blogombal Page 172
Page 172
After all, the fact that I abandoned my daughter has already filled me with immense guilt and shame, leading me to choose to live in seclusion. Naturally, I cannot force you, Jin'er, to do anything more.
In this long letter home, a shocking century-old feud came to Ludwig's attention.
...
Yang Jin'er's father was a well-known Confucian businessman in the area, who was famous for his good business reputation.
At that time, progressive figures in the government launched the so-called "Westernization Movement". Yang's father was originally a small vendor making a living by trading small businesses, but he successfully caught the wave of the "Westernization Movement" and, taking advantage of the once-in-a-century trade boom, accumulated a considerable fortune in just a few years, becoming "Wealthy Merchant Yang".
However, the commercial channels opened up by the Self-Strengthening Movement also attracted unscrupulous merchants from overseas.
Those people were colonizers cloaked in hypocrisy. Their sole purpose was to drain the local people dry, feeding their insatiable greed and ambition with their marrow and blood.
Among these unscrupulous colonial merchants was a company that had no official status at the time and was virtually unknown even in history books.
In the early 20th century, the company began operating in the Shigekawa area. At that time, the West had extremely advanced business models and all-encompassing, unscrupulous business tactics; within just a few years, it effortlessly seized the entire market share of the Yang family's business.
The once-famous Yang family business was on the verge of bankruptcy within a few years after it moved to Chongchuan City.
On the verge of bankruptcy, the enraged businessman Yang obtained the most crucial evidence to bring down that company:
They sucked the blood of the people of the East, sending all the ill-gotten gold back to the Western colonizers. The rest of the money was used to collude with corrupt officials of the Eastern empire and to bribe those in positions of power who were greedy for money. This company had become one of the countless forces that pushed the entire war-torn Central Plains into the abyss.
This company will stop at nothing to gain connections and open up business channels.
At that time, among the Yang family's close connections was a landlord family in Chongchuan City—the Yin family.
The Yin family and the Yang family have been close friends for generations. This is why the Yang family chose Chongchuan City as their destination when fleeing from their small town in Jiangnan – to seek the Yin family's protection. Therefore, to destroy the local businesses, it was necessary to destroy the unbreakable bond between these two families.
The company's boss plotted to murder the patriarch of the Yin family at a banquet, and soon after, he forcibly married the wife of the Yin family.
They orchestrated a merger and acquisition scheme to absorb the vast network of connections owned by the Yin family, and then framed the Yang family for it all.
Even though the Yang family possessed crucial evidence, their immense power rendered them powerless to change anything.
Thus, the Yin family became one of the two major families in that company. Although the Yin family continued like a puppet, the Yang family, which had "fled in fear of punishment" and whose whereabouts were unknown, had long since severed ties with the Yin family.
This company, which committed numerous atrocities a century ago, is now a multinational behemoth:
Spire Group.
Chapter 192 Identity
"Jones, what are you up to?!"
Spier reprimanded him angrily.
"[Artillery] Alexei... dead?"
"Yes, Mr. President, and the methods were cruel; Alexei was completely defenseless."
"Then how did you manage to come back alive?"
"After noticing that her strength was unexpectedly great, I withdrew in time."
"Strategist" Lykan Jones said calmly.
"Excuse my bluntness, Mr. Spyr. To rashly attempt to intercept the Vampire Queen without fully understanding her capabilities would be completely unwise. You should have heeded my previous advice..."
"okay."
Spier waved his hand.
“Alexei... he was just a mercenary after all, and he was never truly loyal to me.”
...
He walked to the window and looked down at the group island, his "empire".
"It's just the vampires' death throes. The vampire council's decision to decouple from us actually allows us to unleash our full power to punish them."
"No matter how powerful the vampire queen is, she is still just an individual."
“And I—am the Spier Group. That’s the world of difference between us.”
"It's just some trivial incriminating evidence that she's fallen into her hands. With those things, we can't stop public opinion from turning in our favor, let alone stop the inevitable 'evolution'."
Jones said, "So...Mr. President, what are your plans next?"
...
"That wandering knight who infiltrated the vampire clan... he must be heartbroken right now."
The young CEO gave a cold laugh.
"Jones, do as I say. It's time to put your blood energy to good use."
"Mr. President, given our past failures, shouldn't we first thoroughly investigate their capabilities before...?"
“There’s no need to confront them directly, Jones. You recently received some very crucial information… I haven’t forgotten it.”
Spier took a small sip of red wine.
"That is the next entry point."
...
...
...
"Spiral...Group?!"
After reading the letter, Ludwig, Rokoko, and Solid all stared wide-eyed. Ludwig's...
My sleepiness vanished instantly.
Solid covered her mouth in shock: "So, Brother Yin's family was actually a puppet forced into a marriage... Did he know this?"
Ludwig shook her head: "Given his clueless look, he probably doesn't know. Besides, his parents were very loving when they were alive, even I, a homebody who doesn't watch the news much, know that. His motive for revenge has nothing to do with that."
