"Dad, did you call me back today for something?"
Upon entering his father's study, Shen Siyi behaved as obediently as possible.
Shen Anhe lifted his eyelids from behind his reading glasses to look at him and asked, "Did you know that I asked Siqi to discuss a collaboration with Ruiye today?"
"I didn't know beforehand, but I found out afterward," Shen Siyi replied.
Shen Anhe's face instantly darkened as he took off his glasses, "Are you saying that Siqi didn't even give you a call to notify you before he went?"
Shen Siyi nodded, "No."
"Bullshit!" Shen Anhe suddenly erupted in anger, "Kneel down for your father!"
Shen Siyi froze, bewildered, "Dad, what did I say?"
"Kneel down!" Shen Anhe commanded fiercely.
Shen Siyi pursed his lips, feeling wronged as he knelt in front of his father.
"Let me ask you, which company in the world would go to discuss a collaboration without making a preliminary phone call for communication? And besides, Siqi is your family!
Your elder brother and our Qianshan Group were insulted, not worth a dime; your father gave face to you and didn't trouble Xiao Ming, instead calling you back first to ask about the situation.
And I didn't expect you to start off by lying!
You... you rascal, do you still consider yourself part of the Shen Family? Do you even have your father in your eyes?"
Shen Siyi was at a loss for words.
He could never have anticipated that his father's point of contention would be this, and he had no clue what explanation would be appropriate at the moment.
Because, logically speaking, discussing a collaboration should indeed involve preliminary communication over the phone; nobody would be foolish enough to show up unannounced.
Yet, that was exactly what Shen Siqi had done!
Shen Siyi was extremely aggrieved. He took a deep breath and said, "Dad, I swear on my character that Shen Siqi absolutely did not call me beforehand.
Moreover, Ming wasn't unreasonably humiliating him; it was him..."
"How much is your character worth?" Shen Anhe interrupted coldly, "You've only been good at playing with cats and teasing dogs since you were a child; do you even have any character left?"
Seeing that his father was completely unwilling to listen to his explanation, Shen Siyi could not hold back any longer. He suddenly stood up, gritted his teeth, and asked, "Dad, is it because my elder brother was obedient as a child that in your eyes he can do no wrong, even when he is wrong?
And because I was once idle and useless, now that I've changed, to you, I'm still worthless?"
"That's right! If you weren't my own son, I would have beaten you to death with a stick a long time ago!"
Shen Siyi was deeply shaken, looking at his father in disbelief.
After a long while, the confusion and grievance in his eyes slowly faded, turning into a coldness born of despair. He took a USB drive out of his pocket and placed it on Shen Anhe's desk.
"The real truth of the matter is in here; you'll know once you've watched it.
Of course, you can also choose not to watch. After all, the elder brother is perfect in your eyes, wrong is right, it doesn't really matter.
As for the collaboration you wanted with Ruiye, I know you wanted to help me, but believe it or not, that piece of land is not a burden to us. On the contrary, it's a starting point for us to soar.
Therefore, I'm sorry, but we refuse to collaborate.
Finally, I would like to remind you seriously, if it weren't for me, Xiao Ming wouldn't even bother to look at Qianshan Group. The people he associates with are of the caliber of Zhou Jicang and Duan Hongqing.
If you insist on retaliating for Shen Siqi, then you'll have to bear all the consequences yourself.
That's it. I have an appointment to meet someone for drinks later, goodbye."
With that, Shen Siyi turned and left, so infuriating Shen Anhe that he jumped up in a rage and only calmed down slightly after violently smashing a water glass.
Settling back into his chair, he stared at the USB drive for a long time, finally deciding to pick it up, plug it into the computer, and click play.
Upon seeing Shen Siqi's secretary shouting at the reception, and splashing the receptionist with water, Shen Anhe immediately understood that he had really wronged his younger son today.
