Everyone at the table knew that Hu Li's words were a form of provocation, but what he said made sense. Although they remained silent, they had already decided what their next steps would be.

The discussion went on until late at night before everyone quietly left. When only Hu Li and his father were left in the room, Hu Li's father relaxed and said, "After this incident is over, you should take over the position of family head. By then, no one will have any objections."

Hu Li's performance that night was flawless—deep insight, decisive decision-making, thorough analysis, and masterful management.

However, Hu Li no longer maintained his earlier composure. There was now a hint of displeasure in his eyes, possibly emotions he had been suppressing all along.

"Wasn't all of this part of your plan?" The family's crisis had become unmanageable, partly because his father hadn't dealt with it proactively or had deliberately delayed his actions. His goal was simple—to force him to come back.

Hu Li's father coughed twice and said earnestly, "As a member of the Hu family, it's impossible to have freedom or enjoy the peaceful life of ordinary people. You've done well enough; you've gained an unforgettable year of memories."

To protect Hu Chen, Hu Li didn't bring his photo with him when he left; he only had a recent photo of Hua Yan in his wallet. "I understand this, but I hope you also understand that Hua Yan is off-limits."

Hu Li's father's expression changed slightly, and he was surprised. He hadn't expected Hu Li to be so straightforward on the first day. He reassessed Hua Yan's importance. It was now clear that Hua Yan had become an untouchable issue.

After weighing his options, Hu Li's father decided that unless something unexpected happened, he would remain silent on the matter of Hua Yan. He would neither approve nor oppose, leaving everything to Hu Li and Hua Yan to handle.

"If you insist, I'll remain silent. Whether it lasts will be up to you."

"Alright. I'm going to sleep now." Without waiting for his father to speak, Hu Li turned to leave. His father suddenly remembered something and hurriedly called out, "Wait..."

Hu Li turned around, his dark eyes fixed on his father. Feeling a sudden fear, his father still managed to speak, "Your mother is also here. She's been thinking about you. Go see her."

Hu Li paused, then shook his head, "It's too late today. I'll see her tomorrow." Without looking back, he went to his room. Though exhausted, Hu Li couldn't fall asleep.

He looked at the photo in his wallet, and his thoughts drifted far away. He wondered if Hu Chen was hungry, if his small body was crawling all over the bed refusing to sleep, if Hua Yan was resting well, and if Nanny Chang, who was taking care of her, was managing everything properly...

Thinking of these things, Hu Li eventually fell asleep. Outside, the guards were rotated frequently, all of them trusted subordinates who had returned from the mainland with Hu Li. The frequent changes ensured that everyone was alert and in peak condition for any potential conflict.

The next morning at seven, Hu Li was woken by his mother's voice outside. After washing up, he came out to see his mother, whose smile was brighter than a flower when she saw him.

She held his hand, chatting endlessly. At the breakfast table, she kept putting food on his plate, trying to make up for the time they had been apart.

Although Hu Li appreciated his mother's concern, he couldn't get over her disdain for Hua Yan, which dampened the warmth he felt.

Seeing the growing pile of food on his small plate, Hu Li frowned and said helplessly, "Mother, that's enough. You should eat too."

Even Hu Li's father, who had been quietly drinking his porridge, spoke up, "He has things to do."

With Hu Li's father speaking, his mother restrained herself. After Hu Li finished his food, he immediately left to deal with the troublemakers within the Hu family.

Hu Li's sudden appearance, coupled with the list of disloyal members he had prepared long ago, caused a day filled with panic, crying, begging, and even curses from those who knew they wouldn't survive much longer. The sounds of fear and despair echoed throughout the Hu family estate.

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By the time Ke Shaozheng and his heavily pregnant wife, Cai Cai, visited in the afternoon, the Hu family had already returned to tranquility, as if the events from earlier were mere dreams.

Ke Shaozheng and Cai Cai's visit was not just a friendly reunion but also a mission to probe the Hu family's situation.

Due to Hu Li's meticulous arrangements, they only learned about the purge of the family's troublemakers in the afternoon but couldn't get any inside information.

Hu Li had no intention of letting them easily gather information.

The three sat together, chatting about irrelevant topics. Ke Shaozheng repeatedly tried to steer the conversation towards the events at the Hu family, but Hu Li skillfully ignored these attempts, never taking the bait.

"Isn't Cai Cai's baby due in a little over a month?" Hu Li asked.

"How did you know that?" Cai Cai asked in confusion. No one outside knew about her pregnancy.

