Chapter 7 Humiliation

Chapter 7 Humiliation

The two men were startled. Although the price wasn't unreasonable, based on what the staff member had described earlier, the other party was clearly a novice. They adjusted their price accordingly but didn't expect the other party to offer two million five hundred thousand directly.

This person obviously knew the market well.

"Young man, this price is too high, isn't it?" Mr. Zhang tried to negotiate: "You might not know, but in recent years, the situation for blue water jade has deteriorated significantly, and its market value has greatly diminished. It's hard to sell at this price now."

This was indeed true, but such high-quality and large-sized blue water jade still had considerable value just for its collectibility.

The owner of Fengyuan Jade Store also coveted this piece of jade very much. Unfortunately, he owed Mr. Zhang some favors and could only reluctantly let it go. He said to Shenchi, "How about we discuss the price further?"

Shenchi shook his head. The reason he came here was because he heard from the original buyer in his previous life when the apocalypse began. The atmosphere was heavy back then, and seeing someone attracted by his words, he recounted the entire story of how he discovered the jade humorously, which benefited the reborn Shenchi.

The price was naturally discussed as well. Two million five hundred thousand was not unreasonable. If he took it to an auction, the price could be twenty or thirty thousand higher, but that would attract too much attention and waste time.

The reason he chose to appraise the stone in the hall was twofold: first, he wasn't worried about missing out, and second, with everyone watching, he wasn't afraid of being unable to leave.

The two men exchanged glances and realized that the price wouldn't come down.

In the end, the ice seed blue water jadeite was bought by the jeweler surnamed Zhang.

For two million five hundred thousand dollars.

In the afternoon, Ah San had just seen off a customer when two more arrived. He was delighted and greeted them, only to hear them ask, "Where is the largest piece of green-skinned rough jade? The one in that corner."

Shenchi didn't wait for the jade auction to end; he flew to ShuShang City that afternoon. After reserving a highly safe SUV at a 4S store, he returned to Jiu Zhou City to buy a small car worth fifty to sixty thousand yuan. He spent some money to get a driver's license and then drove straight to the Huayuan New Mansion sales office.

Huayuan New Mansion was located relatively far away, with a vast construction area. Whether it was the apartment layouts, landscaping, recreational areas, fitness zones, or property management, everything was top-notch, making the housing prices quite high. Therefore, only wealthy locals could afford to live there.

Shenchi originally planned to buy a new house on installment, but there was a real estate agency next to the sales office. After a moment's thought, he turned into the agency and learned about a two-bedroom, two-bathroom second-hand apartment available for sale in Huayuan New Mansion.

The apartment was newly renovated, and since Huayuan New Mansion was recently built, the unit was also new. The asking price was higher than ordinary second-hand apartments but much cheaper than new units in Huayuan New Mansion. This saved him a significant amount of money and allowed him to move in sooner.

It was like having a pillow when you're sleepy.

Shenchi and the agent drove to Huayuan Road. The road was wide, and the green scenery on both sides quickly receded. Inside was Huayuan New Mansion.

The second-hand apartment was a two-unit layout, with neighbors across the hallway. The safety exit was on the opposite side, separated by a fire door.

The apartment was new and clean, with few signs of previous ownership. What satisfied him most was the study occupying an entire wall with a floor-to-ceiling window, spanning over forty square meters.

He confirmed his purchase intention on the spot and, that afternoon, went to the housing administration bureau with the seller to handle the transfer of ownership and sign the purchase agreement.

The new property certificate would take four working days. During this period, Shenchi woke up early every day to do weighted long-distance running, gradually increasing the distance from five kilometers to ten, fifteen, and twenty kilometers.

Then he did pull-ups on parallel bars, push-ups, sit-ups, leg stretches, splits, and waist twists for physical training, including strength training, coordination training, flexibility training, and combat techniques.

Afterward, he prepared various nutritious meals according to "Nutritional Guide for Pregnancy and Childbirth." When he returned from the hospital, he stopped by a bookstore and bought many books related to childcare.

Later, he drove around nearby cities, purchasing a substantial amount of medicines, gasoline, food, generators, batteries, flashlights, charcoal, outdoor equipment, mechanical tools, alcohol, milk powder, diapers, books...

And personal items, daily necessities, bedding, farming tools, children's toys...

Except for strictly controlled firearms and prescription drugs, he bought everything he could think of.

The reason Shenchi chose to buy these items in different cities was to avoid drawing too much attention. In each city, he never bought more than three of any item, especially medicines, grains, and quilts, to prevent being noticed.

His last stop was in Lulin County, Yuhui Province. It was already 5:30 PM, and the sky was slightly darkening.

Shenchi walked along the familiar yet unfamiliar streets, passing a row of osmanthus trees, and caught the scent of dinner mixed with osmanthus fragrance wafting from somewhere. It felt surreal to see himself a few days ago, reeking of alcohol, walking briskly ahead and pausing several times before raising his hand to knock on a door.

People in the small town ate dinner early, and at this hour, people were returning home for dinner. The residents had been neighbors for decades. Someone who recognized Shenchi saw him kick open the Shen family's door!

— "Bang!"

A heavy thud echoed behind the door as Shenchi withdrew his foot and looked down at the man in a suit sprawled on the ground.

"…Shenchi?" Shen Tian rubbed his nose, recovering from the intense pain, and saw Shenchi standing before him, his face turning livid.

