Chapter 96 The ratings are off the charts, we can't stop!
The small goldfish swam happily in the fish tank, while the large goldfish lay listlessly, almost motionless.
The three people in the study fell into a brief silence.
"And then?" Ye Baoling asked.
Ye Qizu gently patted the wheelchair and said, "Fang Dingkun didn't come looking for us. When we went to the tunnel to deal with Raymond's body, we found that the body was gone. When we went to search again, we were horrified to learn that after part of the Japanese medical base collapsed, it was connected to our underground tunnel."
Fang Dingkun and Kishida were waiting for them to come to their office.
Later, this became their leverage to blackmail the Ye family.
"They demanded that the tunnels and cellars be given to the 7th Detachment. At the same time, the South China Hospital began to increase its recruitment and care for foreigners. Fortunately, thanks to the blessings of their ancestors, Japan surrendered just as they were preparing to renovate."
Kishida then ordered the 7th Division to kill all the Europeans and Americans imprisoned at Silver Serpent Mountain.
Fearing that his traitorous acts would be exposed by the Japanese, Fang Dingkun offered to provide a boat so that the doctors and soldiers of the 7th Detachment of Unit 8604 could evacuate by boat. He loaded the boat with explosives and blew up all the Japanese soldiers of the 7th Detachment in international waters.
“Kishida didn’t board the ship because he had something to take care of. Fang Dingkun tricked him into returning to the medical base to discuss things. After killing Kishida, he chopped off his head.”
So, the head hanging on the small bronze door belongs to Kishida, the leader of the 7th Division?
"After that, Fang Dingkun came to us. He asked to cooperate with us to seal the cave entrance halfway up Silver Snake Mountain, and we would all keep it a secret. We would not expose his traitorous deeds, and he would not expose our killing of Raymond."
Ironically, Fang Dingkun, under the pretext of rescuing and providing jobs for Europeans and Americans during the Japanese occupation, sought suitable experimental subjects for the 7th Detachment, but after the war, he was credited with helping Westerners.
As a result, Fang Dingkun was awarded a medal by the Queen of England, which marked the beginning of his glorious more than 40-year reign over the South China Group of Hospitals.
There was a small incident during this time.
Fang Dingkun's assistant, who was in debt due to gambling, tried to blackmail Fang Dingkun for money by using the evidence he had that Fang Dingkun was a traitor.
As a result, the assistant was bitten to death by a poisonous snake released by Fang Dingkun, and his body was dumped on Silver Snake Mountain, which was then called Green Snail Mountain.
They used this to spread the rumor that there were silver snakes on the mountain, making citizens afraid to go up the mountain easily anymore.
That was the secret back then.
After hearing this, Ye Baoling subconsciously doubted the truthfulness of the words.
After all, the original owner was sexually abused by Lü Tianyou, cheated on, and committed suicide, and Ye Qizu did not avenge his own granddaughter.
She asked, "How much of what you said is true, and how much is false?"
Ye Qizu was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect his granddaughter to disbelieve him. He said angrily, "I'm telling the truth."
She then asked, "Where is my great-aunt's grave?"
Ye Qizu: "She was buried right behind our family cemetery, next to her parents, but her name wasn't written on it."
Ye Huaizhang recalled: "There was such a tomb."
Ye Baoling still had doubts: "You killed a member of a British noble family for a cousin who didn't share the same grandmother. This doesn't seem like something you would do."
Ye Qizu glanced at his granddaughter again: "You didn't see how Yu Jun was beaten to death. It was too tragic. At that time, the sixth son, who was Huai Zhang's grandfather, was very angry. He said that this revenge must be taken. The second son's family was just as indignant. I had just been promoted to the head of the family at that time, and I certainly had to set an example. I was the one who invited Raymond. I was the one who made the first cut."
Therefore, Ye Qizu was forced into this position and had no choice but to seek revenge.
The original owner of this body was too ashamed to talk about the sexual abuse she suffered. She didn't dare to tell her family openly, only saying that Lü Tianyou had other women. After her desire for a divorce was not supported, she chose to commit suicide. In the eyes of men, the original owner was stupid and foolish...
But Ye Baoling remained remarkably calm. "Just because of this, the three branches of the Ye family have been completely coerced? They've kept this a secret for over forty years, not daring to expose it to the outside world?"
Ye Qizu sighed, "The second branch of the family also provided them with equipment, blood plasma and data from Europeans and Americans. We are also afraid of being retaliated against by the British. For the sake of the entire family's interests, we have no choice but to keep the secret with Fang Dingkun."
