Home/ The Selfish Gene/ Chapter 65
Sang Zhengbai frowned slightly, as if he was offended by me.
Putting down his chopsticks, he said in a deep voice: “It has nothing to do with you whether he forgives me or not. Tell me, how much do you want?”
“Can you really give me money, no matter how much I want?”
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would encounter such a classic scene from a TV drama. If it were a script, I should have angrily lifted the table and pointed at Sang Zhengbai’s nose to accuse him for looking down on others, saying that I don’t care about his dirty money.
But this wasn’t a script, so I didn’t feel angry, and I was even a little confused.
“I will try my best to satisfy you.” Sang Zhengbai crossed his fingers in front of him, looking majestic and trustworthy, as if was already sure of his victory.
This is where I feel puzzled.
He is such an old fox, what makes him so convinced that I will keep my promise after taking the money? It’s not like signing a contract in black and white. Isn’t he afraid that I will go back on my word?
“Although I have severed the father-son relationship with you, I have not made your life experience public. In the eyes of outsiders, you are still my son.” Sang Zhengbai said.
Perhaps seeing that I didn’t respond for a long time, he launched an emotional offensive in addition to the money, “With your ability, along with the sufficient funds and connections of the Sang family, you will definitely achieve great success in the future. So why do you have to go against me because of a temporary impulse?”
In the past, I always wanted him to see my abilities, but the results were not satisfactory. Now that I have given up and let go, he actually admits that I am capable. It’s not that he couldn’t see it before, but he selectively pretended to be blind.
“If I take your money, I will have a bright future. If I don’t take your money, you will let me know the consequences of going against you. Is that what you mean?”
Sang Zhengbai didn’t answer my question directly.
“It’s up to you to decide how to make a cost-effective deal.”
I sneered: “In your eyes, everything is a transaction. Apart from your company, have you really cared about anything in this world?”
Now that things have already reached this point, I no longer have the intention to draw any fatherly love from him. By questioning him, I feel unworthy not for myself, but for Ji Chenfeng.
After the biological son was finally found, he didn’t try to find ways to make up for the shortcomings and repair the relationship, but instead only wanted to make a transaction with me.
If parents also needed to take the exam, Sang Zhengbai may never pass in his lifetime.
“What I really care about is no longer in this world.” In response to my question, Sang Zhengbai seemed quite calm, “Don’t say these useless things, just state a price.”
Ask him for some money to buy a bigger house and open a pet hospital for Ji Chenfeng. Deep down in my heart, I shouted at him for being cruel and unjust, asking him not to give me money for nothing, but when I spoke it out loud, my words changed in a different way.
“No matter the price, I won’t leave Ji Chenfeng. Even if you recognize me again and give me the entire Zhengyi Group, it’s useless. As long as I am alive, I will keep pestering him.”
I dare not ask for money. If Ji Chenfeng finds out that I took a breakup fee, it will be even harder for him to trust me.
Sang Zhengbai narrowed his eyes, and his tone became dangerous: “Toast a drink to me as a punishment.”
I stood up from the chair and said nonchalantly: “Sorry, I quit drinking.”
Just as I was about to leave, I suddenly heard the sound of a table and chair overturning from the next door. Like many restaurants, one of the walls of the private room is a sliding door structure, which can be opened to create a larger space.
I just thought the person next door accidentally knocked over the chair, so I didn’t care. However, when I was about to reach the door, the man’s exclamation from the next door suddenly made me stop and think of another possibility.
Today’s play is indeed not Sang Zhengbai’s style of acting, but what if he had another purpose?
It doesn’t matter whether I fulfill my promise or not. As long as I ask for money, the relationship between Ji Chenfeng and I will be associated with the word “transaction”, and he can use this to drive a wedge between us.
Turning around and walking briskly towards the partition door, I caught a glimpse of Tang Zhaoyue reaching out to me, as if to stop me.
Originally I was only 70% sure, but seeing her like this, I was 100% sure that there was something strange behind this door.
Grasping the door handle, I pulled it hard on both sides. In an instant, the scene behind the door appeared before my eyes.
The chair was overturned on the floor and most of the tablecloth was torn off.
Ji Chenfeng’s mouth was covered with a piece of cloth, and his hands were tied in front of him with straps. A bodyguard in black was pressing his knees against his back. When the door opened, a silver light flashed in Ji Chenfeng’s hand, frozen in an action of “stabbing down”.
His chest heaved violently as he lifted his head. When he saw it was me, the coldness in his eyes quickly dissipated. He released his hand, and a silver fork fell onto the carpet without making any sound, but it shook my heart.
“Are you sick, Sang Zhengbai?”
Guessing it is one thing, seeing it is another. Fiercely cursing at Sang Zhengbai, I picked up a dining knife from the ground and quickly stepped forward to cut off the straps on Ji Chenfeng’s hands.
“Are you okay?” I asked worriedly.
“It’s okay.” Ji Chenfeng pulled off the cloth on his mouth, rubbed his wrist, and shook his head.
The bodyguard in black who lost control quickly got up from the ground, running back to Sang Zhengbai with his head lowered like a lost dog.
“Sorry Mr. Sang…”
Sang Zhengbai glared at him without saying anything.
Grasping Ji Chenfeng’s wrist, I pulled him and walked towards the door, not wanting to say a word to Sang Zhengbai again.
When passing by the table full of snacks, Ji Chenfeng stopped and gently pulled his hands.
I turned around in confusion, and he broke free from my grip, then glanced in the direction of the door and said, “You go outside and wait for me. I’ll come after saying a few words to him.”
Although I was very worried about him facing a group of wolves, tigers, and leopards alone, I also knew that Sang Zhengbai wouldn’t truly harm him. After hesitating, I nodded and went outside the private room alone.
