Shen Feng did not meet the young man who had traveled from afar, as he simply did not believe this could be his child. Although the boy bore a striking resemblance to himself in his youth, he remained unwilling to acknowledge him.
Thus, his first action was to order his subordinates to keep the two individuals under watch and prevent them from moving about. Meanwhile, he arranged for specialized personnel to conduct a paternity test, demanding the results be delivered to him immediately.
However, just one day later, a paternity report was placed before him, and the outcome shocked him greatly. The report indicated that the two were indeed father and son. Genetics, after all, could not lie; genetic comparison could reveal whether a blood relationship existed between parties.
"How could this be? It's actually true. If I had known this disaster would occur, I wouldn't have indulged myself back then!" Shen Feng slapped himself as these thoughts crossed his mind.
When Shen Feng and Yue Hengyi were stranded on the deserted island, his mindset had already shifted. Though he might not have explicitly stated it, he had become arrogant towards ordinary people, and this inner pride radiated from his very being. Others who encountered him could only perceive him as formidable, standing out even among common folk.
At that time, Shen Feng did as he pleased because he possessed the power to control the lives of others. No one could stop him from indulging himself; others were too eager to curry favor with him to ever intervene. Thus, Shen Feng sought pleasure whenever he had the time.
Yue Hengyi, however, maintained his integrity. No matter how Shen Feng tempted him, he refused to yield, remaining a true gentleman. The ultimate lapse in his behavior only occurred after Shen Feng had plied him with a great deal of alcohol.
He had thought that once he left the island nation, that wretched place, no further troubles would find him. Yet, after more than a decade, the problems had finally caught up to him, and he was compelled to deal with them.
"This is retribution, pure retribution! I wonder how this current situation can be resolved perfectly. Oh heavens, you truly have no eyes!" Shen Feng thought to himself with despair. "Yiyi always wanted a child but never had one, yet after my philandering, I managed to father a child. This is utterly absurd!"
"One must always pay for the sins they commit. You should face this child quickly now. He has been without a father since childhood and surely needs paternal love. What are you waiting for?" Shen Yu said as Shen Feng pondered.
She was Shen Feng's elder sister, allowing her unrestricted access anywhere. She had entered Shen Feng's study and immediately spotted the paternity test results on his desk. Understanding the situation, she began to counsel Shen Feng.
Shen Feng replied with a wry smile, "I am currently in a burning pit. If I were to meet this child now and acknowledge his identity, it would only pour fuel on the fire. At that point, Xuejie would abandon her work, and my situation would become even more dire. I have no good solutions at the moment!"
Shen Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Just like before, treat this child as your godson. Wouldn't that suffice? You handled it that way last time, didn't you! Announce to the world that he is your godson, and keep this paternity report private. Then it will be settled!"
Upon hearing this suggestion, Shen Feng nodded eagerly. This way, he could acknowledge the child's existence, and even as a godson, he was still a son. Yet, he wouldn't directly admit to a blood relation. No matter how others gossiped about them, without concrete evidence, they couldn't directly accuse him.
"This is a good plan. But I have a question now: what do you mean by 'like before' when you mentioned handling it that way?" Shen Feng suddenly realized his sister had said something significant and tentatively inquired.
"What do you think I mean? Last time, you nearly deceived everyone, but you couldn't deceive me. Through analyzing various circumstances, I had already confirmed that you have another illegitimate son, the one in Dabie Mountain. Now, do you still intend to hide it from me?" Shen Yu said nonchalantly.
Shen Feng was suddenly filled with both surprise and joy. The surprise stemmed from the fact that his secret had been discovered by someone else, and through intelligence analysis at that, indicating her formidable intellect. The joy came from knowing it was his sister who knew. If he could placate her with a few words, she would surely keep quiet.
"Sister, you absolutely must not speak of this to anyone. My plan is exactly as you suggested: I will recognize this young man as my godson, and then, through some mutually beneficial exchange, I will have him leave this place and return to his own country. That should be sufficient! I guarantee I will handle this perfectly, so rest assured!" Shen Feng said quickly.
