“Today, a major criminal incident occurred at Yunding Villa. It is reported that local entrepreneur Zhou…”
“As of this broadcast, 28 people have been confirmed dead at the scene, and more than 30 others have been injured!”
“According to information from our on-site reporter, Zhou Wanyou, the founder of the Zhou Group, and his eldest son, Zhou Feng, were killed in this incident.”
“We will continue to provide updates.”
...
The events at Yunding Villa quickly spread across Zhongjing City, gaining widespread attention.
The public eagerly engaged in speculation. After all, the fact that someone had killed the head and future heir of the wealthy Zhou family made for fascinating gossip. However, no one knew the details of what had transpired, what kind of family feud was involved, or even who the perpetrator was.
Of course, most of the wedding guests present at the scene had their suspicions. But upon hearing that dozens of members of the Zhou family were either dead or injured, including Zhou Wanyou and Zhou Feng, they refrained from further speculation.
Initially, some wondered if Yang Yi might have been involved. But now, they speculated more about whether other families might be implicated in this deep and complex situation, and they dared not ask too many questions.
It was clear, though, that regardless of which family or families were involved, Yang Yi had played some role in the incident. Yet no one saw him as a key figure; in such a near-extermination event, a little-known person like him was easily overlooked.
Still, the magnitude of the Zhou family incident made some prominent families wary, fearing potential fallout.
Apart from the nearly wiped-out Zhou family, another family that had to be mentioned in connection with this event was the Shen family.
At this moment, in a large villa in a Zhongjing City sanatorium, the Shen family's elder, who despite being partially paralyzed still held the reins of the family, was listening grimly to Madam Du's report.
Besides the elder, the next generation of the Shen family was also present: the eldest brother Shen Wu, the second brother Shen Lian, the eldest sister Shen Hong, and the second sister Shen Yue.
Shen Wu and Shen Xue shared the same mother, Shen Lian and Shen Yue were born to the second wife, and Shen Hong was the third wife’s child.
Yet, despite their usual grievances and prejudices, they all set aside their differences to listen to Madam Du's account of the Zhou family’s situation.
“That beast is that strong?” Shen Wu frowned and muttered.
Madam Du shot him a glance and said indifferently, “In any case, I'm not his match. But that's not the issue right now. Zhou Wanyou is dead, Zhou Feng is dead, and the contracts we signed with the Zhou family are now void!”
Bang!
Shen Lian slammed the table in fury. “What a loss! We not only failed to gain any benefits, but by marrying into the Zhou family, we’ve now become the target of everyone’s anger. Damn it!”
The others frowned at Shen Lian’s words, but no one refuted him, as he was stating the facts.
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“If only we had killed that beast back then instead of letting him escape. What a pity!” the elder sighed deeply.
Upon hearing this, the others also showed expressions of resentment.
After some thought, the elder said, “If possible, maybe we can recruit him into the family as a henchman.”
“What!” Shen Wu’s face changed.
“Are you out of your mind, Elder! That kind of trash doesn’t deserve to return to the Shen family!” Shen Lian also objected.
The elder’s face darkened as he was about to speak, but the eldest daughter, Shen Hong, intervened. “Elder, let’s focus on the Zhou family issue first. What are we going to do?”
Everyone fell silent at her words. The situation was too dire; they couldn’t believe someone had been ruthless enough to kill both Zhou Wanyou and Zhou Feng.
Madam Du said, “The Zhou family is finished. What’s left of the Zhou Group is a fat piece of meat, and someone will soon take it. Over the next few days, we should try to gather as much information on the Zhou family as possible. No matter who takes over, working with us will be the most beneficial. We’ll contact them directly then.”
The elder nodded. “Indeed, we are in it for the profit. It doesn’t matter who controls the Zhou family; it won’t affect our cooperation. Alas, the Shen family has declined too quickly in recent years. Otherwise, we might have been able to grab a piece of the Zhou family’s pie ourselves!”
The elder’s words left the others feeling regretful as well.
However, the Shen family was ultimately just a second-rate family, unable to make a significant impact. Without a strong leader, they had declined too rapidly in recent years.
On the other hand, the Zhou family was far stronger, one of the top second-rate families. If it weren’t for this incident, with Jin Daren from the Inspectorate Bureau backing them, they would have soon reached the level of a first-rate family.
The elder had schemes, but with Shen Xue no longer able to marry into the Zhou family, his plans fell through.
Suddenly, Shen Yue, who had been silent until now, said, “Father, all of this started with Yang Yi. Could it be…”
“Heh, second sister, you’re overthinking it. Yang Yi might have some skills, but at most, he’s just a henchman. He has no backing, no money, no power—a complete nobody,” Shen Wu scoffed.
“Yes, second sister, what are you thinking? Yang Yi is at best a hothead, totally insignificant,” Shen Hong added.
At this point, Shen Wu suddenly said, “Why hasn’t Shen Xue come back yet? Could that wretch be thinking of betraying the family?”
The others’ eyes turned cold at his words; it was clear they all harbored ill intentions toward Shen Xue.
Suddenly, the elder said, “Call her and tell her to come back. Also, send someone to investigate what’s going on with Yang Yi. How did that trash, who used to be on the run, suddenly dare to return and cause a scene at the Zhou family?”
Hearing the elder’s orders, Shen Wu was about to take action when Shen Hong suddenly spoke up. “Elder, think carefully. That wretch can come back, but she should stay in her place and not get involved in the family’s upper management!”
Everyone tensed up. Indeed, Shen Xue could return, but she shouldn’t think about joining the family’s leadership.
All eyes turned to the elder.
The elder was furious; he had indeed considered bringing Shen Xue back into the family. With a dark expression, he said, “What, do you think she won’t come? Can any of you manage the Shen family’s businesses? Haven’t you handled enough of the family affairs over the years? Look at what you’ve done to the family!”
The others fell silent, their expressions gloomy.
Although the elder’s words were harsh, they knew he was right. They were not cut out for business, and their mismanagement had contributed directly to the Shen family’s decline.
Back when the elder was in charge and Shen Xue assisted him, the family had been on the rise.
But now?
Though they were unhappy, no one spoke up.
The elder snorted coldly and said, “Call her back, tell her that as long as she returns, the promised 10 million will be given to her immediately!”
“I object!”
Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and a young man walked in. He was Shen Wu’s eldest son, Shen Ning, the eldest grandson of the Shen family.