Mr. Chang’s eyes bulged. His head throbbed painfully, fine needles of agony spreading from the back of his skull to his temples.
“Ji Shileng”
“I’m here”
Ji Shileng was in a good enough mood to indulge him with an answer.
The man who had just issued his threats now saw the room spinning.
Whether intentionally or not, Mr. Chang suddenly dropped to his knees on the marble floor.
His back curved, his head bowed.
“I know what you’re capable of. Can you spare the others? Come after me instead”
The Ji family showed little reaction.
He had merely knelt. There was no need to keep insisting a man’s knees were worth their weight in gold.
Everyone waited for Ji Shileng to speak.
They weren’t the victim, so they couldn’t decide on the victim’s behalf.
The victim, meanwhile, inexplicably felt like laughing again.
His voice rose slightly.
“Seriously? Weren’t you threatening me just now? What happened? Back to begging?”
“Humiliating, isn’t it? Isn’t that what you came to see?”
Mr. Chang’s bent back trembled.
After so many glorious years, one fall from his lofty position had left him battered all over.
“It is humiliating”
Ji Shileng smiled faintly.
“I thought you had some backbone”
That earlier threat had almost earned Mr. Chang a little respect.
In the end, he was all bluster, with nothing underneath.
Just like Shang Shengge.
A bastard who bullied the weak and feared the strong.
However cold the floor was, Mr. Chang’s heart was colder.
After trembling for a while, he confessed:
“Ji Shileng, I went to Shang Cheng”
“And?”
“He agreed to keep Shang Jianli in check. Please, for the sake of my begging, spare the employees of Imperial Capital News. They have to survive”
Mr. Chang could have maintained his defiance to the end.
But Zhang Shu had already been arrested, and the industry had since issued a rule: anyone who had worked for Imperial Capital News was not to be hired.
He represented more than himself.
Unfortunately, Ji Shileng wasn’t moved.
Having had enough, he folded his hands on his knees.
“What do those people have to do with me? Stop begging me. Go beg heaven”
“See whether heaven will speak a word in your defense”
With several sides working together, the reputation Imperial Capital News had built over the years had long since been destroyed.
For someone of Mr. Chang’s standing, the entire affair was an immense humiliation.
He had failed, and the cause of his downfall was a young man.
Seeing that Ji Shileng had said nearly everything he wanted to, Qin Si stood and took hold of the wheelchair’s handles.
The disgust in his eyes was dark and impenetrable.
He couldn’t imagine how Ji Shileng had spent so long walking on eggshells among these creatures who were neither human nor ghost.
When trouble arose, they used him as a shield. When nothing was wrong, they made him a subject of gossip.
Now that he had returned for revenge, those same creatures babbled nonsense and begged him for mercy.
How did they have the nerve?
Ji Shiyun smoothed the creases in her trousers and stood straight.
Her gaze briefly passed over Xiao Ai. Before leaving, she said:
“Help your grandfather up. Everyone has their own fate. Don’t think yourself so important”
She appeared to be addressing Xiao Ai, but the words were meant for Mr. Chang.
Working for Imperial Capital News had been the employees’ choice.
Now he couldn’t even save himself, yet he still wanted to play savior?
It was laughable.
“No need to see us out”
“Then please feel free to look around”
After speaking, Xiao Ai watched Ji Shiyun’s retreating figure for a long time, until she left the conference room and disappeared.
Hiding the admiration in her eyes, Xiao Ai lowered herself onto one knee and lifted one of her grandfather’s arms.
“Grandpa, they’re all gone. Let’s get up”
Mr. Chang raised his head, then tilted it helplessly against her arm, tears streaming down his face.
“Xiao Ai, what will you do?”
After living in wealth for most of her life, could she endure poverty and hardship?
He had already selected a suitable marriage alliance for her.
But after this, who would dare marry into their family?
Xiao Ai took a handkerchief from her pocket and handed it to him.
“Grandpa, don’t underestimate women”
“I’m educated and capable. Why should I be afraid I can’t earn a living on my own?”
Deep down, Xiao Ai was actually grateful for Imperial Capital News’s collapse.
Her parents had died in an accident when she was young, and her grandfather had raised her strictly.
She had grown into an independent, self-reliant woman, only to learn that Mr. Chang intended to marry her off for an alliance.
He had told her that marriage was a woman’s ultimate destination.
Unable to resist, she had even considered giving up altogether.
The collapse of Imperial Capital News, and Ji Shiyun’s appearance, had rekindled her belief in women’s strength.
Seeing Ji Shiyun, she had been astonished: a woman could be that extraordinary.
She firmly believed that one day, women would be able to place their hopes in themselves and run freely toward their futures.
Women deserved to rise.
Tightening her grip on her grandfather’s arm, Xiao Ai spoke as though taking an oath.
“Grandpa, women deserve to rise”
After wandering around for a while, Su Ke asked:
“Why haven’t we seen any employees in this whole building?”
Ji Shileng glanced through the glass doors at the cubicles. Documents lay scattered over the desks. Clearly, people had left in a hurry.
“No idea. Coming to work wouldn’t mean much under these circumstances anyway”
They might as well stay home and wait for instructions.
No one could match their audacity: they were still strolling leisurely around someone else’s territory.
Pushing Ji Shileng, Qin Si gradually fell behind. His communicator kept chiming.
“Xiaoshi, may I reply to a message? If you’re in a hurry, you can catch up with the others first”
Ji Shileng shook his head to show he didn’t mind.
“Go ahead. I’m not in a rush”
Even if they fell behind, he wasn’t going to get lost.
He took out his communicator and reopened the page he had left up earlier.
He was curious about Imperial University’s role in all this.
Ahead, Ji Shiyun and Ji Shifeng walked side by side, discussing something.
Their shadows slanted across the floor as they moved at an unhurried pace.
“Xiaoshi”
Ji Shileng answered absently without looking up, completely absorbed in the forum’s gossip.
He had meant to read about Imperial University, but somehow ended up opening a thread titled “Dump All Your Dirt on Imperial Capital News.”
The online condemnation was so fierce that the commenters’ spit alone seemed enough to drown the entire building.
[Long and Short in the River]: Remember, Imperial Capital News was “formerly” our most credible news outlet. It boasts an idiot director, a vile official account, useless lead editors, and brain-dead writers. Together, they form a mighty alliance of incompetence, leading Imperial Capital News toward a tomorrow it will never see.
[Vicious Circle Pioneer]: When you first jumped out so arrogantly, I almost respected you. Now your silence chills me like winter snow. Have the courage to admit what you did. You were rotten through already…
[Let’s Watch the Sunset]: This fits several of my stereotypes perfectly. Honestly, you’re not even as good as Ji Shileng was back then.
He had to admit, the commenters were talented—even if they had once used that same talent to insult him…
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