HBWMA -Chapter 134 Shen Zhuang Takes Action

On the surface, these words seemed to give the Shen family plenty of respect, but in reality, they pushed Shen Zhuang onto the moral high ground. With the Zhou and Su families present, if Shen Zhuang failed to handle this fairly, it would be hard for him to maintain authority among the major financial clans in the future.

Shen Zhuang nodded and looked toward Zhou Guochao and Su Jingliu on either side.

These two were seasoned old foxes as well—never missing a chance to joke around, but at critical moments they either sipped tea or lowered their heads to fiddle with their walnuts, acting as if they would leave everything to his judgment.

Shen Zhuang understood clearly that this matter couldn’t be smoothed over. After a brief moment of thought, he raised his eyes and looked at the three people in the hall.

“Your aunt is, after all, an elder. Even if she did something wrong, you’ve already made a scene and vented your anger. It’s time you go apologize to her.”

Everyone in the room was sharp. The moment the old man finished speaking, they caught the implication—he had used the term ‘aunt’, which meant Shen Guiling didn’t need to apologize.

That carried a deeper meaning.

Yao Li lowered his gaze slightly and lifted his teacup.

Back when the Yao family had tried to use Shen Guiling to threaten Shen Qian, the old man had immediately brought Shen Guiling back in a high-profile move. He would rather sacrifice his own son’s future and endure public criticism than slap Yao Ge and the Yao family in the face. From that moment, Yao Li knew that the old patriarch of the Shen family was far from losing his edge.

No matter how mischievous Jiang Huashan and Fu Sui’er usually were, they could still tell what mattered at critical moments. The two nodded obediently.

“Got it, Grandpa.”

Shen Zhuang then turned his gaze to Jiang Huashan.

“Guests are guests. Xiao Lei refrained from arguing with you because you’re young, but you didn’t know your limits and made his injuries worse. Logically, you should apologize to him.”

An apology was just an apology—she’d already beaten him up anyway, so saying a few words wouldn’t cost her anything.

Jiang Huashan nodded rapidly. “Yes, Grandpa.”

Shen Zhuang saw right through her thoughts and continued calmly, “A verbal apology isn’t enough. You need to show some sincerity. During this period, the cost of Xiao Lei’s recovery and nutrition will be deducted from your monthly allowance.”

“?!” What?!

Jiang Huashan’s eyes widened instantly. Wasn’t this too much? Supporting one “little wolf brother” was already exhausting—now she had to support that useless Yao kid too?

Shen Zhuang asked, “You’re unwilling?”

Jiang Huashan shook her head quickly. “No, no, I’m willing.”

Not an exaggeration—when she said it, it felt like half her soul had been ripped out.

The others who had been part of the earlier “joint interrogation” all rubbed the bridge of their noses in unison.

In the Shen family, the least significant punishment was a financial penalty. The old man’s favoritism was practically overflowing—so why did she look like she’d been mortally wounded?

How much allowance did Jiang Huashan even have? No matter how down the Yao family was, they wouldn’t care about such small change. This so-called “nutrition fee” was merely a pretext.

Then Shen Zhuang turned to Yao Li.

“I heard your family has also been negotiating with the US government over copper mining rights. My second son only told me after signing the contract. We’re all family—before, we didn’t know, but now that we do, it wouldn’t be right to monopolize it. I’ll have him draft a cooperation plan for you to review. That way, we can support each other. What do you think?”

Whoa—what a grand gesture from the Shen family.

Zhou Guochao and Su Jingliu both widened their eyes.

That copper mine in US was currently the third-largest discovered deposit in the world. Once developed, it would be a steady stream of wealth. It wasn’t just the Yao family eyeing it—every powerful consortium in the country had their sights on it.

After losing nearly half their assets over Yao Jun’s incident, the Yao family was in desperate need of money. This “gift” from the Shen family struck right at Yao Li’s heart.

He immediately stood up, deeply humbled. “Old Master, your generosity is unmatched. The Yao family will never forget this.”

Shen Zhuang waved his hand with a warm smile. “Don’t say that. The children are all here—no need to make things sound distant. Just one thing…”

He paused deliberately, casually lifting his teacup.

Yao Li’s heart jumped, his eyes fixed carefully on the old man.

