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父親將麥克風遞給他,巴特夫毫無遲疑地接下。219Please respect copyright.PENANAQT9dykWsJS
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「各位晚安,我是巴特夫 ‧ 蘭基。首先,非常謝謝您們出席『蘭星建設』 80 周年紀念舞會。在看到家族事業蓬勃發展,生意蒸蒸日上,我個人也感到相當欣慰。」巴特夫暢談。219Please respect copyright.PENANAZBr3yLlRHp
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童年回憶在握住麥克風後湧現,巴特夫彷彿回到以前,那個總是被雙親帶往各式商業聚會,學習交際的小男孩。219Please respect copyright.PENANAND3ZPCIYM6
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「『你要好好學習,將來接替我的位置。」父親對小巴特夫寄予厚望:「我們要一起打拚,你是我最可靠的夥伴。』」219Please respect copyright.PENANAPRtcjNxReO
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「『好的,父親。』」小巴特夫順從父親指示。他閱讀財務報表、分析投資效益、研習談判技巧;也學習社交舞、小提琴和鋼琴等才藝,增長自己的軟硬實力。219Please respect copyright.PENANAyxIagSlRY2
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天資聰穎的小巴特夫不論學什麼都很快,而且能青出於藍的展現所學。家族對他的表現相當驚豔,非常看好他成為麥考夫接班人。219Please respect copyright.PENANAtz6BIgroIl
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而情況就在十歲的小巴特夫表示要從軍後急轉直下,在他通過魔方測試後更是徹底翻盤。219Please respect copyright.PENANA1osmsGrJJW
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在那之後,家族便跟巴特夫斷了聯絡,直至十四年後的今天。219Please respect copyright.PENANA0J69BizKLd
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「收到家父邀請函時,我正好在『象牙基地塔』駐守。」巴特夫看向父親,露出若有似無的淡笑:「可想而知我有多激動,十四年來的首次互動。」219Please respect copyright.PENANA3GkiX1IuTM
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麥考夫擺出一模一樣的笑容。就在這時,巴特夫看到母親──妲蘋夫人露出哀傷表情望著他。219Please respect copyright.PENANAkRfutOD78N
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麥考夫伸手要回麥克風,巴特夫回過神,把麥克風還給父親。219Please respect copyright.PENANAr6iB67C1kT
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「說到互動,接下來就讓小犬為大家獻奏一曲。讓我們來看看他還記不記得怎麼彈鋼琴。」父親的話引來一陣哄堂大笑。219Please respect copyright.PENANA2v2NmStaHW
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巴特夫來到演奏廳上的鋼琴前,輕拂琴鍵。219Please respect copyright.PENANAkSy3CapQy8
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曾是童年最熟悉的東西,如今再次觸碰,回應的卻是生硬觸感。巴特夫坐下來,深吸一口氣後,開始亂彈。219Please respect copyright.PENANAOfysweN6IZ
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雜亂琴音迴盪整座大廳,眾人皆露出不可置信的表情,無法理解巴特夫舉動。 219Please respect copyright.PENANAhQWFPU15AA
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麥考夫像是在看好戲般,妲蘋夫人轉身離開。219Please respect copyright.PENANAq0xlrJvClV
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就這樣亂彈長達兩分鐘後,巴特夫停下來,看向目瞪口呆的來賓們。219Please respect copyright.PENANAN0kEpVdsHH
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不僅僅是外賓,就連家族親戚也對他露出失望表情。巴特夫看到小叔的孩子們正對著一旁友人講悄悄話。219Please respect copyright.PENANAXLzasjlrTh
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無視現場的私語聲,巴特夫離開鋼琴椅,走向一旁同樣瞪大眼的樂團。219Please respect copyright.PENANA0HtIHXuEhr
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「可以借我小提琴嗎?」巴特夫朝小提琴手問道。後者點頭,巴特夫小心翼翼地接過小提琴。219Please respect copyright.PENANAkSl4lmc3yF
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巴特夫拿著小提琴走回鋼琴旁,接著舉起右手,腕上魔方瞬間發出藍白光!十道魔方藍線沿著巴特夫右臂往鋼琴爬去,停在琴鍵上。219Please respect copyright.PENANA1Xzynu76nR
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巴特夫將小提琴架在左顎下,拿穩琴桿開始演奏。悠揚琴音流瀉而出,與此同時停在琴鍵上的魔方開始移動。魔方藍線在琴鍵間交錯彈奏,靈巧程度媲美職業鋼琴家!219Please respect copyright.PENANA2K7oVnMe8T
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巴特夫一面演奏小提琴,一面操控魔方彈奏鋼琴,精彩表演讓嘉賓紛紛拿起手機拍下這不可思議的畫面!219Please respect copyright.PENANAAS2fJErfpt
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演奏結束,全場響起熱烈掌聲。巴特夫解除魔方,朝眾人鞠躬。219Please respect copyright.PENANAYbxs9jbxP9
