Chapter 683: Chapter 4: Weight and Resilience

"Chen Fangjia... is your... father?"

Upon hearing this, Yun You was shocked.

She had heard the name before, the most renowned councilor of Nest City No. 12, a superstar politician most likely to become the united mayor before turning 50. Although his reputation among civilians was indeed poor, everyone knew that elections never really cared about reputation or fame; it was all about one’s tactics.

And there was no doubt that Chen Fangjia was an outstanding politician, able to simultaneously gain the support of the Death God Organization, the military, and major corporations, which already showcased his ability.

However, this guy was ultimately not on the side of the common people, and even if he became the united mayor, it wouldn’t be a good thing.

This was the consensus of everyone at the time.

So he died, at the hands of Jin.

To others, this was definitely considered eliminating harm for the people, and even Yun You had applauded Jin’s decisiveness when she learned of it... because if it were her, she would’ve done the same.

But she never imagined that Chen Fangjia, a guy once so prominent on Earth, would actually be the father of her second senior brother, Chen Zaikun. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Thinking about it now, among her fellow apprentices, it seemed only Chen Zaikun never publicly disclosed his background.

The eldest, Jiang Wuji, was born into the aristocratic Jiang Family of Nest City No. 1. Although the family was already in some decline at his birth, they could at least nurture him without worries and even let him start martial arts training from a young age, laying the foundation for his future as a Death God.

As for the third, Tang Jin, and the fifth, Vitinya, there’s naturally no need to elaborate—both were also descendants of large families. Although their families had their issues, they were generally trivial matters, and their parents were still alive.

The fourth, Kasima Reiko, was an orphan, without parents, and naturally had fewer ties.

As for the youngest, herself, Yun You... her family background could be summarized in one sentence—born into a civilian family.

And what about Chen Zaikun?

He never spoke of it, and others never asked about it.

Everyone assumed from his appearance that he was born into a farmer’s family, uneducated and illiterate, forming a stereotype about him.

But this wasn’t the truth.

He also had a prestigious birth and a happy childhood, but all of this was destroyed by his teacher’s own hands.

"In 2038, I was born into the Chen Family of Nest City No. 12."

Chen Zaikun did not stop narrating but instead murmured, as if his thoughts had returned to those forty-some years in the past.

"The Chen Family wasn’t an ancient family with a long history; it started to rise only from my grandfather’s generation... The upward path in Nest City No. 12 was very narrow, and my grandfather became a white glove for the upper-class nobility... a pawn used to take the fall and handle affairs for them, barely earning his first pot of gold."

"Later my grandfather died, on the path of taking the fall for the nobles. My father was silent for a long time, but ultimately reason prevailed. Not only did he not seek redress or so-called ’justice,’ but he also took up grandfather’s mantle and continued being a white glove for the nobility."

"He then exchanged five full years of prison life for a ticket to the upper echelons and also earned the nickname ’Chen Flayer.’"

"He told me that what others think doesn’t matter, nor does fame. What matters is whether you have money and capital, and whether you have the power to control your own destiny."

"A person’s ideals don’t dictate their social status, but their position certainly does. So, no matter how grand your ambitions, you must first grow and become someone whom everyone must respect and admire; only then will you have the chance to realize your desires."

"Everyone viewed my father, Chen Fangjia, as a greedy, shortsighted scoundrel willing to sell his soul and conscience for money and position, no different from those centuries-old noble families."

"But what they didn’t know is that just a decade ago, the Chen Family was also part of the lower stratum. My grandfather and father were both born into poverty, suffering alongside the famine-stricken populace. They had witnessed the hardships of the world and understood the need for change."

"My father once aspired to become an Apprentice Death God because, generally speaking, Death Gods found it easier to attain higher social status and to change the world."

"But unfortunately, he lacked the talent... or rather, by the time he was of age to become an Apprentice Death God, our family lacked the funds and resources to purchase the Genetic Potion he needed to change his frail body."

Chen Zaikun shook his head, his tone tinged with emotion.

"So, he had to abandon that dream and start from being a white glove, growing step by step, expending his mental energy to serve those in power."

"From the most ordinary white glove, to a regional company manager, then to mid-level management, and later transitioning to become a councilman in the parliament."

"People always liked to curse my father, saying his progress was always accompanied by bloodshed and flattery. But they never realized that before becoming a mayoral candidate, none of my father’s orders were his own; they were always in execution of the nobles’ directives."

"However, my father did not care about these."

"He climbed to the top not to redeem his reputation but to try, in his own way, to do something for the people at the bottom."