Chapter 19 – Dog Eat Dog

After a brief silence, Yan Yongan repressed his anger and asked, "Yan Qi, do you know what you have just done?"

Even after sensing that his son was no longer under his control following the change at the conference room, he still put up a final struggle. Yan Yongan was a mess in personal affairs but rather shrewd when it came to official business. With the current situation, it wouldn't bode well to challenge his son's absolute control, something that made him indignant, helpless, even humiliated.

Hao Ritian watched Yan Yongan's present expression with an almost appreciative look. His eyes seemed to carry a smile, yet his face was indifferent. He pulled out a cigarette and with a click of his lighter, a fire ignited from it. His expression appeared hazy behind the flame.

Averting his gaze, Hao Ritian placed the cigarette tip into the flames, his actions unhurried as he lit it. He casually threw the lighter onto the table. Despite lighting it, he had no intention of smoking. He just leaned closer to the burning cigarette and sniffed its rising smoke.

Hmm, it's that familiar smell. Every time he kissed Wei Zhichen, he would catch that slightly bitter yet blood-boiling smell and although he didn't smoke, after a long time, he became fond of its scent. He bought some cigarettes of the same brand just for the purpose of lighting them up for a sniff every once in a while.

After a couple sniffs, Hao Ritian turned his careless eyes to Yan Yongan. At the moment, blue veins were jumping violently on Yan Yongan's temple, he had already been pushed to the limits of his endurance. He was so angered by Hao Ritian's laissez-faire attitude that his heart hurt.

"Oh, What's the big deal? Didn't I just fire some employees who get paid but don't do their jobs? Do you need to have that big of a reaction for such a small matter?" Hao Ritian flicked away the ashes. He sounded doubtful and bemused, like Yan Yongan's fussiness was giving him a headache.

Yan Yongan raged, "A small matter? You just took office and fired company employees willy-nilly. In the future, who'd be willing to give jobs to you? You're too young and don't have experience with companies…"

He spouted a series of perfectly reasonable-sounding justifications that placed him completely on the position of an elder and superior, as if Hao Ritian really was undisciplined and he was assiduously guiding him to return to the right path.

Hao Ritian didn't interrupt him. He watched the cigarette get shorter bit by bit, so lackadaisical that he could be picking his ears. Once Yan Yongan stopped, he airily returned, "Isn't that simple? Anyone not willing to work should resign. When the time comes, I'll hire new staff. My company is so big; I'll not worried no one will want to apply."

His simple sentence put Yan Yongan at a dead end.

Yan Yongan stared sombrely at Hao Ritian, as if he was meeting this son for the first time. Regardless of whether he was fobbing him off or if this was his true thoughts, they didn't need to communicate any longer.

On the chairman's first day assuming office, the staff on the same floor witnessed the president leaving the chairman's office after a while with a furious expression. If the chairman and president were at odds, wouldn't pond fish like them suffer?!

In the following week, all the employees of the company realized that pond fish like them wouldn't suffer at all. Although the chairman was young, he used lightning-like methods to purge the whole company. He pulled out all the cancers, and at the same time, promoted those who were capable, talented, and had contributed a lot to the company. Not only was the company not mishandled since the chairman took office, it even prospered increasingly day by day.

What's more, just as the company was changed beyond recognition, the chairman also seized several big collaboration projects, which would definitely bring enormous benefits to the company if handled well. So far, nobody could question the chairman's abilities and means.

After spending the one million he forced out of Yuan Wenyu, Cheng Nian soon became short on cash and he habitually went to Yuan Wenyu's to ask for money. Yuan Wenyu had become stressed out due to Hao Ritian; where would she have money to give him? They broke up in discord after a quarrel. However, by accident, Cheng Nian caught wind of Hao Ritian inheriting the company and gaining a firm foothold in it.

He immediately placed his intentions on Hao Ritian. He was prepared to cajole him first. If that didn't work, he would simply tell Hao Ritian about what Yuan Wenyu wanted him to do. Knocking a huge sum out of Hao Ritian's hands by playing the victim card was pretty workable too.

