“Then you’re just… giving this to me?”
I had a feeling she wasn’t the charitable type.
“Yeah. After all, this is a story shared by your dad and my grandpa. Passing it to you is only right.”
She crossed her arms with a feigned smirk.
“Well, I truly thank you.”
Seeing she genuinely meant to hand over the documents for free, I accepted without hesitation, sat on the bed, and started flipping through them.
…
On the A4 sheets, Yan Heiming had recompiled her grandfather’s notes digitally. I skimmed the first page—fragmented entries, scattered details.
…
“Especially tomorrow. Those people you’ll meet? Sly old foxes. Your dad’s so-called brothers. They might not take you seriously, but they won’t ignore you either.”
“Those people?”
I was completely lost.
Yan Heiming sighed and leaned in mysteriously.
“That was the large tomb-raiding syndicate your father once belonged to—the ‘Harmony Path Consortium.’ Now it’s a massive multinational antique auction house.”
“Your parents held shares. They had to attend the annual shareholders’ meeting every year.”
“Now that they’re missing, they’ll demand you attend in their place.”
She gave me a helpless smile.
“Huh? Why *must* I go?”
I felt utterly confused. Sending a high schooler like me to a multinational corporation’s shareholders’ meeting? That’s like throwing a total newbie into the deep end!
Yan Heiming shook her head slowly.
“You should go. If it’s the Harmony Path Consortium, they’ll have your back. I don’t know who runs it now—but the moment they hear you’re Wei Chuanyi’s daughter, they won’t turn a blind eye.”
She stroked her chin while analyzing.
“You said ‘should’ twice. Doesn’t sound reliable at all.”
I took a slow breath and muttered under my breath.
…
“There’s no other way…”
“Tomorrow, Harmony Path will send people to your house for your parents. If no one’s home, they’ll investigate—tracking down you, your dad, your mom.”
“If I hide you, I’d be opposing them directly…”
Her voice dipped, heavy with gloom.
“Your parents wouldn’t want you near the Harmony Path Consortium. Deep down, they’re scoundrels among scoundrels. But right now… we have no choice.”
She gently patted my shoulder.
“This is something you must face.”
…
“Can I just go to the police?”
Seeing her seriousness, I quickly shifted tactics.
“Not advisable.”
Yan Heiming shut it down instantly.
“You suggest that because you don’t yet know who your adversaries are.”
Her expression darkened.
*Adversaries?* I frowned.
“The ones who tried to kill you in your neighborhood. Specifically—the people who used Liu Xiaozhen’s name to set you up that day.”
A chill shot down my spine. *Liu Xiaozhen.* That nightmare name flashed in my mind. Memories of that night rushed back.
Noticing my fear, Yan Heiming lowered her voice.
“Go to the police, and you kiss the Harmony Path Consortium—the only temporary shelter—goodbye. Without their protection, they’ll seize any opening to take you down.”
“Your second brother, Yan An? He’s one of them. Just undercover on our side.”
She coughed lightly.
“Over the years, the Yan Clan, old-established factions—even the Harmony Path Consortium—have all been infiltrated.”
“Your dad, my grandpa, the elder shareholders in Harmony Path… they’ve been fighting them all along.”
Her eyes reddened. She looked close to tears.
“Wait—you keep saying ‘them.’ Who *are* they?”
I scratched my head. Maybe I was too much of an outsider. I couldn’t feel the dread behind her words.
…
Yan Heiming composed herself, cleared her throat.
“Immortality—known as the Eternity Tech International Group—is an American corporation.”
“That’s all I know. They have subsidiaries everywhere. We can’t tell who works for them… or who we can trust.”
“Long ago, they began covert, targeted tomb-raiding nationwide, hiring seasoned raiders with huge payouts.”
“But they’re ruthless to local raiders. Useless ones? Eliminated on the spot inside tombs. They’ll stop at nothing for artifacts or intel. Their ultimate goal? Only your father likely knows.”
She pulled out a notebook and read aloud.
“Your dad, Wei Chuanyi, holds intelligence they crave. That’s why they’ve relentlessly targeted him.”
“But he’s no ordinary thief. He had two pillars behind him: the Harmony Path Consortium and Yan Clan Hall. For the first time, their smooth path hit a snag.”
She closed the notebook.
“If even your dad needed Harmony Path’s protection to survive… what about you, you… ahem… *precious little darling*?”
…
“If you can’t think of a better insult, just say it! What weird nickname is ‘precious little darling’? You’re making me hungry!”
I laughed, teasing her.
“So… the ones who tried to assassinate *this emperor* that night were from the Eternal Life Group? And they’re after me… all thanks to my dad’s secret?”
I was starting to piece it together.
Yan Heiming nodded quietly.
“All this boils down to one thing: you *must* attend tomorrow’s Harmony Path shareholders’ meeting. For your safety. For your dad. Don’t add to his burdens.”
She sipped her tea, putting on a wise-old-father act, voice thick with sincerity.
…
Overwhelmed, I bowed my head, sorting through the clues. Many gaps remained—but in my mind, the shape of it all was slowly taking form.
…