“I think I made it clear before, I want to live my own life, not the life imposed on me by others…”
“The life you are living now is the life imposed on you by others. I just want you to get back on track.”
It seemed like the door was closed, but in fact I left a crack where I could vaguely hear the conversation inside.
The two had a fierce argument. Sang Zhengbai’s attitude completely changed in comparison to when he faced me. The more he talked, the more angry he became.
He felt that Ji Chenfeng had been brainwashed by a family of parasites from the slums. Otherwise, how could a normal person let go of a lot of money and be willing to live a shabby and miserable life?
But Ji Chenfeng felt that his biological father had crossed the line. He believed that Sang Zhengbai had no right to interfere in his life, and he didn’t like the other party’s arbitrary style.
“Do you think Sang Nian will always live like this with you? I raised him, so I know his character well? In less than three years, when he has almost spent all the money on hand, and you don’t have enough money for him to squander, he will definitely leave you.” Sang Zhengbai said firmly.
It was completely an accident with Ji Chenfeng, so how does he know about things that I couldn’t predict myself?
And now I use the money very sparingly and even go to the vegetable market. Where is there such extravagance and arrogance as he said?
“That’s between him and me.” Ji Chenfeng seemed to have been stabbed in the back, and his voice suddenly turned cold. “I deeply sympathize with your experience. I am willing to get to know you and give you the opportunity to get to know me. But if you don’t want it, just leave my world and don’t disturb us.”
Hearing this, I shuddered unconsciously. Ji Chenfeng was really cruel when he said harsh words. Sang Zhengbai wanted to pinch him, but in the end I don’t know who was being pinched.
“I’m your biological father and you’re talking to me like this?”
This identity did raise some concerns for Ji Chenfeng and made him pause for a moment. However, after accumulating strength, it became even more powerful.
“I already have a very good father, and I don’t need another one. I hope you can understand.”
What an ultimate kill, so cruel. I really want to see Sang Zhengbai’s expression at this time, it must be very exciting.
Not long after, the door of the private box was pushed open and Ji Chenfeng walked out. Following behind was the sound of breaking porcelain in the box.
“Let’s go.” Ji Chenfeng walked straight out of the teahouse door without even moving an eyebrow.
Glancing at the box that was still emitting angry curses, I felt a bit scared in my heart. Thank God I didn’t fall for this old fox’s tricks. If I really wanted to take his money, I didn’t know how he would arrange it for me in front of Ji Chenfeng.
Taking a taxi back home, it was already ten o’clock when we arrived. Ji Chenfeng cooked egg noodles and gave me a bowl for breakfast.
While eating, he suddenly said: “He is not a good father.”
I was stunned for a moment before quickly realizing who he was talking about, then nodded in agreement: “He is indeed not a good father. It seems that he didn’t want to have children back then, but my mother wanted…”
I immediately shut up. It’s not my mother, it’s Ji Chenfeng’s mother. I spoke so smoothly as if it was my own business.
Back then, Sang Zhengbai actually didn’t care whether he had a child or not, but Xu Wanyi wanted it, so he let her do it. Unexpectedly, this child took away Xu Wanyi’s young life.
Thinking about it from a different perspective, if Ji Chenfeng gave birth to a child for me, but died during childbirth, leaving the child with me… just thinking about it makes me go crazy, I might be even worse than Sang Zhengbai.
I quietly looked at Ji Chenfeng’s face and saw that he didn’t react much, so I quickly changed the subject: “You really don’t want to inherit the Sang family’s business? That’s a lot of money.”
Eating noodles, he asked without raising his head: “Do you want me to go back?”
The fan on my head was blowing with a squeaking sound, bringing only a limited amount of coolness.
“I want you to be happy.”
“I’m happy right now.”
Holding my chin with both hands and propping my elbows on the low table, I couldn’t help but smile: “If you are happy, I will be happy.”
He looked up and asked in a very ordinary and natural tone: “Isn’t money important anymore?”
I’m sure he didn’t mean to ridicule me or settle old accounts. He just… wanted to confirm my current thoughts.
“Not as important as you,” I said. “Nothing is more important than you.”
A slight smile appeared in his eyes, but before the smile became more obvious, he lowered his eyes.
“Do you still want to eat?” He asked.
There were still less than half of the noodles left in my bowl, and I couldn’t eat any more, so I said, “I’m full.”
Upon hearing this, Ji Chenfeng directly took the bowl and finished the small bowl of noodles.
Ji Chenfeng worked a day shift and a night shift, and also experienced a ridiculous kidnapping. After eating the noodles, he took a shower and went back to the bedroom to sleep.
I took a look at the income disclosed by private equity this week and compared it with the earnings I made. It is a bit higher, and it is not impossible to catch up.
It just so happens that the other party is investing in a FOF(fund of funds), and I can barely be considered the same, so let’s compare everyone’s vision on fund selections.
Sang Zhengbai said a lot of nonsense today, but only one sentence was half correct. With my ability, I will never spend my whole life in a slum. Without relying on the Sang family, I can still achieve extraordinary things.
Gently pushing the door open, the bedroom was slightly dim with curtains drawn. Ji Chenfeng lay on his side of the bed, and sure enough, he indeed didn’t take off the cochlear implant.
Closing the door, my fingers landed on his earlobe, trying to remove the device for him, but he woke up at this moment.
“Don’t touch it.” He avoided my fingers, feeling so sleepy that he could hardly open his mouth.
“It’s not comfortable to sleep like this.”
“Don’t touch…” He closed his eyes and just murmured unconsciously.
“I’ll call you if there’s anything urgent.” I said softly, and my fingers fell on his ear again. This time, I successfully removed the cochlear implant.
I put the device on the table, dragged the chair over, and sat beside his bed, supporting my head and elbows on the desk, just looking at him for a long time.
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