"Clean up those empty bottles."

"Add some more liquor here... No more liquor..."

"The glass is shattered, hurry and clean up... Hey, where are you reaching your hand to..."

------

The girl named 'Kong Sheng' said nothing, burying her head in her work.

Like an emotionless robot under the call of those missies, she packed the empty bottles into the box at her feet, refilled whiskey into the emptied shot glasses, and even casually cleaned up the fruit peels and paper scraps on the table...

Her actions were crisp and efficient, clearly showcasing her as a professional service staff.

Kong Sheng walked up to Shen Lewen, noticed his whiskey glass was empty, and proactively poured him more, then asked softly, "Would you like ice?"

"I'll do it." The girl sitting beside Shen Lewen said discontentedly.

She was busy pleasing Shen Lewen in other ways and hadn't even noticed his empty glass.

Kong Sheng's appearance made her seem more derelict, fueling her hostility.

Kong Sheng then said nothing and walked toward the table next to Shen Lewen.

Shen Lewen was engaged in an open discussion with Zhang Jin about the current situation, his hand stroking the inner thigh of the girl beside him. Upon hearing Kong Sheng's question, he subconsciously lifted his head to glance at her.

The girl wasn't enchanting, but neither was she ugly.

The Imperial Mansion housed no unattractive women.

Yet, this girl's demeanor was somewhat unique - aloof, perhaps even sluggish.

She was memorable, as if he had seen her somewhere before.

"Young Master Wen, have a piece of watermelon." The drama school girl beside him, trying to make up for her earlier mistake, bit half of the watermelon and then offered the remaining half to Shen Lewen.

Shen Lewen took a bite, savoring the sweetness, and flirtatiously kissed her lips, saying, "That's the sweetest watermelon I've ever had."

Men are all pigs.

Shen Lewen was no exception.

"Let me feed you another piece, Young Master Wen." The girl said excitedly.

"Why eat watermelon? Have a drink." Zhang Jin raised his glass.

"Drink." Shen Lewen naturally couldn't neglect Zhang Jin. Despite how beautiful the woman beside him was, she was merely a momentary toy.

Someone like Zhang Jin was his 'ally.'

Shen Lewen picked up his glass, and after clinking it with Zhang Jin's, he finished the whiskey with ice in one gulp.

While drinking, he caught a glimpse of the girl pushing empty bottles out of the booth.

He didn't understand why a staff member had entered to clean up or why someone would remove bottles mid-event.

He never considered these issues and didn't care.

As lofty men, they only concerned themselves with receiving the best service.

The joys and sorrows of little people didn't affect him. He 'noticed' the girl only because, for a fleeting moment, she felt reminiscent of something familiar.

Kong Sheng pushed the trash cart to the waste dump behind the mansion, dumped the trash into the automated sorter, and swiftly walked toward a shadowy corner.

When she reappeared, she had transformed into Hua He with purple hair and purple eyes, her hands in her pockets, chewing bubble gum amidst a bustling pedestrian street.

A young man with braided hair emerged from a nearby milk tea shop and walked beside her through the crowd.

"How did it go?"

"Yama Water seals the throat upon contact, leaving no escape."

"Are you sure it's him?"

"Sure." The girl blew a huge bubble and said, "I spoke with him."

"Too dangerous."

"No problem." The girl confidently replied, "He has prettier girls in his arms; he won't notice my presence."

The braided youth handed over his milk tea and said, "You've worked hard. Have some milk tea."

"What flavor is it?"

"Taro bubble. It's really tasty."

"I don't eat taro."

"..."

"Lewen, another drink. May your wishes come true." Inside the booth, Zhang Jin raised his glass again, smiling and saying, "If one prospers, don't forget your brothers."

"We're family. What's mine is yours." Shen Lewen generously raised his glass and clinked it forcefully against Zhang Jin's glass.

Just as he was about to drink, he suddenly felt a twisting pain in his chest, his heart feeling like it was being sliced by a sharp blade.

