Where is Old Master Du?
At this moment, the old master wished he could just lie in his coffin and be done with it. His lifelong reputation had been ruined by that scoundrel Xie Sui.
He was with Xie Min, but dressed in Xie Lan's clothes and with gray hair he’d somehow acquired, he was disguised as an old woman.
Xie Min tried to stifle her laughter but couldn't help herself. "Mom, don't laugh, or you'll blow the disguise. Uncle's hard work will be wasted. Grandma Du, let me help you."
"Thank you. My granddaughter is so thoughtful. Grandpa will get you a gift when we get back."
Qing Qing didn't pay much attention to the gift. She just didn't want to spoil her uncle's plan. Her mother, usually so sharp, was becoming increasingly unreliable.
Wenwen and Hu Zi held hands, and Xie Min held her youngest son, while holding her daughter's hand to prevent her from getting lost.
They walked right past those people, even seeing them holding photos and staring intently at every passing old man, afraid of missing their target.
This old man was worth ten million. Du Feiyun had spared no expense.
Unfortunately, they didn't know that the old master had become an old woman, using the powder and lipstick provided by Xie Min. Under Xie Sui's skillful hands, even Du Feiyang wouldn't have recognized him.
These two were quite the pranksters. Thinking it was a clever scheme to trap the old master, they had stuffed two steamed buns into his chest. This provoked the old master into a furious rage, chasing them around and beating them.
"When have you ever seen an old woman with a bulging chest? You look like a sack. Where do you get a chest? You dare to mock me? I'll beat you to death!"
The two of them laughed heartily. With all the commotion, the old master himself started to laugh. These brats, so disrespectful.
Xie Min and the others took another car. Not only were people watching at the station, but also at the docks. Xie Sui and Du Feiyang boasted, "See? I told you I was prescient!"
"When Brother Xie makes a move, he never fails. I admire you, Brother Xie. My greatest fortune in this life is meeting you. Brother Xie, you are my heaven, my earth, my god!"
"Get lost! Stop being so cheesy, you'll scare my son."
Dou Dou and Ding Ding couldn't stop laughing. Uncle Du and Dad were together, making them double over with laughter.
Lin Wanwan was amused and exasperated by these two clowns.
They didn't linger in Shenzhen and successfully boarded the ship, arriving in Hong Kong to rest well.
Song Laohei waited until dark, but there were no suspicious individuals. Enraged, he threw his cigarette butt. Missing out on the ten million, he felt restless, like a cat scratching at his heart.
His subordinate offered a suggestion, "Boss, how about finding an old man who looks similar and fooling them? They're all old men anyway."
"Is this something that can be easily fooled? Don't you think I've considered that?"
The subordinate dared not speak. Song Laohei squinted, thinking. "It's not impossible. Can you find a suitable old man?"
"With makeup, I have a girl who runs a barbershop. She's good at shaving and makeup. She can probably make him look seven or eight parts similar."
"Let's do it that way. We'll get the money first. I don't believe that Du fellow can find us here. Even if he does, this is our territory, are we afraid of him?"
This was an attempt to extort Du Feiyun. The main reason was that the amount offered was too great. Song Laohei couldn't earn a million in a year here, even after the opening up and the increase in merchants, he had done all sorts of shady deeds like kidnapping.
Ten million was like a large piece of fatty meat. Not being able to swallow it made him uncomfortable for the entire year.
Xie Sui didn't know that Song Laohei had unknowingly helped him out a lot.
Du Feiyun had already prepared the mourning hall. He wore a black suit, a black armband, and white flowers on his shoes and chest, signifying his filial piety.
According to the old customs, he would have had to wear hemp clothing and perform rituals like smashing bowls. Many of the old traditions had been simplified.
The entire Hong Kong was in an uproar. Wreaths were displayed for miles. The coffin shops in Hong Kong were overjoyed and also sent a wreath for Old Master Du, crediting him for their prosperity this year.
Xie Sui and his group arrived a day early and were stunned by the atmosphere. The old master was something else. He hadn't had such a grand send-off in life. Would he be satisfied in death?
Xie Min and her group, just in case, stayed in a hotel, with an entire floor occupied by bodyguards, ensuring tight security.
That night, Xie Sui and Du Feiyang went to the mourning hall. Du Feiyang acted the part convincingly, his eyes red from crying. "Father, you've really left me and gone. You should at least make your will public!"
Du Feiyun reprimanded him, "Enough! Don't embarrass yourself. The media is watching. Do you want to be in the news again?"
"Isn't this common? Brother, where is the will? Who was present when Father passed away? Second Brother, Third Brother, did you see anything?"
Du Feiyun said, "Father went missing. When he was found, there was only a body, and he didn't have time to make a will. However, as the eldest son, I should manage the family business. We'll discuss these matters after the funeral, and listen to the opinions of the directors."
"No will?"
Du Feiyang wanted to cause trouble, but Xie Sui stopped him. "There's no need to rush. Eldest Young Master is right. The funeral is most important. Don't let your father rest uneasy. However, Eldest Young Master, you say it's the old master, but is it really him? We need to see the old master's appearance."
"That's possible. You'll naturally see him during the cremation tomorrow."
Xie Sui then asked, "How did the old master die? Was it an accident or murder? I think we should report it to the police and investigate."
