The Du family members had mixed feelings, but the board members wouldn't let it go. How could a living, breathing person just disappear?
They demanded to see the person alive or the body dead!
The eldest son had always been responsible for the old man's care, so he had to take responsibility. And since it happened at home, the Du family's eldest branch had to find him.
Du Feiyun knew full well that Du Feiyang was behind it, and he was so angry he could have spat blood, but he was powerless.
Du Feiyang said with feigned grief, "Old man, come back soon, I'll personally take care of you, make sure you're not wronged at all, and find you ten beautiful women..."
The Fifth Wife slapped him on the back of the head. "What nonsense are you talking about? Go help find him! How can such a big living person just disappear?
If we can't find him, let's lock down the estate, search the mountains, and call the police!"
The Fifth Wife's demeanor didn't suggest guilt; she seemed genuinely worried about the old man. This made the board members even more convinced that the eldest branch had ulterior motives.
Ultimately, the police were called. If Du Feiyun hadn't called them, it would have looked suspicious. Since he hadn't done anything wrong, this was a perfect opportunity to prove his innocence.
The police searched all day. Du Feiyang got so bored he dozed off. He woke up when the sun was setting, and there was still no clue.
Du Feiyun, with a grim expression, called him over. "Come here, let's talk alone."
"Okay, you're the eldest brother, you call the shots."
Shoulders slumped, he followed Du Feiyun to the study.
"Fifth brother, no matter how much we fight, it's an internal family matter. Those old fossils are watching us like hawks. Without Dad, they'll devour the Du family whole. We need to prioritize the bigger picture."
"Big brother is right. I've always prioritized the bigger picture, which is why I went to develop in the mainland and didn't fight with you at home. I've made so many concessions, isn't that enough?"
Du Feiyang looked innocent. Du Feiyun suppressed his anger. "At a time like this, don't play games with me. Just tell me, what will it take for you to hand over Dad?"
"Big brother, you're really mistaken about me. You're projecting your own actions onto me. Do you think I'd be as unscrupulous as you?
I really didn't do it. You can search if you don't believe me. As long as Pan'er is at the villa, I just wanted to show Dad my girlfriend. I never thought about fighting with you for anything.
Big brother, you've really disappointed me. With your mindset, even if you become chairman, the Du family will be ruined in your hands.
I'm leaving. Pan'er is waiting for me. Notify me if there's any news."
"Enough, Du Feiyang, stop playing dumb. No one is allowed to leave until we find him today."
Du Feiyang sneered. "Are you going to fall out with me? You can't keep up the act anymore? Fine, I won't leave. Can I go to sleep then?"
"Du Feiyang, that's enough. My patience has its limits..."
Du Feiyun lost it, grabbed his clothes, and they started fighting. Du Feiyang didn't back down. He'd been working on construction sites for the past six months and was quite fit. He beat Du Feiyun so badly he couldn't get up.
"Pah! You dare to lay hands on me? You call yourself an elder brother just because you were born a few years earlier? What else do you have to brag about?
I'm leaving, and what can you do about it?"
Du Feiyang left arrogantly. The board members were also tired. After all, they were old and couldn't stay up any longer. However, before leaving, they warned Du Feiyun that if the chairman wasn't found, the board would hold new elections and he would only be acting chairman, without managing the group's affairs.
Du Feiyun, enraged, smashed the study but was still helpless.
"It must be him. Keep a close eye on him. I don't believe he won't slip up."
Du Feiyang returned to the villa and stayed with Hu Pan, not leaving the house, and completely ignored the board matters, as if he had truly given up on the Du family fortune.
The Fifth Wife went to the police station every day to inquire, genuinely worried about the old man. The eldest branch, meanwhile, was focusing on people in the underworld, distrusting the police.
Seven days later, Hu Pan had to return. Du Feiyang convinced the Fifth Wife to return to the mainland with them. She was going to propose to Hu Pan's family, as the old man had instructed. The Fifth Wife, worried about the old man, couldn't neglect her son's wedding.
In her heart, her son was always the most important.
The old man had five wives; she was lucky to have a fifth of his attention. But her son was one hundred percent hers.
Du Feiyun had no clues and no reason to stop them. He could only watch them board the ship and leave Hong Kong.
The Du family's affairs once again attracted widespread media coverage. The old man's disappearance, the departure of the Fifth Young Master Du, could the Du family's power truly be in the hands of the eldest son?
Rumors were flying everywhere. Reporters swarmed the entrance of Du's Group, and the stock price continued to plummet. The board was in a frenzy, and finally, they had to ask Du Feiyun to stabilize the situation. This whole ordeal caused Du's market value to evaporate by billions, making the board members want to vomit.
