Shu Hongjing's Fury

Shu Hongjing's expression fell silent once more.

After a long while, he let out a heavy sigh, his heart filled with sorrow.

"I thought giving him shares would keep him from doing this. I even gave him an important position in the company. I always treated him like my own son. Even you used to complain that I favored him."

"Who would've thought... who would've thought... sigh!"

With another sigh, Shu Hongjing turned away. "After living this long, he's worse than an outsider. Since he wants it, give it to him. Just hope he doesn't end up being played for a fool. That would be quite a joke. Heh!"

"We still have some assets. Once the procedures are finished, pay back everything we owe. If it isn't enough, sell the house. If that still isn't enough, sell the cars. These family assets should be enough, anyway. I'll leave this to you."

"I'm tired."

All their assets would go toward repaying the debts. They would even have to sell the house and cars!

The company would go bankrupt too!

How were they supposed to live afterward?

Shu Heng was shocked and hurriedly cried out, "Dad!"

Shu Hongjing did not answer. He walked forward with unsteady steps, and in that instant, his back seemed to have bent considerably.

Tears flowed from Shu Yi's eyes. After only a few steps, she was already crying miserably.

She had never expected such a drastic upheaval to suddenly strike her family. Worse, the person behind it was her own second uncle, and they were about to leave the place where they had lived for over a decade.

Yang Wenxiang was completely dumbfounded. He had not expected the old man to be so unyielding. Clearly, all they had to do was marry off his granddaughter. Marrying into the Zhai Family would even count as marrying up, yet he would rather go bankrupt and repay the money?

What kind of life would they live afterward?

It was easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury back to frugality. This was too ruthless!

Seeing that his father showed no reaction, Shu Heng panicked. He hurried forward and grabbed his father's arm. "Dad! We can't do this! If we lose everything, how are we supposed to live afterward—"

Before he could finish, a thunderous slap rang out.

Slap!

Shu Hongjing turned around and delivered a fierce slap across Shu Heng's face.

The old man was truly enraged. He had put all his strength into it, and blood instantly appeared at the corner of Shu Heng's mouth. The blow sent him flying back more than three feet.

Yang Wenxiang shuddered in fright and curled up as he staggered several steps backward.

Shu Yi's heart ached for her father, but when she thought of what he had done just now, she clenched her teeth and did not go over. She remained beside her grandfather.

"Dad! What are you doing? What did Shu Heng do?"

Shu Yi's mother, Yu Lan, shouted and hurried over to support her husband.

"What am I doing?"

Shu Hongjing's eyes were bloodshot, and the wrinkles on his face twisted completely as he roared, "I should be asking what the two of you are trying to do!"

"Yang Wenxiang! Speak! What are you trying to do?"

Upon hearing his name, Yang Wenxiang trembled again. His eyes darted about like a child who had done something wrong, yet he stubbornly stammered, "U-Uncle, what does this have to do with me?"

That only made Shu Hongjing angrier. He stormed forward a few steps, his gaze as if he wanted to devour someone.

When a martial artist became enraged, how could an ordinary person withstand the aura of someone who had lived through blood and death?

Yang Wenxiang shook like a frightened monkey and said tearfully, "Uncle, I just took a little money and said a few things with those shareholders. The matter of switching the goods has nothing to do with me!"

"A little money?" Shu Hongjing had been furious already, but now he laughed in anger. "Looks like you're trying to stuff yourself to death. Tell me, how much did you take?"

"Twenty million."

"Twenty million? Twenty million isn't even enough to buy your shares!"

As he spoke, Shu Hongjing took another two steps forward.

Yang Wenxiang stumbled and fell to the ground, scrambling backward nonstop. He cried out tearfully, "Fifty million! Uncle, don't hit me!"

"Pah!"

Shu Hongjing no longer looked at Yang Wenxiang. He suddenly turned and glared at Yu Lan, roaring, "Get out of the way!"

"Dad!" Yu Lan stared at him in disbelief.

"Get out!"

Shu Hongyi roared again, frightening Yu Lan into taking two steps back.

Shu Hongjing came before Shu Heng, bent over, and looked down at him.

By now, Shu Heng had recovered somewhat. Even if he was not a martial artist, his physical condition was that of an Advanced Warrior trainee, and his Recovery Ability was fairly fast.

Father and son looked at each other. Seeing his father's furious face, Shu Heng trembled all over, his eyes full of fear.

He had never seen his father so enraged. He did not even dare wipe away the blood flowing from his mouth.

Grinding his teeth, Shu Hongjing rasped, "You don't have my talent, and I never forced you to become a martial artist. But I never imagined that not only would you fail to become a martial artist, you can't even be a decent human being! You actually wanted to marry off your own daughter!"

"Speak! What benefits can the Zhai Family give you? Or what benefits did they promise you?"

