The intelligence you received, the market fluctuations you witnessed, every public conflict you had with Kobayashi Tenno… including all of Newbijian’s reactions… were all within our expectations, all within Lin Huowang’s calculations.
During the Jardine Matheson takeover battle, we were in the open, while he was in the shadows. He wanted to exploit Newbie's fear and greed, and the conflict between Jardine Matheson and HSBC, to make them willingly "hand over" the 20% stake, along with a large loan, to him!
And you, Zhenting, everything you did, whether genuine or feigned, objectively speaking, perfectly played the role required of you in the plan: the eldest son of the Huo family, blinded by jealousy and locked in a life-or-death struggle with Xiaolin Tianwang.
Upon hearing this, Huo Zhenting's body swayed slightly in shock; the sheer volume of information was a powerful shock to his understanding.
He always thought he was the chess player, but it turns out that from beginning to end, he was the one who was carefully manipulated!
His proud actions, his self-righteous schemes, even his ardent pursuit of Liu Rumeng… all became part of someone else's plan? And by the very rival he hated so much?!
A sense of defeat, shame, and disbelief...
All these emotions surged up at once, instantly overwhelming him.
Seeing Huo Zhenting's expression as if his whole world had collapsed, Huo Yingdong patted him on the shoulder, his tone carrying a rare hint of comfort and affirmation as he said:
“Zhenting, there’s no need to be so discouraged. As your father, I also think this is an excellent opportunity for you to grow. Think about it, after this period of ‘struggle,’ aren’t you much more mature than before in handling crises, analyzing the market, and even patiently planning ahead? Aren’t you able to consider issues from a higher perspective?”
Huo Yingdong paused for a moment, looking at the lingering confusion in his son's eyes, and continued:
"Of course, you are still far from being as good as Lin Huowang's monstrous strategies. But seeing your growth now, you have basically met your father's expectations for you. This shows that this 'play' was worthwhile and valuable for you."
Huo Zhenting raised his head and looked at his father with a complicated expression.
Huo Yingdong changed the subject, his tone softening: "Besides, there are some things you don't have to feel like you've lost to him. Liu Rumeng was Lin Huowang's lawfully wedded wife in Northeast China; they had a marriage certificate issued on the mainland."
Your so-called 'competition' was never about winning or losing from the very beginning. Besides…
Huo Yingdong smiled with satisfaction. "You've married Zhu Lingling now, haven't you? Lingling is gentle, dignified, and sensible. She's a good daughter-in-law for the Huo family. I'm very satisfied."
Huo Zhen's tense expression relaxed slightly when Zhu Lingling was mentioned.
Huo Yingdong's gaze deepened, carrying a penetrating power as he looked into Huo Zhenting's eyes and slowly said:
"What makes me most gratified, Zhenting, is something else entirely."
Huo Zhen looked at his father with some doubt.
"You already knew through secret channels that Liu Rumeng suffers from 'juvenile uterus' and is undergoing treatment, didn't you?"
Huo Yingdong said these words very calmly. In fact, he had placed trusted confidants to keep a close eye on his son's every move.
On the surface, he temporarily handed over the Huo Group to Huo Zhenting, entrusting him with the daily management. In reality, people at various levels reported to him every day about the Huo family's young master's every move, both in public and private.
Upon hearing this, Huo Zhenting was startled, a look of panic and shock flashing across his face. He hadn't expected his father to know even this!
Huo Yingdong knew what his son was panicking about, and smiled as he gently patted his arm, his tone full of approval: "This 'handle' that was enough to ruin Liu Rumeng's reputation and make Xiao Lintianwang lose face, you never thought of using it to attack your opponent after you got it!"
They even paid the whistleblower to keep the secret from leaking out, which really surprised me.
In your subsequent encounters with Kobayashi Tenno, though your methods were ruthless, you never resorted to any underhanded tricks. A gentleman plans and acts with integrity! This is the true spirit of a noble family! As your father… I am deeply gratified!
At this moment, all of Huo Zhenting's confusion, resentment, shame and indignation were illuminated as if by a strong light!
Those things that used to feel awkward or contradictory suddenly became clear!
Why does his father sometimes encourage him to suppress Kobayashi Tenno, and at other times seem to be restraining him?
Why is the father's true attitude towards Kobayashi Tenno so complicated?
Why does he always feel like there's an unseen hand pulling everything together...?
I see!
Everything makes sense!
Unbeknownst to him, Fok Chun-ting was both a pawn and, in his father's eyes, an heir to be tempered and refined.
And Kobayashi Tenno... the opponent he had always wanted to surpass or even destroy was actually the "master" he admired so much!
A tremendous sense of absurdity and an indescribable sense of relief welled up within me at the same time.
He stared blankly at his father for a long time before letting out a long, deep breath, as if to release all the pent-up emotions in his chest.
Then, he unconsciously laughed out loud, feeling relieved.
It turns out... people can actually laugh when they're speechless.
Huo Zhenting was laughing, but two tears were also squeezed out of the corners of his eyes. He had really been played so badly by his father and Xiao Lin Tianwang!
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