They understood Fan Chengcai's reasoning for doing so, and also regretted not successfully getting their hands on that Flying Vehicle powered by Small-Scale Controlled Nuclear Fusion!
Fan Bowei was silent for a long while, then coldly snorted and said, "Since that's the case, then it's even more your fault!"
"If something is that good, you should obtain it at all costs!"
"Instead of ending up like this, not only did you fail to get the mutton, but you also made a mess of yourself!"
"Your schemes are not as good as your eldest brother's! You're not as ruthless as your cousin Fan Chengxin! Being so indecisive, it's no wonder you harm yourself and others!"
Fan Chengcai's face darkened.
He admitted that he was not as good as his eldest brother Fan Chengqi.
But to say that he was not as good as Fan Chengxin, that distant relative who came to freeload, he didn't agree with that in his heart.
But he didn't dare to argue with Fan Bowei to his face, especially when Fan Bowei was in a fit of rage.
At this moment, he deeply resented the two Noble Ladies of the Su Family.
If it weren't for their sudden arrival here, completely preventing him from getting close to Quan Caiwei these past few days, perhaps Quan Caiwei would have already secretly fallen for him...
As long as Quan Caiwei had him in her heart, who would he need to fear?! But it was too late to say all this now. Fan Chengcai glanced at Fan Chengqi, seeking his help with his eyes.
Fan Chengqi's expression was also very unsightly.
Because even he had underestimated the seriousness of this matter.
Fan Bowei was in the midst of his anger, and it wasn't good for him to openly plead for Fan Chengcai.
After thinking about it, Fan Chengqi asked, "Dad, what exactly is Young Master Zong's stance on this?"
Fan Bowei sneered and said, "How would I know?! Isn't that why I came to ask the two young masters?!"
Fan Chengqi and Fan Chengcai were rendered speechless by Fan Bowei's sarcasm.
Fan Bowei couldn't keep Zong Ruoan waiting for too long, so he said, "I'll go see him first. You two stay here and wait for my news."
...
Back in the study of his own villa, Zong Ruoan was sitting there alone, drinking tea.
Fan Bowei's personal secretary quietly said to him at the door, "Mr. Fan, Young Master Zong is being very well-behaved inside, just sitting there drinking tea, not doing anything else."
Fan Bowei breathed a sigh of relief, with a hint of wishful thinking, he entered his study.
"Young Master Zong, I apologize for keeping you waiting." Fan Bowei was respectful in front of Zong Ruoan, not even daring to sit down.
Zong Ruoan didn't stand up either, just sitting on the single sofa in Fan Bowei's study, looking at him and saying, "Mr. Fan, take a look at these documents."
As he spoke, he threw an e-reader to Fan Bowei.
Fan Bowei took the e-reader and directly projected the virtual reading screen.
On it were all the dirty tricks that the Fan Family had used in doing business over the years, and then there were all the cases related to Fan Chengcai.
These cases started from when Fan Chengcai was twelve years old, up to the present, at twenty-five years old.
In the thirteen years, there were forty-six cases of homicide directly related to him.
One hundred and thirty-two cases of personal injury indirectly related to him.
Two hundred and fifty economic cases related to him.
As Fan Bowei read, Zong Ruoan said, "Mr. Fan, your Second Young Master is truly gifted, with such a long list of misdeeds, yet he's still rising through the ranks in the Da Fu Prefecture Disciplinary Department."
"Right after graduating from high school, he was already on the official payroll of the Da Fu Prefecture Disciplinary Department. While he was in college, he was simultaneously receiving full pay from the Disciplinary Department. After graduating from college and officially joining the workforce, he already had four years of work experience."
"Then, within a year, he rose from the lowest-level staff member to the Deputy Director of the entire Guiyuan Star Disciplinary Department."
"Do you really think your son has this ability?"
Zong Ruoan looked at Fan Bowei coldly.
Although Fan Bowei's age was older than Zong Ruoan's father's, in front of Zong Ruoan, Fan Bowei was like an ignorant child, and he was sweating profusely from his gaze.
Fan Bowei trembled, turned off the virtual reading screen, returned the e-reader to Zong Ruoan, and pleaded, "Young Master Zong, it's my son who acted recklessly, it's my fault for indulging him... I will make him leave the Disciplinary Department and return home to manage the family business, we will compensate all the victims on your list... You say, what do you want us to do, I will agree to it!"
Zong Ruoan's expression softened, thinking that this Fan Bowei didn't seem like an unreasonable person.
If Fan Bowei agreed to punish Fan Chengcai, things would be much simpler.
He didn't want to push them to the brink.
Zong Ruoan stood up, his expression slightly eased.
He walked up to Fan Bowei, his hands behind his back, and said, "Mr. Fan can put righteousness before family, and Zong admires that. We are both Nobles, and we should know that the title of nobility does not come easily. It was earned by our ancestors with their lives and blood. We descendants must not tarnish our ancestors' reputation."
Fan Bowei listened cautiously, wanting to agree but also feeling that Zong Ruoan's words had a deeper meaning. He was afraid that a rash statement would lead to irreparable consequences, so he was vague and didn't give a definite answer.
Zong Ruoan stared at Fan Bowei and said sternly, "Mr. Fan, I hope you realize the seriousness of the problem. The Fan Family has reached the point where it needs 'Scraping Poison from the Bones'. If you don't make this decision, others will do it for you!"
Only when Zong Ruoan said this did Fan Bowei grit his teeth and say, "Young Master Zong, tell me, what do you want me to do?"
Zong Ruoan nodded slightly, "It's very simple. First, hand over Fan Chengcai. He must accept the investigation by the Law and Justice Department and be judged by the court. You must be prepared that the things he has done deserve the death penalty. Second, the Fan Family must withdraw half of its personnel from the Disciplinary Department system of Guiyuan Star. You cannot occupy all the senior positions in the Disciplinary Department."
