Chapter 74: I Am Not a Devil...
"Dad! Save me..."
Zheng Lili looked up from the floor, her face swollen and streaked with tears. When she saw the portly, pot-bellied figure of her father, Zheng Hongji, her eyes immediately filled with hope.
That was her father. A big shot in the jewelry industry of Modu. A billionaire who commanded respect. Her shield against the world.
Zheng Hongji looked down at his only daughter, kneeling on the cold mall floor, her cheeks red and swollen, covered in the stark imprint of handprints.
A look of intense heartache flashed in his eyes. No father wanted to see his child in such a state.
But then he looked at Shen Anyu. And his heart, which had been aching for his daughter, suddenly felt as heavy as lead, sinking into the pit of his stomach.
The young man stood there calmly, radiating an aura of absolute authority that made the air around him feel thin.
How? How did his foolish daughter manage to anger this one? Of all the people in Modu, of all the people in Yanxia, why him?
Seeing her father arrive, Zheng Lili mistook his silence for anger on her behalf. She immediately gained confidence, her voice shrill and demanding.
"Dad! I've been bullied! You must help me get revenge! This bastard pretty boy... he actually dared to have people hit me! He made me kneel!"
"You must help me get revenge on him! Make him pay the price! I want to make him regret being born!"
SLAP!
The sound was sharp, echoing through the silent corridor.
Zheng Lili's hateful words were cut short as a heavy hand landed on her face, snapping her head to the side.
Zheng Lili was stunned. Her head spun, her ears ringing. She touched her cheek, disbelief washing over her.
What made it even harder for her to believe was the source of the blow. It wasn't the martial arts master. It wasn't Shen Anyu.
It was her most doting father, Zheng Hongji.
How could this be?
Her father had never hit her before! Not once in her life!
"Dad... you hit me? You actually hit me?!"
Zheng Lili screamed hysterically, full of disbelief and betrayal.
"When Mom passed away, what did you say? You promised! You said you'd take good care of me for the rest of my life, hold me in your palm like a precious jewel! And now you're hitting me?!"
Zheng Hongji looked at her, his hand still raised, trembling slightly. He seemed to have aged ten years in that single moment. He sighed, a sound of profound defeat.
"I spoiled you too much, Lili. I protected you from the world, and it led to today's disaster!"
Ignoring her incredulous expression, Zheng Hongji turned towards Shen Anyu.
And then, the billionaire jewelry tycoon, a man who commanded thousands, knelt down.
Thud.
His knees hit the floor with a heavy sound. He trembled as he bowed his head, not daring to look Shen Anyu in the eye.
"Young Master Shen... I only have this one daughter. She is foolish. She is spoiled."
"She offended you. I know this is unforgivable."
"Please... give her a way out. Spare her life."
"I, Zheng Hongji, am willing to pay any price! My fortune, my company, anything!"
"Please!"
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Zheng Hongji began kowtowing, his forehead hitting the floor with a dull rhythm.
At this moment, the entire place was silent. Even the sounds of breathing and heartbeats seemed to vanish. There was only the sound of Zheng Hongji's continuous kowtowing and begging for mercy.
Zheng Lili was dumbfounded. She stared blankly at this scene, her brain unable to process the image.
In her memory, her father was majestic. He was the undisputed leader of the Modu jewelry industry. He walked with his head held high. Even high-ranking officials chatted and laughed with him.
Over the years, the [Zheng Family Jewelry Company] had flourished under his management. It was his kingdom.
It was with such backing that Zheng Lili could be so arrogant. She thought she was a princess.
But she never expected that her biggest pillar of support, her invincible father, would actually kneel before that "pretty boy"? How could this be?
Especially seeing her father pale and drenched in cold sweat, that expression of utter reverence and fear... it made Zheng Lili feel as if her world was collapsing.
Liu Mi stood by Shen Anyu's side, her beautiful eyes sparkling brighter than diamonds. Her heart pounded in her chest.
She knew. She knew that it was all because of the man beside her. He possessed immense power, a power so vast that even a tycoon like Zheng Hongji had to bow down in terror.
Shen Anyu looked calmly at Zheng Hongji, who was kneeling and kowtowing. His expression was indifferent, devoid of pity or malice.
"The hearts of all parents are pitiful," he said softly.
"But Zheng Lili's situation today is also your own doing, Zheng Hongji. You spoiled her too much. You created this monster."
"Even if she hadn't run into me today, she would have caused trouble eventually. Someone else might not have been as... patient."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Hongji was filled with even greater remorse. He trembled, his voice thick with emotion.
"Young Master Shen, I know I was wrong. I failed as a father."
"Please, deal with me as you see fit! Punish me, but spare her!"
