In the frenzied Meiye Bar, Rong Shaoze had drunk himself into a stupor.
He had been drinking here for days on end, and no one dared to drive him away. He was the bar’s top patron — why would anyone shun their biggest cash cow?
The door to the private room was pushed open and Madam Rong turned on the light. Seeing Rong Shaoze’s state, her expression shifted subtly, and she nearly let tears fall in distress.
Her son, who had always been dignified and never disheveled, how had he become ?
Rong Shaoze lay on the ground amidst a sea of bottles, his clothes dampened by liquor, and a bluish stubble on his chin.
From head to toe, he was in utter disarray, with even vomit on the floor around him.
He looked like a destitute drunkard, filthy and degenerate, completely lacking his usual vitality.
Holding back her distress, Madam Rong faintly instructed the servants behind her, "Go fetch me a basin of water."
When the water was brought, she commanded, "Throw it over him."
"This..." The servant hesitated, knowing full well that Rong Shaoze was not someone to provoke lightly.
If he threw the water, would he face retribution?
"What are you waiting for?!" Madam Rong glared at him fiercely. With gritted teeth, he mustered the courage and doused Rong Shaoze with the water.
"Cough, cough..." The man opened his bloodshot eyes, dazed for a while before he saw his mother’s cold expression overhead.
"Can you stand on your own?" Madam Rong asked, her tone detached.
"Stand up!" She raised her voice sharply, her eyes steely, radiating the full authority of Mrs. Rong.
Rong Shaoze braced himself with his hands, struggling to lift his upper body, only to collapse back down.
His head throbbed with pain, as if it were about to explode, his body stiff and devoid of strength.
"Mom..." He tried to sound pitiful, but Madam Rong saw through his ploy and cut him off with indifference.
"Don’t beg me! Have you forgotten? If you fall, you have to get back up on your own! How can you ever be fit to bear the Rong family name in this state? Rong Shaoze, remember who you are!"
The man closed his eyes slightly, then suddenly recalled his grandmother’s stern warning.
"Listen well, if you choose this path, you must endure through clenched teeth! No matter how hard or tiresome, you must not beg for mercy or retrea,t even if it kills you; you cannot show any sign of weakness!"
The younger him, arrogant and unyielding, naturally wouldn’t accept defeat. He promised loudly, "You can rest assured, there’s nothing in this world that Rong Shaoze can’t handle!"
What awaited him then were storms of blood, a life far from ordinary...
Seeing her son , Madam Rong could no longer bear it. She crouched down and gently said,
"Shaoze, your mother is not being cruel for cruelty’s sake. But if I don’t force you to stand on your own, you’ll never get over the hurdle in your heart. You have to stand up on your own, then start a new life tomorrow. Forget everything in the past, and no matter how much pain you bear inside, you must let it go."
What she wanted was for her son to live self-sufficiently, free from any pain or shackles, and to be superior to others.
Her son must never be burdened by any personal entanglements.
If he truly became too weary and pained, she wouldn’t hesitate to personally eradicate the source of his suffering.
Rong Shaoze suddenly opened his eyes, mustering strength from somewhere and forcibly propping himself up with clenched teeth.
Though his body swayed, he did not fall again.
Madam Rong nodded with satisfaction and helped him to his feet, saying, "Let’s go, we’re heading back."