He stood up, brushing off his suit pants, and looked at Shenchi with an indiscernible expression. Suddenly, he wasn't as angry anymore and even felt vindicated.

He calmly smoothed out the wrinkles in his suit and sneered, "Why do you have the nerve to come back? Not ashamed enough from last time, must you drive your parents to death—!"

Before he finished, Shenchi punched him in the face.

Shen Tian didn't expect Shenchi to dare hit him. The punch landed squarely on his cheek, sending him staggering backward. His tongue touched the back of his teeth, tasting blood!

"Damn, you're asking for it!" He spat out blood and swung a punch at Shenchi.

Shenchi dodged, swaying his upper body playfully, evading each successive punch.

Shen Tian's anger flared, shouting, "Shenchi, you bastard!" and charged again.

This time, Shenchi didn't dodge. He lifted his leg and kicked Shen Tian, sending him flying.

Shen Tian's lower back slammed into the edge of a table.

The impact made his eyes water immediately. He turned and fell onto the table, gritting his teeth in pain. As Shenchi approached, Shen Tian's forehead veins bulged, listening to the approaching footsteps. Suddenly, he swung a chair at Shenchi—

As if anticipating this move, Shenchi bent down, using his strong waist to twist 130 degrees and grabbed the chair.

Shen Tian didn't hesitate, abandoning the chair and stepping back to grab another one, swinging it at Shenchi's back.

Without looking back, Shenchi swung the chair in his hand—

With a loud "Bang!", both chairs broke apart.

Shen Tian was pushed back a few steps, with a wound on his right palm. Before he could feel the pain, he was struck on the back of his knee, causing his muscles to lose strength, and he fell to his knees without warning.

Shenchi crouched down, grasping the other person's neck, his apricot eyes narrowing slightly as he spoke his first words of the day: "We finally meet again."

Shen Tian didn't catch a word of what Shenchi said at all. He strained his neck and kept reaching out to pull and scratch at the hand that was suffocating him.

Shenchi gripped Shen Tian's neck, lifting him up, and increased the pressure of his five fingers to the point where applying just a little more force would have crushed his windpipe.

From the beginning, Shen Tian struggled, then struggled fiercely, and gradually lost strength, but Shenchi had no intention of letting him go. It wasn't until the other's eyes began to roll uncontrollably that Shenchi restrained himself and threw the person out.

When Shen Tian fell, his head hit the corner of the table. Before he could catch his breath, a flurry of stars danced before his eyes. Before he could recover, a cold hand suddenly reached for his neck and yanked off his tie.

Suddenly, Shen Tian's mind flashed back to the leering face of President Wang that night, and he felt an immediate wave of nausea. Struggling to retreat, he demanded, "What do you want to do?! What on earth do you want to do?!"

Shenchi twisted the assailant's scratched hand in a countermove, and while the assailant was in pain, he casually blindfolded him with his tie.

The sudden move made Shen Tian's reaction even more intense. He clutched his collar tightly, his long legs kicking fiercely, and he roared at the wall, "I'm telling you, I'm not interested in men! If you dare to touch me, I'll make you be the one getting it on with a man—Ugh!!"

Shenchi pressed Shen Tian's head against the wall repeatedly until his mouth finally fell silent. Only then did he grab his hair, forcing him to look up, and whispered close to his ear, "Do you believe me or not, I could find a group of beggars to gang up on you right now, making you rely on men for the rest of your life?"

As Shenchi closed his eyes, attempting to transport the person into the space, a sharp, bone-deep pain pierced through his forehead the very next moment!

Shenchi's eyes snapped open, and large beads of sweat rolled down from his temples. In the blink of an eye, his fitted shirt had become somewhat damp with sweat.

Suppressed, Shen Tian was utterly terrified by the ruthlessness in Shenchi's tone. He tried to push the other person away with his limp hands, still threatening with a facade of fierceness: "You... you wouldn't dare! Aren't you afraid that if your uncle and aunt find out, they'll kick you out?! Aren't you afraid that everyone in the county will know about that night, your colleagues, your parents, aaaaaaaaah!!!!!!"

The individuals hastily summoned to the entrance were startled by the sudden scream, causing them to hesitate involuntarily.

Someone asked, "Are you sure there are only Shen Tian and Shenchi inside?"

Witnessing Shenchi kick open the Shen family's door, the yellow-haired man, who was accustomed to Shen Tian's daily taunts, nodded and said, "I'm certain."

"Ha." The group sneered, once again confirming the weight of the iron rods in their hands before striding in with a menacing air.

In the dimly lit center of the house, a figure stood with his back to them, his head facing the door. The group unexpectedly found themselves staring into a pair of crimson eyes, causing their hearts to pound frantically in fear.

Shenchi raised the belt in his hand again and with a sudden "crack!" he lashed it onto Shen Tian's body.

Shen Tian let out a scream, while Shenchi didn't stop his actions, continuously lashing the belt towards him. The high-end suit on Shen Tian's body was torn into disarray, with the loose trousers held tightly in one hand, and the other hand shielding his face, constantly dodging the falling whip by twisting his body left and right.

The still dazed crowd, upon witnessing this scene, immediately blurted out a curse and charged forward with iron rods in hand!

Shenchi lashed out with a belt, striking the man at the forefront right in the back of his knee. The man collapsed with a thud, falling to his knees.

Shenchi sneered, "This gift is a bit too grand, don't you think?"