He Actually Didn't Soften

Those words seemed to prod Ji Yanzhi in the chest. It wasn't hard, but it sent a chill through him like missing a step in a dream.

His gaze shifted downward inch by inch, settling on Ji Liping's legs.

His kneecaps should have looked oval as he knelt, but now they seemed wrapped in something, bulging several centimeters thicker.

So this kneeling act had been planned all along. Ji Liping had counted on him never standing by and doing nothing.

The fingers around Ji Ting's wrist suddenly tightened. Ji Ting turned to look beside him and saw Ji Yanzhi gazing down at the man kneeling before him, his eyes so dark that only an inky blackness remained.

"Second Uncle, get up first. Then we can talk."

"Since I'm already kneeling here, I don't care about saving face anymore." Certain that he would soften, Ji Liping tried to force his hand. "Yanzhi, I want an answer right now. Are you going to save Rui or not?"

Ji Yanzhi stared at him without blinking. After several seconds of silence, he said, "He broke the law. Would a word from me really make a difference?"

Those few casually spoken words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Ji Liping's head, chilling him to the bone.

His face went white, and his lips trembled. "Y-Yanzhi..."

Ji Yanzhi didn't spare him so much as a glance. He pulled Ji Ting along and headed straight for the sofa.

After sitting down, Ji Ting gave him a once-over, sensing something was off. Ji Yanzhi actually didn't soften.

Hearing that, Ji Yanzhi scoffed inwardly.

He had always treated Ji Ting harshly. After all the lessons Ji Ting had learned, he still thought Ji Yanzhi was someone who would go soft?

At that moment, Ji Yanzhi completely forgot what had made him change his mind. All he could think was that Ji Ting never learned his lesson.

Meanwhile, seeing that Ji Yanzhi really was ignoring him, Ji Liping could only get up in embarrassment.

If kneeling earlier had cost him his dignity as an elder, hauling himself back up now stripped him of every last shred of pride.

When he walked over and saw Ji Ting, he finally found an outlet for his pent-up humiliation. "I'm discussing business with your older brother. What right do you have to sit here listening? Get back-"

"Second Uncle."

Ji Yanzhi abruptly cut off his roaring. "You just said you'd do anything if I agreed to save Ji Rui. Does that still stand?"

Ji Liping froze, then elation surged through him. "Yes! Of course it does!"

Beside him, Ji Ting frowned almost imperceptibly, but Ji Yanzhi's lips curved into an icy smile-

"If it does, then take the fall for Ji Rui."

As his words fell, the entire hall became so quiet that a pin dropping would have been audible.

Ji Liping stared at him in shock, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. "W-what are you saying?"

"What, Second Uncle? Do you feel wronged?" Ji Yanzhi leaned back against the sofa, his voice dripping with cold mockery. "You and your son both had a hand in the smuggling. Neither of you is any more innocent than the other. One was simply the ringleader, and the other an accomplice."

The flesh on Ji Liping's face began twitching, but Ji Yanzhi continued unhurriedly. "As long as you admit to the police that you were the ringleader, Ji Rui won't spend many years in prison, even without my help."

Hearing that, Ji Ting silently lowered his eyes.

Objectively speaking, locking up Ji Rui would be better than locking up Ji Liping. Before this came to light, Ji Rui had already secretly gotten involved in drug trafficking. Even if he wanted to quit after getting out, the drug lords in Southeast Asia wouldn't let him.

Drugs? Drug lords?

Ji Yanzhi's body abruptly stiffened, veins bulging at his temples.

How dare those two?!

His fingers clenched tightly. Alongside his fury, a powerful surge of dread seized his chest.

Huaguo had always had zero tolerance for drug crimes. If their shipping and logistics operations became involved in drug smuggling, ruin was inevitable. The police reports that followed would send the group's share price plummeting day after day, wiping tens of billions off its market value within days. Every subsequent partnership would fall apart.

If he hadn't heard Ji Ting's thoughts today and had chosen to let the father and son off lightly, it would have been no different from pushing the group over a cliff himself.

At that moment, a ball of fire seemed to fill Ji Yanzhi's insides, burning hotter and hotter, crackling fiercely.

He raised his eyes, about to explode, only to find that Ji Liping's expression had already turned vicious. "Ji Yanzhi, spare me the bullshit. Just tell me whether you'll save him!"

Ji Yanzhi laughed in sheer fury, the darkness in his eyes turning savage. "Not only will I refuse to save him, I'll send you in there for a father-and-son reunion."

With a bang, Ji Liping slammed the table and sprang up. "Ji Yanzhi, who the fuck do you think you are?! Just because the old man shows you a little respect, you think you can lord it over your elders?"

In his hysteria, his face had become completely twisted. "You want me to turn myself in? Fine! I'll tell the police you were the mastermind behind the smuggling! You've always been in charge of shipping and logistics anyway. As long as my son and I stick to our story, just see if they don't come after you!"

Looking at his ugly expression, Ji Yanzhi sneered repeatedly.

Just then, Ji Ting suddenly raised his index finger and calmly pointed toward the upper-right corner of the ceiling.

"The M81 Security System. Multi-angle surveillance, with real-time video and audio recording."

Ji Liping jolted. With his mouth hanging open as he looked up, he resembled a chicken being strangled.

Ji Yanzhi's chest trembled slightly. He turned his head aside and took a deep breath before schooling his expression again. "Liao Kai."

The bodyguard stepped forward. "President Ji."

"Personally escort Ji Liping to the police station with your men. Tell them the group will cooperate fully with the investigation, and that we'll submit the relevant evidence immediately."

"Yes, sir."

Liao Kai gestured, and two bodyguards strode toward Ji Liping.

Ji Liping staggered backward in terror. "What are you doing? Don't you dare! Let go of me!"

There was quite a commotion as they dragged him out. Ji Liping first struggled and shouted, then begged Ji Yanzhi for mercy. In the middle of pleading, he suddenly started cursing Ji Ting.

Listening to those vile insults, Ji Yanzhi turned to glance at the person beside him. "Don't pay attention to what he says."

But Ji Ting was even calmer than he was. "Mm. It's just the kick-the-cat effect."

The kick-the-cat effect?

Before Ji Yanzhi could puzzle it out, Ji Ting looked up. "Can I go back to sleep now?"

Ji Yanzhi didn't answer. Instead, he turned toward him and watched him silently for a while. "Did you already know those two were smuggling?"

Ji Ting thought for two seconds. "Yes."

Ji Yanzhi's expression gradually cooled. "Then why didn't you tell me?"

"If I'd told you, would you have believed me?"

No.

The word leaped into Ji Yanzhi's mind, making the corners of his eyes suddenly tighten.

He realized that his instinct had dismissed Ji Ting before his conscious mind could even catch up, as though it had long since become a habit.

Ji Ting looked at him calmly. "I think you already know the answer."

For the first time, Ji Yanzhi felt unable to defend himself in front of him. He could only remain silent and watch Ji Ting turn and head upstairs.

Half an hour later, Ji Ting finished showering and lay down on his bed.

Before closing his eyes, he silently thought, I shouldn't stay with the Ji family for long. I need to leave here as soon as possible.

In the study, Ji Yanzhi was on the phone.

Having heard no instructions for some time, the person on the other end cautiously spoke up. "President Ji... President Ji?"

Ji Yanzhi came back to his senses. "Send someone to get Ji Rui's accomplices talking. Once you have evidence of the smuggling and drug trafficking, submit it to the police immediately."

"Yes, sir."

After ending the call, Ji Yanzhi walked out of the study and glanced toward Ji Ting's room on the third floor.

Then he lowered his dark eyes, a haze gathering in their depths.