Chapter 621 - The Punishment

Guan Gao Huan stood in front of the large doors. He glanced at his side where Lu Jin was standing.

"You know, there's really no need for you to come with me. You are just telling father to punish you as well. Do you like to be tortured that much?" Guan Gao Huan smirked.

"Shut up." 

Guan Gao Huan chuckled. 

However, even though he looked like he was casually smiling at this moment, in his heart, he was also nervous. He had already prepared his heart to be punished one day by his master and father. Going against his order was the heaviest sin against him.

He swallowed, opened the door, and stepped in.

A lamp with yellow lighting was lit at the side. It was enough to illuminate the dark hall. Their father had always been fond of dim lighting and dim interiors.

The spacious living room that barely had furnitures in it contained one luxurious cushioned couch at the center, which greeted his eyes directly. The other furnitures seemed to have been moved away.

He saw Butler Qian kneeling on the floor, while his father and master was sitting on the couch devoid of any expression. There was a briefcase at his father's feet, and a file in his hands.

Guan Gao Huan knew what the briefcase was for. He pushed down his own nervousness, walked forward, and kneeled beside Butler Qian. His face remained calm and quiet since the beginning.

He bowed his head.

"I went against your order, father. Please punish me as you see fit."

Ming Zhi Yi lightly raised a dark brow. "What a greeting." He turned to look at the silent Lu Jin who followed in. "And what did you come here for? To plead for your brother's mistake?"

Lu Jin nodded curtly. "I stand as a witness."

"Witness to what?"

"Witness for the reason why he went against your order."

"So you are telling me that I should hear him out?"

"Yes, father."

Ming Zhi Yi's dark pools stared unblinkingly at Lu Jin. 

Lu Jin stood still.

Ming Zhi Yi could not read Lu Jin's face at this moment on whether he was nervous or not, so he gave up understanding him.

"Alright. Let's hear your reason, Gunan."

Guan Gao Huan internally sighed in relief. 

He owed Lu Jin for this.

"Before master gave me an order, and before ZD World went public, I am already working on Univ One. Master said before that I should pave a way to win the Guan family's succession for the heir position. I created Univ One for that reason. Univ One is my key to win Headmaster Guan's and the Guan Empire's acknowledgment...

"However, ZD World's appearance destroyed it all. I am willing to follow father's orders to death, however, I cannot stand the fact that I have to work under my enemy who destroyed my greatest weapon." At this point, Guan Gao Huan swallowed. He glanced at the man who sat silently on the couch and was coldly looking down at him.

"...I weighed the pros and cons. We are not a hundred percent sure that SC would take my offer for collaboration even if I have Univ One behind me. I have bad blood with Zhou Linfeng since the beginning. They will not trust me and instead doubt my intention. On the other hand, if I start launching Univ One under my name, then this project can still be of use...

"I can still use Univ One as a way to get acknowledged by the Guan Empire. Furthermore, Univ One's potential is greater than SC. If I am given a chance and time, Univ One will topple down ZD World in the future."

Finally, Guan Gao Huan closed his mouth.

Ming Zhi Yi was silent.

No one dared to speak.

After a period of silence, Ming Zhi Yi opened his mouth. "Therefore, you are saying that you are capable of bringing down ZD World under your feet?"

"Yes, I am, father."

Silence filled the large room once more.

Ming Zhi Yi's shoulders shook as he chuckled. He then laughed loudly. "Ha! Ha! Ha!"

His amused laughter was the only thing that could be heard in the spacious room. No one dared to ask why he laughed nor interrupted his crazed moment.

After having a good laugh, Ming Zhi Yi leaned back again on his chair. "Really amusing. You overestimate yourself, Gunan. Do you think I do not know your every movement? I am fully aware of Univ One's existence ever since you made a bit of money on your own while using my own connections. Do you know why I allowed it and did not stop you? It's because I saw that it is novel and has a lot of potential. But you see, Gunan, ZD World appeared. I saw clearly how similar it is with your proud work, but I can also see the great difference between the two."

