Chapter 89: Sinister Intentions Revealed

“Why is your app rating so low? I logged in and it crashed immediately. Your tech team really dropped the ball.”

Su Jie pulled out his phone and downloaded the app. As soon as he logged in, it crashed. After a few tries, he barely managed to get it running, but it was so laggy he gave up.

Seeing this, the martial arts instructor Huang Dingyi looked a bit embarrassed. “My student made it for me. The tech isn’t great.”

“Let me recommend a team to rebuild the app. I guarantee it’ll run smoothly—no more crashing. Maintenance costs will be cheaper than market rates,” Su Jie offered immediately.

“Really?” Huang Dingyi lit up. “I’ve been struggling to promote my classes. I’m good at martial art, but when it comes to tech, I don’t have a clue. I spent over half a million on this thing, and look at it—it’s a mess.”

“Half a million?” Su Jie instantly knew he’d been ripped off. “Here’s the deal: I’ll help you get it redone. If you’re satisfied, you pay afterward. Sound good?”

“Seriously?” Huang Dingyi still looked wary, clearly burned before. “You’d really do that? If it works out, I can refer more business your way. I have over ten friends who want similar apps. We’ll come to you for ongoing support too.”

“No problem,” Su Jie said, sending a message to his older sister.

His sister used to run a software company with some friends. Back in the day, they specialized in app development and maintenance. Business was booming and their reputation was solid.

Su Jie remembered how developing an app used to take months and cost a fortune—sometimes hundreds of thousands. But his sister’s team had some kind of tech breakthrough that drastically shortened the development cycle with impressive efficiency.

Unfortunately, after landing a massive contract, things went south. They lost a ton of money and the company’s reputation tanked.

At the time, Su Jie hadn’t understood what happened. Now he suspected Haoyu Group had seen the potential in his sister’s tech, deliberately sabotaged them, drove the company into the ground, and then swooped in acting like saviors.

He’d even overheard Feng Yuxuan from Haoyu Group admit to it—and had recorded it, though the recording was later stolen.

The more he learned, the more he realized how tragic the downfall of his sister’s company was—and the more he despised Feng Yuxuan and his cronies at Haoyu Group.

Although she now worked for Haoyu, his sister and her team still took on side projects after hours to make extra income.

Su Jie didn’t know all the ins and outs of the tech world, but even he could see Huang Dingyi’s app was basic. His sister could redo it in her sleep.

Landing her a client meant some income, and ongoing maintenance would bring in steady cash.

The young martial arts students standing nearby were dumbfounded to see Su Jie and Master Huang deep in conversation about mobile apps. The scene felt totally out of place. But none of them dared relax—Huang’s teaching style was notoriously strict. He didn’t hesitate to use a stick, and he sometimes beat them black and blue with no one to complain to.

“Dinner time!”

Just as Su Jie and Huang were hitting it off, his mom Xu Ying called out from across the courtyard.

“Sorry, I’ve got to eat,” Su Jie said, getting up to leave.

“No worries at all.” Huang exchanged contact info with him. “Come by and chat more when you have time.”

From that conversation alone, Huang had developed a good impression of Su Jie.

Meanwhile…

In the central building of the estate, seven or eight young men and women had gathered, seemingly deep in discussion. Among them was Xu Jiahong.

“Grandpa really is preparing for the end,” said a young man decked out in luxury, twirling a car key in his fingers—completely at odds with the old-style courtyard around him. “He brought in Master Luo to pick out a burial site.”

“They say there are three top geomancy masters in China—Luo in the North, Mao in the South, Ma in the Center. Who knows if it’s true,” said another young man. “I heard Haoyu Group’s Feng Shoucheng keeps Master Mao on retainer. That’s supposedly why Haoyu has done so well. Grandpa paid a fortune to get Master Luo and told everyone not to show even a hint of disrespect. Even we aren’t allowed near while the elders are with him.”

“Why is Grandpa so obsessed with this feng shui stuff?” a young woman sneered. “We can’t even sit at the table during ancestor worship meals. What century is this? I feel like venting online.”

“Count yourself lucky,” said another woman, clutching a designer handbag and wearing flashy lipstick. “Try raising a fuss now, and Grandpa will cut your whole branch of the family out of the inheritance. If Master Luo hears you badmouthing him and gets offended, forget Grandpa—even your own father would disown you and leave you penniless.”

The earlier girl quickly shut her mouth, terrified of being reported.

“You really can’t offend Master Luo,” someone warned. “Watch what you say—no talk of superstition or anything like that. The older generation takes it very seriously. The older they get, the more they believe. Upset them in this area and you’re finished. Even the brilliant Emperor Wu of Han lost it in his old age, accusing the Crown Prince of witchcraft and triggering a purge that killed thousands.”

