Stepdaughter of a wealthy family? The little darling of a Beijing tycoon

Shen Jingshu raised her eyes and looked at Xu Chengyu indifferently, her tone cold and aloof as she replied, word by word, "I have nothing to say about the matter of my master."

Xu Chengyu was stunned. Given the Xu family's status in the business world, they were usually treated with utmost respect and deference wherever they went. He never expected that this young girl would show him the slightest bit of respect. The scrutiny in his eyes intensified as he wondered to himself if his previous investigation had overlooked something.

Three days ago, Mo Xi came to him to confide in him, embellishing the story and spreading rumors about Shen Jing Shu. He had even had someone investigate afterwards, and the information clearly stated that Shen Jing Shu was merely the stepdaughter of Li Wenqian's newlywed wife, who had come along halfway through their marriage, and had no powerful family background. But now, the other party's humble yet aloof attitude made him suspicious. Could it be that Shen Jing Shu was hiding a secret identity?

Suppressing his surprise, Xu Chengyu maintained his composure and nodded slightly: "I was being presumptuous. If Miss Shen doesn't want to mention it, it was my presumption."

Shen Jingshu then got up to say goodbye.

Mo Chu had no desire to stay in the living room at this moment. Seeing Xu Chengyu and Mo Xi chatting and laughing intimately inside the house as if no one else was there, she felt nothing but indifference. So she got up and suggested leaving as well.

Old Master Mo had seen all the entanglements before him and understood them perfectly, so he did not try to persuade him to stay any longer, but simply nodded slightly in acquiescence.

Mo Hanzhou originally intended to personally see her off as usual, to fulfill his hospitality, but Shen Jingshu said softly, "There's no need to trouble Mr. Mo. Miss Mo is leaving anyway, so it's enough for her to see me off."

Mo Hanzhou was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, somewhat surprised that she would suddenly make such a request, but he quickly suppressed his doubts, did not ask any further questions, and nodded in agreement.

Mo Chu, who was standing to the side, quickly responded with a respectful and sincere attitude: "Okay, big brother, I will personally see Miss Shen out."

The two walked side by side out of the Mo family mansion in silence until they reached the gate.

Before getting into the car, Shen Jingshu turned and took a deep look at Mo Chu beside her, speaking solemnly:

"Miss Mo, I have some knowledge of face reading and divination. Let me remind you that you must be more wary of the people around you recently. Do not be soft-hearted and back down again, or you will suffer losses for nothing."

After saying that, Shen Jingshu said no more, bent down and got into the car, and the car slowly drove away from the Mo family gate.

Mo Chu stood alone, the evening breeze gently ruffling her hair. She pondered Shen Jingshu's sudden reminder, her gaze deep and thoughtful.

On the day the Shen Group officially declared bankruptcy, Shen Yifan walked out of the company building, looking utterly dejected.

As soon as he stepped out the door, a large group of creditors, suppliers, and long-time employees who had not received a penny rushed forward and surrounded him.

A cacophony of demands for payment, accusations, and angry shouts swept in. Months of backlogged payments, overdue employee salaries for more than half a year, and layers upon layers of penalties—all the debts and all the pressure weighed heavily on Shen Yifan's shoulders.

The ordeal of just a few days completely drained him of all his arrogance and spirit. His back was hunched, his face was ashen, and his eyes were bloodshot. He no longer possessed the noble and flamboyant demeanor of the former president of the Shen Group. He looked like a plant that had been completely withered by the frost, listless and wretched.

The crowd was pushing and shouting, creating chaos, with everyone pressuring him to give an explanation and repay the debt.

Amid the commotion, a middle-aged worker dressed in simple overalls and looking haggard was driven to the brink of despair.

His young child is seriously ill and hospitalized. The medical expenses have already depleted their savings. Now the hospital is frequently pressing for payment, and if they can't pay soon, the child's medication will be forcibly stopped. He has been waiting outside the company for days, hoping to get his meager wages back to save his child's life.

Seeing Shen Yifan's blank, unresponsive face, the man's taut nerves snapped. His legs gave way, and he knelt heavily on the cold ground, his voice hoarse and broken:

"Mr. Shen! I beg you! Please have mercy! Can you pay me half my salary first? My child is still in the ICU, and if we can't pay the medical bills soon, my child won't survive! Please save my child!"

The humble plea pierced through the noisy crowd, touching the hearts of those around it.

But at this moment, Shen Yifan had already been driven to the brink of mental collapse by the relentless hardships of the past few days. He could not hear anyone's troubles; his heart was filled only with his own resentment and despair.

Looking at the kneeling, pleading workers, he felt no remorse whatsoever. Instead, a cold, self-deprecating laugh escaped his lips, his tone sharp and numb:

"I'm bankrupt! The company's gone, all my assets are gone, I have nothing left, and I owe hundreds of millions in debt! How am I supposed to pay your salaries? I can barely support myself, who's going to help me?"

These cold and heartless words were like scalding hot oil poured down on the desperate worker's heart.

All the forbearance, pleas, and hopes instantly transformed into a raging inferno.

The man suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot, filled with utter madness and despair. He abruptly pulled a fruit knife from his canvas bag, and in the instant he stood up, he used all his strength to stab Shen Yifan hard in the waist and abdomen!

"Sizzle—"

The sharp blade sliced ​​through clothing and pierced deep into flesh, the ear-piercing sound of it entering flesh suddenly echoing through the noisy doorway.

The crowd fell silent instantly. Everyone's pupils contracted sharply, and they instinctively took several steps back, staring in horror at the bloody scene before them, fearing they might be accidentally injured by the out-of-control man.

Shen Yifan froze, staring blankly down at the sharp knife deeply embedded in his waist and abdomen.

A sharp, piercing pain instantly swept through my body, and warm blood instantly soaked through my clothes, flowing continuously down the wound.

A wave of dizziness washed over me, and my vision blurred rapidly.

In the final moments before his consciousness crumbled, countless thoughts flooded his mind.

He was reborn into this world, scheming and plotting every step of the way, exhausting all his efforts to reverse his fate and protect the Shen family. He was unwilling to go bankrupt, unwilling to be utterly defeated, and even more unwilling to die!

He had just been reborn from the brink of death in his previous life. He had finally been given a second chance at life, but he hadn't yet turned the tables or taken revenge on Shen Jingshu. He absolutely could not die!

If he dies this time, he will never have another chance!

His last vestige of consciousness was sustained by an extreme will to survive. He clutched his bleeding wound and, with his last ounce of strength, hoarsely roared, "Help...help me...call 120..."

Before he could finish speaking, his body went limp and he fell heavily backward.

The scene was in complete chaos.

Security personnel reacted quickly, rushing forward and subduing the agitated worker with bloodshot eyes. Someone frantically pulled out their phone and immediately dialed 120 for emergency medical assistance and 110 for police assistance.

The piercing sirens of police cars and ambulances quickly tore through the sky.

Covered in blood and unconscious, Shen Yifan was rushed to Beijing First Hospital for emergency treatment.

The news of Shen's bankruptcy has spread throughout the entire business district of Beijing, causing a great stir and becoming common knowledge. Meanwhile, the news of Shen Yifan being attacked in public and suffering serious injuries while being rushed to the hospital is still quietly brewing.

The red light in the operating room was blindingly bright.