She set the yellowed letters aside and began to peruse the numerous documents placed at the bottom of the wooden box.
As she flipped through the pages, everyone's expressions grew even more shocked—
Contract documents bearing the seal of officials from the Eastern Empire;
Customs documents for shipping gold, silk and porcelain overseas;
Marriage certificate with the Yin family;
The crime scene investigation record at the time of the death of the Yin family patriarch;
The agreement for the acquisition of the Yin family;
An ultimatum was issued to the Yang Group...
Each and every piece of precious material tells the only historical truth that is well-documented and beyond doubt.
"Lulu..."
Coco felt a chill run down her spine.
"In my limited knowledge, this could undoubtedly be prosecuted against the Spier Group in any court in the world on charges of monopoly, commercial fraud, crimes against humanity, human trafficking, and hiring murder."
...
Ludwig calmed down a bit and took a deep breath.
"Don't rush, Coco."
"This is undoubtedly the most powerful evidence against the Spier Group, but rashly using it against the group would be counterproductive. It alone is not enough to convict the Spier Group, because their crimes are from a hundred years ago. There is an old saying in the East: 'You cannot use the sword of the previous dynasty to kill the officials of the current dynasty.'"
Ludwig paused.
"Well, in the end, we still need to find evidence of the Spier Group's 'current' crimes."
Coco pondered:
“Capilson Spear’s medical records… But the Fourth Hospital is under close surveillance by the Group. Although Dr. Zhou is investigating the Group, he is now a vampire, so he can’t make any further discoveries.”
...
...
Ludwig's pupils suddenly dilated.
"Huh, Coco, what did you say..."
Her eyes lit up.
"That Dr. Zhou who recently joined the vampire clan has been investigating the group for many years? He must be an expert in that area."
"Alright, alright, that's enough for today's bedtime meeting. Even the all-powerful vampire queen needs to rest."
Ludwig dismissed the two girls.
"Pass down the order, Coco. Have my Minister Ye take Dr. Zhou to the Eternal Pure Land, give him sufficient equipment and resources, and let him study the ingredients of the 'Blood of Energy' drink and the data on the USB drive that Mr. Knight brought back. As long as he has enough time, he will surely be able to find some clues, and the greatly slowed time in the Eternal Pure Land is perfect for him to immerse himself in his research."
Ludwig paused.
"By the way, transfer some more loyal blood healers over there to assist him."
"Let the blood healers, under his leadership, study the toxins in the body of the sleeping former king—the Eternal Queen, Siriot."
Coco's face lit up with joy and excitement: "Is Lulu trying to kill two birds with one stone? Lulu wants the doctors to find a way to crack the virus from the research data on the USB drive..."
Ludwig poked her cheek: "If you know, then hurry up and do it. Every extra minute you linger here means the late king will have to sleep for months longer."
...
...
After the girls left, the silver-haired girl lay on the moonlit bed and sighed softly.
She gazed out the window at the eternal moonlight that never sets, her expression dazed.
There is such a bizarre and strange thing.
Two completely unrelated girls, both met the same fate through the cruel twists of destiny.
One of the girls became the first vampires, and a thousand years later, another girl also became a vampire.
Now, a girl named Ludwig has inherited the bloodline and power of a girl named Siriot and has become the new vampire queen.
They are so similar, so alike, like two other people in the world...
But they are also very different.
Ludwig possesses a more mature mind and is unaffected by curses or illnesses. Blessed with numerous favorable conditions, given time, she will be able to achieve accomplishments that even the Eternal Queen Celiot could not attain.
But this does not mean that she will forget the source of her life-changing destiny—Queen Hilliot—deep in the depths of her memory.
...
"Yang Jin'er has an undeniable mother, because it was because of her that Yang Jin'er was born into this world."
“And my Ludwig’s ‘mother’ is someone else entirely.”
“Siriot... Although the birth of 'Ludwig' was not your wish, it is still a fait accompli.”
"There are so many things I haven't been able to tell you, and I haven't even been able to truly understand the real you. That's why I want to save you, awaken you, so that I can... have a proper chat with you once again."
"You're such a lovely girl, how could I possibly let the opportunity to get to know you slip by?"
Ludwig closed her eyes and gradually drifted off to sleep.
"You still want to open your eyes and see this world again, don't you...?"
“My… ‘Mother Queen’.”
Chapter 193 Humans have limits
Yin-Yang Lion: "Are you alright?"
Yin Yang Lion: "You haven't appeared for a month, and there are no new updates on your social media accounts. Your fans are very worried about you."
Yin-Yang Lion: "What happened?"
...
In the corridor, Yin Shang pressed his phone, constantly sending messages to the virtual anchor, "Xi Lulu," a close friend he had known for many years.
But Hilulu's profile picture has been grayed out; she hasn't been online for a long time.
"..."
Yin Shang opened the recording of the world-renowned public meeting that the vampire queen Ludwig had recently held in Geneva, Switzerland.