Chapter 4 - I Underestimated You

When Shen Leng and Meng Changan saw Mr. Meng walking in, they were both dumbfounded. They instinctively looked at each other, seeing extreme fear in each other’s eyes.

“First...first-in-command?”

Meng Changan looked at his father and yelled at the top of his lungs, before punching and kicking him, “What are you trying to do! What have you done!”

Mr. Meng lifted both hands, one holding a birdcage and the other holding a teapot. He let his son hit his round and bulging stomach for a while, without saying anything. He lowered his head and looked at his son; his eyes were filled with love.

After Meng Changan got tired of hitting him, Mr. Meng instructed his men, “Take young master away and let him get some rest...”

Meng Changan took a few steps back, “Don’t you try to take me away. You owe me an explanation.”

“An explanation?”

Mr. Meng looked at his son and stayed silent for a few moments before replying, “Since you have already seen everything, let me reveal it all to you ahead of time.”

He touched his nose with the teapot and said, “I, your father, am the strongest sea bandit of the No. 13 Sea Bandits of the Grand Canal. Are you finding it hard to accept? Think about it - your clothes and daily necessities, including food…the items that you like, as well as the fees needed for Yanta Academy of Classical Learning in Changan. I earned my money by doing this. Ever since you were a baby, you have been using dirty money. You were fed with the money earned illegally. You are the son of a sea bandit. Don’t look at me that way. I was planning to tell you when you are older and are capable of helping me. However, it’s good that you find out earlier. It will give you more time to get accustomed to it.”

“I don’t believe you!”

Meng Changan charged at his dad and grabbed him by the collar, “Father, did they coerce you?”

“They coerced me?”

Mr. Meng laughed out loud. “Hahahaha...in this place, nobody dares to coerce me. Son, you must remember, I am doing everything for you. Only you can coerce others to do things for you, never the other way round.

Tears kept rolling down Meng Changan’s cheeks. “No! I don’t want your dirty things. I want a clean and honest father!”

Slap!

Mr. Meng lifted his hand and slapped Meng Changan. His eyes were filled with pain as he did that. He reached out his hand and touched his son’s face, “Painful, isn’t it? Don’t blame me. You’re too young to understand. Go back and reflect on it. Have a good sleep.”

He turned around and ordered, “Send young master back!”

A few sea bandits went up to Meng Chang’an, “Young master, don’t argue with first-in-command anymore. Go back with us.”

Meng Changan could recognize them - they were workers in the weaving mill. These people looked honest and sincere in their daily lives. Who would have expected them to be sea bandits who killed without blinking?

“No!”

Meng Changan took a few steps back and said, “I don’t wanna go back. I want to see for myself what else is my father capable of doing. I want to know if my father is capable of doing ruthless things in front of his son.”

“Let him see for himself then.”

Mr. Meng had a cold look on his face, “It’s better to expose him earlier than later.”

He walked over to the side and sat down. He did not even bother looking at the nearby Shen Leng, who was still dumbstruck.

After he sat down, a few sea bandits brought in two people with them. A burlap bag was placed over their upper bodies. Shen Leng could tell they were Mr. Shen and the young girl named Cha Yan. The young girl seemed to be trembling as she walked. She was evidently frightened.

“Mr. Shen.”

Mr. Meng pointed at Mr. Shen. Thereafter, someone removed the burlap bag that was covering him.

Mr. Shen seemed fine. He had a calm look on his face. He stood there with his hands bound, yet he did not look weary at all.

“A man from an influential family is indeed cultured and classy.”

Mr. Meng could not help but exclaim in admiration. Thereafter, he got someone to give him a chair. “Sit down and let’s talk.”

He thought about how to phrase his words and said, “Mr. Shen, I’m sure you know that I only want money. I will not kill anyone unless I am forced to. I had sent my men to collect some intel on you for more than a year. I know that you come from a wealthy family in Huaiyuan city. How about this - could you please write a letter addressed to your family, telling them that all is well here. Get them to prepare a ransom to take you back. I know that your family does not lack money, and hence you won’t be stingy. Just 50,000 taels of silver will do.”

Shen Leng merely looked at him, not saying a single word.

“Don’t be like this.”

Mr. Meng felt somewhat awkward and said, “Both of us are acquaintances. Do we have to go down that path? If you refuse to cooperate, I have no choice but to think of ways to threaten and coerce you. You seem pretty fragile - I’m sure you would not be able to withstand any beatings. Hence, I have no choice but to choose to scare you into giving in, while giving you some time to consider at the same time.

He stood up and walked over to the young girl, Cha Yan. He removed the burlap bag from her and said, “I have taken a fancy to this girl since the first time I saw her. Didn’t I mention before that if it’s meant to be, it would be nice for her to marry my son, Meng Changan? At that time, you shook your head and did not say a single word. That was when I knew you looked down on our small family business, since your family owns a big one. Hence, I’ve changed my mind. Since my son is not fated to be with her, let me enjoy on his behalf.”

He reached out her hand and touched Shen Cha Yan’s chin, “I’m guessing it’ll take less than twenty breaths for me to remove all her clothes. So, you better give me an answer within twenty breaths. After that, once all her clothes are off, I will not be able to control myself.”

Mr. Shen furrowed his brows slightly, “How can a person be this warped?”

