Epiphanies of Rebirth Chapter 79 (Part 2)
Translated by Pure
Chapter 79.2 To Beseech and Obtain Benevolence
Of course, the Elder Qi’s method was completely different from most human smuggling. He found a huge foreign-funded cruise ship and allowed Shi Nanxing to mix with tourists, taking advantage of the crisis for personal gains.
The Shi Family emptied out all the funds from the bank while the women even sold some of their jewelry and converted all of it into US dollars. Everything was then given to Shi Nanxing to carry with him so that he could register a new legal identity with the fake ID there after going abroad.
Under the shadow of the cruise ship, the Shi Family cried in distress, and even his strong father wept. Only Shi Nanxing looked up at the majestic hull and saw the beginning of his new future.
"Go on." After the hug, Father Shi straightened his son's coat with eyes full of reluctance, "After you go out, remember to live a good life. Don't contact us anytime soon, we will find a way to get in touch with you."
"Now that you’re leaving, there’s no definite answer when we’ll meet again. Grandma doesn't have many years left to live, this may as well be the last time we see one another." The old lady wept and stroked her grandson's cheek. After a moment of thought, she took off the gold bracelet, stuffed it into Shi Nanxing's pocket, and murmured, "Alright, my grandson must be safe and live a long life."
"Xingxing, just let mother beg you this once, please just turn yourself in. Even if you were sent to jail, at least our family will have a chance to visit you. Why must you go so far?"
Shi Nanxing gave his mother a hug, and under her surging tears, pushed her away. "I'm leaving now."
The women chased after him in small steps until they were blocked outside the boarding passage.
Shi Nanxing forced himself to hand over the certificate calmly, and felt his heart beating fast as the other party was examining it. He was only able to breathe in relief after the reviewer returned it back to him.
After he put his luggage into the cabin, Shi Nanxing went to the deck and lowered his head. His family members were still waiting there, but they recognized him at a glance immediately and waved at him desperately.
In the evening, the cruise ship started, and gradually opened up the distance between the tourists and their relatives who saw them off at the shore.
The Shi Family continued to stand in place, from the size of a tiny grain of rice to until their figures completely disappeared.
Shi Nanxing looked at the gorgeous coastline in the distance. The salty sea breeze was blowing in his face, and the noisy and excited screams of the tourists filled the entire deck.
Shi Nanxing quietly leaned on the railing like an ordinary tourist, his whole life while in the land behind him came to mind. It was quite strange to say, he had gone abroad many times before, but even during the first time he hadn’t experienced his current state of complicated emotions.
He fell silent for a long time, and then finally opened his arms to welcome his new life.
To hell with prison!
******
On the shore, Grandmother Shi had not stopped weeping, but was finally helped into the car by her son and daughter-in-law.
Their life seemed to be an unbelievable TV series, with every moment including a scene of reunion or parting. They played the most unfortunate roles, receiving not even an applause. Their miserable departure only brought inexplicable looks from the family members of the other passengers.
Fortunately, there were people paying attention to their performance in the distance. Xiao Chi watched the black car drive off, and then turned his eyes back to the sea.
He directed his voice to the other end of the phone and asked, "Have you confirmed his room number?"
"Confirmed. 6006."
Xiao Chi repeated it, then hung up the phone, and glanced at the person in the passenger seat, "You got that?"
Shen Tiantian’s current appearance was completely different from when she’s usually Lin Jingzhe; her face was gloomy. At Xiao Chi’s question, she directly took out her mobile phone and started a call.
After four different calls, she finally finished the arrangements. She cussed while putting away her phone, "That piece of shit Shi Nanxing has finally fallen in my hands. He and his whole wretch-of-a family are still living a pipe dream, they couldn’t even run with the idea of sitting in prison for two or three years, humph! A day of him still living, is another day where I’m losing sleep."
Xiao Chi didn't speak.
Shi Nanxing had a complicated background and a treacherous person; he was a rarely seen man of disaster. With his eyes set on Lin Jingzhe now, even though he missed this time, there would always be a time when he would achieve his goals. However, as long as the Shi Family existed, they would definitely try their best to maintain his safety.
If it weren't for the lack of other alternatives, he wouldn't have come up with such a plan, but what he hadn’t expected was to bump into Shen Tiantian on the plane to Shanghai.
This girl...
Xiao Chi said in a deep voice after a moment of silence, "Remember not to tell Jingzhe."
Jingzhe was different from them. Although he was equally scheming in the business world, he was a law-abiding, good citizen with a sense of social responsibility. At the anti-smuggling commendation event last time, he fell into a state of melancholy for many days because of the photos of the heroes on the stage. He also took the lead in organizing a donation activity in the Yan City’s real estate circle to offer condolences to the families of the sacrificed law enforcement officers and had been busying himself with this lately.
