Grandfather

Wen Xiang Yuan smiled.

She had revealed Nan Yue's situation to Wen Gan Ting because she knew her dear brother, though an unformed venomous snake, at least had a brain and ambition.

Unlike a fool like Zhao Xiang, Wen Gan Ting understood what Nan Yue's appearance represented.

If Wen Xiang Yuan had only used the idea of the Scavenger Project as entertainment, it would not have been enough to attract Wen Gan Ting or gain her any leverage.

Only Nan Yue could make Wen Gan Ting see the business opportunity.

However, Wen Gan Ting had no real authority, and the only person he could use to test the waters was Zhao Xiang.

This was because the man was stupid enough.

Wen Gan Ting would never go to Lan An, otherwise, the idea would become the Lan family's, or Lan An's.

Wen Gan Ting did not want to be a puppet anymore.

As it turned out, Wen Gan Ting had followed every step Wen Xiang Yuan had envisioned.

"Of course. I am also part of the Federation. If the project fails, won't we, the elite families, be the first to suffer the backlash?"

Before Wen Gan Ting could say more, the butler approached, seemingly oblivious to the friction between the siblings.

"Mr. Lan wishes to see both of you."

The siblings exchanged a look and followed the butler to the backyard in silent agreement.

Lan An was old and spent most of his time in the backyard for convalescence. When the Wen siblings arrived, he was sitting by the pond feeding the fish.

Lan An was exceptionally handsome. Even at seventy, he looked like a man in his fifties with an extraordinary temperament.

He had a tall, upright posture and wore a Tang suit, possessing the aura of a free-spirited sage, like a transcendent immortal who had left the mortal world behind.

But the Wen siblings knew all too well what kind of iron-fisted cruelty lay beneath their grandfather's deceptive appearance.

Especially in how he treated his wife.

Wen Xiang Yuan lowered her gaze. "Grandfather."

Lan An turned around, a kind smile on his face.

"Come, sit."

"Zhao Xiang just stopped by to greet me. He said Yuan Yuan came up with a way to reuse the Scavenger Project?"

Wen Xiang Yuan was very submissive, her glossy black hair resting against her snow-white neck, making her look like a piece of fine art.

"Good. You are growing up and starting to understand the importance of the family."

"You are going to see Bai Rong tomorrow, right?"

Lan An coughed twice. He looked at his granddaughter with a gentle expression, as if he doted on her deeply.

"The President may only be a figurehead, but he is still the ruler of the Federation. You must win over Bai Rong's heart."

"Bai Rong is nothing more than a fool who only cares about indulgence. I believe in your abilities."

"But the next President must be someone from the Wen family."

The flash of ruthlessness in Lan An's eyes turned into expectation. "It must be your child."

"Yuan Yuan, you will be the First Lady of the Federation."

Wen Xiang Yuan suddenly felt a churning wave of nausea. She wanted to open her mouth and vomit, and the tremors on her skin made her want to peel her own skin off.

But she showed no sign of distress. She smiled, looking exactly like every other woman of the Wen family.

"Gan Ting, you go and contact your uncle first. The Scavenger Project entertainment venture must also be firmly held in the Wen family's hands."

"The members of the Zhao family are all useless."

Lan An was referring to Zhao Xiang, as well as the Wen siblings' late father.

Neither of them reacted, as if the person being spoken of had nothing to do with them.

"Yes, Grandfather."

After Wen Gan Ting left, Lan An let out a long sigh, his expression appearing somewhat sorrowful.

"Your brother is not as steady as you."

Wen Xiang Yuan's heart tightened slightly, and she put on a look of confusion.

"He wants to fly before his wings are fully grown," Lan An shook his head. "He is not quite suitable."

"It seems that even among the children of the Wen family, the women are far more useful here."

Even though he had raised his own daughter to be useless, that daughter, who was as stupid as a delicate flower, actually had the bloody courage to end her own life.

And... she had raised such a granddaughter.

She looked gentle and weak, but in reality... her cunning was far deeper than her brother's.

Wen Xiang Yuan felt her blood begin to boil. Her vision blurred slightly, but she remained steady under Lan An's scrutinizing gaze.

"Perhaps, I should change my target for cultivation."

Wen Xiang Yuan said nothing. As long as Lan An lived, she or Wen Gan Ting would be nothing but a puppet regardless of who took the position.

But it didn't matter. What Wen Xiang Yuan wanted was not that position, nor the status of the Federation's elite.

What she wanted was the destruction of the Federation government and the tycoon conglomerates.

"What kind of woman do you think your brother should marry?"

Lan An grabbed a handful of fish food and tossed it into the pond like a loving elder.

Wen Xiang Yuan's mind raced. She quietly watched the koi fish fighting for the food and spoke softly.

"I remember the older sister from Grandfather's side is the right age this year. Also, Miss Dong from Saike Company is gentle and charming."

It was impossible for Lan An to let Wen Gan Ting marry a woman from the Lan family. There was no longer any benefit in another marriage alliance between the Lan and Wen families.

Wen Xiang Yuan's main target was this Miss Dong.

She had heard that while Miss Dong was somewhat feisty, she was indeed a beauty.

More importantly, Saike Company, like Dingshi Group, was an indispensable source of technology for the Scavenger Project.

Dingshi Group provided the artificial humans and modified genes, while Saike Company provided the technology for the cross-time monitoring operating system.

Currently, these two companies were the most prominent in the Federation. She estimated that Lan An was also considering Saike Company.

Sure enough, Lan An gave Wen Xiang Yuan a deep look upon hearing this, a flash of satisfaction in his eyes.

"Your Lan family sister's personality is not steady enough to be the daughter-in-law of the Wen family."

"As for that Miss Dong, if you have time tomorrow, you can go and meet her. You young girls will have more to talk about."

Since Lan An said this, it meant the marriage alliance between the two families was likely a sure thing. As for her, she was just going to perform a formality.

"Yes, Grandfather."

After Wen Xiang Yuan left, the butler stood beside Lan An.

"Keep a close eye on my grandson. He has been quite impatient to become the master of the Wen family lately."

"And Yuan Yuan..."

Lan An sounded somewhat uncertain. "What has she been doing lately?"

The butler replied quickly, "Miss has mostly been reading lately, and she has also been entering the Scavenger Project for entertainment."

"The young master looked into it. Miss was just following along with the purification missions, but she hasn't been as interested lately and hasn't gone as often. This time, she even logged out early."

Lan An smiled. "She still has the temperament of a young girl."

She probably just thought the project was interesting, but no matter how interesting it was, it only involved expendables. Being around trash would always eventually lead to disgust.

But he could see that his young granddaughter liked power. That was good; it was easier to control than when she was interested in nothing at all.

Indeed, Wen Gan Ting's temperament was too impulsive; he couldn't even manage his emotions well.

In that case, it was better to support someone else. He had a feeling that Wen Xiang Yuan would be far more useful than Wen Gan Ting.

"Miss has also become steadier. She can start taking over some of the Wen family's projects."