Once all the information was sent out, Shi Jin settled in to wait with anxiety.
So far, Xiang Aoting and Shi Weichong were the only ones who hadnât given him a reply. Shi Jin wasnât worried about Xiang Aoting, but as for Shi WeichongâŠ
Lian Jun reached out and flicked Shi Jinâs forehead, waking him up from his thoughts. âAunt Lu sent me a file,â he said. âItâs a video of the head of Tarantulaâs B city branch talking with Xu Jie about the transaction. Do you want to watch it?â
Shi Jin came back to himself and saw that heâd lost their game of mahjong long ago. âIâm sorry, my mind was wandering again,â he said, embarrassed.
âItâs okay.â Lian Jun took the tablet out of his hand and passed his own tablet over, motioning towards a newly downloaded video. âRecording the transaction process is taboo in the underworld, so we need to delete this video immediately after watching it in order to avoid damaging Tarantulaâs reputation.â
Shi Jin nodded his understanding. He looked at the file icon, taking a moment to prepare his mind before tapping it.
It was obvious that the video had been recorded in secret. It was taken in a small, dimly lit private room in a restaurant or somewhere similar. Xu Jie was in sight, sitting on a single sofa on one side, part of her face covered with a silk scarf. A man could be heard talking to her, but the owner of the voice was not visible in the frame.
ăMs. Xu, youâre just an ordinary businesswoman, so you may not understand what kind of existence Annihilation is in our world. The target you designated, Shi Jin, is rumored to be the lover of Annihilationâs leader, Lian Jun. Even Tarantula has to think twice before touching him.ă
Xu Jieâs tone was unyielding: ăDonât try to string me alongâjust tell me the price, Iâll give you as much money as you want.ă
ăMoney? Ms. Xu, it seems you have some kind of misunderstanding. For an organization of our caliber, money is just a number that increases every day. The wealth youâve worked so hard all your life to accumulate might be less than the profit we make from a single batch of goods. If youâre going to negotiate with us with such an insincere attitude, then Iâm sorry but I have to ask you to leave.ă
This was almost like slapping her in the face, and Xu Jieâs expression darkened. However, just as Shi Jin thought she was about to burst, she calmed down and took out a document from her bag, pushing it forward on the table. ăMy apologies, I was just in too much of a hurry. Of course, I know that you canât be short of money, so I prepared this instead.ă
A puzzled expression crossed Shi Jinâs face.
Lian Jun paused the video and explained, âAunt Lu told me that the document Xu Jie took out was a form to transfer shares from Ruixing. Most likely, she offered up all the shares Shi Weichong has given her.â
Ruixingâs shares? Seriously?
Shi Jin was dumbfounded. âIs she crazy?â he asked incredulously. âSheâs letting a criminal organization gain a stake in Ruixing? Does she think that Ruixing is developing too smoothly?â
There were many enterprises that had seen rapid growth when their sails were filled with the swift and violent winds of organizations operating outside the law. However, no multinational corporation at Ruixingâs level had ever taken the initiative to seek such connections.
No stupid bosses would be able to develop their companies to that level. They knew that while joining with underworld organizations would gain them exorbitant profits and convenience in the short term, in the long run, they would be unable to avoid getting dragged into the feuds and disputes of the underworld.
This was why when major organizations set up businesses to make money, they tried to conceal the connection as much as possible. And yet, Xu Jie wanted to let Ruixing be branded with Tarantulaâs involvement? Did she have a death wish?
âI think sheâs too confident in Shi Weichong; she believes that heâll definitely be able to regain that portion of the shares.â Lian Jun had seen too many people like Xu Jie who would stop at nothing to fulfill their selfish desires, so it was easy for him to understand what she was thinking. He explained, âShe doesnât hold a lot of shares; even if she gives them away, it wonât shake Shi Weichongâs position in the company. In addition, Ruixingâs current development goal is to shift its business focus to China, so being associated with Tarantula would be quite beneficial for Ruixing at the moment. If you donât consider the follow-up issues, Xu Jieâs move actually isnât completely stupid.â
Shi Jin frowned at his words. âDoes she really think criminal organizations are that simple? The most troublesome thing about cooperating with the underworld is dealing with the follow-up.â Tarantula wasnât a herbivore. Wanting a predator to spit out the meat it had already swallowed? Dream on.
