Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Shen Muyun tossed and turned in bed, wondering if the day's intense events were keeping him awake. Yet, he couldn't shake the thought that those people were ultimately a disadvantaged, pitiable group. Were their complaints truly unreasonable, or had the Shen Group genuinely fallen short? Pondering this, he picked up his phone, glanced at his pinned contacts, and impulsively sent a message.

"Brother, something about today feels off. I want to go back and check."

The phone remained silent for a long while. Shen Muyun tossed it aside, rolled over, but sleep still eluded him. A heavy weight pressed on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

"Muyun, I've sent their address to your phone. You can go, but be careful. How about this—I'll send a few bodyguards with you. You saw it yourself; these people aren't easy to handle. I wouldn't be at ease if you went alone and ran into a group."

Shen Muyun considered the message. "Brother, I'll go alone. Extremists are a minority, after all. If this gets exposed, it won't do the Shen Group any good."

Shen Liuyun sighed, looking at the message on his phone, then at Shen Wenjin's medical report on his desk. He rested his head in his hands, eyes downcast. "Alright, just be safe."

Finally, Shen Muyun drifted off, though his sleep was restless. Bizarre dreams haunted him—one moment in ancient times, the next in the modern era. The only constant was a hazy, indistinct figure, seemingly a man, whose murmurs echoed in his ears, distant and unclear.

By the time Shen Muyun fully awoke, it was bright morning. The weather outside was unpleasant, with strong winds rustling the leaves relentlessly. The bay window, blown open at some point, clattered noisily. He realized the train sounds in his dream were likely just the wind—reality seeping into his subconscious.

After getting ready, Shen Muyun went downstairs and saw Shen Wenjin, just as he had been the day before, sitting quietly and peacefully, reading a newspaper.

"Father, good morning."

Hearing his voice, Shen Wenjin set the newspaper aside and waved him over. "Muyun, come sit for a bit."

Shen Muyun was puzzled but quickly took a seat beside Shen Wenjin.

"Muyun, there's something I want to discuss with you. I spoke with Liuyun late into the night yesterday and thought of a few things."

Shen Muyun felt a pang of unease. He had never seen Shen Wenjin so calm and composed. He still remembered Shen Wenjin's stern demeanor on the yacht, almost as if he were disappointed in him.

"My return this time is actually related to my health. The future of the Shen Group requires you and your brother to work together."

Shen Muyun was startled by Shen Wenjin's words. This wasn't right—according to the original storyline, Shen Liuyun was the heir. If Shen Wenjin made such arrangements, it would inevitably cause conflict between them. "Father, I don't want to compete with Big Brother."

Shen Wenjin paused, looked at Shen Muyun, and patted his shoulder. "Let's take our time with this. Don't pressure yourself too much. Think more about what you truly want to do in the future."

Shen Muyun nodded. "Well, Father, I need to go handle some outstanding company business today. It's about time."

Shen Wenjin waved him off, and Shen Muyun, understanding the unspoken dismissal, stood up and waved back. "Father, I'm heading out."

Shen Muyun straightened his clothes and left without looking back. This was insane—the world's storyline was going crazy, becoming increasingly uncontrollable.

"System, why do you think Shen Wenjin suddenly changed his attitude toward me?"

"Respected Host Master, this question is quite profound. As a system, my analytical capabilities are limited, but I believe it might be a test."

Shen Muyun gripped the steering wheel tightly. That made sense—Shen Wenjin was an old fox, but he wouldn't gamble with the future of the Shen Group.

"System, I think there's something fishy about this. Go investigate and see what's really going on."

"Bingo, respected Host Master. I'll look into it right away. Drive safely."

The system vanished into thin air. Shen Muyun considered several possibilities—perhaps his recent good performance had drawn attention, or maybe Shen Liuyun had put in a good word for him. Still, it was best to wait for the system's feedback.

With the system gone, things grew quieter. Shen Muyun began thinking about the relocation site. Perhaps this investigation would indeed uncover something significant.

When Shen Muyun arrived at the demolition relocation site, he realized the environment was exceptionally harsh.

A pungent odor hung in the air, and the nearby river had taken on a strange pink hue, likely due to the chemical plant.

Further ahead, what seemed to be a market emitted a nauseating mix of rotting vegetables and fish.

Shen Muyun recalled the relevant information Secretary Chen had provided. These people had relocated here five years ago, the chemical plant was built last year, and 70% of the residents had already moved into the relocation housing. Only 30% remained, stubbornly holding on.

Shen Muyun looked around. There weren't many people on the streets, and those who were there moved hurriedly. Though it was autumn, the temperature had suddenly risen, making it feel humid and sticky after just a few steps. The cloying smell in the air made people cover their noses repeatedly.

A few yellow-haired youths suddenly appeared ahead, blocking the road. Shen Muyun initially wanted to avoid trouble but found himself cornered.

"Hey, hey, you there! Know the rules of the road? This path has a toll."

Shen Muyun was confused and looked around. "Are you mistaken? Since when does this road have a toll?"

The yellow-haired youths surrounded him. One of them held a knife and lightly tapped it against Shen Muyun's face. "Kid, you look soft-skinned and tender. Not from around here, are you?"

Another laughed eerily. "Hahaha, look at him! He looks like he's here for a date. A rent boy? Or something else? How much an hour, brothers? It's been a while since we've seen such a fresh face."

The smell on them made Shen Muyun uncomfortable, and he covered his nose, thinking of the best way to leave. Their words also unsettled him.