The man kneeling felt a chill rising within his heart.

Ming Zhi Yi smiled coldly.

"Any capable and experienced person can see the great difference of your Univ One to ZD World. Simply put, it is like comparing a lump of mud to a gold bar." 

His words were ruthless and sharp like knives stabbing into the weak points of Gunan's heart.

"No matter how much that mud gets itself cultivated, no matter how big it gets, in the end, it, is, still, just, mud. While you can melt gold or turn it into a powder, it is after all, still, gold." Ming Zhi Yi's eyes indifferently looked down at the kneeling man. "Do you understand what I am saying?"

The bowing Guan Gao Huan did not answer. 

He was unwilling to accept it.

He could not accept the words saying that Univ One, his pride, was that useless and the worst.

"Gunan, look at me," Ming Zhi coldly ordered.

Guan Gao Huan looked up. 

His golden eyes showed his stubbornness and his act of defiance to what he said. 

This made Ming Zhi Yi frown.

This could not be allowed.

He had to kill this seed of ambition in Gunan's eyes and turn him back to an opinionless subordinate. 

A pawn must never harbor his own thoughts. He must be a faithful puppet following the master's orders.

Ming Zhi Yi stood up and approached the kneeling man.

His voice shifted to a mesmerizing tone, as if he was a devil bewitching a man to his bidding.

"Gunan, what I am saying is, no matter how hard you work, even if you receive plenty of resources in your hands, it will not erase the fact that you are just a person who came from the slums. Your ability itself is mediocre. I gave you everything that you have now. Only by following my rules and orders that you are able to get to where you are. So, kill that piece of ambition in your heart." He leaned to Guan Gao Huan's ears. "It is poisonous." 

Guan Gao Huan was dazed for a moment, before closing his eyes. 

His father and master's words were too sharp that it stabbed his heart.

It was painful, as if there was a knife inserted into his heart and being twisted around, the flesh in his heart being gouged and scr.a.p.ed out.

He could not accept this fact!

"I... father... I still have a chance to win..."

Ming Zhi Yi's eyes turned cold. He slowly straightened up.

"You are still not listening to me?"

All hearts of people present trembled.

"Father! The Guan Headmaster is now considering me as his possible heir after knowing that I am the creator of Univ One. Please, give me a chance. Univ One will bring you many benefits. Please, don't destroy it," Guan Gao Huan pleaded to his father, no, to his master. 

His master was merciless. Since he did not see Univ One as a treasure or a useful pawn, it meant that he had plans to destroy it. 

Anything useless would be destroyed by his master.

He could not allow it. Univ One was his key... his hard work... his, Gunan's, own hard work.

Ming Zhi Yi was not moved. 

The important thing right now was to cut off Gunans' hope and possible defiance in the future. If this minion of his started to harbor useless thoughts like this, like proving oneself and making decisions that was against his orders, it would be disastrous to Ming Zhi Yi.

He needed absolute control over all of his henchmen.

He could not allow any possible betrayal or disloyalty. 

Univ One was the key to Gunan's hope. Even if it may be a bit useful, he must destroy it.

Ming Zhi Yi opened his mouth to give his order, but Lu Jin suddenly spoke at the side.

"Father, I agree with Gunan."

The room turned deathly quiet.

Ming Zhi Yi's dark eyes were frozen. "You dare?!" 

His shout was so loud and menacing that it made people's heart freeze.

Lu Jin stood unfazed. "Father, if you crush Univ One right now, the Guan Empire who already showed their support will not stand back. They will surely investigate the power behind the one who suddenly destroyed Univ One. This could be pointed to you. We have to be careful right now, since the legendary families are investigating everywhere for all clues that are connected to you. This is a crucial time."

His emotionless voice filling the dim interior finally stopped.

Ming Zhi Yi stood there unmoving as he stared at his expressionless son. 

He deliberated over Lu Jin's words.