Chapter 196: Under Master Kong’s Spell
Sun Gang sat in his executive office at the sprawling headquarters of the Sun Corporation. The financial documents laid out before him became an incomprehensible blur as fury clouded his vision. Try as he might to focus, an unshakable suspicion continued nagging at the back of his mind.
Had Grandpa Sun truly granted company shares to his long lost daughter Sun Lixia and her sons Li Chen and Li Xinjie? The very notion filled Sun Gang with indignant rage. After all, those two were surnamed Li - they carried the bloodline of whichever worthless man had impregnated Sun Lixia rather than bearing the noble Sun name directly.
Sun Gang seethed at the possibility that his grandfather could be so foolish as to endow two virtual strangers a stake simply because of some sentimental reunion. The rightful heirs were here before him - those who had toiled day and night to elevate the company. Not some unknown illegitimate offspring who waltzed back after decades claiming kinship! If that dementia-addled old man had dared bestow what rightfully belonged solely to REAL Sun descendants...
Sun Gang’s hands clenched, crumpling the financial papers without noticed. All the years he had spent fawning on the old patriarch and family elders, endlessly paraded as the model heir, the flawless example set before his more wayward cousins. He had given up his very youth to rigorously train across all aspects of operations, believing it secured the keys to the kingdom for himself one day.
Yet now geriatric Grandpa Sun seemed ready to toss aside decades of Sun Gang’s loyal service and sacrifice by allowing these strangers to waltz in claiming a place at HIS table?!
No, Sun Gang seethed, I orchestrated too much and for far too long to accept being cast aside over maudlin family theatrics. That empire was destined to fall fully under his control alone the instant the old man breathed his last wheezing breath.
These opportunistic intruders posed an intolerable threat to all he had coldly calculated and executed in the shadows to clear his own ascension. If he had to resort again to...removing obstacles...so be it. He would see the Li whelps buried for good before losing his ordained inheritance. The office of Chairman would be his, whatever the cost!
If only kidnappers had done their job properly and snuffed out her innocent life instead of dropping her off in the a village!
Then there would have been no tender reunion welcoming this woman back with open arms after a lifetime. No long-lost grandsons for Grandfather to fawn over with delight like the sons he never had. And certainly no possibility of these strangers staking claim over Sun Gang’s rightful inheritance!
Sun Gang’s fist came crashing down, splintering the heavy oak desk. If that 3-year old girl had just died quickly at her abductors’ hands instead of clinging to existence so stubbornly for 40 something years, then he, Sun Gang, would have faced no contest being groomed as undisputed heir!
But no - Sun Lixia had defiantly survived somehow, only to miraculously resurface now as his adversary, wielding immense emotional influence over their aging patriarch. How it gnawed at Sun Gang’s guts seeing the family treasure he sacrificed everything for suddenly diverted by this ghost who refused to stay dead and buried!
Suddenly, Sun Gang heard a chillingly calm voice saying "Anger will never obtain what you desire." He glanced up with a start to see Master Kong standing there silently with his hands clasped behind his back as always.
"M-Master Kong..." Sun Gang stammered, unnerved. "When did you get in here?"
The mysterious Master Kong simply stared back unwaveringly. "Does it matter?"
A creeping unease came over Sun Gang as Master Kong then fluidly sat across from him. Something in the air surrounding this elder made Sun Gang’s skin prickle. Master Kong tilted his head, his piercing emerald eyes seeming to glow unnaturally bright. Sun Gang had never encountered someone with eyes that looked so...inhumanly luminescent.
Master Kong says "You have failed to complete a simple mission I gave you, to kill that aunt of yours... now you are here getting angry."
Sun gang says "I tried but-"
Master kong cuts him off saying "I don’t need excuses.... that cousin of yours... Li Chen... I want you to get him to me."
Sun gang says "Li Chen?"
Master kong says "Yes... and get that 3rd page before the end of the day... I don’t want to end up doing things myself because that will mean our deal is over."
Sun gang says "Yes Master Kong, I will get him to you."
Sun Gang’s fist clenched at the mention of Li Chen’s name. That worthless nobody who had unexpectedly been revealed as Sun Lixia’s son at the fateful family banquet. And now Grandfather treated him like some celebrated prodigal prince!
