"Miss, the interrogation is complete."
Assistant Lin's efficiency was beyond question. Not long after they returned to their temporary residence, he came to report, first stating that there was no mastermind behind it—just a bold fraudster who had fabricated an identity to scam people.
Oh, and he had previously posed as other big shots' sons, younger brothers, nephews... even lovers.
"What?"
Su Ning's expression was complicated.
Thinking back, that guy's face was indeed quite good-looking, but was he really that willing to go to such lengths?
Yes, he was exactly that willing.
Lin Sen remarked that while it was surprising, using such an identity had a surprisingly high success rate. After all, the sheer absurdity of it made people less suspicious. Sometimes, the victims didn't even realize they had been scammed—they just thought something unexpected had happened and even helped the "big shot" keep the secret safe.
No wonder the old saying went, "In three hundred and sixty trades, every trade produces its own master."
She truly understood that now.
Since there was no deeper conspiracy involved, Su Ning decided to let it go, handing the matter over to Lin Sen to handle. However, at the same time, curiosity got the better of her:
"The moment I set foot in Shanghai, I ran into a 'younger brother' I didn't even know. Who knows how many more I haven't run into yet? Aren't they afraid of being found out?"
"Great wealth comes with great risk. Those who walk crooked paths make their living off dirty money—of course they have no fear."
Lin Sen answered without hesitation.
Then.
He looked up and saw Su Ning sitting on the sofa, smiling slightly as she glanced at him.
His heart paused for a moment.
Then, recalling a certain memory, he also smiled... It felt like it happened only a few years ago, yet it seemed as blurry as a past life, separated by a thick pane of glass.
Times had changed.
After numerous lucky draws and spending sprees at the shop, Su Ning no longer needed to buy a temporary house when settling down in Shanghai like she had in Nanjing.
This luxurious Shanghai residence ran smoothly.
It followed a blend of Chinese and Western styles.
So, on the indoor table sat a brass-based globe.
Lin Sen stared at the stars revolving around the Earth on their orbital tracks.
He could easily identify each of their names, but what came to mind was the occasional chat he'd had with his private tutor—who said these stars, under the pull of gravity, would orbit the Earth forever, even after they died.
Eternal, never to leave.
"Lin Sen, have you ever thought about finding your biological parents?"
In the original story, it seemed.
This "protagonist" of a satisfying novel first appeared on the streets, carrying the orphan identity the author had given him, struggling on his own, climbing all the way to the top—with very few passages describing his origins.
Which had disappointed many readers who were sure they'd guessed the plot.
Snapped back to reality by her voice, Lin Sen.
Upon hearing this.
Paused for merely a second, then smiled and shook his head, "Naturally, I thought about it as a child, but as I grew up, I stopped."
Life had been hard enough—there was no time for such useless things.
Besides, if he traced back,
The time he was born had been chaotic. Perhaps his parents had been forced to abandon him, but the fact that they never came looking meant either they had long forgotten about him or they were dead.
So, there was no point.
Su Ning had only asked on a whim—her curiosity came and went quickly. Upon hearing that, she gave a casual nod and moved on to discussing interview arrangements.
After today's "little episode,"
By now, many people probably already knew she was in Shanghai, saving her the effort of laying the groundwork. Shanghai was bustling and lively—any news here could spread across the country, even the whole world, at lightning speed.
It was the perfect place to give interviews and set the stage.
The two exchanged a few more words.
And soon, they had nearly reached a consensus.
Lin Sen left, and Su Ning yawned, suddenly feeling that her "luck with relatives" was pretty good. Never mind the Su family—even that fake product had shown up at just the right time.
Thinking this,
She casually ordered that the candies and pastries brought back from Shai Lee-wen be sent by express plane to Beiping—because she was wealthy enough to own more than one private jet.
She could indulge like this as she pleased.
……
Meanwhile.
Beiping.
The Su family had no idea they were about to receive souvenirs. And they weren't all gathered at the hospital—when someone was at death's door, family affection naturally burned bright.
But since he wasn't dying anymore?
Well, everyone had their own things to do!
Take Half-Immortal Su, for example.
His half-immortal reputation had fully exploded thanks to penicillin. Who knew if Su Chen's survival had anything to do with his rituals? The tale of bribing the envoys of the underworld for a life extension was hugely popular among the public.
His career reaching new heights, Half-Immortal Su was practically giddy with joy. Why would he care about his son?
On the other side,
Su Zhenzhu was even busier. She rushed back to school—there were funds to track down, illicit projects to uncover, overspending to address... Just dealing with all that kept her hopping.
Beyond that,
She was also involved in many of Su Ning's affairs. After all, she had a different status.
Some matters were hard for subordinates like Shang Wenyun to handle.
But with Su Zhenzhu stepping in,
Everything became twice as efficient.
That day, she had been asked to help sort through a pile of documents, letters, telegrams, and invitations that Su Ning had brought back from abroad. The sources were varied and numerous, and while nothing was too important, they couldn't just be tossed away carelessly.
Mostly, Su Zhenzhu was there to oversee the process.
But she wasn't just idling.
When she came across that telegram written in elegant aristocratic English, she initially didn't think much of it, only reading it carefully to practice her language skills. Then her expression grew more and more serious...
"Miss Zhenzhu, what's wrong?"
Someone asked in confusion.
Su Zhenzhu came back to her senses and realized her hands were trembling uncontrollably. She used every ounce of her acting ability to suppress herself and brush the question off.
But inside, her mind was screaming—
The Hawthorne family, Hawthorne, Hawthorne!
Impossible.
Fake.
Why!
Meanwhile, on the other side—perhaps due to lingering travel fatigue or too many high-sugar pastries and ice cream—
In any case, Su Ning had already fallen into a deep sleep.
The System thought for a moment. Although it couldn't turn off the notification sounds for top-tier plot characters, it turned them down as much as possible. Sure enough, the cocoon-like figure curled up under the blankets wriggled a couple of times and then fell even deeper into slumber.
Whatever it was, it could wait until tomorrow.
It wasn't like she could fly back to Beiping in the middle of the night to confront the Su family.
Better to sleep a little longer.
She'd deal with it after waking up.
As Su Ning sank into the darkness of her dreams, the news of her arrival had already struck Shanghai like a boulder thrown into a deep pond—setting off an earth-shaking commotion.
"What? She's come to Shanghai!"
"A golden opportunity—thank that guy who pretended to be her brother! Otherwise, she might have left without anyone even knowing she was here."
"I wonder if we'll get a chance to see the penicillin?"
It wasn't just the people of Shanghai who were excited. Those outside the city who got wind of it raced over, while others frantically stoked the media frenzy, as if overnight, everyone had learned that Su Ning—the one with the miracle drug, penicillin—had arrived in Shanghai!
Like a pot of water finally reaching a boil, it bubbled and steamed.
Then, word spread quickly—
Su Ning was going to give an interview.
About penicillin!
