The Remaining Warmth Of Fog Harbor Chapter 36

Force and oppression

In the early morning at Wugang Cultural and Creative Park, the sun was just shining on the ground through the sycamore leaves. Not long after Shen Zhiyi’s studio opened, several strange men in black suits and solemn expressions walked straight in.They didn’t have any extra greetings. The middle-aged man in charge took out a business card and handed it to Shen Zhiyi. His tone was cold and arrogant: “Ms. Shen, we are from the legal department of Lu Group. We have been ordered by Chairman Lu to have a talk with you.”

Shen Zhiyi’s hand holding the brush paused slightly, and a feeling of uneasiness surged in his heart.Lu Group, Chairman Lu – that was Lu Wanheng’s father, the powerful man who had always been opposed to their being together, and even went so far as to freeze Lu Wanheng’s assets and deprive him of his inheritance rights.She didn’t expect that Father Lu would directly find her studio and come so suddenly.

“I don’t know Chairman Lu, and I have nothing to talk about.” Shen Zhiyi pretended to be calm and pushed the business card back. “This is my studio. Anyone who has no interest in it should leave.”

“Miss Shen, there is no need to be so resistant.” The middle-aged man put away his business card with a hint of threat in his eyes, “Chairman Lu’s meaning is very clear. Your relationship with our President Lu (Lu Wanheng) has affected the reputation of the Lu Group and put President Lu in a dilemma. We are here today to give you a choice.”

He paused, looked around at the drawings and equipment in the studio, and his tone became more aggressive: “Either you take the initiative to leave Mr. Lu, leave Wugang, and never contact him again; or, we can only take some ‘necessary measures’ to ensure that the interests of the Lu Group are not harmed.”

Shen Zhiyi’s heart sank. She clenched her fists and dug her nails into her palms: “What are the necessary measures? You are harassing me. I can call the police.”

“Harassment?” The middle-aged man sneered, his tone full of disdain, “Ms. Shen, the property rights of the studio you rent are indirectly affiliated to the property company under the Lu Group; the water and electricity supply for your studio is through the unified line of the park, and the operator of the park is also a subsidiary of the Lu Group. All we have to do is ‘act according to the regulations.'”

As soon as he finished speaking, two men in suits walked to the water and electricity main gate of the studio, making a show of closing it.Shen Zhiyi hurriedly stepped forward to stop him, but was pushed away by one of them, staggering into the easel behind him. A new painting in the “Late Night” series that had just been completed fell to the ground. The frame shattered and the paint spilled out, like a dazzling scar.

“Stop!” Shen Zhiyi looked at the broken paintings, feeling distressed and angry, her voice trembling, “This is my hard work, you can’t do this!”

“Miss Shen, this is just a warning.” The leading middle-aged man looked at her coldly, “Chairman Lu said that from today on, if you still don’t agree to leave, we will officially stop the water and electricity supply to the studio, and based on the ‘affecting the owner’s reputation’ clause in the lease contract, your rental qualification will be revoked, making it impossible for you to stay here.”

He also added: “In addition, we have investigated that several core partners of your studio have business dealings with the Lu Group. If Ms. Shen persists, I am afraid that these cooperations will also be affected by ‘force majeure’, and your livelihood will be in question by then.”

These words were like a cold sharp knife, piercing Shen Zhiyi’s heart.She knew that Father Lu could do what he said.The Lu Group has deep roots in Wugang and is involved in many fields such as real estate, energy, and finance. It would be easy to destroy her small studio.Water and power outages, revocation of leasing qualifications, and severing of cooperation—these methods are enough to make her lose her footing in Fog Harbor, and even her painting career, which she relies on for survival, will be completely destroyed.

The assistants in the studio were too frightened to say anything. When several customers who came to deliver painting materials saw this scene, they also looked embarrassed and left quietly.Shen Zhiyi stood there, looking at the menacing men in suits in front of her, looking at the broken paintings on the ground, feeling the power and oppression they brought, and a sense of powerlessness instantly overwhelmed her.

