Chapter 47 The End, Brother…
Ying Shixue's face was indifferent. The biting early winter wind made his clothes flutter, and his face, which was covered by ice, was as hard and cold as if it were carved by frost.
As dusk falls, the sun is just a sliver away from sinking below the horizon, and the dark, harsh winter is approaching.
In the morning, less than half an hour after Xi Bojian left, another piece of news that shook the entire city of Fan spread throughout the streets and alleys.
—The chairman of SK Group and president of the Fancheng Chamber of Commerce, a man who stands firm amidst storms and remains steadfast like a pillar of strength. The police car carrying Song Qi collided with a large truck on the ring expressway, resulting in a car accident. Two auxiliary police officers in the car were seriously injured and one was slightly injured. Song Qi died at the scene.
A long line of yellow and black police tape stretched out, and red and blue police lights flashed in a row. Reporters with their long lenses and microphones desperately tried to dig out some news and squeeze out the last bit of value, but the police blocked them from taking pictures.
The stock price has fallen to a new low, and countless people who were still unwilling to give up and were holding a wait-and-see attitude have seen their stocks rise all the way up. It is said that as a result, several people have already stood on the rooftop.
Song Mingli was extremely busy all afternoon, running around to hospitals, companies, and courts. At four o'clock in the afternoon, he suddenly received an anonymous text message.
The message contained only eight characters: "Six o'clock tonight, abandoned factory in the suburbs."
The number turned out to be invalid, but Ying Shixue sensed that it all might point to a single source. He avoided everyone's gaze and drove here alone.
This site was originally an old industrial factory that was once very prosperous decades ago. However, it gradually declined with economic reforms and development. It is unclear whether it was forgotten along with that period of history or for some other reason, but it has not been demolished to this day.
Everything inside was quite old, at least from the outside. Surprisingly, once inside, it was a completely different world, and you could even faintly hear the sounds of people moving around.
That's very strange. How could there be human voices in a factory that's been abandoned for so long?
He walked through the long, long corridor, and finally pushed open a door at the end, where he saw a figure from behind.
The incandescent light suddenly shone brightly, and the inside was filled with LCD screens on all four sides. Xi Zongbo was still wearing a black Tang suit, and his gray and dry hair showed an eerie color under the light.
Through the one-way glass window, he could see below, like a massive assembly line. Workers in uniform gray uniforms, silent and numb, mixed various powders—capsules, packaged medicines, liquids—in a crude and unsafe manner. In the end, everything was packed into boxes and shipped to some unknown, distant place.
“Look,” Xi Zongbo turned around to face him, his face wrinkling deeper as he spoke, each wrinkle concealing endless wickedness and conspiracy, and said softly, “Happiness in the world is just that simple.”
"The medicines produced here are very diverse, including antipyretics, cough medicines, anesthetics, antibiotics, antivirals, and various rare treatments."
“A few chemically synthesized products and extracted powders, after simple processing and packaging, can be sold for double or even several times the price on the black market hundreds of kilometers away.”
Ying Shixue's face was as white as snow, his fingertips trembling from excessive excitement and suppression. He clenched his teeth, the grinding of his back teeth producing a sickening sound: "What you're doing is illegal."
Xi Zongbo shook his head, and pity reappeared in his cloudy old eyes.
It's that same look again, with fingernails digging deep into the flesh, and that same haughty, all-knowing look in the eyes of someone who is naturally superior to the ignorant.
He bit his tongue to keep himself awake. On the surface, Sheng'an was just a pharmaceutical and medical device company, but it had partnerships with more than 40 percent of hospitals and medical institutions in the country. From major cities in the region to the streets of smaller towns and sub-cities, Sheng'an's presence could be easily found.
However, the profit-making process of counterfeit drugs involves multiple processes and profit chains, including manufacturing, transportation, distribution, and retail, and involves many roles such as suppliers, doctors, patients, insurance companies, and even government officials.