It made Sun Gang’s blood boil. Still, if capturing the upstart Li Chen was what it took to retain the formidable Master Kong’s forbidden teachings and stay in the running for the inheritance...so be it.
"Consider Li Chen as good as delivered to you, Master," Sun Gang avowed, a ruthless glint in his eye. "And procuring the 3rd page will be simple"
Master Kong’s glowing green eyes seemed to pierce Sun Gang’s soul. "See to it then. But know that if you fail me again, no pact will protect you."
A cold shudder when down Sun Gang’s spine at the quiet promise of violence. But he forced a stoic nod, vowing not to let this chance slip through his fingers. Li Chen would be handed over to Master Kong’s dark devices before day’s end!
Master Kong peered closer at Sun Gang, his hypnotic emerald eyes flashing brighter briefly. Sun Gang suddenly recoiled, arms jerking backward as some unseen force gripped his body.
Before he could react further, Master Kong had begun rhythmically chanting in an ancient guttural language that Sun Gang strangely both could not decipher yet found deeply familiar. Against his will, Sun Gang’s muscles slackened while his vision clouded over - except for the pulsating command of Kong’s fiery jade irises boring towards some unreachable depth of consciousness...
Gradually the foreign chanting grew louder, filling Sun Gang’s mind until his senses went dim and meaningless. He now hung weightlessly in some dark dream void, unable to reason why he had found himself in such a curious place. Languid and pliant, he simply awaited whatever peculiar visions might come, like seaweed drifting in midnight waters.
A final harsh syllable from Master Kong snapped taut this sublime suspension. Sun Gang suddenly felt his head forcibly wrenched forward by invisible strings until it was anchored unwaveringly face-to-face with Kong’s nightmare eyes. He was but a limp doll now beneath those orbs, helpless to do anything except listen.... and obey.
The bone-chilling cool voice of the Master then began weaving new compulsions into the entirety of his malleable being...
As Master Kong completed the chanting, the room’s atmosphere shifted, and Sun Gang gradually emerged from the trance, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead. Master Kong, with an air of authority, rose from his position and addressed Sun Gang, "I control you. One word from me, and you can either run to jump off a bridge or gain strength and wisdom that will take you to greater heights. I have faith in you; don’t disappoint me."
Sun Gang, still recovering from the profound experience, managed to stammer, "What... what did you do to me?" Master Kong’s eyes bore into him as he replied, "I awakened your inner potential. You now have a choice – to succumb to darkness or rise to greatness."
Sun Gang, bewildered, questioned, "Why me? What do you want from me?" Master Kong, with an enigmatic smile, responded, "The universe chose you. Your destiny is entwined with mine. Together, we shall navigate the currents of power."
As Master Kong walked out, leaving Sun Gang alone with his thoughts, the room resonated with the echoes of ancient rituals and newfound possibilities. Sun Gang grappled with the duality of his situation – the promise of strength and the weight of obedience – unsure of the journey that awaited him under the influence of Master Kong’s control.
The awareness of being under Master Kong’s influence for an extended period settled heavily on Sun Gang. A realization that there was little he could do about it washed over him, and as he contemplated the magnitude of the power now at his disposal, a sly smirk crept across his face. The revelation marked a turning point – an opportunity to shed the image of a mere rich playboy and embrace a newfound determination.
Sun Gang was resolute in his desire to prove to everyone, and perhaps even to himself, that he was more than the sum of his wealth and indulgent lifestyle. He harbored a deep-seated ambition to rise above expectations, to showcase capabilities and potential that had long remained hidden. The promise of strength and wisdom bestowed upon him by Master Kong became a driving force, propelling Sun Gang into a realm where the pursuit of power intertwined with the complexities of family dynamics.
Now fueled by an unyielding determination, Sun Gang committed himself to do whatever it took to ascend to the position of the family head. The echoes of Master Kong’s cryptic words reverberated in his mind, forming the backdrop of a journey that promised to unravel both the depths of his newfound abilities and the challenges that lay ahead. The stage was set for Sun Gang to redefine his identity and prove that he was more than a rich scion – he was a force to be reckoned with.