She thought of the breakup with her original family not long ago, the rumors in the financial circle, and the difficulties during the project crisis, but none of them could compare to the despair she felt now.Father Lu’s methods were more ruthless and direct than she imagined. He didn’t care about her dignity and livelihood at all, and only wanted to use force to force her to submit.

“I’ll give you three days to think about it.” The middle-aged man left these words, turned around and left with his men. Before leaving, he took a special look at the photo of Shen Zhiyi and Lu Wanheng hanging on the wall, his eyes full of contempt.

Calmness returned to the studio, but Shen Zhiyi’s heart was in turmoil.She knelt down and carefully picked up the broken drawings on the ground, tears falling silently.She didn’t know what to do, didn’t know how to face Lu’s father’s power and oppression, and she didn’t know what kind of impact this incident would have on her relationship with Lu Wanheng.

Lu Wanheng was discussing the final plan of the project with the team in the studio when he received a call from his father’s assistant.On the other end of the phone, the assistant’s tone was respectful but undeniably tough: “Mr. Lu, the chairman invites you to go back to your old home. I have something important to talk to you about.”

Lu Wanheng frowned, and an ominous premonition arose in his heart.Ever since he got together with Shen Zhiyi and broke up with his father, he has never returned to the Lu family’s old house, and his father has never taken the initiative to contact him. This sudden decision to let him go back must have something to do with Shen Zhiyi.

“I don’t have time.” Lu Wanheng refused without thinking.

“Mr. Lu, I advise you to come back.” The assistant’s tone was suggestive, “The chairman said that this matter is related to your future and the safety of Miss Shen. If you don’t come, I’m afraid you won’t be able to bear the consequences.”

This sentence hit Lu Wanheng’s weakness.What he was most worried about was that Shen Zhiyi would be hurt.After hanging up the phone, he was no longer interested in working and immediately drove to the Lu family’s old house.

The atmosphere in the old house was depressing. Father Lu was sitting in the main seat in the living room, with a cup of already cold tea on the coffee table in front of him.Seeing Lu Wanheng come in, he went straight to the point without any greetings: “Are you and that Shen Zhiyi still together?”

“Yes.” Lu Wanheng straightened his back and spoke firmly, “Dad, Zhiyi and I truly love each other. I will not give up on her just because of your objection.”

“Really love each other?” Father Lu sneered, his eyes full of disdain and anger, “What you call true love means that you give up everything in the Lu Group, give up your birthright and inheritance, and even put yourself in a project crisis and be ridiculed by people in the industry? Lu Wanheng, you disappoint me so much!”

He paused, and his tone softened, but with more temptation and oppression: “I know that it is not easy for you to establish an independent studio, and that new energy project also makes you anxious. I also know that you have suffered a lot of grievances because of Shen Zhiyi, and even your basic life is almost a problem.”

“Now, I’ll give you a chance.” Father Lu locked his eyes tightly on Lu Wanheng and said word by word, “As long as you let Shen Zhiyi leave Wugang and never contact her again, I can immediately restore all your rights, return your assets, let you return to the Lu Group, and even completely hand over the inheritance rights of the Lu Group to you. For that new energy project, I can also use Lu Group’s resources to help you completely solve the crisis and make those who laugh at you look at you with admiration.”

These words were like a huge stone, hitting Lu Wanheng’s heart.Restoring his rights and inheritance, resolving the project crisis, and returning to the Lu Group – these are all things he once dreamed of, and they are also the best way for him to get out of his current predicament.Especially the project crisis was at a critical stage at the moment. It would be extremely difficult to completely resolve it with his own strength.And my father’s promise is undoubtedly a life-saving straw.

But he knew in his heart that the price of this life-saving straw was to give up Shen Zhiyi and make the girl who had just broken off from her original family and relied on him wholeheartedly fall into a lonely and helpless situation again.He thought of Shen Zhiyi’s tears, how focused she was in the studio, the promise they made when they embraced each other, and all the pain and grievances she had experienced, and his heart hurt like a knife.

