The Salt Company's residential complex was a picture of age, its walls mottled and peeling.
"Well, being run-down has its perks. At least we don't have to pay any property management fees."
Chen Yansen glanced up and made a casual remark. He knew perfectly well why Lao Chen had suddenly blown his top. It was most likely because his father had discovered that his son had 'cleaned out' half of his life savings.
'He's so old, yet he still panics at the first sign of trouble. Lao Chen really needs to get a grip.'
Humming a little tune, Chen Yansen ambled leisurely toward home.
When he reached the fourth floor, he saw that his apartment door was wide open.
Through the doorway, he could see a club as thick as a bowl being gripped tightly in Chen Guobin's hands.
Chen Yansen took a step back, turned, and started to walk away.
"Get your ass back here!"
But Chen Guobin had spotted him instantly. Seeing his son turn to run, he immediately rushed out, club in hand.
The old man's eyes were filled with tears of grievance and disappointment.
He had seen Chen Yansen's behavior these past few days and thought his son had finally grown up and become responsible. He never expected him to set an even bigger trap for him.
"Lao Chen, put the club down first. We can talk about this calmly."
Not only did Chen Yansen not enter, but he continued to back away, one foot on the stairwell landing, ready to bolt at any moment.
"The bank card in the photo album, was that you who took it?"
Chen Guobin gritted his teeth, his eyes red-rimmed. He stared daggers at Chen Yansen, his gaze practically spitting fire as he spoke.
"That's right."
Chen Yansen answered, bracing himself.
"How much is left now?"
Lao Chen's lips trembled as he panted heavily, terrified that Chen Yansen would reply, 'It's all gone.'
"I haven't touched a single cent."
Chen Yansen held his hands out, his expression so earnest he couldn't possibly be joking.
"Hmph. A mouse falls into a granary and doesn't take a single bite?"
Chen Guobin was stunned for a moment, then snorted. He didn't believe a word of his nonsense.
"There's an ATM at the complex entrance. Check it yourself!"
Chen Yansen took the bank card from his pocket and carefully handed it back to Chen Guobin.
"Don't even think about pulling any tricks. We're going together."
Chen Guobin's expression eased slightly. He let out a long sigh of relief and finally threw the club to the ground.
CLANG!
The wooden club fell heavily, rolling to a stop beside a coarse burlap sack. Next to it was a coil of nylon rope.
"Lao Chen, you weren't some ruthless bandit before you opened the bookstore, were you?"
Chen Yansen swallowed, eyeing the "beloved-son three-piece set" Chen Guobin had so thoughtfully prepared for him. He forced a calm expression and joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"If there's even a single dime missing from that card, I'm going to string you up and beat you!"
Seeing his son's cheeky grin, Chen Guobin's anger flared up again, and he cursed loudly.
"If Mom were..."
Chen Yansen started to play his old trick.
"If your mother were alive and knew what a good-for-nothing you are, she'd beat you harder than I would," Chen Guobin cut him off irritably.
There was a total of 135,800 yuan on the card. He had spent eighteen long years saving it up. Even if Liang Hui Zhen were resurrected at this very moment, she wouldn't be able to stop his determination to beat Chen Yansen to a pulp.
"Let's go! But you're getting on in years. You should try to be calmer when things happen, give me less to worry about... Hey, hey, hey, you're not bringing the rope, are you? I'm not going to run! You're not actually thinking of tying me up to go to the bank, are you?"
As Chen Yansen spoke, he turned on his heel and bolted.
"You, get back here!"
Without even closing the door, Chen Guobin hurried after him.
One ran in front, the other gave chase.
As they passed the ATM, Chen Yansen voluntarily stopped, leaning against the glass wall by the entrance, waiting for Lao Chen with a look of brazen confidence.
"Good, you know what's good for you. Stay put."
Chen Guobin shot him a harsh glare, then took out the bank card and inserted it directly into the slot.
"Your card balance is 135,800 yuan..."
Chen Guobin rubbed his eyes in disbelief as the long string of numbers appeared on the screen.
He had imagined countless possibilities, but this was the one he had never expected.
"I've got another one here. You might as well check it, too."
Chen Yansen rummaged in his pocket and handed over his own bank card.
"Whose card is this? Yours?"
Chen Guobin asked repeatedly, his mind full of doubt.
"Mhm."
Chen Yansen folded his arms, a faint smile on his face.
Although the card only held 180,000 yuan—nothing compared to the eight-figure balance he'd had before his rebirth—this money was exceptionally meaningful to him.
