Chapter 336: Broken

The resort Edward purchased wasn't large, nestled on the edge of an unnamed mountain range, featuring quaint, ancient buildings. The meticulously arranged Sakura-style gardens imparted a serene atmosphere, adorned with Buddha pine trees and vibrant camellias.

As An Zaihuan cautiously observed his surroundings, he suddenly noticed a stone monument standing at the center of a pool. There were no inscriptions, only a badge-like engraving—a pattern of five bound but broken symbols, resembling a family crest.

An Zaihuan vaguely recalled seeing this emblem somewhere before, but couldn't place which family it belonged to. Before he could dwell further, the group had already arrived at a Japanese barbecue restaurant for their meal.

Though small, the restaurant was well-appointed, and under the guidance of a kimono-clad woman, they entered a private dining room prepared for VIPs to enjoy a meticulously crafted lunch.

The centerpiece of the meal was Kobe beef from the Sakura Kingdom, expertly cooked to melt-in-your-mouth perfection, akin to the finest foie gras in Czivian. An Zaihuan felt nervously on edge from the moment he entered the resort, knowing other guests were present. As the only man trailing behind a group, he felt distinctly out of place.

No one engaged him in conversation along the way, which only added to An Zaihuan's discomfort. Even now, seated at the far end of the table, he ate hesitantly, constantly surveying the others present, as if suspicious of the food being poisoned.

Despite the mouthwatering dishes costing thousands of summer coins per bite, he had no appetite. Sitting beside Yang Chen, An Xin had arrived early in the afternoon without a single bite or drink. After devouring a large chunk of steak and finishing two grilled eels, she finally quenched her thirst with two bowls of miso soup.

"Miss An Xin, how's the taste?" Edward asked with a grin.

An Xin nodded, "It's delicious. I'm just so hungry I ate quickly."

"Hehe, no problem. Miss An Xin, do you need more steak? I can have more brought in," Edward offered, showing enthusiasm.

An Xin waved her hand, "That's enough. I don't want to get fat."

Touching her already bloated belly, An Xin glanced at Yang Chen, who was calmly eating his steak, "Darling, you haven't told me what's going on today. Why was Liu Yun fine this morning, and then suddenly..."

"Indeed, Your Excellency," replied Eiwaburo.

"Change into the appearance of Liu Yun," commanded Yang Chen.

Eiwaburo hesitated for a moment, then decisively turned away and, upon facing back, his face had transformed completely, now an exact likeness of Liu Yun!

The people present, except for Yang Chen and Jian, showed expressions of astonishment and suspicion. An Xin and An Zaihuan were utterly bewildered!

After Eiwaburo returned to his original form and left the room, Yang Chen explained, "The Sakura Ninja's illusions may be mere illusions, but they have some interesting and advanced techniques. The art of disguise is quite sophisticated. That Eiwaburo has achieved a modest skill level, but true mastery makes it indistinguishable from reality."

An Xin realized, "No wonder 'Liu Yun' seemed off this morning, different in demeanor and speech. He was impersonated."

Eiwaburo was the mastermind behind the recent cruise incident, disguised as Liu Yun until just before the wedding, infiltrating the guests and commanding other members of the Yamaguchi-gumi to control the cruise ship. Everything had been orchestrated smoothly and efficiently.

An Zaihuan wiped his forehead, sweating coldly. This was too horrifying. No wonder the Liu family had met such an unknown death. The legendary art of disguise was in use, and controlling a cruise ship was surprisingly easy. Fighting against these people was akin to seeking death!

"Chairman An," Yang Chen suddenly turned his gaze towards An Zaihuan, but did not address him as 'uncle.' Yang Chen did not consider this man worthy of being his elder, if not for being An Xin's biological father, he would not have hesitated to dispose of him.

An Zaihuan shuddered and forced a smile, "Mr. Yang, is there something you need?"

"Now that the Liu family father and son are no longer in this world, what are your plans?" Yang Chen asked with a smile as he sliced the beef on his plate.

An Zaihuan swallowed hard, awkwardly smiling, "I... I don't know."

