After Rebirth, Married to a Deadly Enemy - Chapter 8

Shi Zhen quickly walked upstairs, with Bai Xiangxing curiously following behind.

In the living room on the ground floor, a middle-aged Alpha with stubble on his face stood at the center, his eyes glaring red, clearly angry.

“Uncle,” Shi Ning, clutching the railing on the second floor, timidly called out.

The burly man’s originally fierce expression softened upon seeing Shi Ning. He even tried to force a smile, although it appeared somewhat strained. “Little Ning, you’re home.”

“Uncle, are you angry?” Shi Ning blinked his large eyes and asked softly.

“No, Uncle isn’t angry. I just need to talk to your brother about something,” the middle-aged man replied, looking back up at Shi Zhen, his expression turning menacing.

Bai Xiangxing thought to himself, what a rapid change in demeanor.

Not wanting to get involved in Shi Zhen’s family affairs, Bai Xiangxing didn’t go downstairs but instead leaned on the railing with Shi Ning to watch the drama unfold.

“Little Ning, why don’t you go back to your room for now?” The middle-aged man didn’t immediately confront Shi Zhen but tried to send Shi Ning away first. When he looked up again, he suddenly noticed the handsome Omega standing next to Shi Ning, and his expression became even more bewildered.

“I’m not leaving,” Shi Ning shook his head.

“Be good, I have something to discuss privately with your brother.”

“I won’t leave. If I do, Uncle will scold my brother,” Shi Ning stubbornly insisted.

The middle-aged man was at a loss. Scold Shi Zhen? Bai Xiangxing couldn’t believe that anyone could defeat Shi Zhen, the pinnacle of single-combat power in the Alliance.

“Little Ning, go back to your room with your Brother Xingxing,” Shi Zhen said with a noticeable pause before the words “Brother Xingxing.”

“What’s with this nickname? So cheesy,” Bai Xiangxing thought.

“Oh.” After being called “Brother Xingxing” for the first time, Shi Ning immediately complied, dragging Bai Xiangxing back toward her room.

Bai Xiangxing stopped a few meters later, leaving Shi Ning puzzled. Then, in front of his bewildered eyes, he crouched down and crawled back. The view from downstairs wasn’t visible due to the visual blind spot created by their positioning.

“Brother Xingxing?” Shi Ning, experiencing such a situation for the first time, felt uneasy.

“Shh,” Bai Xiangxing pressed his cute nose and grinned mischievously. “Don’t speak. They won’t notice us.”

Shi Ning still felt unsure about this, but he was also concerned about his big brother. After struggling for a moment, he decided to stay in his original spot. There was even a slight sense of excitement deep down.

“Can my big brother really not notice us?” Shi Ning was still worried.

“Don’t worry; if anything happens, I’ll protect you,” Bai Xiangxing reassured him. He couldn’t let a sweet little Omega like Shi Ning take any blame.

Downstairs, the middle-aged man was loudly interrogating Shi Zhen. However, after shouting for a long time and seeing that Shi Zhen not only didn’t respond but also kept his eyes fixed on the direction of the second floor, he was enraged.

“I’m asking you a question! Why are you looking upstairs? Don’t think about using Ning Ning as your shield!”

In their generation, there was only one Omega, Shi Ning, and they were careful not to startle him, as he was gentle, obedient, and timid. They always restrained their anger, even when it was boiling over. In fact, they even used Shi Ning as a shield to deflect blame when their own children misbehaved. All they had to do was call Shi Ning, and the kids would immediately calm down, no matter how much trouble they were causing.

However, Bai Xiangxing doubted that anyone could scold Shi Zhen, the Alliance’s top single-combat force, even if they shouted loudly.

“No,” Shi Zhen replied succinctly.

“I’m asking you, did you sell Asteroid 119 in the Scorpio Star System?” the middle-aged man shouted angrily.

“Yes,” Shi Zhen nodded.

“You dare admit it! Why did you sell Asteroid 119? Do you even know it was the corporation’s only source of income?” The middle-aged man was furious, clenching his fists. If he didn’t know that he couldn’t beat Shi Zhen, he would have wanted to fight him.

“I’m sorry, I intended to discuss it with you, but you were on the interstellar ship at the time, and I couldn’t reach you through communication,” Shi Zhen apologized.

“You couldn’t wait for me to return?”

“It was a bit urgent.”

“What could be so urgent that you couldn’t wait for a week?”

Shi Zhen remained silent, but his expression said it all—he couldn’t wait.

“Fine, then tell me, what did you do with the small Asteroid you sold?” Since it was already sold and couldn’t be retrieved, the middle-aged man wanted to know what Shi Zhen had done with it.

“As a dowry,” Shi Zhen uttered after a moment.

“What?” The middle-aged man clearly didn’t expect such an answer.

