CFRFGC Chapter 130

⌈From Shen Hongyuan’s perspective. You can skip it if you don’t like it.⌋

The driver used the radio to notify the drivers ahead.

In that instant, Shen Hongyuan couldn’t tell whether he felt fear or anticipation.

He thought someone might call out to stop the cars.

Someone would say, “Wait, don’t leave yet. The young master isn’t back. Where has he gone?”

But, surprisingly, nothing of the sort happened.

Things went so smoothly that it left an unsettling emptiness in his heart.

Shen Hongyuan sat in the steady seat, his gaze fixed on the caravans ahead as they started moving, one by one.

He felt a slight jolt as his own car began to move, merging onto the road.

The dense trees lining the sides of the road began to blur as the car picked up speed.

At first, they were slowly receding, then faster, until they were just streaks of green.

At that moment, Shen Hongyuan felt a strange sensation.

It was as if the weight on his shoulders had suddenly been lifted. Since the start of the trip, he had never felt such a profound sense of relief.

Yet, at the same time, his entire body felt heavy and stagnant.

So stagnant, in fact, that it was as though his consciousness had left his body, leaving only a shell moving mechanically.

But halfway through the journey, Shen Hongyuan began to feel restless again.

He kept imagining he could hear a child crying in his ears.

Unable to resist, he turned to look back and thought he saw the little boy chasing after the car, crying as he ran.

Yet, rationally, Shen Hongyuan knew it was impossible.

The car was moving so fast—how could a four-year-old possibly keep up?

It wasn’t until they arrived at the villa in the mountains.

One by one, everyone got out of their cars. That was when they realized the young master was missing.

The nanny, who had been hired to help with the children, immediately spoke up in alarm, “I saw with my own eyes that the young master got into Madam’s car! Madam, didn’t you notice? How could you let such a young child get out of the car alone?”

Madam Shen was momentarily stunned, too slow to react, standing there in a daze.

“Gone missing? How is that possible?” she murmured. “Maybe he’s just playing hide-and-seek. Quickly, check the RVs!”

At that moment, for some inexplicable reason, Shen Hongyuan felt an unusual calmness.

He calmly heard himself yelling angrily at Madam Shen and the nanny: “How could you lose sight of the child? How could you let Ranran wander off on his own? If he’s lost, how will I explain this to Father!”

Shen Xingyu and Shen Xingzhuo, who had just stepped out of their vehicles, finally realized something serious had happened after seeing the adults’ reactions.

Shen Xingzhuo, who had been crying throughout the journey, was hoarse and his eyes were swollen. He didn’t fully comprehend what it meant for his little brother to be lost, staring blankly.

Shen Xingyu, on the other hand, immediately turned pale and ran off in the direction they had come from.

Shen Hongyuan hurriedly ordered someone to hold him back, saying, “You’re too young! Don’t cause more trouble. Leave it to Daddy.”

By now, a light rain had begun to fall.

The sky had already turned dark.

For a fleeting moment, Shen Hongyuan did consider going back to look.

The little boy had short legs and couldn’t have gone far. If they returned now, he might still be waiting in the same spot.

But as the rain grew heavier and he saw the severe storm warning on his phone, Shen Hongyuan dismissed the thought.

Gripping his phone, he stepped into the rain with a look of urgency and said, “I’ll arrange for people to search. You stay here and look after the other kids.”

Yet after standing in the rain for a while, Shen Hongyuan quietly put his phone down.

He didn’t make a single call. He didn’t summon anyone.

The heavy night rain poured in bursts, with intervals of calm in between.

The massive villa was oppressively quiet.

Madam Shen cried in her room.

That same night, Shen Xingzhuo developed a high fever.

The light in Shen Xingyu’s room stayed on and he occasionally came out to the yard to check.

Shen Hongyuan hid outside, letting the rain soak him through.

Even in the peak of summer, the rain felt cold against his skin.

He wondered if a four-year-old child, caught in the rain, would feel even colder.

Out of nowhere, the image of the little boy hugging his leg and calling him “Daddy” surfaced in Shen Hongyuan’s mind.