“Your family’s something else, Jiahong,” said the cocky youth with the car keys, Xu Jiahao. “I heard your dad went to Xu Ying—that b!tch—trying to claim the part of Grandpa’s inheritance meant for her. That’s over a billion in assets. You’ve got some nerve.”

“May the best man win,” Xu Jiahong sneered. “Didn’t you blow a few million on two internet celebs last time? Someone even filmed it and put it online. Grandpa was furious. Want me to bring up more of your little scandals?”

“You looking for a fight?” snarled Jiahao.

“You think I don’t know what you’ve done? Using company money for shady loans, couldn’t recover them, then skimmed profits from other departments to cover the hole. That’s a massive deficit. If Grandpa finds out, he’ll make an example out of you.”

“Got proof?” Xu Jiahong didn’t seem fazed.

“You really want me to bring it out?” Xu Jiahao wasn’t backing down either.

“Enough.” A man around 35 finally spoke. He was the same one who’d brought up Emperor Wu’s downfall—Xu Jiaren, the eldest of their generation. “You two tearing into each other—isn’t this family chaotic enough? The Xu family looks strong, but most of our businesses are in dying industries. We could collapse fast. Remember the Jia family from Dream of the Red Chamber? They were bigger than us—then gone overnight. If Grandpa passes, we’ll lose access to all his connections. Our business might drop by 40–50%. Will you still be living large then?”

“Don’t lecture us just because you’re two years older,” snapped Xu Jiahong. “Acting all noble—weren’t you the one who bought a mansion in the U.S. under the company’s name, then somehow made it personal property? That’s a bigger move than any of us. And that starlet you keep on the side already gave you two sons, right?”

“You’ve grown bold,” Jiaren looked mildly surprised. He had thought his younger cousins were just spoiled brats, but clearly, some were more calculating than they let on. “Fine. Right now, we need to stand together. Xu Ying ran off all those years ago—why would Grandpa leave her anything, much less let her manage part of the family business? This isn’t just about giving her ten billion in assets. It’s about putting her on the board, overseeing us. She used to handle a lot of overseas operations for Grandpa. She’s dangerous.”

“In the end, Grandpa just wants her to work for the family again,” said Xu Jiahong. “But we’ll pay the price. We need to stop this woman before she becomes a problem.”

“The older generation already has a plan. As long as we stay united, and Grandpa passes on, even if she comes back, it’s meaningless. What can one woman do?” scoffed Jiahao. “We’ll keep living like kings. You’re all worrying over nothing. The Xu family isn’t going down in our generation. We’ll live comfortably our whole lives.”

“No ambition at all,” thought a young man in the corner, who had been silent the whole time.

“Jiazhi, you haven’t said a word. Got any ideas?” Xu Jiaren looked over.

Xu Jiazhi, despite his internal disdain, kept his composure. “I’m heading abroad after the New Year to work on a business deal. I’ll do as I’m told. I just follow orders—if there’s profit to split, I’m in.”

“Don’t be so modest. I heard you made a killing last year selling supplies in war zones. You’ve got guts,” Jiaren’s eyes narrowed. “Quiet types like you are the ones to watch. Just like Emperor Yongzheng—underestimated, but deadly. He wiped out his brothers and took the throne.”

“Don’t scare me, big bro,” Jiazhi quickly lowered his head.

“You’re clever. Think of a plan,” Jiaren pushed.

“I really don’t have one,” Jiazhi said firmly, sticking to his low-profile approach.

Just then, a burly man in camouflage rushed in and whispered something into Jiaren’s ear.

“I see. Go,” Jiaren said, his face forming a cold smile. He clapped his hands. “Here’s some news: Xu Ying just snuck back into the estate with her son. Wu Ma let them in and is cooking for them in the side house. Looks like they’re going to see Grandpa soon. So… what do we do?”

“D*mn it.” Jiahao spat. “That bitch came back and brought her b*stard kid? Trying to get him a piece of the inheritance too? What a joke.”

“It might actually work,” Jiahong added fuel to the fire. “Old folks lose their minds in old age. Grandpa thinks we’re all unreliable and only trusts Xu Ying to run the business. Has he forgotten? If she hadn’t run away from that arranged marriage, our alliance with the Zhang family would have happened—and our reach would be global by now.”

---

2 more chapters added to the The Way of Restraint advanced Patreon Tier. Current advanced chapters 7.

Want to read more? Become a The Way of Restraint ($5 per month) member at Goblinslate Patreon and get 7 Advance Chapters immediately, then stay ahead of the regular release for the month! Or, become a CN WN Bundle ($10 per month) member and have access to all the CN webnovel advance chapters on Goblinslate. Get more chapters by sponsoring chapters at BuymeaCoffee.