Chapter 309 - 308: Then You Can Just Die

Grandma Ji choked back her words.

She felt her years of authority being challenged. They were no longer listening to her.

She glared at the few who had remained silent. "What is the meaning of this? Have you taken something from Ji the Third’s family? Hand it over, now. Otherwise, don’t expect me to be good to you ever again."

The second son flinched and said nothing.

The fourth son craned his neck defiantly. "What other meaning could there be? All the benefits go to Eldest Brother’s family anyway. Little Yan is getting adopted, so what do I have to say! You even snatched away a necklace I bought for my wife. I wouldn’t dare count on you for anything anymore."

Grandma Ji was so furious her eyes rolled back. "You... You..."

Ji the Third hurriedly went to support Grandma Ji.

He looked at his son’s straight back, then at his pale old mother, and a spark of belated anger finally ignited in his eyes.

"Little Yan, haven’t you caused enough trouble? If you keep this up, I’ll really disown you!"

Ji Shiyin stood up, not even glancing at him. "Clan Leader, the matter is settled then. I have other things to attend to, so I’ll be leaving."

The Clan Leader smiled and nodded. "Alright."

Grandma Ji was stunned.

"Stop right there!" she shouted. "The adoption is impossible! Over my dead body!"

Ji Shiyin turned his head. "Then you might as well die."

Grandma Ji clutched her chest. "Look how he’s provoked me! What are you still standing there for? Go stop him, you useless good-for-nothing. You can’t even raise your own son right."

Ji the Third hurriedly went to block him.

He looked at his son’s tall yet somewhat frail frame, his gaze shifting as he pulled his hand back. "I’m sorry, son. It was my fault for not protecting your mother."

Ji Shiyin watched him in silence.

Ji the Third said, "I’ve wronged you in this, but your mother was at fault too. She’s quick-tempered and worries too much. It has nothing to do with your grandmother. You shouldn’t disrespect your grandmother. She’s old, and your grandfather passed away young. Back then..."

Ji Shiyin shoved him aside. "Get lost!"

Ji the Third crashed into the wall, his face deathly pale.

Grandma Ji watched in a panic. Things were out of control—completely out of control.

"Aren’t you just angry because I want you to support your cousin as the next Family Head? Have you even considered that your cousin has been married for years, while you don’t even have anyone you fancy? Do you have any right to be the Family Head?"

"You’re already an Admiral. How can you be so petty? You can’t even bear to give the position of Family Head to your cousin!"

The Clan Leader stood up. "Old Madam Ji, this is where you are wrong. Although the position of Family Head requires one to start a family and have a career first, that grandson of yours is far from being qualified to be the Family Head! Let alone him, even if your eldest son were here, he wouldn’t be qualified!"

The crowd chimed in, "Exactly. Even without the Young Master, it would never be his turn."

Grandma Ji’s body staggered, and her vision went black.

She steadied herself, her voice softening.

"Fine, fine, fine. I can’t control you. Then don’t go through with the adoption. As long as you get your eldest uncle and his family out safely, you don’t have to be the Family Head. I’ll make your cousin give up, isn’t that enough?!"

The Clan Leader gave her a look that was hard to put into words.

Everyone else looked disgusted.

Ji Shiyin pursed his lips, the corners of his mouth forming a harmless smile.

"My benevolent grandmother, don’t sicken me with talk of your disgraceful children."

"Let’s not even mention that their life and death have nothing to do with me. I was the one who personally sent them there in the first place."

"My eldest uncle’s family built their good life on things they stole from me. A bunch of ’robbing and plundering’ thieves. They’ve had it good for so many years. Not making them pay it all back with interest is already letting them off easy."

"Don’t think I’m going to bail them out. Even if he dies a miserable death, so what? After all, if they ever get out, I’ll only make their lives even more miserable!"

Grandma Ji let out a miserable shriek and fainted.

The ever-filial Ji the Third rushed to support her, his eyes welling with tears.