“Dad, you are forcing me.” Lu Wanheng’s voice was trembling, but still firm, “I can’t give up Zhizhi, she is the most important person in my life.”

“Forcing you? I’m helping you!” Father Lu became excited and slammed the table, “That Shen Zhiyi comes from an ordinary background and has a poor native family. She is not worthy of you! She will only drag you down and make you live at the bottom of your life! Lu Wanheng, wake up! In this world, only power and wealth are eternal. The so-called love is just a passing cloud!”

He stood up, walked up to Lu Wanheng, and said with an ultimatum in his tone: “I’ll give you three days to think about it. After three days, if you still can’t make the right choice, I will have no choice but to take action against Shen Zhiyi’s studio. Cut off water and power, and revoke the rental qualification, these are just the beginning. I will make her stay in Wugang, and she won’t be able to stay even for a day!”

Lu Wanheng’s face turned pale instantly.He knew that his father meant what he said.Shen Zhiyi’s studio is her hard work, her only livelihood in Wugang, and her sustenance to rediscover herself after getting rid of her original family.If the studio disappears, Shen Zhiyi will not only lose his financial source, but also his last spiritual pillar may collapse.

What worried him even more was that his father was ruthless and the people sent to the studio this time were only people from the legal department. He might use more extreme methods next time.Shen Zhiyi’s safety may be threatened at any time.

Walking out of the Lu family’s old house, the sun was dazzling, but Lu Wanheng felt cold all over.On one side is the lover he regards as a treasure, and the love between the two of them came together after many hardships; on the other side is the powerful oppression of his father, Shen Zhiyi’s safety and livelihood, and his only chance to get out of trouble.No matter how you choose this multiple-choice question, it will be accompanied by endless pain and sacrifice.

Three days, to Lu Wanheng, seemed like three centuries.He struggled in pain every day, with his father’s ultimatum on one side and Shen Zhiyi’s innocent eyes on the other. He didn’t know how to choose, let alone how to face the girl who trusted him wholeheartedly.

In the past three days, he secretly went to the studio several times. He watched Shen Zhiyi busy in the studio, watched her carefully repair the broken picture frame, and watched the tired but determined smile she occasionally showed. The guilt and heartache in his heart surged like a tidal wave.He wanted to rush in, hold her tightly in his arms, tell her everything, tell her that he would protect her and never leave her.But he couldn’t, he knew that as long as he was still by her side, his father would never give up, and Shen Zhiyi’s safety and livelihood would always be in danger.

His father’s words were like a thorn, piercing deeply into his heart: “As long as Shen Zhiyi leaves Wugang, I will restore everything to you.” He knew that his father’s ultimate goal was to make Shen Zhiyi completely disappear from his world.And he seemed to have no choice but to deliberately distance himself, let Shen Zhiyi be disappointed in him, and let her leave Wugang on her own initiative.

This is a painful decision, but it is the only way to protect Shen Zhiyi.Only when she is completely disappointed in herself will she be willing to leave; only when she leaves Wugang and away from her father’s sight can her safety and livelihood be guaranteed; and only in this way can he have the opportunity to regain everything that belongs to him, and when he has enough ability to compete with his father, he will find her and make up for her.

On the night when the decision was made, Lu Wanheng returned to the apartment.When Shen Zhiyi saw him coming back, a long-lost smile appeared on her face. As usual, she brought her warm food: “You’re back. Wash your hands and eat. It’s all what you like.”

Lu Wanheng looked at her gentle smile, and his heart hurt like a knife.He knew that this might be the last time he would enjoy this warmth.He took a deep breath, suppressed the pain and reluctance in his heart, and deliberately showed a trace of indifference and alienation on his face.

“I’m not going to eat.” He walked around the dining table, walked straight to the living room, and picked up his coat. “I’ll come back to get something and I’m leaving soon.”