âWhich is why her move can only be regarded as not âcompletely stupid.â She was able to achieve success due to Shi Xingruiâs support and her sonâs excellence, but it gave her an exaggerated impression of her own ability. Criminal organizations arenât going to be bogged down by feelings or easily manipulated like Shi Xingrui and Xu Chuan. She wonât be able to handle them.â Lian Junâs tone was cold, as if he had already seen Xu Jieâs end.
âIt feels like sheâs not completely rational anymoreâŠâ Shi Jin replayed the video, his frown not easing. He wasnât in a good mood.
He was an outsider and Ruixing had nothing to do with him. But, when he recalled that Ruixing was something that belonged to the original âShi Jin,â that it was made by âhisâ father, and that Shi Weichong was working so hard to protect it, yet Xu Jie was being dumber than a box of rocks and giving it away so easily⊠he still felt very angry.
In the video, the person who was talking to Xu Jie took the document and flipped through it, then let out a breath in surprise. At this, Xu Jie visibly relaxed, to the point of revealing a triumphant smile on her face.
Shi Jinâs face darkened. He almost pulled out his phone to call Shi Weichong and have him take a good look at exactly how insane his mother was!
Lian Jun noticed his ugly expression. âDonât worry, Aunt Lu wonât want those shares. After all of this is over, Iâll buy them back in your name. Ruixing will stay in your family,â Lian Jun appeased him.
Shi Jin was even more upset. âWhy should you bleed money for⊠No, Iâll buy them! Didnât Shi Weichong and the others transfer Dadâs deposits and real estate back to me? It should be enough to buy back the shares⊠Waitâso, ultimately, wouldnât I end up paying for Xu Jieâs commission to harm me?â
Lian Jun was a little amused by his offended appearance. Pinching his cheek, he said, âTarantula is risking their business credibility by helping us put on this play, and they deserve some additional reward. So, itâs not that weâre paying for Xu Jieâs commission, weâre paying Tarantula to play with Xu Jie, and youâll also get Ruixingâs shares as a bonus. In fact, arenât you making a profit?â
When it was explained like that, Shi Jin instantly felt refreshed. Just as his sour expression was about to melt away, however, he pausedâwouldnât they still need to spend money? He grabbed Lian Junâs hand and squeezed it hard, saying fiercely, âDonât try to dress it upâour family is obviously losing out here!â Originally, Lian Jun was only supposed to pay Tarantula a âservice feeâ, but now they would need to cough up another sum of money to buy the shares!
Lian Jun took advantage of the situation to hold his hand and asked, âYouâre saying Iâm making our family lose money?â
Shi Jin jolted in shock and rushed to explain, âNo, itâs not you, itâs me whoâs making our family lose money, IâŠâ He trailed off; as he spoke, he came to the realization that he was indeed the reason for the loss, and the words died in his throat.
If not for the whole issue with Xu Jie, Lian Jun wouldnât have to pay Tarantula anything! And, looking at things in terms of money, it was Lian Jun whoâd been paying for everything since the beginning. Theyâd been living together, but the place they lived belonged to Lian Jun, it was Lian Jun who was feeding and clothing him, and he had never even given Lian Jun ever a dime of his own money to cover the household expenses⊠Arenât I the definition of a bottom feeder?
Unable to sit still at that revelation, he paused the video again and rushed back to their room without a word. He dug up a certain courier package he hadnât opened since receiving it and took it back to the study. Then, he forcefully opened the box and poured out the passbooks and real estate certificates and other similar documents into Lian Junâs lap, who watched on with an indescribable expression.
âHere, for the family budget,â Shi Jin said with all seriousness. A little unsatisfied, he added, âEven though I didnât personally earn any of this, but⊠Anyway, take it for now. Iâll give you more when I start work later on.â
Lian Jun looked at his expression, looked at all the stuff pushed into his arms and lying on his lap, recalled their conversation, and finally figured out what had Shi Jin all tangled up. His heart warm, he put the documents on the coffee table beside him, then stood up and enfolded his lover in a hug. âOkay, then Iâll wait for you to become the breadwinner,â he replied, smiling.
But I donât think Iâll ever be able to snatch the breadwinner position from you⊠Shi Jin thought as he hugged Lian Jun back, well aware of his own earning power. Mournful, he poked Xiao Si in his mind: âYouâre rightâI really am just a pretty face supported by Lian Jun.â
Xiao Si awkwardly comforted, < Itâs okay, Iâll help you make money, JinJin. If we work hard together, Iâm sure weâll be able to earn enough to support Darling! >
âXiao Si, you are such a good system,â Shi Jin said, deeply moved.