Zhang Jin, having finished his drink, noticed Shen Lewen's face turning pale, his forehead sweating heavily, and his expression contorted in a grimace. He asked urgently, "Lewen, what's wrong? What happened?"

Shen Lewen didn't answer, nor could he.

He was a Cultivator, using Yin Yang Qi to protect his physical organs and functions from the poison's invasion.

Unfortunately, the poison was too fierce, his inner Yin Yang Qi felt like coagulated jelly, refusing to follow his command.

"Pfft..."

With excessive force, he spewed a lot of blood from his mouth.

Thud!

His body fell heavily onto the Moon Gold Stone table before him.

"Ah...."

"There's been a murder..."

"Call an ambulance quick..."

-------

The booth turned into chaos.

-------

Imperial Maritime Hospital. Morgue.

Shen Jianping looked at his son lying on the mortuary bed, his heart bleeding.

Upon receiving the news of his son being poisoned, he rushed to the hospital, but it was too late, the doctor had declared Shen Lewen's death ten minutes earlier.

Shen Lewen was dead.

The lively Shen Lewen had been poisoned to death.

"Dad..."

Shen Lewu's eyes showed harshness, his brother's death dealing a massive blow to him, but he restrained his grief, speaking comfortingly, "No matter what, please take care of yourself."

"I vow... I swear to you, I'll avenge my brother, find the person who killed him. I'll carve off every piece of their flesh and boil soup with their bones..."

Shen Jianping's face was as dark as water, his voice filled with venom as he replied, "If outsiders did it, revenge is natural. But what if it was our people?"

Shen Lewu was shocked, his face full of terror, "Dad, what do you mean?"

"I just took your brother to see Sheng Jing, and then he was poisoned to death... Evidently, someone doesn't want to see him ascendant."

"Could there be a misunderstanding? Was it the remnants of the Tang Family trying to sow discord within our family?"

"That's possible," Shen Jianping was dismissive of his son's remarks, "The Tang Family remnants were just exiled to old lands, they're struggling for their survival."

"The Security Bureau's people are searching like Mad Dogs, looking for traces of the Tang Family remnants..."

"The Sky Net system can monitor every corner... What kind of person could break through the net and boldly enter the booth to poison your brother?"

"But after all, we're family, why go this far?"

"Were Zhong Tianque and Zhong Tianyi not family? Same father and mother, from the same womb, yet fought till blood was shed for that position. Let alone you, who are merely of the same clan..."

Shen Jianping turned to his second son, his expression serious as he spoke, "Lewu, don't harbor illusions, and abandon your naive notions of family... The war has already begun."

"Dad... I'll definitely get to the bottom of this."

"It's impossible to find out." Shen Jianping shook his head and said, "Dead is dead, it can't be solved."

"What do we do now then?"

"Lewen's death cannot be in vain." Shen Jianping's eyes were like knives, "Those who want to ascend over Lewen's corpse... must pay a heavy price."

"..."

At that moment, Shen Jianping's phone rang.

Glancing at the caller ID, Shen Jianping pressed the answer button.

The screen immediately showed Shen Boyu's aged face, grieving as he said, "Jianping, my condolences."

"Second Uncle..." Shen Jianping's eyes were red, he said heavily, "Lewen is dead. Poisoned to death."

"Second Uncle, you must stand up for us... Lewen died too unjustly..."

"The Shen Family's blood won't be shed in vain." Shen Boyu assured, "Come back. Your eldest uncle has returned too... Let's discuss together, find a way for revenge."

"Yes, I'm returning now." Shen Jianping wiped the tear from his eye and replied.

Ending the call, Shen Jianping said, "I'm going back to the ancestral home."

"Dad, I'll go back with you." Shen Lewu said.

"No, you return to the military." Shen Jianping refused, saying, "Unless you receive my orders, don't leave the military one step."

"Dad..."

"Follow my orders." Shen Jianping barked sternly.

"Yes." Shen Lewu straightened his spine and replied.

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