Shen Zhuang took a slow sip, feigned a moment of thought, and then said, “As for A-Ling… since I’ve personally brought him back, he is a child of the Shen family. If a Shen child does wrong, family rules will deal with it. But if he hasn’t…”

Yao Li immediately understood what was coming next.

Shen Zhuang was about to seek justice for Shen Guiling.

Originally, the two families had already reached a settlement. But now, the Shen family had effectively “paid” for Yao Zilei’s beating with the Uz copper mine deal. To be fair, the Yao family would now have to give an explanation for allowing Yao Zilei to release a snake and harm someone.

A trace of struggle flickered in Yao Li’s eyes. In the end, he slowly closed them, then turned to look at his steward.

“Carry the young master out.”

The steward froze for a moment, clearly taken aback. After a brief pause, he hurriedly called over two bodyguards to lift the stretcher.

Lying on it, Yao Zilei groaned endlessly in pain. Even as he was carried out, his eyes were still fixed viciously on Jiang Huashan.

As soon as they exited the main hall, a sudden, piercing scream rang out from outside. The sharp, trembling cry alone was enough to make one imagine just how excruciating the pain must have been.

Moments later, the steward rushed back in, flustered and at a loss. “Sir, the bodyguards accidentally lost their grip just now. The young master fell off the stretcher and… and broke his leg.”

“!”

Everyone in the main hall seemed to pause their breathing for a split second.

Yao Li had chosen to abandon his own son in exchange for the copper mine.

Zhou Guochao and Su Jingliu had clearly anticipated this outcome long ago.

The Yao family’s third son was still in prison, and there were plenty of unresolved scandals hanging over them. Shen Zhuang had seized precisely this weakness, offering bait that Yao Li absolutely could not refuse.

It could be said that from the moment Yao Li stepped into the Shen family estate, Shen Zhuang had already taken control of the entire situation.

The two men raised their eyes almost simultaneously, sizing up this old rival-ally—still as cunning and calculating as ever.

Yao Li did his best to suppress his emotions. “Old Master, what do you think?”

Shen Zhuang glanced at him. After a brief three-second pause, he spoke in a measured tone, “Doctor Meng, go take a look quickly. Xiao Lei is still at the age of growing—don’t let this affect his ability to walk in the future.”

Hearing this, Yao Li instantly let out a long breath of relief. It seemed the old master only intended to warn the Yao family, not truly cripple them.

Shen Zhi led Doctor Meng out in haste. The anguished cries outside continued for a while before finally subsiding.

Shen Zhuang’s expression turned gentle. “A-Li, sit.”

Knowing his son’s leg would be saved, Yao Li clenched his sweat-damp palm before slowly sitting back down.

Shen Zhuang’s gaze swept across the hall, a kindly smile returning to his face.

“You all don’t visit my estate often. Why not stay for a simple lunch? A-Li, will you accompany us old fellows for a few drinks?”

Yao Li had already composed himself and smiled along. “Of course. I should also thank the two uncles for their trouble today.”

Zhou Guochao waved his hand. “Ah, that sounds too formal. Even if you hadn’t invited me, I was planning to come to Old Shen’s place for some fishing anyway.”

As he spoke, he turned to Su Jingliu and Shen Zhuang. “It’s been a long time since us old fellows gathered. Whoever passes out first later is the grandson!”

Su Jingliu snorted. “When have you not been the first ‘grandson’? Let me make this clear—I didn’t bring anyone today, so no calling in substitutes to drink for you.”

Zhou Guochao shot back, “Then tell Old Shen that—it’s his turf.” As he spoke, he cast an envious glance at the three young men standing at the front of the hall.

Shen Lanxi was as composed as an orchid, Shen Guiling as gentle as fine jade, and Shen Qingyu as radiant as the blazing sun. They were practically the dream grandsons every elder could wish for. How did Old Shen get so lucky?

Shen Zhuang chuckled, his gaze casually falling on Zhou Yanheng. “This is A-Heng, right?”

Zhou Yanheng gave a slight bow, smiling warmly. “Grandpa Shen.”

Shen Zhuang nodded. “I still remember how you helped your grandfather put me in check last time.” He then glanced teasingly at Shen Guiling.

“A-Ling, help your grandfather get a little payback later.”