When Shen Tiantian heard his brother's name, her sinister expression immediately faltered, and then rolled her eyes at him. "Why would I tell my brother about this, do you think I’m a fool?"
After the Shi Family's car drove a distance away, Xiao Chi started his sedan and left the parking lot. His slender fingers rested on the steering wheel while the green cuff on his suit jacket attracted Shen Tiantian's gaze.
Shen Tiantian pursed her lips and looked at it for a while, then coughed, and as if inadvertently, took out the pink little angel heart pendant around her neck from under her sweater.
Xiao Chi didn't even spare her a glance. After a turn, the afterglow of the sunset shone through the front windshield. He called out, "Tiantian, help get me my sunglasses from my bag."
Shen Tiantian inwardly retorted WTF? Were sunglasses really necessary under such weak lighting?
However, with their happy partnership just now, she gave him some face and helped him open the bag.
In the next second, Shen Tiantian’s whole body froze.
In Xiao Chi's bag, the accessories are all neatly placed in a single long box. Once opened, except for two sunglasses that seem to be the same style as her big brother’s, the small grids on the edge are all tie clips and cufflinks made of various colors and materials! It was an extremely blinding sight.
Wait, her brother couldn’t have also bought this box, right?
This style was very trendy, obviously not something that could be bought domestically...
Shen Tiantian silently picked out a pair of glasses and handed them over. Xiao Chi put them on very naturally in the dim light of the evening, then looked sideways to the side-view outside the car, revealing his neatly tied curly hair.
Shen Tiantian: "..."
I concede! Concede! Does your majesty want a kowtow too?
******
When the cruise ship sailed into the international waters, Shi Nanxing completely let go. During his short period of reluctance, he chose to numb himself with alcohol, and got drunk in the bar in the cruise ship that never sleeps.
He stumbled and touched the deck in the night, staring at the starlight in a daze, and suddenly caught a familiar figure from the corner of his eye.
"Qi Kai?!" He quickly sobered himself, and in disbelief stepped forward to grab the figure who wanted to run away, "Why are you here?!"
Elder Qi clearly said that he had sent him abroad to avoid the limelight!
Qi Kai tried to break free under his restraint, but Shi Nanxing held on to him tightly. He recalled the news he released to the outside some time ago, and suddenly realized, "You are also restricted from leaving the country?!"
"Fuck you!" Qi Kai didn't expect that he would be so unlucky, he obeyed his grandfather's orders and hid in his room the whole day. Unexpectedly, as soon as he came out for a breather at night, he was immediately caught. Hearing Shi Nanxing's question, he became furious, "You still have the guts to ask? Who’s f*cking fault is it that I was banned from leaving the country?"
The publicity of the incident in Qunnan before had obviously not completely passed away. Recently, more attention was attracted because of the celebration ceremony. In order to force Elder Qi to take action, Shi Nanxing released a lot of messy news outside, bringing a lot of unwarranted attention onto him. With the consequences of his economic crimes being investigated, even if Qi Kai could keep his life intact, he would have to go through endless suffering.
Elder Qi could only prepare a way out for him, but he was restricted from leaving the country. With the current tense and urgent rumors, if he was caught sneaking out of the country, Qi Kai would most likely be apprehended and put into custody and trialed. He had no choice but to follow through with this plan.
Shi Nanxing didn't look the least bit guilty for what he had done. After figuring out the ins and outs, he smiled sarcastically, "Interesting, and here I was wondering why the old man so easily agreed to send me abroad. It was to actually use me as your f*cking shield? He's pretty good at calculating, this way you would bear no risks at all… Even if I was caught in the end, no one would know that you were on this boat... Haha, the treatment for his biological grandchildren is naturally on a different level."
"Get lost." Qi Kai furrowed his brows upon hearing those sour words. He shook Shi Nanxing off in disgust and adjusted his coat with a frown.
Shi Nanxing smelled of alcohol and continued to pester him; Qi Kai was full of resentment, so he couldn't hold back and punched Shi Nanxing in the face.
The two began to wrestle on the deck, and Qi Kai loudly scolded, "You f*cking have the nerve to question me?! Did you think about me when you were about to flee out of the country after you couldn’t come up with the money owed to Sha Peng? Did you ever consider my safety!?"
Shi Nanxing gritted his teeth, still stuck on the thought of Elder Qi’s skillful arrangement for Qi Kai fall-back plan, "Do you always have to f*cking bring up Sha Peng?!"