That makes sense.
But Ye Baoling still asked, "Grandpa, is there anything you're hiding from us?"
Ye Qizu grew impatient. "Ye Baoling, aren't you my granddaughter? Huai Zhang didn't doubt me, but you're the one who keeps refusing to believe what I say."
Because in Ye Baoling's mind, Ye Qizu was not someone who would honestly tell the truth.
Ye Baoling smiled slightly and said, "You're getting on in years, I was afraid you might have misremembered."
Ye Qizu: "..."
Ye Huaizhang also had a question: "Grandpa, you just said that the blue brick tunnel was left by our ancestors?"
Ye Qizu: "Yes. It was only after I took over the family business that my father told me about the underground blue brick tunnel, saying that it could provide refuge for the family in case of disaster. He also gave me a piece of ugly king jade. I knew about this family heirloom from a very young age. But the ugly king jade is not a very good jade. I often think that maybe my ancestors were just ordinary people, and the only kind of jade that could be passed down to the family was of this quality."
Ye Baoling recalled the incident of losing the jade years ago: "Then why did you enshrine it on the altar when you were sick?"
“This jade might not be clean. I heard my grandfather say that our ancestors were tomb raiders. The Ugly King Jade was probably taken from an ancient tomb, and it has a lot of yin energy, so I usually use peach wood to suppress it.”
Oh, Ye Baoling understands now. The chest of drawers in Ye Qizu's room is made of peach wood.
Ye Huaizhang then asked, "What's the deal with that big bronze door? Why does it require three ugly jade pendants to open?"
Ye Qizu was surprised that they even knew this.
"To be honest, the lock on the large bronze door was specially designed by someone we paid a lot of money for. The three families each have three pieces of ugly jade, so we used these three pieces of ugly jade as the key to unlock it. You are very capable, as you have already found the location of the large bronze door. However, even if you open the large bronze door, there is another small bronze door inside, and the key to it is in Fang Dingkun's hands. There is no way you can open it."
The couple exchanged a glance, smiled, and remained silent.
Ye Qizu added, "Now that I've told you the secret, it's pointless whether you can open those two doors or not. If you want to bring Fang Dingkun down, you'll have to think of other ways. You can't expose the secret of Silver Snake Mountain to the outside world."
Why not?
Ye Qizu frowned impatiently: "Didn't I just say? Besides the fear that Fang Dingkun would expose our killing of Raymond, there's also the fact that the second branch's equipment is inside. Fang Dingkun will definitely say that we are also traitors. It's impossible to clear our names, and this is not good for us third branches. Not only will our reputation be ruined, but it will also affect the stock price and the company's reputation. Anyway, this matter cannot be spread."
When it comes to one's own interests, one must indeed be cautious.
Ye Baoling replied, "I understand. Grandpa, you just said there are other ways to bring Fang Dingkun down. What ways are there?"
Ye Qizu: "Silver Snake Mountain is just a medical base. The real laboratory of the 7th Detachment of Unit 8604 is not on Silver Snake Mountain. It is very likely underground in Fang Dingkun's Yunling Mountain villa. You can find someone to investigate and then use this to expose him as a traitor."
Ye Huaizhang worriedly asked, "If we expose him as a traitor, will he voluntarily reveal the secrets of Silver Snake Mountain?"
Yeh Chi-tsu was quite confident: "As long as we don't expose it, he definitely won't dare to do it, because it involves the lives of too many Europeans and Americans."
"Since you're so confident, Grandpa, why didn't you secretly report him all these years?" she asked, puzzled.
Ye Qizu explained, “I’m not 100% certain that the lab is definitely in the basement of the Fang family villa. This is just my guess. Back then, the Fang family originally planned to move to their villa in Yunling Mountain, but after he became a traitor, they didn’t move. Later, after Japan surrendered, no one lived in that villa anymore; it wasn’t sold, rented, or looked after. It was just left there. We all suspect that there’s a virus left behind by the Japanese inside. Plus, for so many years, our families have lived in peace. It’s better to avoid trouble than to cause any problems. Unless it’s a fight to the death, no one wants to provoke the other. We don’t need to report him. But now, if he wants to kill you, the situation is different.”
Ye Baoling still had some doubts about what Ye Qizu said, but since there was no way to verify it at the moment, she could only believe it for now.
For their own benefit, they really had no reason to reveal the secrets of Silver Serpent Mountain.
But Fang Dingkun's traitorous acts cannot be left unpunished.
