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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 079: Supernatural Growth (Part Five)
Life is unpredictable. Not long ago, the notorious figure Chi Zhi Ping passed away.
Naturally, I took charge of his funeral arrangements, accompanied by Fat and Uncle Zhang leading the Honor Guard.
Uncle Zhang and his group of Honor Guards, both men and women, are skilled in singing and dancing. As long as you have the money, they can provide any service that adheres to the rules, except for illegal activities.
Chi Xinrong greeted me with a sorrowful expression. Chi Zhi Ping's body was at the funeral home, and she expressed her desire to hold a ritual at their grandparents' home in the countryside, hoping to help absolve Chi Zhi Ping of the sins he committed during his life.
"Should we go all out or keep it simple?"
"Who cares? If someone is paying, just give me the best."
Chi Xinrong's eyes reflected resentment; each word seemed to be squeezed out through clenched teeth. It felt as if she had a grudge against someone. I was surprised and had no words to say, but Fat whispered, "Does she have a grudge against money?"
"Get lost."
I sent Fat off to prepare the memorial hall and spent some time alone with Chi Xinrong. My intention wasn't anything more than to comfort her with a few words—life's meaning is just that; whether rich or poor, everyone must walk this path.
Chi Zhi Ping was once in the limelight; as he used to say, even in death, it was worth it.
Isn't there a saying that goes: "As one approaches death, their words become kind; as birds face demise, their songs turn sorrowful"? He knew his days were numbered and perhaps experienced something terrifying before his death. In my view, secrets that even a crowbar couldn't pry open were revealed by him to his daughter in his final moments—the truth about taking the blame for someone else.
It turned out that Chi Zhi Ping was an illegitimate child.
His biological father was a doctor named Chiang Xiangfa. He had an affair with Chi Zhi Ping's mother, Li Liping, which resulted in an unexpected pregnancy. Unprepared for this situation, Li Liping reluctantly informed Chiang Xiangfa.
At that time, Chiang Xiangfa was deeply involved with the daughter of the City Hospital's director and was discussing marriage. When Li Liping became pregnant, he persuaded her to terminate the pregnancy and offered her a sum of money as compensation.
Li Liping had a habit of spending lavishly and had a strong sense of vanity. Their meeting at the restaurant where she worked was purely coincidental. However, after unexpectedly receiving compensation due to her pregnancy, she became ecstatic and squandered the money on designer clothes, shoes, bags, and cosmetics—things she had always wanted but couldn't afford.
The child was only a few months old when the money ran out.
Li Liping, working in a restaurant, caught the eye of Doctor Chiang Xiangfa, not just because of her beauty but also due to her youth. As a result, she received special treatment from her boss, who assigned her the easiest tasks. However, she frequently took leave, which infuriated her employer. When he later discovered that she was pregnant, he promptly fired her.
With no job and running out of money, Li Liping became increasingly demanding of Chiang Xiangfa, asking for financial support repeatedly. After several attempts, Chiang Xiangfa lost his temper.
This was problematic; his newlywed wife was also pregnant. If she found out about Li Liping, not only would he lose his position as director, but he would also face severe consequences.
In a final ultimatum, Chiang Xiangfa handed Li Liping a card and instructed her to leave the city for the countryside to have the baby and never return. Otherwise, he would not be kind to her.
Li Liping, heavily pregnant and with money in hand, left the city overnight for a distant rural area where she settled down.
Unexpectedly, during childbirth in the countryside, she suffered complications and bled to death. Before dying, she insisted that her child must bear the surname Chi and left behind a chance for the child's father in the city. Although she did not provide a specific address, it gave Chi Zhi Ping a glimmer of hope.
Life in the countryside was not as good as in the city, but there was enough food. The cornmeal from the fields nourished Chi Zhi Ping as he grew up.
Without parents to guide him, he became somewhat unruly and difficult to manage. After mingling with people from society, he left his adoptive parents in the countryside and moved to the city where his mother had lived.
When Chi Zhi Ping stood before his biological father Chiang Xiangfa, he had already grown into a tall and handsome young man.
Chiang Xiangfa was taken aback that this forgotten son had come looking for him. He discreetly helped Chi Zhi Ping find housing and a job. Despite his efforts being kept secretive, his other son Chi Ruiqiang eventually learned about it.
Chi Ruiqiang was now the head of City Hospital.
Upon discovering that he had a half-brother, Chi Ruiqiang remained indifferent and threatened to expose their father's scandal if Chiang Xiangfa continued to assist Chi Zhi Ping.
As a result, Chi Zhi Ping's meetings with his biological father yielded very limited support.
Chi Zhi Ping developed a penchant for gambling and inherited his mother's extravagant spending habits. Soon enough, he ran out of money and found himself unable to secure work despite searching everywhere. Just when he felt utterly hopeless, his reluctant brother appeared.
In Room Six at Kedi KV, Chi Ruiqiang slid a card worth five hundred thousand yuan across the table to Chi Zhi Ping. "Take this card for now. Once you succeed in your endeavors, I can help you secure a spot on the Top Ten Youth list. Just keep your mouth shut about this arrangement."
Chi Zhi Ping leaned back casually and took a puff from his cigarette; it tasted far better than the cheap ones he usually smoked—truly a product of Great China.
"What do you want me to do?" Chi Zhi Ping extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray and glanced at his so-called brother with disdain. Nothing had changed; only his mindset had shifted. He had little to care about except for money. With enough money, anything could be arranged—even pretending to be subservient was nothing to be ashamed of. He gritted his teeth and buried his resentment deep inside while focusing on the LCD screen in the KV room where a voluptuous woman sang flirtatiously. Her large chest matched her loud voice; this sight calmed him slightly as he feared losing control and striking this bespectacled pretender in front of him.
As Chi Xinrong recounted the story to me, I felt an unsettling chill creeping through my body.
This discomfort was not due to illness but rather an inexplicable, eerie coldness that enveloped me, as if I were trapped in a dimly lit place that never saw the sun. I tightened my collar, and she noticed my unease and asked, "Are you cold?"
It was late summer, and the temperature was still high. If I said I was cold, it would surely make her laugh at me. So I steeled myself and replied, "I'm not cold; I probably just didn't rest well last night. What I want to know is, did your father really agree to take the fall for someone?"
Chi Xinrong nodded. "Yes, he gave my dad a sum of money and promised a lot of things, like that villa, a car, and the honorary title of Top Ten Youth, all of which will be fulfilled once my dad is released. The condition is that their relationship must remain confidential."
"Do you hate your father for this?"
"No, I don't hate him. He didn't want to be bound by poverty for his whole life or see the person he loves suffer from it either. That's why he reluctantly agreed to this arrangement. It's karma; his son is in trouble now."
I was taken aback. "When you say 'he,' are you referring to your uncle?"
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