At eight o'clock that night, Lin Han finished washing up and got ready for bed.
Maintaining good health started with good habits — staying up late only led to kidney trouble.
After all, his grand plan for the future was to conquer every heroine in sight. As a real man, he had to take care of his kidneys!
In the neighboring bedroom — just as lavish — Aoi sat blankly on the soft velvet bed, her eyes filled with uncertainty and a mix of complicated emotions.
Originally, she had planned to stand guard outside Lin Han's room all night, but he had insisted she stay here to rest.
Since childhood, she had never slept on such a soft and comfortable bed. During missions, even finding time to sit and rest had been a luxury.
Before coming here, the most comfortable bed she'd ever slept on was a hard wooden plank — being able to stretch her body out completely had been one of her few moments of happiness.
And now, suddenly it felt as though she'd gone from wielding a musket to a laser cannon — this kind of happiness almost didn't feel real.
After sitting upright for a long while, she finally stood up and went to take another shower, even though she had already washed that morning.
Carefully, she lifted one corner of the blanket and slipped inside inch by inch, smoothing it out so as not to wrinkle the luxurious sheets.
At that moment, Aoi looked like a little girl from the slums who had just been given a Barbie doll — the more she cherished it, the less she dared to touch it. It was something precious, hidden deep within her heart, a small piece of happiness that belonged only to her.
Next door, Lin Han had just downed a cup of tonic tea and was lying sprawled across his bed, ready to sleep, when his phone rang.
It was Liu Ya — the wife of Old Wang No. 9 — calling.
The moment he saw the name, Lin Han knew it must be about Wang Laojiu's test results for stomach cancer.
He'd thought the results wouldn't be ready until tomorrow, but clearly, the speed of the wealthy was not to be underestimated.
As soon as he answered, Liu Ya's tearful voice came through.
"Xiaolin, it's Auntie Ya. Remember how you told your Uncle Tianxiang to get his stomach checked today? Right after you left, I took him in — the results just came out. It's bad news... it's stomach cancer. Wuwuwu..."
Lin Han, who already knew the outcome, felt no emotional ripple at all. But he still put on a show of shock and concern.
"No way! It's that serious?" he exclaimed.
"Exactly," Liu Ya sniffled. "The doctor said we were lucky to catch it early, so it's not too serious yet. But still, if not for you, the consequences would have been unimaginable. I really don't know how to thank you enough."
If you really want to thank me, Lin Han thought with a smirk, you and your daughter could both serve me tonight. I wouldn't mind — a ripe peach has its own flavor after all, hehe.
Out loud, he simply said in a comforting tone, "There's no need to thank me, Auntie Ya. What matters most now is taking good care of Uncle Tianxiang."
The one most devastated by this was undoubtedly Wang Laojiu.
Even though it was an early-stage cancer, with current medical technology he'd be lucky to survive a few more years — that alone would be considered a miracle.
More importantly, the news couldn't be leaked. If word got out, the Wang family's entire empire would crumble overnight.
The Wang Group currently operated several large industrial factories with annual outputs in the tens of billions, and also held shares in numerous listed internet companies — a mix of virtual and physical industries, with total assets exceeding one hundred billion.
Wang Laojiu and Liu Ya were major shareholders, but not absolute controllers. Together, they owned just over forty percent of the shares.
As long as Wang Laojiu remained healthy, no one would dare move against them. But now that he was terminally ill, the moment his condition became public, the company's stock would plummet.
Other shareholders had long been restless. Once they caught wind of this, they would definitely unite to oust the Wang family, stripping them of all control.
At that point, the Wang clan would truly be finished.
Everything Wang Laojiu had built over half a lifetime would end up benefiting others for nothing.
Liu Ya sighed deeply, her voice filled with sorrow. "Your Uncle Tianxiang's completely lost his spirit. It's like he's aged ten years overnight. He's been smoking half the day, and I can't get him to stop."
Of course he's upset, Lin Han thought. He hasn't even gotten to enjoy his old age, and now this happens. Anyone else would've broken down by now — he's actually holding up well.
At least there was still time. He could settle his affairs while he still had strength — a small blessing amid misfortune.
"Auntie Ya, don't worry too much," Lin Han said warmly. "I'll ask a few of the old physicians my family employs to take a look at Uncle Tianxiang. They used to serve in the imperial palace — there might still be hope."
"Really?" Liu Ya gasped, her tone brightening. "Xiaolin, that's too much trouble for you! We already owe you so much — I don't even know how we could ever repay you."
Lin Han smiled. Ah, before it was 'thank you,' now it's 'repay.' That alone showed just how deep her gratitude ran.
"Auntie, don't say that. You've always treated me like family. This is nothing, really. It's settled then — I'll contact them right away."
"Good, good!" Liu Ya said joyfully. "Then I'll go comfort your Uncle Tianxiang. When you have time, you must come over for dinner. Think of it as your own home."
"Of course. I'll treat it like my own."
Lin Han grinned. If it's my own home, then being the man of the house isn't too much, right?
After hanging up, he leaned against the pillow, lost in thought about his next move.
Wang Laojiu would surely try to suppress the news — but the longer it stayed hidden, the better it was for Lin Han's plans. He needed to act quickly.
There was no way he would let things go as Wang Laojiu intended.
Tomorrow, he'd leak the news to Sun Li, the group's second-largest shareholder. The earlier the better — he'd catch Wang Laojiu completely off guard and force him to step down!
Once that happened, Lin Han would step in to "help" Liu Ya and Wang Chuxue stabilize the company.
By then, the Wang Group would belong to him.
The Wang family would become the Lin family!
Of course, it was all for their own good.
In the original plot, once Wang Laojiu discovered his illness, he overworked himself managing the fallout. His condition rapidly worsened, and he died within a year.
Lin Han only wanted him to put down his burdens and focus on recovery — surely there was nothing wrong with that, right?
Tsk, tsk. I really am such a good person.
The smile on Lin Han's face grew brighter. After contacting the family's old physicians, he lay back down, completely at ease. Tomorrow, he still had a date with Luo Bingyan.
That night, he had a very special dream — he dreamt he was rolling around in bed with Wang Chuxue.