Chapter 4 — The Madman’s Masterpiece

Outside, the guests had nearly all arrived, and the large screen was broadcasting "sweet" memories of An and Tam-Nghien. I sat in the VIP lounge, calmly peeling melon seeds. Below me, Tam-Nghien huddled on the floor, trembling uncontrollably. Her wedding dress was torn to shreds, a wretched sight. She dared not scream, and even if she had, no one would have responded—the last time I lashed her with the whip, I had practically shredded her vocal cords.

"Enough, stop weeping; it’s deafening. I’ve been generous to you as it is. That whip I used? I soaked it in antiseptic so that every strike would disinfect as it tore. Are you still not satisfied?" I spat a seed hull onto her. She looked up at me with eyes full of indignation. To an outsider, it might have looked like pure hatred. The screen dimmed slightly, and I knew the main event was about to begin.

When the screen flickered back to life, Tam-Nghien began to shriek in agitation. The door swung open. "Big Sister, is it too noisy?" my third brother asked with a bright grin. I tossed the plate of seeds onto the table. My brother agilely kicked off his shoes, pulled off a sock, and shoved it into Tam-Nghien’s mouth. "Ugh, this smell... perhaps we should wash our feet daily?" I held my breath. He scratched his head sheepishly: "I've been stomping through the pickled mustard greens a lot lately." I shot him a look and turned back to the screen.

On the display, Yin was backing away until she hit the wall. An gave her no room to breathe: "Your mother cheated on me long ago, didn't she? I raised you for years—what a total waste! Tell me, whose child are you?"

"Father... what are you saying? I am your flesh and blood!" Yin wailed, her voice thick with panic.

"Still trying to lie to me?" An’s voice was icy. "I was such a fool. I even exhausted myself back then just to cover up your existence."

Yin collapsed to her knees, sobbing: "Father, I really am your daughter! Even if Mother was unfaithful, that happened after I was born... and besides, Mother..."

An shook with rage, clutching his chest: "Your mother... what about her? Keep talking! She was indeed keeping other men behind my back, wasn't she?"

"No... not a man," Yin whispered.

"What? Not just one?" An gasped for air, turning purple. "Shameless woman! Get out of here and drag her to me!" Yin tried to explain, but An suddenly slumped over: "Medicine... the medicine..." Yin scrambled to lift him, but there was no way she could move his massive, two-hundred-pound frame.

I turned to Tam-Nghien, whose makeup was a streaked mess of tears and grime. I signaled for my brother to remove the sock. She immediately began to curse: "You wretched creature, this was your doing, wasn't it? Yin is An’s daughter! Why go to such lengths? I have no feud with you; I only advised you to stay away from Xuyen!"

"Indeed, it was my doing," I said, gripping her chin firmly. "Since you didn't want my affection, it's only fair you taste my hatred." Borrowing a line from Xuyen—I have to say, it sounded truly vile.

"You lunatic!" She tried to lunge at me, but my brother sent her sprawling back with a kick. "Did my Big Sister tell you that you could move?" I gave him a thumbs-up, and he beamed with sincere pride. I returned my attention to the screen: Yin stood over the unconscious An, her face a mask of terror, muttering: "Father... I didn't mean a man... Mother liked women."

By the time the doctor arrived, An had stopped breathing. His heart was weak, and the shock, combined with Yin's panicked incompetence in seeking help, had cost him his golden window of survival. He was gone. I hadn't intended to use this specific secret to ruin Yin at first. Ten years ago, she was only nine—a minor—and the statute of limitations had long since passed. The law couldn't touch her. I only wanted to destroy An’s reputation. But I never expected him to die. I wondered if, in his final moments, he remembered Qieu, who had once been left to wither away just like that, second by agonizing second. Retribution is inescapable; he deserved to die.

After An’s passing, the An household descended into chaos, and the company’s stock plummeted. Duc—or rather, Tong-Duc—sought me out. "You are a daughter of the An family, after all. If the firm collapses, what do you get? This is real money!" He looked desperate, his stubble overgrown. It was clear he couldn't handle the corporate wolves.

"The An family? What does that have to do with me? My surname is Tong. And come to think of it, so is yours," I replied coolly. He gritted his teeth, silent for a moment, then lowered his head: "You... you have the ability to fix this. I don't want to live without money."

I glanced at him. "I can help, but from now on, you obey me."

He looked up: "Fine. Just don't let the firm collapse, and I will do whatever you say."

I patted his shoulder: "First, go change your surname."

With the assistance of Ha, the losses were gradually recovered. Tong-Duc became the new Chairman, though the true power behind the throne was Ha. I don't know what deal was struck, but whenever he saw me, he was as deferential as a child before an elder. He began to work diligently, eventually developing the composed, seasoned air of a real businessman.

Initially, Tam-Nghien and Yin tried to fight for control, but under Ha’s iron-fisted tactics, they were crushed. Yin tried to crawl back to Xuyen for help, but he avoided her as if she were a venomous snake, having his security detail toss her out. Without Xuyen or An to protect them, their lives fell into ruin. Yin, unable to endure the poverty, traded on her looks to land a wealthy patron. But she never suspected that the man's wife was a true underworld matriarch. Tragically, while she waited for her "sugar daddy," she was ambushed and doused with acid. Her face was ruined. Her legs were broken.

Tam-Nghien sat by her daughter’s bedside, her heart shattered. She began to mutter incoherently, fixated on taking revenge on me. I thought to myself—my fourth brother usually sits at an empty basin while he pretends to fish; perhaps it was time he caught a "big one." And so, the local psychiatric ward gained a new, middle-aged "mermaid," always dressed in a shimmering sequined tail.

"Big Sister, did I do well?" Ha knelt before me, fishing for praise. A powerful tycoon doesn't just "accidentally" meet a girl, and news doesn't just "accidentally" reach the ears of a jealous wife; this was all orchestrated. Instead of letting Yin die quickly, it was far better to have her live a life worse than death.

"Beautifully done." I fed him a grape. He caught it with his lips, biting down gently, his eyes shining like stars. Good heavens, what kind of siren was this walking among men? I slapped his hand playfully: "You flirtatious man, trying to seduce an eagle like me?"

His eyes grew a bit misty: "Big Sister... does your hand hurt?"

[The End]