Spellcasting Gods

"Yes! Do you see that Asian man in the crowd, around fifty years old? He's my nominal father..."

Chapter 708 Father and Son (Part 1)

Without a doubt, for a group of victims who had just survived a storm and whose freshwater treatment facilities were damaged, nothing was more important than taking a shower and having a hot meal.

After all, modern ocean-going vessels generally rely on small-scale seawater desalination equipment on board to ensure the daily supply of water resources.

If this thing breaks down, the result will be that everyone on the ship will have no water to drink, and they won't be able to cook food properly, let alone take a bath.

Fortunately, the storm had only passed for about two days, so the victims had not yet shown serious signs of dehydration. Otherwise, those with weaker constitutions might have become weak or even lost consciousness.

Keep in mind that the daytime temperature in the mid-Atlantic is already around 32 to 34 degrees Celsius, and the nighttime temperature is 25 to 27 degrees Celsius. Add to that the scorching sunlight coming down from near the equator, and over time it can bake a person alive.

Sitting in the yacht's luxurious restaurant, the twelve people who had just taken a shower were wolfing down a sumptuous meal while looking around at the modern and luxurious decorations of the more than two-hundred-meter-long ship.

About six or seven minutes later, the young girl who had been wearing a bikini finally couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Hey! Who do you think those fully armed guys outside are?"

“I don’t know! But I know that a yacht must be very expensive; it can’t be built for less than several hundred million dollars. Also, did you notice the two helicopters on the outer helipad? Those are S-92 military models! Each one costs as much as 23 million dollars! I guarantee that the owner of this ship must be extremely rich.” Another white youth next to him replied with an envious look.

"This is the S-92? My God! This is insane!" Another young man couldn't help but stand up and look outside.

Just as women can never resist the temptation of designer bags, shoes, lipsticks, perfumes, and cosmetics, men can never resist the temptation of cars, computers, mobile phones, and airplanes. Even if they can't afford them, they will learn about them through various magazines and journals.

The S-92, also known as a helicopter bus, was jointly developed and manufactured by several technologically advanced heavy industry companies worldwide. It has a fuselage length of 17 meters, a height of 6 meters, and can carry 21 people, including the pilot. Its maximum payload exceeds 5 tons, and it can fly about 1,000 kilometers on a full tank of fuel. It is far superior to those single-engine helicopters that cost one or two million US dollars.

Considering that deploying Quinjet fighters on the yacht would be too conspicuous, Zhang Cheng specially snatched two ready-made S-92s from someone else at a high price. He even added some easy-to-remove weapons, such as heavy machine guns and rocket launchers, to equip them when going out to sea and remove them when returning to shore.

Normally, helicopters with such a large carrying capacity are usually used for military purposes, and few wealthy people would choose to buy them.

The price of two S-92s is enough to buy a decent private jet.

The former is far inferior to the latter in terms of speed, cost-effectiveness, and comfort.

Just as the young man was utterly astonished by the yacht's luxurious amenities, Jag suddenly pushed open the door and walked into the restaurant. He strode up to a slightly weathered Asian man in his fifties and said expressionlessly, "Mr. Chen Song, please come with me. The boss wants to speak with you privately."

"Boss?" The Asian man, referred to as Mr. Chen Song, frowned subconsciously.

Judging from his three-dimensional facial features and streamlined physique, it's easy to tell that he must have been very handsome when he was young, the kind of person who would attract attention even if he stood still.

“That’s right! My boss’s name is Zhang Cheng. I’m sure you’re familiar with that name.” Jage revealed the answer directly.

"What?! What did you just say?!"

Chen Song was clearly agitated; he suddenly stood up from his seat, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

"Professor! What's wrong?"

"You bastard! What did you say to Professor Chen?"

"Professor! Don't be afraid! They won't dare to do anything to you!"

……

In an instant, everyone around gathered around, and a noisy argument broke out.

It was clear that the unfamiliar environment and the heavily armed combat personnel outside made these victims feel extremely insecure, and they would immediately become tense at the slightest disturbance.

In response, Jaeger simply took two steps back and raised his hands to show his innocence, without making any threatening moves to prevent the situation from escalating.

"Enough! Stop making noise! ​​I'm fine! I just got a little excited when I suddenly heard a familiar name." Chen Song, regaining his composure, immediately shouted to stop the overly agitated young man.

He never imagined that he would encounter his biological son, whom he had longed to see for many years but dared not go to, on the vast ocean.

"Are you sure you don't need help?" The girl who spoke first showed intense worry in her eyes.