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「蘭基中將!蘭基中將您超棒的!」先前想靠近巴特夫的小男孩不顧一切地衝向他:「請跟我合照!拜託您!」219Please respect copyright.PENANAoonuXM6oiS
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巴特夫在小孩衝進懷抱前按住他,然後單手輕拍他的頭。219Please respect copyright.PENANAAfh0RfiOQs
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「下次吧。」巴特夫淡笑。小男孩激動到流出淚來,他的家人連忙上前把他拖走。219Please respect copyright.PENANAA0nacnYwYq
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「想不到魔方還能這樣用啊,你真是讓我們大開眼界。」麥考夫邊鼓掌邊道,巴特夫聽出藏在語氣中的嘲諷。219Please respect copyright.PENANAQ16mp3wPph
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麥考夫接過家僕遞來的麥克風,清了清喉。219Please respect copyright.PENANAZFmw7GQsop
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「欣賞完小犬的馬戲團表演後,是時候該揭曉下任執行長名單了。」麥考夫收起笑容:「巴特夫,知道我為什麼讓你回來一趟嗎?」219Please respect copyright.PENANAH2E4lij8nu
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「因為我打電話給您,說有事必須跟您討論。」巴特夫眨眼。219Please respect copyright.PENANA6BB4HL0hfm
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其實家人從來都沒有主動聯繫他,就連這次的 80 周年紀念舞會也是。219Please respect copyright.PENANAFgYXZM0434
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在收到邀請函前,巴特夫其實已經致電給父親。儘管被掛了五十通電話,但他依舊不死心,甚至做好直接回家的打算;卻在啟程之際,收到父親的邀請函。219Please respect copyright.PENANAvEbFnr2qgk
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「有些話適合私下講,有些話適合開誠佈眾。」麥考夫看向群眾:「在場諸位都是見證人,見證我們『蘭星集團』的下一步。」219Please respect copyright.PENANA2bX7zwn0zW
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「我在此宣布,下一任執行長繼任人是,」麥考夫看向巴特夫,盈滿笑意的眼神閃現一絲寂寞,巴特夫愣住。219Please respect copyright.PENANAIJMJFkpMpY
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「坦亞 ‧ 羅傑 ‧ 蘭基,我傑出的姪女。」麥考夫望著佇立在一側的年輕捲髮女性,後者露出沉穩微笑。219Please respect copyright.PENANACTI3EbVqBg
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巴特夫往坦亞看去。這位小他三個月出生的表妹在童年回憶中,一直是他的競爭對手。兩人時常被拿來比較。雖然是家人,但相處起來卻像陌生人。219Please respect copyright.PENANATEc93hHG94
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坦亞沒有接受魔方測試。蘭基家族政商關係非常好,坦亞的雙親透過管道讓坦亞免去測試,以免她跟魔方連動成功,被強制徵召成為魔方培訓生。219Please respect copyright.PENANAC52euRzi1o
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麥考夫也做過同樣打算,但被巴特夫發現。後者一氣之下帶著大葆士離家出走,最後還跑出牆驚動軍隊。219Please respect copyright.PENANAxLlvi0zrKd
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此舉讓麥考夫對巴特夫徹底失望,從那時起便不再與他有任何互動。219Please respect copyright.PENANA5YQ1s1Ra1n
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此刻,眾人焦點全聚集在坦亞和巴特夫上。這兩位年齡相近,且擁有高智商和亮麗表現的家族第三代在歷經多年的競爭後,終於在今天分出勝負。219Please respect copyright.PENANAjymKnM8p2O
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「今後坦亞將與我一同處理集團事務,我也準備讓她擁有集團 25 % 的持股比例。」麥考夫側頭看向巴特夫:「而巴特夫將會從我名下所有投資項目收益中剔除。換句話說,」219Please respect copyright.PENANAXKfW1CLSkv
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「一毛錢都拿不到。」麥考夫眼角上揚。219Please respect copyright.PENANAlefdcCKlEE
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這就是你打的主意?巴特夫眨眼,叫我回來當眾拔除我的身分?219Please respect copyright.PENANAKiCTHCwil9
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「今後『蘭星集團』的一切都跟巴特夫無關,他沒有權力主張能獲得公司任何資產和收益。」麥考夫道:「以上聲明到此。請各位繼續享用歌舞美食──」219Please respect copyright.PENANAnOdkdVM0yc
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「請等一下。」巴特夫出聲打斷。219Please respect copyright.PENANAzPayLGslOf
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「既然您的聲明結束了,那麼該換我了。」巴特夫緩步朝父親走去:「以今日您所簡述的公司資產分配作為分水嶺,在那之前,我要拿回原先屬於我的。」219Please respect copyright.PENANAWLClmu7cyD
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「你說什麼?」麥考夫臉色一沉,全場鴉雀無聲。219Please respect copyright.PENANAiPOjDVZZBQ
