In every parent's eyes, their own child's the best. They can scold or hit them behind closed doors all they want, but if someone else dares point a finger and curse their kid, even if they manage to swallow it, they'll still hold a grudge.
Jing Shu wasn't worried about being hated. Her main goal here was to settle the supply issue. If she followed Li Yuetian's idea and went in guns blazing—accusing Wu City's top authority right to his face—the outcome would be obvious. With Jin Tianci's temper, sure, he'd probably make Jin Baba apologize on the spot, maybe even to everyone else, and return all the stolen goods. But then what?
Letting a dying man scold Jin Baba once and call it done? That'd be letting the bastard off too easy. More importantly, why should she be the one doing all the heavy lifting for nothing? Jing Shu never did business that didn't pay off.
And from her earlier observations, it was pretty clear Jin Baba's spoiled personality had everything to do with Madam Jin's overindulgence.
If she exposed Jin Baba's dirty deeds right here, in front of his parents and strangers, the fallout could be serious. It might even send the just-awakened father back into a coma—or worse. Even if the family was already disappointed in Jin Baba, as long as there was the faintest hope, parents never truly gave up on their child.
That's why, when it came to talking, Jing Shu believed it was an art form.
Li Yuetian frowned. Something about Jing Shu's tone felt off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. What was she up to? Instead of demanding the supplies back, she was showering Jin Baba with praise. Was she being sarcastic?
Jin Tianci's pale, frail face showed a flicker of surprise. He looked doubtful, but Madam Jin's eyes lit up as she grabbed her son's hand, asking excitedly if everyone was really saying good things about him.
"Uh… uh…" Jin Baba froze for a second, then smirked in satisfaction. "Well, what do you know? This chick's got brains, he thought. At least she knows how to play nice. Not like those fools who kept coming to complain last time, pissing Dad off so bad his condition worsened. Mom even wrote a letter to have one of them transferred out. Things have been quiet ever since."
"Of course it's true, Mom, stop asking already," he muttered, sounding a bit impatient but also guilty.
"Cough, cough." Jin Tianci weakly coughed, then motioned for help to sit up. Adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, he turned to the middle-aged man beside him. "Jun Jia, is that true?"
The fat man instantly broke out in cold sweat. He glanced at Jing Shu's smiling face—there was something devilish about that smile—then at his sister, who was beaming proudly at her son. Finally, he looked at his brother-in-law, whose frail expression carried disappointment and hope, the kind of man just trying to settle his family affairs before dying.
If he shattered this fragile illusion, wouldn't he die a horrible death later? His nephew would hate him, his sister would hate him, even his brother-in-law might blame him for not keeping the kid in line. Damn this little witch, her flattery was a trap, and he'd fallen right into it. He'd remember this.
Still, he had to answer. The truth was Jin Baba had been hoarding the supplies for himself. Sure, Jun Jia got a cut too—better than working under this "honest" brother-in-law of his.
Besides, if he lied, Jin Tianci wouldn't bother to verify something so small. They were just supplies. And if worst came to worst, Jun Jia could always forge some numbers later.
Forcing a grin, he nodded. "It's true, brother-in-law. Baba's been great these past few days, helping me collect plenty of supplies. Thanks to him, Wu City can hang on for a while longer."
Jin Tianci let out a weak sigh of relief and nodded approvingly. "Baba, you've finally grown up. I hope from now on you'll carve your own path and stop repeating past mistakes." Madam Jin's eyes shimmered with tears as she nodded along, deeply moved.
Jin Baba lowered his head, and a strange glint flashed through his eyes. Being acknowledged by his father for the first time felt… weirdly nice. His father had always treated him more like a subordinate than a son—only orders and criticism, never praise.
Sure, Jin Tianci always sounded gentle and polite, but that warmth was universal, like central heating—he was equally kind to everyone. At home, his word was law. No one ever dared talk back. And with him constantly busy and upright while his mother only cared about luxury and social climbing, Jin Baba had always felt like he didn't matter in this house.
But this was the apocalypse. Wasn't it time to start looking out for himself? His mother had spent a fortune and pulled countless strings just to keep his father alive. Wouldn't it make sense to stash away whatever he could while the old man still had power? Once he died, they'd lose everything.
"Good thing I've already hoarded plenty," he thought smugly.
Just when it seemed like this would end as a touching family moment, Jin Tianci nodded once more and said, "Jun Jia, show me the records of that squad and the sponsored supplies, along with the transactions for the weapons they exchanged. I want to see which squad overfulfilled their quota. For the next few months, they won't have to submit new ones. This kind of dedication deserves recognition. Record a merit."
He paused for breath, then continued, "And publish it as an example for the other squads. If every merchant were this diligent, Wu City would definitely survive this disaster."
Jin Baba's smile froze. Jun Jia's entire body stiffened like a broken machine. For a moment, the hall was so silent that a pin drop would've echoed. Jing Shu's lips curved upward. Let's see how they talked their way out of this one.
They were in deep trouble now. Cold sweat poured down Jun Jia's face. There were no ledgers, no transaction records—hell, there weren't even five times the supplies! Everything was sitting in his and Jin Baba's private storage. Where were they supposed to pull the data from now?
Worse, the people under them knew exactly where the supplies went. Everyone did. If they tried to issue commendations, who'd get the credit? Who'd get rewarded? Who'd they make the example?
If this went public, he and his nephew were completely screwed.
"Sis, brother-in-law…" Jun Jia wiped his sweat nervously. He needed to stall, buy time, something.
Jin Tianci coughed again, then said, "Vice President Jing, Lao Zhou, please wait here for a bit. I need to use the restroom. Jun Jia, I expect those records ready when I get back." Madam Jin quickly helped him up and led him away.
A man of his word, through and through.
Once the maids stepped back, the hall fell into a heavy silence. Only Jing Shu, Zhou Bapi, Li Yuetian, Jin Baba, and Jun Jia remained.
Finally, the fat man snapped out of it and jabbed a trembling finger at Jing Shu. "What the hell did you mean by what you said?"
Li Yuetian cleared his throat. "The supplies you took yesterday from the capital's shipment belong to Vice President Jing."
The words hit like a thunderclap. Even Jin Baba, slow as he was, finally realized what was going on.
So this was her plan all along—an open, perfectly executed trap.