It was as if a glitched robot had lodged itself in his mind. The System’s voice repeated itself several times before exclaiming in surprise.
[Luo Shang hasn’t signed yet?]
[He’s probably still sleeping.]
Su Mingyao replied.
[It only counts once he comes to sign it too, since this engagement involves him,] the System said.
[Right now, it’s only half-finished.]
By now, both parties had signed the contract, yet no one had left the conference room.
They weren’t sure if this truly counted as the “cancellation of the engagement” that Luo Shang had demanded.
After Old Master Shen finished signing, he glanced around the room. “Can I go now?”
“Probably… not yet,” Su Mingyao spoke up.
Old Master Shen turned to him with a frown.
Su Mingyao was just a junior; in a setting like this, it wasn’t his place to decide who could leave. At the very least, Su Tiancheng needed to give the word.
Old Master Shen looked to Su Tiancheng, waiting for him to speak.
But to his surprise, Su Tiancheng didn’t reprimand Su Mingyao. Instead, he agreed with the young man.
“Not yet?” Su Tiancheng said, his voice laced with regret.
“Because Little Shang hasn’t arrived,” Su Mingyao explained. “He needs to see it too. What we’ve done here is just a rehearsal.”
Su Tiancheng’s expression lit up with sudden understanding. He turned to Old Master Shen with respectful deference. “I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a little longer, sir.”
Old Master Shen: “???”
He was utterly baffled, completely at a loss.
The original agreement between him and Old Master Su had been nothing more than a verbal promise. Making the cancellation so formal had already left him scratching his head, but now they had to wait for Luo Shang? And everything before had just been a rehearsal?
This was absurd!
Even though he’d held a favorable view of Luo Shang up until now, Old Master Shen suddenly found himself harboring some resentment toward both the young man and the Su Family.
“I have other matters to attend to today. I can’t wait around that long—I’m leaving,” Old Master Shen said, shaking his head as he rose to depart.
“Wait, Grandpa!” Shen Changqing called out urgently.
“Please, just wait a little!”
“I’m begging you!”
Old Master Shen was taken aback.
This grandson of his had always projected an image of fierce independence in his presence. He hadn’t begged for anything since he was five years old. And yet here he was, pleading over something like this…
“If you leave now, you’ll never see me again!” Shen Changqing said, his words raw with sincerity.
He meant every bit of it. Right now, this was what mattered most to him.
He couldn’t speak for anyone else, but if this didn’t go through, he was as good as dead.
You’re threatening me now?
Old Master Shen shot him a glare. But then he noticed the faint glimmer of tears in Shen Changqing’s eyes, which left him momentarily stunned and at a loss for words.
“Fine. I’ll wait another half hour.”
“Half an hour might not be enough,” Su Tiancheng said tactfully.
No one knew when Luo Shang would show up. Until he did, it was best to maintain the status quo.
“Not even half an hour? I came all the way here late at night!” Old Master Shen snapped, his patience finally exhausted.
“You’re right—we all came here late at night,” Su Tiancheng agreed with a sigh.
Old Master Shen suddenly realized what was going on.
All us elders were dragged out here in the dead of night to sit and wait… so why hadn’t Luo Shang shown up?
Why was Luo Shang the only one who didn’t have to be hauled out late at night to wait around?
What was the reason for that?
…What in the world was happening here?
Old Master Shen had previously regarded Luo Shang merely as a junior. Now, however, he was forced to confront the young man—and the enigma he represented—head-on.
“There’s no need to be so anxious, sir,” Su Mingyao said. “Any plans you had for today are sure to be canceled anyway, so you can relax. Urgent matters will be resolved perfectly; less pressing ones can wait. Everyone will understand.”
Right—he’d been requisitioned by the state… Old Master Shen realized with a start.
This went beyond a mere family affair between the Shen and Su Families. The nation itself had stepped in, compelling them to act.
“But what if he never shows? What if he doesn’t come even in a full day?” Old Master Shen demanded.
“We can’t just sit here forever!”
“You absolutely can—and you will,” came a voice suddenly echoing through the conference room’s speakers.
“If he doesn’t arrive in a day, you’ll wait a day. If it’s a day and a half, you’ll wait two days.”
“Meals and drinks will be provided. At night, someone will bring sleeping bags, or you can opt for stimulants to stay alert.”
“This isn’t just your family business. It’s a matter of national importance—one that concerns the entire world. Treat it with the seriousness it deserves.”
The words from the broadcaster were mainly meant to persuade Old Master Shen. After all, among those present, he was the only one who knew nothing about Luo Shang’s situation; everyone else was fully aware.
Old Master Shen was stunned, and he rubbed his face vigorously.
He couldn’t understand it. How could something as simple as the two families canceling an engagement affect the survival of the world?
*
Everything returned to calm in Luo Shang’s room.
“The past Little Fish didn’t like fishing…”
Ke Yanjin scanned the furnishings in the room and said.
Luo Shang lay lazily on the bed, flipping through “Children’s Literature” on his bookshelf. Seeing Ke Yanjin’s curiosity, he looked up and replied, “I really didn’t have this hobby before. My previous hobbies were all pretty thrilling, like street racing, bungee jumping, and so on. But it’s already thrilling enough in the Reincarnation Space, so I’ve started to like more peaceful activities.”
“Like fishing and growing flowers,” Ke Yanjin said.
“At my age among humans, it’s about time to do these things,” Luo Shang said. He turned around, slid the “Children’s Literature” back into the bookshelf, and then snapped his fingers.
His clothes automatically reorganized and appeared on his body, and even Ke Yanjin changed into a matching couple’s outfit with him.
“Date—shall we go?”
“Let’s go,” Ke Yanjin said.
At the same time, the white-haired Luo Shang’s conscious body reappeared in Su Mingyao’s mind.
Su Mingyao immediately asked eagerly, “When are you coming over? We’ve prepared everything; we’re just waiting for you to sign!”
“I’m on a date with A-Jin right now.”
Luo Shang wasn’t surprised by their efficiency. After all, once they made contact with the state, the boost in efficiency was obvious.
“A-Jin needs my company right now. Once he’s a bit more stable later, I’ll find a chance to come over and sign.”
