C6 The Business of Longevity

Upon seeing Jiang Chen return, Lin Jingqiu breathed a sigh of relief. However, her relief quickly turned to annoyance as she asked, "Why didn't you knock?"

Jiang Chen let out a light laugh and began to set up his sleeping mat, replying, "Do I need to knock when entering my own room?"

Even though Jiang Chen and Lin Jingqiu were married and lived together, they had never shared a bed.

They slept separately, meaning that for the two years since their marriage, Jiang Chen had been sleeping on a mat on the floor.

The night passed quietly. When Jiang Chen awoke, he discovered that Lin Jingqiu was not at home.

Lately, she had been leaving the house early, always with a frown on her face. From snippets of conversations he had overheard, it seemed there were issues at her company. However, he wasn't particularly concerned.

Over the next few days, he wandered around, getting to know the area while refining his plan in his mind.

Lin Zhenhai's surgery had been a resounding success. Jiang Chen had spent a few days at his side, and Zhenhai would soon be discharged from the hospital.

Zhenhai couldn't stop praising the unconventional remedy that Jiang Chen had provided.

Nevertheless, Huang Wan and her daughter maintained their usual demeanor.

A week flew by, and on this particular morning at nine o'clock, after triple-checking his plan for any flaws, Jiang Chen left the house.

He was headed to Jade Dragon Villa, a prestigious villa community on the outskirts of Jiangzhou.

Jade Dragon Villa was renowned in Jiangzhou, consisting solely of detached villas.

The residents were the city's elite, wealthy and influential figures.

Nestled in the most scenic part of the villa, against the mountains and by the water, was the residence of Jiangzhou's wealthiest man, Wai Donglai.

Recently, Jiang Chen had come across sensational news online: Wai Donglai was gravely ill, and his three sons were fiercely quarreling over the family inheritance.

From his online research, Jiang Chen learned that Wai Donglai was well into his seventies. Logically, it seemed Wai Donglai's days were numbered.

But for Jiang Chen, this presented the perfect opportunity.

Located in a prestigious enclave for the affluent, the security at Jade Dragon Villa was commensurate with its high status. Yet for Jiang Chen, such measures were easily surmountable.

In no time, he had made his way into the community and into Wai Donglai's residence. The villa's exterior alone hinted at its opulence, but stepping inside, Jiang Chen found himself truly impressed. The interior boasted a classic European elegance—luxurious yet understated.

Upstairs in the master bedroom, an elderly man lay on the bed, his eyes devoid of life. Tubes protruded from his body, connected to the medical equipment beside him. The machines emitted a sterile series of beeps, which in the silence of the room, sounded particularly jarring. Nearby, the soft sounds of weeping could be heard as a young woman stood by.

She was Wai Ziqing, the youngest daughter of Wai Donglai and the renowned princess of the Wai family in Jiangzhou. Yet now, her face was a portrait of sorrow, streaked with tears.

"Those two bastards, you needn't grieve for them..." Wai Donglai's voice was a raspy whisper, his throat convulsing with effort.

He had three children in total; the eldest two were already well into their middle years, while Wai Ziqing, born when her father was in his forties, was only twenty-three. At this critical juncture, as Wai Donglai neared his final moments, his sons were conspicuously absent, leaving only Wai Ziqing at his side. They were preoccupied with rallying their allies to discuss the division of the inheritance, indifferent to their father's plight.

"Dad!" Wai Ziqing's call was laden with anger. She shared a father with her brothers but not a mother, and the generational gap meant they had little in common and were not close. Yet, with their father in such a state, her brothers' absence and preoccupation with the inheritance infuriated her.

"Let it be..." Wai Donglai managed a wan smile, his heart heavy with the weight of his sons' disloyalty.

"I've had the lawyer revise my will. When I'm gone, you'll receive half of the estate. The remainder will go to those two wretches. Regardless, they are still my sons."

Wai Ziqing's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Dad, if you go through with this, Big Brother and Second Brother will never stand for it..."

With the little strength he had left, Wai Donglai gestured for his daughter to say no more and gazed out the window. Before him flashed scenes from his life.

There were memories of pride and triumph, of despair and heartache, of soaring ambition from professional success, and of tears shed over love gone wrong...

It is often said that the elderly have a mystical sense when death is near, a premonition of their impending end.

Wai Donglai felt this premonition now. He knew his hours were numbered.

Wai Ziqing fought back her tears, but her eyes revealed the turmoil within.

Reluctance, sorrow, helplessness...

As Jiangzhou's wealthiest man, Wai Donglai had lived a life of luxury. His careful self-care meant he had never suffered any serious illness.

But the natural cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death is inescapable.

Wealth cannot outrun the inevitable conclusion of life.

Just then, footsteps echoed from outside.

Tap, tap, tap.

"Who's there?"

Wai Ziqing quickly went to the door, her impatience showing. She had instructed the servants to remain downstairs, wanting only to spend some quiet moments with her father.

Which servant was disregarding her orders?

Instead, she encountered a young man about her age approaching.

The young man strolled with an unhurried gait, his features refined and a smile playing on his lips, but Wai Ziqing didn't recognize him.

"Who are you?"

"How did you get in here?"

"Leave now, or I'll call for help."

Wai Ziqing issued a stern warning to Jiang Chen.

Undeterred, Jiang Chen's smile remained as he took another step.

"Time Acceleration, 100 times."

In an instant, Wai Ziqing watched as Jiang Chen vanished from sight!

When she refocused, Jiang Chen had already made his way into the room.

"What... What is this?"

Wai Ziqing's pupils contracted, and she instinctively thought to summon assistance.

The technique Jiang Chen employed was identical to the ancient legend of "shrinking the ground to an inch"!