Translator: Google Translate

Editor: Sai Hiroto

The private art gallery where Shen Cheng'an held his calligraphy and painting exhibition is located in the commercial center of the city. 

On Saturday morning, there were already many people shopping. Cheng Lang also set up a large LED screen to play Shen Cheng'an's money-making PPT in a loop. The pedestrians around were attracted by this scene, and more and more spectators came to watch. Some even raised their mobile phones to record the video.

Shen Cheng'an was surrounded by passersby, listening to the noisy discussions and curses in his ears, and his intestines were about to turn green. If he had known that Shen Huaiyu would know such a difficult person, he should not have extended this hand. Even if he regretted it now, it was a bit too late.

"Take down the big screen first." Shen Cheng'an tried to calm things down, "Let's go in and talk slowly. Don't worry, I will transfer every penny of the money from the sale of the house to you."

Cheng Lang shook the price list in his hand. 

Shen Cheng'an added, "I will also transfer the one million for the funeral to Huaiyu intact. I said at the beginning that I would pay for the funeral of my eldest brother and his wife. But this child disagreed and insisted on not letting me spend the money. He insisted on paying for his parents' funeral himself, and no matter how I tried to persuade him, he would not listen... You said this matter is a mess, and in the end, I am in trouble."

Hearing Shen Cheng'an's self-mockery full of grievance, the guests gathered around and frowned. Although Cheng Lang and Shen Huaiyu came to collect debts with "evidence presented in court", they have known Shen Cheng'an for decades after all. With a preconceived notion, they are more willing to believe that Shen Cheng'an is not a bad person.

Maybe there is really a misunderstanding about this matter.

Shen Huaiyu moved his lips, not knowing how to refute Shen Cheng'an's words.

Cheng Lang smiled and said, "President Shen is wrong. Our classmate Huaiyu doesn't want President Shen to pay for the funeral. It's clearly out of sympathy for President Shen. He feels that you are middle-aged, have a wife and children, and it's not easy to support your family. These hundreds of thousands of yuan are not a small amount of money for anyone. He doesn't want to cause trouble to your family because of his own affairs. That's why he insisted on paying for the funeral himself."

"Who would have thought that President Shen could turn a funeral worth 400,000 into 1 million? I have to say something unpleasant. Even those middlemen who make a profit from the price difference wouldn't dare to be so ruthless. President Shen, you are a talent! It's a waste of talent to be the president of a calligraphy and painting association. With your tricks of taking advantage of others, if you trace back 300 years, you would have been a prime minister at least!"

"Puff!" Cheng Lang's words were really offensive. Some people at the scene couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Hearing Cheng Lang compare himself to the world's most corrupt official, Shen Cheng'an's face turned green. He was furious, but he didn't dare to lose his temper. He could only discuss with a sullen face, "I know you have misunderstood me. Let's do this! It's a mess outside, and this is not the place to talk. Let's go in and talk slowly."

After speaking, Shen Cheng'an took another look at the LED screen that was still rolling and playing in the square opposite. He begged again, "Can you turn off the screen first?"

"No." Cheng Lang shook his head and said decisively, "Do you know how much I spent on renting that screen? It costs hundreds of thousands a day! How can I stop it just like that?"

Shen Cheng'an bit his back teeth, "I'll reimburse you for this money."

"President Shen and I are not related, so why should I accept your money?" Cheng Lang looked at Shen Cheng'an and said with a smile, "If I take this money, if you are unhappy one day and report me to the police for blackmail, I will not be able to explain myself even if I have eight mouths."

Shen Cheng'an did have this plan, but seeing that Cheng Lang was not fooled, he could only smile and say, "This classmate is a bit paranoid. No matter how much trouble your actions have caused me, your original intention was to help Huaiyu. I am Huaiyu's uncle; how can I blame you?"

Cheng Lang said with a smile, "You are Shen Huaiyu's uncle; his parents just died a month ago, and you have cheated him of four or five million. I am an outsider and an outsider who has caused you trouble. If you want to cheat me for four or five years, it will probably take only four or five sentences!"

Seeing that Cheng Lang was not willing to listen and was still squeezing him, Shen Cheng'an could no longer maintain a good face, "What on earth do you want to do?"

Cheng Lang laughed and said, "President Shen is pretending to be ignorant again. I just said that we are here to collect the debt."

"The difference of 5 million for the house, plus the difference of 600,000 for the funeral expenses, a total of 5.6 million. If you return the money, we will leave immediately. From now on, we will not see each other. We will not interfere with each other's business."

