Reborn in 1950: Shorting the Federal Reserve at the Start

Zhao Yanzi entered the room in high heels, her delicately drawn eyebrows raised, her gaze not lingering on Shen Jinghong for more than a second, as if he were invisible.

She walked straight to the corner and kicked the worn-out faux leather suitcase with her toe.

A muffled thud.

The box was so light that it even slid half a meter away because of that kick. Zhao Yanzi's face visibly fell, and her disgust was almost overflowing from the corner of her mouth.

"Is this what they call the 'overseas returnee' outfit?"

She sneered, turned to look at Shen Yaozu, who was still groaning on the ground, and said in a sharp tone full of disappointment, "Yaozu, you were just bragging to me that your brother brought back mountains of gold and silver? This is just a box of junk, even the junk collectors would complain it takes up too much space! I made a wasted trip, and even my newly done hair is ruined."

"Swallow, don't be angry!"

Ignoring his aching hand, Shen Yaozu quickly scrambled to his feet and tugged at her sleeve, his face full of flattery. "You still have a job, don't you? As long as the job is real, it's a golden opportunity!"

Upon hearing the word "work," Zhao Yanzi's long face, which had been drawn longer than a donkey's, finally softened a bit.

She shook off Shen Yaozu's hand, crossed her arms, and finally looked directly at Shen Jinghong sitting on the bench.

"Alright, since we're all family, I won't beat around the bush."

Zhao Yanzi raised her chin, her arrogant demeanor making it seem as if she were the head of the household. "Shen Jinghong, right? You've seen it too, Yaozu and I are getting married soon. I'm from the city, I have my own status. If I married an unemployed bum, wouldn't the girls at the factory laugh at me to death?"

Shen Jinghong looked at her with great interest, as if she were watching a pheasant displaying its plumage.

"So, what's your opinion, sister-in-law?"

"It's very simple."

Zhao Yanzi extended her neatly trimmed fingernails and tapped them twice on the octagonal table, producing a crisp sound. "That cadre quota allocated by the state must be given to Yaozu."

"Without this secure job, I'm not going through with the marriage! The Shen family can go find whomever they want, but I, Zhao Yanzi, will not marry a good-for-nothing!"

These words were spoken with absolute certainty, leaving no room for negotiation.

The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment, but then Mr. and Mrs. Shen reacted as if they had rehearsed it beforehand.

"Oh dear! Yanzi, calm down! It's nothing!"

Liu Cuihua approached with a beaming smile, taking Zhao Yanzi's hand and reassuring her, "Isn't the eldest son back? He dotes on Yaozu the most, Mom will take care of this for you!"

After saying that, she immediately turned to look at Shen Jinghong, her smile vanishing instantly, her change of expression so swift it was astonishing.

"Eldest brother, did you hear that? Yanzi is a wonderful girl, hard to find even with a lantern. Whether your brother's marriage goes through depends entirely on your word."

Shen Dayong also took a puff of his cigarette, exhaling a cloud of grayish-white smoke, and struck a dignified pose like that of a patriarch:

"Jinghong, you can't be too selfish. You're capable, a PhD from overseas, you can make a living anywhere. Just go teach at a school or work as a technician in a factory, people would be fighting over those jobs, wouldn't they?"

He tapped the tobacco pipe, his tone so matter-of-fact it was infuriating:

"But your brother is different. He didn't finish junior high school, he has no education or skills. If it weren't for this cadre position, his life would be ruined! As the older brother, even a little bit of money you let slip through your fingers would be enough for your brother to live on for a lifetime. This secure job must be given to him!"

"that is!"

Shen Yaozu chimed in from the side, his face full of roguish charm, "Brother, you've enjoyed so much good life in America for so many years, isn't it my turn to enjoy it too? Give me this cadre status, and I'll be a government official from now on. Our family will be proud, won't we?"

The family of three, singing in unison, worked together seamlessly.

It was as if sucking Shen Jinghong's blood was not only a matter of course, but even a virtue worthy of praise.

Shen Jinghong sat there, looking at this group of "relatives" who were like clowns jumping around, and the sense of absurdity in her heart was about to reach the sky.