Chen Song forced a smile and replied softly, "No, no need, Tanya. I'm not going to see anyone else, but my son, whom I should have seen the moment I arrived in New York. Now that he's standing before me, how can I continue to run away..."

"Oh! Shit! You mean... the owner of this ship is actually your biological son, my non-blood-related brother? But in your description, he doesn't seem to be that rich." The girl named Tanya opened her mouth wide in surprise.

"Don't ask me, I don't know anything, and I'm not quite clear on what has happened over the years. Please give me some time; I need to apologize for the mistakes I made when I was young."

After saying this, Chen Song took a deep breath and followed Jag directly to the captain's cabin.

He had barely left when the restaurant erupted in chaos.

Especially the energetic and gossipy female students immediately came over and loudly asked Tanya, "Dear sister! I think you need to explain what's going on with your adoptive father's suddenly appearing biological son."

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Most importantly, is he as handsome as Professor Chen? Good heavens! A handsome, rich, and young billionaire, I feel like my soulmate has arrived."

"You little bitch! Stop being so horny! With your figures and looks, you'd never get the attention of a rich and handsome guy." Tanya rolled her eyes in annoyance.

After a moment's hesitation, she explained softly, "Before marrying my mother, Chen had a previous marriage and had a son. However, according to his description, the boy's mother was a complete madwoman and control freak. That marriage was a complete disaster, and he couldn't bear it any longer, so he chose to abandon his young son and leave alone. He's been gone for over twenty years, without any contact whatsoever. Chen has always felt guilty about abandoning his son, so he rarely mentions it to outsiders, always feeling he should do something to make amends..."

Just as Tanya was telling her friend this gossip, Zhang Cheng finally met his nominal father.

The two stared at each other in silence for a full five minutes before he smiled and remarked, "I never imagined that we would meet for the first time under such a coincidence."

"I...I...I'm so sorry..."

Chapter 709 Father and Son (Part 2)

"Why should I apologize?" Zhang Cheng casually poured a glass of amber-colored whiskey and handed it to the other person.

It must be said that although this meeting was completely unplanned, he still showed great interest.

The reason is simple: from any angle, the family he impersonated has an inexplicable strangeness that makes people unable to help but make all sorts of associations.

Especially this highly educated and idealistic older man in front of me, how did he end up with such an ambitious and strong woman, and why did he choose to leave her later?

The more Zhang Cheng learned, the more he felt there must be a fascinating story behind it all.

Given that he has recently been studying human behavior and psychology, he naturally wouldn't overlook such a special real-world case.

Chen Song took the cup, tilted his head back, and took a big gulp, forcing himself to calm down.

After a long while, he replied with a wry smile, "Shouldn't I apologize? After all, it was my weakness and irresponsibility that caused you to miss out on half of your family affection growing up. Perhaps I don't feel any guilt towards your mother; the reason she has remained single is entirely due to her own personality flaws. But you are innocent, and I feel I must apologize to your face."

“Okay, I accept. Although I don’t think it’s necessary.” Zhang Cheng shrugged indifferently.

He now finally understood why the other party kept sending small gifts but never paid a visit.

After all, guilt is a very special psychological activity. It can produce a series of complex emotional responses, including unease, tension, anticipation, and fear. The end result is that you really want to see the other person, but you don't dare to go and see them, for fear of accidentally creating an irreparable situation.

"You don't seem agitated? Nor do you seem to hate me?" Chen Song's eyes revealed undisguised surprise.

He originally thought that even if his ex-wife didn't say too many bad things about him, she wouldn't say anything nice either, and that they would probably have a big fight on their first meeting, venting all the resentment he had accumulated over the past ten or twenty years.

But the reality was quite the opposite. There were no fierce arguments or shouts, no emotional outbursts, only a calm and distant attitude, as if dealing with strangers.

“Hate?” Zhang Cheng smiled and shook his head. “No, you think too highly of yourself. To me, you’re just a stranger with blood ties, nothing more. What interests me is what happened between you and my mother, and why someone like you would marry such a domineering woman.”

"Did your mother say anything to you?" Chen Song frowned subconsciously, feeling that the situation was a bit beyond his expectations.

“She didn’t say anything. That’s precisely why I’m so interested. You know, there aren’t many husbands in the world who allow their sons to take their mother’s surname, and you happen to be one of them.” After saying that, Zhang Cheng put down the wine bottle in his hand and looked directly into the other person’s eyes.

"Are you being sarcastic?" Chen Song clearly didn't want to discuss this topic, his tone tinged with anger.

