Chapter 553: Tan Chen the Traitor

After dinner.

Liu Rushuang and Tan Ling were chatting about some girl stuff.

Xu Shaochen and Liu Chao were talking in the Tan Family’s backyard.

“Shaochen, thank you.”

Liu Chao looked at Xu Shaochen gratefully. He wasn’t stupid; he knew that without Xu Shaochen, he would never have been able to sit at the Tan Family’s table and have a meal.

Ever since he made his relationship with Tan Ling public, Tan Ling’s father had expressed his disapproval.

Even he wasn’t very confident about their relationship.

Because he understood that the phrase ‘a marriage of equals’ was never just a joke.

And he knew that reaching the level of the Tan Family would never be possible for him solely on his own efforts.

In today’s society, the pathway to the upper class is practically sealed off. For an ordinary person, getting rich isn’t difficult, but making a fortune is an entirely different story.

The days of endless opportunities in the eighties and nineties are long gone.

Even Xu Shaochen, if his grandfather hadn’t been the world’s richest man, could, at best, hope to reach the middle class purely on his own abilities.

You could say Xu Shaochen changed Liu Chao’s fate, which is why Liu Chao was so grateful.

“Whether or not the Tan Family truly accepts you depends on yourself. Otherwise, you’ll just end up as a decorative vase.”

Xu Shaochen said calmly with a gentle smile.

If Liu Chao had the ability, there might be a chance for him to inherit the Tan Family one day.

But if his abilities were insufficient,

he would just become a flower vase the Tan Family put on display to please Xu Shaochen.

Liu Chao nodded resolutely, his eyes firm: “Don’t worry, I understand. I’ve already decided to drop out of school.”

“Drop out of school?” Xu Shaochen couldn’t help but be surprised.

“Yes, drop out. I don’t want to be a decorative vase. I want to follow Tan Ling’s father and learn how to run a business. Continuing with my psychology major won’t be that useful.”

Liu Chao clearly already had a plan for his future. His only option was to go into business; even switching mid-way to study some business management would be more valuable than finishing a degree in psychology.

Xu Shaochen merely nodded after hearing this: “As long as you take responsibility for your own choices.”

After chatting with Liu Chao for a bit longer, Xu Shaochen then left the Tan Family estate, taking Liu Rushuang with him.

After all, they still had business to attend to that night.

…

Before they knew it, evening had arrived.

8:30 PM was the time Tan Chen planned to take action.

The original plan was for 8:00 PM, but after discussing with Lan Cheng, they decided to push it back by half an hour for safety reasons.

The move would happen at 8:30 PM, and they expected to succeed and leave around 8:40 PM.

Twenty minutes later would be the time to lure Xu Shaochen into the trap.

The shorter the interval between these two events, the later the theft would be discovered.

Tan Chen brought his two most trusted men to the pharmaceutical company’s laboratory.

The lab was in the basement. The test notes, samples, and the formula were all stored in a safe within the lab.

Only a few people in the Tan Family knew this.

At one time, Tan Chen was considered the most likely heir to the Tan Family, so naturally, he knew as well.

The lab was heavily guarded by Tan Family bodyguards. After all, the Tan Family’s future was stored inside.

“Young Master Chen, do you need anything?”

Seeing Tan Chen approach, the nervous bodyguards visibly relaxed.

“Where’s Old Four?” Tan Chen asked the bodyguards.

Old Four was Tan Song, his cousin, who was just a few months younger than him. Tan Song had been guarding this area for days.

“Chen, what’s going on? Why are you here?”

Before Tan Chen could finish his question, a young man in a black suit with a short haircut appeared from the lab.

Seeing Tan Song, Tan Chen smiled and patted him on the shoulder: “Open the door to the basement and give me the key to the safe. Uncle asked me to take out the items. They’ve been here for days, and he’s starting to get worried. It’s time to move them.”

Calling it a theft isn’t accurate; it’s more like he came to take things openly.

Given his status, just like Tan Song, both were direct descendants of the Tan Family, so no one would suspect him of doing something detrimental to the family, which naturally left him less guarded.

Tan Song furrowed his brow: “Chen, why didn’t I get a call?

Then, worried that Tan Chen might misunderstand, he smiled and explained: “Chen, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying I don’t trust you. It’s just that this matter is too important. I’m afraid of making a mistake.”

“Really? Maybe the call didn’t go through. Anyway, why don’t we go inside? Or do you intend to have me stand outside the door?”

Keeping his cool, Tan Chen naturally slung his arm around Tan Song’s shoulders and walked with him into the lab. His two bodyguards also followed inside.

Meanwhile, the other bodyguards on duty didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.

Inside the lab.

Tan Chen wrapped his arm around Tan Song’s shoulders, his eyes drifting toward the basement door.

Behind that door was the basement, where experimental materials were stored. The important documents, samples, and formulas were all kept inside a safe there.

Both the key to the basement and the key to the safe were in Tan Song’s possession.

Tan Song had been instructed not to give the keys to anyone.

“Song, get these people out of here. Some things aren’t suitable for their ears.”

Tan Chen said to Tan Song.

“You guys head out first. Don’t come back in without my order.”

Tan Song nodded and ushered the bodyguards out of the lab.

“But wait, Chen, I checked, and Uncle didn’t call me, and neither did my other uncle. Are you sure you didn’t get it wrong?”

Tan Song checked his phone, brows furrowed, looking at Tan Chen. He didn’t wait for Tan Chen’s response before continuing: “Forget it, Chen. I’ll make a call to confirm.”

“Bang!”

Just as he finished speaking, Tan Chen struck him hard on the neck with the handgun.

With a grimace, Tan Song gasped in pain, but unlike in the movies, he didn’t collapse unconsciously to the ground.

In his panic, Tan Chen struck him multiple times before Tan Song finally fell.

“Quick, gag him and tie him up.”

With Tan Song now unconscious, the calmness on Tan Chen’s face faded, replaced by panic as he hurriedly fished out the keys from Tan Song’s pockets. He then instructed his two men to bind Tan Song with tape.

After retrieving the keys from Tan Song, Tan Chen opened the basement door and went straight for the safe.

He opened the safe, took out the special medicine’s formula and samples, then used a lighter to burn the remaining documents to ashes.

After finishing up, he closed the safe and tossed the bound Tan Song into the basement, shutting the door behind him.

“Whew—”

Having done all this in a panicked rush, Tan Chen took a deep breath. He nodded to his two men before calmly walking out of the lab with the stolen items.

“Take care, Young Master Chen.”

Though they noticed the items in Tan Chen’s hands, the bodyguards at the door didn’t suspect anything.

After all, Tan Chen had claimed earlier that he was just there to retrieve something.

“Alright, thanks for your hard work.”

“Also, Song is finishing up something inside, so don’t go in without his orders.”

With a forced smile on his face, Tan Chen nodded and left with his two men, driving away without an issue.

Throughout the whole time, none of the bodyguards—whether out in the open or in hiding—suspected Tan Chen.

After all, they couldn’t imagine someone betraying their own family by stealing from them.

Sadly, Tan Chen was exactly that—a traitor who would sell out his own family’s interests.