With that plan in mind, Cheng Nian soon took action and rode a cab straight to the Yan company. Ever since Hao Ritian took over the company, he never came back to the Yan House. Cheng Nian only came to know of this after a couple of unsuccessful attempts to corner him. Since he couldn't corner him, he could only launch an attack.

...

"Chairman Yan, Cheng Nian got into a road accident and is currently at First Hospital." Tang Qi notified Hao Ritian without delay the moment he knew of this accident. By the reason that the chairman had asked that he report to him as soon as possible if Cheng Nian had a mishap.

In fact, he was puzzled that the chairman would pay attention to a cousin who was so distantly related. In his opinion, Cheng Nian and Chairman Yan were people from two totally different worlds. The distance was as vast as an ordinary person and a genius. There should be no need for them to intersect.

Nevertheless, although he thought so in his mind, he still carried out his orders rigorously and sent people to keep an eye on Cheng Nian, which is how he learned of Cheng Nian's accident as quickly as he did.

Brightness flitted by the depths of Hao Ritian's eyes. "Has the culprit been caught?"

Tang Qi meticulously replied, "The culprit ran away after hitting him, but the accident happened not far from our company, so the person sent to watch Cheng Nian memorized the license plate number and called the police."

Hao Ritian's expression became easy going at once. After a while, he got up and said, "Well done. Come with me to the hospital."

Along with Tang Qi and two bodyguards, Hao Ritian soon arrived at the First Hospital on Cheng Nian's heels. They were only a few minutes apart in arrival time.

Because Cheng Nian was just sent over from the car crash, after Tang Qi reported the circumstances, they were brought outside the operation room. Hao Ritian even met the head surgeon. He asked him anxiously and worriedly, "Doctor, please do your best to save my cousin, no matter what the cost."

This was the first time he had ever called Cheng Nian cousin, and would also be the last time.

The head surgeon wearing a mask said solemnly to him, "Of course."

The operation room had been closed, and the red light indicating the operation was in progress shone glaringly. Hao Ritian sat in the corridor outside of it, waiting. When the surgery had been underway for ten or so minutes, police officers came. There were four of them, three men and one woman. The sole police woman stood in front of him and asked, "Are you the patient's family?"

Hao Ritian raised his head. The rim of his eyes were slightly red and he nodded with a look of profound sorrow, but he didn't speak.

The police could understand his feelings so they didn't force him. They just spoke with a serious expression, "Can you make decisions for the patient? The culprit has been caught, but we suspect this traffic accident was deliberate murder, so we need to investigate further. We hope we can get the cooperation of the patient's family."

Hao Ritian looked shocked. "Murder? Who would want to kill my cousin?"

The police saw his agitation and disbelief, and had to placate his state of mind first. "Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this as soon as possible, so we need to have your cooperation."

If not for the crowd reporting to the police in time, the perpetrator might've escaped a long time ago. Added to that, the road where the incident happened had no security cameras and the license plate the perpetrator used was unregistered, every link had been crucia for catching him and determining this to be a intentional murder case so quickly.

The police in charge of investigating this case thanked their lucky stars.

Under their pacification, Hao Ritian finally cooperated with the police and clarified Cheng Nian's origin, identity, as well as his relationship with him. "Cousin came to our home roughly two years ago and has stayed here ever since. He doesn't have any other family. Since such a big thing has happened to him, of course I have to find justice for him. Please notify me first if the case makes any progress."

The policewoman serving as the leader nodded after asking a few more questions in detail. "Thank you for your cooperation, Chairman Yan. I'll be sure to inform you of any follow-up situations. Don't worry about that."

They didn't expect the young man in front of them to actually be the chairman of the Yan Company. The four police officers were inwardly surprised but were very satisfied with his cooperative attitude.

"Please let us know when Mr. Cheng wakes up, Chairman Yan. Now we need to go to the Yan House to learn more information from Ms. Yuan, so we'll be taking our leave." After leaving a phone number, the four police officers left in a hurry.

Hao Ritian rested his arms on his legs while his hands covered his face. To outsiders, he might seem worried and sad. After all, police officers had come to interrogate him, those passing by could all see that. If they were in his shoes and their relative was in the operation room, possibly due to intentional homicide, they would be worried as well.

