A few well-dressed men and women walked into the Kangde Research Medical Center.
One middle-aged man in a blue suit asked uncertainly, "Father recently updated his will, didn't he?"
"Absolutely," A tall middle-aged woman replied, "Why else would he consult Lawyer Wang?"
The man in the suit smiled, "So, Father has decided how to handle the estate left by the third brother?"
"Most likely. With so many businesses, Father doesn’t have the energy to manage them anymore. If he doesn’t hand them over to us, does he plan to donate them to charity?" The tall woman flipped her hair, her eyes glinting shrewdly.
"Don't get too optimistic," The silent middle-aged man with a square face finally spoke, "Father might have other plans."
As they chatted, they arrived at the ward where Grandfather Li was staying.
"Father, we've come to see you," The tall woman pushed open the door and stepped in. Her smile faltered when she saw the people inside.
Grandfather Li was half-reclining on the bed, sitting beside him were a teenage boy and a girl. His trusted secretary, Zhang, stood on the other side.
"Why are you blocking the door? Why don't you come in?" The man in the suit pushed the woman aside and walked in, his puzzled gaze sweeping over everyone before finally resting on the teenage boy.
"Ah!" He looked at him in shock, momentarily speechless.
The boy slowly stood up and calmly said, "Uncle, Second Uncle, Aunt, it's been a long time."
The boy was Li Xi, who had rushed over from Qing City. The three people in front of him were his eldest uncle, Li Yingwei, second uncle, Li Wenyi, and aunt, Li Wenhong.
"You..." Li Wenhong looked incredulous.
The boy before her was tall and handsome, with sharp eyes and a combination of all the best traits of his parents. Even after many years, he was easily recognizable.
Didn’t they all die in that accident? Why is this child still alive?
Right, she hadn’t received news of his death, but shouldn't he be suffering in the hospital? How could he appear in front of them as if nothing had happened?
"Li Xi? You've recovered?" Li Yingwei was the first to react, opening his arms to approach him.
"Yes, thanks for your concern, Uncle," Li Xi sat down naturally, showing no intention of accepting his uncle's loving embrace.
Li Yingwei awkwardly put his arms down and turned to Grandfather Li, "Father, why didn’t you inform us of such a major matter?"
Grandfather Li snorted and turned his head away.
Sitting beside Li Xi, Yuan Chu poured a glass of warm water for Grandfather Li, inserted a straw, and handed it to him.
Grandfather Li glanced at her unexpectedly: How did you know I was thirsty?
Yuan Chu's actions caught the attention of the Li family siblings, but their focus was entirely on Li Xi, and they had no interest in her.
"Xiaoxi, when did you recover? Father didn’t tell us, and we didn’t know where to find you to visit." Li Wenhong forced a concerned smile, but her heart was bleeding.
What did Li Hao's survival mean? It meant that the estate belonging to the Li family had nothing to do with them!
Moreover, their shares in the conglomerate were probably gone.
"Uncles and Aunt have been busy with their affairs, and Grandfather didn't want to distract you," Li Xi thought coldly.
In four or five years, if they really cared, they should have found out about his situation. But they were too busy dividing the benefits to care about him, a dying man.
Grandfather Li finished his water and looked at his unfilial children with clear understanding.
"We are all family. Even if you are busy, you shouldn't neglect your health," Li Wenhong said insincerely, "Xiaoxi, are you sure you've fully recovered? No lingering effects?"
"No, the doctor said I can live to a hundred."
"That's good to hear, hehe," Li Wenhong was struggling to keep up the act. Living to a hundred, how infuriating!
"Oh, right," Li Wenyi seemed to suddenly remember something and interjected, "Li Xi, you haven't visited your parents' graves in these years, have you? Do you know where they are buried? Would you like your Second Uncle to take you to see them?"
Before Li Xi could react, Grandfather Li erupted in anger, trembling as he pointed at Li Wenyi, making whimpering sounds as if scolding him.
"Grandfather says, 'Li Xi's affairs have nothing to do with you. You don’t need to worry about it,'" A young voice suddenly sounded in the ward.
Hearing this, Grandfather Li's excited expression softened. He looked at the little girl in surprise: I can't even understand what I'm saying, yet you can?
"Who are you? Why are you interrupting the conversations of adults?" Li Wenhong didn't have a pleasant expression for an outsider.
Li Xi's gaze turned cold, a hint of hostility evident in his calm expression.
Grandfather Li pointed at Li Wenhong again, rambling for a while, then looked at Yuan Chu.
As expected, Yuan Chu translated, "Grandfather says, 'I am upset because of you siblings. How dare you make a scene here?'"
"What did you say?" Li Wenhong's face changed. Just as she was about to retort, Li Xu asked, "Grandfather, is what Chu Chu said true?"
Grandfather Li nodded, looking at Li Wenyi and Li Wenhong with a pained expression.
The children he had raised had become the people he least wanted to see. He could only blame his own failed parenting.