Shen Cheng'an took a deep breath and said, "This 5.6 million is not a small amount. Even if I raise the money, it will take some time, right? So, let's go in and talk first. Don't worry, this money I will definitely return every penny to Huaiyu."

Even at this point, Shen Cheng'an still did not forget to make excuses for himself, "Brother and sister-in-law left too suddenly; I know Huaiyu is short of money now. I didn't think of swallowing this money. It's all because you were too anxious and didn't give me a chance to explain."

"Stop talking nonsense to me!" Cheng Lang said, "Lu Chengxuan just spent 7.8 million to buy a house, and President Shen is crying poor to me now. Don't you mean that you spent all the 7.8 million in less than a week?"

Shen Cheng'an's face changed. Just as he was about to speak, Cheng Lang continued, "Don't even think about stalling for time with me. I know that President Shen's wife is a hot-tempered woman with a difficult personality. If you are planning to stall for time and invite your wife to come and fight with us, then I can only regretfully tell you that you are wrong."

"To tell you the truth!" Cheng Lang pointed to the large LED screen across the square with his backhand, "...This is only part of it. If you don't give me the money today, I will find out where you live, where your calligraphy and painting studio is, your wife's workplace, the home addresses and workplaces of all your wife's relatives, and even your children's schools."

Shen Cheng'an finally lost his temper. He looked at Cheng Lang with a sullen face and asked with gritted teeth, "What do you want to do?"

"Don't be nervous. I'm sure I won't do anything illegal." Cheng Lang said with a smile, "But I've already made an agreement with the restaurants and convenience stores near these places. Starting tomorrow, this recording will be played every day. If you don't want everyone around you to know that you are a shameless, greedy person who cheated your brother's funeral expenses and your nephew's life-saving money, just hand over the money obediently."

When Cheng Lang said this, the smile on his face finally disappeared. He walked forward a few steps carelessly, looking down at Shen Cheng'an, "You dare to take such money. If you don't have dreams in the middle of the night, are you shameless during the day?"

Cheng Lang's words completely broke Shen Cheng'an's psychological defense.

Shen Cheng'an knew that if he didn't do what Cheng Lang said, Cheng Lang would really do those crazy things.

"For such a small amount of money, you harass my family so unscrupulously. Don't you think it's too much?" Shen Cheng'an scolded with a sullen face.

"For this little money, you can watch your nephew die. Don't you think you are shameless?" Cheng Lang said with a smile, "Don't play moral blackmail with me. You don't have something; do you think I have it?"

Shen Cheng'an looked at Cheng Lang and was defeated.

After a long time. Shen Cheng'an came back to his senses and said with his back teeth, "I will give you money. Get out of here!"

Cheng Lang raised his eyebrows, "The speed at which I get out depends on you."

Shen Cheng'an took a deep breath and didn't have the patience to talk to Cheng Lang anymore, "You guys come in with me."

Cheng Lang glanced at the art museum, narrowed his eyes, and said, "Don't think about playing any illegal detention with me. I have to go to work at night. I believe President Shen knows where I work. If the money I earn every night is delayed by your illegal detention, I will file a lawsuit in court and ask for compensation."

Cheng Lang said, and then glanced at the security personnel around him, "You have also thought about it. Is it worth going to jail for such a small salary?"

The security personnel who were swept by Cheng Lang's eyes looked at each other and subconsciously stepped back several steps.

Shen Cheng'an took a deep breath, "This little classmate is thinking too much."

"Be careful in everything and say the ugly words in advance. It's good for both you and me." Cheng Lang said and suddenly remembered something. He took out the professional recorder that was recording from his pocket and pressed the pause button. Save the previous audio. While Shen Cheng'an was not paying attention, he pressed the record button again.

"The recording of a public event is legally binding. I believe President Shen also understands this." Cheng Lang curled his lips with a smile, "President Shen just said that the difference in the price of the house was voluntarily transferred to Shen Huaiyu. It's just that we were too impatient and misunderstood you for a moment. Right?"

Shen Cheng'an didn't know what Cheng Lang was up to and looked at him impatiently, "What do you want to say?"

"Nothing, just to confirm." Cheng Lang said, "After all, this house was transferred to your own name when you gave Shen Huaiyu a down payment of 2.8 million. Now we are asking for the difference, I'm afraid that you will come to your senses and feel that you have suffered a loss. Come to sue us."

"Although we are not afraid of you suing." Cheng Lang paused for a moment and said with concern, "... Mainly because we are afraid of your shame."

