Chapter 1

"Father, Mother, I can finally avenge you two!" In the old residence of the Bao family in Sanjia Alley, Zhongtian City, Bao Feiyang bowed deeply three times before the portraits of his parents, then stood up, his expression a mix of grief and the pleasure of impending revenge. He clenched his fists and said, "This time, I will make the Lu family taste the bitterness of losing everything!"

His thoughts drifted back to over a decade ago:

In May 1992, just as Bao Feiyang was about to graduate from university, a mysterious disaster suddenly befell his family. His uncle, Bao Guoqiang, was disqualified from the mayoral candidacy of Zhongtian City due to the machinations of his political rival, Lu Zhongcheng, who then took his place. After Lu Zhongcheng was elected mayor, he did not let Bao Guoqiang off easily. He fabricated charges against Bao Guoqiang and sent him to prison.

Bao Feiyang's father, Bao Guosheng, was a professor at Zhongtian University of Technology. He offended Lu Zhongcheng when his sister-in-law, Xue Hanmei, went to the mayor's office to question Lu Zhongcheng. Under Lu Zhongcheng's instructions, his son, Lu Weiguo, approached the leadership of Zhongtian University of Technology. Subsequently, despite knowing that Bao Guosheng had heart disease and was unsuitable for work in high-altitude areas, the university leadership forcibly assigned him to a Tibetan aid mission. Less than a month after arriving in the highlands, Bao Guosheng died in the hospital from acute altitude sickness.

Upon hearing the news of her husband's death, Bao Feiyang's mother, Zhou Xiaofang, fell ill on the spot. She lost her appetite and, in just a few days, a woman in her forties aged to look like a woman in her sixties. After suffering on her sickbed for two months, Zhou Xiaofang passed away with endless grief.

When Zhou Xiaofang died, Bao Feiyang had just graduated from university. After burying his mother's ashes with his father, he left Zhongtian City, a place of sorrow, and moved south to Guangdong Province. After more than a decade of hard work, Bao Feiyang achieved success in his career, becoming the owner of a large ceramic chemical company in Yuehai City, with a net worth of several hundred million. However, his wealth did not bring him happiness. The tragic fate of his parents always lingered in his mind, and his greatest wish was to bring down Lu Zhongcheng and seek justice for his parents. But by then, Lu Zhongcheng had become the vice governor of Zhongjiang Province. Even with his wealth, Bao Feiyang knew it was almost impossible to bring down a vice governor.

Fortunately, justice was served a year ago when Lu Zhongcheng was arrested for massive corruption, and the crimes he committed against Bao Guoqiang were also revealed. But what good was delayed justice? After more than a decade in prison, Bao Guoqiang, once a promising political star, had become a slow-witted, dying old man. Although his wrongful conviction was overturned, he had no chance of a comeback after losing the most precious years of his life. Bao Feiyang's deceased parents could not be brought back to life. Moreover, while Lu Zhongcheng was in prison, his son, Lu Weiguo, who had relentlessly framed the Bao family, continued to live a luxurious life as one of the four major figures in Zhongtian City. How could Bao Feiyang be content with this?

Finally, an opportunity arose. Three months ago, Bao Feiyang learned that Lu Weiguo had entered the ceramic raw material market, becoming the agent for a popular Italian red ceramic pigment. Coincidentally, Bao Feiyang had been researching a substitute for this Italian pigment for several years and had just succeeded. His new pigment cost only half as much as the Italian product and was 70% more effective.

Seeing this golden opportunity, how could Bao Feiyang let it slip away? He did not rush to produce the new pigment but instead spread rumors that several ceramic companies were interested in the domestic agency rights for the Italian pigment. He also joined forces with several ceramic industry peers in Yuehai City to conduct a field inspection in Italy.

The ceramic industry in Yuehai City was a leader in the national ceramic industry. When Lu Weiguo heard the news, he feared that the agency rights would be snatched by large companies in Yuehai City. He scrambled to gather over 500 million yuan and, in exchange for a one-time purchase of 5,000 tons of the red pigment, secured the mainland agency rights for the Italian product.

Seeing Lu Weiguo spend over 500 million yuan to bring back 5,000 tons of the red pigment from Italy, Bao Feiyang almost burst out laughing. Once his new pigment hit the market, the 5,000 tons of red pigment in Lu Weiguo's possession would drastically lose value. If he could sell it for 100 million yuan, he would be lucky.

Bao Feiyang had thoroughly investigated Lu Weiguo's situation: Of the 500 million yuan, less than 200 million was his own money, and the rest was high-interest loans. Although Lu Weiguo still bore the title of one of the four major figures in Zhongtian City, he was now just a hollow shell. After Lu Zhongcheng was placed under investigation, Lu Weiguo lost his influence in Zhongtian City. After Lu Zhongcheng was sentenced to life in prison, Lu Weiguo became a pariah in the upper circles of Longcheng. How could a former governor's son have fallen to the point of taking high-interest loans? If the 500 million yuan were reduced to just 100 million, Lu Weiguo would not only lose everything but also be unable to repay the high-interest loans. Those who lent the money were ruthless and would not hesitate to pursue Lu Weiguo. If he could not pay, he would have no choice but to die!

After making his plans, Bao Feiyang waited patiently in Yuehai City. When he learned that Lu Weiguo had completed the customs procedures for the 5,000 tons of Italian red pigment and stored it in the company warehouse, he could no longer contain his excitement. He drove to the old Bao family residence in Longcheng to report this good news to his parents' spirits.

