Chapter 174 Sacrificing Family for the Righteous: Gathering at the Old House, Qin Zhen Imprisoned
Meanwhile, in the study on the second floor.
After Qin Yong entered the room, he closed the door tightly, his face filled with sorrow and grief.
“Father,” he said.
"Did you arrange to come back today?" Old Master Qin didn't believe it was such a coincidence, but no matter what, it was always a happy thing for his children and grandchildren to come back to visit.
"Boss, why do you look so pale?"
Qin Yong walked closer, and Old Master Qin noticed that something was wrong with his expression, so he asked.
"Grandpa, I called my uncle to come back together," Qin Shu said promptly.
The old man looked at Qin Shu, then at Qin Yong, and the smile that had been on his face gradually disappeared.
"Has something happened?"
Since the family split up, Old Master Qin has truly become a hands-off manager, completely ignoring everything else and focusing solely on cultivating flowers in his garden.
But this does not mean that he has lost his keen insight.
"Is it related to the second son?"
Today, only the second wife did not return. Given this premise, what could be the matter that made Qin Yong and Qin Shu look solemn and hesitate to speak, other than being related to Qin Zhen?
Old Master Qin got up, leaning on his cane, walked to his desk, took out a small medicine bottle from the drawer, and swallowed a pill without using water. Then he turned around and looked at Qin Yong and Qin Shu.
“Tell me, I can take it—what kind of bastard has that second son done this time?”
Qin Yong and Qin Shu exchanged a glance.
The old man had already guessed what was going on and even swallowed some nitroglycerin pills, clearly indicating that he had already prepared for the worst.
Qin Shu walked over, took a glass of warm water, and handed it to the old man.
"Grandpa, please have some water first, I'll speak."
Qin Zhen's mistake shouldn't be blamed on Qin Shu, so the old man didn't refuse. After drinking some water to calm down, he heard Qin Shu speak first, finishing talking about Xu Jinhua's matter.
"Although Liang Rou was carrying the blood of the Qin family, even if she gave birth to a child, the Qin family would not acknowledge her because of her wicked heart. Now that the child has died young, it is a good thing that he was spared from suffering in this world. If you think I would be sad or upset about this, you are wrong."
Given the Qin family's current status, how could the old man be a truly compassionate person?
Given his ruthless methods in seizing power in the capital's business world back then, it's perfectly normal that he didn't care much about the deaths of Liang Rou and her son.
Moreover, compared to an illegitimate son, the old man cared more about his own grandson, Qin Zhou.
Even if his mother was that vicious woman, Xu Jinhua.
But she was a legitimate daughter of the Qin family.
"Continue on, tell me what Qin Zhen did."
A single, unborn child wouldn't make Qin Shu's decision so difficult.
"I have already reported to you about the matter at Lanxiang Mountain. With the police's intervention, the scheme of those foreign forces to set fire to the mountain and destroy the laboratory inside has failed. Now that those people have been arrested, Lanxiang Mountain has been sealed off, and the laboratory inside has been taken over by the Sheng'an Division."
"Everything was going well initially, but following the trail of Zachary, we discovered that there were others involved as well..."
At this point, Qin Shu paused, "And then there's my second uncle. Although he was tricked into joining Yang Xu's scheme under the pretext of borrowing money, he's done a lot for him during this time. Now that Zachary has been arrested and exposed my second uncle, Yang Xu can't hide it anymore either. The two of them will drag him down with them. According to the information from above, my second uncle is probably... going to jail."
The moment the words "imprisonment" were uttered, the study fell into a sudden silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The Lanxiang Mountain incident involved foreign forces. If it weren't for the Qin couple playing a pivotal role in this matter, the entire Qin family would probably have been dragged down by Qin Zhen's foolish actions.
A century-old foundation was reduced to ashes, and the Qin family of the imperial capital ceased to exist.
In the face of national interests, the interests of one family or one force are far too insignificant.
It's said that Qin Zhen will suffer a prison sentence, and he may never be able to leave that place of confinement again in his lifetime.
Throughout his life, Mr. Qin was strict with himself and maintained a strict family tradition.
She had three sons and one daughter. Her third son, Qin Yue, died young, and now Qin Zhen has also been imprisoned, leaving only her eldest son, Qin Yong, and her married daughter, Qin Jin.
No wonder Qin Yong and Qin Shu were afraid that the old man wouldn't be able to handle the shock.
"Right and wrong, good and evil, everything has its principles. The laws of the country are the bottom line. No matter who crosses them, they should pay the price for their actions. The descendants of the Qin family should be even more careful in their words and deeds, and should respect etiquette, abide by the law, and be strict with themselves. Qin Zhen sought his own death and deserves to suffer the consequences. There is nothing to regret."
Old Master Qin slammed his cane on the floor, his expression solemn and brooking no argument.
"If the police want to arrest someone, let them—no, where is Qin Zhen now? Make him come back to me, I'm going to personally kidnap this bastard and hand him over to the police!"