His implication was that he hoped his sister would cover for him.
Shen Yu looked at Shen Feng's submissive demeanor, which was exactly like when he used to beg her for pocket money as a child. She smiled and said, "Look at you, calling yourself the number one under heaven. When has the number one under heaven ever appeared so disheveled?"
Shen Yu had emerged from her past gloom, and her smile was now exceptionally beautiful. Although she was older, she was still youthful due to her abilities as an esper, and when she smiled, she looked particularly lovely. If any other man were present, they would likely be captivated by her smile.
"My dear sister, please help me with this! This title of 'number one under heaven' was given to me by others, not self-proclaimed. Moreover, even with immense personal strength, one still needs connections. My future can only be bright if I handle this illegitimate son situation properly. So, please do me a favor and help me this once. As long as you say nothing, I will fulfill all your conditions in the future! We are siblings, and this bond is incomparable to any other!" Shen Feng said earnestly.
Seeing her brother so humble, Shen Yu had no choice but to agree. She said, "Rest assured, I won't speak carelessly. I haven't told anyone else about this secret. However, you should cut ties swiftly and end this rumor as soon as possible, otherwise, people outside will continuously attack you over this matter!"
"Don't worry, I will go meet the child now and explain the situation to him, urging him to leave quickly. I will ensure this matter is handled perfectly!" Shen Feng said immediately.
Afterward, Shen Feng had the child brought to the Fengshen Palace. Besides his sister, only Sayaka was present.
The meeting took place in a secluded room, free of any listening devices. Nothing could be seen from the outside, and no one could ascertain what was happening within.
The four individuals sat down in the room and fell into silence. Although the table was laden with fruits and pastries, neither party touched them nor spoke, and the atmosphere became heavy.
Finally, Shen Feng broke the awkward silence, "What is your name?"
"My name is Fujino Sugishin. If you are asking for my Chinese name, it is Shen Bowen!" the young man sitting opposite replied calmly, his Mandarin fluent and standard.
"Bowen? A good name. It signifies gathering the strengths of various schools to achieve brilliant literary achievement! So, your mother is Ranzi? She deceived me back then. She claimed to be just a daughter from an ordinary family, and I believed her. Only later did I discover she was the head of a prominent clan," Shen Feng said.
"Thank you, Father, for the compliment. This name was also given to me by my mother, and the Chinese I've learned was also taught by her!" Shen Bowen replied.
"Wait, don't rush to call me Father just yet, as I haven't officially acknowledged your identity, nor can I acknowledge you as my son. Please don't get agitated about this; listen to me first!" Shen Feng quickly interrupted upon hearing the address.
Shen Bowen's heart sank upon hearing these words, as the other party's statement clearly indicated no intention of acknowledging him.
Saya said nothing, merely listening silently. The matter was quite peculiar, and she felt it was not appropriate to comment much at this juncture, as she needed to consider her own interests. She trusted that Shen Feng would not be heartless.
Shen Feng continued, "Due to many special circumstances, I cannot acknowledge you as my son. However, I understand the blood relation; we are indeed father and son. Therefore, I have an idea: I will take you on as my godson. This way, our nominal relationship will be resolved. But regarding the blood relation, do not speak of it carelessly. I will also provide you with ample compensation later, such as ten doses of esper potion. Take them back with you and say nothing further! As for the information you mentioned about the meteor, you can tell me that as well!"
"What am I, exactly? Can you give me an answer? I am very lost right now!" Shen Bowen suddenly asked.
"Who you are, I cannot provide an answer, because in my eyes, you are merely an accident. However, if you wish to have a bright future, you will need to work hard yourself and grow to a point where no one can see you anymore. Then, you will understand what kind of person you are!" Shen Feng could not provide a precise answer, as he had never met this son before and thus could not offer an accurate assessment.
"After hearing your words, I am unsure of my own identity. I have fallen into confusion," the young man said, his eyes gradually dimming.