At the hospital entrance, Shen Shaowen, still fuming from the humiliation he suffered upstairs, was taking out his anger on the driver.
“Useless! You can’t even park properly!”
He kicked the Rolls-Royce’s tire, leaving a scratch on the expensive leather shoes.
His face dark with anger, he got into the car, reached for his cigarette case, and discovered the cigarettes had been soaked by the rain.
“Damn it!”
He flung the case viciously out of the car.
“Young master, sir is urging you to return,” the driver said cautiously, not daring to look up at Shen Shaowen’s stormy expression.
Shen Shaowen grunted irritably, and as the car started, he stared through the rain at a window on the upper floors of the hospital.
Seeing the soft light there, he ground his teeth and cursed under his breath, “Damn bastard!”
Ever since he was young, he had never regarded Shen Luli as his uncle.
Why, when they were the same age, did Shen Luli’s status have to be a generation above him?
Just because he was an adopted son? Ridiculous!
Even worse, wherever Shen Luli appeared, all eyes were drawn to him.
It wasn’t until the rumor about him being a “bastard child” spread that the situation eased somewhat.
But because Shen Luli had been wronged, their grandmother ended up doting on him even more, while Shen Shaowen and his mother were punished.
Thinking of this made Shen Shaowen grind his teeth in fury.
He was just an outsider! What right did he have?
And this time, if it weren’t for Shen Luli, the biased old lady would have already… and the Shen family’s assets would all belong to father and son!
They wouldn’t have to worry about any of it falling into that bastard’s hands.
But unfortunately, Shen Luli returned at the crucial moment and caused such a big commotion immediately.
Their father couldn’t access the funds without grandmother’s signature and had to pay out of pocket.
And we’re not talking about a few million ten billion! Their family had plenty of money, but for Shen Luli to just throw that much away… how could he stand it?
In the study of the Shen family villa, the scent of agarwood mingled with the smoke of cigars.
Shi Mingqian sat on a leather sofa, wearing a respectful expression, though his eyes gleamed with calculation.
“President Shen, I truly owe you my thanks for stepping in this time. I don’t even know how to properly repay you,” Shi Mingqian said with a smile.
Shen Qinghui’s lips curled in a mocking smile. If Shi Mingqian were truly grateful, why would he have kept the evidence so tightly under control?
Still, appearances had to be maintained. He twirled the jade thumb ring on his finger, the friction between stone and metal emitting a faint “click click.”
“Mr. Shi, you’re too polite. Our families have long-standing ties; it’s only natural we look out for each other.”
Shi Mingqian nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, yes. But I’ve come today for another matter as well.”
Shen Qinghui’s movements froze. Irritation rose in his chest, though his face betrayed nothing. “Speak.”
“Shaowen and Yan Yan aren’t getting any younger. Perhaps it’s time to move the wedding up on the agenda?”
After the recent upheaval, Shi Mingqian felt a sense of urgency. Facing the encirclement from other families, the Shi family was still too weak.
He did have leverage to pressure the Shen family for concessions, but even a cornered rabbit can bite and Shen Qinghui was no harmless rabbit. If he pressed too hard with the evidence, he might end up with nothing but trouble.
Better to take this opportunity to move the marriage forward, binding the Shi and Shen families together. Later, if anything happened, the Shen family couldn’t ignore their in-laws, right?
Of course, he knew the Shen family had always been dissatisfied with the Shi family and would have dragged things out indefinitely.
But now… wasn’t Shen Luli back?
“President Shen, as the old saying goes, a man should settle down before establishing his career. If Shaowen marries, he can focus more on the company.”
Shen Qinghui was struck by the logic. Over the past few years, he had focused on other matters and overlooked this.
The Shen family had rules: when the younger generation married, they were entitled to a portion of the shares.
He had hesitated before because his mother held the largest portion. If Shaowen received a share, wouldn’t Shen Enterprises ultimately be under his control?
The study’s clock ticked heavily. Shen Qinghui suddenly laughed. “You’re right. The kids are grown better they marry sooner. Let’s see… the eighth day of next month is a good date.”
Shi Mingqian received the answer he wanted and didn’t linger.
But the moment he left, Shen Shaowen rushed in from the side hall, his face full of resistance.
“Dad! You really want me to marry that Shi Yan Yan you just recognized?”
“She doesn’t even know basic social etiquette! At the last banquet…”
“Enough!” Shen Qinghui slammed the desk. The teacup jumped. “All you care about are those superficial things!”
Shen Shaowen was taken aback, then argued back: “Then why can’t it be Shi Sheng? She…”
“Shi Sheng?” Shen Qinghui sneered. “An adopted daughter kicked out of the house what value does she have?”
Shen Shaowen opened his mouth to argue but was cut off by a wave of his father’s hand.
“Listen. The wedding date is set. Everything else waits until the shares are secured. If you really dislike it, you can divorce later. As for Shi Sheng…” He spoke as if discussing a small kitten or puppy. “Keeping her outside isn’t a problem either.”
Lightning split the night sky outside the window, illuminating Shen Shaowen’s conflicted face.
He clenched his fists, nails digging deep into his palms, but said nothing more.
After sending his son away, Shen Qinghui stood by the study’s floor-to-ceiling window, watching the torrential rain. He dialed an encrypted number.
“Keep a close watch on Shi Mingqian. While the Shi family is in turmoil, we must retrieve the evidence this time.”
A deep voice responded on the other end.
Shen Qinghui hung up, his face dark.
The piece of evidence Shi Mingqian held had been a thorn in his side for years.
He would not, and could not, be threatened anymore.
Shi Sheng still didn’t know that, in others’ eyes, she was an unworthy woman. But even if she did, she wouldn’t care.
She sat on the sofa with a cup of hot milk, while He Qiuqiu sat cross-legged on the carpet beside her.
If Shen Qinghui could think to seize the Shi family’s turmoil to find evidence, how could she not anticipate it?
The last lead had pointed to Beijing; she had already dispatched someone, but there was no reply yet.
Five monitors flickered in front of He Qiuqiu, each showing different streams of code.
Her fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard, producing a crisp rhythm. “The Shi family has actually gotten smart this time.”
After an unknown stretch of time, He Qiuqiu suddenly sat up straight. “Wait… this is…” Her fingers flew across the keyboard, several windows popping up simultaneously. The monitors’ cold glow reflected in her wide eyes.
“Shengsheng!” Her voice trembled with excitement. “I found a lead!”
Shi Sheng’s heart skipped a beat. She immediately set down her cup and leaned toward the screen, her long hair falling forward, almost touching the keyboard.