Li Xi stood up abruptly, picked up his phone, and walked to the side, "Hello, Uncle Li, bring a few bodyguards over and guard the door of Grandfather's ward. Without my orders, Uncles and Aunt are not allowed to disturb Grandfather's rest, until Grandfather recovers."
"Li Xi!" Li Wenhong stared at him in disbelief, "Who do you think you are to stop me from seeing my father?"
Ignoring her, Li Hao looked at Grandfather Li and asked gently, "Grandfather, what do you think?"
Grandfather Li nodded, agreeing with his arrangement.
Li Wenhong stamped her foot, "Father, we are your children. How can you treat us like this?"
Grandfather Li muttered a few words discontentedly.
Yuan Chu translated, "Grandfather says, 'If it weren’t for the fact that you are my children, I would have kicked you out long ago.'"
Grandfather Li looked at Yuan Chu with relief.
Li Xi held Yuan Chu's hand, a hint of a smile appearing in his deep eyes.
Li Wenyi and Li Wenhong's faces turned green with anger: Where did this brat come from?
Grandfather Li waved them away, a hint of weariness in his eyes. Even without translation, it was clear he wanted them to leave and go their separate ways.
"Father, you rest well. We'll come to see you later," Li Yingwei glanced at Li Xi and took the hint to say their goodbyes.
Li Xi's appearance disrupted their plans, and they needed to go back and discuss their next move.
The room became quieter as the others left, leaving only the four of them.
Grandfather Li muttered something to Yuan Chu again.
Yuan Chu then took an orange from the fruit basket, peeled it, and fed a segment to Grandfather Li.
With a delighted smile, Grandfather Li mumbled, "Sweet, sweet..."
Li Xi also accepted the feeding with satisfaction but was puckering from the sourness.
He glanced at Grandfather Li, slightly resentful: Where's the promised sweetness?
Grandfather Li gave him a triumphant look: Hehe, kid, can't even handle this bit of sourness, you're still young.
Secretary Zhang watched their interaction and couldn't help but smile.
After finishing the orange, Li Xi said seriously, "Grandfather, I want to discuss something with you."
Grandfather Li looked at him calmly, waiting for him to continue.
"I plan to sell all my parents' shares in the Li Tian Group to Uncle and the others."
Grandfather Li and Secretary Zhang stared in disbelief.
"I've looked into the current situation of the Li Tian Group," Li Xi continued calmly, "To be honest, it's in a terrible state. Uncle lacks leadership, Second Uncle is not good at management, Aunt is too calculating, and others have their own agendas. The management is chaotic, favoritism is rampant, and the performance is declining year by year."
Grandfather Li's eyes darkened. He was well aware of the situation at Li Tian, which is why he had hoped his grandson would take charge. Yet, Li Xi had shown no intention of doing so.
"Grandfather," Li Xi said earnestly, "When the Li Tian Group was established and became a great family business, it was because the older generations worked together. But the family's business model is no longer suitable for current trends. To progress, we need to recruit real talent, especially at the leadership level. We can't let a group of mediocre people manage the company."
Secretary Zhang nodded in agreement internally but showed no expression on his face.
Grandfather Li looked at Li Xi with hope: If it's left to you, I believe Li Tian will thrive.
Understanding his meaning, Li Xi shook his head.
"Grandfather, if I were to take over Li Tian, I would overhaul everything from top to bottom and establish new systems. The resistance I would face would be unimaginable, and I don't know how much scheming I would have to deal with. Whether the reform succeeds or not, Li Tian will suffer."
"I don't want to waste my energy and fight my family to the bitter end. And..."
Li Xi glanced at Yuan Chu, "I cherish life now and the lives of those around me. I seek a lifetime of happiness and health, not riches and glory."
Grandfather Li looked at Li Xi with eyes full of pity and affection. Indeed, what he hoped for was the happiness and well-being of his grandchild.
"There's one more thing, Grandfather," Li Xi smiled, "The most important thing for the Li family is not the words 'Li Tian', but the family's heritage, connections, and the courage to challenge. As long as I'm here, the foundation of the Li family will not be broken."
His tone was calm, yet it carried a convincing power.
Grandfather Li showed a relieved and proud smile, struggling to move the corners of his mouth, "Go, go..." Go and show your capabilities, Grandfather will always support you.
After leaving the hospital, Secretary Zhang drove Li Xi and Yuan Chu to Grandfather Li's villa.
They had come straight from the airport to the hospital without even dropping their luggage. Now they were tired and ready for bed after washing up.
"Sleeping with me tonight?" Li Xi pulled Yuan Chu into his room, crouching in front of her like a large dog.
"...Okay." Yuan Chu knew he had a lot to deal with the next day, so she didn't refuse.
Li Xi immediately tucked her into bed and got in beside her, holding her contentedly.
"Chuchu," A low voice reached Yuan Chu's ears, "Please take care of Grandfather during this time."
"Of course."
Li Xi didn't say thank you, but held her even tighter.
It's so good to have you here.
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