After leaving the study on the third floor, the young couple decided to first find out more about the Yunling Mountain villa.
Knowing that there might be bacteria or viruses inside, they dared not act rashly and had to find professionals to investigate.
*
Ye Baoling went to the company as usual in the afternoon.
Today, the marketing department and senior management are hosting two agents from Europe.
After Ye Baoling arrived, her secretary first showed her the information of the representatives from the two companies that had visited that day.
Upon closer inspection of the documents, Ye Baoling discovered that the behind-the-scenes owner of that long-established company was none other than Raymond's family.
This world is a little small.
After careful consideration, Ye Baoling decided not to meet with the relevant personnel from the two companies.
But deep down, I had already decided to choose the smaller company, Andal, as my agent in Europe.
She'd better stay away from the Raymond family.
She instructed, "Treat them well, and don't offend anyone."
Meanwhile, the Fang family was as quiet as ever.
Fang Shanxing hummed a song as he entered the house.
Upon finding his grandfather sitting in the living room reading a newspaper, he greeted him with a carefree smile, "Grandpa didn't go out?"
Fang Dingkun hadn't slept well these past two days. He put down his newspaper and asked his grandson, "Why did you come back alone?"
Fang Shanxing explained, "Didn't Baoxin's mother's villa burn down? The Ye family isn't taking care of her anymore, so we could only rent another house for her mother. She just moved in this morning. Baoxin's mother's headache flared up again recently after Ye Baoshun hit her on the head. She's been acting strangely, and Baoxin is worried about her, so she has to stay by her side."
The reasons were quite reasonable, but Fang Dingkun didn't believe them.
He guessed that Ye Baoxin was avoiding him. He was worried that Ye Baoxin and Ye Baoling had joined forces to deal with him, otherwise she wouldn't be afraid to go home.
Although the old man appeared calm on the surface, he was actually filled with anxiety.
After much deliberation, Fang Dingkun decided to take the initiative. He called Ye Huaizhang and wanted to arrange a meeting to discuss the matter in detail.
Ye Huaizhang was in a meeting, and it took three phone calls to get in touch with him.
Hearing that Fang Dingkun wanted to meet with him for a detailed discussion, Ye Huaizhang did not refuse, "We can talk, but you should bring my wife along."
As expected, Ye Baoxin and Ye Baoling have joined forces.
Fang Dingkun agreed: "Okay. Then let's meet in Ye Qingtang's office."
There are people all outside the office; this is the safest place.
The Yulong Building is in the middle, making it convenient for them to get there.
Twenty minutes later, Fang Dingkun arrived first.
Ye Baoling was chatting with Huang Ying about work in the office. She wasn't in a hurry to see Fang Dingkun, so she left him waiting in the reception room.
Fang Dingkun was only invited in after Ye Huaizhang arrived.
Ye Baoling's chairman's office was renovated at great expense.
She spends almost as much time here as she does at home, so she needs to be comfortable.
The tables, chairs, sofas, curtains, and soft furnishings are all made with the best and most expensive items, creating a look that is both simple and luxurious, as well as comfortable.
Fang Dingkun came in and looked around carefully, then said enviously, "Such a luxurious and comfortable office, you young people really know how to enjoy yourself."
Ye Baoling didn't mince words: "The shareholders said I deserve to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. That's a bit much. I don't need to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. A comfortable office is enough for me."
Ye Huaizhang was also visiting for the first time. He wasn't the type to indulge in pleasures, but his wife was.
But he has a good eye for aesthetics, and he's certain that his wife has top-notch taste.
The three sat down on the sofa, and the servants all left.
Ye Huaizhang asked first, "Grandpa Fang, is there something you need from us?"
Fang Dingkun brought a cane today, not because he needed it to walk, but because holding something in his hand made him feel safe.
He smiled and said, "Let's not beat around the bush. Let's be frank today. I'm not going to live much longer than I am now. My wish is simple: to be able to retire well, for your Uncle Xuhua to be able to hold his position as chairman of the South China Group of Hospitals, and for Shanxing and Baoxin to have a healthy baby. I'll be content with a happy family reunion."
What a simple and normal wish it sounds like.
Ye Huaizhang retorted directly, "Grandpa Fang has tried to kill us time and time again. Now you're suddenly going to stop and say you're done, and we're expected to listen to you?"
Fang Dingkun apologized first: "Huaizhang, I'm very sorry. I was misled before. I didn't know who you had offended. Someone wanted to use me to kill you. It's not my fault. To put it bluntly, I was used as a pawn. Later, when I realized it was a misunderstanding, I immediately stopped and didn't continue to pursue you, right?"