A sudden wave of sorrow washed over him. He covered his face, sobbing.

That was his youngest son.

How could he not feel heartache?

Shen Hongyuan consoled himself, thinking: It’s okay. With our family’s resources, finding a child isn’t that difficult. This is just temporary. Once Father passes and can no longer interfere, I’ll immediately bring the child back!

Shen Hongyuan silently made the same promise to himself, over and over again.

The next morning, Shen Hongyuan woke up and checked the news.

It was then that he learned that earlier that morning, a small-scale flash flood had occurred at the foot of the mountain.

When he saw the news, Shen Hongyuan sat still for a long time.

What was supposed to be a relaxing trip had ended in such a way.

As the one responsible for it all, Shen Hongyuan initially felt some pangs of guilt.

But over time, he reached a kind of self-reconciliation—after all, there was nothing to be done. The child had disobeyed and run off on his own.

But things at home began to change.

His younger son had a high fever and, after that, seemed dazed and confused, unable to recall things from before.

Whenever someone mentioned his little brother, he would start crying uncontrollably.

Madam Shen, meanwhile, inexplicably became less inclined to see people, staying hidden in her room and refusing to attend the social gatherings she usually enjoyed.

The eldest son, who used to throw tantrums and was in his rebellious phase, for some unknown reason, started paying more attention to the small matters at home, taking charge of everything as if he couldn’t allow himself to be idle.

The old man still hadn’t figured out what had happened, so he asked someone to bring the youngest son back.

Shen Hongyuan found excuses to put it off several times.

But eventually, the truth couldn’t be hidden any longer.

Shen Hongyuan was called in by the old man.

The old man’s complexion had improved significantly over the past few days. He lay in his hospital bed, staring at Shen Hongyuan.

In a deep voice, he said, “You’ve grown into a man now, huh? As your father, I can’t even see my own grandson anymore?”

Shen Hongyuan hesitated for a moment, then replied, “If you want to see your grandson, let Xingzhuo come and keep you company. He’s been saying he misses you.”

The old man didn’t respond, only looking at him with a heavy, unwavering gaze.

Under his father’s stare, Shen Hongyuan finally hesitated and spoke: “Ranran… got lost during the trip. The nanny and his mother didn’t keep an eye on him. I was searching for him, but the situation was complicated at the time…”

Shen Hongyuan tried to explain, subconsciously wanting to clear himself of blame.

But when he lifted his eyes, he saw his father on the bed—the very man who had built the entire Shen family with his sharp, ruthless methods.

At that moment, a rare look of blank confusion appeared on the old man’s face.

In the habitual fear he felt, Shen Hongyuan even sensed a twinge of astonishment.

He never thought he would one day see such an expression on his father’s face.

Silence descended like a flood.

After a long time, the old man’s lips, dry and purple from age, trembled, and he asked, “What did you say?”

Shen Hongyuan had no choice but to repeat, “Ranran got lost. I didn’t expect…”

But before he could finish his excuses, the old man suddenly moved.

The old man reached for the cane by his bedside and swung it forcefully at Shen Hongyuan.

The heavy rosewood cane flew toward him. The silver dragon head struck Shen Hongyuan’s face, causing pain that made him immediately cover his nose and bend over.

Shen Hongyuan heard his father shout hoarsely, “Go! Go find my Ranran!”

Shen Hongyuan’s nose filled with a sharp, blood-tinged pain.

Yet, in that instant, he felt an inexplicable sense of strange satisfaction.

What difference did it make in how urgent it was? The child was already lost.

Even if the old man tried to raise another grandson to replace him, it was too late.

Illness strikes like a mountain collapsing.

The old man had been suffering from diabetes for decades, with frequent complications.

After hearing about his grandson’s disappearance, the old man’s heart soon worsened, and he was bedridden again.

He could only instruct his assistant to send people out to investigate.

Shen Hongyuan had once been meek and obedient around his father.

When his father was dissatisfied with him and wanted to strip him of his inheritance rights, he could only accept it and try various methods to please him.

But after this incident, Shen Hongyuan began to find a strange enjoyment in battling with his father.