Xiao Si smiled bashfully. < As your daddy, itâs only right that I provide for you. >
Shi Jin: ââŠThank you, but all of a sudden, being Lian Junâs little trophy husband doesnât seem half bad.â
Xiao Si: < âŠâŠ >
After that, Shi Jin was in a much better mood and was able to watch Xu Jie sell Ruixing without a single fluctuation in his heart.
As soon as the shares were offered, the head of Tarantulaâs B city branch immediately accepted Xu Jieâs commission and the two began to discuss the particulars.
Xu Jie must have already thought about how to deal with Shi Jin, so she gave her requirements as soon as the other man finished speaking: ăI want him kidnapped, tortured, and killed. If possible, I hope that you can let me torture him myself.ă
Torture me personally?
Shi Jinâs hand reaching for the water glass paused; missing the glass, he accidentally knocked it to the floor.
Lian Jun bent over to help him pick up the glass, wiped up the spilled water, and poured him another drink. As he glanced at the tablet in Shi Jinâs hand, his eyes were cold.
The branch head was obviously surprised. ăYou want to do it yourself?ă he confirmed.
ăYes, I must do it with my own hands,ă Xu Jie replied, firm.
The other side didnât want to agree. ăLetting the client to participate will increase the risk. And isnât it better to leave torture to professionals? Whatever you do probably wonât be as effective.ă
Xu Jieâs tone turned meaningful. ăYou think so? Then Iâll just need to practice until it is. After a while, wonât I become professional enough?ă
Perhaps the malice filling her voice was too strong, but the branch head didnât speak for a moment. Shi Jin and Lian Jun, watching the video, were also silent. They exchanged glances, both of them reading the same thought in each otherâs eyesâat this point, Xu Jie had already gone completely crazy.
In the end, the man said he would consider allowing Xu Jie to participate, and that he would give her Tarantulaâs reply in three days, and Xu Jie agreed; the video ended there. Shi Jin stared at the dark screen of the tablet with an unseeing gaze, lost in thought.
Lian Jun didnât disturb him. He held the teenagerâs hand, feeling the pulse throbbing in the wrist under his fingers, offering quiet companionship.
Suddenly, the ringing of a mobile phone broke the silence. Shi Jin snapped out of his thoughts and reached for his pocket. Seeing that the incoming call was from Xiang Aoting, he picked up straight away: âFourth Brother.â
{Iâve finished reading through the information,} Xiang Aoting began, his voice a little raspy. {Xiao Jin, do you really plan to go up against Big Brother?}
âFourth Brother.â Shi Jin stifled a sigh. âThe decision isnât in my hands. Whether we end up confronting each other isnât up to me, but up to him.â
The other man immediately understood what he meant. {Big Brother asked you for the information?}
âYes.â
Xiang Aoting fell silent. After a while, he asked, {Xiao Jin, when are you going to⊠deal with Xu Jie?}
âI donât know. Iâll only act after she tries to hurt me again,â Shi Jin answered. Knowing that Xiang Aoting and Shi Weichong had a good relationship, he added, âNo matter what Big Brotherâs choice is, I hope youâll stay out of itâthis is between him and me, it has nothing to do with you. I donât want to involve you.â
{Iâd rather be involved,} Xiang Aoting said, his voice suddenly hoarse. {Weâre brothers⊠Little Sixth, all of us are brothers, familyâŠ}
âItâs because weâre family that I still call you âbrother,ââ Shi Jin replied. Eventually, unable to bear witnessing his misery, he sighed and said, âFourth Brother, I donât want to die, I want to live.â
Shaken, Xiang Aoting opened his mouth to speak, but Shi Jin had already hung up.
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For the next two days, Shi Jinâs phone remained quiet. Shi Weichong never called again.
Shi Jin watched as the three-day deadline passed. When the hour on his phone changed from 23:59 to 00:00, he collapsed into the bed. He didnât sleep that night.
Everyone who saw him the next day could tell that Shi Jin was in a bad mood, but they didnât know how to comfort him. While they were discussing whether to take him out to relax, Shi Jin, who slowly adjusted his mood over the course of the morning training, found Lian Jun and said, forcing out an ugly smile, âLian Jun, Iâm sorry. Shi Weichong chose his motherâs sideâI ended up giving you a super-powerful enemyâŠâ
âItâs okay.â Lian Jun had been in the middle of discussing where to take Shi Jin with Gua Two. Now that Shi Jin was finally willing to speak, he hung up, stood up, and hugged the younger man, soothingly stroking his back. âItâs fine, you still have me, itâs okay,â he comforted.