Fan Bowei's heart twitched when he heard this.
Not only did he have to let his son die, but he also had to give up the Disciplinary Department of Guiyuan Star?!
They had put in so much effort to control the Disciplinary Department system of Guiyuan Star!
Although Guiyuan Star was the most remote and backward, it was still a planet!
It was one of the Five Major Planets of the Beichen Empire!
Their Fan Family was just a small Baron, but controlling a planet could strengthen their power and realize their ambition to climb up.
Zong Ruoan's words meant they had to give up half of their personnel, destroying years of pursuit and dreams. It was easy for him to say! Fan Bowei's face was gloomy, his brow furrowed, and after a long while, he said, "Young Master Zong, can you give me a day to think about it?"
"A day? Do you need that long to think?"
Fan Bowei smiled bitterly and said, "The Quan Family's Noble Lady will stay in our Da Fu Prefecture for another day, and will leave Guiyuan Star the day after tomorrow morning to return to Cangge Star. Can you, just give the Quan Family some face? Wait until the Quan Family's Noble Lady leaves before taking Chengcai away?"
Zong Ruoan thought for a while and said, "It's not impossible. But I want to stay in the Fan Family until you hand over Fan Chengcai."
"Definitely, definitely."
Fan Bowei wiped the sweat from his forehead and sent Zong Ruoan out of his study.
He also wanted to let Zong Ruoan stay in the guest room of the Fan Family's territory, but Zong Ruoan refused without hesitation.
He had brought his Owl-Class Fighter this time and didn't need to stay in someone else's house.
After Zong Ruoan left, Fan Bowei contacted Fan Chengqi and Fan Chengcai and asked them to come over.
Fan Chengqi and Fan Chengcai had been uneasy.
Upon receiving Fan Bowei's message, they hurried over from the tunnel of their villa.
In Fan Bowei's study, Fan Chengqi and Fan Chengcai came out from the hidden secret door behind the bookcase.
"Dad, how is it? What does Young Master Zong mean?" Fan Chengcai was the most anxious and rushed to ask about the situation.
Slap! Fan Bowei finally couldn't help but slap him.
"You rebellious son! It's all because of you! Your father, at my age, has to be humble to a young man the same age as my son!" Fan Bowei angrily rebuked Fan Chengcai.
Fan Chengcai was slapped by Fan Bowei and hit the wall, almost knocking out his front teeth.
Fan Bowei was also a Gene Evolver, so his slap was not casual.
Fortunately, Fan Chengcai was also a Gene Evolver, otherwise Fan Bowei's slap could have directly killed an ordinary person.
Fan Chengqi hurried forward to hold Fan Bowei's arm and said, "Dad, let's talk it out. Getting angry is useless. Now that things have happened, let's think of a way."
Fan Bowei took his hand and sighed, "The Fan Family is fortunate to have you, Eldest. In the future, the Fan Family will depend on you!"
Fan Chengqi thought, the Fan Family is already mine, what is there to depend on? He smiled and said, "Dad, what exactly does Young Master Zong mean?"
Fan Bowei told them the conditions Zong Ruoan had just stated.
Fan Chengcai was the first to disagree, shouting, "Why?! I became the Deputy Director with my own ability, why should I give it up?! And sentence me to death?! We Nobles have criminal immunity!"
Fan Bowei kicked him and sneered, "Your own ability? What ability do you have? The ability to cause trouble?! I told you long ago, either don't do it, or do it cleanly! Look at the things you've done over the years, as if you're afraid others won't know you did them?!"
"Criminal immunity? Do you really think it means you can kill people without breaking the law?! Do you think the ones you killed were all Humanoids?!"
Fan Chengcai was scared out of his wits.
He suddenly looked up at Fan Chengqi, as if wanting to say something.
But Fan Chengqi shook his head slightly.
Fan Chengcai had no choice but to suppress the anger in his chest and said, "...Dad, I was wrong, please don't hand me over to the Law and Justice Department, okay? Once I get into the Law and Justice Department, quite a few people there have grudges against me, how could I ever get out! I'll definitely be sentenced to death!"
Fan Chengqi also advised, "Dad, Chengcai sometimes goes too far, but fortunately this time it's just because of those old stories, it shouldn't warrant a death sentence, right? Did Young Master Zong mention the incident at the Mulan City checkpoint with the Dark Night Hunters a few days ago?"
Fan Bowei snorted and said, "So, Young Master Zong coming to us because of these old stories is indeed better than being targeted by the Dark Night Hunters!"
"At least, the Special Security Bureau won't want us to be left without descendants, but the Dark Night Hunters, that's not guaranteed!"
Fan Chengqi pondered and said, "Dad... maybe the Dark Night Hunters wouldn't? Think about it, Chengcai didn't cause them any actual losses. If they're worried about losing face, why don't we... have someone pass a message and meet with their higher-ups? Give them some benefits?"
"And we... can't just keep developing our influence in the officialdom, we also need to have good relationships with organizations like the Dark Night Hunters and the Alliance of the Spirits of Light in secret."
Fan Chengqi's words struck a chord with Fan Bowei.
He nodded in satisfaction and said to Fan Chengcai, "Learn more from your brother! In the future, when you do things, either don't do anything, or if you do, be sure to succeed at all costs! Do you hear me?!"
Fan Chengcai nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, "I remember, Dad! I will definitely aim carefully before I act in the future! As long as I act, I will never show mercy!"
"That's right, a lion uses its full strength even when hunting a rabbit, don't be careless again in the future." Fan Bowei sat down, took a sip of tea, and said, "But what about Young Master Zong's matter, do you have any ideas?"
This is the second update.
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