When the old man wanted to find his grandson, Shen Hongyuan secretly blocked people and spread some misleading rumors.

While the old man was bedridden, Shen Hongyuan began to attend various occasions more frequently as the heir to the Shen family, spreading news about his father’s deteriorating health.

In doing so, he even earned a reputation as a filial son.

Until one day, the old man called him to his sickroom.

The old man lay in his bed, his expression cold and calm.

It seemed as though he had regained his usual stern, critical demeanor.

There was no sign of the breakdown he had shown when he had swung the cane at him that day.

Shen Hongyuan wasn’t surprised by his father’s state.

He knew his father best.

Even if there were occasional emotional fluctuations, so what? His father would always focus on the bigger picture.

Because, whether it was his son or his grandson, in the old man’s eyes, none of them were more important than the Shen family business he had built.

Compared to the interests of the company, everything and everyone else had to take a backseat.

Shen Hongyuan even speculated that his father had probably already guessed that he was the one who lost the child.

But even so, to maintain the Shen family’s face and ensure the company could continue to operate, his father would still protect him.

After all, he was old now and he only had one son.

Shen Hongyuan pushed the door open, lowered his head, and called out, “Father.”

In the room, there were still caregivers and nurses present. In front of outsiders, he remained the dutiful, obedient son.

Old Master Shen glanced at him and said, “You’re here.”

“Yes, Father,” Shen Hongyuan replied.

Old Master Shen did not say anything further. He lay quietly in bed, his gaze seemingly lost, not focusing on anything in particular.

Shen Hongyuan noticed that there were two other people in the room—his father’s lawyers.

Soon, Old Master Shen raised his hand and gestured for them to leave.

The others in the room quietly exited, leaving only the lawyers and Shen Hongyuan.

Once the door was closed, Shen Hongyuan saw the lawyers setting up a camera.

Seeing the confusion on Shen Hongyuan’s face, the lawyer explained, “The old master is going to announce his will.”

Shen Hongyuan froze, feeling both excited and smug.

He thought to himself that this time, he had finally won.

He never imagined he’d see his father humbling himself before him one day.

Shen Hongyuan immediately said, “Father, what are you saying? Your health is still fine. I’ve asked the doctor, and they said you—”

Old Master Shen closed his eyes and raised his hand to stop him.

But not a single word was spoken.

The man who had been dominant for most of his life now appeared unusually silent.

It wasn’t until the lawyer started the recording and began conducting some simple tests to confirm that Old Master Shen still had clear cognitive abilities that he finally cooperated.

Shen Hongyuan stood by, waiting.

Finally, he heard the old man speak: “I am Shen Hanshan. I hold sixty percent of the shares in Shen Corporation. Five percent will be given to my eldest grandson, Shen Xingyu, and another five percent will be given to my second grandson, Shen Xingzhuo…”

There were also other properties mentioned in the distribution.

Shen Hongyuan was not surprised by Old Master Shen’s division. He had angered his father, so it was only natural that his father would vent his frustration.

Moreover, the two sons together only accounted for ten percent, which was not a significant amount.

Suddenly, Shen Hongyuan noticed the old man’s gaze.

The elderly man, lying on the hospital bed, turned his eyes to look at him.

Due to his illness, his eyes had a faint yellowish tint, making it difficult to read his expression.

Soon, Shen Hongyuan heard the next words from the old man: “The remaining fifty percent of the shares, as well as all the other properties under my name, will be given to my youngest grandson, Shen Xingran.”

The old man’s voice was hoarse and low, carrying the weakness of prolonged illness.

Yet, his tone was exceptionally firm.

Shen Hongyuan even sensed a genuine malice in the voice.

It took him several seconds to digest the information before he abruptly stood up from his chair.

The two lawyers, who had been following the old man’s instructions, were also stunned upon hearing Old Master Shen’s words.

No one had expected that Shen Hanshan would leave such a will.

One of the lawyers immediately stepped forward to test the old man’s consciousness once more.

The old man calmly went through the test again.

He repeated his will and added, “If my youngest grandson dies, all the shares and properties belonging to him will be donated.”