-
Downstairs, Li Biru was gossiping with Song Ying when suddenly they heard a noise from upstairs.
She was taken aback and looked at Song Ying. "Ying, did you hear something just now? Was there any noise upstairs?"
Although the old villa has good soundproofing, the rooms are too large, so sound transmission is still somewhat clear, which is unavoidable.
Song Ying was also concerned about the commotion in the study; she had naturally heard the sounds from earlier.
But it's not time to say.
So she subconsciously looked up and gazed upstairs.
A short while later, someone came down from upstairs; it was Qin Yong.
"husband."
Seeing Qin Yong's expression, Li Biru quickly got up and went over to him, "What happened? What happened upstairs just now..."
"I have something to do, I'll go out for a bit. Call Ajin, Azhou, and Aji and tell them to come back to the old house right now. No matter how urgent things are, put them aside for the time being."
After saying this, Qin Yong walked straight past Li Biru, picked up his coat hanging on the rack by the door, and hurriedly went out.
The atmosphere was tense, like a storm brewing. Li Biru immediately became nervous.
"Ah Ying, this..."
“Aunt, don’t worry. Uncle asked you to contact them, which means this matter has nothing to do with the eldest branch of the family. The most important thing right now is to do as he said and call everyone back. Thinking too much will only cause more trouble.”
"Yes, yes, you're right, let's make a call first, let's make a call first!"
With Song Ying's help, Li Biru finally regained her composure.
The two called the rest of the Qin family. Qin Jin was the first to arrive because she had no classes that afternoon and was taking a rare break at home. The Ye family lived not far away, so she arrived shortly afterward.
Following closely behind were Qin Zhou and Qin Ji, both of whom had come directly from the company.
As everyone gathered together, questions naturally arose. At this moment, Qin Shu helped Old Master Qin slowly walk down from the second floor.
"Father, what's wrong today? Has something happened? Your health..."
The last time we made such a big fuss was when we were fighting over the division of assets at the hospital.
So when Qin Jin saw that the old man looked unwell, he subconsciously thought that the old man was unwell.
"I'm fine."
Old Master Qin brushed aside Qin Shu's support and went downstairs with his cane.
"Then what is this...?"
"Please sit down."
That's what they say, but if the old man doesn't sit, who else would dare to sit?
And just then, the butler rushed over, saying, "Sir, the person has arrived."
"Please come in."
As soon as he finished speaking, the butler led in two men in police uniforms.
Everyone's expression immediately turned serious, and they looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Let's make tea."
"Mr. Qin, please don't stand on ceremony, tea is unnecessary." The other party politely declined, then glanced around the crowd but didn't see Qin Zhen. "Mr. Qin..."
"Please wait a moment, the person is already on their way."
Others might not know who she is, but how could Li Biru not know?
Of all the people present, only Qin Yong and Qin Zhen were missing.
Qin Yong just walked out of the Qin family home, so it's highly likely he went to personally bring Qin Zhen back.
"But did the second son get into trouble?" Li Biru asked Song Ying with a gossipy look, holding up her palm.
However, the living room was so quiet that her lowered voice was no different from speaking in public.
Before Song Ying could respond, Li Biru attracted the attention of others. She coughed lightly, gave an awkward smile, and slapped her mouth.
"Well, I was just guessing, it's just speculation, it doesn't count."
As they were talking, a sound came from outside.
"Qin Yong, let me go! I can walk by myself! If you don't tell me what's going on today, don't even think about me stepping into the Qin family! And don't even think about me calling that old man 'father'!"
"When the family was divided, you were all rolling in money, while I was left with nothing but a mess. Where were you so-called family members when I was in trouble? When I asked you for money, you wouldn't even give me a few million, forcing me to beg and plead to borrow money from outsiders. I told Qin Yong that in my eyes, I have nothing to do with your Qin family anymore!"
"Don't even mention that the old man needs my help. Even if he dies today, don't expect me to wear mourning clothes for him or to observe mourning rites for him!"
"Smack—"
The living room door was wide open, and the loud sound of a slap could be heard clearly.
Immediately following was Qin Yong's stern voice.
"Qin Zhen! You'd better know what nonsense you're spouting! Over the years, the Qin family has never wronged you, and your father has never mistreated your second branch of the family! It's your own fault for being so useless, for choosing to seek your own death! Even now, you still don't repent, you don't understand how to look for the problem within yourself, and you blame everything on others! Do you even have a conscience?!"
"Conscience? Qin Yong, do you even deserve to talk to me about conscience! You've taken so many benefits, living in a big villa, managing a big company, living a life of luxury, how could you possibly understand my suffering! You've taken advantage of me and now you're acting all innocent, standing on your moral high ground to criticize me! Why should I put up with your bullshit! Since that old bastard doesn't treat me like a son, then don't even think about me stepping through the Qin family's door!"
After saying this, Qin Zhen broke free from Qin Yong's grasp and started to walk out.
"Hold him down!"
As a deep voice rang out, the bodyguards in the courtyard immediately stepped forward and firmly held down Qin Zhen, who was about to walk out.
