Zhang Rong’en’s temples suddenly bulged with veins, and he instinctively clenched his fist.
But before he could tighten his grip, Ning Zhuo’s cold gaze swept downward, causing Zhang Rong’en’s hand to immediately loosen. He even nodded at him with a cheerful smile, pretending to be kind and gentle.
Ning Zhuo silently sneered.
Back when Zhang Rong’en, then known as Shan Rong’en, came to take Shan Feibai away, he had been pontificating and showing off his power. Ning Zhuo had endured that tone until now, and finally felt a sense of satisfaction.
Although both sides now had families and careers, Ning Zhuo had always been one who depended on society for a living. He was certainly more resilient than Zhang Rong’en, whose status had greatly declined and whose family was not as well-off.
If he dared to confront Ning Zhuo, warning him that he would call the police, by the time “White Shield” arrived, the Zhang family could find themselves in a situation where he would be beaten to the point of having to queue in the underworld for a reincarnation ticket.
As for pretending to be cordial while plotting behind the scenes, Ning Zhuo was even less worried.
Zhang Rong’en was just anxious and frustrated, suffering from not knowing how to sever ties with his troublesome second son.
If he really had that indomitable spirit, he would have taken his son home to recuperate long ago.
At the very least, he should have come to talk to him after finding out where his son was. How could he still have the mood to burn incense, drink tea, and smile while enduring his scolding?
Ning Zhuo had no patience for such a person: “Let’s get this done today.”
Zhang Rong’en opened his mouth, a sigh almost escaping, but in the end, he swallowed it down.
When he closed his mouth, there were even tears glistening in his eyes.
Ning Zhuo remained unmoved.
Having already figured out what kind of person he was, the thought of Shan Feibai burning in the fire made Ning Zhuo feel that this old fool should have died earlier and been reborn cleanly.
Turning around, Ning Zhuo saw a tall figure flash by near the moon-shaped archway.
Zhang Rong’en called for the butler, quietly instructing him to accompany Ning Zhuo to the notary.
As the butler went to prepare, Ning Zhuo waited in the front courtyard.
At this moment, he heard the sound of soft footsteps approaching from behind.
Ning Zhuo turned around and saw a young man.
As soon as their eyes met, the young man seemed to be struck by something, halting his steps and retreating several paces. Realizing how cowardly that looked, he steadied himself, pressing his thin lips together tightly, glancing furtively at Ning Zhuo.
Over the years, Ning Zhuo had understood the Shan family situation very well.
He clearly called out the young man’s name: “Zhang Xingshu?”
Zhang Xingshu, Shan Feibai’s elder brother, the well-known illegitimate son of the Shan family in Silver Hammer City.
It must be said that the Shan family’s father had some particularly strong genes; each of his sons was a fine specimen, tall and sturdy like a white poplar tree, broad-shouldered with slim waists and long legs, capable of strutting down a runway.
Both Shan Feibai and his half-brother were like walking clothing racks.
However, compared to his brother, this older brother was quite superficial, with nothing to show except for his looks, making him an ideal pretty boy.
Shan Feibai’s parents’ marriage was something Zhang Rong’en had sought after himself, claiming that he had fallen in love with a beautiful common girl.
Shan Yunhua had looked into it and was thoroughly satisfied and fond of the match.
The girl was his high school classmate, gentle and kind, hailing from the Central City District, where both her parents had passed away early. For years, she had lived alone, working two jobs to support herself.
Shan Yunhua provided them with an independent courtyard, letting the young couple live their own life.
She had always been easygoing, giving money when it was needed, never interfering, believing that her descendants would have their own blessings, and that every generation had their own ideas—too much interference would only lead to misfortune.
It wasn’t until a month after her grandson was born that her daughter-in-law and son both fell gravely ill and were hospitalized. A bewildered Shan Yunhua gradually learnt about the upheaval in that small family from gossip columns.
—Her son had been keeping a mistress outside.
Counting it all up, they had been together for at least six years.
The woman had even given him a son, born a year and a half before her legitimate grandson, Shan Feibai.
With this information, it was enough for her to deduce everything.
Why did her son suddenly propose marriage a year and a half ago?
Why did he suddenly fall head over heels in love with an ordinary girl without any background who had no parents, insisting on marrying her?
He simply thought he couldn’t marry a woman of loose morals but was unwilling to part with his sweet life, so he tricked a pliable girl into marriage, cutting off any chance for the mistress to be recognized and allowing him to continue enjoying himself while playing a dual game of balancing both lives.
However, Zhang Rong’en was so inept that he couldn’t even discern the truth about people.
Shan Feibai’s mother was not the weak, easily bullied little rabbit he imagined.
Her softness hid strength, or perhaps it could be said that her outward gentleness concealed a wildness that was simply astonishing.
Noticing her husband’s strange behavior and gathering enough evidence, she directly slipped poison into the meal, amicably sharing one last dinner with Zhang Rong’en. The result was that he was poisoned to the brink of death while she, consumed with despair, overdosed on poison and died just a few hours after being rushed to the hospital.
After learning about this incident, Shan Yunhua did not blame anyone.
She knew that she bore her own responsibility.
Busy with work, she had built a beautiful facade with money, placing her son inside, believing unilaterally that this was what was best for the child.
She hadn’t raised a decent child and had no right to blame anyone else.
While Zhang Rong’en was still in the hospital, she cut off all his financial sources, leaving him to be supported by the mistress he was keeping. She then announced her retirement, handing over the company to professional managers, and took away her still-infant grandson.
