Chapter 381 Can't Afford to Lose Face Like This?
The Shen family is known for its arrogance, so for such a respected elder to apologize is truly unprecedented.
However, the charges brought by Shen Jiheng are too serious, and if they are investigated, it will not be as simple as just going to jail.
This means that Shen Mu's decades of hard work have been in vain, and no one can bear that.
Shen Jiheng said, "Uncle, it seems you don't know yet, but Aunt was detained in the detention center yesterday, and she has already confessed to her crimes."
"...Didn't you arrange for her to be bailed out? Why is she admitting it?"
Shen Mu never expected this situation. With their wealthy family background and Shen Jiheng's connections, there were plenty of ways to clear Ding Shan's name.
But he never expected that they would send a wealthy woman to jail, which he found completely incomprehensible.
"Because if you do something wrong, you have to be punished, and no one can escape it."
Shen Mu was so anxious he almost stomped his feet. How could the most adaptable person in front of him be so muddle-headed?
He said bluntly, "Why do you have to do this? Is that a place for humans? How can Mrs. Gu, with her delicate constitution, endure it?"
Shen Jiheng realized that all he was saying was to prevent Shen Jiheng from suing him.
But when he decided to join forces with Bo Siye, he never imagined this would happen.
"Some people have no conscience and feel at ease doing bad things, but many people are not like that. Auntie is willing to take responsibility for her mistakes, which is admirable."
Hearing this, Shen Mu became anxious. At first, he thought that Shen Jiheng was deliberately teasing him and that the two of them could still negotiate terms.
But upon hearing this, knowing he was serious, she hurriedly said, "What kind of talk is this? Whether it's a wealthy family or a listed company, everyone uses every trick in the book to climb to the top. There's no such thing as being completely innocent."
The implication is that Shen used improper means to reach his position back then.
Seeing that he still didn't know his mistake, Shen Jiheng said, "I don't care what happened in the past, but now that it's in my hands, I will not allow this to happen again."
Shen Mu lowered his posture and took his hand, saying sincerely, "Ji Heng, don't be like this. The Shen family has already been involved in many scandals, and the outside world is talking about it. We can't let it cause any more losses because of me."
Shen Jiheng shook off his hand without hesitation and said coldly, "The Shen family can afford to lose face like this."
Rather than letting him continue to squander the Shen family's reputation, it's better to cut it off now.
Shen Mu shook his head: "You can't do this. I know I was wrong. Give me another chance to make amends. I can return all that money. I can't go to jail."
Shen Jiheng's sharp gaze made him uneasy. Had he known that Shen Jiheng held these incriminating facts, he would not have dared to act rashly.
But he didn't expect that Shen Jiheng wouldn't use these methods to negotiate, but instead directly revealed them, leaving him no chance at all, catching him off guard.
"I'm asking you now, and you must answer me honestly before I decide whether or not to let you go."
"At a time like this, I will definitely speak my mind without reservation."
As long as Shen Jiheng doesn't sue him, Shen Mu is willing to do anything.
"Is Bo Siye looking for a collaboration with you?"
Shen Mu looked troubled, his face contorted in a frown.
Shen Jiheng had already guessed the result from his reaction, but he wasn't in a hurry and let Shen Mu say it himself.
Now that things have come to this, he can no longer hide it; preserving his own life is the most important thing.
“You’re right. He asked me to help him deal with you. He said he could help me squeeze you out of the Shen family and let me take power.”
"So what cooperation requirements did he propose?"
Shen Mu frowned and said, "He asked me to give him 30% of the shares when the time comes."
Shen Jiheng laughed, a very bright laugh.
"You've agreed to everything?"
Shen Mu closed his eyes and nodded. As the richest man in Chongqing, coupled with his status as the head of the Shen family, people like them who love power simply couldn't resist the temptation.
"You really are something else, Uncle. Not only you, but I know everything about the whole family, even the smallest things."
Shen Mu now believed it and nodded heavily.
"From now on, I will listen to everything you say and never see Bo Siye again. Please forgive me this time."
Shen Jiheng changed his mind; perhaps he could use his relationship with Bo Siye to do something else.
"Seeing how sincere you are, I should really reconsider. Go back and wait for my news, but don't let Bo Siyue know about these things."
Shen Mu's eyes lit up, and he nodded excitedly: "I'll remember it, I won't mention it. Ji Heng, thank you for giving me this opportunity."
Although Shen Jiheng didn't say it explicitly, taking a step back indicated that there was a chance for things to turn around.
"I'll be watching your performance; don't let me down."
"I will definitely not let you down. I won't bother you. Please apologize to the Gu family elders for me. I'll go back now."
As if afraid he would change his mind, Shen Musheng backed away while talking, and even waved goodbye before getting into the car.
Watching the car drive away, Shen Jiheng's expression stiffened. He decided to let Shen Mu go, still considering their kinship and the fact that his family was indeed seriously injured in the birthday banquet poisoning incident.
If he and Bo Siye hadn't joined forces, Shen Jiheng wouldn't have gone to such extremes.
Shen Jiheng sighed and turned around, seeing Han Xi leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, clearly having overheard the conversation.
Shen Jiheng chuckled lightly: "Is this what you call eavesdropping?"
Han Xi spread his hands, shrugged, and said with a smile, "I'm listening openly and honestly. Besides, this is my home."
Shen Jiheng quickly stepped forward, put his arm around her waist, and said, "What should we do? I didn't want you to know this."
Han Xi hooked her arm around his neck and replied, "That's easy, I'll just pretend I didn't hear anything."
The two exchanged a smile, understanding each other's thoughts.
"Don't you think I shouldn't have let him go?"
"No, you did nothing wrong. You even resolved the issue by finding other solutions. I could tell he was very anxious. If you hadn't given him that last chance, he might have broken down."
No one could accept such an outcome; Han Xi was merely viewing the issue from an outsider's perspective.
Of course, Shen Mu's crime is unforgivable, but this will also serve as leverage to restrain him in the future.
"Since Bo Siyue wants to cooperate with him now, let's use him to get close to him. Maybe we can find what we want."
Han Xi understood his meaning and nodded: "What you said makes sense, and it is one way."
Shen Jiheng yawned again and put his arm around her as they walked into the house.
"I'm not fully awake yet, let's go back to sleep."
Han Xi smiled wryly and said, "Mr. Shen, do you know what you should be doing at this time?"
Shen Jiheng looked at her with a puzzled expression. Han Xi pulled him toward the kitchen and said slowly, "Grandpa and Grandma get up very early, so we should prepare breakfast for them."
Shen Jiheng rubbed his forehead. He was so used to being waited on hand and foot that he had no idea how to do it himself.
He looked at Han Xi with pleading eyes and asked in a low voice, "You don't mean you want me to do it, do you?"
Han Xi shook her head and said bluntly, "Is what you made edible? I want my grandfather and the others to live a few more years. You just need to help me with the cooking."
Shen Jiheng was amused by her; it seemed that Han Xi already had a clear understanding of him.
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