Shen Muyun's gaze cooled. This kind of place had no shortage of shady dealings. Were there gray industry chains here too? If they hadn't been uncovered yet, he'd have to investigate further.

Just as he was about to take action, he saw a middle-aged man approaching from afar, holding a palm-leaf fan.

"You idle loafers! What are you trying to do? This is my shop's entrance. Don't ruin my business here! Scram!"

Shen Muyun turned to look. The man was middle-aged, walking unsteadily toward them.

He reached the shop entrance, grabbed a broom, and began beating the thugs. "Who said you could bully people here? Aren't things hard enough already? Get lost!"

Seeing they wouldn't gain anything, the thugs spat at Shen Muyun, flipped him off, and cursed. "Pretty boy, just you wait. It's only a matter of time."

The fruit shop owner gestured threateningly at the yellow-haired youths until they finally ran off.

Shen Muyun glanced at the nearby fruit stall. The fresh lychees looked quite good.

"Boss, how much for these lychees?"

The boss waved his palm-leaf fan, looked at Shen Muyun, and pointed at a row of lychees. "The ones on the left are 15 yuan per jin, the ones on the right are 20 yuan. Young man, you're not from around here, are you? My fruit stall regulars."

Shen Muyun casually picked up a plastic bag and examined the lychees. The left ones were soaked in water, some already broken, with yellowed flesh attracting swarms of flies—utterly unhygienic. The right ones looked better, with red skins and no bugs. He randomly selected a few.

"Boss, does the chemical plant hire many people? I just interviewed there a few days ago and plan to start working soon."

The boss immediately stood up and grabbed Shen Muyun's wrist. "Young man, take my advice—don't work at that chemical plant. Look at the river nearby. See how polluted it is? That factory is always hiring, but people leave after a few days. I've heard some got leukemia, and even those who came out safely... well, there's one who lost his mind."

Shen Muyun's hand froze mid-air. He didn't know what to say. Wasn't it for survival that people chose such an environment?

"No other choice, Boss. Other places won't hire me. I have low education, little strength—can't work on construction sites. I tried KTVs but always got harassed by customers. Just now, they..."

The boss sized up Shen Muyun, taking in his soft-skinned appearance, and nodded as if it made sense.

"If you don't mind, you could work at my fruit stall for a few days. But this isn't a charity. At most a week—business isn't good, so I can't pay much."

Shen Muyun thought it over. It seemed like a decent opportunity to probe and see what was really happening here.

"Young man, do you have a place to stay?"

Shen Muyun shook his head. "If I don't work at the chemical plant, I have nowhere to stay. I don't have much money, and rent around here is expensive."

"That's fine, you can crash at the fruit shop. Remember to look for a proper job—this isn’t a long-term solution."

Shen Muyun agreed, surprised to have met such a kind man so soon after arriving.

"Alright, boss, I’ll go get my stuff together and come back."

The fruit shop owner waved his palm fan, signaling that he could leave.

Shen Muyun looked at the lychees in his hand. "Boss, how much for these?"

"Don't worry about it, they're on the house."

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Shen Muyun took a few lychees out of the plastic bag, but the boss immediately put them back in.

"Once they’ve been touched, they’re hard to sell. See the ones on the left? They’ve been handled and no one wants them anymore."

Shen Muyun was skeptical but took it as the boss’s kindness and accepted them.

After leaving the stall, Shen Muyun walked further away. It seemed as though yesterday’s incident had no impact on their lives.

A little further ahead was a tiny, rather dingy supermarket, with goods displayed outside. Who knows if it even had a license. Jars on the glass counter were filled with colorful candies and lollipops, and there were small toys inside the display case, suggesting that children frequented the place.

Shen Muyun lifted the curtain at the entrance, making a swishing sound.

"Hello, welcome! Is there anything you need?"

Shen Muyun glanced at the shelves. "Just browsing, thanks."

He walked over to the daily necessities aisle and for a moment, it felt as if he were back in his own world, like the small store downstairs from his home.

The shelves were packed full, and goods were also stacked on the floor, leaving only a narrow path. He picked up a few items casually. "Ma'am, ready to check out!"

"Ma'am, how long have you been here?"

"This should be my fifth year. But there are fewer and fewer people around. Say, are those lychees from the fruit stall up ahead?"

Shen Muyun nodded. "Yes, I bought them there."

"That’s my husband. I haven’t seen you before—are you new at the chemical plant?"

Shen Muyun nodded again. "Yeah, I just got hired, but after hearing what the boss said, I decided to pass on the job. I’ll keep looking."

"Alright, that’ll be 34 yuan. Cash or Alipay?"

Shen Muyun took out his phone and scanned the code.

"Alipay received 34 yuan."

"Ma'am, do you know if anyone gave the Shen family trouble yesterday?"

The shop owner sighed. "Don't I know it! Those people are my neighbors. They didn’t achieve anything and only screwed themselves over."

Shen Muyun pursed his lips, sizing up the situation here. He couldn’t tell whether the Shen family was intentionally hiding something or if someone was framing them.

"We told them not to be rash, but they let their emotions take over. Those capitalists are downright crooked—they sold the relocation housing as commercial property, leaving us high and dry. The only units left are the undesirable ones. What choice did we have?"

Shen Muyun let out a long sigh. "Ma'am, I've got other things to do, but the fruit shop owner said I could stay and help out there."

"Alright, you go ahead. You’re still young—keep at the job hunt. You’ll find something."