Shi Jin returned the hug with force, burying his face in his shoulder. âXiao Si, am I weird?â he asked in his mind. âEven though Shi Weichong isnât my real brother, I feel a little sad⊠Do you think Iâm affected by the original âShi Jinâsâ memories?â
Xiao Si felt distressed for him, and tried to offer some consolation. < Yes, probably. Recently, youâve been recalling the plot and looking through the original âShi Jinâsâ memory every day. It must have influenced your subconscious. >
ââŠSure enough. I thought it was odd that I was being such a weakling.â Shi Jin wanted to make fun of himself but the corners of his mouth refused to rise, so he didnât speak and just held Lian Jun in silence.
Suddenly, someone knocked at the door of Lian Junâs training room.
Hurriedly putting his emotions in order, Shi Jin released Lian Jun and helped him sit back down in the wheelchair, then rubbed his face.
Lian Jun waited for him to sort himself out before calling for the person knocking to come in.
Gua Two pushed the door open. Glancing at Shi Jin with some worry, he said, âShi Weichong came. Heâs in front of the door, asking to see Shi Jin. AndâŠâ
Hearing Shi Weichongâs name, Shi Jin immediately turned his head to look over, a glimmer of hope kindling in his heart. âAndâŠ?â
âThereâs a woman with him. Itâs Xu Jieâthey came together,â Gua Two said. âDo you want to let them in?â
Shi Jin froze. Eyebrows wrinkling, he replied, âTake them to the reception room on the first floor. Jun-shao and I will come in a moment.â
Gua Two nodded, closed the door, and left.
Neither Shi Jin nor Lian Jun had expected that Shi Weichong would bring Xu Jie with him. They returned to their room to shower and change out of their workout clothes. While doing that, they discussed what was happening.
âWhy do you think theyâre here? A declaration of war? Or reconciliation?â Shi Jin wondered as he put on clothes.
âShi Weichong is not so stupid as to bring her into our territory just to declare war. Iâm leaning towards the latter.â Lian Jun fastened the belt of his robe and sat in the wheelchair, motioning to Shi Jin.
Shi Jin leaned down to help Lian Jun arrange the robe over his chest, while Lian Jun reached up to neaten Shi Jinâs messy hair and his slightly crooked collar.
âXu Jie? Coming to make peace with me? Why do I find it hard to believe?â They exchanged a tacit kiss after they finished straightening up each otherâs clothes, then Shi Jin pushed Lian Junâs wheelchair out of the room, a frown returning to his face.
Lian Junâs fingers lightly drummed on the wheelchair armrest. âItâs no use guessingâweâll find out when we see them,â he said.
By the time they arrived in the reception room, the tea in front of Shi Weichong and Xu Jie had already been changed once.
Shi Jin gauged their expressions before pushing the door completely open, attracting their attention, and calling out, âBig Brother.â
Xu Jieâs originally slightly impatient expression immediately changed and she straightened, looking as if she wanted to stand up. Shi Weichong discreetly pressed her knee, giving her a warning glance, then got up and turned to Shi Jin. âXiao Jin, Iâm sorry for coming without prior notice. I hope we arenât disturbing you.â
âItâs okay, please sit down.â Seeing Shi Weichongâs mild attitude, Shi Jinâs heart settled a little. He arranged Lian Junâs wheelchair at the side of the single sofa, then sat and asked, his eyes sweeping over Xu Jie, âWhat does this mean, Big Brother?â
Shi Weichong saw the direction of his gaze and his face fell for a second. âI talked to my mother yesterday, about the past, and ended up not calling you in time. I was going to contact you this morning, but then I thought the phone call would be too informal, so I decided to bring my mother and visit you in person. Weâre here to apologize.â
Apologize?
Shi Jin didnât even try to conceal the incredulity on his face. He eyed Xu Jie, who couldnât even look at him directly, and asked, âApologize? Apologize for what?â
âFor everything,â Shi Weichong replied, then nudged his motherâs knee.