Hearing this, the crowd couldn't help but smile. They must be afraid of Shen Cheng'an's shamelessness.

Shen Cheng'an felt a splitting headache. But he was a man of status after all. If he wanted to continue to mix in the calligraphy and painting circles of this city, he really had to have shame.

"I said it a long time ago; this is a misunderstanding. I never thought of swallowing up Huaiyu's house at half price. It was just that the situation was urgent at the time, and I was worried that the house could not be sold. That's why I resorted to this desperate measure. Later, I raised money to make up the remaining house payment to Huaiyu... You don't believe me, what can I do?"

"I believe it now." Cheng Lang pressed the save button and said with a smile, "It was indeed a misunderstanding. President Shen is a man of high moral character. I am ignorant. I judge others by my own standards. President Shen is magnanimous; don't take it to heart."

What do you want to do again? Shen Cheng'an looked at Cheng Lang with suspicion. I don't know what this kid is up to.

Cheng Lang turned his head to look at Shen Huaiyu and ordered, "You keep track of the time here. If I don't come out in half an hour, call the police."

After speaking, he turned back to look at President Shen; his face changed again, "Let's go! What are you dawdling for? Do you not want to hold this calligraphy and painting exhibition, or do you like this LED?"

Shen Cheng'an turned his head and entered the art museum with a sullen face.

Cheng Lang followed Shen Cheng'an into the office. Shen Cheng'an said with a bad face, "You are so young, but you are too cruel."

Cheng Lang said carelessly, "One of us is a real villain, and the other is a fake gentleman. Don't say anything about each other."

Shen Cheng'an signed a cash check for 5.6 million and handed it to Cheng Lang. He couldn't help asking, "What did you mean by what you said at the door just now?"

Although the confrontation was short, Shen Cheng'an had already deeply understood what kind of person Cheng Lang was. He didn't believe that Cheng Lang would do something meaningless. It couldn't be that Cheng Lang just made such a long speech on a whim and satirized him when he had nothing to do.

Cheng Lang sneered, "I'm just afraid that you won't be willing to give up the money and will regret it in the future, cutting off your retreat."

Shen Cheng'an is a cultured person, and cultured people have to have dignity. As long as Shen Cheng'an wants to stay in this city, he won't ask Shen Huaiyu for money. And Cheng Lang's words just now can be regarded as a unilateral step for Shen Cheng'an. 

As long as Shen Cheng'an is thicker-skinned, he can insist that he didn't want to covet the money from the sale of his nephew's house and the funeral expenses. Everything is just a misunderstanding.

Many times, people care not about the truth but an excuse to justify themselves.

Cheng Lang knows that Shen Cheng'an is a person who is greedy and likes false reputations. As long as there is a chance, he will not do something that will make both sides die. 

What Cheng Lang wants is for Shen Cheng'an to look ahead and behind and be timid. By then, Cheng Lang won't have to think of any solution. For the sake of his own reputation, Shen Cheng'an will also stop those who want to go to Shen Huaiyu to make trouble and try to get the money back.

A harmless concession in exchange for a collar to restrain a mad dog. Cheng Lang would certainly do such a calculated deal.

Shen Cheng'an also figured it out. He looked at Cheng Lang and suddenly said, "Wait a minute."

Shen Cheng'an rewrote a cash check for 6 million and handed it to Cheng Lang, "I said at the beginning that I would pay for the funeral expenses of my eldest brother and his wife, but Huaiyu refused. Now things have become like this, and no one wants to see it. You are right; Wu Jin is still lying in a coma in the hospital. It is normal for Huaiyu to get stuck in a dead end to raise money for his brother's treatment. As an elder, I certainly cannot be on the same level as him."

Cheng Lang chuckled, "It's good that President Shen knows the interpersonal relationship. It's just a misunderstanding; just talk it out. I won't accept this money. But in the future, you and your family should be more careful about what you say and do. Since you can understand your nephew's difficulties, don't say bad things about him behind his back. Otherwise, it's not good for everyone to see President Shen and your family say one thing in front of you and do another behind your back."

Cheng Lang still remembers that in the original book, after Shen Huaiyu was kept by Lu Chengxuan, there were constant rumors outside. Among them, Shen Huaiyu's cousins ​​played a great role.

"Your twins will take the college entrance examination this year, right? I heard that they will also apply for our school?" Cheng Lang said with a smile, "Then next year everyone will be seniors and juniors. I will definitely take good care of them."

Shen Cheng'an looked at Cheng Lang with a slightly gloomy face.