Enjoying life?

While he was being hunted by secret agents in the United States, working all night in the laboratory, and washing dishes in a restaurant until his hands were peeling, these people were living a life of luxury with his hard-earned money, and now they say he's enjoying himself?

"What if I don't allow it?"

Shen Jinghong spoke softly, her voice not loud, yet it lowered the temperature in the room by a few degrees.

"You won't allow it?"

Zhao Yanzi shrieked, as if her tail had been stepped on, "You try not to let me! Shen Jinghong, let me tell you, if you don't get this done today, I'll report you to the neighborhood committee! I'll report you as a selfish, self-serving bad element who ruined my brother's marriage! Let's see how you can continue being a cadre!"

"No, no, no! We're family, what's this talk about suing!"

Liu Cuihua was startled and quickly tried to smooth things over, then suddenly pulled out a piece of paper that she had prepared beforehand from under the table.

That was an "Application for Transfer of Employment Relationship".

The handwriting on it was crooked and obviously written by Shen Yaozu. The content was roughly that Shen Jinghong voluntarily transferred the allocation quota to her younger brother Shen Yaozu due to health reasons, and that she would bear all the consequences herself.

Even the inkpad was prepared, bright red, like a gaping maw.

"Boss, stop arguing."

Liu Cuihua slammed the paper in front of Shen Jinghong, her tone laced with undeniable pressure, "Mom is doing this for your own good. Think about it, if you don't agree, how can this family live in peace? As long as you sign this, you'll be a great contributor to our family, and Mom will cook braised pork for you every day!"

"Sign quickly! Don't dawdle!"

Shen Dayong shoved the pen into his hand, his face stern, and urged, "Do you want to watch your brother remain a bachelor for life? If our Shen family line dies out, you'll be a sinner for all time!"

Moral blackmail, emotional blackmail, and tantrums and threats.

After this series of moves, if it were the weak and blindly filial Shen Jinghong from his previous life, he probably would have signed the papers with tears in his eyes long ago.

But Shen Jinghong now just finds it funny.

He picked up the pen.

It was a Parker gold pen he had smuggled from Columbia University, its nib gleaming with a cold, sharp light in the dim light.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on his hand. The greed in Zhao Yanzi's eyes, the ecstasy in Shen Yaozu's eyes, and the anxiety in his parents' eyes intertwined into a nauseating web.

"Great, that's great."

Shen Jinghong chuckled softly, his slender fingers deftly twirling the pen, the black barrel spinning rapidly at his fingertips, leaving a trail of afterimages.

"Since you've put it this way, if I don't do something in return, it would seem like I'm being unreasonable."

"That's more like it!"

Zhao Yanzi was overjoyed, her sarcastic expression instantly transforming into a smug, fawning smile. "Big brother really is sensible, having studied abroad! Don't worry, once Yaozu becomes a cadre, we'll definitely remember your kindness!"

"Yes, yes, sign it quickly!" Shen Yaozu was so excited that his hands were shaking.

Shen Jinghong stopped twirling her pen.

As he looked at the application form, which resembled a contract of servitude, the gentle smile on his lips gradually widened until it became incredibly radiant.

However, the smile did not reach his eyes at all; instead, it exuded a chilling aura that made one feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

Looking at that smile, Zhao Yanzi felt a sudden chill run down her spine, and the hairs on her body stood on end.

This spineless older brother... why is his smile so creepy?

"The pen is good, and the paper is good too."

Shen Jinghong held the pen, its tip hovering over the signature area, her voice as soft as if she were telling a ghost story:

"Unfortunately, I want to change the name on this."

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes sharp as knives, piercing Zhao Yanzi's eyes:

"I think another document is more suitable for today's occasion than a job transfer agreement."

As he spoke, he reached into his pocket (system space) with his other hand and pulled out a pre-printed A4 sheet of paper that smelled of fresh ink.

"Snapped!"

He slammed the paper down on the table, covering the ridiculous transfer agreement.

The title on the paper was five bold, black characters that glared glaringly under the light.

**Statement of Severance of Parental Relationship**