The Lin's Patriarch is weird.

Chapter 154: 154.

The restaurant remained silent for several moments after the three men disappeared.

Shen Yumeng stared at the overturned table and the food scattered across the floor. The fear that had gripped him earlier had not completely faded.

"Dad..."

Shen Haosi did not answer immediately.

His gaze remained fixed on the doorway through which the three men had left.

Only after several breaths did he finally turn around.

"Yumeng, clean up the table."

The boy hesitated.

"Are we really going to give them ninety percent?"

Shen Haosi looked at him.

"For now."

"But..."

"Do as I say."

His voice was calm, leaving no room for argument.

Shen Yumeng lowered his head.

"All right."

He walked over and began gathering the broken dishes.

The other customers remained unusually quiet.

Some hurriedly finished their meals and left, while others quietly paid before following them out. Nobody wanted to remain in the restaurant after what had just happened.

Shen Haosi watched them leave without saying anything.

Within a short while, the bustling restaurant had become nearly empty.

Only one elderly customer remained seated in the corner.

He had not touched his food since the three men entered.

Shen Haosi noticed him and walked over.

"Sir, are you finished?"

The old man glanced toward the entrance before lowering his voice.

"You two should consider leaving."

Shen Haosi’s expression remained calm.

"Why?"

"Those men aren’t ordinary thugs."

The old man hesitated before continuing.

"They belong to the Blackstone Gang."

Shen Haosi’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"The Blackstone Gang?"

The old man nodded.

"They control several streets around here. Most of the businesses in this district have to pay them protection money."

He sighed.

"Ninety percent is already considered generous."

Shen Haosi’s brows furrowed.

"Generous?"

The old man gave a bitter laugh.

"You haven’t been here long, so you don’t understand."

He glanced toward Shen Yumeng.

"Those who refuse to pay usually don’t get to keep their businesses for very long."

Shen Haosi remained silent and the old man slowly stood.

"My advice is simple. You either run away or pay them and keep your heads down."

He placed several coins on the table.

"Don’t try to fight them."

With that, he turned and walked toward the door.

Shen Haosi watched the old man’s back disappear into the street.

Only then did he slowly return behind the counter.

His son was still cleaning the floor.

"Dad."

"Hm?"

"Are we really going to stay here?"

Shen Haosi looked at him for a long moment.

Then he glanced toward the door.

"We’ll see."

His voice was unusually quiet.

They had left Azure Willow City because he did not want to attract the attention of a powerful clan.

He had come to Moonveil City hoping that he and his son could live an ordinary life.

Yet after barely settling down, trouble had already found them.

Shen Haosi clenched his hand beneath the counter.

Perhaps running away isn’t enough.

Shen Yumeng remained silent for a while before finally speaking.

"Dad, why didn’t you choose to stay in Azure Willow City? You clearly saw that the Lin Patriarch was willing to help us. He even came personally to welcome us and gave us a gift."

A trace of anger appeared in Shen Yumeng’s eyes.

"But instead of accepting his help, you immediately decided to run away."

Shen Haosi sighed.

He had expected his son to ask this question eventually.

"Yumeng, close the restaurant for the time being."

Shen Yumeng looked at him in confusion.

"Close it?"

"Yes."

Shen Haosi nodded,"After you’re done, I’ll tell you a story."

The boy hesitated before nodding.

"All right."

After closing, Shen Yumeng sat down across from his father.

For a moment, Shen Haosi simply stared at his son before giving a low sigh.

"Meng’er, you’ve always been curious about your mother, haven’t you?"

Shen Yumeng immediately nods.

He had asked about his mother countless times throughout his childhood, yet his father had always avoided giving him a proper answer.

Now, for the first time, Shen Haosi seemed prepared to tell him everything.

The boy immediately fell silent and watched his father attentively.

"Your mother was an attendant to the previous Matriarch of the Lin Family."

"The Lin Family?"

Shen Yumeng’s eyes widened.

He immediately thought of the Lin Family that everyone in Azure Willow City spoke about.

"Yes."

Shen Haosi nodded slowly.

"She was still very young when she began serving the previous Matriarch. She worked diligently and rarely complained about anything."

His expression softened slightly as he recalled the past.

"Eventually, she became pregnant."

Shen Haosi looked at his son.

"She returned home to rest during that period. That was when you were born."

He gently reached over and patted Shen Yumeng on the head.

"Your mother was an extremely diligent woman. Even after giving birth to you, she continued worrying about her work."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"She stayed with you until you no longer needed her milk. Only then did she return to the Lin Family."

Shen Yumeng listened quietly.

"But when she returned..."

The faint smile disappeared from Shen Haosi’s face.

"The Lin Family had already fallen."

Shen Haosi lowered his head, his expression filled with bitterness.

"Your father was useless back then. I didn’t have a proper job, nor did I possess any skills that could earn us a decent living. All I could do was take care of you and hope that your mother could make enough money outside to support our family."

His hands slowly tightened. "Your mother paid daily visits to the Lin family looking for work and then one day, I received a news from a friend of mine who was working as a pill cleaner within the Lin Family at the time."

Shen Haosi paused, as though recalling the scene in his mind.

"He told me that he saw your mother meet with the Supreme Elder of the Lin Family. The meeting lasted no more than five minutes and shortly after that, they found your mother dead in the woods."

The restaurant fell completely silent and Shen Yumeng’s face completely went pale.

Shen Haosi slowly exhaled.

"Meng’er. The Lin family rewards loyalty with death. We are better off here than be with the killers of your mother."

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