Realizing this, Zhang Cheng deliberately feigned nonchalance and replied, "No, I'm not being sarcastic, I'm genuinely very interested. Of course, if you really don't want to say, that's fine too; I'll always find the answer I'm looking for."

"Damn it! You look exactly like your mother right now!" Chen Song, whose emotions were already unstable, was immediately enraged, and his eyes instantly became bloodshot.

He could never forget the woman who once made him feel frustrated, pained, and desperate.

"Ah! You're angry. It seems I've hit a nerve. But are you sure you really don't want to tell me? Or do you want me to hear another version, a version that will be very detrimental to you?" Zhang Cheng threatened with a light laugh.

"Shut up!" Chen Song roared furiously.

He was trembling with rage, barely suppressing the burning fire within him. It took him about two or three minutes to gradually calm down, and he said in a frustrated tone, "You don't understand at all! You don't know the true nature of your mother. Believe me, only when you truly begin to understand her will you understand what a truly hellish life is like."

"Hahahaha! You think I'm still a child kept in the dark, don't you? But actually, I know my mother very well, whether it's her ambition or her morbidly strong desire for control." Zhang Cheng laughed as he revealed the truth.

"You...you know?!" Chen Song stood there dumbfounded.

“Yes, I know, and I’m even helping her realize her dream of building a vast business empire. You might not be aware, but in a few months her company will be listed on NASDAQ, and its market value will likely exceed tens of billions of dollars. I own 25% of the original shares in this company. Now do you still think I’m some clueless kid?” Zhang Cheng teased with a playful expression.

Upon hearing this, Chen Song finally understood that the young man standing before him was no longer the son he had hoped and imagined. His voice trembled as he murmured to himself, "So that's how it is... You've become her accomplice... a bastard who'll stop at nothing to make money..."

"That's right! You're an idealist, an escapist who never wants to face the cruelest side of the world, and maybe even a little bit of a fastidious person when it comes to morality. Researching and protecting marine animals? What a ridiculous profession! Have you forgotten Darwin's theory of evolution, survival of the fittest? In the natural environment, every organism must undergo brutal competition. If the population of a species decreases sharply, it only means that the species' evolutionary speed is too slow to keep up with the changes in its living environment. Human intervention can at most slow down this process, but it cannot change the inevitable fate of extinction..."

"Bullshit! Good heavens! What did your mother teach you?! The extinction of those animals was entirely caused by human activities! It had nothing to do with them!" Chen Song retorted loudly through gritted teeth.

"Aren't humans part of nature?"

Survival of the fittest is an eternal law that has nothing to do with whether or not humans have appeared.

Since those creatures cannot adapt to the new environment, let them perish, just like the trilobites, dinosaurs, mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, and so on in ancient times.

The reason you engage in marine animal conservation is simply to satisfy your pitiful vanity and sense of moral superiority, and to constantly convince yourself that you are a noble and great person who is above vulgar tastes.

Don't rush to deny it!

In essence, all charitable activities in the world are driven by three motivations.

The first reason is to establish a good personal and corporate image, making people think they are good people or a responsible company, thereby achieving the goal of earning more wealth.

The second reason is to satisfy one's vanity and sense of superiority, and to enjoy the praise and flattery from ordinary people.

As for the third type, they are completely out of their minds, genuinely believing that they are engaged in a great cause to save the world and humanity itself, and deriving satisfaction from self-affirmation.

Tell me, which type do you think you are?

Chapter 0710 Mural

Undoubtedly, provoked by Zhang Cheng, the conversation about the imposter father and son ended badly.

Chen Song came with expectations and hopes, but left with pain and despair.

Because in his eyes, his son had become just like his ex-wife, an evil person who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, instead of the image he had always imagined.

The old man, who exuded a sense of decadence, had barely left the captain's cabin when Mansa poked her head out from the next room with her laptop, asking curiously, "Are you done talking?"

“Of course! I’ve already gotten the information I wanted.” Zhang Cheng pursed his lips, his tone revealing an undisguised amusement.

Clearly, by constantly stimulating the most sensitive nerves with language, he successfully retrieved that interesting life experience from the other person's memory.

It has to be said that this eccentric couple was like dry tinder burning brightly back then, completely attracted by each other's unique charm, ignoring the huge differences in their personalities. As a result, when the passion began to fade, the conflict arrived as expected.

After all, a man who cherishes a free and unrestrained life and a strong woman who is ambitious and eager to realize her self-worth are inherently at odds.

But the really interesting thing is that they still haven't gone through the divorce proceedings...

"Hey! Your smile seems a little strange?" Mansa had an inexplicable feeling of unease and subconsciously shuddered.