Hitting his father's face achieved nothing more than making a fool of him in public.
Their relationship would only grow further apart.
From then on, his father began to slack off, openly defying the old man.
He simply refused to go home or to work, even if it meant severing ties with him and not receiving a single cent from the Zhan family, he would never return.
The old man, unable to contain his anger, had someone trick him into going abroad to cool off.
No sooner had his father left than Hu Jia Sheng was born.
That day, the old man personally went to the hospital to pick up the child.
Zhan Bei Jue's mother had never gone to that hospital for prenatal check-ups, but that day, she was dragged there by a friend and happened to run into them.
Upon learning that the old man and Zhan Bei Jue's father had colluded behind her back to have an illegitimate child, she nearly went mad.
She caused a huge scene at the hospital, demanding that the old man strangle Hu Jia Sheng to death in front of her, or she would find reporters to expose their entire family.
The old man, seeing her four to five months pregnant with a belly as big as a balloon, dared not anger her and had to yield.
He said that killing him was illegal, and at this point, the best course of action was to prevent him from ever entering the Zhan family home, never allowing him to enter, nor to bear the Zhan family name.
He promised Zhan Bei Jue's mother that the Zhan family would forever recognize only her as their daughter-in-law, and if the child was sent away, she would never have to deal with this bastard again in her life.
By this time, the marriage had already taken place, and the child had been conceived. Divorce would only result in mutual harm and achieve nothing.
Zhan Bei Jue's mother, being a smart woman, seeing how far the old man had conceded, decided to let the matter rest.
However, while she spared the child, it didn't mean she would spare that vixen.
A few days later, she led a group of people to Hu Jia Sheng's mother's hospital room.
The two first had a discussion about who was more worthy of love and whose child had the right to inherit the Zhan family fortune.
Then, their conversation broke down, and they began to curse each other.
With her superior numbers, Zhan Bei Jue's mother beat Hu Jia Sheng's mother soundly, then ordered someone to fetch a bucket of ice water and force her head into it.
"You like seducing other people's husbands, don't you? You like having children with other men? I'll let you have your fill."
"Sit here. You're not allowed out until an hour has passed. If you have the guts, let your man come save you now."
The woman struggled desperately, but she was held down by several people and couldn't break free.
She cried tears of despair but could only endure in silence.
Far away in a foreign land, Zhan Bei Jue's father knew nothing of what had happened. All he knew was that by the time he returned, the child had already been born, and his beloved woman was long gone.
He was heartbroken and asked the old man for the whereabouts of the woman and child, but the old man refused.
"If you keep acting like this, I'll truly disown you as my son! You're shaming the Zhan family to the point of disgrace!"
Disown me then, his father said and turned to leave.
It was Zhan Bei Jue's maternal uncle who rushed forward to stop him.
"You Zhan, you're not human!"
"First, you used our family's strength to do business, and now that you've made enough money, you're bullying my sister like this and abandoning her. How can you get all the benefits?"
"Try stepping out of here today, and tomorrow we'll bankrupt your Zhan family! Keeping a woman? You can't even satisfy yourself, let's see how you're going to live extravagantly!"
"Bankrupt then, bankrupt! Do you think I covet your rotten money? I can live well without you old folks, just you wait and see!"
The old man, angered by his arrogance, had a heart attack and fainted on the spot, which finally stopped him.
After he woke up, the old man, through persuasion and a mix of soft and hard tactics, managed to calm him down.
"I've worked hard for half my life, what for? Isn't it for you and your future descendants?"
"A true man's ambition lies in all directions; he shouldn't be bogged down by romantic entanglements. You're not young anymore; you've played and messed around, now it's time to settle down. Do you really want the Zhan family's business to be ruined and be a laughingstock for a lifetime?"
No one wanted to be a laughingstock for a lifetime, and from the beginning, he knew in his heart that the social status difference between him and Hu Jia Sheng's mother was too great, making it unlikely.
Since the old man had arranged everything, it was acceptable to proceed this way for now.
When he became powerful and capable of making his own decisions, he would definitely go find them, mother and son.
From then on, his father began to work long hours.
Although he came home every day, he was like a robot, cold and distant, deeply hurting Zhan Bei Jue's mother.
Even on the day she gave birth, he used work as an excuse, claiming he was too busy and couldn't make it.
From then on, their marital relationship became notoriously superficial within their social circle.
Zhan Bei Jue's uncle, being young and hot-headed, would occasionally encounter his father outside and often complain to him, standing up for his sister.
Over time, Zhan Bei Jue's father grew very annoyed with him.
Furthermore, he resented being led around by their copper factory his entire life, so he planned to gain control of the factory's management.
Zhan Bei Jue's maternal grandparents had always liked him. They felt that a significant part of their daughter's marital unhappiness was caused by Zhan Bei Jue's mother herself.
She was too overbearing and had a bad temper. Which man didn't like a delicate and sweet girl?
But she wouldn't listen no matter how many times they told her.
Zhan Bei Jue's father deliberately curried favor with his father-in-law, and coupled with his uncle's unreliable nature, he was indeed not a pillar of support. When Zhan Bei Jue was five years old, his maternal grandfather fell seriously ill. Before he died, he told his mother to give the operating rights of the copper factory to them, the couple, to manage jointly.
He might have been foolish, but Zhan Bei Jue's mother was not.
She knew clearly how this man treated her daily and how he treated her as if she were air.
For such a man to eagerly hand over the family business, wasn't that a sign of a troubled mind?
Zhan Bei Jue's father busied himself with running errands for the funeral and then asked his mother for the operating rights.
However, his mother told him: Impossible. Unless you sign a contract with me and meet all my demands.
The two argued fiercely again and parted on bad terms.
What happened afterward was unclear, with a long period of blankness in between.
The next clue came years later, told by that same uncle.
After several years of searching, Zhan Bei Jue's father found Hu Jia Sheng's mother.
He abandoned his work, secretly went to meet her, and then openly brought her back to Nan Cheng.
When Zhan Bei Jue's mother found out, they argued fiercely again, and Zhan Bei Jue's father left home.
He wandered outside for nearly a month, running out of money. It was Zhan Bei Jue's mother who sent word through someone, acknowledging his mistake and offering a conciliatory gesture, before he was willing to return home.
Not long after his father returned to Nan Cheng, he fell ill. He lingered for less than a year and passed away from his illness.
During the period he was away from home and ill, all the company's affairs, big and small, were managed by Zhan Bei Jue's mother.
Her husband didn't love her, her child was still young, and she was overwhelmed by company matters every day. In truth, she had a very difficult time.