Chapter 351: No Shame in a Father’s Punishment

The room was dim and silent.

Chu Zhengxiong, dressed in a black tunic suit, sat in the center of the sofa with his eyes lowered. He held a cigar in his large hand, thick white smoke rising slowly from it.

Chu Zhengnan, meanwhile, sat on the edge of the sofa, his elbows resting on his knees as he toyed with an exquisitely crafted butterfly knife. His body was leaned slightly forward, and from the moment Gao Zhengyang entered the private room, his wolf-like eyes had been locked onto him, the malice within them completely unconcealed.

Looking around, he saw they were surrounded by core members of the Xingchuan International Group’s internal security department. And in the very center of the room, his only son knelt like a half-dead dog, his face swollen like a pig’s head and his right eye already sealed shut.

Suddenly, Gao Zhengyang’s pupils contracted sharply.

Just half a meter away from Gao Hailong, a machete lay flat on the floor.

Even in the dim light, the machete still gave off a cold, sinister gleam.

THUD…

Upon seeing the machete, Gao Zhengyang’s legs could no longer support him. His knees went weak, and he collapsed to his knees before Chu Zhengxiong.

“Chairman Chu!”

“A son’s misbehavior is the father’s fault!”

“It’s all my fault for failing to discipline this rebellious son of mine over the years, which led him to make such a grave mistake today. I beg you, Chairman Chu, for the sake of our many years of friendship, please spare his life!”

At this moment, Gao Zhengyang had none of the bearing of a multimillionaire boss. He was simply on the ground, begging Chu Zhengxiong for mercy.

If anyone else had staged such a scene, Gao Zhengyang might have thought they were bluffing. But in Chu Zhengxiong’s dictionary, the word ‘bluff’ did not exist.

“Zhengyang.”

In response to Gao Zhengyang’s pleas, Chu Zhengxiong lifted his gaze and asked softly, “How many years have we known each other?”

“Chairman Chu, this year marks the tenth year, exactly.”

Gao Zhengyang remained kneeling, his eyes filled with desperation as he looked at Chu Zhengxiong, hoping their past friendship might stir some compassion in the man’s heart.

“Yes.”

“Ten years.”

“Time really flies.”

Chu Zhengxiong sighed wistfully. “Thinking back, how did we meet?”

“Back then, there was no Xingchuan International Group. There was no Platinum Association, no Celestial Bath Spring, no Roar Hall—none of those entertainment brands. We only had three Xiyue Clubs.”

“Likewise, your Jiuyang Trading Co., Ltd. hadn’t been established yet either.”

“I remember we met around this same time of year. What were those two guys’ names again?”

“Oh…”

“Zhao Dagang, the boss of Xingyue Club, and Liu Lei, the boss of Fusheng Administration. They ganged up on me, stabbed me in the back, and poached both of our liquor suppliers. Right before the New Year, we nearly had to shut down because we couldn’t get our alcohol supply in time.”

“Back then, it was you, Zhengyang, who stepped up and helped us get through that crisis.”

Chu Zhengxiong recounted the past events slowly and deliberately.

His voice was perfectly calm, as if he were just telling a story.

“Because of that, I’ve always remembered the kindness you showed us back then, providing help when we needed it most. For all these years, we’ve chosen to support Jiuyang Trading and help it grow, rather than replace you with other, more powerful liquor suppliers.”

“Now, Xingchuan International Group is about to begin its national expansion. Our demand for liquor will grow even larger in the future, and your Jiuyang Trading, Zhengyang, could have ridden this wave with us, soaring to new heights alongside Xingchuan International Group and transforming from a provincial supplier into a national one.”

“Who would have thought… that something like this would happen today…”

As he said this, a hint of regret finally entered Chu Zhengxiong’s voice for the first time.

He sighed softly and continued, “Zhengyang, you should know full well what Chairman Gu means to Xingchuan International Group. And as for Chairman Gu’s true identity… forget you, even I have to walk on eggshells around him.”

“Now, Chairman Gu is furious, and I must give him a satisfactory explanation. But, considering our many years of friendship, I am willing to give you a chance.”

When Gao Zhengyang heard that Chu Zhengxiong was willing to give him a chance, a glimmer of hope sparked in his eyes, and he quickly shuffled forward on his knees.

“Thank you, Chairman Chu!”

Gao Zhengyang looked at Chu Zhengxiong with hopeful eyes, eager to know what this ‘chance’ he mentioned really meant.

“Zhengyang, how old are you this year?”

Chu Zhengxiong’s tone shifted as he suddenly asked about his age.

Gao Zhengyang was baffled, but he answered truthfully, “I’m forty-nine.”