Shu Heng was completely stunned by the beating. He believed that if he dared lie, his father would hit him again, and he would not get off so easily next time. Trembling, he said, "Flagship Group said that if Shu Yi married over, they would give us the lead on this big order."

"But Dad, I only found out afterward. Niandong told me. He used it to force me. I really had no choice. If Shu Yi didn't marry over, we couldn't get that shipment back, and our family would still go bankrupt. I couldn't just let you have nowhere to live in your old age."

"Heh!"

"Heh!"

Shu Hongjing sneered twice, then shouted furiously, "You think you're doing this for me?" He poked Shu Heng's chest with his walking stick. "You're doing this for yourself!"

"Don't you know what kind of people the Zhai Family are? Look at the things he does. Are those things a human being should do? If you let Xiao Guai marry over, how is that any different from pushing her into a pit of fire?"

"If I'd had the same mindset as you people back then, I would've roasted you and eaten you long ago! Why would I have kept a useless piece of trash like you? Coward! You're stupid beyond belief! How did I end up with such an idiot for a son?"

After speaking, Shu Hongjing raised the Golden Silk Nanmu Walking Stick and began whipping him. The Earth had changed drastically, and even plants had mutated. This walking stick was exceptionally tough.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

The sounds continued without end, along with Shu Heng's nonstop screams!

Shu Hongjing would not hit Shu Niandong, but he had no reservations about beating his own son.

"Dad! I was wrong!"

"I didn't agree to it either!"

"Ahh—"

"Dad! Stop hitting me!"

Yu Lan watched in terror, but faced with her enraged father-in-law, she did not dare step forward at all.

Yang Wenxiang was deeply frightened after the fact. This old man really hit people. If he had spoken any later, he would have been the one getting beaten!

Shu Yi tried several times to stop her grandfather, but each time, she was pushed back.

After beating him for a while, Shu Hongjing finally stopped. He panted heavily, looking as though he would have continued if not for his lack of stamina.

Shu Heng lay on the ground, groaning in pain, his face twisted from the agony.

"Do you know you were wrong?"

Shu Heng immediately knelt on the ground, clasped his hands together, and begged repeatedly, "I know! Dad, I was wrong!"

"What were you wrong about?"

Shu Heng froze, then hurriedly said, "I shouldn't have tried to marry Xiao Yi to that Zhai bastard."

"Sigh!"

Shu Hongjing's eyes were full of disappointment. He shook his head and kept sighing, though he did not continue hitting him.

"I have the talent to be a martial artist. During those difficult times, I protected all of you too well and did not let you suffer much. That's why you have no idea what hardships martial artists endure. You have never experienced pain or death, so you don't understand what it means to cherish things. You can't even be decent people! You've fed even the most basic familial affection to dogs. You have no backbone, crave comfort, and worship vanity..."

"Let me ask you, what kind of life did we live before? Can't we still live that way now? No matter how poor we become, how poor can we really get? You think marrying off your daughter will solve everything? That's like making a deal with a tiger! If they can scheme against you once, they can scheme against you again. The first time, you still have a daughter to marry off. The second time, do you expect this old man to become a dog like you and beg for scraps at their door? You'll regret it someday! If you want to beg them, go by yourself. Don't drag me into it, and don't make things difficult for Xiao Guai!"

"I wouldn't dare, Dad. I won't do that," Shu Heng hurriedly replied.

Shu Hongjing said bitterly, "You're all worse than children. At least the child has trained through hardship. Her will is firmer than yours, and she understands what principles are."

"Yes, yes, yes."

"Yes my ass! You've lived so many years and let money blind you. You don't even know what kind of world this is. You think your business improved because of your management skills? It's because your father is a martial artist! As long as I'm not dead, even if you get swindled out of every last cent, you can still build your business back up! Spineless trash. You can't become a martial artist, and you get conned even in business. Such an obvious trap, and you jumped in headfirst."

"Dad, I was wrong." At that point, how could Shu Heng dare say anything else?

"I didn't teach you properly before, and you grew into this pathetic state."

"Do as I say! I didn't get killed by monsters in my early years, only to be angered half to death by you little bastards."

"Throw that little beast out. Use all the money in his cards to compensate the company. Find someone to keep an eye on him and make sure he stays idle. Only give him food when he's about to starve to death. Bring him back only when he has changed for the better and decides to act like a human being. Don't let Xiao Qing know. Just tell him his father went on a business trip."

After saying that, Shu Hongjing turned around, his face warm and gentle. "Xiao Guai, come. Let's go upstairs."

"Okay, Grandpa."

Shu Yi obediently helped her grandfather upstairs. She looked back at her father's miserable state and felt deeply worried, but when she thought of what he had intended to do, she clenched her teeth and chose to ignore him.

She had been classmates with Zhai Yanko since childhood. How could she not know what kind of person he was? Even his pursuit of her was not because he liked her, but merely to vent his frustration. If she really married into that family, who knew what kind of abuse and humiliation she would suffer? She might very well be better off dead.