Even if Sheng'an could produce it, how did he manage to bypass numerous checkpoints and inspections, sell it safely, and profit successfully?
He stared at Xi Zongbo's face, which was covered with age spots, and suddenly a larger, more terrifying conjecture enveloped him.
"Do you still think that SK's current predicament is simply due to a battle between two businesses?"
A look of reminiscence crossed Xi Zongbo's face: "Many years ago, my father was a very philanderer, fathering nine children in total, both his own and his mistresses'. I was just one of the most insignificant illegitimate children among them..."
He said those three words without showing the slightest shame—after all, in the eyes of these celebrities and upper-class individuals, this was by no means a status to boast about.
"But now they have all disappeared, and when people mention Sheng'an and the Xi family, they only think of me."
"This is the power of authority, this is the starting point that changed my life!"
He pointed to the booming production line behind him: "What Sheng'an won't do, I will do. Illegal immigrants, poor people who can't afford insurance, drug addicts addicted to certain ingredients, and seriously ill patients who can't get prescriptions from doctors—these drugs are sold on the black market, sold cheaply where they should be sold cheaply, and sold at inflated prices where they should be sold at inflated prices. The profits I make in the end allow me to surpass all my brothers and sisters and gain my father's special regard."
"The workers here are all mute. They were selected from various orphanages and sent here when they were very young. And there are hundreds or thousands of factories like this throughout the country."
Ying Shixue stared in horror at the expressionless workers on the production line. Some of them were already very old, while others were just teenagers. The low-level, repetitive labor meant that they did not need to have advanced knowledge. Day after day, they were transformed into part of the black blood in the underground veins until the last drop of flesh and blood was squeezed out at the end of their lives.
An indescribable, immense anger and sorrow surged forth like a raging torrent, engulfing him as he began to recall every single clue from the beginning.
Under current laws, security is heavily protected and approval is extremely strict. Smuggling counterfeit drugs is highly profitable but also carries high risks. Pharmaceutical companies are particularly averse to this behavior. However, at this moment, Ying Shixue suddenly noticed that Xi Zongbo kept referring to the Xi family, not Sheng'an.
The law, pharmaceutical companies, and the public work together to resist all illegal activities. But what if, from the very beginning, the person in charge of this pharmaceutical company betrayed them and became part of a gray interest chain?
That's not all. Under excessive stimulation, Ying Shixue's vision went black and white in turns. Behind the counterfeit drug market, there is an even more terrifying black market for the trade of animal and human tissues.
Perhaps the laboratory where he was an experimental subject was merely the tip of the iceberg that was barely visible beneath the surface of this deep sea.
Ying Shixue stumbled and had to grab the wall to keep from falling.
"You," he gasped, his lips trembling, "how, how could this be..."
Xi Zongbo slowly laughed, his aged and loose skin revealing a strange madness: "Because, the final beneficiaries of this money are not just me, but others as well."
In the silence, Ying Shixue could clearly see the shape of his lips.
The people above.
On the surface, Sheng'an has intricate connections with various medical institutions, possessing a massive database and sample library, making it easy to accurately locate and meet customer needs. Meanwhile, an invisible protective umbrella further safeguards it. In the interplay of light and shadow, countless greedy tentacles reach out to the vast sky, towards everyone's organs and blood.
So arrogant...fingertips dug deep into the wall...so arrogant...
"Song Ze initially joined forces with me, but later he got scared and wanted to back down. It's easy to invite a Buddha, but hard to send him away. He thought he could get away unscathed after taking the spoils. There's no such thing as a free lunch!"
"From the first moment I saw you, I had a nagging doubt in my heart. Later, after seeing your physical data report, I realized that it was indeed true... You are one of the children who escaped from that accidental fire, right? I thought they were all dead."
“Mingwei is such a beautiful child. We’ve fed and clothed her since she was little, but we’ve raised a thankless wretch! Song Qi has been secretly investigating you for many years, first keeping it from the people I sent out, hiding you for so many years... Heh, he warned you, didn’t he? The waters here run deep.”
