Chapter 8: There Are No Wrongdoing Parents in the World

Chapter 8: There Are No Wrongdoing Parents in the World

A group of people surrounded Shenchi, and Zhang Pizi, who was kneeling on the ground, reached for his back waist. Suddenly, he grabbed a hard object and lunged at Shenchi!

It was as if Shenchi had been watching him all along; he immediately kicked out with his leg, using his foot to kick away the attacker's stun baton. At the same time, he whipped Shen Tian with a belt and punched another person rushing towards him.

Another lash of the belt, and Shen Tian cried out in pain. No one knew how Shenchi had gotten hold of a knife, but there was a short, sharp sound of metal scraping against metal as the knife sliced along another fruit knife. He then twisted his hand, and just as it seemed the wrist would be cut, the man let go in fear, and the fruit knife fell to the ground.

As this happened repeatedly, everyone noticed that every time Shenchi took down someone, he would turn around and whip Shen Tian again. They understood that he was deliberately humiliating Shen Tian.

Shen Tian had grown up being praised by others, proud and very concerned about his reputation. How could he bear to be beaten by a lowly person he had bullied since childhood, showing his humiliation in front of everyone? He scrambled to get away, crawling towards the house on all fours.

Shenchi lifted his foot and stepped on the hem of Shen Tian's pants.

Shen Tian's body stiffened. He swore that if he had a gun at that moment, he would have shot Shenchi!

Shenchi looked at the hatred mixed with disgust in Shen Tian's eyes and suddenly remembered the man standing beside Shen Tian after the apocalypse, full of a corrupting presence.

Looking at his cousin cowering on the ground, he suddenly wondered if Shen Tian's journey through the apocalypse would still be so pleasant without the benefits he had taken from him.

Shenchi slowly curled his lips into a smile. He intended to kill them, but not quickly. Shen Tian, Jiang Zhendong, the doctor—none of them would escape.

Shenchi turned around. The few remaining people backed off cautiously. Shenchi threw the belt on the ground and said indifferently, "I'll come back for you," before leaving.

The sky outside had already darkened. Huang Mao watched the figure disappear from sight and opened his mouth in disbelief. "Was that Shenchi? How could he have changed so much in just a few days!?"

No one answered his question. In fact, everyone present had the same doubt.

Zhang Pizi, driven by some inexplicable impulse, picked up the belt. Seeing Shen Tian still kneeling, he reached out to help him up, but Shen Tian pushed him away.

Shen Tian staggered as he got up, snatched the belt from the man's hand, and threw it towards the door. "Shenchi, you wait and see!!"

Whether from pain or anger, Shen Tian's voice carried a hint of crying.

Zhang Pizi also felt humiliated and was furious. But when he saw Shen Tian's red-rimmed eyes and flushed lips, looking as if he had suffered a great injustice, his lower abdomen tightened, and he said, "To be honest, Xiao Tian, you look really sexy right now."

Shen Tian's face instantly turned livid. He yanked off the tie hanging around his neck and yelled hoarsely, "Get lost!!!!!!!!!"

Six days later, Shenchi obtained the new property deed and completed the property transfer and payment of the remaining balance. After receiving the keys, he contacted the previously arranged renovation team.

He kept the overall layout unchanged, only replacing the lock core of the top-grade security door. He converted the large study into a gym, removed the useless bookshelves, added some fitness equipment, installed a water purifier, and replaced all the windows with thick, light-blocking curtains. Additionally, he installed a miniature camera outside the door.

Most of the furniture and appliances were left behind by the original owner, who was emigrating, so Shenchi did not replace or add anything else.

The renovations took three whole days. On the last day, the contractor invited Shenchi over to inspect the work. Finding no issues, they finished the job.

The house was filled with construction debris. Shenchi inspected everything and then called a cleaning company to send hourly cleaners to thoroughly clean the place.

One afternoon was not enough, so Shenchi took advantage of the cleaners' work to go to the supermarket and buy various household items. He stored these in his space, planning not to use them until he left the city.

He spent the entire afternoon buying miscellaneous items, even though he didn't fuss over them and simply grabbed what he needed.

When Shenchi returned to Huayuan New Mansion, it was already dinner time. The cleaners had disposed of the debris and done a basic cleaning. Shenchi piled all the items in one area and asked them to come back the next day. He then went downstairs to bring up the remaining items.

With so many things at home, fewer people knowing about them was better.

He chose to walk instead of taking the elevator, as carrying the goods was also a good way to build physical strength.

The new house was not yet habitable, so Shenchi drove back to his rental apartment after moving the items.

The rental apartment was located in the outskirts of the city, where the roads were narrow, allowing only one car to pass. The houses on both sides were old buildings from forty years ago. As Shenchi drove closer to his apartment, he noticed several elderly women gathered outside his door. What made him frown was that the apartment door was wide open.

The sound of the car drew the attention of the women, who started pointing and talking among themselves, shouting something inside.

Shenchi gripped the steering wheel tightly. Soon, a fifty-year-old woman with her sleeves rolled up came out. She looked haggard, with gray hair and wrinkles, her skin the typical sallow complexion of a rural dweller, making her appear older than her actual age.

Shenchi stared straight at the woman. As she approached the car and started pounding on the window, her face merged with the distorted image in his memory, causing the color to drain from his face.

Shenchi sat motionless in the car. After a while, the woman grew impatient and began slamming her fist against the window. However, she hesitated and gently touched the glass with her rough hands.

