Chapter 73
Family Rights
Woo-woo-woo—
The red and blue lights drew nearer, encircling the two-story building in this remote county town. The scene was enveloped in hurried footsteps and clamorous voices.
“Who would have thought this was an illegal clinic…”
“I heard they kidnap evolutionists, drug them unconscious, and then harvest their kidneys to sell to rich clients…”
“Aren’t evolutionists supposed to shoot water and fire? How could they get kidnapped?”
“Well, there are low-level ones. My classmate’s uncle’s neighbor’s kid evolved and became a D-level; no special abilities at all!”
“They say the organs of evolutionists are just better. Hey, if I received blood from an evolutionists, could I extend my life too?”
“Of course! Evolved blood must sell for a fortune!…”
…
The nearby streets were blocked, but in the distance, crowds gathered, their murmuring voices drifting into the car through the window gaps.
Luo Zhen couldn’t help glancing at the rearview mirror. On the back seat sat the Shenhai City supervisor with his eyelids half-lowered and his face expressionless. Only the gloved fingers were slowly tapping the armrest, indicating deep thought.
“Supervisor.” Outside the car, Chen Miao approached quickly and reported in a low voice, “The illegal clinic staff and buyers, seventeen in total, have all been successfully apprehended. All are non-evolved humans. Additionally, four victims, all low-level evolutionists, were rescued in time, and thankfully, none were found to be in life-threatening condition. They have been sent to the hospital.”
Just as Shen Zhuo was about to speak, heart-wrenching cries came from not far away.
“My poor daughter, she’s only twenty!” One of the victims’ parents was supporting each other. The father, in his sixties, was a human, while the mother, a C-level evolutionist, wiped her tears and cursed bitterly, “You damned humans, you’ll die horrible deaths! You will all go extinct, you human scum!…”
Chen Miao swallowed hard and said, “I’ll quickly arrange for psychological support to prevent further escalation of hostilities…”
“There have been four cases of low-level evolutionists being kidnapped just this month. It’s not the victims’ families who are escalating the hatred.” Shen Zhuo looked towards the onlookers outside the police line. “It’s those people.”
Chen Miao followed his gaze.
In the jostling crowd, a streamer was live-streaming on the spot, pointing the camera at the arrested illegal clinic staff and buyers, speaking excitedly and eloquently: “Let’s remember these human heroes. They are sending a strong message to the evolutionists! You evolved ones, listen up! Humans are not to be messed with! We can wipe you out in a flash…”
“What are you doing? What are you doing!” Chen Miao was furious and immediately ordered two inspectors: “Go over there and shut down that live stream, seize that person!”
“Yes!”
“The aftermath and clean-up will be handed over to the local supervision office, and all suspects will be taken back to Shenhai.” Shen Zhuo withdrew his gaze. “Remind Director Wang to pay attention to inflammatory remarks.”
Chen Miao nodded briskly, “Understood!”
The car window slowly rose, isolating the scene outside from behind the bulletproof glass.
“Supervisor,” Luo Zhen glanced at the time and then at the rearview mirror, “Are we going back to the office when we return to Shenhai later?”
He knew the answer would definitely be no because today was Friday.
No matter how busy the work was, no matter how many meetings were scheduled, Friday was the day when the Shenhai City supervisior would unfailingly clock out on time to “go home”—back to the home of the world’s only double S-level evolutionist, Bai Sheng.
There was an agreement between Bai Sheng and Shen Zhuo, and they even had a formal document printed out by Luo Zhen: As long as Bai-ge kept volunteering for the Shenhai City Supervision Office for free, Shen Zhuo had to ensure his partner’s rights, including at least one date outing and one gift exchange per week. Additionally, every Friday was named “Family Day,” during which both had to clock out on time to have dinner at home. Whether Bai-ge had other hidden benefits in the evening was another story.
Sure enough, Shen Zhuo pressed his temples and said, “Not going to the office, going home.”
Luo Zhen was not surprised at all and started the car, stepping on the accelerator.
***
This time, Shen Zhuo couldn’t stick to the “Family Day” rule of being home on time, as the drive from the scene back to Shenhai was simply too far, and they encountered a traffic jam. By the time they got home, it was already more than an hour late.
Fortunately, Shen Zhuo had developed a fixed routine to deal with Bai Sheng. He purposely stopped by the flower shop at the entrance of the community. His eyes swept over the various vibrant blooms in the shop and landed on a large bouquet of fresh, full pink roses.
“Hello, do you like this bouquet?” The shop auntie smiled as she sized up this exceptionally handsome young man. His cheeks were cold, his eyes like dark stars, and he was dressed all in black—like a cool and aloof celebrity. Who would have thought he would romantically buy flowers for his girlfriend? Ah, it’s such a sweet love.