It was clear that if Shen Siqi had indeed made a preliminary phone call, the receptionist would not have refused entry, and Shen Siqi's secretary wouldn't have stressed the 'great honor' so emphatically.
Subconsciously picking up his phone, Shen Anhe had already pulled up his younger son's number, but after a moment's hesitation, he dialed his elder son's instead.
"No matter what you're doing, get your ass home right now!"
This is the most common, and also the most typical, of traditional parents.
It's not that they don't love their children; it's just that they're used to being tough. Even if they know they're wrong, even if inside they feel they shouldn't, they would never apologize to their children, nor would they refrain from saying hurtful words when they're angry.
Because they don't see it as a big deal. If the child resents their parents because of it, they're considered immature, incapable of appreciating their parents' good intentions.
Parents are the absolute authority, and children must obey unconditionally.
However, they overlook an even more important fact—the child is an individual with their own independent thoughts, not a pet that they raised, nor can they be their parents' appendages for life.
One day, when the cracks accumulate into barriers, even blood relations will grow thin.
Of course, when that time comes, they won't have regrets, at least not outwardly; they might even curse their children for being unfilial.
There's nothing more absurd and laughable than this kind of familial relationship, yet it happens all the time, everywhere.
That evening, just as Xiao Ming was putting a piece of fish onto Jiang Xue's bowl, Shen Siyi's call to have drinks came.
He smiled knowingly and asked, "Just left home?"
"Yeah." Shen Siyi's voice was muffled, completely lacking the firmness he had the last time he spoke with his father.
"Hate your dad?" Xiao Ming asked again.
Shen Siyi was silent for a moment before saying, "It's not so much hate; more like a bit of resentment.
After all, he raised me with his own hands. He provided for my food, my drinks, and even supported my debauchery. I owe him quite a lot; I have no place to hate."
"You're right to think like that."
Xiao Ming said with relief, "Parents are inherently beings whom you'll miss when they're not around, but when you see them, they make you desperately want to run away.
Now that you're an adult, you no longer live under the same roof as them, so you don't have to get their understanding by necessity.
So, let them think what they want, and you do what you need to do. As long as you know you're filial and guilt-free, that's enough."
Shen Siyi was quiet again for a while before he said with a sigh, "Ming, if only you were my real brother, that would be great!"
Xiao Ming immediately remembered Duan Hongqing's words—"If only you were my son"—and couldn't help but laugh and scold, "And then you'd be satisfied being a debauchee with a clear conscience? Dream on!
Don't run around late at night; want to drink? Just call Dachuan, Jun, and the others for a happy time. Not in the mood? Then roll back home and sleep.
I still have a wife and father-in-law to attend to, I don't have time to worry about you."
Shen Siyi laughed, "Sometimes, I really envy your life, Ming.
By the way, your sister-in-law is so outstanding, she must have good judgment too. Ask her to introduce a girlfriend to her younger brother sometime!"
"Find your sister-in-law yourself, you know her. I don't have the spare time to worry about you," Xiao Ming said and impatiently hung up the phone.
"What's up with Siyi?" Jiang Xue asked.
"What else but the usual 'My dad doesn't understand me' thing? It's his own fault for always acting like a wastrel.
It's like since I was a jerk before, now I have to bust my ass to serve you well, frankly, it serves him right."
Jiang Xue's eyebrows lifted, "What does that mean? If you weren't a jerk before, you wouldn't be treating me this well now, is that it?"
"Uh... Come on, Dad, let's you and I have one," he said, dodging the question and turning to drink with his father.
Watching her husband feign stupidity to drink with her father, Jiang Xue's lips curved into a slight smile, thinking to herself: Upon reflection, the days when her husband was a scoundrel were hard, but maybe they weren't such a bad thing for their life now.
With Xiao Ming's consolation, Shen Siyi untied the knots in his heart, but the next morning Wang Lijun wasn't so lucky.
Because of overnight transporting all the cars out of the exhibition hall, his dad's temper flared, and he almost beat him into a pig's head.