Kurosaki Kimryu glanced at Rikako Kyuusei without making a sound.
Although the woman's tone was polite and gentle, the underlying meaning of her words—that she wanted to get rid of him—was all too clear.
Kurosaki Kimiya also vaguely heard some whispers from within.
As Kowloon Shih-sum aged and weakened, the vast "Nine Generations Society" and its resources were gradually taken over by this seemingly frail woman.
But in any case, this is ultimately a family matter of Kowloon World Heart.
Moreover, there's nothing wrong with what Ninth Generation Rikako said, since her elder brother's health condition is indeed not optimistic.
Kurosaki Junlong slowly stood up, straightened the hem of his suit, and then bowed respectfully to Kowloon Shixin.
He didn't say much, and turned to leave the room.
I've only taken a couple of steps.
Suddenly, Jiulong Shixin's slightly hoarse voice came from behind.
"Old buddy..."
These three simple words carry an indescribable weight.
Kurosaki Junryu suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at Kowloon Shixin kneeling there again.
A complex light flickered in Kowloon Shih-hsin's somewhat cloudy eyes.
He slightly raised his hand, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
Kowloon Shih-sum seemed to want to say something important, perhaps an instruction, a warning, or a final summary of his illustrious life.
But in the end, all his words turned into a silent sigh, and he swallowed back all the words that were about to come out of his mouth.
Finally, he managed to force a gentle and kind smile, just like decades ago when that spirited young leader was giving instructions to a newcomer.
"It's nothing... Be careful on the road. It's been cold these past few days, so wear an extra layer of clothing and don't catch a cold."
Hearing these seemingly casual words of advice, Kurosaki Kimryu felt a pang of sadness well up inside him.
Before he could reply, a beautiful figure had already blocked his way.
Rikako the Ninth Generation was already standing at the door, maintaining her dignified posture with an impeccable smile on her face.
"President Kurosaki, please leave. Don't disturb the old man's rest..."
With a soft click, the heavy solid wood sliding door closed slowly in front of him, completely isolating him from the world inside.
Kurosaki Kimyuu stood in the corridor, staring blankly at the tightly closed door in front of him.
That inexplicable sense of unease surged up into his heart once again, enveloping him tightly.
For some reason, he suddenly had a strong premonition that this...
This might be the last time he ever sees this once-powerful elder brother...
...
The indoor lighting was rather dim.
After Kurosaki Kimryo left, Kyuusei Rikako moved very naturally behind Kyuru Seishin, stretched out her slender fingers, and massaged his shoulders with just the right amount of force and skillful technique.
Kowloon Shih-sum closed his eyes, enjoying the massage, and finally let out a deep sigh after a long while.
"Lihua, you should stop. Liu Longren is not cut out for this position. Pushing him out at this time and forcing him to establish some 'Liu Association' is only harming him."
Kowloon World Heart never intended for Liu Longren to take on the hot potato-like position of president of Kowloon Group.
Although that child was somewhat clever, he lacked composure, ruthlessness, and vision; he was simply not cut out to be a leader.
Even if he or Rikako forcefully pushes him to that high position, once he's gone and without his protection, in this ruthless underworld, that child will probably be devoured without a trace of bone before long, and will be left to join him.
Even tigers don't eat their cubs; what parent wouldn't care whether their child lives or dies?
Kowloon World Heart knew Liu Longren's capabilities too well, which is why he never intended for him to go too deep into the underworld from the very beginning.
All of this was orchestrated by Ninth Princess Pear Blossom behind the scenes.
Despite hearing Jiulong Shixin's blunt words, Jiushi Lihuazi's expression remained unchanged, and her hands continued to gently massage Jiulong Shixin's shoulders, as if she hadn't heard a thing.
She only spoke softly after Kowloon Shih-sum stopped talking.
"Sir, please don't mind my harsh words. As long as you are still here, those people will naturally not dare to act recklessly. But what if… one day you really leave? If we, a widow and her children, do not have any real power, we will inevitably be devoured alive by those wolves and tigers below."
"Besides, the Kowloon Group is, after all, one of the nine dragons of our Nine Generations Society. Such a vast enterprise cannot be easily taken over by just anyone. So why can't it be one of our own?"
"Don't you often say the same thing? It's all about human effort! Although that child is still a bit immature, he has your blood in him after all. As long as he is given the opportunity to learn and grow, he might just be able to hold up the sky."
Upon hearing this, Kowloon Shih-sum slowly closed his eyes and stopped arguing.
Rikako has been with him for so many years. Regardless of her initial purpose, she has played the role of his wife perfectly, even impeccably, over the years.
Whether at home or in public, she has always given me the utmost support and dignity. That's why I keep delegating authority to her and trusting her.
I never imagined that things would come to this point, and I would find myself powerless to do anything but watch the situation spiral out of control.
That's enough, that's enough.
Children and grandchildren have their own blessings.
After I'm gone, all the conflicts in this world will be irrelevant to this old man who's about to be buried...
...
Huya Central Hospital.
The morning sunlight streamed into the room through the gaps in the curtains.
Ryuzaki sat up in bed feeling refreshed, stretched, and then slowly began to get dressed.
Just then, the bathroom door opened, and Xia Zhi walked out wrapped in a bath towel, her cheeks still flushed and her hair wet.
Seeing Ryuzaki Makoto's smug, unsatisfied grin, she couldn't help but glare at him, saying with a mixture of shame and indignation:
"From now on... I will absolutely never help you with that kind of thing again! Don't even think about it!"
Upon hearing this, Ryuzaki Makoto couldn't help but burst into laughter, his laughter tinged with smugness.
A man and a woman alone in a room, on the same bed, with their desire burning intensely, how could they possibly do nothing?
It's like some green tea girls in their past lives telling their current boyfriends, "Oh, the other person is my male best friend. We got drunk last night and just lay together. We really didn't do anything."
Only a ghost would believe such things.
Of course, Ryuzaki Makoto still respected Kaori's bottom line.
Last night we didn't break through that final line of defense, but apart from that incident, we did everything else that needed to be done.
Xia Zhi's shy yet obliging demeanor was quite charming.
Xia Zhi was annoyed by his laughter. She opened her mouth, about to say something to save face, when...
"Ring ring..."
The phone on the bedside table suddenly rang, interrupting the ambiguous atmosphere between the two.
Xia Zhi walked over and picked up her phone. When she saw the familiar phone number on the screen, her originally rosy complexion changed slightly.
She turned around and gestured for silence to Ryuzaki Makoto, who was about to speak.
After taking a deep breath, she pressed the answer button.
However, before she could even speak, a cold female voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Natsuori, let Ryuzaki Mako answer the phone..."