Du Feiyun hated him for meddling and said irritably, "Mr. Xie, this is my Du family's internal affair. You're interfering too much. Look, there are so many elders and directors of the Du family here. Don't they know? I welcome you if you're here to attend the funeral, but if you're here to cause trouble, please leave."
Xie Sui suppressed his annoyance and said, "Fine, I'll shut up. You can discuss it among yourselves."
Du Feiyang said, "This is my Brother Xie, and his words represent mine. This matter is not over."
The two of them acted as if it were real, and the media eagerly reported it, with the two young masters of the Du family arguing at the mourning hall and almost coming to blows. After the funeral, the battle for the Du family's inheritance would be even more intense. Everyone waited with bated breath.
The people of Hong Kong were all watching, eager to see how they would fight, chatting and gossiping with great excitement.
That night, while Du Feiyun was restless, good news finally arrived: the person had been found. Du Feiyun couldn't leave, so he sent his subordinates to bring the person back. It was a dark and rainy night, and heaven was helping Song Laohei. Wearing a raincoat and a baseball cap, and being an old man, he looked about four or five parts similar, enough to fool them.
They actually got the ten million. Song Laohei's hands trembled with excitement. The money was earned too easily, as if it had fallen from the sky. He quickly left, not giving them a chance to go back on their word.
The subordinates were ruthless. After they left, they directly killed the old man. Anyway, the young master wanted a corpse, not a living person. They didn't use a knife, but simply choked him to death. It would be difficult to explain if there was blood. Du Feiyun had some intelligence, but unfortunately, it wasn't used in the right place.
By the time Du Feiyun realized something was wrong, it was the next morning. Aside from his own son, the subordinates didn't dare to look too closely at the old master, so they didn't notice any anomalies. The first wife and he both wanted to see the old master one last time, after all, they had lived together for a lifetime.
"This is not your father!" The first wife immediately noticed something was wrong and her legs went weak with fright.
"What? Damn it, someone dared to deceive me!"
"What do we do now?" The first wife was also at a loss. They would only be at ease if they saw the old master's corpse themselves.
"Didn't he come back with Du Feiyang? It's not him!"
"It's no use saying this now. He's about to be cremated, and everyone wants to see him."
Du Feiyun fell silent and ordered, "Go to the entertainment company and find two makeup artists to do makeup for Father."
He could only do this. Du Feiyun hardened his heart. Even if the old master appeared, he wouldn't let him live. As long as, legally, his father was dead, that would be enough.
The first wife tacitly agreed. It was the first time the entertainment company's makeup artists had taken on such a job. They had many techniques to make actors look younger or older, but to make someone look like another person was quite a challenge.
"You'll each get a million after this is done. I don't care how you do it, but it must be as realistic as possible."
"Alright, Young Master, we'll do our best."
The makeup for the deceased was already exaggerated. They touched it up and made it look somewhat similar. The rest was height, weight, and build, which was truly impossible to replicate.
This old man was quite tragic. Even in death, he couldn't rest peacefully, being manipulated like this. One wondered if such a grand funeral would benefit him in the afterlife.
Xie Sui and Du Feiyang were also planning when would be the right time for the old master to appear and were curious about how Du Feiyun would handle the viewing of the body.
Soon, the time arrived. Relatives and friends gathered around the old master's coffin to pay their respects. Xie Sui and his group followed, feeling quite nervous.
When Du Feiyang got a clear look at the old master's face, his eyes widened. "I, what the hell, Brother Xie..."
"Shut up!"
Xie Sui also saw it and almost thought the old master was really dead. However, upon closer inspection, his build seemed thinner, and his hands were not the same. No matter how tanned the old master was, his hands were fair and his fingers were slender and long. These were the hands of someone who had lived a life of luxury, not the hands of someone who had done manual labor. These hands clearly had dirt under the fingernails and were not the old master's hands.
"We'll talk about it later."
Du Feiyang didn't say it out loud then. Du Feiyun secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This matter was finally coming to an end. The pressure had been too great; he hadn't slept well for days.
The guests went to rest. There was a simple buffet, like a reception. The cremation would take place in the afternoon, and after the farewell ceremony, they could leave. Then, the family would escort the old master to the cemetery for burial, and the family would send him off on his final journey.
Xie Sui ate some cake and whispered to Du Feiyang. Du Feiyun kept a wary eye on the two of them, with someone specifically watching them.
"Mr. Xie, long time no see. Young Master Du, my condolences." It was Liu Kai, his eyes dark and staring at Xie Sui like a venomous snake.
Xie Sui was surprised that he would greet him. He exchanged pleasantries, "Young Master Liu, hello."
"Thank you for your concern, Young Master Liu." Du Feiyun replied indifferently, not overly enthusiastic. Liu Kai had been involved in the scheme to get Brother Xie imprisoned. Coming to greet them now felt like a weasel wishing a happy new year, meaning no good.
Indeed, Liu Kai said, "With the old master gone, the eldest son of the Du family will surely monopolize the group's assets. Will the fifth young master be content to sit and wait for his doom?"
"This is our family matter. Sixth Young Master is too concerned." Liu Kai wasn't angry. "I want to help the fifth young master, no malice intended. Contact me if you need anything. Here's my business card." He handed him a business card and left. Xie Sui asked, "What does this person mean?"