At that moment, Shen Hongyuan felt an overwhelming shock.

And hatred.

He had always thought that the old man had taken his grandson in only to cultivate a puppet that met his own desires.

He had noticed that the old man was never particularly affectionate toward his grandson and was instead very strict with him.

Shen Hongyuan had seen his son living under the old man’s roof. It reminded him of his own childhood suffering.

This had led him to feel some sympathy for his youngest son.

But now…

Why?

Why was the old man so harsh with him, so desperately trying to guard against him, as if he feared that Shen Hongyuan might destroy everything he had built in Shen Corporation?

But such a precious Shen Corporation, he had given it all to a four-year-old child whose whereabouts were unknown and whose life was uncertain?

In the end, he preferred to donate it all and let it go to waste, rather than leave it to him?

Was the old man planning to bury the entire Shen Corporation with his youngest grandson?

What, then, did he mean to his father?

After confirming and signing the will, Old Master Shen remained silent, lying still.

Shen Hongyuan ran out of the hospital room as if he had gone mad.

He chain-smoked an entire pack of cigarettes on the way.

He drove to the foot of the mountain near the villa, where the child had gone missing.

But because of the mountain flood, the area was in complete disarray.

Shen Hongyuan trudged through the wreckage for a long time, finding only a small yellow duckling backpack in the mud.

He stared at the backpack for a long time, feeling as though fate was mocking him.

Driven by his desire for profit, he finally arranged for people to search for his youngest son’s whereabouts.

But ironically, it had been easy for the child to go missing, yet finding him was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Shen Hongyuan searched for a long time but found nothing.

A month later, Shen Hongyuan brought a boy to the bedside of Old Master Shen.

The old man’s health had never improved, yet he still clung to life.

He caught a glimpse of the child’s figure from the corner of his eye and struggled to prop himself up to see.

What he saw was a strange child.

Shen Hongyuan, with his face covered in stubble, held the child by the shoulder and said to him: “Tell Grandpa, what’s your name now?”

The child hesitated and answered, “I… I’m called Shen Xingran.”

“You bastard!”

Old Master Shen picked up something from the table and threw it, but then passed out immediately.

Shen Hongyuan quickly and protectively picked up his “Shen Xingran”, and took him outside.

The next day, Old Master Shen died from low blood sugar.

Shen Hongyuan bribed the old man’s lawyer, deleted the footage, and changed the date of the will.

He moved the date to after he had adopted Shen Xingran.

However, the already formed will, with its deletions and modifications, looked too suspicious.

Shen Hongyuan grew bolder and simply forged a new one.

The fifty percent of Shen Corporation shares—were his.

After the will was made public, due to Old Master Shen’s usual style, no one on the board of directors had any suspicions.

In fact, because Old Master Shen had divided ten percent of the shares between the two grandsons, many people remarked that the old man had softened as he grew older.

Shen Hongyuan successfully became the CEO of the Shen Corporation.

He carefully hid the evidence.

Watching his eldest son, who was growing increasingly outstanding, Shen Hongyuan could not help but feel a twinge of jealousy from time to time.

But fortunately, he had turned his eldest son into a slave of the Shen family.

As for the second son, Shen Hongyuan sometimes wondered if, back then, his father had seen him the same way he now saw Shen Xingzhuo.

Shen Hongyuan scolded his second son while thinking that he was much better than his father.

As for Shen Xingran…

Shen Hongyuan personally pampered him, bringing him into various social circles.

He watched as this orphan, under his training, shone in the crowd.

He watched him become the center of attention, with the name “Shen Xingran” firmly attached to his head, engraved in others’ minds.

He was “Shen Xingran”.

The “Shen Xingran” who could be controlled by Shen Hongyuan, Shen Hongyuan’s trump card.

Until not long after Shen Xingran entered university.

Shen Hongyuan received a call from Madam Shen, asking him to go to the paternity testing center.

When he saw that cautious, shrinking, uncultured boy, who had been tortured by poverty and lack of love to the point of being unable to hold his own, Shen Hongyuan felt both fear and a sudden surge of satisfaction.

He thought: Old man, look, is this the heir you favored?

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