CHAPTER 446: CHAPTER 414: ILLEGITIMATE CHILD

Listening to Gu Yanjing’s words, Gu Yicheng’s face instantly turned pale, his pupils trembled, and he staggered back a step.

He lowered his gaze, trying to hide his uncontainable guilt. But he couldn’t help glancing at the ancestral tablets of the Gu Family.

Gu Yanjing looked at him, paused, and said, "Yan Zhiyao is the second uncle’s illegitimate son."

Gu Yicheng looked at him.

Looking at his eyes, calm as water, unable to stir any waves.

Gu Yanjing just looked at him plainly, causing ice to form slowly in his heart, making him feel fear, his whole body chilled.

After a while, Gu Yicheng tremblingly said, "Brother, you knew all along?"

Gu Yanjing did not answer his question, but instead asked, "Don’t want him to exist?"

Gu Yicheng stared blankly at him, unable to speak.

Gu Yanjing continued, "Out of selfish motives? Out of righteousness?"

Gu Yicheng slowly dropped his gaze, after a long time said, "Brother, you knew from the very beginning?"

"No." Gu Yanjing said truthfully, "I guessed from the bait you threw out."

"Brother, you’re too smart." Gu Yicheng said with his head lowered.

Gu Yanjing said, "You’re not bad either. You are very good at gauging people’s hearts."

Gu Yicheng kept his head down, not saying a word.

Gu Yanjing continued, "You deliberately told me that Yadang Clubhouse had illegal transactions, leading me to investigate. Actually, those transactions at Yadang Clubhouse had nothing to do with the Imperial Power Club. It was you who threw out an unfounded clue, directing my attention to the Imperial Power Club."

This is why, when Gu Yanjing initially investigated Yadang Clubhouse, he found that some transactions involved the Imperial Power Club.

But in the end of the investigation.

The transaction chain from Yadang Clubhouse was quickly uncovered.

Yet the Imperial Power Club was squeaky clean.

The two had no relation whatsoever.

He realized then that it was Gu Yicheng who intentionally made him notice the Imperial Power Club.

He guessed that Gu Yicheng wanted to use his hand to deal with the Imperial Power Club.

So even at the start when nothing was found from the Imperial Power Club, he kept investigating.

Until Yan Zhiyao was forced to make a move and show a flaw.

"Brother, you knew, yet you still helped me investigate." Gu Yicheng said with his head lowered.

"Wasn’t it within your calculations?" Gu Yanjing dismantled the brotherly bond he had built, "With the bait you threw, and the Imperial Power Club being so clean, nothing could be found. You knew the more it was like this, the more interested I’d become."

Gu Yicheng suddenly let out a light laugh.

Gu Yanjing looked at him without speaking.

After a while, Gu Yicheng said, "Brother, actually I always thought I was very happy. I carry the surname Gu, from birth already at the top of the pyramid, living worry-free, getting whatever I wanted, just by saying a word. Outside, respected by people, at home, spoiled by family."

"Moreover, my parents loved each other." Gu Yicheng looked at Gu Yanjing and said, "Especially after knowing about Uncle and Aunt’s situation, I felt even more fortunate. I had wealth and power, loving parents, life went my way. Everything was good. With you in the Gu Family, I could eat, drink, and play around, living a carefree and pleasurable life."

"But suddenly one day, I found out that many things were false." Gu Yicheng gave a bitter smile, "My parents didn’t really love each other. Their affection was built on my mother’s threats. Father didn’t love me either. He despised my idle lifestyle, lack of ambition, and lack of desire for the Gu Family’s power. So he pinned all his hopes on another son. His image as a kind father was an act."

"He didn’t love my mother either. Before marrying my mother, he was already with Yan Zhiyao’s mother. He married my mother for the Meng Family’s influence. The Qian’an Group owes half of its glory to my maternal grandparents."

Gu Yanjing listened as he spoke in a low, calm tone.

"Yan Zhiyao is less than two years younger than me. Within two months of his birth, my mother discovered the existence of him and his mother." Gu Yicheng said, "My mother captured his mother, she’s now being kept at the Meng Family’s private hospital. Yan Zhiyao was sent to an orphanage."

"In the orphanage for over ten years, my father often sneaked to see him." Gu Yicheng said. "Later, my father told my mother. Yan Zhiyao didn’t know his own identity, and as he grew up, he could help them with things they couldn’t do themselves."

"That’s why the Imperial Power Club came into existence." Gu Yanjing said.

"Yes." Gu Yicheng said, "The Imperial Power Club in Jin City is the most powerful besides the Qian’an Group. So my father sent Yan Zhiyao to become the adopted son of the then-owner of the Imperial Power Club. After killing the former owner, Yan Zhiyao smoothly took over the Imperial Power Club."

"In recent years, Yan Zhiyao has done many things for my parents. My mother gradually got used to his presence and began to rely on him, trust him. Especially for certain things inconvenient for them to do." Gu Yicheng let out another ambiguous laugh, "But what my mother doesn’t know is that my father’s original intention was to have Yan Zhiyao acknowledged as part of the family. Now he even wants him to replace me."

"Recently, there have been issues in my parents’ relationship too." Gu Yicheng said, "My father is gradually becoming uncontrollable by my mother. My mother has noticed too. Their roles seem to have reversed. My mother is also anxious for me to have a child to secure my position."

"How did you find out?" Gu Yanjing asked.

"By accident." Gu Yicheng said, "I slowly investigated some things later, bribed people close to my father, gleaning information here and there, and got a rough idea."

"What about Yan Zhiyao?" Gu Yanjing asked.

"Investigating him is very troublesome." Gu Yicheng said, "So..."

Gu Yicheng did not continue.

"That woman is someone close to Yan Zhiyao?" Gu Yanjing asked.

"She is one of the small leaders in the shadows of the Imperial Power Club." Gu Yicheng said, "The Imperial Power Club is divided between legitimate business on the surface and illicit dealings in the shadows. The legitimate business is handled by one group, the shadowy dealings by another group, neither knows nor meets the other."

"What do they do?" Gu Yanjing asked.

"Besides drugs... human trafficking, organ trade, sex transactions." Gu Yicheng said, "That woman was just a small leader, she was responsible for smuggling people out. She didn’t know much, so I could only get a rough idea."

"The body of the missing female student from Jing University, was it you who had it placed on the Gu Family’s land?" Gu Yanjing asked.

Gu Yicheng glanced at him, admitting, "Yes. My influence is too small, I needed to borrow your influence."

Gu Yanjing looked at him, signaling him to continue.

Gu Yicheng didn’t hide anything, "Based on the information I got from that woman, I discreetly planted some of my people there. But they were quickly exposed. They couldn’t find out which power, just that it was from within the country."

"The body was brought into the country by them intentionally." Gu Yanjing said.

"Yes." Gu Yicheng said, "They are making a statement. Regardless of which domestic power it is, their action is a provocation, a demonstration. Telling us, even if we know what they’re up to, we can’t do anything about it."

"And the case of the missing female student caused quite a stir within the country. There are many posts online about her disappearance. Many people know about this matter. Using her to make a statement was the best choice." Gu Yicheng said, "So, after burying it, it was dug up again."

"My people were the first to discover it." Gu Yicheng said, "So when no one else knew anything, we changed the location. Placed it on the Gu Family’s property to prompt you to take action."