Second Chance Chapter 2143

“Nephew Haifeng, what earth-shattering good news do you have? I’m all ears. Heh, it’s not that you’ve gathered a thousand defeated soldiers after your crushing loss, set up a temporary camp, and found a foothold, is it? My dear nephew, that hardly counts as earth-shattering good news,” Xue Tao urged gleefully.
Hurry up, I can’t wait to see you take the fall and get harshly punished by the king.
Don’t bother saying you’ve gathered some scattered soldiers, set up a temporary camp, and secured a foothold to confront Zhu Ping’an, I’ve already ruled that out.
Young man, you’ve had it too easy before, which isn’t good. This setback will be good for you in the long run.
Your fleet, Uncle Xue will take good care of it.
Hahaha…
The smirk on Xue Tao’s lips was hard to suppress.
Wang Zhi turned his gaze to Mao Haifeng and Da You Zhenchuan, his face calm, but a wave of disappointment surged within.
It’s not failure I fear, but the inability to accept failure, making excuses and glossing over mistakes.
Especially when Mao Haifeng claimed to have earth-shattering good news, that was just too much.
“Adoptive father, your son isn’t dead, he’s still alive,” Mao Haifeng looked up at Wang Zhi, smiling.
“Pfft…”
Before Wang Zhi could react, Xue Tao couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“Hahaha… Nephew, I didn’t expect you to be so humorous. Of course you’re not dead, we’re not blind.”
Xue Tao mocked relentlessly.
He had just been wondering what grand news Mao Haifeng could possibly have, and it turned out to be this.
You’re the adopted son of the Pirate King, and you tell him your son isn’t dead, he’s alive, hahaha.
They say picking bones from an egg, but you’ve outdone that, racking your brains for such “great news.”
It’s laughable.
Xue Tao was beside himself, eagerly looking at Wang Zhi, and sure enough, Wang Zhi’s expressionless face darkened, filling Xue Tao with anticipation. Come on, King, explode! Can you tolerate Mao Haifeng’s nonsense?
“Haifeng, do you know what you’re saying?” Wang Zhi took a deep breath, keeping his expression steady, and asked slowly.
“Adoptive father, I know exactly what I’m saying. Not only is your son alive, but your mother and wife are too,” Mao Haifeng continued.
“Pfft… huh? Cough cough…” Xue Tao couldn’t hold back another laugh, but it got stuck halfway, like a duck with its throat squeezed, choking back and coughing violently from the discomfort.
“What?! What did you say?! You’re saying my mother and wife and child are all alive?!” Wang Zhi could no longer stay calm, standing up abruptly from his seat, staring at Mao Haifeng in disbelief.
When he first heard Mao Haifeng say his son was alive, he thought Haifeng meant himself.
But now, hearing that his mother, wife, and child were all alive, he realised there was no mistake.
Mao Haifeng was talking about his biological mother, his biological son, and his first wife.
The son Mao Haifeng mentioned wasn’t himself, but Wang Zhi’s own flesh and blood.
Hearing that his mother, wife, and child, whom he thought were long dead, were alive, how could Wang Zhi not be overwhelmed?
That he stood up instead of jumping was a testament to his composure.
“Yes, adoptive father, Grandmother, Mother, and Little Brother are all alive,” Mao Haifeng nodded firmly, repeating it with certainty.
This was indeed earth-shattering news, but Xue Tao couldn’t accept it, strongly doubting, “Haifeng, you’re not making this up to escape punishment and please the king, are you? Years ago, we got definite news that to punish the king for being a pirate, the damned court brutally executed his mother, wife, and child! The king held a grand funeral for them and has mourned them every year. Are you saying they’ve come back from the dead?”
If this news was true, wouldn’t Mao Haifeng and his lot stage a comeback?
No way!
Absolutely not!
Xue Tao couldn’t accept this news.
“It’s not resurrection. Grandmother, Mother, and Little Brother were never dead. We only heard the court executed them, but we never saw it with our own eyes, nor did we see their bodies. We buried empty tombs. In reality, Grandmother, Mother, and Little Brother weren’t executed by the court, they’re alive,” Mao Haifeng said slowly, his face earnest.
“Where did you get this information? Is it reliable?” Wang Zhi stared intensely at Mao Haifeng, firing off questions.
“Exactly, you say we only heard the court executed the king’s mother, wife, and child without seeing bodies. But what about now? Where did you get your information? If ours was false, is yours true? Have you seen the king’s mother, wife, and child with your own eyes?” Xue Tao pressed.
He couldn’t accept Mao Haifeng’s news. If it was true, Mao Haifeng would turn the tables, redeeming his defeat with this news, wiping the slate clean.
“Yes, absolutely, I saw them myself. I saw Grandmother and spoke with her. Though I didn’t see Mother or Little Brother, Grandmother told me they’re alive and well,” Mao Haifeng nodded firmly.
“What? You saw the king’s mother?!” Xue Tao panicked.
How could it be?!
Mao Haifeng actually saw the Pirate King’s mother with his own eyes?!
“You, do you even know the king’s mother? Could it be someone who looks similar, and you were tricked?” Xue Tao asked anxiously, desperately.
“I was fortunate to accompany my adoptive father back to his hometown and met Grandmother. I stayed there for many days, living with her day and night. I’d never mistake her face, I’d recognise her instantly. Her voice is etched in my memory, I’d know it the moment I heard it. And, Uncle Xue, have you forgotten? I’m known among us pirates for my photographic memory. Anyone I’ve met once, I never forget, let alone Grandmother, with whom I spent so many days,” Mao Haifeng smiled slightly, brimming with confidence.
Oh, right, Mao Haifeng is indeed known among the pirates for his photographic memory!
Xue Tao couldn’t help but touch his forehead, cursing inwardly, damn it, he really pulled it off!