Chapter 58: Donating Half a Million Books

“Yes, the moment I caught that scent on you, I knew you’d been poisoned. Coincidentally, I happen to know how to neutralize the Heart-Eater’s Toxin. So I went to the kitchen and made up an excuse to have the head chef add a special ingredient. The poison in your body has already been purged. With proper rest, you’ll be back to normal in half a month at most—just be sure to guard against being ambushed again.”

“Heh, I understand. You’re quite something, young man. Lao Jiang, you’ve really got an eye for talent, recruiting Xiao Chen like this!” Wang Hong looked at Jiang Shan with envy. “Alas, a lifetime of reputation, yet none of my children are any good. Now even my most beloved grandson wants to harm me. What a disgrace.”

“There’s nothing disgraceful about it. At least you’ve discovered the truth in time. Just follow Xiao Chen’s advice—keep feigning illness and deal with those who wish you harm. You’re only in your sixties. Why rush? Once you’ve recovered, you can still keep fighting for another ten or fifteen years,” Jiang Shan said with a sigh.

“Yes, it’s not too late now. Unfortunately, I have no one trustworthy enough to entrust my group to…” Wang Hong trailed off, then his eyes lit up as he looked at Chen Yun.

“Chen Yun, how would you feel about calling me grandfather?”

Ah?

Chen Yun was stunned. You want to be my grandfather? Then what about my own grandfather?

“Don’t misunderstand me. I have no ulterior motive. You saved my life and helped me with your advice, showing you have a good heart. And since Lao Jiang holds you in such high regard, it’s clear you’re a person of integrity. So, I’d like to make you my god-grandson. If I can’t find anyone I trust in the future, rather than letting Wang Group fall into the wrong hands, I’d rather give it to you.” Wang Hong’s expression was solemn.

“Lao Wang, that won’t do!” Jiang Shan was startled. Before Chen Yun could respond, he hurried to stop him.

“Why not? Am I supposed to watch my decades of hard work ruined by those wastrels? When I’ve dealt with those good-for-nothings in my family, there’ll be hardly anyone left. If I make Chen Yun my god-grandson now, then in the future I can justifiably hand the group over to him and no one can say a word. Besides…” A cold glint flashed in Wang Hong’s eyes. “As long as I’m alive, I’ll eliminate every enemy that stands in Chen Yun’s way!”

“Mr. Wang, I can’t, absolutely not.” Chen Yun was shocked as well. He wasn’t sure just how large the old man’s group was, but anyone who could be this close to Jiang Shan certainly wasn’t small fry. Chen Yun shook his head at once. “Mr. Wang, I honestly have no energy for running a company. That’s not what I aspire to. Please don’t force me.”

What a joke! I have a system attached to me. I’m destined to be a future God of Culinary Arts, a superstar singer, a sharpshooter, and so many more things. With limitless prospects ahead of me, how could I let myself get bogged down by such worldly affairs?

Besides, running a company is exhausting. Look at those big bosses—they’re so busy they can’t even take care of their families, always scheming for profit, and have no personal time or freedom. I’m not that foolish.

“But—” Wang Hong was about to say more when the sound of the door opening interrupted him. In an instant, his energetic demeanor transformed into one of weakness, the speed of his change leaving Chen Yun dumbfounded.

“Brother Chen, I’ve brought you two more bowls—should be enough now, right?” Wang Hong wheeled a cart over.

“That’s plenty.” Chen Yun glanced at the soup labeled ‘Special Secret Snake Broth (Poisoned)’ and his anger blazed. He hadn’t expected someone so close to his own age to be so vicious. Just for Wang Hong defending him, the man would stoop to poisoning? Such evil couldn’t be left unchecked—he had to be eliminated!

“Urp… Suddenly I’m too full. Waiter, please pack these two bowls for me—I’ll take them to go.” Of course, Chen Yun would never drink poisoned snake broth. He called out to the waiter.

“Snake broth is best enjoyed hot. It loses a lot of flavor after it cools,” Wang Jiong said with a ‘helpful’ reminder.

“No, really, I can’t eat another bite. I’ll just heat it up at home.” Chen Yun instructed the waiter to pack it up.

Wang Jiong looked disappointed, assuming Chen Yun was genuinely too full and never suspecting that, with his game system, Chen Yun had already seen through his malicious intent.

“Get plenty of rest. Call me if you need anything.”

“I will. Cough, cough. Oh, Lao Jiang, my birthday’s coming up soon—remember to bring Xiao Chen along that day.”

“Haha, how could I forget your birthday? Of course we’ll be there. We’ll be going now.”

Outside the hotel, Jiang Shan said goodbye to Wang Hong and left with Ye Ming. Wang Hong, meanwhile, leaned heavily on Wang Jiong. “Push me… cough, cough… let’s go home…”

……

On the way, Jiang Shan wanted several times to ask how Chen Yun had detected the poisoning, but ultimately held back. Since Chen Yun didn’t want to say, there had to be a reason for his silence. Even if asked, he probably wouldn’t reveal it. Everyone has their secrets, after all—wasn’t he the same?

“Chairman Jiang, you should head back. I need to go to the bookstore to buy a book.” Chen Yun suddenly remembered his promise to Liao Hong and stopped to tell Jiang Shan.

“Oh, all right. Take your time and be careful. Meet me back here at seven this evening.” Jiang Shan gave a few instructions and left. Not long after, he suddenly remembered, “Oh no, I forgot to give Xiao Chen the invitation. Without it, he won’t be able to get in. Never mind, I’ll come out to meet him tonight.”

At the bookstore, Chen Yun browsed around, only to find that most of the books required a level of 10-20 to use. He shook his head in disappointment. Being low-level really is a disadvantage!

“Hello, I noticed you shaking your head. Did you not find the book you wanted? That’s fine—if you tell me the title, I’ll look it up for you,” a staff member came over and said with a smile.

“Oh, do you have any martial arts manuals here?” Chen Yun, amused by the clerk’s earnestness, joked, “Like Dragon Fist, Dragon Palm, that sort of thing.”

The staff member was speechless. He had thought this young man was searching for some study materials—after all, with three top national universities in Blue Rhyme City, the bookstore was well stocked with educational books. He hadn’t expected to be asked for martial arts manuals! Did such things even exist in this world?

For a moment, the clerk was completely baffled.

“Haha, just kidding. Actually, I’m here to buy some books that children in poor mountain areas can understand. Do you have anything suitable?” Chen Yun stopped joking and asked seriously.

“You want… to donate books to children in the mountains?” The clerk asked uncertainly.

“Yes, I want to donate a hundred thousand—no, five hundred thousand books!” Suddenly remembering he now had over ten thousand purple gold coins, Chen Yun decided that if he was going to do a good deed, he might as well go big.

“Five hundred thousand books?!”