Shen Zhuo nodded, “Please arrange the flowers in a heart shape.”
Then he paused, a thought flashing through his mind of Bai Sheng’s heart-shaped pineapple, heart-shaped letter paper, heart-shaped peach… So he turned to the auntie and solemnly added:
“Please use that pink heart-printed wrapping paper, tie it with a pink ribbon, and make the bow as heart-shaped as possible. Thank you.”
“…”
The flower shop auntie looked at the large bouquet of pink roses in her arms, imagined the final effect, and couldn’t help but gently remind him, “Um… Your girlfriend must be a very sweet and delicate fairy, right? Hahaha.”
Shen Zhuo was silent for a long time, then nodded and replied, “He really is.”
***
At the door of the apartment on the top floor, the Shenhai City supervisor, holding a large bouquet of heart-shaped pink roses, swiped his fingerprint and pushed the door open:
“I’m ba…”
“You wrote 1 Liu Xijun, 2 Wang Zhaojun, and 3 Zhang Qian for the three Han dynasty princesses who married into foreign lands?! Abolishing a hundred schools of thought and advocating Confucianism was Dong Zhongshu, not Dong Zhongying! Dong Zhongying is Dong Zhuo! Dong Zhuo!! For just one statistics question, how did you calculate that an employee earning eight thousand a month has to pay 150,000 in taxes, Yang Xiaodao? Yang Xiaodao, come out here! If you have the guts to fail, have the guts to open the door! One of us must die today!!”
Chu Yan’s crazy roar was deafening, mixed with Yang Xiaodao’s weak defense from the study, “I was wrong, I really was wrong, I’ll never dare again…”
In a flash, Shen Zhuo realized something terrifying.
Today was the day Yang Xiaodao’s final exam results were released.
Shen Zhuo turned and left without a second thought.
“Sweetie, don’t be mad. Life is like a play, if you get sick from anger, no one will replace you. Let Dad play the Great Compassion Mantra for you…” Bai Sheng turned around, just in time to see Shen Zhuo swiftly escaping. Overjoyed, he took a quick step forward and grabbed him:
“Darling, where are you going? What’s that in your hand? Is it a love gift you bought for me?”
Chu Yan finally found someone in this household who could understand her pain: “Supervisor Shen, Yang Xiaodao ranked tenth from the bottom in his grade this time. I spent four hours every day tutoring him, and he still only managed to rank tenth from the bottom!!”
With a click, the study door finally opened. Yang Xiaodao, clutching his head, scurried out while wailing: “Supervisor Shen, I was wrong, but I improved by a whole nine ranks this time! The teacher said that the guardian who attends my parent-teacher conference can receive public commendation in front of all the other parents…”
Shen Zhuo, holding a bouquet of pink roses, was joyfully picked up by Bai Sheng, who spun him around in the air. Below them, his angry daughter was complaining, and his wailing son was making a fuss. Not far away, the parent-teacher meeting notice on the dining table radiated an ominous aura.
“…I want to go back to the scene,” Shen Zhuo said expressionlessly.
Twenty minutes later, Bai Sheng, feeling joyful and content, placed the pink roses in a huge crystal vase. He carefully selected nine photos from 200 different angles and posted them on his social media, with the caption:
“A confession ceremony from someone special [heart][heart][heart].”
The post received over a hundred likes in seconds, and Bai Sheng, satisfied, put down his phone.
“Today, we are gathered as a family to celebrate two things.” Standing at the dining table with a glass of peach milkshake, Bai Sheng solemnly announced: “First, after careful and serious consideration, I have decided to accept Supervisor Shen’s romantic confession. Let’s have a round of applause!”
The marble dining table was laden with eight dishes and a soup. The two kids clapped enthusiastically.
Shen Zhuo, through the corner of his mouth, said: “I did not romantically confess to you.”
Bai Sheng: “Pink hearts inherently signify a romantic confession.”
Shen Zhuo: “…”
“Secondly, on this joyous day, our family’s only weak link, Yang Xiaodao, not only improved by nine ranks but also passed his science exam for the first time in his life!” Bai Sheng, with tears in his eyes, exclaimed: “Let’s give a round of applause to congratulate Chu Yan!”
Clap, clap, clap. Yang Xiaodao eagerly offered the most humble and sincere applause, and even Shen Zhuo nodded in rare approval. Bai Sheng found a picture frame, planning to mount the report card on the wall later.
Chu Yan was speechless, on the verge of tears: “Your expectations for him are way too low. If you keep going like this, it won’t work…”
Bai Sheng quickly motioned for Yang Xiaodao to go to the kitchen to serve the soup. Yang Xiaodao immediately got up and slipped away, wishing he had eight legs.
