Chapter 55

The next day, when Shan Ming woke up, his son had already rented a convertible sports car and took him for a drive around Cannes. Then they went to Nice, where they spent some time sunbathing on the beach. Several ladies approached Shan Ming and struck up conversations, while most of them showed little interest in Shen Changze. In their eyes, a fifteen-year-old Eastern boy looked more like twelve or thirteen, too young for their liking.

Shen Changze became quite unhappy and would glare at any woman who approached, making Shan Ming feel frustrated and even more annoyed with him. Shan Ming felt the strong urge to beat him. It seemed that bringing a kid on vacation hindered the enjoyment of romantic encounters. It felt no different from staying at home and taking care of a child. Damn it, if it weren’t for this brat stealing his money and running away, he wouldn’t be in such a pathetic situation. The thought angered Shan Ming even more.

However, Shan Ming had a much greater interest in gambling than women. The thought of going to Monte Carlo that evening and gambling to his heart’s content made him happy again.

After sunbathing for a while, Shan Ming felt like going for a swim, so Shen Changze followed him into the water.

This was actually his first time swimming with Shan Ming. The previous experiences of swimming in muddy swamps while wearing combat gear didn’t really count.

Both of them were excellent swimmers, and the warm seawater felt incredibly pleasant under the sun’s heat. They kept swimming deeper and deeper until they were far away from the beach, far from the reach of other people.

Shan Ming seemed to be in a great mood as he took a deep breath and dived into the water. He swam behind Shen Changze and kicked him before resurfacing from the side, laughing heartily.

Shen Changze held his breath and dove into the water, wrapping his arms around Shan Ming’s waist. He pulled him downward, and underwater, they engaged in a playful struggle, kicking and pushing each other. Both of them held their breath, determined to keep the other from resurfacing. Their eyes widened like brass bells as they tried to overpower each other.

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“Ebs nyd pll kd vbkp eyajdlpp? Gde kv eslpd’v xyvvla lhld kq vblu es pll.”

Shen Changze rested his chin on Shan Ming’s shoulder, his lips coming close to Shan Ming’s face, occasionally brushing against him.

Shan Ming paid no mind to it, he enjoyed the sensation of drifting with the gentle waves. It felt as if he was sleeping on a cloud, he was completely at ease and carefree.

Shen Changze softly whispered in Shan Ming’s ear, “Dad.”

“Mn?”

“Have you ever thought about spending your life with someone?”

“Mn? What kind of question is that?”

“Like, is there someone you want to be together with for your entire life?”

“If there are no unexpected turns, my life won’t be very long. Before I die, I’ll probably be with my fellow comrades in arms, the Peregrine Falcons. So, let’s just consider that I’m spending a lifetime with them.”

“It’s not about that, I mean, if you could live a long life, grow old, and live for several decades. When that time comes and you can’t even lift a gun anymore, who would you want by your side?”

Shan Ming pffted, “Why are you asking such sentimental questions? How would I know who would take care of me at that time? Maybe some volunteers? Hopefully, I can afford a caregiver when the time comes.”

“Dad,” Shen Changze said discontentedly, “Can you answer seriously?”

Shan Ming rolled his eyes and said, “I really don’t like how you keep asking these stupid questions, making me feel like I’m still babysitting. Can’t you just act like an adult all the time?”

“I don’t see how I’m not acting like an adult. Where’s the immaturity in this question? I just want to know your plans for the future.”

“How many times do I have to say it? I don’t see any future for myself… Fine fine fine, whatever, you’re going to blabber on with a bunch of nonsense again, so I’ll just answer, when I’m old and if I’m still alive, it would be best if Ayer and Tiger Shark are still around. Although Tiger Shark is over twenty years older than me, he’ll probably die early… Anyway, it would be great if I could still see them when I’m old and we could reminisce about the heroic moments in our youth. Fuck, I don’t want to grow old at all, it’s better to die early.”

Shen Changze expressed his disappointment, “What about me? Have you never thought about me?”

“You? You’re so much younger than me. When I’m old, you’ll still be in your prime. It’s not like you’ll be accompanying me to walk the dog.”

“Of course I’ll accompany you. No matter how old you are, I will always be by your side. Dad, I will be beside you forever.”

Shan Ming chuckled and gently patted Shen Changze’s cheek. “You cheeky little brat, where did you learn to talk like that?”

“I didn’t learn it from someone, I’m being serious,” Shen Changze said, caressing Shan Ming’s face. “Dad, you have to live longer. You absolutely can’t die. I only have you, and I don’t trust anyone else except you. I just want to be with you for the rest of my life.”

