One always scolded her with a stern face.
One showed gentle care for her.
Who would prefer the former? Unless they were masochistic!
Tina felt wronged.
She wanted to tell Mrs. Wilson about everything Grandmother Yu had done, to act spoiled and seek comfort.
But that damned verbal agreement prevented her from telling “outsiders.”
Tina didn’t consider Mrs. Wilson an outsider, but Grandmother Yu saw both Wilsons as outsiders, having shut them out the night before.
She couldn’t tell them.
If she did, all her suffering from last night and this morning would be meaningless. Not even lasting 24 hours with the verbal agreement would be too embarrassing!
“Aunt Cynthia, it’s nothing, I just went downstairs for breakfast. I’ll make sure to rest well, don’t worry about me, you, and Uncle Ivan. By the way, when exactly is Harold coming to Pengcheng?”
Tina changed the subject, not wanting to discuss the Xu family.
Mrs. Wilson frowned. Tina had always been open with her, but the DNA test results had clearly affected her deeply—now there were topics she was unwilling to discuss.
This change made Mrs. Wilson vigilant.
And now Tina had brought up Harold.
Mrs. Wilson smiled slightly: “Oh him, he’s very wary of Ivan and me. He’s claimed several times he’d come to China, but they were all false alarms. However, this time should be real—he’ll arrive tomorrow. Tina, do you remember our plan? I’m very grateful for your help, but I’m also worried about you. Perhaps we could still change the plan?”
Tina shook her head vigorously:
“No way! If we change the plan now, he’ll drive you and Uncle Ivan into a corner. He’ll bankrupt you, leave you homeless! He’s gone too far—being the Wilson family patriarch isn’t enough for him, he won’t leave you anyway to survive.”
Tina’s face reddened with anger.
How could someone be like this?
To think she had once…
Anyway, Harold was just despicable, and she was only helping Aunt Cynthia and Uncle Ivan get back what they deserved.
Mrs. Wilson hesitated, “But when we planned this, we didn’t know about the DNA test, didn’t know you were… Tina, I don’t think they would support this. Last night, you must have noticed your grandmother is very wary of us and resents our closeness with you. Won’t this cause problems?”
Of course not!
The words were on the tip of Tina’s tongue, but she held them back.
Of course, it would cause problems.
Her brother had always spoiled her unconditionally, and as for Xu… anyway, those two would go along with her wishes. Only that old lady, with severity written in every wrinkle, showed her no mercy and was so domineering and sharp-tongued. Tina felt somewhat intimidated.
Suddenly, Tina had an idea:
“It won’t affect anything. Everyone thinks I’m immature and childish, only knowing how to spend money and enjoy life. Now I don’t want to be childish anymore. During my break from school, I want to try earning money on my own—who would object to that?”
Mrs. Wilson finally smiled warmly:
“Darling, you’ll do wonderfully. You’re friends with Ji, and what he can do shouldn’t be difficult for you.”
Yes.
Ji Jiangyuan could earn money on his own, and Tina greatly admired that.
She could try earning money herself while helping Cynthia and Ivan—killing two birds with one stone!
Tina’s double standard was obvious here—she thought Ji Jiangyuan was amazing for earning $100,000 on his own.
Yet she completely ignored that Xia Xiaolan had earned over $1 million by herself.
And still, she claimed she wasn’t childish.
Ivan said goodbye to Tina and left the hotel.
Mrs. Wilson, hearing Tina had only had a glass of milk, took her downstairs for breakfast again.
After they left their rooms, a hotel housekeeper came by with a cart and opened the Wilsons’ room door. He pulled open the cart, took out various tools, and installed some devices that one would only see in spy movies in hidden spots around the room. Then he tidied up as if nothing had happened and left with his cleaning cart.
This was a newly hired housekeeper.
An experienced hand who organized quickly and efficiently, starting work as soon as possible.
Downstairs, during lunch break, the housekeeper secretly made a phone call:
“Everything’s done.”
“Wait for the next instructions. Keep working at the hotel for now.”
…
Ah Hua hung up the phone, hurriedly ran upstairs, and whispered a report in Du Zhaohui’s ear.
“Good, I trust your work.”
It’s only in critical moments that you learn which friends are reliable.
When Tang Jinyun was critically hospitalized, Tang Yuanyue rushed back to Hong Kong, with Du Zhaohui following close behind. Hong Kong media blocked the hospital entrance, desperate to know Tang Jinyun’s condition. Tang Yuanyue was extremely frustrated, so Du Zhaohui had people play bad cop to drive away the reporters.
Du Zhaohui didn’t care if reporters wrote negatively about him.
He didn’t have a good reputation in Hong Kong anyway.
Tang Yuanyue was moved but couldn’t express his gratitude.
Because Tang Jinyun’s condition was truly critical!
He was still in emergency care.
It had been almost 24 hours since the onset—even if they saved his life, could they preserve his cognitive functions?
Tang Yuanyue was furious upon returning to Hong Kong. Such major news should have been contained immediately, but now all of Hong Kong was discussing it. Some were saying Tang Jinyun’s sudden critical condition left no time for a will, and if he didn’t survive this crisis, the Tang family would surely fall into chaos… Tang Jinyun fell ill on Sunday and affected by these chaotic reports, Yuhua Group’s stock price fell significantly when the market opened Monday!
This was infuriating.
After China and Britain signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration, market sentiment turned optimistic, with large capital inflows in the stock market. The Hang Seng Index had risen from around 1,000 points in 1984, and just last month, in late February 1987, it broke through 2,800 points. Yet while the overall market was celebrating, Yuhua was falling!
Hong Kong investors who held Yuhua stock were cursing while wailing.
Tang Yuanyue could handle a few days of falling stock prices.
But Tang Jinyun’s condition was truly dire… Third brother Tang Zerui rushed back from Indonesia immediately, second brother Tang Kaijie flew more than ten hours from Britain, only to be surrounded by paparazzi upon landing.
These heartless reporters immediately asked Tang Kaijie how much inheritance he expected to receive.
Tang Kaijie lost control, bypassed his bodyguards, knocked down the reporter’s camera, knocked out two of the reporter’s teeth, and threw a stack of cash in his face, telling him to get medical treatment!
The reporter vowed to sue Tang Kaijie to the end, but Tang Kaijie ignored him.
All three Tang brothers kept vigil outside the hospital room.
Du Zhaohui felt the heavy atmosphere but didn’t know how to comfort Tang Yuanyue.
Doctors came and went, Mrs. Tang’s hopes rising and falling.
At times like these, survival had nothing to do with status—it was all up to fate.
Money could buy the best emergency care, but doctors couldn’t snatch life back from the King of Hell—25 hours after onset, Tang Jinyun died at Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital despite resuscitation efforts. He was 61 years old.