Chapter 307 - The Mafia King's Theory

Jiang Xiurang bit her lip hard as tears pooled in her eyes. "She has already been hiding so much from us. S-So many years...Her children grew up and then her grandchildren...but she kept everything inside her. Why?" She sadly chuckled, "Now I understand why that butler was so kind to us?" She burst into tears. "I...I always wished how n-nice it would be if he were our father. God actually did fulfill my wish haha.."

Weizhe and Weiyuan didn't express it like their sister, but they were in a similar trance. They remembered him, working in the Underworld with Jiang Shan and then how he used to take charge of their training as much as possible. Many times, he wouldn't because Jiang Zemin was obsessed with personally training them.

But they faintly recalled him talking to them.

"Young master Weizhe. Please don't misunderstand your brother," his kind voice spoke with gentleness to it. His gaze radiated a tinge of sadness and helplessness in them and sometimes a burning emotion that the young Weizhe and Weiyuan didn't understand.

It was patience. Patience to wait just a little bit longer until that day would come soon when everyone would be set free.

"Please don't ever hate your brother," there was an urge in his voice that he desperately wanted to get across to his son.

A similar memory passed in Jiang Weiyuan's mind as well.

"You are brave to do what you are doing. I am proud of you, young master Weiyuan. You love your brother a lot, right?" He kindly smiled.

The young Weiyuan hadn't answered.

"But will you promise me one thing? Just let your brother know that you love him a lot. Just that and nothing else. Every one of your intentions will naturally come through to him. Whether you win this or lose this, please..don't stay quiet."

Jiang Weiyuan realized that what he said was similar to what Lihua did.

Talk and let your feelings be known. He didn't and that's why both of them suffered so much.

Jiang Xiurang sniffled and wiped her cheeks. "Why would she admit everything in front of Lixue now when she hasn't in so many years?"

Lihua faintly smiled. "Because she is tired now. Tired of carrying everything on her back all alone. Tired of living her life separated from the man she loves so much. Tired of being a bad person when she really wanted good for her family. Tired of being cruel to her children and grandchildren. She is just... extremely tired now."

Jiang Xiurang burst into tears.

"I think even tonight...she knew that we were organizing a birthday banquet for Mom. I think she gave an excuse to visit the Old Master's grave just so that we could carry on with the preparations."

Wei agreed. "Yes."

Jiang Weizhe pursed his lips. "Now, she doesn't want to fight back anymore because nothing is left for her to control...or for someone else," he narrowed his eyes.

Lihua said, "Grandma is definitely hiding something. But I don't know what that might be. The bigger question is that what she is hiding is giving her some of a guarantee that something will not happen."

She looked at Wei, aggrieved. "Wei, do you understand anything? I don't...It definitely felt that Old Madam was skipping something. Do you have any ideas?"

Wei nodded. "I do."

She brightened. "Really!? Tell me, tell me! What are they?"

"I have one thing to say and one thing to ask."

Lihua was puzzled.

Jiang Xiurang furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?"

Wei calmly said, "The thing I want to say is that Jiang Shan is probably alive."

Silence.

Lihua rapidly blinked her eyes until his words registered in her brain. "W-what? Alive? The little brother?"

"Yes."

"But that is impossible. He died in a car accident that Jiang Zemin arranged. The car even caught onto a fire."

"But nobody knows if he really died. There was no funeral. There are high chances that he managed to escape somehow. I cannot say about his wife and son, but he definitely survived."

Lihua was flabbergasted. "But why do you conclude this? What is the basis for this?"

Wei tilted his head. "The basis of it lies in the answer about the thing that I want to ask."

Suddenly, she was afraid to know what question Wei had to ask when he already dropped such a big bomb.

She wiped her forehead. "What is the question?"

Wei stared at her. Then he shifted his gaze towards his father and Uncle and expressionlessly asked,

"Which one of you killed Jiang Zemin?"

Jiang Weizhe and Jiang Weiyuan calmly looked back at him as if the question didn't faze them at all.

But it did faze poor Lihua who choked hard in her throat. Even Jiang Xiurang looked at them in disbelief.

"Wei. What do you mean? Killed Old Ma-...I mean Jiang Zemin?"

Wei didn't answer her. Instead, he simply waited for his answer. Lihua's legs wobbled as she thought of some incredible thing running in her mind. What shocked her more was their silence.

She tugged Wei's shirt and he immediately paid her all of his attention. Her smile faltered. "Why did you ask this?"

"It is easier to ask them rather than investigate."

"..."

"I mean in the context of why Jiang Shan is alive.." she coughed.

Wei slightly raised his brow. "Oh. It's because that's the only way it makes sense. Think about it in this way. When do you feel that you are coerced to do anything?"

Lihua touched her chin. "When somebody is... threatening me?"

"When would anybody threaten you?"

"If they know a secret?"

"Yes. It means that something exists which if came to light, could cause a problem for you. Another thing is when you have someone to protect."

"T-that is a sound logic.." she was utterly impressed.

"That's how the Underworld works most of the time," he plainly said, "By exploiting secrets."

"I see.."

historical

"In Old Madam's case, I think it's both. She wants something not to come out while also protecting someone at the same time."

"I-I don't understand hehe.." Lihua felt embarrassed.

Wei said, "Old Madam knows that one of either Dad or Uncle or both have killed Jiang Zemin. Jiang Shan, who is alive, got to know of this truth so he is threatening her to do as he says or he will bring the truth in front of the whole world and do something so that the law punishes them. So, she is protecting her son. But she is also protecting Zhao Weisheng, who I am sure, is imprisoned somewhere in Jiang Shan's territory.. She is also trying to protect his life."