Chapter 78

Chapter 78

The Yan Corporation's research team winning an international contribution award in biology naturally drew intense media and public attention.

Over the past two days, numerous international media outlets had requested interviews, but Yan Shiqi knew now was not the time to publicly introduce Gao Langdong. He politely declined every interview request from various circles.

Information regarding the identities of the core team members was also kept strictly confidential.

Despite this, no one outside dared voice a single word of complaint, fearing they might disturb the genius scientist who had burst onto the scene.

Inside the office, Gao Langdong took his glasses off. "Mr. Yan, thank you for helping me so much."

Xie Yunshen thought the gesture of removing glasses felt somewhat like a classic villain unmasking.

Could this guy be a double agent?

Because of Shang Guanhong's influence, he now subconsciously pegged anyone wearing glasses as potentially belonging to the antagonist camp.

Yan Shiqi said, "It's Yan Corp that should thank you, for allowing us to share this honor with you."

Gao Langdong's next words dispelled Xie Yunshen's doubts. He lowered his head with a bitter smile. "I've grown disillusioned with honor. When someone is dead, even the greatest honor is meaningless."

He looked at Yan Shiqi. "Actually, I lied to you last time. Regarding some matters about the Top Star Gate... I've gathered some intel. I didn't dare give it to you before; I was afraid I might be betrayed... But now I'm certain. Your integrity matches what I'd heard."

"What do you intend to do?" Yan Shiqi sat opposite him, his expression grave.

"This time, I plan to use the award ceremony. In front of the international committee, I will expose to the world the underground experiments conducted by the Top Star Gate. Including how they use infants to create rejuvenation elixirs for the wealthy, with a single dose selling for tens of millions..."

As he spoke, Gao Langdong kept his head bowed. His hands wouldn't stop shaking, and his eyes blinked nervously.

"Actually, I also know an earth-shattering secret." Gao Langdong seemed to have steeled his resolve. "If I don't make it back alive this time, I don't want this secret to disappear with me."

Gao Langdong was already aware of his precarious situation, speaking as if delivering his final instructions.

"Tell me." Yan Shiqi's gaze undoubtedly gave him immense conviction.

Gao Langdong's voice grew steadier. "Actually, Shang Guanhong is currently the primary controller of the Top Star Group. He is the original Gate Master from back then."

Upon hearing this, Xie Yunshen was stunned. In contrast, Yan Shiqi's eyes remained solemn, showing no sign of shock. He had likely harbored suspicions for a while.

"That's right... Even your grandfather, Mr. Yan, hasn't seen the old Gate Master for a very long time, right? Because he has been taking that drug, his appearance has remained like that of a man in his thirties."

Yan Shiqi said, "Yes. A long time ago, essentially all affairs of the Top Star Group were handed over to Shang Guanhong to manage publicly."

"The real Shang Guanhong was his disciple, but he is already dead. He has been living under this identity ever since."

Xie Yunshen felt chills run down his spine. Suddenly, he felt that shipping Bai Le Bai with Shang Guanhong in his mind had been too much.

"You don't need to worry too much. With me and Lao Wu here, I don't think it's necessarily impossible for you to return." Xie Yunshen tried to comfort him.

"No..." His voice began to tremble again, as if chilled to the bone, his teeth chattering. He weighed his words for a long moment before barely managing to say, "I must say it... Actually, many domestic tycoons and high-ranking officials abroad are purchasers of this drug."

Yan Shiqi asked, "Do you have a list?"

Gao Langdong looked at him and finally nodded. "Yes. I saw it once and memorized it. They don't know, otherwise I would have been torn apart long ago. Their origins lie in a massive underground laboratory in Country C. Over the years, the Top Star Group has been trying to go legitimate, planning to transfer all its operations to Country C."

"Can I see the list?" Yan Shiqi inquired.

"There isn't a physical copy. But I can write it down for you."

Gao Langdong immediately used a pen to write out a table.

Xie Yunshen marveled: Not only did he memorize the names, but he also remembered the purchase dates and prices clearly.

Truly a genius scientist.

Xie Yunshen glanced curiously. The earliest record was actually from over thirty years ago.

"How can there be purchase records from over thirty years ago?"

Gao Langdong explained, "Back then, the technology was immature, so the side effects were significant, and the effects weren't very noticeable. But over the years, the Top Star Gate has been continuously improving it. The current version is effective enough to maintain youthful vitality."