Shu Hongjing was also calming the fury in his heart. If he had been enraged to madness today, it was because the nephew he had raised like a son had sold out the company and betrayed their family.

If that were all, Shu Hongjing would at most have felt bleakness and heartbreak. He would not have become so furious. They wanted money? Since money was a curse, they could take it all. At least it still had value at a time like this. If the children wanted it, then give it to them.

What they should never have done was use Shu Yi as a bargaining chip, especially when they knew full well it was a pit of fire and still wanted to push her into it.

Those who had survived the Great Nirvana treated life and death as commonplace. Having gone through all kinds of trials of humanity in the face of death, what they valued most was affection.

Once that line was crossed, they would go mad!

After the two left, the living room fell silent.

Shu Heng hissed in pain, and Yu Lan hurried over to help her husband up.

Shu Heng turned his head and stared at Yang Wenxiang. He gave a pained smile, then said hoarsely, "I'll give you a chance. Hand over the fifty million you took, or don't blame your brother-in-law for being impolite in the future."

Yang Wenxiang was utterly dumbfounded. First the old man had gone mad, and now this brother-in-law wanted his money too!

"What are you staring at? You can run a little business only because people give you face for my father's sake. What do you think the Zhai Family will do to you if this deal falls through? We're family, at least. If something happens to your family, we'll at least have a way to handle it. Even if we have no money, we can still live properly! Are you handing it over or not?"

Shu Heng immediately put what he had just learned into practice, using both threats and persuasion.

Yang Wenxiang's expression twisted with conflict. This money was only a little more than the Shu Family stock he held. If he handed it all over now, the company certainly would not pay him anything after it went bankrupt. That would mean that among all the shareholders, he alone would lose everything, and he would also offend the Zhai Family.

But when he thought of Shu Hongjing's furious appearance just now, even Shu Niandong was going to be dealt with. If the old man truly decided to deal with them, it would be effortless. There was no hope in relying on the Zhai Family. It would already be good if they did not make trouble for him. That meant he could only rely on the Shu Family.

Especially since Shu Heng's expression was now completely different from before. In the past, he had seemed upright enough, but as a businessman, he still carried a certain mercenary air.

Now, his face was dark and fierce, somewhat frightening, yet he somehow seemed more reliable.

"I'll hand it over! I'll hand it over!"

Shu Heng nodded and said in a low voice, "There are still a few days left on the contract. Don't reveal what happened today. First help me settle the company matters, then make arrangements for your family and tell them to be careful. In the Base City, they won't dare strike openly. At worst, we'll just be short on money. We can always earn it again."

"Okay, brother-in-law." Yang Wenxiang gritted his teeth and agreed.

There was regret in Shu Heng's eyes, along with some guilt toward Shu Yi. His facial muscles twitched as he said, "Honey, go get me some medicine to rub on this. Hiss..."

Second floor.

The room carried a faint sandalwood fragrance. Most of the furnishings were solid wood, and the decor was elegant and understated.

Grandfather and granddaughter sat across from each other at the tea table. Shu Hongjing smiled kindly and asked, "How is that kid Ning Ze doing as a martial artist?"

"The last time we talked about him was when you asked me about martial artists. At that time, he should have been a Quasi-Warrior. It's been two months now."

The tears on Shu Yi's face had long been wiped away. At the mention of Ning Ze, her face bloomed with a bright smile.

"He has the strength of an Advanced Warrior now. I heard he even cultivated a top-tier Secret Manual and mastered the First Layer, but I suspect he's bragging."

"Advanced Warrior!"

"That kid has such good talent?"

Shu Hongjing was greatly shocked.

"To reach Advanced Warrior in two months, even a genius martial artist with an S-rank contract would need to improve by 1,000 kilograms. From Advanced Warrior to Warlord requires another 4,000 kilograms. At that rate of improvement, it would only take eight months."

"A twenty-year-old Warlord! Hiss..."

Shu Yi's little face was full of conflicted uncertainty. "That's why I think he's lying to me."

"But when we went on a date in July, he really did defeat a genius at Thunderclap Martial Arts School. I don't even know whether he was bragging." By the end, her face was full of mild reproach.

"July? You two were the ones who went to Thunderclap Martial Arts School to challenge them?"

Shu Hongjing's face was full of astonishment. Naturally, he had heard of such exciting news.

"No!"

"The one who fought at Thunderclap Martial Arts School was Golden Fire Bear's son. Not long ago, their Warfire Squad also—"

Shu Hongjing did not continue. Killing two squads of martial artists sounded too frightening, and he did not want Shu Yi to know.

Just then, Shu Yi said timidly, "Ning Ze's father's nickname seems to be Golden Fire Bear, though it's just a playful nickname. He used to be called the Gilded Blade."