At this moment, where was the old Mr. Du?
No one would have guessed that he was in Xie Sui's hometown, fishing with Xie's father, and even working in the fields, dressed in cotton clothes like an old farmer.
He claimed to be Xie's father's distant cousin, staying for a while.
The villagers didn't think much of it, except that this cousin from the Xie family had soft skin and tender hands, unlike a farmer.
Old Mr. Du also regretted it, but once he was in the mainland, he was no longer in control. He had no bodyguards, no money, and with his frail health, he couldn't even escape the village.
He dared not go into the mountains either; that would be suicide.
The landline was still connected, but the Xie family kept a close eye on him, listening in whenever he tried to make a call, preventing him from contacting the outside.
Grandma Xie was specifically tasked with this, and the phone bills were expensive. This old man wanted to make calls all day, just to waste her grandson's money.
Old Mr. Du even tried to make a call secretly at night, but the old lady lived right by the phone. She woke up at the slightest sound, watching him like a thief.
Old Mr. Du finally gave up. This family was watching him like a hawk.
However, a doctor came to check on him every day and prescribed medicine. Perhaps it was the fresh air in the village, and the lack of worries, that his health actually improved.
"Your hands have no calluses, how can your health improve? Tomorrow, you'll dig the ground with me. In less than a month, I guarantee you'll eat heartily and sleep soundly until morning."
Old Mr. Du expressed that he had no desire to dig. He had lived his whole life and didn't even know what a hoe looked like.
But he couldn't resist the old lady's strength and threats. He finally resigned himself to digging.
After digging for a month, Du Feiyang came to see his father again and didn't recognize him.
His father wasn't this dark!
Xie Sui returned with him. Seeing the old Mr. Du, who could make Hong Kong tremble with a stomp of his foot, squatting on the doorstep with a large bowl of noodles, he also found it hard to believe his eyes.
But there were only three old people in the house. Besides them, it had to be the old man.
Du Feiyang walked straight in, not even looking at the old man slurping his noodles, and asked, "Where's my dad?"
Old Mr. Du's hands trembled, and he couldn't hold the bowl steady. He put down the bowl, took off his shoes, and slapped him. "I'm right here, a big living person, and you can't see me?
You unfilial son! You abandoned your father here and don't care! You heartless wretch! How could I have given birth to such an unfilial son?"
Du Feiyang was stunned by the beating and quickly ran, but the old man was surprisingly agile and chased him around the yard, even losing his shoes.
Xie Sui's mouth twitched. "Are you walking a dog?"
Old Mr. Du: "..."
"You're not a good person either. Was this your rotten idea?"
Xie Sui quickly clarified, "It wasn't me. It was all his idea. If you weren't my dad, how could I possibly be in charge of you!
Look at you, you're quite healthy. Living in the village suits you well, doesn't it?"
The old man's face stiffened for a moment, and he snorted, unwilling to speak.
Grandma Xie said, "He can now dig two fen of land a day. He's made a lot of progress. He used to hit his own foot with the hoe.
Little Sui, Feiyang, don't worry. This old man is fine. He eats a lot, poops a lot, and is very sturdy!"
Xie Sui couldn't help but burst out laughing. Du Feiyang also struggled to hold back, secretly giving the old lady a thumbs-up. To be able to manage his father so well, the old lady was truly amazing!
Old Mr. Du's old face blushed slightly. Fortunately, his face was dark, so it wasn't visible.
"Old sister, I am Feiyang's father. Think about it, can I be an ordinary person? Can you be a little more polite to me?"
Grandma Xie scoffed, "Indeed, you're not ordinary. You're practically on your way to the coffin, not even a person anymore. Why should I be polite to you?
What good is it that you have money? You only eat one bowl of noodles, and when you die, it's just a plank of wood for a coffin. What's so different?"
Old Mr. Du sighed, "You're right, you're absolutely right."
"Little Sui, Feiyang, have you two eaten? Shall Grandma make you some noodles?"
"Yes, we'd love Grandma's handmade noodles the most."
"Good, wait a moment, they'll be ready soon. If that old man dares to hit you, Grandma will smack him. Don't be afraid of him."
Du Feiyang said emotionally, "Thank you, Grandma."
He felt as if she were his own grandmother. Du Feiyang despised his own father even more. Look at their family, so harmonious. Unlike his own family, where everyone seemed to hate each other, like enemies.
Old Mr. Du was once again despised by his own son, and he was too angry to speak.