“Even he, who had reached that position, couldn’t fully investigate and bring down the criminals. Even without this incident, neither he nor Song Mingli could have stayed.”
“You,” Ying Shixue began, her voice trembling with weakness, “why are you telling me all this?”
Xi Zongbo shook his head and sighed: "No matter how arrogant they are, they still have to put on a show."
"Take over SK and join forces with me."
"Whether you are high above or low below is entirely up to me, or to you, in a single thought."
Why give up your bright future, lose everything, and fall back into the abyss for a group of people who are already dead and unrelated to you?
-
When Ying Shixue came out, the weather outside was already very cold.
Xi Bojian stood at the factory gate and immediately went to greet him when she saw him. Before she could even speak, she was stunned by his frighteningly pale face.
“You,” he clicked his tongue, “what did that old man say to you?”
Ying Shixue didn't say anything, but pushed him away and walked out.
Xi Bojian: "Hey, what do you mean by this?"
They didn't stop wiping away the snow; they just kept walking forward.
Xi Bojian finally lost her temper and grabbed his arm: "What's wrong with you?"
In a flash, he realized something: "...The old man told you?"
He clicked his tongue: "I told you you should have listened to me. Why did you have to suffer there?"
"Why aren't you dressed properly? It's so cold..." He tried to pull Ying Shixue's collar tighter, but she waved his hand away the next second.
The events gradually unfolded, perhaps from the moment he left Fancheng to the moment he went to his study, all within Xi Zongbo's calculations.
No wonder the guards were so relaxed that day, no wonder Xi Bojian's attitude was so ambiguous...
“I will not agree,” Ying Shixue said, her voice hoarse from the tension.
Xi Bojian was stunned, an indescribable anger and heart-wrenching jealousy welling up inside him: "You're still thinking about him! Whether he's dead or alive is still uncertain!"
"I won't let him die," Ying Shixue said softly, it was unclear whether she was speaking to the other person or to herself.
"Why?" He grabbed Ying Shixue's shoulders, forcing him to face him. "Why?! He's useless to you, he can't even..."
"Shut up." Ying Shixue interrupted him, pushed him away with all her might, and continued to stumble into the boundless night.
That force could only push him away, but the expression on Xi Zongbo's face was just like when he was in a boxing ring, and he was sure to win, but suddenly his weak opponent jumped up and turned into a superhero, giving him a hard punch.
His fists clenched so tightly they cracked as he stared at Ying Shixue's increasingly frail figure in the deep night, and suddenly he thought of the first time they met.
That was the closest Ying Shixue had ever come to freedom, a time when she had suffered greatly since childhood.
His body was covered in wounds, and he was pressed down in the tree hollow with others, his body tense, looking out through the grass at the laboratory personnel who came to search.
The white coat was like a deadly ghost. Li Jian noticed that Ying Shixue's fingers, which were gripping the tree bark, were bleeding from under her nails due to excessive force.
His heart was pounding. Although he didn't know who was outside, he could sense their tension and almost imperceptible fear.
He wanted to comfort the child and tell him not to be afraid, but he himself was just a penniless, runaway illegitimate child. When he moved his arm, it scraped against a blade of grass, and the people outside immediately became alert: "Who's there!"
Li Jian shuddered, but it was too late. Those people had clearly noticed this place. The leader made a gesture, and they formed an encirclement and slowly approached.
My heart was pounding, and my throat was dry.
What should I do? What will happen if I get caught?
These people don't look like good people. If they really came to kidnap this child, they might be human traffickers or something.
They'll die, or at least get a beating. The people outside are getting closer and closer; they'll discover their hiding place in just a few more steps.
What to do, what to do... He trembled all over, raised his arm, and faced with a huge threat, his human instinct led him to look at the child beside him. Even though the child was covered in dust and dirt, his soft white neck was still visible.