The iron-like hand gripped the bloated Qin Zhen tightly, pressing him down so that he couldn't even straighten his body, let alone walk.
Old Master Qin, leaning on his cane, walked down the steps one by one.
"You say I'm biased. But you've probably forgotten that when you first took over the company, the Mingguang Group, which I gave you practice on, had a market value 100 million yuan higher than the Furong Group, which I gave your older brother practice on! It was your own incompetence that dragged down a company that was about to go public, causing its market value to evaporate by a full 40% in just one year!"
“You said you wanted to start a business, and I gave you whatever you asked for three times in a row. Even though I knew you weren’t cut out for it, I never stopped you. I let you try and fail, and experiment! You don’t have the ability? No problem, I’ll give you the manpower! I’ll send capable managers and executives to your side one by one. If you had just listened to them a little more, you wouldn’t have failed every time.”
"But what about you? You always feel that I'm the one who planted people to control you. You'd rather listen to the gossips spread by the Xu family than trust me, as if I were some kind of monster that wants to harm you. The people I sent, one by one, you found reasons to demote, dismiss, or sideline them, while you stuffed those parasites from the Xu family into your ranks."
“I said these words to you more than ten years ago. You always complained that I favored A-Yue and your older brother. But if you had reflected on yourself even a little over the years, you wouldn’t still feel that everyone has wronged you! I can give up some of the family business to let you run wild, but I will never let the entire Qin family be destroyed in your hands!”
The old man slammed his cane heavily on the ground, making a clanging sound as it struck the white marble floor tiles.
“In my life, I have wronged many people: your mother, A-Yue, your elder brother, and even your nephews. I have wronged them all, but I have never wronged you, Qin Zhen!”
"This blow is to punish you for being unfilial! For being a disgrace to your father!"
Old Master Qin suddenly raised his cane and then brought it down.
The impact landed heavily on Qin Zhen's back with a dull thud. Qin Zhen felt a sharp pain in his spine and fell to his knees, his knees slamming into the ground as he gasped for breath.
"Old man, if you want to fight, then fight! Why spout these hypocritical, sanctimonious platitudes!"
Qin Zhen showed no remorse and still believed he had done nothing wrong.
"Dad! How could you say that about Grandpa! Grandpa has done so much for you over the years. Back when you lost money in Vegas and almost had your arm chopped off, it was Grandpa who found someone to rescue you and helped you pay off your debts; when you lost money in business, it was Grandpa who always covered the gaps for you; and all the big and small troubles you've caused over the years, it's always Grandpa who cleaned up your messes. You can't be ungrateful. And now you're saying such things, doesn't that break Grandpa's heart!"
"Bullshit!"
Qin Zhen struggled to spit at his son, Qin Ji, "You still remember I'm your father? I've raised you all these years, and when you ask me for money, you barely scrape together a pittance. And now you have the nerve to scold your old man? Like father, like son! That bitch Xu Jinhua's offspring is no better! With an unfilial son like you, I'd rather have no descendants! Ah—"
"Bastard! Bastard!"
Old Master Qin swung his stick a second time, hitting Qin Zhen so hard that he cried out in pain and broke out in a cold sweat.
"Listen to the nonsense you're spouting! This second blow is to punish you for being unworthy of being a father!"
With a trembling voice, Old Master Qin swung his staff for the third time, striking Qin Zhen's leg.
If it weren't for the security guards holding him back, Qin Zhen would probably have knelt down on the spot.
"This third blow is for your disloyalty and injustice! For colluding with others, betraying the country and its people!"
After three blows, Qin Zhen was in so much pain that all he could do was gasp for breath, unable to utter a single word.
"From this day forward, I, Qin Hongzhen, will pretend that you have never been my son! And the Qin family will never have had a beast like you, Qin Zhen!"
The old man staggered, and Qin Shu quickly stepped forward to help him up, while the others around him also felt a pang of anxiety.
"Father!"
"grandfather!"
"Mr. Qin!"
Grandpa Qin raised his hand to stop everyone's concern, then slowly turned around and looked at the two police officers behind him.
"Gentlemen, this scoundrel is yours to take back. No matter what the state decides, my Qin family will accept it willingly without a single complaint. This time, my Qin family has failed the country and the people."
In closing, Old Master Qin bowed deeply.
"Mr. Qin, you mustn't!"
The two quickly went to help Old Master Qin up. "The Qin family are righteous merchants. Over the years, they have donated money and goods, built bridges and repaired roads. They have been even more generous during special periods. If the younger generation makes a mistake, it has nothing to do with you. Let's keep things separate. You don't need to do this."
Old Master Qin insisted on performing the full ceremony before slowly straightening up.
"You yourselves have said that one thing at a time. The Qin family has done good deeds, but they failed to properly educate this wretched child, almost causing a grave mistake, which is also my fault. Now that I have handed him over to you, you don't need to consider the Qin family's past. Just enforce the law impartially and punish them according to the law. The Qin family will have no objections!"
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