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「『蘭星集團』其下有 16 間子公司債發行人是我,我要在今日全部拋售。」巴特夫邊說邊解開領帶,從外套內襯口袋裡拿出摺好的脖套。219Please respect copyright.PENANADAhot3insL
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「此外,您曾以我名義設立的教育投資基金,我也要全部拿回。」巴特夫眼睛眨也不眨地凝視父親。219Please respect copyright.PENANAtSrT6RmjlE
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「我是軍人,不是商人。我拿回屬於我的份後,就跟『蘭星集團』,以及『蘭基家族』一點關係都沒有了。」巴特夫平淡道:「我自願放棄日後所有家族財產繼承權。」219Please respect copyright.PENANAGfhjXcy4fX
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「你要那麼多錢做什麼?」麥考夫面色凝重地瞪著他:「這足夠你蓋兩座鋼鐵牆。」219Please respect copyright.PENANAUqQIf8BUEr
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「我自有用途。」巴特夫戴上脖套,轉身離開:「我的聲明也結束了。謝謝您讓我回來一趟,請多保重身體,父親。」219Please respect copyright.PENANAb7jBs0BCOp
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「希望你是有衡量過後果才做出如此決定。」麥考夫對著巴特夫離去的背影說道,後者停下腳步。219Please respect copyright.PENANAXot2MoqUPI
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「我確實有的。」巴特夫側頭看了父親一眼。此刻父親面容看起來異常蒼老,巴特夫的心猛地被掐住。埋藏在心頭,累積長達 14 年的愧歉傾洩而出,巴特夫很明白父親是多麼希望他接手集團。219Please respect copyright.PENANAcxEI3uifae
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對於與父親期望背道而馳的自己,巴特夫其實是有些嫌惡的。219Please respect copyright.PENANAtUvcnUEbzN
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沒有辦法成為理想中的孩子,辜負自小對他的栽培;巴特夫每每想起拋下親人離開的決定,總是會痛恨起自己。219Please respect copyright.PENANAKPYIE4AY4L
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不過他是將理性擺第一的人。儘管所做決定傷害到很多人,但巴特夫很確定這就是他要的。219Please respect copyright.PENANA8BB61DLfSd
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只是他萬萬沒想到,會把這麼多人牽扯進來。219Please respect copyright.PENANA30ILblA0Jk
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包括大葆士。219Please respect copyright.PENANA87FXNQ1hjZ
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離開主建築後,巴特夫沒有回去車上,而是走到座落在莊園邊角的一處花圃前。219Please respect copyright.PENANAInq4aktYXN
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巴特夫望著種在藩籬內的大片洋甘菊。白色花瓣隨風輕擺,散發淡淡蘋果香味。219Please respect copyright.PENANAcqfPXW7VhE
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洋甘菊,曾經是大葆士奶奶最愛的植物。219Please respect copyright.PENANASNyPw6c7pY
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「小夫少爺。」魏洛爺爺的聲音從背後響起,巴特夫沒有回應。219Please respect copyright.PENANAKWD3nCjzZw
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「……他的家一點都不剩了。」半晌,巴特夫才出聲。老管家來到旁邊,一起望著種滿大簇洋甘菊的花圃。219Please respect copyright.PENANAkVVXmk1t6Y
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「老爺讓我收拾您的房間,說您以後不會回來了。」魏洛爺爺垂下眼瞼:「為什麼你們兩個孩子都走掉了呢?」219Please respect copyright.PENANAwXGtWgYNTV
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巴特夫看向他,發現老管家此刻竟然淚流滿面!219Please respect copyright.PENANADnxoUpgkzw
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「魏洛爺爺!」巴特夫還是第一次看到爺爺哭泣。這位在他回憶中,端莊有禮且待人和善的老管家,此時竟愁著臉啜泣著。219Please respect copyright.PENANAuXGDS3OQHa
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「我、我不知道該怎麼說,小夫少爺和葆葆都是我們的心頭肉──」219Please respect copyright.PENANAQgoZTQl2u5
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「葆葆、葆葆他要承受這麼大的罪名和壓力──」魏洛爺爺難過地哀嚎:「瑋伏特女士還在的話一定會很傷心的──葆葆啊──」219Please respect copyright.PENANAftvS1ZgD09
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巴特夫長吐一口氣,握緊雙拳。219Please respect copyright.PENANAmjXfrBUyfm
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「我會救大葆士的。」巴特夫堅定道:「耗盡所有都要救到他,我保證。」219Please respect copyright.PENANA9YmKR7NMfb
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涼風輕拂巴特夫,風中似乎夾雜當年他和大葆士一起在這裡嬉戲的笑聲。219Please respect copyright.PENANAgu9bbakAPh
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