Not only him, but Bai Xiangxing, who was eavesdropping on the second floor, also felt uncomfortable upon hearing the word “dowry.” What kind of dowry? Theirs was an arrangement based on mutual interests; they didn’t want it to sound like they were really getting married.

“Wasn’t this Asteroid your brother’s? It belonged to your uncle?” Bai Xiangxing asked Shi Ning in a hushed voice.

“It’s my brother’s. That small Asteroid was originally left by Grandfather for my brother to use as a dowry for his future marriage. I also have one; it’s my dowry for my future marriage,” Shi Ning explained quietly.

It belonged to Shi Zhen, so why was Shi Zhen’s uncle so angry?

As Bai Xiangxing was pondering this, the answer was quickly provided from below.

“You’re getting married?” Shi Zhen’s uncle was taken aback.

“We just registered today.”

Once he learned that the registration had already taken place, Shi Zhen’s uncle’s eyes widened. He couldn’t believe that his nephew, who had been considered immune to bonding, was suddenly getting married. Wait a minute, they registered today, so the unfamiliar Omega upstairs from earlier…

“The Omega from earlier?”

“His name is Bai Xiangxing, he’s my partner,” Shi Zhen introduced.

“…” Shi Zhen’s uncle felt somewhat embarrassed. His nephew had just gotten married today, bringing his wife back home, and yet he had come to throw a tantrum. He looked quite fierce earlier, and he didn’t know if he had left a bad impression on his nephew’s wife.

However, now that he knew the reason, Shi Zhen’s uncle couldn’t be angry anymore. The small Asteroid had originally been left by Shi Zhen’s grandfather for him to use as a dowry for marriage, so using it as a dowry was reasonable. It was just a matter of the corporation’s situation.

“Since that’s the case, the company might be going bankrupt,” Shi Zhen’s uncle sighed heavily.

Bankrupt?!

Bai Xiangxing’s eyebrows shot up, feeling something was very wrong.

“You said this a few months ago,” Shi Zhen calmly replied.

“A few months ago, I mentioned that if our performance didn’t improve, we might go bankrupt next year. But now, without Asteroid 119, it’s not a matter of next year; we won’t even be able to pay salaries next month,” the man said dejectedly.

He knew this several months ago?! Salaries won’t be paid next month?!

Bai Xiangxing didn’t want to imagine what would happen to Shi Zhen’s meager account balance of fifty thousand starcoins. What was happening to the prestigious military corporation that Shi’s family had built over the past century?

He entered into this arranged marriage to leverage Shi Zhen’s family’s business, to reduce the risk of working hard for another ten years and potentially dying young. Now, with the news of the company’s potential bankruptcy, how could he reduce his workload?

What had he done? He hadn’t gained any advantages; instead, he had voluntarily become a second-time spouse.

Bai Xiangxing couldn’t believe it. In his desperation, he looked at Shi Ning by his side and asked, “Is your family going bankrupt?”

“I don’t know,” Shi Ning admitted. In fact, his family never discussed the company’s affairs with him.

“Then let me ask you, how much is your annual allowance?” Bai Xiangxing remembered that Shi Ning had saved around two hundred thousand starcoins over several years.

“Five thousand starcoins per month, so for a year, including New Year’s money, it’s about eighty thousand starcoins,” Shi Ning calculated earnestly.

Eighty thousand? What could you do with that amount? It wouldn’t even be enough to buy a pair of pants.

Bai Xiangxing’s face visibly darkened. “Shi Zhen, this bastard, he actually lied to me.”

That’s right, Shi Zhen had indeed lied to him. Bai Xiangxing was losing his composure. Despite his own improper plans involving Shi Zhen’s assets, Shi Zhen had never once mentioned that his family had money.

From the sound of Shi Zhen’s uncle’s words, it seemed that the small Asteroid Shi Zhen had given to Bai’s family was possibly the last remaining asset of Shi’s family business. In such dire straits, Shi Zhen had even given away this small planet. Was Shi Zhen insane?

Wait a minute. Did Shi Zhen offer himself in this arranged marriage to get Bai Xiangxing to help save his family’s business? After all, Bai Xiangxing was known for making money.

The more Bai Xiangxing thought about it, the more it made sense. Otherwise, why would Shi Zhen go through all this trouble to marry him? His earlier explanation about needing a partner was convincing only because he believed that a single small planet meant little to the wealthy Shi family. However, if this planet represented the entirety of their assets, Bai Xiangxing would have smelled a rat.

Bai Xiangxing was beginning to realize the truth, but he was oblivious to the fact that, although he would become a renowned money-maker in the future, he had only recently graduated from university and was a young professional. While he had helped negotiate a few business deals for Bai’s family, he was far from being known as someone who could make a lot of money.

“Big Brother Xing,” Shi Ning noticed that his new sister-in-law’s face had immediately turned dark upon hearing about the potential bankruptcy, and he couldn’t help but have some bad guesses in his heart.