The smile on Shen Zhiyi’s face froze instantly. She looked at Lu Wanheng’s cold eyes and felt a little uneasy in her heart: “Where are you going? Do you want to go out so late?”

“I’m going to live in the studio. I’m very busy with projects recently, and I might not be back for a long time.” Lu Wanheng’s voice didn’t have any warmth at all, and he deliberately avoided her eyes.

“Why?” Shen Zhiyi’s voice was trembling, “Didn’t we agree that we would face everything together in the future? Why did you suddenly move to the studio? Did something happen?”

Lu Wanheng’s heart suddenly tugged. He wanted to tell her the truth, and he wanted to hold her and cry bitterly.But he couldn’t. He could only harden his heart and say those hurtful words that he had already prepared: “It’s nothing. It’s just that I have thought clearly that we may not be suitable for each other.”

He turned around, looked at Shen Zhiyi’s shocked face, and his tone became colder: “You have also seen that because of you, I lost the inheritance rights of the Lu Group, lost all my assets, the project fell into crisis, and was even ridiculed by the entire financial circle. I am tired and don’t want to go on like this anymore.”

“What did you say?” Shen Zhiyi’s tears welled up instantly. She couldn’t believe her ears, “That’s not what you said at the beginning! You said that no matter what difficulties we encounter, we will face them together. You said that you will never give up on me!”

“I was too naive back then.” Lu Wanheng’s voice contained a hint of deliberate impatience. “Love cannot be eaten. Without power and wealth, it is nothing. Shen Zhiyi, we are not from the same world. You are not worthy of me, nor the life I want.”

When he said these words, his heart was as sharp as a knife, but his face remained indifferent: “My father has given me a chance. As long as I break up with you, I can return to the Lu Group and restore everything. So, let’s stop here.”

“So, you chose to give up on me?” Shen Zhiyi’s voice was filled with mournful crying, and her body was shaking uncontrollably. “Lu Wanheng, tell me, are all the sweetness and promises in the past fake? Is your love for me also fake?”

Lu Wanheng looked at her tearful face, and the pain in his heart almost made him suffocate.How he wanted to rush up to her and tell her all the truth, how much he loved her and how much he couldn’t let her go.But he couldn’t. He could only grit his teeth and say the most hurtful words: “Yes, they are all false. When I was with you, it was just a whim. Now that the novelty has passed, I will naturally get tired of it.”

After saying that, he stopped looking at Shen Zhiyi’s face, picked up his things, turned around and left.When he walked to the door, he heard Shen Zhiyi’s desperate cry and heard her calling his name, her voice hoarse and broken.His steps paused, his shoulders trembled slightly, and he almost couldn’t help but look back.But he didn’t after all. He knew that once he turned back, all his efforts would be in vain and Shen Zhiyi would be in danger again.

He opened the door and walked into the dark night, letting tears fall and soak his cheeks.He didn’t know how much harm his decision would bring to Shen Zhiyi, and he didn’t know if he would have a chance to return to her again.He only knows that the alienation at this moment is for a better reunion in the future; the sacrifice at this moment is to protect the person he loves most.

In the apartment, Shen Zhiyi collapsed on the ground, hugging her knees and crying bitterly.Lu Wanheng’s cold words were like sharp knives, cutting her heart repeatedly.She doesn’t understand why two people who once loved each other so much have reached this point; why those vows of eternal love are so easily shattered by power and wealth.She felt like a fool, abandoned by the whole world again, and plunged into boundless darkness and despair.

This deliberate alienation is like an insurmountable gap, separating the two people into two worlds again.Lu Wanheng, full of pain and reluctance, embarked on the road to regain power; while Shen Zhiyi, in despair and heartbreak, once again faced a major choice in life.Their love seems to have really come to an end under the oppression of power, but the love buried deep in their hearts has never really been extinguished, it is just waiting for an opportunity to break out of the cocoon and be reborn.

Banxia novel, a lot of fun