Ye Baoling: "Why didn't it continue? Wasn't the Guling Mountain villa arson case murder and framing?"
Fang Dingkun sighed heavily: "I'm not targeting you personally. Before, I said some threatening things to Ye Baoxin so she would back down and stop bothering Shanxing. Who knew she would take it seriously and hold a grudge against me. Baoling, you should understand me. Who knew that after meeting someone as terrible as Zheng Junni, we could still become in-laws? Don't you think so? I originally wanted Ye Baoxin to back down, but she got pregnant out of wedlock with Shanxing's child. Things came to that point, and I had no choice but to agree to their marriage. I didn't make things difficult for her anymore, but she still harbors a lot of resentment towards me."
Listening to Fang Dingkun's lies and evasive remarks, Ye Baoling shook her head slightly and said, "You want to murder me and then frame Huai Zhang. Isn't this targeting us?"
Fang Dingkun: "I have my reasons. I've thought about it for two days and I've figured it out. There's no need for us to target each other and both of us will suffer. We can cooperate and reach a settlement. This would be the best solution for both of our families or for all of us."
Ye Huaizhang asked, "How can we reconcile?"
The implication is that if you want to reconcile, you should at least show some sincerity.
Fang Dingkun countered, "Do you know why I want to kill you? I believe you know something, but not much."
Tell me about it.
Fang Dingkun then recounted his story.
Of course, he didn't admit to being a traitor. Instead, he said, "I had no choice but to cooperate with the Japanese when I was forced to work with them. We were harming foreigners, not Chinese people. What good are foreigners? How many of our people did they harm during the Opium War? If I helped kill a few foreigners, I was doing a service to the people."
Ye Baoling nodded and followed up on his words, saying, "That makes sense."
Seeing that Ye Baoling might be persuaded, Fang Dingkun seemed to see a glimmer of hope. "I am the same as the three branches of your Ye family. The second branch provided medical equipment, foreign blood, and data. The three branches provided Silver Snake Mountain, and I provided the foreigners. Our interests are intertwined."
Ye Huaizhang played the bad cop: "But it was you who cooperated with the Japanese, not us. We were coerced by you."
Fang Dingkun smiled. Of their generation, only he and Ye Qizu were still alive.
He asked, "Did Ye Qizu tell you that?"
Ye Huaizhang: "You don't need to know how we found out."
Fang Dingkun: "Do you know about Raymond? Your grandfather killed your great-aunt's husband, Raymond, a British nobleman. As his brother, I was very loyal and helped them cover it up. Later, after Japan was defeated, I personally wiped out the 7th Detachment of the 8604th Brigade. What a great achievement! As for the foreigners imprisoned in the dungeon, I didn't kill them. It was your Ye family who did it."
Ye Baoling was quite surprised. She questioned, "How could we Ye family members kill foreigners? Those foreigners weren't imprisoned by our Ye family members."
Fang Dingkun coughed and said, "You can go and examine the remains inside. They died from a deadly poison. Only the hospital of your second son's family can get this kind of poison."
Ye Qizu said that the foreigners were killed by Japanese devils, and he concealed this fact?
Ye Huaizhang questioned, "Did you force them to do it?"
Fang Dingkun didn't deny it: "Otherwise, how can we say that we're in the same boat?"
Ye Baoling feigned ignorance: "How can I get in to examine the remains?"
Fang Dingkun: "If you report me, I will naturally inform the police and have them exhume the bodies for an autopsy. The bones of those foreigners will definitely be blackened from poisoning. At that time, all four of our families will become traitors. I am one family, and you are three families. Think about it, who will suffer more?"
That old geezer is a master at coercing people.
The young couple exchanged glances, and then Ye Baoling said, "Reporting this won't do us any good, but we need your guarantee that you will never lay a hand on us again."
Seeing their compromise, Fang Dingkun quickly smiled and said, "I promise. I will never lay a hand on you again. For the past forty years, I have been able to coexist peacefully with the three of you because we were open and honest with each other and kept our secrets. Today, we've also been open about it. We don't need to kill each other for the lives of a few foreigners, don't you think?"
Ye Huaizhang seemed convinced and nodded: "Then should we draw up a written agreement?"
Fang Dingkun was unwilling, fearing he would be tricked: "Times have changed. There's no point in writing a contract. As long as we're willing to keep each other's secrets, we can let bygones be bygones, and we can work together in the future. Our hearts are more important than any written agreement."