Facing the behemoth that was Shen Anyu, backed by the [Yanxia Shen Family] and the [Yanxia An Family], Zheng Hongji had no thought of resisting. Resistance was death. He could only obediently admit his mistake and await his punishment.
"Young Master Shen...?"
Zheng Lili whispered the name. She wasn't a complete fool. The pieces finally clicked together.
At this moment, she recalled the rumors of the top noble who had arrived in Modu. Her face turned drastically pale, the blood draining away until she looked like a ghost. Her body broke out in a cold sweat.
She never dreamed that the "pretty boy" she had been insulting, the man she tried to force into submission, was actually the Young Master of the Yanxia Shen Family.
She... she actually offended such an existence?
As soon as she thought of this, Zheng Lili's face turned ashen. Her eyes filled with despair. She didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.
She looked pitifully at Shen Anyu, awaiting her punishment, no longer daring to utter a single word of defiance. Her arrogance had evaporated.
Shen Anyu smiled. He didn't even glance at Zheng Lili. She was beneath his notice. He looked at Liu Mi beside him and said lightly:
"Today, I'm in a good mood because I'm on a date with Mi Mi. So you guys are lucky."
Upon hearing this, Liu Mi felt a surge of sweetness in her heart.
So she held such a position in Shen Anyu's heart? He spared them because of her?
[Ding! Detected Destiny Value +6 from Destined Heroine Liu Mi, plundering +18,000 Destiny Points!]
[Ding! Detected total favorability of Destined Heroine Liu Mi at 85, plundering +30,000 Destiny Points!]
Shen Anyu had only habitually spoken sweet words just now, but seeing the points roll in, he was genuinely in a good mood.
With a pleasant expression, he held Liu Mi's fair, delicate hand and turned to walk out.
Zheng Hongji and Zheng Lili immediately breathed a sigh of relief, their bodies sagging as if they had just walked back from the gates of hell.
However, just then, Shen Anyu stopped. He didn't turn around, but his faint words echoed in their ears, cold and absolute.
"Zheng Hongji. I don't want to see Zheng Lili again. In this city."
"Yes! Yes, Young Master Shen!"
Zheng Hongji's heart jolted, and he quickly responded respectfully.
He had already decided. He would put his daughter under house arrest when they returned home. She would never leave for the rest of her life if she had to. He would send her abroad, to a convent, anywhere away from Modu to avoid causing a disaster that would wipe out their family.
Shen Anyu continued, his voice casual.
"[Zheng Family Jewelry Company] has developed quite well. I want to become a major shareholder."
Upon hearing Shen Anyu's words, Zheng Hongji's expression changed drastically.
A major shareholder?
These were shares worth tens of billions. Even he only held less than half of the [Zheng Family Jewelry Company]'s shares directly.
If he gave them up... control of the company would no longer be in his hands. He would lose his life's work.
However, looking at Shen Anyu's back, feeling the cold gaze that seemed to pierce through him even without eye contact... Zheng Hongji nodded with difficulty.
"Young Master Shen... no problem."
"I will transfer the shares to you... for one yuan... later!"
Zheng Hongji's face was ashen. It hurt. It hurt like cutting off a limb. But he thought that it was better than his family being ruined under the pressure of the [Shen Corporation]. Better to lose the company than lose their lives.
Shen Anyu paused. Then, he laughed softly.
"I'm not a devil or anything."
"Don't worry, Zheng Hongji. I will acquire the corresponding shares at market price. I don't steal."
"Zheng Hongji, although you are incapable of raising a daughter, your ability to manage a company is quite extraordinary. I acknowledge that."
"The [Zheng Family Jewelry Company] will reach new heights after joining the [Shen Corporation]. Consider it... a promotion."
Although Shen Anyu could directly take over the company by force, doing so would be too unsightly. It would cause other wealthy magnates to feel a sense of dread, creating unnecessary instability.
Although Shen Anyu was not afraid, there were better ways to handle it. Smart ways.
The [Zheng Family Jewelry Company] in Zheng Hongji's hands was only worth a few hundred million ten years ago, but it had flourished under his management, developing very quickly.
He wanted not only the golden eggs but also the hen that laid them. He wanted Zheng Hongji working for him.
Besides, Shen Anyu had not forgotten that he also had a batch of top-tier jewelry obtained from the System's lottery—items that could easily be considered museum treasures. He needed a distribution channel.
"Young Master Shen... thank you! Thank you for your great generosity!"
Upon hearing this, Zheng Hongji was overjoyed. He repeatedly thanked Shen Anyu, bowing deeply.
His emotions swung wildly from despair to elation. He had thought everything was over, that he would be destitute. But he never expected Shen Anyu to show such leniency, to offer market price, to keep him on board.
He was immediately moved to tears of gratitude.
Shen Anyu found it amusing in his heart.
Look. Zheng Hongji was even saying thank you for being conquered.
This was the art of the Villain.
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