Chapter 238: Chapter 168, definitely next time
Gu Hang was certain that his predecessor’s greatest resentment towards his mother stemmed from that slap.
He remembered how Mrs. Wang Qi, gasping for breath after hitting him, said with immense disappointment, “How could I have a son like you? Incompetent, foolish, clueless. If it were just that, I could still ensure you a lifetime of riches. But you have the audacity to harbor ambitions that your abilities cannot back. You really aren’t even one ten-thousandth of your father. You disappoint me so much.”
Those words pierced his heart deeply.
His mother looked down on him.
This filled him with anger and resentment, so much so that he took a personal attendant with him and took office alone.
But he wasn’t going there just to die—at least that’s what he thought before.
According to his predecessor’s understanding, under normal circumstances, he truly was the one meant to save Rage Owl Star from disaster.
It’s true that many governors before him had died, and failing to complete the Imperial Tax collection could cost a scion of the Gu Clan his life—such was a fundamental rule of the Empire.
But he wasn’t afraid.
What were those previous governors? Mere rotten fish and shrimp?
But I, Gu Hang, am the pride of destiny!
Driven by political self-interest, the Star Sector’s head honcho was determined to develop Rage Owl Star; Fufana offered full support, and the navy allocated a cruiser to be stationed at Rage Owl Star, so there wasn’t much to worry about military-wise. Combined with the financial power of the Gu Family, wasn’t this task bound to succeed?
Doesn’t get the old lady’s support?
If she doesn’t support it, so be it; the Gu Family isn’t dictated by Wang Qi, there are many other uncles and elders.
What’s this about the Tianma Star Sector Iron Triangle?
Moreover, the appointment letter had already been issued; in the Central Empire, he was already a registered Planetary Governor—there was no turning back on this matter.
He couldn’t go back on it after that slap from his mother either. As Gu Hang perused the memories, he could clearly sense that his predecessor had a thought: if I really am to die, then I’ll just fulfil Mother’s desires. If such a useless son dies, you’d probably be very happy.
The events that followed, Gu Hang was well aware of: he had traveled through time and space, taking the place of his predecessor on his way to his new position.
During the nearly one month journey from Flying Wing Star to Rage Owl Star aboard the starship, and the five or six months of striving to establish himself on the surface, the Gu Family had indeed hardened their hearts and hadn’t provided a single penny in that half a year.
That’s how things stood.
At this moment, as Gu Hang replayed the entire incident in his mind, it was quite clear that his predecessor had been set up.
The few sentences his mother scolded him with weren’t really a big deal.
Mainly because Gu Hang didn’t feel it personally. If you’re scolded, you’re scolded. After all, she wasn’t scolding me… Oh, turns out she was scolding me, so, never mind.
The problem with his predecessor was significant. He could see something deeper, but not enough.
He saw that behind this incident, Pei Desi had schemed from his own political interests. He saw that the coalition of the three was strong and could resolve the issue but was too blindly confident.
Why would Pei Desi, as the chief head of the Star Sector, start his plan from someone who was relatively a nobody?
According to Gu Hang’s judgment, it was very likely that Pei Desi hadn’t managed to get the Gu Clan on board at all. The combined effort of the three families was probably a figment of the predecessor’s imagination.
By roping in his naive predecessor, Pei Desi could incidentally drag the Gu Family into the mess. Once a core family member became a governor and the Imperial appointment was decreed, it was a done deal—you wouldn’t seriously leave him unsupported, would you?
Especially Mrs. Wang Qi, this was her only son, and given her status as a widow, which was quite awkward—decades after her husband’s death, her connection to the Gu Family relied on this son bearing the Gu name. By all accounts, she couldn’t accept her son’s failure and subsequent death as governor. Not to mention the issue of kinship, without Gu Hang, how could she directly control a branch of the Gu Commercial Firm?
A split in the family? The others in the Gu Clan would never allow it, there would be a bloodbath.
Unexpectedly, whether the Gu Family or Wang Qi herself, they truly had steeled their hearts and gave no support, leading to Pei Desi’s plan to manipulate the Gu Family into backing Rage Owl Star’s reclamation not only falling through but also creating huge conflict between them—this was deduced by Gu Hang himself, without any intelligence to back it up.
However, at its root, Gu Hang didn’t understand: logically, the Gu Clan, supposed to be staunch supporters of Pei Desi, why would they abandon the stance of the so-called ‘Iron Triangle’ and not support Pei Desi’s redevelopment of Rage Owl Star?
On this matter, Gu Hang lacked sufficient information to analyze further.
But according to his cousin, she might know something.
After some thought, Gu Hang decided to be direct.
He said, “In the days since my arrival at Rage Owl Star, I’ve achieved some results. In my spare time, I’ve also reflected on the whole affair. I know I’ve made a subtle mistake. I shouldn’t have come here. But what I’ve never understood is, why didn’t you—oh, I mean we, the Gu Clan—support Pei Desi in rebuilding Rage Owl Star?”
After Gu Hang finished speaking, Wang Jiarong looked at her cousin with considerable surprise.
Based on what she knew about her cousin, most of whatever she said would likely be wasted breath, and might even provoke annoyance. She felt obliged to speak up and offer advice because of her intermediary role.