“Daughter, haven’t you realized this obvious fact yet?” Bai Sheng looked at Chu Yan with a sincere expression, like an ancient emperor revealing the truth to his crown princess: “Look at the career paths of the people in our family. The responsibility of taking over the company and working hard to earn money will fall on you. You are the one we are counting on!”
Chu Yan: “…”
The little girl looked at the philosophy-major heir before her, then at the scholarly supervisor on the opposite side of the table, and then towards the kitchen, where the science genius who was proficient in all eight major cuisines was busy. She looked utterly shocked.
“Our plan for Yang Xiaodao has always been to nurture him in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting; cooking and frying; and in being gentle, respectful, frugal, and maintaining his abs. In short, it’s a strategy to marry him off. As long as he has a college degree in the future and comes with a generous dowry, our family’s business connections will surely find him a female CEO, allowing him to become a pampered house husband.” Bai Sheng clasped his hands together and sincerely said: “What is the ultimate accomplishment for a man? It’s to create family value, to be a pampered husband!”
Chu Yan’s hand, holding the chopsticks, trembled slightly. After a long pause, she turned to Shen Zhuo and squeezed out a question: “Is Bai-fe serious?”
Shen Zhuo calmly picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks: “Every word comes from the heart, no falsehoods.”
Chu Yan: “…”
“For example, my greatest dream in life is to be Supervisor Shen’s pampered husband. For this, I work diligently, perfecting myself inside and out. I can fend off rivals and ensure peace at home; I possess all the virtues, speech, demeanor, and skills. I am always ready to seize every opportunity to enhance my core competitiveness and ability levels. Didn’t I just successfully receive a bouquet from Supervisor Shen today?”
Shen Zhuo continued eating: “I did not.”
Bai Sheng, without turning his head: “You did.”
Chu Yan: “…”
“So you see, daughter,” Bai Sheng lovingly patted the little girl’s head and said earnestly: “We don’t have high expectations for your brother. We only need you to succeed in the future. Starting next month, I’ll send you to intern at the Baihe Group’s president’s office. Work hard with my uncle, and remember, the responsibility of earning money and distributing dividends to the family members will rest on you. Understand?”
Chu Yan dropped a mouthful of food back into her bowl, utterly stunned.
The little girl, with an IQ as high as 180, seemed to have had it completely wiped clean, while Bai Sheng’s face was filled with the joy of being a pain-free father. He leisurely got up and went to the kitchen to find his son for a life chat, not forgetting to personally give Shen Zhuo the biggest and best-looking piece of sweet and sour pork ribs before he left.
Yang Xiaodao’s skill in cooking “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall” was probably on par with Chu Yan’s skill in taking exams. He was carefully adding salt with a large ladle when Bai Sheng came in. Bai Sheng’s face, which was full of smiles, suddenly changed, and he roared:
“Who the hell was the one who arranged the marriage with the Han Dynasty?!”
Yang Xiaodao, on the verge of tears, said: “Liu… Liu Che?”
Bai Sheng knew the kid was done for.
Yang Xiaodao’s luck conservation law worked like this: if he made an unprecedented breakthrough in science, his originally stronger subjects would suffer a sudden drop in intelligence. Just like how he would always encounter red lights when crossing the road, if he ever saw a green light one day, he would definitely lose his wallet that day, without exception.
“Son, what are we going to do?” Bai Sheng sighed with a weary voice, “I suspect that if you fail to get into college, your sister might just die of anger. What do you think?”
Yang Xiaodao whimpered like a timid little wolf with its tail between its legs: “It’s really too difficult to pass all subjects at once. Could you persuade her to face reality?”
Bai Sheng fell into silence, thinking to himself that you can’t really blame the girl for not facing reality; anyone would struggle to face such a cruel truth…
“It’s impossible, son.” Bai Sheng glanced in the direction of the dining room, leaned against the counter, raised an eyebrow, and asked: “Do you know what your sister’s family situation is like?”
Yang Xiaodao shook his head.
“When she was very young, her parents separated and each started a new family and had more children. Both sides were quite indifferent to this little girl. I reasonably suspect that her parents didn’t even know when she had to take a break from school. In short, that irresponsible father knew less about her than I do—what’s with that suspicious look?” Bai Sheng’s face beamed with a proud light: “Chu Xiaoyan’s guardianship, as an underage evolutionists, has already been granted to me. I even baked her birthday cake myself!”
Yang Xiaodao coldly said: “You just baked the cake base. I did the cream piping…”
Bai Sheng said: “That’s about the same. Kids who grow up in this kind of family environment tend to have high self-expectations because they are used to needing to be very excellent to get adults’ attention. This is an unconscious pursuit of perfection.” He raised one finger and waved it, speaking sincerely and emotionally: “That’s why she has strict demands that you pass all subjects. This is not only an expectation for you but also reflects her own regrets and shortcomings from her growth.”
