However unwilling Fu Haiting was, he still gave Zhao Changjiang the money he demanded.
After all, he and Zhao Changjiang were in the same boat now. If it sank, neither of them would come out unscathed.
It was just that Fu Haiting was still extremely irritated.
He had gone to great lengths to snatch the position of Family Head from his older brother, yet neither of his two children was a Superpower User.
This meant that once he stepped down, the position of Family Head would fall into the hands of a collateral branch.
Then wasn’t everything he was doing now all for naught?
That was why he and Zhao Changjiang had secretly supported Gong Tianhua’s research into the transformation agent. But who could have imagined that less than three months after it started, the project would be shut down? Not only was Gong Tianhua arrested, but Fu Haiting also had to fork over a huge sum of money.
Fu Haiting, consumed by worry, lit another cigarette.
The sudden roar of an engine outside made Fu Haiting frown. He rose and went to the window.
He saw his son, Fu Qi, stumble drunkenly out of the car and stagger toward the villa.
His eyes narrowed, and he walked out of the room.
Fu Qi ran right into Fu Haiting the moment he walked through the door. He greeted him with a goofy grin.
"Dad, I’m back before 10 o’clock today!"
Seeing Fu Qi acting like a three-year-old, seeking praise for something so trivial, a wave of fury surged in Fu Haiting’s chest. He lashed out and slapped his son across the face.
Fu Haiting was a Superpower User, far stronger than an ordinary person. Even though he had held back, the force of the blow sent Fu Qi flying five meters, and he slammed hard against the door.
"Aargh!"
Fu Qi cried out in pain. The sound brought out his mother, Tian Lu, and his sister, Fu Jialin, who both peeked out to see what was happening.
"Qi!" Tian Lu’s heart ached. She rushed to her son’s side and gently touched his already swelling face. "Haiting, what are you doing?"
Fu Haiting glanced at his wife. "Get out of the way."
How could Tian Lu dare to move? She shielded her son with her body. "Haiting, if you have something to say, let’s talk to him properly. You can’t just hit him. You’re a Superpower User—you don’t know your own strength! What if you seriously injure him?"
"Injure him? So what if I beat him to death?"
"Fu Haiting!" Tian Lu shrieked. "That’s your own son!"
Fu Qi, terrified by his own father’s words, hid pitifully behind Tian Lu like a frightened chick.
"My own son?" Fu Haiting laughed. "Right, my own flesh and blood. And a useless, gluttonous, dissolute brat. What do I want a son like that for?"
His words were clearly off. Tian Lu quickly gave the servants a meaningful look, signaling them to take Fu Qi away. She then walked to her husband’s side, coaxing him in a soft voice, "Haiting, if something’s troubling you, just tell me. Don’t take it out on the children. Come on, let’s go talk in the study."
Fu Haiting did, in fact, calm down and allowed Tian Lu to guide him to the study.
A servant helped Fu Qi upstairs, where he came face-to-face with his sister, Fu Jialin, in the hallway.
Fu Jialin hadn’t come down at all. She was leaning over the railing, watching the drama unfold with a gloating expression.
Rage flared in Fu Qi at the sight of her, and he reached out to teach his sister a lesson.
Fu Jialin nimbly stepped back, dodging his hand.
"What? Got a lecture from Dad, and now you want to take it out on me? Fu Qi, have you no shame?"
"Who the hell do you think you are, ridiculing me?!" Fu Qi shoved the servant aside and lunged at Fu Jialin.
Fu Jialin was at a disadvantage in size, and her strength was no match for her brother, who was three years her senior. But she was agile. With a quick twist, she slipped into her room and slammed the door shut right in Fu Qi’s face, catching him on the nose.
Fu Qi’s nose went numb with a jolt, followed by a wave of intense pain as the numbness faded. Two warm streams of liquid trickled from his nostrils.
"Fu Jialin!" Fu Qi roared, pounding on the door with all his might. "Open this goddamn door!"
Inside, Fu Jialin stuck out her tongue. She wasn’t an idiot; there was no way she was opening the door for Fu Qi.
In the study, Tian Lu kneaded Fu Haiting’s shoulders and asked in a soft, gentle voice, "Haiting, what happened?"
Fu Haiting had a habit of discussing important family matters with Tian Lu.
It wasn’t that he needed her to make decisions for him, but that in telling her, he could release his stress and organize his own thoughts.
Fu Haiting briefly explained what had happened. As Tian Lu listened, her hands stilled on his shoulders.
"I was busy with my skincare routine tonight and didn’t see the evening news. I can’t believe something so major happened." Tian Lu frowned. "How much money did Zhao Changjiang ask for?"
Fu Haiting stated a figure, and Tian Lu gasped.
"That much!"
Fu Haiting rubbed his temples. "The Lower City District has over three million people. If you exclude those who can fend for themselves, there are still nearly one million, eight hundred thousand people waiting for government relief. There’s no way Zhao Changjiang would ask for a small amount."
Now, Tian Lu understood why Fu Haiting had lost his temper earlier. If it were her, she would have been angry too upon seeing their son in that state.
But she would, at most, scold him a little. She wouldn’t resort to violence.
"Haiting, what if we take Qi and Jialin to the Shanghai Survival Base? I heard they’ve made new progress in their genetic sequence research. Maybe we could let the children try it out?"
"It’s not as simple as you think. Unless our entire family leaves the Imperial City and relocates to Shanghai, they won’t let us participate in their genetic sequence modification program."
Tian Lu pursed her lips and sighed.
The four major survival bases were in competition with one another, and certain core research breakthroughs were reserved exclusively for their own personnel.
Even though Fu Haiting was the Fu Family Head, he couldn’t just issue a command and expect the entire Fu Family to obey meekly.
The Imperial City was the Fu Family’s home, their roots. They would not relocate unless it was a matter of life and death.
And without the backing of the Fu Family, even if the four of them moved to Shanghai, they wouldn’t be eligible for a spot in the genetic sequence modification program.
That was a privilege reserved for the rich and powerful.
After considering everything, their only hope was still Gong Tianhua.
"So, if we give him the money, will Zhao Changjiang be able to find a way to protect Gong Tianhua and let him continue his research on the transformation agent?"
"I don’t know. But Zhao Changjiang needs the transformation agent more than I do."
After all, he just wanted his branch of the family to hold the position of Fu Family Head for the foreseeable future. Zhang Changjiang’s ambitions, on the other hand, were far greater.
The amount of money pained Tian Lu, but you have to make sacrifices to get what you want. She could only hope the transformation agent would be successfully developed soon.
After placating Fu Haiting, Tian Lu went to her son’s room.
The servant had already treated Fu Qi’s injuries and was walking out with the first-aid kit.
The moment Fu Qi saw his mother, he started tattling. "Mom, Fu Jialin made fun of me, and she hit me!"
Tian Lu sighed, exasperated. "Qi, you’re already nineteen years old."
Fu Qi didn’t understand. "What do you mean?"
"You can’t keep acting like an eight-year-old, running to me to complain every time you have a problem with your sister. Besides, you’re the older brother. What’s wrong with letting her win once in a while?"
"You’re blaming me?!" Fu Qi looked wounded. "I came home today, didn’t do a single thing, and got slapped by Dad for no reason. Then I get ridiculed by Fu Jialin. Instead of comforting me or sticking up for me, you’re calling me childish? Fine. Fine! I get it now. In this family, I’m not even worth a fart!"