Holding a glass of wine, Bao Feiyang stood before his parents' portraits. The laughter of neighbors celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival filled the quiet courtyard and reached his ears. Bao Feiyang stood straight, gazing calmly at his parents' portraits. Since his parents' passing, this was the first time he heard the joy of family reunions without feeling a void in his heart, and the first time he stood before his parents' portraits without feeling ashamed or guilty. After enduring for over a decade, he was finally going to seek justice for the Bao family and make the Lu family taste the consequences of their actions!

After gazing at his parents' portraits for a long time, Bao Feiyang made up his mind and said to their portraits, "Father, Mother, wait for me! I will return to Yuehai and announce the production process tomorrow, so the company can start producing the new red pigment. The day when Lu Weiguo loses everything and is chased by high-interest loans is not far. I will come back and report this good news to your spirits!"

With that, Bao Feiyang drained his glass of wine, carefully hung his parents' portraits back on the wall, and bowed deeply three times before them. Then he turned and walked out of the house, determined to return to Yuehai to arrange the production and formally seek revenge on the Lu family. Although he should have felt a sense of satisfaction, he could not stop the tears from streaming down his face, bitter and aching, like the past decade of his life...

"Feiyang, is this all you can do for our family? Why are you crying instead of quickly going to seek revenge?" A voice seemed to come from the sky. Bao Feiyang looked up and saw the full moon, as clear as his father's stern face. "Go back to the company and arrange the production of the new product. Your mother and I are waiting to see the Lu family lose everything and be left with nowhere to turn!"

"Yes, Feiyang," a star twinkled beside the moon, like his mother's kind eyes. "After avenging your parents, don't dwell on the past. I want your life to be filled with happiness and joy, not the darkness of the past..."

In that moment, Bao Feiyang seemed to understand his parents' wishes. Although it was just a hallucination, if his parents were still alive, they would have said the same thing.

Right! He must quickly return to arrange the production of the new pigment, seek revenge on Lu Weiguo, and then move on with his life!

Bao Feiyang wiped the tears from his face, as if bidding farewell to the past fifteen years of darkness. He walked out the door with determined steps, his mind already back in Yuehai City, hundreds of kilometers away. Tomorrow, he would deploy his plan, reveal the secret production process, and deliver a fatal blow to the unsuspecting Lu Weiguo!

A Mercedes-Benz 600 was parked opposite the old Bao family residence. Seeing Bao Feiyang come out, the driver quickly jumped out of the car, opened the door, and waited for his boss to get in.

Bao Feiyang walked across the street with a light step, imagining the desperate and miserable look on Lu Weiguo's face when he learned about the new red pigment. A smile of satisfaction appeared on his lips.

As he reached the middle of the street, two blinding lights suddenly shone from the left. Bao Feiyang instinctively turned his head and saw a large dump truck roaring towards him.

"Oh no!" Bao Feiyang cried out. He tried to dodge, but it was too late. The speeding dump truck hit him hard.

Bao Feiyang's body was thrown over ten meters, flipping in the air before landing heavily on the ground. In the moment before his soul left his body, he saw a strange scene. He saw an Audi car parked about twenty meters away from the scene. Through the car window, Bao Feiyang could see Lu Weiguo sitting in the driver's seat, grinning maliciously. Next to Lu Weiguo, in the passenger seat, was Xu Qiangjun, the laboratory director of Bao Feiyang's company. Only Xu Qiangjun, besides Bao Feiyang, knew about the new red pigment.

In that instant, Bao Feiyang realized that this was not an accident but a murder! He thought he had a sure win and was about to take revenge on Lu Weiguo and avenge his parents, but it ended in such a way!

Bao Feiyang, you underestimated the darkness of human hearts and the ruthlessness of Lu Weiguo!

"I am not willing! I am so angry!"

Bao Feiyang let out a scream in his heart, and his soul turned into a vengeful force, drifting away into the distance.

---

The Mercedes-Benz 600 was parked opposite the old Bao family residence. Seeing Bao Feiyang come out, the driver quickly jumped out of the car, opened the door, and waited for his boss to get in.

Bao Feiyang walked across the street with a light step, imagining the desperate and miserable look on Lu Weiguo's face when he learned about the new red pigment. A smile of satisfaction appeared on his lips.

As he reached the middle of the street, two blinding lights suddenly shone from the left. Bao Feiyang instinctively turned his head and saw a large dump truck roaring towards him.

"Oh no!" Bao Feiyang cried out. He tried to dodge, but it was too late. The speeding dump truck hit him hard.

Bao Feiyang's body was thrown over ten meters, flipping in the air before landing heavily on the ground. In the moment before his soul left his body, he saw a strange scene. He saw an Audi car parked about twenty meters away from the scene. Through the car window, Bao Feiyang could see Lu Weiguo sitting in the driver's seat, grinning maliciously. Next to Lu Weiguo, in the passenger seat, was Xu Qiangjun, the laboratory director of Bao Feiyang's company. Only Xu Qiangjun, besides Bao Feiyang, knew about the new red pigment.

In that instant, Bao Feiyang realized that this was not an accident but a murder! He thought he had a sure win and was about to take revenge on Lu Weiguo and avenge his parents, but it ended in such a way!

Bao Feiyang, you underestimated the darkness of human hearts and the ruthlessness of Lu Weiguo!

"I am not willing! I am so angry!"

Bao Feiyang let out a scream in his heart, and his soul turned into a vengeful force, drifting away into the distance.