upstairs in the study.

"Sir, you’re back?"

"Mm, Aunt Zhang, wash some fruit and then head to the supermarket to prepare a few extra dishes for dinner."

"Alright, sir. Are we expecting guests tonight?"

"..."

Xu Chengfeng did not answer but instead asked, "Has Madam returned yet?"

"No, Madam is over at Madam Shang’s place."

"You may go ahead."

Xu Chengfeng took off his coat and hung it by the entryway before heading straight to the staircase. Not long after, he knocked on the study door.

"Dad, didn’t you say you’d be visiting Uncle Cen today?"

"Already returned."

Xu Chengfeng glanced at his daughter and noticed something in her furrowed brows.

"Have the company matters been resolved?"

"Resolved. Don’t worry, Dad. The company will be fine."

"How are you handling the public gossip?"

Xu Qianyu froze. "You know about it?"

"Fluctuations in Xu’s stock are not unusual, but this is the first time it’s fallen for three consecutive days because of entertainment gossip."

Xu Chengfeng was merely stating facts, yet his expression carried not a trace of dissatisfaction. On the contrary, there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. This made the always-proud Xu Qianyu feel completely out of her depth, as if she utterly lacked the acumen to be Xu’s helmsman in her father’s presence.

This was the crushing dominance of her father, something she had faced more than once over the years.

"Dad..."

Xu Qianyu was silent for a long moment before finally speaking, her gaze towards her father complex. "Did you know about Aunt Lin’s past?"

If you knew, why did you never tell me? Why did you never talk about the Tang family?

As soon as the words left her mouth, the study fell into sudden silence.

After a moment, Xu Chengfeng seemed to sigh. The smile in his eyes disappeared as he looked at his daughter.

"What kind of answer are you looking for?"

"..."

"If I say I knew, do you think I should have told you about the Tang family?"

"..."

"If I say I didn’t know, then do you believe Aunt Lin deliberately kept it from me and the rest of you?"

"At the very least, she should have been honest!"

"Qianyu!"

By now, Xu Chengfeng’s tone had entirely lost its usual gentleness, his gaze stern and faintly tinged with disappointment.

"Does it even matter whether it’s said or not? It’s all in the past. The moment Aunt Lin decided to be with me, her past ceased to matter."

"But..."

"Do you still not understand?"

Xu Chengfeng looked at the daughter he had groomed, disappointment evident in his gaze. "You dwell too much on gains and losses. Whether Xiao Shu is General Tang’s granddaughter or not, she deserves our respect. And your attitude toward her should not depend solely on who her grandfather is."

Xu Qianyu bit her lip tightly, holding onto the last shred of stubbornness.

"But the business world has always been ruthless. She has shown no value worth my esteem. I can’t spare my limited energy for someone who hasn’t demonstrated any worth. This was something you taught me."

She had been able to take over Xu Corporation and subdue the seasoned veterans on the board of directors through her decisive tactics and the enormous profits she brought to the group.

"She is family. You..."

Xu Chengfeng closed his eyes. "Qianyu, I never taught you to treat family this way. Even in the business world, I always told you not to underestimate anyone. True, I said you should analyze the profits and value of something in the shortest possible time— but that doesn’t apply to... people."

He stood up and quietly stared at his daughter for a few moments before turning and leaving the study.

"Think it over carefully."

"Dad."

Xu Qianyu called out to him just as his hand touched the doorknob. "Are you disappointed in me?"

"Every decision you’ve made at the company has made me proud. You’ve met every expectation I had for you. You’ve always been my pride."

But pride does not mean everything you do is right, especially outside the realm of the company.

Xu Chengfeng did not look back. "How long has it been since you had a proper conversation with Xiao An? Have you ever considered whether, if you weren’t the Xu family’s daughter, Xiao An would still want you as his fiancée?"

"..."

Xu Qianyu stood in stunned silence, unable to react for a long time, even after Xu Chengfeng had left the study.

***

Collar Village.

Wen Nuan and Tang Shu split into two groups to investigate the entire village. The first place the pair arrived at was the home of the village chief, who had a perpetually deathly pale face.

The two were swift and efficient, moving through the village as if it were completely deserted, and soon arrived without much effort.

Oddly enough, there was no one around.

"Why isn’t there a single person here? The village chief? His son? His daughter-in-law?"

Wen Nuan rechecked the area carefully again through the wooden window, but neither inside nor outside the house showed any trace of human presence—except for the chickens and ducks in the yard, rendered unconscious by some powder Tang Shu had scattered and lying quietly still.

"Captain Song, are you sure the villagers are each home?"

"Sure. Trust a sniper’s vision, Captain Wen."

Alright then.

Wen Nuan gave Tang Shu a knowing look. "Fascinating. They’ve vanished into thin air."

Now this was getting interesting.

"I love escape room games the most."

The two were clearly intrigued. After confirming that the other group hadn’t seen any villagers either, the situation became even stranger.

"So apart from the three people outside our living quarters, the entire village is empty?"

And those three were obviously there to keep an eye on them.

Wen Nuan pulled out a tool and fiddled with it for a while, ultimately confirming there were no surveillance devices at the village chief’s house. She then hopped in through the window. The pair began to carefully survey the house yet found no hidden passageways.

"Hold on."

Tang Shu took a few steps back, retreating three or four meters. "Don’t you think this room... feels a bit small?"

Wen Nuan immediately grasped her meaning and scrutinized the bedroom once more, finally nodding decisively.

"It is smaller. I recall estimating that this room was about five meters long when we entered, but now it’s roughly four meters... It’s that painting!"

The two simultaneously turned their gaze toward the wedding portrait hanging on the east wall—a photo of the village chief’s son and daughter-in-law, looking like the perfect couple.

Tang Shu carefully removed the frame, revealing a door just large enough for an adult to pass through.

The wall was hollow, concealing a passageway.

"What a... clever idea. I can’t help but admire their ingenuity."

Underground rooms are easily detected due to the difference between solid and hollow walls when tapped. It’s something even someone inexperienced can hear.