Let them get rid of him; they came looking for him anyway, he was just an innocent bystander...
But what if the other person betrays him after they get out? Damn it, this is so unlucky!
As the people outside drew closer, Li Jian was almost able to make out their figures. He was so nervous that sweat dripped onto his eyelashes and into his mouth, tasting salty and bitter. With his adrenaline surging, he could no longer taste anything.
The person walking at the front started to reach out and part the grass.
"I'm finished..." Li Jian thought in fear. "I'm really going to fail here today. But I'm not famous yet, I haven't trampled those people under my feet yet. It's all my fault..."
Just then, the person next to him suddenly moved.
He paused, then stared in astonishment at the frail figure, so thin it seemed a gust of wind could break it, covered in bruises and welts, who walked out step by step, firmly shielding and protecting him behind her.
The man in the white coat grabbed him and immediately began to beat him severely. He hid in the tree hole, watching helplessly as the child, who could no longer bear it, was subjected to blows many times stronger than his own. He trembled all over, yet cowardly did not go out.
Through the gap between the several burly men, he saw the child's eyes once again.
Those lifeless, empty eyes.
Even after he got out, he vaguely realized that he had accidentally stumbled upon something, but he didn't even call the police. He pretended that nothing had happened, year after year.
He saw those eyes countless times in the dead of night, waking up drenched in sweat, a nightmare he could never escape for the rest of his life.
Emotions, including gratitude, fear, resentment, cowardice, and guilt, are twisted and corrupted day by day, eventually fermenting into a strong and intense mixture.
At that time, Ying Shixue had no idea that he had been implanted with a tracking device. He simply couldn't stand idly by and let another innocent life, even if there was only a slight possibility, be pushed into the same abyss of fire as his own.
As Xi Bojian watched him walk away completely, he could no longer hold back and punched the wall hard.
His joints were cracked and bleeding, and he was breathing heavily.
Ying Shixue's weak, damned, useless, and unchanging compassion and pity! It makes everyone feel like a liar, a joke, a dark, despicable, and shameless scoundrel in front of him.
-
When Ying Shixue returned to the Bauhinia Villa, it was already very late at night.
He didn't know how he got to Song Mingli's study, where the other man was still dealing with a mess of group affairs.
He walked in like that, completely oblivious to the fact that he had reappeared in the meeting video that everyone could see.
Song Mingli turned off the video, indicating that they should continue.
Reaching out to touch Ying Shixue's face, she covered it with her hand and said, "It's so cold."
He didn't realize that his hands were just as cold.
Ying Shixue's lips trembled, and before she could speak, her vision suddenly blurred, followed by a damp coolness on her cheek.
Song Mingli awkwardly wiped away his tears, "Xiaoxue..."
The truth is so cruel and powerless, crushing everything with its destructive force, leaving no room for resistance.
"Xiaoxue, Xiaoxue..." He repeated his name over and over, as if trying to gain some kind of power from it.
Ying Shixue pressed half of her cheek against his palm, and tears welled up in his hand, forming a small puddle.
"We...we don't have a father anymore."
She lost her mother at the beginning of her life, and now she has lost her father.
From then on, in this vast world, no one will silently and steadfastly withstand all pressure and storms for them.
A wave of bitterness and pain overwhelmed him. "If, if I were to marry Xi Bojian..."
"Don't even think about it!" Song Mingli interrupted him sharply, his tone softening as he spoke.
"Only the weakest and most incompetent man would let his beloved face danger alone."
"As long as I'm alive, I will never..." Cold lips pressed against his, silencing what he was about to say.
They embraced and kissed, a kiss both tender and icy, like two wounded little animals licking each other's wounds in the dark. His brother was only 23 years old this year.
-
Perhaps Song Mingli really realized something, because that night before going to bed, Song Mingli brought him a cup of warm milk.
This is a habit they've had since childhood; the person who hands him the cup is the one he trusts most in the world.