There was a sudden burst of applause in their ears as pleasant male voice came from up ahead, "So Mr. Shi still remembers me? I’m touched beyond words."
Shi Nanxing and Qi Kai were simultaneously startled the moment they heard the accented mandarin. After a moment of shock, they raised their heads in disbelief.
Sha Peng's amiably smiling, slightly feminine face came into view. He was squatting on a nearby bench, his soft hair blown by the sea breeze in the night. It was a very pleasing scenery, but Shi Nanxing acted as if he had seen a ghost, his face displaying a look of horror.
"Does Mr. Shi miss me? I missed you very much." Sha Peng's smiling eyes turned away from Shi Nanxing and landed on Qi Kai, his brows raised at the latter’s unexpected presence. "I didn't expect Mr. Qi to be here as well. That’s perfect, let’s reminisce about old days together.”
*******
There was a loud clatter in the hospital ward, Elder Qi's blood-red eyes widened, "What did you say? Repeat what you just said!"
"Qi...Qi Kai is missing, along with Shi Nanxing." The young man who came to report tried to suppress his panic and repeated, "The rooms and the entire cruise ship were searched, but they were not found. According to eyewitnesses, a small boat similar to a sailboat approached the cruise ship, but it quickly disappeared. We found this in Shi Nanxing's room..."
The young man tremblingly took out a long box and opened it.
When Elder Qi saw it, his whole body began to tremble violently. His mouth opened loudly, but he couldn't utter a coherent sentence.
Laying on top of the black flannel was a single dried poppy!
*******
In the early morning, Grandma Xiao finished reading two volumes of scriptures, and ate a piece of chocolate secretly given to her by Lin Jingzhe hidden under the altar table. She then rolled the tinfoil packaging into the size of a soybean and buried it in the incense ash.
Once she finished her breakfast, changed her clothes, Grandma Xiao picked out the prayer beads made by her grandson a few years ago, and wrapped it carefully on her wrist.
When Yu Shuyuan came down, she saw her mother-in-law standing upright in the yard, so she asked while changing her shoes, "Mom, what are you doing?"
"Nothing, just taking in some fresh air." Grandma Xiao replied, "Make haste to work."
After seeing off her son and daughter-in-law, a black car drove in from the other end of the street.
The driver of the car hurriedly opened the door and exited the car, with wet tears still on his face, he wiped his eyes and said, "Elder Qi is critically ill, please… please..."
Grandma Xiao let out a long sigh, straightened her clothes, and said, "Let's go."
The top floor of the inpatient department was already in chaos, doctors and nurses flocked to the ward, overcrowding the once spacious room. As soon as Grandma Xiao entered, she saw many familiar old people. Elder Qi invited almost all the old friends he knew.
The monitor machine was issuing loud sounds of alarm, while the old man on the hospital bed looked like a handful of dry firewood. He was struggling to breath as tears rolled down the corners of his eyes, his eyes were full of despair.
When he met Grandma Xiao’s gaze, the old man trembled in shock. He held down the doctor's fast-moving hands, and faintly but firmly shook his head.
"But—" The doctor insisted on saving him.
"It's useless, just go." Elder Qi just sighed and shook his head.
The medical staff withdrew shortly after, and Elder Qi, who was sitting supported by the head of the bed, began to shed silent tears. He then suddenly turned his head and feebly looked at Grandma Xiao, "Let it be... let it be... you were right... I was wrong... I was wrong... I hurt him..."
There was pity in Grandma Xiao's eyes. "You..."
Elder Qi smiled slightly, and looked at her with pleading eyes, "Please tell me, is there a possibility... a possibility..."
Grandma Xiao remained silent.
After a long while, Elder Qi finally uttered that difficult question: "...is there still a possibility that he’ll come back alive?"
The two looked at each other for a long time. In the cloudy eyes of the skinny old man, apart from the tears, was a burning spirit.
Grandma Xiao finally couldn't bear it, and raised her hand to pat her old friend's shoulder. "As long as he repents with all his heart, there may be a glimmer of hope."
Elder Qi stared at Grandma Xiao, as if trying to confirm her words from her expression, and after a moment, tears flowed down like an opened faucet. "Thank you."
"Help me lay down, I want to rest for a while." He requested.
Several old people came forward to help, and together with Grandma Xiao, lowered his bed down.
Elder Qi was lying supine, holding the hand of the old friend beside him as he murmured to himself wearily, "I have requested many favors from you all, this may be the last one..."
His voice became quieter and quieter, and at last, peacefully closed his eyes due to Grandma Xiao's assurance.