Chapter 633 - Unmasking Guan Gao Huan's identity (II)
The fight for the successor was still ongoing at its peak. For now, there was no clear winner yet since the two brothers were tied to each other. If the master... died while the fight was still ongoing, there would be chaos in the Guan Empire.
His master wanted to avoid that at all cost. This was why master even went as far as hiding his real condition.
"Head butler..." A weak and raspy voice came from the bed.
"Master!" The head butler ran to Old Guan's side.
The respected headmaster changed a lot in the past month. His grey hair now all turned white and began to fall. His thin and emaciated hand reached out. His face was wrinkled and pale.
"How much time do I have left?"
The head butler took a deep breath to compose himself and delivered the grave news. "...Two weeks at most, Master."
Silence.
"I see..." Old Guan looked up at the canopy of his bed. He closed his eyes slowly. "I dreamed of my wife... and my daughter."
The head butler's eyes reddened. "Master. This butler wishes for you to stay longer."
"I know, me too. That's why I told my wife and my daughter to wait a bit more... I am not a good husband... and not a good grandfather... Those two ladies might become angry at me if I leave the family in chaos. Cough, cough, cough...."
"Master!" The head butler patted the elder's back and carefully assisted him to drink water.
"Cough... Tell me, who is on the lead now?"
"It is Second Young Master Xixin and Third Young Master Gao Huan, Master."
The old man weakly smiled when he heard the reports.
"Head butler, who do you think is going to win?"
"This head butler doesn't know the future but would like to witness the end of this fight together with you, Master."
Old Guan's eyes swept to his butler. "To think I will worry an old man like you. I still have a little bit of strength left." He weakly chuckled.
The head butler could not smile while seeing his master become so weak. He just held back his tears.
"Head butler, I would like you to observe the fight carefully. Prepare for everything so that I will be able to smoothly support the right heir when the last week arrives."
"Yes, Master, I assure you that everything will be prepared by then."
"I'll ask you again, who do you think should we support?"
The head butler was silent. He organized his thoughts for a while before speaking slowly.
"It is either we support Second Young Master Xixin or Third Young Master Gao Huan. The second young master showed how great his talent is by accomplishing tasks that we have deemed impossible to accomplish. This ability can bring the Guan Empire to greater heights. However, his skills so far only focused on strengthening his influence overseas. He needed to expand his domestic influence.
"On the other hand, third young master's Univ One brought the share in ICT business of Guan Empire to a new level. With his speed of bringing in new investors and cooperative proposals, this line of Guan Empire's business has a breakthrough in performance and an increase in market value. His Univ ONe can be used in the long run."
He paused.
"However, like the second young master, he also has his limits. His strength is Univ One, and it is also his weakness. If Univ One failed or declined, then third young master's influence will also disappear alongside Univ One. Third young master should not focus on Univ One alone."
Old Guan smiled approvingly. He also thought the same.
Then he sighed. "But what can they do? They are only given two months to prove themselves and shift the power of the Guan Empire's favor to themselves. They could only bet with the best weapon they think they can use to win the succession trial."
Old Guan was quite lively despite feeling weak and looking pale.
His grandsons' achievements made him feel that the future of the Guan Empire would not be bleak without him, and would only thrive in the competitive corporate world in the future. He could at least rest in peace with his talented grandsons overseeing the family and their business empire.
However... there was still unease in his heart.
"Xixin and Gao Huan's relationship... How is it? They aren't in each other throats, are they?"
"My people constantly watched them. They haven't met yet since that day. And none of them seems to be using underhanded methods to hurt each other."
Old Guan breathed a sigh of relief. "How's the investigation with Xixin's accident going?"
This time, the head butler frowned. "Master, all the evidences pointed out that it was just an accident. But that's what makes it more suspicious. It was as if it was purposely telling us that it was all an accident. It's too clean."
The head butler was not an inexperienced man, but a trusted subordinate who had experienced and seen many things. He could see that despite what it showed, something was odd with the accident.
The elder on the bed sighed. "...I wish we can find the perpetrator before I leave."
"Master..."
"I failed them both. One is suspecting the other due to guilt, while the other is concealing his true feelings and disappointment from us. I hope, before I depart from this world, I can fix all of it. It's just... My time is too short, and I started a bit too late."
"Master! Please don't speak of such things!" The head butler pleaded with reddened eyes.
Old Guan just smiled weakly, his face pale.
At this moment, another butler knocked on the door.
"Head butler, eldest young master is here and is seeking audience with Headmaster."
"...." The head butler looked at his master.
Old Guan sighed. Why did his eldest visit here again of all times?
It was the third time that he rejected his eldest grandson's visit. It would cause suspicion if he rejected the eldest grandson again.
"...Head butler, help me sit up."
The head butler followed his instruction. After making sure that the old man was tidied up, he announced. "Let the eldest young master enter."
Guan Gu Ri entered the room.
When he saw his grandfather who suddenly looked older in just a month, he was startled.
His heart trembled. "Grandfather...."
His suspicion was confirmed. His grandfather was really sick.
....And based on the previous actions, he might not have a long time.
****
Meanwhile, amidst the intense fight happening in the Guan Family, Linfeng did not come back to C Country. After he read the acc.u.mulated results and the doc.u.ments in Guan Xixin's investigation of five years ago, he flew to the country where Guan Gao Huan was first admitted in utmost secrecy.
He brought his main investigation team with him.
Unlike what Guan Xixin expected, the detailed reports that he gathered were not useless. It was actually a great puzzle piece that only needed someone like Linfeng who had an inkling of what happened fit all the pieces together perfectly.
Linfeng even thought of how funny fate was. His investigation started just after Guan Xixin ended his investigation. The reports and information he could not find before were all in Guan Xixin's investigation.
The heavens were helping him.
Right now, Linfeng was in a coffee shop near the hospital.
He looked across the building in front of him, which was a high-end private hospital.
This was the place where Guan Gao Huan went under surgery and treatment, where he recuperated for a whole year before he was sent to another medical institution.
Linfeng sipped on his coffee while he read the detailed reports in his tablet from Guan Xixin's file for the nth time. Guan Xixin's investigation in this place ended with the doctor's profile.
All the things he needed were here.
His face was somber.
When Linfeng's team came to investigate, he discovered that all of the doctors who were assigned to Guan Gao Huan were either dead or in a coma.
Linfeng knew that the investigation would be smoother if he got hold of the doctor's testaments and their whereabouts during those times.
However, Guan Gao Huan, or the people behind him, was really cruel, After Guan Xixin did his investigation, they were probably alarmed and immediately silenced the three doctors in charge. The incidents were all perfectly staged as accidents. He did not kill them all at once but created a reasonable circ.u.mstance so that people investigating would not find any clue.
It was really perfect.
Too perfect and too clean.
While deep in thoughts, the person Linfeng was waiting for finally arrived.
Two doctors entered the coffee shop. One of them looked around in surprise at the interior which was devoid of people.
"Wow, to think we are the only customers here at this time. We got lucky we came early. At least there's no need to wait, haha. Are you really going to treat me?"? A foreign doctor said in delight to the doctor beside him.
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