Seeing this, Shenchi sneered.

Shenchi opened the car door and got out. The woman scrutinized him, and her initially smiling face turned angry upon seeing him well-dressed beside the car. She pointed at Shenchi and scolded, "Shenchi, how could you do such a thing?! Why did you ruin Xiao Tian's project funds? Did your father and I ever deprive you of food or drink? Yes, we couldn't give you a rich life, but you shouldn't steal your brother's business! You're brothers, how could you plot against him like this and beat him up so badly? How could you be so vicious!"

Shenchi sneered. He had guessed that his parents would come after seeing Shen Tian beaten up and that the proud Shen Tian wouldn't tell anyone he was beaten by his despised cousin.

But the phrase "brothers" was something Shenchi didn't accept. "Who is brothers with whom?"

The woman was taken aback by the question. As she spoke, an old man in his sixties, leaning on a cane, emerged from the apartment. He stood beside the woman, and Shenchi's eyes turned to him, his expression grim. Feeling disrespected, the man swung his cane fiercely at Shenchi. "Ungrateful brat! I raised you for nothing!"

The woman regained her composure and became even more enraged. "Are cousins not brothers? Your uncle died saving your father. We pampered him because he lost his father at a young age. How could you bully him and take his business? How could you have him beaten up so badly?"

The woman's scolding turned to tears as she thought of her nephew with his arm in a cast. She wiped her nose and tried to grab Shenchi.

Shenchi's hometown dialect was similar to that of Jiu Zhou City, and he could understand most of it. The crowd gathered, drawn by the commotion. Hearing the woman's words and comparing their appearances, they saw the old couple as simple laborers with calloused hands, while Shenchi appeared refined and well-groomed, clearly someone who had never done manual labor.

Immediately, everyone began to point fingers at Shenchi, forming a complete family drama in their minds.

Some of the older generation didn't care about the car; to them, having a car meant wealth.

"Hmph, if I had a son like that, I'd beat him too!" someone in the crowd exclaimed.

Shen Jianjun swung his cane even more confidently.

However, the expected scene of a father punishing his son did not unfold. Shenchi nimbly dodged the cane, and Shen Aihua's attempts completely missed him.

Shenchi's evasion was entirely unexpected for Shen Jianjun. This action felt like a direct challenge to his authority, as if Shenchi didn't regard him, the head of the family, at all. This infuriated him, making him wish he could tie Shenchi up and give him a good beating right then.

Shenchi naturally guessed what the other was thinking. In fact, such incidents had happened before. But now... A fierce glint flashed in Shenchi's eyes as he raised his hand to catch the swinging cane. "Didn't we sever our parent-child relationship? So, you still want to hit me?"

Shen Jianjun glared at him with rage: "Brat, what did you say?!"

"If you accuse me of stealing or robbing something from your Xiao Tian, show some evidence." Shenchi pushed him away mockingly. "I'll give him a chance to confront me face-to-face."

Shen Aihua roared, "You traitor! Isn't it because of that incident with Boss Wang that you're deliberately causing trouble for Xiao Tian? How devious can you be? It was just a dinner to discuss business with his boss, and Xiao Tian is in the prime of his career..."

"Enough!" Shenchi interrupted coldly.

"What are you shouting for?! I'm telling you, today, if you don't hand over Xiao Tian's money, this matter won't end!!" Shen Aihua reached out to push him but couldn't even touch the hem of Shenchi's clothes.

Shen Jianjun, beside him, stomped his cane in anger, while Shen Aihua burst into tears again. She sat down on the ground and began wailing, "Heartless brat! The little beast stole his brother's money and lived well in the city, even hiring thugs who beat my Xiao Tian so badly that he couldn't eat or drink and lay in bed all day. Poor Xiao Tian still cares about the little beast and doesn't want to report it to the police. They're all beasts! My poor Xiao Tian..."

Shen Aihua cried harder, genuinely heartbroken, her words filled with blame for her biological son and sympathy for her nephew.

Some people in the crowd sensed something amiss. How many parents don't favor their own children?

Why would someone side with their nephew over their own son?

"Hey, isn't it strange how they protect their nephew so much and treat their biological son like an enemy?"

"How selfless these parents are."

"Could it be that the children were switched at birth, like in TV dramas?"

"You know, looking closely, this child doesn't really resemble his parents."

"What nonsense are you spouting?! He's my flesh and blood, born from my womb!" Shen Aihua angrily retorted at those spreading rumors. "I'm his mother! Am I wrong?!"

Shenchi had never doubted whether he was their biological son. Twenty years ago, Shen Aihua's brother died after falling from the seventh floor onto concrete while saving Shen Jianjun, who had been impaled by a bamboo stick and required several blood transfusions from Shenchi due to excessive blood loss.

For direct relatives to donate blood, besides matching blood types and no contraindications, the donor's blood must be irradiated with γ-rays to kill most white blood cells before use. Therefore, Shenchi being the biological son of the Shens was a certainty.

This was also why he had always defended them, believing that parents are always right.

Shenchi closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were bloodshot. He stared intently at the Shens, a suspicion forming in his mind.

He said, "Aren't you here because Xiao Tian incited you to ask for money? Come inside and talk."

Shen Jianjun wanted to berate him but was startled by the redness in his son's eyes, realizing that the son he hadn't seen in days had become a stranger.

Shen Aihua wanted to continue crying, but Shen Jianjun nudged her. Shenchi ignored their antics and walked straight into the rental house.