As for the child who was already over a year old, she felt unfamiliar with him and let him be Zhang Rong’en’s precious eldest son.
…
And that illegitimate child, who was only a year old at the time, was now trembling in front of Ning Zhuo, standing there as the Shan family’s eldest son.
In a voice that sounded as if he were afraid of scaring himself, he timidly called out, “Sir, do you recognize me?”
“I do,” Ning Zhuo replied without blinking, “When your brother offended me back then, I considered kidnapping you to vent my anger.”
Zhang Xingshu’s pupils dilated in fear upon hearing this, looking as if he wished he could flee immediately.
Ning Zhuo was certainly scaring him.
His style of doing things was that blessings did not extend to family, but misfortunes did not reach them either.
With Shan Feibai acting so ostentatiously, as if he hoped Ning Zhuo would quickly go after his family, it was clear that he had no real feelings for this group of people.
Ning Zhuo would have to be foolish to play the role of a thug for him.
However, Zhang Xingshu took Ning Zhuo’s words seriously.
After stammering for a while, he failed to say a single coherent word.
Ning Zhuo watched coldly, finding his behavior surprisingly cowardly.
Shan Feibai’s personality could be described as a mishmash of the Shan family’s traits: his grandmother’s carefree spirit, his mother’s calm decisiveness, and his father’s cunning nature—all were present in him.
But he had not inherited a single bit of his father’s cowardice; that had all gone to his brother.
In the end, this Mr. Zhang Xingshu turned red in the face and gave up trying to communicate with Ning Zhuo.
He cautiously handed over a card and awkwardly said, “I know… I know he offended you. Can you please be nice to him?”
Ning Zhuo looked at the card being offered and raised an eyebrow slightly.
He felt he could adjust his impression of this young master a bit.
However, since he was aware that even he knew about his bad relationship with Shan Feibai, it was likely that outsiders shared a similar opinion on him taking in Shan Feibai.
—They were just waiting to see when Shan Feibai would be dealt with, or whether Shan Feibai would retaliate and kill him.
Ning Zhuo thought for a second about that scenario and felt it was amusing, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
This time, the Shan family’s young master was truly scared off by his half-smile.
……
After finishing his business, Ning Zhuo bid farewell to the butler, who had a face like a bitter melon, and headed over to a food procurement market nearby.
In the procurement market, the cheapest option was still the nutritious instant meals produced by Weiwei Company, with each store featuring a dedicated counter.
These synthetic foods were substantial in quantity and theoretically nutritionally adequate; aside from their mediocre taste and single flavors, they were the most suitable food for the average person.
Slightly more expensive were various finished and semi-finished canned goods, ranging from red and white meats, fruits, to vegetables and desserts—everything was available.
At the same price level were specially processed dried meats or dried vegetables, which could regain about 70% of their freshness after a rehydration process.
But whether these foods tasted good depended entirely on the cook’s skills.
Once cooked poorly, they would taste like chewing on rotten cloth.
As for fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats, those were the rarest, with limited daily supplies, and their prices could deter quite a few people.
Ning Zhuo had gotten up quite early today to purchase for Shan Feibai. Before leaving, he casually made a phone call to the market, relying on his connections in the Chang’an District to successfully complete a reservation.
After picking up his items, he felt like taking a ride on the bus, casually pulling out his communicator.
Online, there was already a wave of uproar regarding “Charlemagne’s son abusing power and vigilante justice.”
He just scrolled through casually and came across an announcement for a street protest to demand the resignation of Charlemagne, the police chief of “White Shield.”
Ning Zhuo paid no mind and accessed his contact list.
The last note on Lin Qin was “Annoying, don’t want to answer.”
Ning Zhuo thought for a moment and changed it to “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.”
Then, he dialed that number.
After two rings, Lin Qin picked up.
Lin Qin: “It’s rare for you to call me.”
Ning Zhuo: “What are you busy with?”
Lin Qin’s tone was as serious as ever: “There’s always something to do.”
Ning Zhuo directly pierced through that: “Re-recording the identification system, right?”
Lin Qin let out a helpless laugh: “Yeah. You saw the footage, didn’t you?”
Ning Zhuo: “The security system being compromised by insiders caused such a scandal; ‘White Shield’ has to do something about it; otherwise, it’ll truly become a public toilet. People can come and go as they please.”
Just as Lin Qin was about to speak, it was his turn.
The male staff member responsible for re-entering the facial recognition system saw half of Ning Zhuo’s battered face and felt disgusted. He looked down at the information and mechanically recited, “Deputy Captain Lin Qin of the Chang’an District Third Special Operations Team, step up and remove all accessories from your body.”
Lin Qin nodded kindly, taking off the one-way bandage covering his eyes.
Upon seeing Lin Qin’s full appearance from the machine, the male staff member thought he must have been mistaken, and he raised his head in shock.
Compared to his disfigured lower face, Lin Qin’s upper face was strikingly beautiful.
His right eye bore the golden pupil insignia of the special operations team—a beautiful balance symbol.
With this half of his face enhancing his looks, even his scarred lower face gained a bit of shattered charm.
Seeing the staff member frozen in place, Lin Qin kindly leaned down and scanned his pupils on the scanner held by the staff member, confirming his identity.
The staff member was speechless.
He desperately wanted to ask Lin Qin how his face had come to look like this.
But then he thought, perhaps that was the reason Lin Qin insisted on wearing a bandage, only exposing his disfigured lower face.
—What he wanted was to minimize such meaningless sympathy and inquiries.
__
Author’s Note:
It is a beautiful apple.