Xu Jie stiffened as if startled. After a moment, she slowly raised her head to look at Shi Jin, smiled a little rigidly, and said, âShi Jin, Iâm Shi Weichongâs mother; this is the first time weâve met. Yesterday, as Weichong and I talked, I discovered that you seem to have a certain misunderstanding about me⊠In short, Weichong is rightâI shouldnât hold you accountable for the resentment I bear towards the previous generation. I sincerely apologize to you, and I hope that you can forgive me.â
< Sheâs lying! > Xiao Si shouted angrily. < JinJin, your progress bar has risen! Only by 1 point, but it still proves her apology isnât sincere! >
âI know, Iâm not blind,â Shi Jin silently replied to the system. Not even sparing Xu Jie a glance, he turned to Shi Weichong and asked, âWhat do you mean by this, Big Brother?â
âIâm trying to show you where I stand,â Shi Weichong replied, giving his mother another look.
Her hands tightly clenched on her lap, Xu Jie took a breath and continued, âShi Jin, I promise I will not harm you again or interfere in your relationship with Weichong. If you forgive me, Iâll immediately move abroad and never return to China again.â
This time, Shi Jin really was surprised. âBig Brother, how did you convince her to agree to something like this?â This wasnât as simple as her attitude doing a U-turnâit was like sheâd been swapped with a completely different person!
âCompared to the mistakes weâve made, this degree of concession is still far from enough.â Instead of answering Shi Jinâs question, Shi Weichong took out another document and pushed it forward. âThese are all the shares I hold in RuixingâIâm returning them to their rightful owner now. In order to ensure the peaceful transfer of equity, I can continue to help you manage Ruixing as an employee until you officially take over the company. Of course, if you have a suitable person at hand, I can also immediately transfer the management rights as well.â
Xu Jie couldnât stop her head from snapping up to look at Shi Weichong, her voice rising sharply: âWeichong, you promised me you wouldnâtââ
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âI promised not to give up Ruixing if you were sincere, but unfortunately, I canât see your sincerity, Mom,â Shi Weichong interrupted her. âI warned you not to try to fool or manipulate me again. I grew up a long time agoâIâm no longer the child who relied on you and trusted you blindly. You did something wrong, and now itâs time to take responsibility for it. Donât push me.â He turned to Shi Jin, his expression earnest, but some pleading visible in his eyes. âXiao Jin, this is my attitude. You are my brother, she is my mother. I donât want to lose either of you, and I also donât want to see you fighting each other and end up losing both. I will bear all the mistakes, I will pay all the costsâXiao Jin, from this day onward, Iâll do whatever you wish, and I promise I wonât let my mother get in your way again. All I ask is that you give us a chance to meet each other halfway.â
At the sight of her son acting so humbly in front of Shi Jin, Xu Jieâs fists clenched even tighter. âWeichong, this is different from what you promised me last night. You canât do this.â
âNo, I can. If you want to force me to death, just continue doing whatever you want, the same way you have been until now.â Shi Weichong didnât even spare her a glance but kept his gaze on Shi Jin the whole time. The expression in his eyes became even more earnest as he urged, âXiao Jin⊠please give me your answer.â
Shi Jin looked back and forth at him and Xu Jie, feeling so uncomfortable it was as if a stone had suddenly lodged itself in his heart. He never expected Shi Weichong to choose this way of doing things in the end, giving up everything just for a chance to compromise.
It was likely that Shi Weichong realized that Xu Jie had no chance of winning, so he decided to pay whatever the price he had to to win her the best possible outcome. What a pity thatâŠ
He reached for the documents on the table, glimpsing Xu Jieâs clenched fists and lips tightening into a white line out of the corner of his eye. âI promise you that Iâll leave your mother alone as long as she doesnât make any more attempts to hurt me and doesnât find trouble with me in other ways.â
With a look of relief on his face, Shi Weichong sent Shi Jin a grateful smile, saying, âThank you, and Iâm sorry, Xiao Jin. Iâll spend the rest of my life trying to make this up to you.â
âNo, itâs fine.â Shi Jin lowered his head, watching his progress bar jumping to 970 after he picked up the documents. His heart fell.
âŠWhat a pity that Shi Weichongâs efforts were doomed to be wasted. Xu Jie had already gone crazy. Shi Weichongâs actions had only made her more certain that heâd âbetrayedâ herâshe wouldnât understand the purpose behind them or his sacrifice at all.
But⊠He looked up at Shi Weichong again, smiling at him. âThank you for making this choice,â he said. âYou will always be my big brother.â
Shi Weichong looked even more moved, and there was an overwhelming sense of relief in his voice, as if heâd unloaded a heavy burden from his shoulders: âNo, Iâm the one who should be grateful for your magnanimity.â
Beside him, Xu Jieâs fists were clenched so hard that her fingernails pierced the skin of her palm, oozing a few drops of blood.