However, Tang Qi had a bizarre look on his face. If someone were to say Chairman Yan really cared about Cheng Nian, he would be the first to disbelieve. After all, through investigating him, he had a certain understanding toward Cheng Nian. Chairman Yan couldn't possibly really care about such a person.

But Chairman Yan had ordered him to watch Cheng Nian, and he had a high level of interest towards him. The police had relied on their informants' secret aid to have progressed this fast. Perhaps Chairman Yan had anticipated this would happen earlier?

Tang Qi blanked his expression and curbed his thoughts. No matter the situation, he didn't need to go deep into it. As long as he did what he was responsible for, that was enough.

One had to admit that Tang Qi understood Hao Ritian to a certain degree. How could Hao Ritian really feel sad about Cheng Nian? It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was feeling excited right now. He had expected this result a long time ago but he was still rather happy. After all, those irksome scum would all be taken care of soon.

He wiped his face and lifted his head. He leaned back onto his chair, his eyes empty. For a moment, he wasn't thinking about anything.

Suddenly, his phone rang. Hao Ritian dug it out and a familiar name jumped on the screen. His face unconsciously carried a smile. "What can I do for you, President Wei?"

Ever since they became closer and closer, he would only call the other party 'President Wei' when he was teasing him.

"Where am I? I'm in the hospital."

"No, I'm fine. You don't need to come. It's Cheng Nian who got into a traffic accident. He's currently undergoing surgery. I'll come back after it's over."

"Alright, I'm hanging up."

Tang Qi wasn't far from Hao Ritian. So he could hear Second Master Wei's faint voice coming from the phone. He had become used to the concern Second Master Wei displayed towards Chairman Yan and his anxiety when he thought Chairman Yan was in the hospital due to an accident.

Hao Ritian who hung up quirked his lips, though the words he repeated carried some dislike, "Really sticky."

The thoughtful phone call made the waiting time seem to go faster. The red light of the operation room turned green and the door opened. The exhausted-looking head surgeon walked out.

Hao Ritian came forward. "Doctor, What's the situation?"

The head surgeon took off his mask. Although he looked worn out, his eyes were very bright, "Fortunately, I haven't failed my task. The patient was rather lucky. Besides his abdominal cavity, which suffered heavier damage, the others are minor injuries. The surgery was successful. As long as he has a good rest after this, he'll be alright."

Hao Ritian said with relief. "That's great."

If he really died here, he would have gotten off too lightly. Living like this was the best punishment for him.

The head surgeon's expression suddenly became hesitant at that moment, "That…"

Hao Ritian frowned. "Is anything wrong, Doctor? If there is, give it to me straight, I can handle it."

The head surgeon didn't try to conceal it when he saw his serious expression, but he still didn't look very good. "Then I'll say it. There are many toxins in the patient's body. I reckon he's used drugs before. Although I'm not an expert in this field, I could still deduce a bit of the situation after the operation. If you weren't aware of this, I hope you can be more alert."

Hao Ritian's eyes widened in shock. "How can this be?!"

The head surgeon sighed and clapped his shoulder. "Wait until his body recovers a bit and take him to do a detailed physical examination. Even if you don't do the exam, you know about his drug addiction."

He didn't continue speaking any more. He was tired after the operation and had warned about all he needed to. What should done now wasn't something he could decide.

When the head surgeon left, nurses pushed a gurney through the doors, sending Cheng Nian out of the operation room and into his ward. Hao Ritian curbed his expression and had Tang Qi pay the surgery fee, hospitalisation fee, and other such expenses. He went to the ward to check Cheng Nian's well-being and find a nurse for him before leaving the hospital.

Cheng Nian woke up the next day after the operation. After learning that everything in the hospital was prepared for him by Hao Ritian, he was immensely grateful towards him. The police also came to inquire about the situation the moment they heard he was awake.

"Enmity?" Cheng Nian who was still weak carried darkish hues in his wan complexion. He wasn't in very good spirits. He slowly shook his head after the police's questioning, "I don't have enmity with anyone."

