In every parent's eyes, their own child is the best. They can scold or hit them behind closed doors all they want, but if someone else dares point a finger and curse their kid, even if they manage to swallow the insult, they will still hold a deep grudge.
Jing Shu wasn't worried about being hated by this family. Her main goal here was to settle the supply issue once and for all. If she followed Li Yuetian's idea and went in guns blazing—accusing Wu City's top authority right to his face—the outcome would be obvious to everyone. With Jin Tianci's temper, sure, he would probably make Jin Baba apologize on the spot, maybe even to everyone else, and return all the stolen goods. But then what happens after that?
Letting a dying man scold Jin Baba once and calling it done would be letting the bastard off too easy. More importantly, why should she be the one doing all the heavy lifting for nothing? Jing Shu never did business that didn't pay off in the end. And from her earlier observations of the room, it was pretty clear Jin Baba's spoiled personality had everything to do with Madam Jin's overindulgence.
If she exposed Jin Baba's dirty deeds right here, in front of his parents and total strangers, the fallout could be serious. It might even send the just-awakened father back into a coma—or worse. Even if the family was already disappointed in Jin Baba, as long as there was the faintest hope, parents never truly gave up on their child. That's why, when it came to talking, Jing Shu believed it was an art form to be mastered.
Li Yuetian's brow furrowed. Something about Jing Shu's tone felt off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. What was she up to now? Instead of demanding the supplies back, she was showering Jin Baba with praise. Was she being sarcastic, or was there a deeper game?
Jin Tianci's pale, frail face showed a flicker of genuine surprise. He looked doubtful, his eyes searching his son, but Madam Jin's eyes lit up as she grabbed her son's hand. She asked excitedly if everyone was really saying such good things about him.
"Uh… uh…" Jin Baba froze for a second, his brain scrambling to keep up. Then he smirked in satisfaction. "Well, what do you know? This chick has got brains," he thought. At least she knows how to play nice. Not like those fools who kept coming to complain last time, pissing Dad off so bad his condition worsened. Mom even wrote a letter to have one of them transferred out. Things have been quiet ever since then.
"Of course it's true, Mom, stop asking already," he muttered. He sounded a bit impatient but there was a flicker of guilt in his eyes.
"Cough, cough." Jin Tianci weakly coughed into a silk handkerchief, then motioned for the nurses to help him sit up. Adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, he turned his gaze to the middle-aged man standing beside him. "Jun Jia, is that true?"
The fat man instantly broke out in a cold sweat that matted his hair. He glanced at Jing Shu's smiling face. There was something devilish about that smile. Then he looked at his sister, who was beaming proudly at her son. Finally, he looked at his brother-in-law, whose frail expression carried a mix of disappointment and desperate hope; the kind of man just trying to settle his family affairs before dying.
If he shattered this fragile illusion now, wouldn't he die a horrible death later? His nephew would hate him, his sister would hate him, and even his brother-in-law might blame him for not keeping the kid in line. He cursed this little witch in his mind. Her flattery was a trap, and he had fallen right into it. He would remember this.
Jin Tianci wouldn't bother to verify something so small. They were just supplies. And if worst came to worst, Jun Jia could always forge some numbers later in the books.
Forcing a wide grin, he nodded. "It's true, brother-in-law. Baba has been great these past few days, helping me collect plenty of supplies for the city. Thanks to him, Wu City can hang on for a while longer."
Jin Tianci let out a weak sigh of relief and nodded his approval. "Baba, you have finally grown up. I hope from now on you will carve your own path and stop repeating past mistakes."
Madam Jin's eyes shimmered with tears as she nodded along, looking deeply moved by the sentiment.
Jin Baba lowered his head, and a strange glint flashed through his eyes. Being acknowledged by his father for the first time in his life felt… weirdly nice. His father had always treated him more like a subordinate than a son; there were only orders and criticism, never praise.
Sure, Jin Tianci always sounded gentle and polite, but that warmth was universal, like central heating. He was equally kind to everyone he met. At home, however, his word was law. No one ever dared talk back to him. And with him constantly busy and upright while his mother only cared about luxury and social climbing, Jin Baba had always felt like he didn't matter in this house.
But this was the apocalypse. Wasn't it time to start looking out for himself? His mother had spent a fortune and pulled countless strings just to keep his father alive. Wouldn't it make sense to stash away whatever he could while the old man still had power? Once he died, they would lose everything.
"Good thing I have already hoarded plenty," he thought smugly to himself.
Just when it seemed like this would end as a touching family moment, Jin Tianci nodded once more. "Jun Jia, show me the records of that squad and the sponsored supplies, along with the transactions for the weapons they exchanged. I want to see which squad overfulfilled their quota. For the next few months, they won't have to submit new ones. This kind of dedication deserves recognition. Record a merit for them."
He paused to catch his breath, the rattling in his chest audible. Then he continued, "And publish it as an official example for the other squads to see. If every merchant were this diligent, Wu City would definitely survive this disaster."
Jin Baba's smile froze on his face. Jun Jia's entire body stiffened like a broken machine. For a moment, the hall was so silent that a pin drop would have echoed off the redwood walls. Let's see how they talk their way out of this one.
They were in deep trouble now. Cold sweat poured down Jun Jia's face in rivulets. There were no ledgers, no transaction records; hell, there weren't even five times the supplies! Everything was sitting in his and Jin Baba's private storage units. Where were they supposed to pull the data from now? Worse, the people under them knew exactly where the supplies went. Everyone did. If they tried to issue commendations, who would get the credit? Who would get rewarded? Who would they make the example?
If this went public, he and his nephew were completely screwed.
"Sis, brother-in-law…" Jun Jia wiped his sweat nervously. He needed to stall, to buy time, or something.
Jin Tianci coughed again, then said, "Vice President Jing, Lao Zhou, please wait here for a bit. I need to use the restroom. Jun Jia, I expect those records ready when I get back." Madam Jin quickly helped him up from the bed and led him away toward the back rooms.
He was a man of his word, through and through.
Once the maids stepped back and the doors closed, the hall fell into a heavy, suffocating silence. Only Jing Shu, Zhou Bapi, Li Yuetian, Jin Baba, and Jun Jia remained in the grand space.
Finally, the fat man snapped out of his trance and jabbed a trembling finger at Jing Shu. "What the hell did you mean by what you said just now?"
Li Yuetian cleared his throat, his voice steady. "The supplies you took yesterday from the capital's shipment belong to Vice President Jing."
The words hit the room like a sudden thunderclap. Even Jin Baba, slow as he was to catch on, finally realized what was going on here. So this was her plan all along; it was an open, perfectly executed trap.