In the basement of Kyoto, Luo Wushuang received the news through Jiang Feihua's message and confirmed that the poison in Lin Ran's system had reached a lethal dose.
A long-absent smile finally appeared on Luo Wushuang's face—his hatred for Lin Ran hadn't diminished in the slightest.
After all, Lin Ran had humiliated him before.
Playing with the fake key in his hand, crafted to look utterly real, he began reviewing his plans.
By now, Luo Wushuang was certain: Luo Yao was truly beyond saving.
If possible, he would have loved to storm the manor himself and stir up trouble. But with Uncle Fu now in charge, he had to tread carefully.
That old man's capabilities were nothing to scoff at—deeply cunning and ruthlessly efficient. Best not to provoke him.
As for the hospital, it was under the Yi family's control. Luo Wushuang would have to force his way in if he wanted to go, and it wasn’t worth the risk. Better to wait quietly for Luo Yao’s death.
Even if Luo Yao wasn’t dead yet, she might as well be.
He was convinced that not even the Yi family could counteract his poison—after all, he himself had no antidote.When the ancestral rites came around during the New Year, he could unilaterally declare a change in the Luo family’s leadership.
Perfect.
Meanwhile, a major incident unfolded within South Korea’s Samsung Group.
Qian Yinshang and her son had nearly seized control—until Park Gukgi’s sudden reappearance shattered their ambitions.
Not only did Park Gukgi accuse them of kidnapping him, but he also displayed his injuries to the public, exposing the mother and son’s cruelty for all to see.
Park Bo-gi, already weakened, was so enraged at the sight of his eldest son’s condition that he nearly tore Qian Yinshang apart on the spot.
While Qian Yinshang and her son were taken in for investigation, Samsung’s executives and shareholders condemned them, piling on numerous charges.
Some were fabricated, some were scapegoating, and others were crimes they had genuinely committed.
The South Korean public erupted in fury, directing their outrage squarely at Qian Yinshang.
Overnight, the mother and son became public enemies, while Park Bo-gi and his son reclaimed their positions at the pinnacle of power.
Just when it seemed the drama was over, the father and son shocked everyone by turning on each other.
Park Bo-gi had assumed he couldn’t possibly lose this time—but he was wrong. He lost again.
There were many reasons, but the most critical was this: Park Gukgi had betrayed him.
Park Bo-gi had committed far too many crimes, and as one of his closest confidants, Park Gukgi knew most of them.
But what Park Bo-gi never expected was that his son had secretly gathered evidence.
With that, Park Bo-gi was finished. Death was the only path left for him.
The scale of his crimes horrified the entire nation—over a hundred lives lost, among other atrocities.
When father and son met again, Park Bo-gi’s hair had turned white, his eyes devoid of any spark.
Staring at Park Gukgi in his wheelchair, he uttered the classic three words:
"Why?"
Park Gukgi had an answer ready.
"No reason. I just realized one thing through the Luo Corporation: to reach the top, you must be ruthless. Samsung would only decline under your leadership. I’m the one who can lead it to glory."
With those words, Park Gukgi left—the last time he would ever see his father.
Of course, there was another reason he didn’t mention.
He might have… fallen for a woman.
Soon after, Samsung announced a major decision:
They would become the Luo Corporation’s permanent partner.
All of this happened in the span of a day, a testament to how thoroughly Park Gukgi had prepared.
News spread like wildfire across the globe, and Chinese netizens feasted on the drama.
[So this is how South Korea’s chaebols operate? I’ve truly seen it all now. I thought the rumors were exaggerated, but they’re all real?]
[Pfft, in South Korea, even presidential elections are decided by chaebols. A measly hundred lives? Worthless. Those Koreans can’t do anything right.]
[Hey now, don’t be so harsh. They’ve got three things going for them: First, they’re master thieves. Second, they’re delusionally confident. Third, their movies are pretty bold.]
[Art imitates life. Their films are so extreme because their society is so oppressive. It’s just emotional venting for the masses—letting the wage slaves blow off steam so they can keep grinding.]
Back in Kyoto, Luo Wushuang also caught wind of the news. He knew it was Liu Meng’s doing—after all, Park Gukgi had openly declared Samsung’s partnership with the Luo Corporation, even name-dropping Liu Meng, the head of the Shanghai division.
But this only reassured him further.
Bi Yaolian studied Luo Wushuang’s calm expression. "Husband, why do you think Samsung announced this partnership so publicly?"
In unusually good spirits, Luo Wushuang humored her with an explanation.
"It’s a pledge of allegiance. Samsung was already targeted by Luo Yao—she made a fortune shorting their stocks. Others saw that and got greedy. With Samsung in crisis, everyone wanted a piece."
"Even a giant like Samsung struggles when surrounded by enemies. By making this move, they’re flexing their muscles. Anyone else thinking of attacking will think twice. It buys them time to recover."
Luo Wushuang spoke more than usual today, which pleased Bi Yaolian—though it also worried her.
She was glad he wasn’t ignoring her, but she feared Samsung might side with Luo Yao.
"What if Samsung supports Luo Yao?"
But this was exactly why Luo Wushuang was so pleased. The more desperate Liu Meng’s moves, the clearer it was that Luo Yao was on her last legs.
He didn’t bother explaining further, merely stating, "Luo Yao’s practically dead. What good would their support do? Once we take the Luo Corporation, they’ll side with us instead."
Seeing Luo Wushuang retreat into meditation, Bi Yaolian quietly left.
In the hospital room, Lin Ran watched the news with amusement.
"Yao, you’re incredible. Even a conglomerate like Samsung bends to your will."
Lin Ran hadn’t disappeared at all—he’d been by Luo Yao’s side the entire time.
"It’s not submission yet. This is just the beginning. The rest depends on Liu Meng’s skills—this is her final test."
Lin Ran blinked. "The Shanghai incident didn’t count?"
"That was just a midterm. This is the final exam."
Lin Ran silently mourned for Liu Meng for 0.1 seconds.
A knock sounded at the door. Granny Wang entered with a meal, reminding Lin Ran of Wang Anjian.
But he couldn’t leave to see him now—he was still "missing." It was best not to step outside this room.
Besides, staying with Luo Yao was exactly where he wanted to be.
"I’ll handle it," he said. "Feeding Yao has always been my job."