True to his manipulative nature, Bai Sheng’s psychological tactics immediately took effect. Yang Xiaodao, who never expected that Chu Yan had grown up similarly to himself, was overcome with a strong sense of sympathy and mumbled:
“So that’s how it is…”
“So you understand now, son.” Bai Sheng lovingly patted the boy’s head and earnestly educated him: “Bite the bullet and work hard, pass all subjects just once. This is not only for yourself but also for your sister. Fight like a man to make up for her significant childhood shortcomings. Understand?”
“Yes, I understand!” Yang Xiaodao’s heart ignited with burning determination once again, and the fear of being dominated by Zhang Qian was instantly forgotten. He resolutely said: “I’ll start studying right after dinner. I will definitely pass all subjects in the final exam!”
Sons are indeed much easier to deal with than daughters. Bai Sheng, pleased, patted Yang Xiaodao’s shoulder: “Great! That’s the spirit. Dad is proud of you!”
Yang Xiaodao, full of vigor, went back to the dining room, not forgetting to bring the “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall” he had simmered all day.
Apart from Shen Zhuo, Bai Sheng had always managed to deal with everyone else with ease and success.
He leisurely returned to his seat and continued eating. He served Shen Zhuo a bowl of “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall” and gave half a bowl of vegetable stew in broth to his vegetarian daughter. After dinner, the two kids were preparing to take a bath and go back to their rooms but were called back by Bai Sheng:
“Wait, Dad has something important to announce.”
Shen Zhuo had no idea what trick Bai Sheng had up his sleeve. He saw Bai Sheng stand by the dining table, clear his throat, and then, looking down, shyly smile:
“You might have noticed that Supervisor Shen and I have gradually moved into a cohabitation mode recently, and today I formally accepted Supervisor Shen’s romantic confession…”
The two kids simultaneously looked at Shen Zhuo.
Shen Zhuo mouthed silently: No such thing.
“So, to ensure your learning environment is not disturbed and to ensure that Yang Xiaodao passes all subjects in the final exam, I feel it is necessary to reveal a family secret to you—”
Bai Sheng took a deep breath and solemnly said: “A few days ago, I bought the vacant apartment downstairs.”
Chu Yan: “…”
Yang Xiaodao: “…”
Both kids had question marks popping up above their heads.
“I have decided to endure the pain of separation and allow you two to move downstairs. This will greatly facilitate your studies and lives while also ensuring that Chu Yan’s authority over Yang Xiaodao’s discipline is independent and unchallenged.” Bai Sheng clapped his hands together, his eyes sparkling with joy: “Although I am really reluctant, thinking about your future, I decided to make this painful choice and have already cleaned up downstairs for you. The apartment is fully furnished, with utilities ready and even new towels. In other words…”
Bai Sheng forcibly wrapped his arm around Shen Zhuo, trying his best to appear genuinely regretful, but the uncontrollable smile still betrayed his true thoughts:
“Kids, you can move tonight.”
The air fell silent, and the two kids, along with Shen Zhuo, all stared expressionlessly at Bai Sheng.
“You just want to transform into a wolf, don’t you?!” Yang Xiaodao suddenly slammed the table and stood up, “I said I saw a wolf wandering in the living room last Friday night when I came out for water! And you insisted the next day that I was sleepwalking and saw it wrong!”
Chu Yan covered her face with both hands: “La-last Saturday morning, I found black wolf hair on the study carpet. Yang Xiaodao, while vacuuming, said it was my hair…”
“And last month, when I came home from Friday evening class with Chu Yan, I heard animal panting as soon as I entered the house. Chu Yan said it was probably the downstairs neighbor watching ‘Animal World’! I said who on earth watches ‘Animal World’ at midnight!!”
Shen Zhuo, who was forced to watch ‘Animal World’ at midnight: “…”
“What’s this about family day every Friday? Why do you have to tarnish such a beautiful term with such filthy implications?”
Yang Xiaodao was shocked by the adults’ audacity: “This day is purely your planned wolf day, right? You just want to send us downstairs so that you two can roll around the house, don’t you?”
Bai Sheng: “…………”
Shen Zhuo: “…………”
The atmosphere was tense and heavy. After a while, Shen Zhuo finally raised his hand, patted Bai Sheng’s shoulder, and said in a low voice through gritted teeth:
“If you dare to activate the tyrant mode tonight, I will cut off your thing.”
Shen Zhuo turned and quickly fled to the bedroom, slamming the door shut.
Bai Sheng was left alone, facing two children’s accusingly innocent faces. He tried to speak several times but couldn’t get a word out, and finally chose to flee as well:
“You… you were just sleepwalking and saw it wrong. Dear, wait for me!”
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