As Shan Ming turned his head to look at the determination and affection on the child’s face, he felt a deep sense of emotion. This little squirt whom he had raised from a young age, truly regarded him as a close relative. He admired him, trusted him, and relied on him. This feeling was incredible, it filled his heart with contentment and warmth.

Shan Ming couldn’t help but laugh and said, “Raising a son is quite amusing.”

Shen Changze rubbed his cheek against Shan Ming’s face affectionately.

Shan Ming had always believed that men shouldn’t act so spoiled, but after years of raising a child, he finally gave in to the fact that his own perspective was different from others, especially from that of a child. Just because he didn’t have a childhood didn’t mean Shen Changze didn’t want one. So, even though he felt a bit uncomfortable with his grown-up son acting so spoiled, he didn’t bother stopping him anymore.

The two of them continued to chitchat as they floated on the surface of the sea, savoring the tranquility of passing time.

It was until it grew late and they began to feel the chill that they swam back to the shore. They returned to their hotel, took a refreshing shower, and changed clothes. They were getting ready to head out to the casino.

Shan Ming felt quite uncomfortable in the suit he was wearing. Tugging and adjusting it here and there, he expressed his frustration, “Why do you insist on making me wear this? It’s not like we can’t get in wearing jeans.”

“Since we rarely go out, can we at least try to look the part? Dad looks so handsome in a suit, so please wear it,” Shen Changze watched Shan Ming’s tall and athletic figure in the mirror, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. When he felt Shan Ming’s gaze upon him, he quickly averted his eyes and tied his tie in front of the mirror. Then he turned around, smiled at Shan Ming and asked, “Dad, do I look good?”

Shan Ming paused for a moment, momentarily stunned by Shen Changze’s sunny and handsome smile.

Even though he was someone who didn’t pay much attention to appearances, Shan Ming couldn’t help but admit that his adopted son looked ridiculously beautiful. As a child, he resembled a doll with his eyes taking up half of his face. As he grew up, he became unparalleled in his handsomeness. His face seemed to be meticulously sculpted, without a single flaw that could be picked out.

It’s a pity that Shen Changze probably didn’t even realize how good-looking he was himself. After all, in the world of mercenaries, you could compliment someone on their marksmanship, their biceps, or even their beautiful combat knife. But if you dared to say to a man, “You look really beautiful,” it would be almost like provocation, likely leading to a fight.

In short, Shan Ming smiled and said, “Pretty good.” The sense of pride that comes from being a father and watching his little baby grow into a strong young man welled up inside him once again.

If Shan Ming knew that raising a son would be this fun, that they were as competent as ever in being a nanny and can even serve as bodyguards, he thought to himself that he should have picked up a few more back then.

The two of them dressed up elegantly and drove to Monaco.

As they approached the borders of Monaco, they noticed an increasing number of luxury cars filling the streets. They parked their car and walked into the Monte Carlo Casino, carrying their passports with them.

As the security guards at the entrance checked Shen Changze’s passport, a hint of doubt flickered in his eyes, as if he felt Shen Changze didn’t look like someone who was already eighteen years old.

In the end, they successfully passed through the security check. Shen Changze went to exchange $300,000 worth of chips and then reminded Shan Ming, “If we lose over a million tonight, we’re leaving.”

Shan Ming shrugged, took the chips and left.

Walking on the thick and luxurious carpet, Shan Ming navigated his way expertly into the innermost part of the casino. He found a room for playing blackjack, and as it was nearing midnight, the room was quite crowded. He chose a relatively empty table, and both of them took a seat.

In the beginning, it was just the two of them playing. They had wins and losses, and time seemed to fly by.

After about twenty minutes, the chair next to Shan Ming was pulled back. He turned his head to look and saw a somewhat slender Caucasian man, who was fairly handsome but carried an air of arrogance. Shan Ming quickly noticed that he was accompanied by four bodyguards, standing in a line behind him.

The dealer at their table clearly knew this person and politely greeted him, “Mr. Roddy, the VIP room might still be unoccupied. Would you like me to accompany you there?”

“No need,” the young man smiled and narrowed his eyes as he glanced at Shan Ming. “I want to play here today.”

Shen Changze slowly turned his head and glanced at that Caucasian young man, feeling a bit uncomfortable in his heart.

At first, Shan Ming didn’t pay much attention and continued playing his own game. However, when he noticed that this guy was requesting cards recklessly regardless of his chances of winning, it disrupted his own strategy and caused him to lose several rounds, a small flame of anger ignited within him.