Chapter 70: Father Arrives as Backup

Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Father Arrives as Backup

The man nearly jumped. He looked down, and his face instantly darkened. He bellowed, "Comrade Sheng Hui! You can’t just throw your weight around because you have connections! This is a breach of discipline! I’m reporting this all the way to the top!"

The moment he finished speaking, the man stormed off, clearly intending to file a report.

Sheng Hui paid him no mind, his gaze locked squarely on Song Yao.

Just moments ago, she had pulled Xiao Li behind her.

Song Yao had long since figured this man out completely.

’He’s got a screw loose and still puts on the airs of a big shot in the Beijing Community. Does he really think he can run the whole show?’

The moment Xiao Li stepped forward to protect her, alarm bells went off in her head.

As soon as Sheng Hui’s arm lifted, her heels left the ground, and she sprang forward.

’She knew Sheng Hui might dare to go after Xiao Li, but he would never dare to lay a finger on her.’

Sure enough, the moment Sheng Hui saw her step out, his hand froze mid-air.

"Sheng Hui, you’ve tried to frame me time and time again. We’ll settle this score, slowly."

The corner of Song Yao’s mouth lifted in a cold, sharp smile. "Of course, a guy like you who can’t tell right from wrong and tramples all over the rules would dare to do anything."

"No wonder you open your mouth and call my father ungrateful! In the end, you and Shen Shuangshuang have been in cahoots all along. To protect her, you’d even dare to break iron-clad rules. If I don’t make you pay dearly for this today, I’ll write my name, Song Yao, backward from now on!"

A vein throbbed at Sheng Hui’s temple. "Who do you think you are? You think you’re worthy of challenging me?"

Just as Song Yao was about to fire back, a voice suddenly cut in.

"My, Shen Zhenwu’s, daughter can do whatever she wants in my home. What, you have a problem with that?"

At the sound of that voice, even the hairs on the back of Sheng Hui’s neck stood on end.

He instinctively flinched but didn’t dare turn around.

Everyone whipped their heads toward the entrance, where Shen Zhenwu was striding in.

"Miss, on my way to call the police, I ran into Mr. Shen’s motorcade. When he heard that Song Shunqiang and Liu Yumin had already been brought to Beijing, he immediately made a call to put it on record. That’s why I was able to get back ahead of schedule."

Li Hanchen then leaned close to Song Yao’s ear and quickly explained what had happened.

"Mr. Shen is here!" The guests all put on smiling faces and crowded forward to greet him.

But their eyes clearly said, ’The show is about to begin!’

"My apologies, everyone. I originally invited you all here today to meet my daughter, who was lost for nineteen years. But I got caught up in some urgent business, and you all nearly had to witness a farce!"

Shen Zhenwu walked over to Song Yao’s side in a few strides. He habitually went to place a large hand on her shoulder, but he checked the motion the moment he made contact, as if afraid of hurting her.

"Shen Songyao. You all saw that just now, didn’t you?"

He grinned, his voice booming and full of vigor. "Now *that’s* a child of Shen Zhenwu! My own flesh and blood!"

With that one shout, all the slander Liu Yumin had spewed earlier seemed to vanish as if blown away by the wind.

Everyone in the room immediately put on enthusiastic expressions and took turns praising Song Yao.

"Miss Shen is so quick-witted and sharp, she’s the real deal!"

"Exactly! To face false accusations so calmly... that composure is just what you’d expect from Mr. Shen’s daughter!"

Shen Zhenwu listened with delight, nodding in agreement with every word of praise.

’That’s right!’

’Every word of praise is true!’

Shen Zhenwu slowly raised his hand and pressed it down gently.

The noisy pleasantries and flattery all fell silent.

The smile vanished from his face, and his gaze shot toward a corner of the room.

Liu Yumin and Song Shunqiang were over there trying to slip away, but two soldiers at the door blocked their path.

The pair had no choice but to stop, their shoulders hunched and their heads bowed.

Their faces immediately darkened.

"Liu Yumin!"

His voice wasn’t loud, but every word he uttered was like a block of ice. "A child trafficker like you is worthy of standing in the Shen Family’s courtyard? Who gave you the gall to step through this door?"