"So there are no side effects now?"

"There are. I've seen the records. Long-term use leads to whole body stiffness, where even minor injuries cause unbearable pain. There's a way to alleviate it: transfusing one's own biological child's blood into oneself. However, this doesn't seem to have been verified."

Yan Shiqi took the list. Xie Yunshen, sitting beside him, caught a glimpse and felt a shiver run down his spine.

Many names at the beginning of the list were already deceased, and there were quite a few familiar ones, including the former patriarch of the Huang family, the former patriarch of the Zhu family, the former patriarch of the Northern Border Qin family...

Qin Donghai's father also took this drug?

There was also a buyer marked with the letter 'M'. This buyer was the most mysterious, having purchased the drug as recently as half a year ago.

"What does 'M' mean?"

"I don't know. At the very least, it's an extremely major player. Probably only Shang Guanhong knows."

The wealthy truly fear death more.

After Gao Langdong left, Yan Shiqi continued to stare at the paper.

His eyes were clouded with intense gloom and lethal intent. Suddenly, his hand clenched violently, crushing the paper in his fist.

His eyes took on a crimson hue, his lips pressed into a tight line. His knuckles were white with the force of his grip, the angles of his face as cold and severe as mountain peaks.

Xie Yunshen watched him with concern from the side.

Since returning from the cruise ship, he had often sensed Mr. Yan's emotions falling into a negative downward spiral, as if a giant shadowy monster loomed behind him.

He suddenly realized that in the original story, the inherent destiny of Mr. Yan was a tragic microcosm of a family heading toward ruin. His life was designed to highlight the villain's malice, to pave the way for the protagonist's rise.

It was just that these days, Mr. Yan had always been smiling at him, making him almost forget that Mr. Yan's fate hadn't become any easier, and his ending might not have become any more favorable either.

Thinking of this, Xie Yunshen's heart stirred. By the time he reacted, his own hands were already holding Mr. Yan's shoulders.

Yan Shiqi, lost in his emotions, stiffened abruptly.

Xie Yunshen lowered his head, as if comforting him, gently touching his forehead to the top of Yan Shiqi's head.

"Mr. Yan, you... can take it slowly. Don't rush."

Yan Shiqi became aware of his earlier loss of composure. He slowly rubbed his temples with his palm to clear his mind. "A Shen... don't worry, I'm fine."

Xie Yunshen released him. "Mr. Yan, you should at least smile for me."

"..." Yan Shiqi was taken aback.

Someone actually asking Patriarch Yan to smile for them—if outsiders saw this, they'd probably be shocked beyond belief.

"If you want to reassure someone, you should at least smile. That way, I can barely feel at ease," Xie Yunshen said, as if it were only natural.

Yan Shiqi looked at him and gave a faint smile.

"Ah Shen, aside from you, everyone has their bad moods. Think of it as a normal part of life."

Xie Yunshen replied, "What do you mean 'aside from me'? It's not like I'm heartless. I have my off days too."

"Then, when was the last time you were in a bad mood?" Yan Shiqi asked.

Xie Yunshen went quiet for a long moment... then suddenly realized that his last bad mood was when he read about Yan Shiqi's death in a book.

"Mr. Yan, please understand that I can also be in a bad mood. Don't treat me like a child."

Yan Shiqi took the correction in stride and said, "I'm sorry, I understand now."

Yan Shiying stood there, dumbfounded at the door. Can you blame him? He walked in just as his elder brother was apologizing to Xie Yunshen.

Just how twisted had this world become?

"Big brother, are you going to the Grand Yun Banquet in the southern province tonight?"

"Yes."

Due to Yan Corporation's award, several of its tech stocks had hit the limit-up for three consecutive days.

Inevitably, Yan Shiqi's social obligations and business invites had also increased.

This year, Yan Corporation totally eclipsed the other four major families, so it was a given that Yan Shiqi would be the center of attention.

"Mr. Yan, long time no see, congratulations! We should definitely look for more chances to work together on this award-winning project."

Everyone gathered around, their eyes fixed on Yan Shiqi, with Xie Yunshen following closely behind him.

A rich second-gen heir from the North tried to strike up a conversation with Yan Shiqi and pushed Xie Yunshen's shoulder, motioning for him to move.

Xie Yunshen gave him a cold glance and didn't budge.