Ying Shixue, without suspecting anything, drank the glass of milk little by little.
His eyelashes were lowered, so he didn't see the deep longing in Song Mingli's eyes.
Song Mingli sat beside him, hugged him, stroked his back gently, and kissed his forehead, the corners of his eyes, and his cheeks.
Ying Shixue finally felt his consciousness fading away in terror. He clutched Song Mingli's clothes: "You,"
The drug had already taken effect by the time he spoke, and his voice was so low and weak that it was almost inaudible: "What did you add to the milk?"
Song Mingli kissed the corner of his lips: "Get a good night's sleep. When you wake up, you'll be in a new place, and everything will be fine."
"I'm sorry, I lied to you again."
His voice was low and hoarse, as if he had grit in his throat: "Actually, I'm just... a person without much ability. I might not be as powerful or omnipotent as you imagine..."
"But I want you to grow up peacefully and safely. I want to see you always be that cold and proud person who doesn't care about the outside world and never have any worries or troubles."
Her eyes welled up with tears: "When we get there," she said, her voice choked with emotion, "you must eat well, sleep well, wear warm clothes in the cold, and not catch a cold, even without me..."
He couldn't continue speaking at this point; tears streamed down his face, soaking the front of his clothes. Ying Shixue clung to him desperately, refusing to let him fall into a deep sleep.
Under the influence of the drug, he had almost no strength left, and he cried so hard he nearly fainted: "No, I won't..."
Song Mingli kissed him one last time, then put him back on the bed and helped him adjust to a comfortable position.
Tears quickly soaked his pillowcase. He tried to grab Song Mingli but couldn't. The other man pried open his fingers one by one, kissed them, and resolutely turned and left.
Where are you going? Are you leaving me too?
"Song Mingli!" he shouted with all his might, panting.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Song Mingli's figure stopped at the doorway. Ying Shixue's tears streamed down her face: "If you leave, I will..."
“I will never, ever,” he gasped, “reject you again.”
Don't go, don't go.
In the distance, in his final moments as a teenager, his figure seemed to tremble, but still, resolutely, he left.
-
When Ying Shixue regained consciousness, he jumped up and, ignoring the advice of those around him, fell down because his legs were weak from being in bed. Amidst gasps of surprise, he pulled out the date on his phone.
It was already two days later.
People nearby tried to help him up, but Ying Shixue smashed the IV bottle and, holding the glass, stabbed it into her own carotid artery.
The man was so frightened he almost jumped out of his skin and was about to kneel down: "Young Master, Young Master, please don't, please talk this out."
The shards of glass cut his hand deeply, and blood flowed and dripped from his porcelain-white arm like a broken stream, a shocking sight.
"Go back to Vatican City."
He repeated himself: "I want to go back to Fancheng to see Xi Zongbo."
-
Xi Zongbo looked at the person standing in front of him and waved away his angry subordinates.
Ying Shixue's face was as white as snow in winter: "I promise you."
Xi Zongbo said leisurely, "If you had said that a few days ago, I might have gladly welcomed it, but now..."
Ying Shixue remained completely unchanged: "For many days now, I've been thinking, even if you want to support a puppet, SK has so many others that they can support, why did you have to come to me and reveal everything to me?"
"Because of my blood type..." he said.
“The laws are becoming increasingly strict now, your profits have been declining year by year, and your health is also deteriorating, but you still need it.”
He took a breath: "You still desperately need someone whose blood type and bone marrow are a perfect match for yours to test the drugs and donate blood."
Xi Zongbo's expression changed at this moment, and his cloudy eyes narrowed.
"I'll help you manage SK, and then I'll be your guinea pig."
Xi Zongbo's face was grim, and his eyes, gleaming with a sharp light, looked at him.
"...Your request."
Ying Shixue finally revealed her first pale smile in days, a fleeting, captivating beauty.
He said softly, "Let him go."
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