People thought the baby was due in at least three months. Her prominent belly might have made people suspect she was expecting twins.

"My cousin seems very interested in our family matters. But I wonder why you returned alone. Didn't your wife come back with you? Could it be that you have abandoned her?" Hu Li asked pointedly.

"Why, cousin, are you also interested in my family affairs?" Ke Shaozheng was taken aback and couldn't continue the topic.

"You two are already married, and yet you didn't bring her back from Germany. Is it because it's not advisable for her to travel long distances?"

"Ah, could it be that she's pregnant?" Ke Shaozheng exclaimed. He was genuinely shocked at first, but then he started plotting how to use Hua Yan's pregnancy to create an irreconcilable rift between Hu Li and his mother.

"You don't need to worry about that. I have many things to attend to today, so I won't keep you any longer." Hu Li's eagerness to see them off only confirmed to Ke Shaozheng that there was a secret he didn't want anyone to know. They would likely try to use Hua Yan's pregnancy to their advantage.

Unfortunately for them, Hu Chen was already safely born, making their schemes futile.

Moreover, the busier they were, the less they could focus on everything. This was an outcome Hu Li was pleased to see. The fewer obstacles to the Hu family's contraction of its businesses, the fewer losses they would suffer.

As they left, Cai Cai deliberately slowed down and distanced herself from the smug Ke Shaozheng, whispering to Hu Li, "Be careful of Long Da."

An hour after Ke Shaozheng and Cai Cai had left, Hu Li was still sitting in the living room, his brow furrowed.

Be careful of Long Da? There was nothing wrong when they rescued Long Da. Although he was weak, his eyes showed no signs of abnormality. Why had Cai Cai given such a serious warning?

Despite racking his brain, Hu Li couldn't think of anything amiss. Nonetheless, he instructed his people to keep an eye on Long Da and report any unusual activity immediately.

Over the following month, the Hu family's businesses were successively acquired, and their status in the business world plummeted. The Hu family members began to keep a low profile, missing several major banquets.

As a result, Hu family servants started getting bullied outside, and the children of the side branches faced exclusion and humiliation from other noble families.

Meanwhile, the Ke and Cai families quickly rose to prominence, becoming the new favorites in the business world. Many people visited them daily, hoping to curry favor and secure benefits by associating with their newfound success.

This starkly contrasted with the now desolate Hu family.

While the contraction of the Hu family's businesses went smoothly, internal issues arose. The heirs of the side branches, regardless of their talents, grew increasingly resentful. They became less receptive to their elders' advice.

When these selected heirs occasionally encountered Hu Li, their eyes still held fear but lacked respect, showing instead dissatisfaction. Hu Li would often sigh helplessly at his innocence and worry about winning them over.

He wanted to scold them for being foolish but knew he had to find a time to lay everything out clearly.

After the elderly members of the side branches retired, their children took over their positions and responsibilities. If this group didn't wake up soon, it would ultimately be Hu Li's problem when he assumed his position.

In the evening, those who had been notified to dine with Hu Li entered the spacious, solemn dining room in groups of three and two. This room, which could accommodate more than twenty people, was rarely used. It was only utilized when the head of the family had something to say, someone needed to be commended, or someone was in trouble.

Tonight, the hearts of these young people were pounding. Of course, some quick-witted individuals walked quietly. Each of the more than twenty people had different emotions in their eyes.

Observing their every move from the second floor, Hu Li had already made further decisions. Soon, some of them would assume important positions; some would be transferred from their original posts to jobs more suited to them.

For example, those who liked to play and socialize would be assigned to the public relations department, with a large budget to spend each month. The only requirement was that they get to know everyone Hu Li wanted, down to the midwives present at their birth.

No one knew what happened in that room that night, but after that night, the successors of the side branches stopped being restless and were busy daily or disappeared for months.

No one knew what these people were doing, not even Hu's father asked much because each generation's head of the family had to personally subdue these side branch successors. This was why there had been no rebellion from the side branches during the tenure of any head of the Hu family.

Even during the current crisis, the internal traitors and disloyal individuals were not from the current heads of the side branches.

Hu Li, on his way back to his bedroom, was called to the study by his father.

"Is the inside clean now?"

"No, it's not."

"Why?" Hu's father couldn't understand.

"The real masterminds haven't been uncovered. Keeping them around is still useful."

Hu's father suddenly understood, smiling as he let the matter drop, then asked, "I heard Hua Yan is pregnant?"