Chapter 16: It Is a Joy to Be Shen Yanzhi’s Phone

Although Shen Yanzhi visited the villa to see Elder Shen several times a month, Shen Yuanzhong knew that tonight's family gathering was entirely his own doing.

If he hadn't spent every day pestering the old man and even bringing his grandson to live at the old residence for a few days, Elder Shen never would have agreed to call Shen Yanzhi. Shen Yuanzhong assumed the old man was on his side, and he shot a smug look at Shen Yanzhi.

At the dinner table, Shen Yuanzhong and Liu Yurong couldn't help but bring up the matter of Huang Sheng. However, before they could even finish their opening sentence, Elder Shen cut them off.

Elder Shen’s voice was stern: "Save it. We will discuss business after we finish eating."

Shen Yuanzhong: "..."
Liu Yurong: "..."

The two had no choice but to shut their mouths in frustration.

As soon as dinner ended, Shen Yuanzhong could no longer contain himself. He looked at Shen Yanzhi, who was sitting upright and sipping tea, and said, "Big nephew, Dad already told you everything in the study, right? Just release Huang Sheng, and we’ll let this whole matter slide."

"I don't believe Third Uncle had any alcohol tonight, did you?" Shen Yanzhi raised his eyes and said this out of the blue.

Shen Yuanzhong was stunned, completely failing to grasp the meaning.

It was his six-year-old grandson sitting next to him who laughed out loud: "Grandpa! The uncle means that if you haven't been drinking, why are you talking nonsense?"

Seeing his father-in-law’s face turn pitch black, the boy's mother hurriedly covered the little ancestor's mouth and carried him out to the courtyard to play.

Shen Yuanzhong’s face was dark; he truly hadn't expected that to be what Shen Yanzhi meant. He looked at Elder Shen, who was sitting at the head of the table, and said, "Dad, look at Shen Yanzhi! He doesn't have an ounce of respect for his elders!"

Chi Yu, who was silently watching the drama unfold from inside the phone, thought to herself: *Take a look at yourself first; you don't have an ounce of the demeanor of an elder.*

If you want to earn respect, you must first learn to respect others. That is a principle even a three-year-old understands.

Between a useless, incompetent son who was already a grandfather but still lived off his father, and a capable, talented grandson who had multiplied the Shen family's assets several times over in just four years—anybody with a functioning brain knew who to side with.

"I won't interfere in your affairs. You wanted Yanzhi to come back, and I've brought him here for you. You can discuss whatever you need to amongst yourselves," Elder Shen said, rising from his chair.

If it weren't for the desire to have Shen Yanzhi over for a meal, he wouldn't even bother with this unfilial son. Seeing him stand, the butler immediately stepped forward to assist him.

It was clear that Elder Shen intended to withdraw from this family battlefield.

Shen Yuanzhong was bewildered by this turn of events. Liu Yurong, sitting beside him, hadn't expected this either, and once it dawned on her, she became anxious. Huang Sheng was her brother's only son! If he were truly sent to prison, her brother and sister-in-law would tear her apart.

"Yanzhi, please, I beg you. Huang Sheng is my only nephew. He knows he was wrong and won't ever do it again. Just spare him this once," Liu Yurong pleaded, humbling herself before Shen Yanzhi.

Shen Yanzhi sipped his tea calmly. "The power to decide that lies with Third Uncle."

Shen Yuanzhong’s expression shifted. "That is absolutely impossible!"

If he were to yield to Shen Yanzhi’s wishes and sign that contract, he would never have a say in the Shen Group ever again. Not only him, but his son and grandson would have no hope of ever touching a core position in the company.

Hearing this, the look on Liu Yurong’s face shifted repeatedly. Clearly, she understood what Shen Yanzhi meant. With the future of her own immediate family at stake, she dared not intervene further.

The family of Shen Hongguo sat quietly on the sofa, watching the drama without participating. Although Shen Hongguo and Shen Yuanzhong were usually on the same side, even Shen Hongguo didn't want to step into this muddy water.

Shen Yanzhi was not at all surprised by Shen Yuanzhong’s refusal to sign the contract. In fact, he didn't really care; he held the most power in the Shen Group regardless, and the final say and execution rested with him.

Shen Yanzhi stood up and smoothed his cuffs. "Third Uncle, please excuse me. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be leaving now."

Left behind, the couple was livid.

The conversation in the living room was soon reported, word for word, to Elder Shen.

Elder Shen sat in his rocking chair, swaying gently, and sighed. "I already stood by the eldest and the third one once before to stop Yanzhi. This time, it is entirely the fault of the third one’s nephew from his wife's side. The third one isn't exactly innocent in all this, either."

If it weren't for Shen Yuanzhong inciting him and stirring up the greed of his wife’s nephew, none of this embezzlement would have happened. The people Elder Shen had sent to investigate had long ago uncovered the truth: it was Shen Yuanzhong himself who wanted to skim off the top, which was why he had placed Huang Sheng in that position.

As it turned out, Huang Sheng’s appetite was even bigger than Shen Yuanzhong’s. He had only been in office for nine months, and before the project had even broken ground, he had already pocketed 12 million. If such a person were left in charge until construction began, wouldn't he have hollowed the whole thing out? The more embezzlement there was, the more corrupt the shoddy construction would become. If something went wrong, the Shen Group would be the only one left to take the fall.

"Even if the third one eventually decides to sign that contract, there is no need to notify me," Elder Shen said. "I cannot hurt Yanzhi any further. Yanzhi has grown up, and the Shen Group is in the best possible hands with him."

"Understood," the butler replied.

The others were completely unaware of the conversation between Elder Shen and the butler.

Chi Yu remained in Shen Yanzhi’s pocket. After he got into the car, she was still thinking about the exchange at the villa. If she weren't human, being a phone by Shen Yanzhi's side wouldn't be so bad. He didn't like playing on his phone, so she had plenty of time to rest and sleep without having to work overtime or endure a "996" schedule.

When Shen Yanzhi was resting, she could entertain herself. Being by his side, she could enjoy some juicy gossip. Most importantly, Shen Yanzhi appeared emotionally stable, yet he never lost an argument; he said exactly what he meant in the moment and never let himself be stifled. Following a master like this, even the drama she witnessed was satisfying rather than the kind that would give a person an ulcer.

Shen Yanzhi had no idea that he would one day be praised by his phone for not liking to use it. His pocket was a bit shallow today; after getting into the car, he casually took the phone out and placed it in the dashboard slot before driving off.

Chi Yu, inside the phone, was stunned the moment he took her out. Recently, she had been secretly teaching herself programming while Shen Yanzhi slept, and the phone itself had inevitably undergone some changes, such as gaining functions it didn't have before.

So, what was that tiny, well-hidden glimmer of light in the car?

Chi Yu was puzzled. It hadn't been there when Shen Yanzhi drove over earlier.