“Yes?” Bai Xiangxing looked over.

“Don’t look down on my brother. He has a high salary, and he takes on extra assignments to earn more for the family. And if it’s still not enough, I… I can give you my allowance.”

Your allowance? Five thousand a month? What could you do with that? Buy afternoon tea at a restaurant?

Bai Xiangxing was about to reply to Shi Ning when he saw Shi Zhen approaching. Shi Zhen stood at the stairwell, looking at the two of them squatting on the floor. His face showed a strange expression, clearly having overheard Shi Ning’s words.

Their eavesdropping had been discovered, and although Bai Xiangxing had thick skin, he felt somewhat embarrassed.

“It was me who pulled Xing-ge into eavesdropping,” Shi Ning immediately took responsibility.

Shi Zhen looked at Shi Ning and then at Bai Xiangxing, his eyes filled with reproach.

No need to ask; Bai Xiangxing could guess what Shi Zhen was thinking. His younger brother, who was originally a very obedient and cute Omega, had been corrupted within minutes of Bai Xiangxing’s arrival.

“Cough, can we talk?” Bai Xiangxing decided to take control of the situation.

Shi Zhen looked puzzled but nodded.

“Ning-Ning, go back to your room,” Shi Zhen instructed. Shi Ning was still a child and shouldn’t witness the cutthroat business discussions that might follow.

“Are you guys going to fight?” Shi Ning asked, looking concerned. His big brother wasn’t very fond of Omega, and now with the family potentially going bankrupt, he worried that they might get divorced.

Thinking this way, Shi Ning held onto Bai Xiangxing’s sleeve nervously, looking at him with pitiful eyes.

“…What’s this expression? Even if we fight, your big brother is an Alpha. Can he really be bullied by me?” Bai Xiangxing said, baffled by Shi Ning’s concern.

But facing such a delicate and cute Omega, Bai Xiangxing couldn’t help but soften his attitude. He reassured Shi Ning, “Don’t worry, we won’t fight. I’ll just discuss some matters with your brother.”

With that, Bai Xiangxing reached out and affectionately pinched Shi Ning’s chubby cheek.

Shi Zhen’s eyes twitched.

Stay calm. He was an Omega right now.

“Then… are you going to get a divorce?” Shi Ning continued to ask.

“No, we won’t,” Bai Xiangxing replied. In the Alliance, there was a rule that newlyweds couldn’t divorce within the first year of marriage. Only after a year, if there were no children, could they apply for a divorce.

Shi Ning felt relieved and let go of Bai Xiangxing’s sleeve. He returned to his room, leaving the space for his big brother and sister-in-law.

Bai Xiangxing withdrew his gaze and, with an indulgent expression, turned to Shi Zhen. “You used your family’s last little Asteroid to bring me here because you want me to save your family’s business, right?”

Shi Zhen furrowed his brows for a moment, but quickly understood. It was likely that their conversation downstairs with his uncle had caused the misunderstanding. He was about to explain when Bai Xiangxing continued.

“If you want me to save your company, that’s fine, but I want a 30% stake in it,” Bai Xiangxing said. Originally, he had intended to leverage Shi Zhen’s influence to strike at the Bai family first and then invest the alimony from a divorce into starting his own company. But the situation had changed, and if they wanted him to turn things around, he needed a stake.

Shi Zhen remained silent but nodded in agreement.

“Let me make it clear beforehand,” Bai Xiangxing continued, “since you brought me here to save the Shi family’s business, I will be in charge of the company once we agree. I will be the one making the actual decisions, and no one can question them. Even though I only hold a 30% stake in the company, during shareholders’ meetings, you must support me unconditionally.”

“Alright,” Shi Zhen agreed without hesitation.

“I’ll also have the authority to hire and fire employees.”

“Okay.”

“After I take over, if I find anyone in the company who holds their position but isn’t competent, whether they’re related to you or not, I can fire them at will, and you can’t question it.”

“Sure.”

Is it really this easy?

Bai Xiangxing continued to probe Shi Zhen’s bottom line. “The person who came earlier, your uncle, what position does he hold in the company?”

“He’s the General Manager,” Shi Zhen replied.

“After I take over, he might also be let go,” Bai Xiangxing said.

“Alright,” Shi Zhen answered without any hint of concern.

This is okay?

“Aren’t you afraid your uncle will cause trouble for you?” Shi Zhen was too easygoing. Bai Xiangxing felt a bit embarrassed; he had to admit that he was pushing the limits.

“He won’t,” Shi Zhen said confidently. His uncle had never wanted to manage the company, and if he found someone willing to take over, he might even send a congratulatory banner.

“Okay, once I draft the agreement, we’ll sign it officially,” Shi Zhen’s cooperative attitude left Bai Xiangxing feeling less disgruntled. He had always been an honest businessman and a good business partner, so if Shi Zhen was willing to cooperate, he would do so sincerely.