Chapter 492: The Mastermind Behind the Scenes

This distinct change immediately seized everyone's attention.

Hong Yuanzheng also stared intently at his grandson's face, not even daring to blink.

"See, Elder Hong? Your grandson is about to wake up!"

Qin Tuo said with a smile.

Hong Yuanzheng nodded frantically, his eyes filled with intense anticipation.

Everyone in the room crowded around the hospital bed, watching closely to see if Qin Tuo's words would prove true.

Sure enough, as the coin's luster gradually faded, Hong Kai slowly opened his eyes.

And this time, after opening his eyes, Hong Kai was clearly no longer being controlled. He had returned to his true self.

At this moment, Hong Kai's face looked incredibly weathered, not at all like that of a young man.

He had been in a coma for who knows how long. Now that he was truly awake, a trace of confusion clouded his eyes.

Seeing his grandson awake, Hong Yuanzheng immediately rushed forward and hugged him tightly, so moved that tears streamed down his face as his body trembled uncontrollably.

Nearby, Kong Lianqing, the personal secretary, and the others all breathed a silent sigh of relief, while also feeling genuinely happy for Hong Yuanzheng from the bottom of their hearts.

They knew all too well how much heart and soul Hong Yuanzheng had poured into his grandson.

Held in his grandfather's arms, Hong Kai's face was a mask of confusion.

When he realized the man before him was his grandfather, Hong Kai finally reacted, wrapping his arms around Hong Yuanzheng in return.

Seeing his grandson's response, Hong Yuanzheng was even more overwhelmed, his lips trembling so much he couldn't speak.

Suddenly, Hong Kai spoke, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Grandpa, I feel like I was in a very long dream, as if my soul had separated from my body. The feeling was so strange!"

Hearing Hong Kai's words, Hong Yuanzheng's last shred of doubt vanished. He now knew that what Qin Tuo had said was the absolute truth.

His grandson's soul had nearly dissipated completely, and it was only thanks to the coin that it had been forcefully brought back together.

Hong Yuanzheng held Hong Kai's shoulders and said earnestly,

"My dear grandson, you've been in a coma for over a year. Grandpa truly thought you weren't going to make it!"

Surprise instantly filled Hong Kai's face. He never imagined he had been unconscious for so long.

Then, a hint of curiosity appeared in his eyes; he was clearly wondering how he had woken up.

Hong Yuanzheng could read his grandson's thoughts with a single glance. Wiping away his tears, he said emotionally,

"My dear grandson, it's all thanks to this Mr. Qin who saved you. Otherwise, I'm afraid you never would have woken up."

A curious look appeared in Hong Kai's eyes as he looked at Qin Tuo, who was standing nearby.

His mind was still trying to catch up, so he hadn't yet had a chance to express his gratitude.

Hong Yuanzheng, however, let go of his grandson, stood up, and gave Qin Tuo a deep, solemn bow.

For someone of Hong Yuanzheng's status to make such a gesture toward a young man left everyone else in the room completely stunned.

Immediately after, everyone looked at Qin Tuo with eyes full of envy.

Everyone knew that from this day forward, Hong Yuanzheng owed Qin Tuo a massive favor.

A favor owed by a powerful figure of his caliber carried immense weight.

However, how could Qin Tuo possibly allow Hong Yuanzheng to actually bow to him in thanks?

He quickly reached out with both hands to help Hong Yuanzheng up, giving him a slight shake of his head.

Hong Yuanzheng's face was filled with remorse as he said,

"Mr. Qin, you disregarded our past unpleasantness to save Hong Kai. This is a debt of gratitude I can truly never repay!"

But Qin Tuo just smiled and said,

"Elder Hong, there's no need for this. A grand gesture like this is more than I can possibly accept."

Hearing Qin Tuo's humble tone only made Hong Yuanzheng feel even more ashamed.

He couldn't help but let out a deep sigh and say,

"Mr. Qin, you are truly magnanimous. I treated you with such disrespect before, yet you still chose to save him. Your graciousness truly makes me feel ashamed of myself."

Nearby, Kong Lianqing and the others all nodded silently, each giving Qin Tuo a respectful thumbs-up.

Meanwhile, Qi Wuqi and his companion stood awkwardly in the room.

Wu Qihao, in particular, stood frozen, not knowing what to do with his hands. If Qin Tuo hadn't intervened just now, Hong Kai would have been killed by Qi Wuqi.

Right now, Hong Yuanzheng was only concerned with his precious grandson, so he hadn't yet had a moment to reprimand Qi Wuqi.

In response to Hong Yuanzheng's praise, Qin Tuo smiled humbly and said,

"You praise me too much. I simply didn't want this Puppet Insect to survive. After all, it's a terrifying creature. If it were to get out, the consequences would be absolutely unimaginable."

Hearing this, everyone nodded in fervent agreement.

The Puppet Insect possessed such a freakish ability to multiply; that trait alone made it unstoppable.

Hong Yuanzheng was still shaken with lingering fear, but that was quickly followed by a deep-seated rage that erupted uncontrollably from within him.

He snorted coldly, fuming with anger, and said,

"Damn it! Who could be so malicious as to use such a wicked Gu Insect to harm my precious grandson!"

Hearing Hong Yuanzheng's outburst, everyone looked at each other, unsure of how to respond.

Even Qi Wuqi frowned in thought, unable to figure out who the true culprit was.

Only Qin Tuo had a thoughtful look in his eyes, as if he could see through to something more.

Suddenly, Kong Lianqing, who was standing nearby, spoke up.

"Teacher, actually, regarding this matter, Mr. Qin and I had a thorough discussion about it outside just now."

Hearing Kong Lianqing say this, surprise flashed in Hong Yuanzheng's eyes, and he quickly asked,

"Oh? Xiaokong, what did you and Mr. Qin talk about? Hurry and tell me!"

Kong Lianqing glanced at Qin Tuo and, seeing no sign that he should stop, continued,

"Mr. Qin's thinking is that since Hong Kai is your grandson, Teacher, controlling his words and actions could certainly be used to make you do certain things..."

Kong Lianqing knew that Hong Yuanzheng was a sharp man and that he would understand the implication without needing any further explanation.

Sure enough, after hearing this, Hong Yuanzheng sucked in a sharp breath. He was only now realizing the insidious plot behind this whole affair!

If his grandson had truly been controlled, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

After all, Hong Yuanzheng doted on Hong Kai, granting his every request.

If Hong Kai were truly being manipulated, he could have absolutely been used to influence Hong Yuanzheng, leveraging his connections and influence to achieve major objectives.

At this thought, Hong Yuanzheng's face turned red with rage, and he cursed,

"How audacious! If I find the mastermind behind this, I will make them pay!"