The young master felt provoked and snapped, "You insolent bodyguard, what are you doing sneaking into the banquet?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the buzz of conversation and laughter around Yan Shiqi immediately died down, and everyone fell silent.

Seeing that this was the young master of a northern wine brand, it was clear why he dared to speak disrespectfully to the Yan family's bodyguard.

He had probably just arrived in the southern province to expand his business and had no idea how important this bodyguard was.

Sure enough, Mr. Yan's expression darkened, though he didn't so much as glance in that direction.

The young master, noticing the looks others were giving him, immediately realized he must have committed a huge blunder.

But no matter how hard he thought, he could only conclude that he might have spoken too loudly and ruined the big shot's mood.

"Mr. Yan, I apologize for my earlier rudeness. Let me take a penalty drink." The young master picked up a glass and downed it in one go.

Yan Shiqi finally looked at him. "Are you the son of the CEO of Laole Winery?"

The young man was overjoyed. "Yes, Yan Corporation has collaborated with my father before. I hope we can continue..."

"There will be no future collaborations," Yan Shiqi said, his voice cold, walking away without a hint of mercy.

The young master stood there, glass in hand, stunned.

An older friend of his father came over to advise him. "Young Master Li, you just burned all your bridges."

"What did I say?"

The friend shot a glance toward the person behind Yan Shiqi.

Though he didn't speak, the meaningful look said everything.

The young master looked over and saw the bodyguard from earlier.

Xie Yunshen spotted Lin Jin at the banquet.

The two exchanged a distant glance, both wearing cold expressions, neither making a move to speak.

Miss Bai, holding Lin Jin's arm, tried to pull him over to greet Yan Shiqi. After all, the Yan family was currently riding high.

However, Lin Jin planted his feet and stubbornly refused to take a single step.

Frustrated, Miss Bai came over alone.

"Mr. Yan, it's good to see you again."

Xie Yunshen noticed Lin Jin standing behind Miss Bai, glaring intently at Yan Shiqi.

Recently, due to his sister's situation, Lin Jin already held a strong grudge against the Yan family. Now, despite his objections, Miss Bai had come over to greet Mr. Yan. Adding to that was the Bai family's previous attempts to arrange a marriage.

The more Xie Yunshen thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed—it was like stacking negative buffs one on top of another.

"Miss Bai, I heard Patriarch Bai has been unwell recently. How is he doing now?"

"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Yan. My father recently had a minor operation and is doing fine now."

Rumor had it that Patriarch Bai had been targeted by the Top Star Group. While it was called a surgery, it was actually an assassination attempt. Fortunately, Lin Jin rescued him, and he narrowly escaped. Recently, Patriarch Bai had been lying low, with Miss Bai being the public face.

Miss Bai picked up two glasses of red wine and offered one to Mr. Yan. "Congratulations on the international award, Mr. Yan. Let me propose a toast."

Lin Jin watched the two conversing with cold, piercing eyes, as if the moment Yan Shiqi accepted the glass, this jealous male lead would go to war.

Just as Mr. Yan was about to accept the wine, Xie Yunshen swiftly intercepted it, looking righteous and solemn. "Miss Bai, I apologize, but my employer has recently been avoiding women. I'll drink it instead."

With that, he took the glass and downed it in one go.

As soon as these words were spoken, dozens of nearby ears perked up, astonished by the implication.

Looking at Yan Shiqi, he appeared calm and accepting, showing no intention of refuting the statement.

Lin Jin stared at Xie Yunshen in disbelief.

Miss Bai smiled faintly. "Mr. Xie, it's been a while since I last saw you."

The young master who witnessed this scene stood frozen in place. "I'm done for..."

What kind of bodyguard casually drinks their employer's wine? He showed disdain toward the renowned Dr. Lin, and even the Bai family's daughter spoke to him politely...

Just who had he offended?!

And about the Yan Corporation chairman avoiding women—his father hadn't told him that!

Meanwhile, Xie Yunshen had no idea how serious the consequences of his words would be.

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Author's Note: The Top Star Group storyline is starting to wrap up. After this, we'll move to Xie's world. Xie's worldline is relatively simple and lighthearted, focusing mainly on the two of them falling in love [laughs out loud]. Just thinking about it feels amazing. Mr. Yan has faced too much pressure in this world. Let him and Xie enjoy a good romance in another world [cheers].