"Dad! Let go of me, Dad!"
One of Chang Kun's hands was held tightly in Chang Sanheng's iron-like grip, while the other hand futilely tried to pry his father's fingers apart, but to no avail.
He cried miserably, his wails attracting puzzled and suspicious glances from the surrounding villagers, piercing him like needles.
Chang Sanheng suddenly stopped in his tracks, and the two tenants of the Chang Family following closely behind him also halted immediately.
He turned around, his icy gaze piercing his son's face like a nail.
"Shout! Louder! Let the whole village hear how I, Chang Sanheng, am executing familial righteousness, dragging this fool who dared to consume what's orphaned to the Su Family to plead for forgiveness!"
"Pleading for forgiveness with thorns" was not just an empty phrase at this moment.
Indeed, Chang Kun's back was strapped with a large bundle of thorny underbrush!
Throughout his constant struggles and writhing, the sharp wooden thorns had already torn his new clothes with numerous rips, and his back was oozing with blood marks.
Having been pampered from a young age, how could Chang Kun endure such misery?
"Dad! I—I'm your real son! How—how could you treat me like this!"
Chang Kun lowered his voice, choked with sobs, covering part of his face, longing for a hole to crawl into.
Before the apocalypse, the Chang Family was affluent, and he always prided himself on being a respectable person, valuing appearance and image the most.
Now, being dragged in the open with thorns by his father was entirely disgraceful!
This social humiliation, more than the fiery pain on his back, was unbearable to him.
However, seeing his son in this state, Chang Sanheng not only felt no pity, but the anger in his chest intensified further.
"Real son?" Chang Sanheng sneered viciously, his voice even lower, piercingly cold, "When you did that foolish thing, did you consider I'm your father? Consider the calamity you'd bring upon your father?!"
He gritted his teeth and dragged Chang Kun to a secluded corner.
The two tenants of the Chang Family immediately stepped forward, blocking the entrance, cutting off outside views.
"You street-rat! Consuming what's orphaned?! And even daring to do it to the Su Family?! How many lives do you have?!"
Chang Sanheng's gaze was fierce, as if seeing a stranger, "Even if Su Lin is a useless person, he's still Su Can's sole grandson! You, this fool overtaken by lust, are your father's offspring?!"
Bang—!
In the shadows, a loud slap violently struck Chang Kun's face, sending him staggering.
Chang Kun clutched his face, both in pain and grievance, and wailed:
"Wasn't Su Can already poisoned and crippled? Dad, didn't you also say the current team leader despises the Su Family! I—I didn't even touch a single hair of Su Lin; I just wanted to pressure his fiancée. Would Su Can really turn on me for this trivial matter? Would he dare?"
"Useless?" Chang Sanheng's cold laugh was like ice, "That 'useless' you speak of, shot a hole through one of my squad members in front of me yesterday! And me? Because of your mess, I couldn't even utter a peep, and had to send the injured person back to him!"
Bang! Bang!
Chang Sanheng raised his hand and slapped himself hard twice, the crisp sound echoing in the corner as he gritted his teeth and spoke each word:
"My face was slapped so loud by him! If the subordinates weren't tactful and didn't spread the word recklessly, the entire village would've known that Chang Sanheng raised a wicked son who consumes what's orphaned, and was even humiliated in his own house!"
Chang Kun stared wide-eyed in disbelief: "Impossible! Su Lin, that fool—"
Bang—!
Another heavier slap completely silenced his words, both cheeks swelling.
Chang Sanheng shook his slightly numb hand, his voice regaining its coldness, yet imbued with an undeniable resolve:
"Stop worrying about others! Upon reaching the Su Family, kneel obediently! Whatever they say, you answer accordingly! Bow your head to the ground, bend your spine for me! If this issue isn't settled, don't expect to stand again!
"Su Can's foundation was damaged by poison? So what! Before being injured, he nearly reached the threshold of being a First-Transformed Martial Artist! A camel starved is still bigger than a horse! What do you think you are?!"
"During his prime temper, for what you did, he could've brought a great sword over that very day to chop you up without batting an eye!" A hint of dread flashed in Chang Sanheng's eyes, "At that time, your father here might even have to be at the side to applaud him and cheer!"
Chang Kun was utterly stupefied, his mouth agape, eyes full of disbelief.
Chang Sanheng looked at his son's pathetic appearance, his eyes full of disappointment, and said coldly, "It seems the rumors outside aren't wrong, you're just a flashy but empty shell, just like Su Lin used to be!"