This old man is indeed a pseudo-philanthropist who has spent his whole life doing charity work; he always tries to deceive others with his "heart".
Finally, Fang Dingkun and Ye Huaizhang stood up, shook hands, and buried the hatchet with a smile.
The two agreed that when the police investigated the Guling Mountain fire later, Ye Huaizhang would tell the police that he had once lost a lighter.
Before leaving, Fang Dingkun said to Ye Baoling, "You need to communicate well with Baoxin."
Ye Baoling smiled and agreed, "I will try to persuade her. She probably wants to stay with her mother for now, so you don't need to worry about her. She will definitely go back later."
After seeing Fang Dingkun off, Ye Huaizhang turned to Ye Baoling and asked, "Do you believe him or your grandfather?"
Although Ye Baoling also suspected Ye Qizu, she was even less likely to trust Fang Dingkun.
"If the Japanese wanted to keep their secret, they couldn't possibly leave behind foreigners who had been tortured beyond recognition as prisoners before they left. This would be very detrimental to them in terms of international public opinion."
“Yes.” Ye Huaizhang said, “Fang Dingkun doesn’t know that we have already seen those corpses. They are all white bones, and there is no poisoning condition with blackened bones as he described. I have observed them up close. Many of them have missing hands, feet, and necks. It is obvious that they were hacked to death by the Japanese.”
Yes.
Since Ye Qizu was confident that Fang Dingkun wouldn't dare to really retaliate, it was largely because he was telling the truth.
*
Before we knew it, it was time for the 50th anniversary celebration gala of the South China Group Hospitals Charitable Association.
Grandma Guan, who had originally said she wouldn't attend the party, came with Ye Huaizhang, Ye Baoling, and others.
Tonight, Madam Kwan has another very important task: to present Fang Dingkun with the Nan Wah Group of Hospitals Lifetime Achievement Award.
The gala was broadcast live on HKTV. Guests at the event donated on the spot, while viewers at home could donate by phone.
The entire gala featured a rich and diverse program, raising over ten million yuan in donations.
As the event drew to a close, the host announced: "Next, we would like to invite Mrs. Yip Kwan Mei-tong, Ms. Yip Po-ling, and Mr. Yip Wai-cheung to present the most important award of the evening, the Nan Wah Group of Hospitals Lifetime Achievement Award."
Ye Baoling and Ye Huaizhang helped Old Madam Guan walk towards the stage.
Standing in the center of the stage, Madam Guan greeted the guests with a smile.
“I have been unwell recently and originally intended to have the younger generation attend today’s charity gala as a small token of my appreciation. However, Sir Fong extended a very generous invitation, saying that today’s event would be broadcast live on television and that I could be on TV. So, my old lady couldn’t resist dressing up nicely and coming here in person to do my part for charity.”
Everyone knew that Old Madam Guan had lost her son at the beginning of the year, and that she was able to persevere in doing good deeds, so they couldn't help but applaud and encourage her.
Fang Dingkun, sitting in the middle of the first row, smiled and clapped as he faced the camera.
Madam Kwan: "Next, we will present the Nan Wah Group of Hospitals Lifetime Achievement Award."
Holding the card in her hand, Ye Baoling continued, "Who exactly is this highly respected philanthropist who won the award?"
Ye Huaizhang concluded, "Let's watch the movie on the big screen first."
The large screen displayed a photo of Sir Fong Dingkun, followed by a biographical introduction of him.
Sir Fong Ting-kwan dedicated fifty years to the South China Group of Hospitals. When the hospital was established, he worked diligently as an officer…
Suddenly the scene changed and the voice-over changed as well.
In the shaky footage, a crooked face appeared; it was Fang Dingkun's face.
Fang Dingkun said, "I can make you the head of the charitable foundation under the South China Group Hospitals. Start as vice chairman, and when the time is right and you have more experience, I'll promote you to chairman. This job is respectable, high-paying, easy, and you'll be surrounded by influential people. You'll have fame and fortune, and you can even choose a suitable man to marry. On the surface, you'll be someone else's wife, but in reality, you'll be my woman."
The crowd below erupted in uproar.
Fang Dingkun's eyes widened in shock. He couldn't believe that this was being broadcast live on television!
He wanted to call a halt, but it was too late.
On the big screen, even more exciting content was playing.
The on-site director, seeing this live broadcast mishap, was so frightened that he immediately tried to stop it.
But the producer came over and said that the ratings had exploded and they couldn't stop.
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