“Forty-nine…”

“Then there’s no problem. The… activity might be a bit lower, but you can still have another one.”

Chu Zhengxiong nodded slightly, muttering to himself.

The private room was dead silent, so even Chu Zhengxiong’s quiet muttering was clearly audible.

Hearing this, Gao Zhengyang’s body trembled violently. The glimmer of hope in his eyes vanished, replaced by utter despair.

“Chairman Chu, you… you…”

Gao Zhengyang’s lips quivered, and his body began to shake uncontrollably.

“Zhengyang, since your main character is a lost cause, why not take the chance while you still have time and start over with a new one?”

Chu Zhengxiong took a deep drag from his cigar, then dropped the reminiscing and got straight to the point. “Zhengyang, your son touched a woman he shouldn’t have. Whichever hand he used to touch her, that’s the hand that gets left behind. Do that, and this debt is cleared. Your Jiuyang Trading will remain the most loyal partner of Xingchuan International Group, and that big slice of the national market will still be yours.”

“But…”

“If you insist on protecting him, you can help him up right now and walk out of here with him. No one will stop you.”

“However, you’ve known me for many years. I, Chu Zhengxiong, have always been a man who clearly repays his debts, both of gratitude and of grievance. If someone doesn’t choose to settle a debt willingly, then I will choose to collect it myself. You understand what I mean, don’t you?”

As he finished, Chu Zhengxiong leaned forward and gave Gao Zhengyang a gentle smile.

“Dad…”

“Dad…”

“Save me…”

Although Gao Hailong had been beaten to a pulp, he was still conscious. Hearing Chu Zhengxiong demand one of his hands, he was instantly filled with terror.

“Chairman Chu, I can pay you!”

“Name your price! Any amount of money!”

Gao Zhengyang listened to Gao Hailong’s pleas. Even though he kept calling his son ‘rebellious,’ he was still his flesh and blood. How could he be so ruthless?

“Chairman Gu doesn’t need money.”

Chu Zhengxiong shook his head and said flatly, “Your entire net worth is probably what Chairman Gu spends for a single night of entertainment.”

“Ah, Zhengyang…”

“The two of us both came from nothing, clawing our way up. It wasn’t easy to build such an enterprise in the city. In this day and age, as long as you still have your money and your business, there’s no shortage of pretty young girls willing to bear you children.”

“Besides, we’re only asking for a hand, not his life. Even without that hand, it won’t stop him from living a life of luxury for the rest of his days. And it certainly won’t affect the Gao Family’s ability to carry on its line in the future.”

Chu Zhengxiong’s voice remained gentle from start to finish. After saying this, he rose, helped Gao Zhengyang up from his knees, and had him sit on the sofa.

“Zhengyang, have a cigar. Calm down.”

Chu Zhengxiong personally took a cigar cutter, clipped a new cigar for Gao Zhengyang, and then lit it for him before handing it over. “The knife is over there. Once you’ve made up your mind, you can choose to pick it up, or you can choose to kick it away.”

“You make the decision yourself. You have one hour to think it over.”

“If you haven’t made a decision after an hour, then we’ll have to see you out. At that point, you can just take your son and leave.”

With that, Chu Zhengxiong stood up from the sofa.

“Chairman Chu, are you asking me to do it myself?”

Gao Zhengyang looked up in shock, his eyes shot with blood.

“Of course.”

“As the saying goes, ‘There’s no shame in a father punishing his son.’ It’s only natural for a father to discipline his own child.”

“If you do it, it’s in line with the proper order of things.”

“If we do it, that would be breaking the law.”

Chu Zhengxiong smiled. “Zhengyang, we are all legitimate businessmen. The companies we run are legitimate enterprises. We would never do anything that violates the law.”

“Yes, yes, of course…”

Gao Zhengyang forced a smile and nodded in subconscious agreement.

“I’ve said all that needs to be said.”

“My part is done. The final choice is yours.”

Chu Zhengxiong lifted his broad, fan-like hand and patted Gao Zhengyang’s shoulder. “Take your time to think it over. I still need to go and report to Chairman Gu, so I won’t stay and keep you company.”

“One last thing…”

“I hope that on New Year’s Eve, we’ll still have the chance to sit together, drink, and chat merrily, won’t we?”

In response to Chu Zhengxiong’s question, Gao Zhengyang gave an almost imperceptible nod. In that instant, he seemed to have aged a dozen years, his face haggard and worn.

Seeing this, the corners of Chu Zhengxiong’s mouth lifted in a slight smile. He said nothing more, then led Chu Zhengnan and most of the internal security guards out of the private room…