He didn’t raise a hand as he spoke, merely pinning his gaze on Liu Yumin’s face.

Liu Yumin’s lips trembled, but she didn’t dare look up.

Song Shunqiang surreptitiously shuffled half an inch behind her.

The thirty-some people in the courtyard were completely silent; not even a cough could be heard.

Shen Shuangshuang’s face went pale. She instinctively shrank behind Sheng Hui and clutched his sleeve.

Sheng Hui said nothing, his lips pressed into a thin line.

He usually patted her shoulder and offered a few comforting words, but this time, he didn’t utter a single one.

’Why?’

’Because Shen Zhenwu wasn’t the type to show mercy based on connections.’

No matter how powerful your background was or how silver-tongued you were, with him, a mistake was a mistake. He would humiliate you in front of a hundred people without a second thought.

He hadn’t even blinked while laying into them.

A few old veterans standing in the back subconsciously straightened their spines, beads of sweat forming on their brows.

Seeing Liu Yumin and Song Shunqiang pushed to a halt before Shen Zhenwu, Sheng Hui finally spoke, his voice low and steady. "From the looks of it, Mr. Shen clearly has no intention of letting them go. Do you really plan to stay in the Shen Family? Why don’t you... come with me?"

Shen Shuangshuang’s head snapped up, her eyes brightening.

Her joy lasted for two seconds before she deflated again. "If I go with you... is our thing still on?"

She was afraid that once she left the protection of the great Shen Family tree, the Sheng Family would turn their backs on her.

Sheng Hui’s reply was decisive. "My marriage is my decision to make."

Shen Shuangshuang’s eyes lit up again!

The corners of her mouth turned up for a moment before she quickly suppressed the expression, as if afraid someone would see her delight.

"Sheng Hui! Let’s go! As long as you’re by my side, I’ll go anywhere!"

She released his sleeve and grabbed his forearm instead.

Sheng Hui nodded. While Shen Zhenwu’s attention was fixed on the couple, the two of them began to quietly make their way toward the courtyard gate.

Shen Shuangshuang walked with light steps, while Sheng Hui turned half a step to shield her from the gazes behind them.

They had only taken seven or eight steps when a lazy voice drifted from behind them:

"Comrade Sheng Hui, the show has just begun. You two are the lead actors tonight, and you’re already making your exit? Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?"

The moment Song Yao finished speaking, a chill went down the spines of both Sheng Hui and Shen Shuangshuang.

From all directions, dozens of pairs of eyes locked onto them.

Shen Zhenwu lifted his eyes. Xiao Li and his newly assigned security guard immediately moved to block Sheng Hui’s path, one on his left and one on his right.

"Sheng Hui," Shen Zhenwu’s tone was as cold as well water, "my daughter just arrived in Beijing, and you hauled her off to the Special Operations Department. What a coincidence, wouldn’t you say?"

What was the Special Operations Department?

Three months of training inside, and a person could lose so much weight they’d be unrecognizable.

More importantly, it wasn’t a place you could enter casually.

Anyone who went in was, by default, a primary subject for investigation. At best, they’d end up a suspect; at worst, they’d have their entire family history scrutinized.

His, Shen Zhenwu’s, own daughter, who had a clean record and had done nothing wrong, was sent straight into that sieve by Sheng Hui.

To put it bluntly, how was that showing concern for someone?

It was clearly a public attempt to brand her!

No matter how small the label, it implied an unstable political stance.

Thinking deeper, this wasn’t about stepping on Shen Shuangshuang; it was a resounding slap across Shen Zhenwu’s face.

As for what Sheng Hui was after, Shen Zhenwu didn’t want to guess.

In any case, the nature of this act was set. It was ugly, and it was unforgivable.

And today, Sheng Hui had barged into the Shen Family home without an appointment or announcement, taking his anger out on his daughter the moment he stepped through the door. It was a clear sign he had no respect for Shen Zhenwu—bullying him right in his own house!

Sheng Hui had already smelled trouble. Shen Zhenwu was a powder keg, ready to explode at the slightest spark.