First, it verified the authenticity of the system. Second, it laid the foundation for his future business empire.
"One hundred and eighty thousand?! Where did you get this money?"
Chen Guobin was shocked again, his eyes wide as saucers. He stared at Chen Yansen, awaiting a reasonable explanation.
"Are you questioning my talent?"
"Making money is as easy as breathing for me."
"So, take that chump change you have on your card, hurry up and buy a few apartments in those old tenement buildings, and just wait for the demolition compensation to roll in."
Chen Yansen patted the dazed Lao Chen on the shoulder, speaking in a sincere and earnest tone.
"You earned 180,000 in one summer vacation?"
Chen Guobin couldn't believe it.
"To be precise, it took about ten days!"
Chen Yansen's tone was nonchalant, as if it were no big deal.
He then explained everything about reselling the MP3 and MP4 players, which finally cleared up Chen Guobin's confusion.
"If something like this comes up again, remember to discuss it with me."
The look in Lao Chen's eyes was incredibly complex—a mix of relief, joy, and a touch of melancholy.
'With his son's money-making ability, he probably looks down on my meager savings.'
"If I told you beforehand, would you have agreed?"
Chen Yansen readily agreed on the surface, but inwardly, he was complaining.
Each lost in their own thoughts, the two walked home. Neighbors who knew them saw this and couldn't help but be amazed.
Just moments ago, the father and son had been running out of the complex in a heated chase, but now they were returning home peacefully together, leaving everyone utterly confused.
Living Room.
Chen Guobin picked up the club, nylon rope, and burlap sack from the floor, turned, and stuffed them under the bed. Then he took out two EMS mailers and gently placed them on the coffee table.
"Teacher Zhang delivered these personally. One is yours, and the other is for Zihao."
Chen Guobin sat on the sofa, picked up a glass of chilled herbal tea, and took a large gulp. The anger in his heart had finally subsided.
"Xucheng Academy, 2010 Acceptance Letter. Student Chen Yansen, you have been admitted to our school's Journalism program..."
Chen Yansen tore it open directly. The contents were identical to his previous life.
In reality, his and Wang Zihao's acceptance letters had arrived at the school long ago, but the two of them had been busy with their driver's license tests and making money, so they had put off picking them up for over ten days.
"If you want to repeat the year and try again, I won't object."
Chen Guobin glanced at the letter, thought for a long moment, and then spoke seriously.
"Forget it. It makes no difference to me whether it's a first-tier or second-tier university. The ultimate goal is to make money, so why waste a year taking the long way around?"
Chen Yansen smiled, not caring in the slightest.
"As long as you've thought it through and won't have any regrets. Also, your grandparents on your mother's side heard you got into college and want you to pay them a visit."
As he spoke, Chen Guobin's expression faltered. He gave a wry laugh, then waved his hand with a sigh, clearly knowing he couldn't force the issue.
"I'm not going!"
Chen Yansen refused immediately. He had no desire to relive the experience from his previous life a second time.
In this world, there are maternal grandparents who dote on their grandson, and there are those who despise him.
"You... Alright, I understand."
Chen Guobin had wanted to persuade him further, but seeing the determined look in his son's eyes, he instantly gave up.
"I'm going to take this to Zihao. I won't be having dinner with you."
After a moment of silence between them, Chen Yansen was the first to speak. He stood up, picked up Wang Zihao's acceptance letter, and said to Lao Chen.
"Come back early. Don't be too late."
Chen Guobin offered a perfunctory reminder.
"Got it."
Chen Yansen waved, walking out at an unhurried pace. At the same time, he pulled out his phone and sent a message to Meng Jie.
"A person has to have integrity. You probably got your acceptance letter ages ago, so where's that picture of you in white stockings I was promised?"
「Meanwhile.」
Alone, Meng Jie stood in the lingerie section of Shanfu Department Store, furtively making her selection.
'This one has too much lace, it looks indecent.'
'This one's too sheer. It's like wearing nothing at all.'
'This one won't work either. Why does it have a heart pattern?'
Meng Jie muttered to herself as she picked through the options.
Her short hair, originally level with the tips of her ears, had grown out by about an inch. The black-framed glasses on her nose had been replaced with frameless ones that better suited her face shape. Her plump, pink lips were glossy and bright, clearly coated with a layer of lip gloss.
BEEP BEEP BEEP—
Hearing her phone's notification sound, Meng Jie quickly picked it up. The words on the screen made her heart skip a beat, and her cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of red.