"You... you're comparing me to that good-for-nothing?!" Chang Kun's face turned red instantly, trembling with anger.
This was simply an unbearable humiliation!
"And you still want me to bow my head and apologize to the Su Family? If I kneel, how can our Chang Family hold our heads up in the village in the future?!"
"Ha." Chang Sanheng let out a disdainful snort from his nostrils, his eyes sharp as knives, "Reputation? When the news of you taking over the family breaks, our Chang Family's sense of righteousness will be gone! Apologizing to the Su Family is the right and proper thing to do! If you, this fool, don't reveal this matter, then Old Su can pressure me with his prestige and righteousness, and my position won't be stable. What need is there for face then? Even the team leader might not come forward to protect me!"
He stepped closer, lowering his voice with a viciousness, "But once you've apologized, for every bit of face our Chang Family loses, I can make the Su Family lose even more substance!"
"As for you," Chang Sanheng's gaze lashed at Chang Kun like a whip, "after this matter is settled today, clean up and get yourself into the Search Team! I had to force a spot open for you. If you fail again, you'll be locked up at home from now on, don't even think about stepping out of the door!"
...
Su Lin brought Su Tongxi to the Su Family's Old Mansion, where he saw his sister-in-law Zhao Yaxin gracefully holding a purple clay teapot, pouring tea for grandfather Su Can, who was sitting at the Eight Immortals Table.
His little niece Su Yingying's eyes lit up as soon as he entered, and she sweetly called out, "Good morning, little uncle!"
"Mm~ Good morning." Su Lin replied with a smile and also greeted the old man and his sister-in-law, "Grandfather, sister-in-law."
Su Tongxi followed suit, shyly greeting them, receiving kind responses from both.
"Yingying, come over and let little uncle pat your head." Su Lin beckoned to his little niece.
Su Yingying didn't move, her eyes like a cautious little deer looking towards her mother.
Zhao Yaxin remained expressionless, indifferently pouring a cup of tea for Su Tongxi, as if she hadn't heard Su Lin's words or seen her daughter's probing glance.
Seeing this, Su Yingying dared not approach, pouting and looking at her little uncle with aggrieved eyes.
Su Lin understood immediately, letting out an awkward laugh.
Sure enough, his predecessor's reckless words made this coldly beautiful sister-in-law extremely unwelcoming towards him.
What could be done? He had brought it on himself.
At this moment, grandfather Su Can's mustache twitched.
This unfilial grandson, after greeting him, just left him sitting there, prompting Su Can to speak up, pretending to be authoritative as he questioned:
"I...went out for a walk this morning, passed by your house, and discovered you actually upgraded to a Level 2 Safe House?"
"Yes." Su Lin nodded calmly.
Zhao Yaxin's beautiful eyes suddenly turned towards him upon hearing this, her gaze flickering with strong suspicion and scrutiny.
Little Yingying adorably cheered, "Little uncle, you're amazing! The house got upgraded! It'll be so big, so big!"
Su Can suddenly slammed the coarse porcelain bowl in his hand onto the table with a "thud," causing some tea to splash out, and sternly scolded:
"This is utter nonsense! Do you really dare to rashly upgrade to a Level 2 Safe House just because of those three low-level mechanisms? Even if you lucked out and survived last night's final wave of beasts, what about tonight?! Can you really manage to kill off a whole night's wave of Level 2 beasts?"
Little Su Yingying, who had been cheering, was immediately silenced by this unexpected reprimand, her big eyes quickly welling up with tears.
Su Tongxi, feeling a bit sorry, held her close to comfort her.
Su Lin seemed unfazed by the old man's anger, even playfully smiling as he picked up the teapot to fill the old man's cup, and casually poured himself a cup as well.
Su Can's eyes bore into him intently, the authority in his tiger-like gaze growing heavier, as if trying to crush his grandson with his aura, forcing him to speak the truth.
This kid, what's going on in his head?!
Su Lin appeared completely unaffected, leisurely sipping his tea, watching the tea leaves gently drift with the ripples in the cup, and suddenly asked:
"Grandfather, you went out for a walk this morning, how did you know I upgraded the safe house before midnight last night?"
Su Can's composed face suddenly froze, stammering, "This, this..."
Su Lin looked up, his face displaying an innocent smile, "Could it be that grandfather came specifically to protect me, and thus witnessed everything last night?"