Scumbag A's Plan to Save the Heroine - Chapter 41

The cane’s sharp tip scraped across the floor, emitting a harsh, clattering sound. By the time Fu Jin Yan, kneeling with his head bowed, realized what had happened, the cigarette butt his knee had been pressing against had already been moved aside by the cane.

Faint sparks flickered weakly, the gas flame slowly dying in the air.

Fu Jin Yan looked up, his eyes filled with surprise and suspicion. In his memory, his father’s attitude had always been cold and stern, their relationship as unyielding as a mountain.

An indescribable bitterness swelled within him, threatening to erupt—the clash between familial affection and rigid rules. It was the warmth a man who had always walked on thin ice over a glacier could not accept.

Something he had desperately yearned for as a child suddenly appeared before him without warning, clamoring to embrace him. This sudden display left Fu Jin Yan speechless. He knelt silently, pretending not to feel the burning sensation in his knee, and lowered his head again in evasion.

In truth, his knee wasn’t in much pain.

As an Alpha with masterful control over his mental energy, he had focused his mental power beneath his leg the instant his knee touched the cigarette butt, neutralizing most of the pain.

Fu Fu remained oblivious.

“How utterly foolish are you? Can’t you even feel the heat of a cigarette butt?” The cane pounded the floor relentlessly, each strike conveying its owner’s simmering rage, as if it wished to bore a hole through the floor in its fury.

Fu Fu’s deeply wrinkled face tightened. His once-straight posture had gradually stooped with age, and his health had deteriorated significantly. Even with a constant influx of spiritual energy sustaining his life, he could feel his vitality slowly ebbing away, nearing its end.

Gazing at his kneeling, headstrong son, Fu Fu saw a reflection of his late wife from years ago. Unlike his own temperament, Jin Yan had inherited his mother’s reserved and stubborn nature.

This quiet defiance didn’t mean Jin Yan had yielded; rather, his silence was merely the calm before a greater storm. In contrast, his recently reunited son had taken after him, quick to anger and unrestrained in his emotions.

Fu Fu closed his eyes and sighed. “Get up.”

Though the flamboyant pajamas remained dust-free, Jin Yan instinctively brushed his trouser legs as he stood, a habit ingrained from years of wearing suits to social gatherings, as if to shake off any imaginary dust.

Unlike the draping wool of a suit, the cotton fabric only made the dust cling tighter. Fu Jin Yan frowned, clasped his hands behind his back, and looked slightly awkward.

In just a week, he hadn’t been able to shake off the bad habits he’d cultivated over years. Back when he was rushing between flights, he often couldn’t even go home, forced to take off and land repeatedly in his suit, getting used to sleeping in VIP lounges.

“What are you standing there for like an idiot?” Fu Fu’s expression softened slightly as he noticed his son’s awkwardness, his tone becoming gentler. “Aren’t you going to sit down? Are you waiting for me to pull up a chair for you?”

Fu Jin Yan froze for a moment, his body reacting faster than his mind. He swiftly moved a chair to the opposite side of his desk. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he hesitated before opening the door and fetching a soft chair from the adjacent room, replacing the hard wooden stool at the head of the desk.

Though he rarely spent time at home, the decor of his private bedroom maintained the same restrained style as his office. Long ago, to avoid indulging in luxury, he had replaced all the custom-made furniture with ordinary, commercially available pieces.

After all, only when company leaders set an example of frugality and diligence could employees be motivated to make selfless contributions to the company.

Fu Fu settled into the soft chair, observing everything silently. Or rather, he had never ignored his son’s achievements over the years. He had been watching everything, even the cautious schemes his second son had harbored when they were first reunited.

Reflecting on this, the fiasco at the family reunion banquet was inextricably linked to his own parenting. His son’s relentless work ethic, his ruthless pursuit of maximizing profits—everything mirrored Fu Fu’s own behavior in his younger days.

The two men locked eyes for a long moment. Finally, unable to bear the inner torment, Fu Jin Yan awkwardly averted his gaze. Only then did the elderly man in the soft chair slowly speak, revealing the true purpose of his visit today.

“I’ve carefully reviewed your accomplishments at the company over the years. You’ve done… well. The incident at the reunion banquet was an unfortunate accident. You’ve endured criticism, scorn, and cold treatment these past few days. I believe you’ve set new standards for yourself. It’s time for you to return to the company.”

The emphasis of the sentence should have been on the words “return to the company,” but Fu Jin Yan’s attention was entirely focused on the first half. He listened intently, even though his father’s “not bad” was spoken so softly it seemed a mere breeze could scatter it. Yet within him, a stagnant sea of despair erupted into a tumultuous storm of hope. It wasn’t until a purple invitation was pressed into his hand that Fu Jin Yan snapped out of his sudden euphoria.

He instinctively tried to open the invitation like a company document, only to discover it was a fingerprint-activated invitation. Placing his hand on the vertical column covering the left two-thirds of the card, his fingerprint unlocked the layers of security, revealing its true contents.

Purple-edged invitations to the Norton Ball were not uncommon; Fu Jin Yan had received them in the past when he was still immersed in company affairs. However, what lay within this particular invitation was far from ordinary.

Fu Jin Yan’s hand trembled as he held the gold card. Every candidate vying to inherit the family business knew what this card signified. He lifted his head in shock, staring at his father in disbelief.

Fu Fu rose to his feet under his son’s undisguised gaze of astonishment. He tilted his head back to look at the ceiling, then closed his eyes and struck the floor heavily with his cane several times, as if pouring the weight of his life into each resounding thud. “Choose a few people you trust to take positions in the Federation. Carefully vet your inner circle. If things go wrong, don’t expect me to bail you out.”

“Yes!” Fu Jin Yan’s grief turned to elation, his joy so overwhelming that he completely forgot about the other paper in his hand. It was only Fu Fu’s subsequent reminder that prevented him from missing the Norton Ball altogether.

Just as he was about to leave, the once-towering man, now visibly stooped, turned back. His demeanor softened, betraying the concern of an aging father who couldn’t help but worry. “Don’t forget to attend the Norton Ball. The rumors outside are swirling like a storm, and you haven’t been to the company in ages. If you go straight back now, people will gossip behind your back. Attending the ball will give them a preemptive warning.”

“Oh, and one more thing.” Recalling the news he’d received yesterday, Fu Fu frowned and couldn’t resist adding, “Zhi Qiu will also be at the ball. Try to avoid being her dance partner. That girl isn’t as simple as she seems. Don’t get into any confrontations with her, understand?”