The policewoman didn't let go of any minute details in his expression. "Are you sure?"

Cheng Nian was about to nod his head in confirmation but suddenly stopped. Because he recalled the argument he had with Yuan Wenyu before leaving the Yan House. He had gotten so much money from Yuan Wenyu; it's not that he couldn't see she was fed up with him, but he didn't care so long as he could have money. He wouldn't go so far as to call it enmity, but his conflicts with Yuan Wenyu were plain to see.

But Yuan Wenyu wouldn't hire killers just for some money, would she?

"Cousin, are you all right?"

At the sound of his voice, Cheng Nian turned his eyes to Hao Ritian and there was an abrupt change in his expression. Hadn't he wanted to go to the Yan company after quarrelling with Yuan Wenyu just to find Yan Qi? Reportedly, Yan Qi had thoroughly taken over the company, and his original intention was to confess it all to Yan Qi. So, it might not be impossible for Yuan Wenyu to have been driven to a desperate action, isn't that so?!

Once this reasoning started, Cheng Nian couldn't stop it. That stinky bitch dared try to kill him. His face became ferocious all of a sudden and his body tensed uncontrollably. So close. So close and he would've met the king of hell.

Noticing the changes in his expression, Hao Ritian smiled unobtrusively.

The next moment, Cheng Nian confessed to the police with a fierce look, "I quarreled with my aunt before the accident. The fight was quite big."

Because of this speculation, he already believed that Yuan Wenyu had done it deep inside. When he once again thought of how Yan Qi helped him and how he needed to confess sooner or later, he decided it was better to use this chance to make a favorable impression on Yan Qi.

With that in mind, he spilled everything about Yuan Wenyu's objective in finding him and the more than a year of transactions between them. Afterwards, he looked guiltily at Hao Ritian. "I'm sorry, Cousin. I was really insensitive back then. It's Yuan Wenyu who wants to harm you and she was just utilising me, so can you forgive me this once?"

"You…" Hao Ritian pointed incredulously at him, looking hurt.

Even the investigation police commiserated with him as the state of affairs they had grasped was even more detailed than Cheng Nian's confession. The investigation for this case had gone very smoothly. The perpetrator they thought would've definitely gotten away was reported by the masses on accident, allowing them to catch him at the first moment, and conduct a questioning to get most of the facts from his mouth. Adding that to their follow-up inquiries, it hadn't been a full day since the case happened and they actually had all the particulars already.

Closing their notebook, the police said to Cheng Nian, "It's true that Yuan Wenyu hired someone to kill you. The perpetrator has already confessed. Yuan Wenyu is now at the police station. We just came here to make one final confirmation."

After that, the police turned to Hao Ritian. "Cheng Nian had nothing to do with this case. His previous crimes are suspected scamming and conspiring with Yuan Wenyu to seize your family properties. By right, you can sue him. The decision is all yours."

When the police's voice fell, the one with the biggest reaction was Cheng Nian. He could no longer gloat over Yuan Wenyu's downfall. The most important thing now was himself. He didn't want to go to prison.

He looked anxiously at Hao Ritian, his speech fast and disorderly, "Younger Cousin, I was really wrong. I was urged on by Yuan Wenyu. Now, I've confessed and you know how I've treated you this past year and more, just forgive me this once. I'll definitely turn over a new leaf. Really. Everything was Yuan Wenyu's idea, it has nothing to do with me!"

The several police officers exchanged looks and quickly left the ward, giving space to the two parties.

Cheng Nian was still incoherently explaining. But he had just woken up and his spirits were poor. For a moment there, his eyes went dark. When he took in a breath and locked eyes with Hao Ritian, all his explanations stopped in their tracks.

"Younger Cousin…" He cried out. His heart was beating fast, exceeding the normal range.

The person he thought should've been sad, indignant, hurt, or angry didn't have the reaction he imagined at all. He simply looked at him with a shadow of a smile. The eyes that he thought of as beautiful and sexy on many occasions, showed indifference and loftiness in them. They watched him struggle without a word, setting off his despicableness and how ridiculous he was.

Suddenly, he couldn't continue speaking.