Ji Shiyin pressed his lips together, his eyes filled with disappointment.

He turned his back, no longer looking at anyone.

His fingertip swiped across his Star Brain, and the Side Line Adoption Agreement was automatically sent to the clan’s central network.

At the same time, an asset transfer command was also triggered.

The custom Mecha chain stores under his name, the mining rights to several energy stars, the annual resources allocated by the academy and the Alliance, the prize money account from the Mecha league, and more were all transferred in a single package. Not one energy coin was left for the main family.

"This wasn’t a discussion; it was a notification. I don’t need your consent."

Ji Shiyin looked at Ji Heyan, his tone cold and hard, though his voice held a barely perceptible tremble. "You can keep being their personal ATM. Just don’t come looking for me ever again."

Ji Heyan looked up in panic, his expression frozen in shock.

He looked at the glowing Star Brain on his son’s wrist, at the cold indifference on his face. His mother’s words echoed in his mind—the words she’d said when she forced him to beg Ji Shiyin to save his cousin.

His face trembling, he repeated her words verbatim. "Your eldest uncle only has this one son. If your cousin is ruined, how can your grandmother and your uncle ever show their faces again?"

Ji Shiyin’s eyelashes lowered, his face devoid of any expression, even his usual dimples disappeared.

"Then what about me?"

"When I won the Mecha league championship for the first time, you told me not to be too flashy, so your eldest uncle wouldn’t lose face."

"When I was framed by my cousin and almost died during a test, you said I was being immature and shouldn’t squabble with him."

"Who’s your real son, me or my cousin? If we hadn’t done a paternity test, I’d really think I was some other man’s bastard child."

"I said that as long as you treat Mother well, I could turn a blind eye. I even settled her somewhere safe so you wouldn’t have to worry, but you brought strangers in and exposed her location."

"You let Grandmother humiliate her. You even took their side and let others injure her. Did you really think that if you drove her to her death, I would let Eldest Uncle’s family move in? How could you be so disgusting."

Ji Shiyin’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was like the roar of a Mecha engine starting up, making Ji Heyan’s heart tremble.

Ji Heyan lowered his head in shame. "That’s your eldest uncle and eldest aunt. They’re not strangers."

Grandma Ji pinched Ji Heyan’s arm.

Ji Heyan saw his mother signal to him with her eyes.

He understood. He struggled for a moment before turning his head, his eyes turning red. "You’re my only son. Wherever you’re adopted, I’ll follow."

"Little Yan, I was foolish! I was always thinking about being filial to my elders, but I forgot that you are my son. I will make it up to you in the future."

He let go of Old Madam Ji and tried to grab Ji Shiyin’s hand, but an automated protective shield repelled him, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Ji Shiyin: "To let you follow and leech off me?"

Meeting Ji Shiyin’s gaze that seemed to see through everything, Ji Heyan guiltily lowered his head.

Grandma Ji dropped the act. She grabbed Ji the Third’s hand and pulled herself up.

She broke into a torrent of curses. "You ungrateful wretch! After all that, isn’t this still about the Family Head position! In all my years, I’ve never seen a descendant get adopted out to another line. If you want to scram, then scram far away! Get out of the Ji Clan! You may have no shame, but I still do!"

Her voice was piercing, and she was clearly losing her composure.

Ji Shiyin smiled indifferently. "Sure. I wanted to request to be removed from the clan anyway. If it weren’t for the Clan Leader and a few elders persuading me to stay, you think I’d give a damn about this Family Head position?!"

The statement was shocking.

Grandma Ji snapped back to reality and pointed at the Clan Leader. "Aha! No wonder you were so calm. You knew all along! You’re the one who instigated him to be adopted under your son, aren’t you?"

The Clan Leader waved his hand. "I knew a little bit, but I only just found out that he chose Ji Lü."

Grandma Ji glared. "I don’t believe you!"

The Clan Leader: "Believe what you will."

He turned his head. Ji Shiyin was already gone.