Chapter 78 The Most Beautiful Fireworks (Final Chapter of This Volume)
In the office, Ajiu, Scarface, the other three, and President Han all rose to greet him.
“President Yang!”
“Boss!”
...
“Please, everyone, take your seats.” Yang Fan waved his hand and sat down, with Wu Qian entering just behind him.
“How has everyone been lately? I’ve only just finished my own affairs and thought it was time to gather us all together for a meeting.” He turned to President Han with a smile. “How are you, President Han?”
“The same as always; lately I haven’t felt like doing much,” Han replied.
“You should get out and enjoy life more. With all the money you have, it’s time to truly savor it!” Yang Fan chuckled.
“You’re absolutely right, President Yang.”
President Han was now on the same side as Yang Fan. As Yang had said, the police hadn’t pursued any charges against him. After many wealthy merchants were taken down by the authorities, the Han family acquired several enterprises, suffering no losses and even profiting.
On the Tianhai side, Ajiu and his associates had also received word and reaped tremendous benefits from the reshuffling. Of course, this wasn’t exploiting loopholes; they only acquired assets from minor merchants. The major tycoons, especially those ranked within the top two hundred in Tianning, were handled symbolically—a few were struck down as a warning, so the rest conducted their business properly.
After all, disturbing one could shake the whole city. These wealthy groups formed the foundation of the metropolis.
“How about you all? Have you made a fortune lately?” Yang Fan turned to Ajiu and his companions.
The five merchants had diverse businesses: two in real estate, Ajiu’s company in trade, Scarface in supermarkets, and Zhou Liang in seafood processing.
“We’re all doing well. We came today to see you, Boss, and bring the brothers along.”
Ajiu and the others were in awe of Yang Fan; this was truly a life of grandeur and wealth.
“Alright, our companies should unite, especially President Han. You can expand your business into Tianhai—don’t keep your eyes only on our side!” Yang Fan said with a smile.
“I’ll count on everyone’s support then!”
“Don’t mention it, President Han. These five are family; there’s no need for formalities. If you need anything, just tell me directly.”
That was Yang Fan’s character—he disliked being constrained and didn’t wish to constrain others.
With a gesture, he released all the controls placed on them; those controls had only been precautions in case anyone proved unreliable.
As for the two in Tianhai, Yang Fan gave them the antidote directly. Of course, none dared entertain disloyal thoughts now.
“President Yang, what’s this...”
Each handed over a card, which Yang Fan accepted without hesitation.
“Alright, enjoy yourselves in Tianning. I won’t see you off any further. We’ll have more opportunities in the future—let’s make money together.”
“President Yang is right.”
“By the way, Boss, how’s the trial for the Redemption group?” Ajiu asked.
“It’ll be a few days before court convenes. The core members will certainly face the death penalty; those on the periphery will likely get life imprisonment.”
“They should have been executed long ago!” Scarface grunted.
...
After President Han and the others departed, Yang Fan handed six cards to Liu Haoyu—each containing far more than ten million.
The money kept growing; this was the power granted by his abilities. In just a few short months, Yang Fan had gone from sharing instant noodles with Ai Xiaomei to earning hundreds of millions.
The Tianli Pill—Yang Fan must take it, as it would allow him to become an ability user directly. Yet its outer layer had a protective membrane that would take two months to dissolve.
This was another trick of the system. For this, Ai Xiaomei had tricked him once more—she truly left no opportunity unexplored.
“President Yang!” Wu Qian called.
“Wang Yun came last night, so I didn’t return home.”
Wu Qian nodded vigorously. Now, wherever Yang Fan went or whatever he did, he always informed everyone.
“You never brought her home?”
“She stayed at Sister Xi’s place last night. When I go to Tianhai in a few days, I’ll see her again.”
Three days later, Yang Fan attended the trial as the founder of the Girls’ Academy and guardian of the more than three thousand girls. The parents who had found their daughters were also present. With their daughters’ lives so changed, they naturally sought justice.
The case was heinous; Redemption’s leaders were sentenced to death on the spot, more than fifty core members condemned, the rest given life sentences. The severity of the crimes had reached the point of inciting outrage among both gods and men.
No matter the law or the sentiment, they deserved death!
Outside the courthouse, the parents wept uncontrollably. Yang Fan and Xia Yufei spent a long time comforting them. These unfortunate mothers would also join the Girls’ Academy, wanting nothing more than to care for their daughters.
At Yang Fan’s request, special permission was granted for the girls’ household registration. The registry office became involved, and all the girls declared in unison that they wanted to take Yang as their surname—Yang Fan’s Yang—because, in their hearts, Yang Fan was their protector.
Provincial officials, along with leaders from Tianning and Tianhai, visited to observe the girls’ conditions, which showed no signs of improvement. As experts had warned, the effects could last decades if things went poorly.
Yang Fan pondered this, and after consulting with the orphanage director, arranged for the orphaned children to interact with the older girls, with promising initial results.
This was the Girls’ Academy. Once the registry officials intervened, Yang Fan insisted he needed Lin Ruo’s supervision, persuading them so that Lin Ruo could accompany him.
If Lin Ruo were to investigate on a whim, the marriage would instantly be exposed.
Unknowingly, the year was drawing to a close. As the New Year approached, Yang Fan’s greatest wish was for these girls to forget the past and embrace the future.
“Master, I want a kitten—like the principal’s, but even smaller.”
“Alright, tomorrow I’ll give each of you a kitten. But you must promise to take good care of them!”
“No problem,” said Yang Xin—a girl whose name belonged to one of the original residents of the Dijin Villa.
“What’s wrong, Yang Rui?” Xu Zihan noticed a girl standing still and asked.
“I don’t like cats; I prefer dogs.”
“I want a dog too, and it must be really cute!” Ai Xiaomei chimed in. She’d become quite the wild child lately, refusing to return home when Yang Fan called.
“If you can take care of yourself, that’s enough,” Yang Fan said, troubled.
“Hmph!” Ai Xiaomei pouted angrily.
“Yang Rui, tomorrow I’ll bring you a puppy.”
Yang Rui was overjoyed. Soon, more and more girls requested small animals from Yang Fan, and he agreed, making a mental note of the varieties.
“I think teaching them to care for something is a good thing,” Xu Zihan remarked.
Yang Fan smiled. Tonight was the last night of the year. Everyone was gathered here, while outside, on the mountain, officials from the province, Tianning, and Tianhai stood on high ground, looking down upon the laughter and cheer of the Girls’ Academy.
“All the ugliness is over; may they embrace new lives!”
Zhang Chen and his friends were even more impatient. While it was only eight o’clock, they made a trip to Tianning and brought back every cat and dog from the pet shop.
Ai Xiaomei gleefully played with two puppies, running off to have fun...
These scenes touched everyone deeply.
“Listen, everyone! We must shout loudly to pray for the coming year!”
“Ten!”
“Nine!”
...
The whole crowd counted down together—a night of rebirth!
“Five!”
“Four!”
Each number, spoken steadily, marked the passage of time, washing away all the hellish suffering and disaster.
“One!”
At that moment, fireworks blossomed across the sky—the most beautiful display, streaking through everyone’s hearts...
All the girls pressed their hands together, making their most heartfelt wishes!