“Hahahaha...warped? If you met someone who was actually warped, you would not be saying this about me.”

Mr. Meng sneered, “I’m sure you haven’t seen how it’s like after a flood - where the bad harvest caused everyone to be starving, to the point they had to eat dead children, who starved to death, to survive. Or how poor beggars get into bloody fights in order to fight over a steamed bun given by a wealthy man. I have witnessed them all, way too many times before. Sometimes, these noblemen would toss some copper coins and steamed buns intentionally for their own enjoyment to watch the beggars fight, egging them on, telling them that whoever wins shall receive the money and buns.”

He patted Shen Cha Yan’s shoulders, “Noble people like you will never understand such despair. I have experienced it before, hence I told myself that I will never go through it again. Come to think of it, it’s rather strange. I need to thank all the wealthy noblemen. If not for their merrymaking ways, I would never have discovered the hatred within my bones. Without being aware of this hatred, I would never have been able to lead my brothers down this path.”

He sighed, “Perhaps due to old age, I’m easily overwhelmed by strong emotions. I said that I would only give you a timeframe of twenty breaths. Ultimately, I spoke too much and before I know it, time’s up. Let’s try this once again. I will give you another twenty breaths. Starting from now.”

He reached out his hand to unbutton Cha Yan’s clothes. It was an unforgivable blasphemy for his fat and greasy fingers to even touch her.

“Don’t touch her!”

Shen Leng came charging towards Mr. Meng.

Shen Leng had never gotten into a fight before. He did not like fighting. He was the complete opposite of Meng Changan - the latter had always liked getting into fights since he was a child.

Hence, at this moment, all Shen Leng could do was headbutt him.

“Eh?”

Mr. Meng slightly stepped aside and grabbed Shen Leng by his collar. He lifted him up, as though he was grabbing a chick, to his eye level.

“Stupid Leng. Look into my eyes.”

Mr. Meng’s words instilled fear in Shen Leng. He could not help but tremble.

“I thought you were brave. But look, you don’t even dare to look me in the eye. Humans are strange. I treat my son Changan so well. Every single day I dote on him, giving him everything he wants, including money. If I don’t give him money, he would get mad at me. As for you, I hit you every single day. If I don’t hit you, you feel happy and blissful. You attacking me earlier only goes to show how well you’ve hidden your hatred towards me. It merely got released abruptly earlier.”

“No...”

Shen Leng clenched his teeth. He abruptly lifted his head and looked directly at Mr. Meng’s eyes. Those eyes were fearless.

“Before today, I have never once hated you. Mr. Shen once told me to take gratitude more to heart, rather than hatred. You brought me home from the snow-covered ground. I am indebted to you for saving my life. This is the greatest grace one can ever give in this world. Right now, I hate you because you are a sea bandit. A sea bandit who harms others!”

“Oh my, this is a fella who’s well aware of love and hate.”

Mr. Meng lamented, “And to think I looked down on you. I’m touched by your words. I shouldn’t have treated you so poorly. Forget it, I will change my ways from today onwards, and be nicer to you. Let me be nice to you right now...don’t you think this girl is pretty? She’s beautiful, huh? She’s yours. Right now, I want you to remove all her clothes in front of everyone and do whatever you want to her. What do you think? I’m nice to you, huh?”

He tossed Shen Leng towards Cha Yan’s feet.

“You dare to do it?” asked Mr. Meng.

He kicked Shen Leng, “If you don’t, don’t blame me for not giving you a chance. I will count to ten - if you remove all her clothes, she’s yours. If not, let me show you how to subdue a beautiful young lady.”

At this moment, Mr. Shen broke the silence and said, “See that? That’s the complexity of human nature.”

The young girl who was supposed to be frightened nodded her head and said earnestly, “I see that. You have said before that good and evil are intertwined in human’s nature. Nobody can clearly distinguish good and evil. I did not understand back then, but now I do. He’s unable to separate the kindness for his son from the wickedness towards me and that silly boy.”

Mr. Shen stood up. The ropes binding his body had already come undone, they fell to the ground like a snake that had been cut into pieces.

“Mr. Meng, you have collected intel on me for more than a year? Did you think that I did not do the same to you? No. 13 Sea Bandits - the one and only Bai Litu who had killed countless. Mr. Meng or Bai Litu - which one are you?”

Mr. Meng was taken aback, “I have truly underestimated you.”

“You have also underestimated me.”

Shen Cha Yan, who was standing not far from them, took action. She had a huge amount of explosive force within her small and tender body.

She extended her left leg and lifted her right arm before charging in front.

Bam. Mr. Meng’s heavy body flew upon impact.

“That’s enough.”

Mr. Shen said plainly, “Learn how to control your own emotions. You’re still young, I don’t want you to get involved in any killings. Take both of them out and don’t let them witness what will happen next.”

Cha Yan acknowledged what he said and grabbed Shen Leng and Meng Changan in each hand and jumped out of the window.

When the three of them jumped out, one strand of hair fell to the ground - it belonged to either one of them. Mr. Shen looked at the strand of hair and lightly waved his hand. It flew away with the wind and disappeared without a trace.

A moment later, everyone collapsed. There was a red line across every single one of their necks.

Mr. Shen turned around and walked out. There were no more sea bandits in sight, only sorrow in the eyes of the two youths.