"What about your daughter, An Xin? Do you still want to find a husband for her?" Yang Chen's eyes glanced playfully at An Zaihuan.

An Zaihuan felt his limbs go cold, sweat dripping, "N-no, no, An Xin's future is hers to decide. Whoever she likes, I think, would be good, definitely..."

Seeing An Zaihuan begging like a dog for mercy, the people around showed disdain. While An Xin felt relieved, she also pitied her father. Everyone aims to climb higher, and who doesn't have selfish motives? She could only say that her father's selfishness had clouded his conscience too much.

Yang Chen didn't want to embarrass An Zaihuan further and didn't mock him anymore. He continued, "Before, you wanted An Xin to marry Liu Yun, probably for the support of the Liu family, to elevate the An family from a second-rate to a first-rate clan. However, An Xin is my woman. If you and the people of the Liu family make things difficult for her, I cannot stand idly by. Liu Yun once threatened me, saying he would leave me with nothing. I've returned this promise to him."

An Zaihuan was shocked to hear this, realizing why Liu Yun had been so unbearable.

"But, after all, you are An Xin's biological father. Although I don't have much affection for you, it's like not letting the fat water flow outside the fields of others. Since you like the wealth of the Liu family so much, I'll hand over the Biyun Group of the Liu family to you. How about that?" Yang Chen casually said.

An Zaihuan almost fainted with excitement. Hand over the Biyun Group to himself?! What did this mean?!

Even An Xin looked at Yang Chen unexpectedly, completely unaware of Yang Chen's thoughts. Could this be done?

"Indeed, the Liu father and son are no longer in this world, not even their bones are left. As for the Liu family in Zhonghai, only a few minor shareholders with no significant holdings remain, merely existing in name. However, since the death of the Liu father and son cannot be confirmed, if they were to return to Zhonghai in a few days, no one could say anything," Yang Chen continued.

"But they... they're already..." An Zaihuan started to say, but suddenly remembered the art of disguise! It was the art of disguise!

Yang Chen acknowledged that An Zaihuan had figured it out and nodded. "I will send someone specifically disguised as the Liu father and son to accompany you back to Zhonghai. This way, we can smoothly complete the transfer of Biyun Group shares. By then, you will be the sole leader of both Biyun and An's enterprises. I believe that outcome will be much more comfortable for you than being under the Liu family."

An Zaihuan could already see an unprecedented grand blueprint. If it really turned out as Yang Chen said, the An family would become an economic force comparable to the Yuan family!

An Xin also looked at Yang Chen with surprise. She hadn't expected Yang Chen to be willing to help her father like this. But thinking about it, it wasn't really about helping her father; it was all because of her. Otherwise, Yang Chen could have disposed of An Zaihuan with a blink of an eye.

Thinking of this, An Xin's affection for Yang Chen grew stronger. She had never been too concerned about the rise and fall of the An family; what she cared about was Yang Chen's feelings towards her.

"However," Yang Chen changed the subject, "Biyun is still a huge business empire. If you want to take over, it won't be successful just relying on two impersonators of the Liu father and son. I think you should understand this."

An Zaihuan lost his appetite and put down his knife and fork. He nodded, "Yes, indeed. Aside from other issues, such a major change is likely to destabilize the morale of the subordinates. Moreover, the Liu family has been in business for so many years, with many potential business secrets that we are unaware of. This could severely affect the future development of the group."

Yang Chen glanced at Edward, who was leisurely enjoying his beef, and Edward clapped his hands.

A blond-haired, blue-eyed office lady entered from outside, handing a thick black leather-bound file to An Zaihuan.

"Take a look at this. Once you've signed it, my friend Edward will take care of everything for you. All you need to do is sit back and collect the money," Yang Chen said.

An Zaihuan nervously looked at the mysterious Edward, then at the file in his hands. On the leather surface of the file was exactly the same emblem that he had seen on the stone tablet in the pool earlier—the emblem of the family.

At this moment, the emblem of the five broken arrows was particularly clear. In an instant, a flash of lightning struck in An Zaihuan's mind!

Of course! It was... it was the Rothschild family.

Almost instantly, An Zaihuan froze in place like a stone statue, even forgetting to breathe!