C17 I Have a Way

"Son, come here and let Dad take a look!" Chu Yunhe, weary from the day, had barely stepped through the door when he hurried over to inspect Chu Jun's head. His heart had skipped a beat during the meeting at work when his wife's call came through, leaving his mind reeling with worry.

Had she not assured him that their son was unharmed, he would have dashed home immediately. Only after settling the company's business in the afternoon, paying the workers their due wages, and delivering a heartfelt speech to ease everyone's concerns, did he finally make his way home in haste.

"Dad, I'm really okay!" Chu Jun reassured his father, demonstrating his well-being by moving around a bit, much to Chu Yunhe's relief.

Ma Yan, after a thorough afternoon of observation, was convinced her son was fine and had shifted her focus from the minor accident to the budding romance she had witnessed.

She had caught her son holding Su Xiang's hand, promising to wait for her in Yanjing, an admission that made her, as a mother, both flustered and embarrassed. Su Xiang herself had blushed so fiercely she'd fled the scene.

"Hey, Chu, the boy's alright. And guess what? He's got a girlfriend now, a real beauty, and they're planning to head off to Yanjing for college together!" Ma Yan called out from the kitchen, where she was warming up dinner for her husband. It was already past eight, and the mother and son had finished their meal earlier. She set the food on the table and filled Chu Yunhe in on the latest developments.

"What? Jun's got a girlfriend?" Chu Yunhe's attention was instantly redirected from his son's head, which was, by now, showing no signs of injury, to his personal life.

"Dad, you've had a long day. Why don't we eat first?" Chu Jun, having withstood his mother's relentless updates all afternoon, had spilled everything, hoping for a reprieve. But seeing his father's amused expression, he couldn't help feeling a bit exasperated.

"Alright, dinner first!" Chu Yunhe agreed, taking his seat at the table, yet he couldn't resist adding, "Jun, Dad has no objections to you dating, and aiming for Yanjing University is great. But make sure your love life doesn't distract you from acing those college entrance exams!"

"Dad, I know. Just wait for my moment to shine!" Chu Jun's academic performance had always been solid, and with the vast knowledge and experience he gained from tutoring, his confidence was sky-high.

"Alright, then how about you tell me about your girlfriend? Whose daughter is she?" Chu Yunhe was in high spirits today. With money in hand, all his troubles seemed to have dissipated. He had calmed the workers and felt a renewed sense of vigor to make a comeback. He gave his son an easygoing wink.

"Let's not get into that now, okay? I promise I'll bring her home when the time is right. Dad, you haven't forgotten about this morning's incident, have you?" Chu Jun rolled his eyes in exasperation and quickly steered the conversation elsewhere.

"Hmm? What was that?" Chu Yunhe asked, pausing to take a bite of his meal.

"The financial issue I mentioned. You didn't discuss it with my... with Uncle Chu, did you?" Chu Jun was anxious that his father might have inadvertently spilled the beans, especially since Chu Yunpeng had become an adversary in his eyes. The next step was to gather evidence and neutralize this threat as soon as possible.

"Hey, I've got it covered. I went to withdraw the money myself. You've really thought this through; you're all grown up now. And you're right—if that old man got wind of the stamp business, he'd be out for blood. We'll just quietly rake in our windfall from this unexpected stroke of luck!"

"That's a relief!" Chu Jun nodded in approval. "Dad, you mentioned that our clients in Southeast Asia have gone bankrupt and we can't recover the payments. Have you looked into it? If they're deliberately defaulting, we could pursue the debts through legal channels!"

"That's been your Second Uncle's area to follow up on. The financial crisis over there is just too severe. Businesses are folding left and right. I've heard stories of tycoons becoming debt-ridden and bankrupt overnight, with far too many resorting to suicide."

Chu Yunhe's mood darkened as he spoke, reflecting on how he himself had nearly faced a dead end just the day before. He sighed deeply, the memory feeling like a bad dream.

"Come to think of it, we owe a lot to that white-bearded old man you dreamt about!" Chu Yunhe exhaled a long breath. He wasn't one to be superstitious, but at moments like this, he couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of the world.

Had it not been for that dream about his son, his family might well have been doomed to an irreversible fate.

Chu Jun's eyes sparkled when he heard his father mention the white-bearded old man. He shuffled his stool closer to Chu Yunhe and leaned in with a hint of mystery. "Dad, about that white-bearded old man..."

"What about him?" Chu Yunhe's interest was piqued, and he set down his chopsticks with a look of earnest concern.

"Well, the internet idea I shared with you yesterday... it actually came from the white-bearded old man!" Chu Jun spoke while cautiously gauging his father's reaction, noting the serious look and the slight furrow of his brow.

Chu Jun had been stewing over the money he'd painstakingly earned, only to have it confiscated. If his memory served him right, Mr. Ma would be setting up his company later in the year, and even the future cash cow of a chat app would emerge. If Chu Jun wanted to get ahead of the game, time was of the essence.

The main issue now was funding. If he could use the story of the fictitious white-bearded old man to reclaim some money from his father, everything else would fall into place much more smoothly.

Chu Yunhe's stern demeanor gave Chu Jun a glimmer of hope, and he took a deep breath, feeling a play might be at hand.

With a tight grip on his resolve and a nervous swallow, Chu Jun ventured, "Dad, do you think—"

"Ha, you rascal! Are you angling for some cash?"

Chu Jun nodded eagerly, "Yes, yes!"

Chu Yunhe burst into laughter. "What, you need money for a date? Don't try to sweet-talk me with tales of the white-bearded gentleman. We've had our fair share of wonders, but endless miracles? That's a stretch."

"Dad, I swear I'm telling the truth!" Chu Jun's spirits deflated like a punctured ball, recognizing the disbelief in his father's eyes.

"Son, it's not that I don't trust you, but you can't base everything on a dream. If every stroke of luck was ours for the taking, wouldn't we be the wealthiest family on the planet?" Chu Yunhe gave his son a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Your mom got you a day off. Take it easy at home."

Once again, Chu Jun felt the sting of defeat by his father's hand, and he trudged back to his room with a heavy heart. Lying on his bed, he stared at the ceiling, his mind swirling with unanswered questions.

One concern was money, and the other was his own well-being. Now, the spot on the back of his head where the purlin had struck him was not only free from pain but also devoid of any mark. At the time, he had acutely felt an enormous force hit the back of his skull. With such an impact, one would expect it to have shattered like a watermelon, but now?

His head seemed to have turned to stone, impervious to damage! This defied all logic. Could it be that with his rebirth, he had gained some kind of indestructibility? No, more like invulnerability?

Wait a second, smashing stones? Chu Jun bolted upright, his eyes sparkling with excitement. A memory flashed through his mind, nearly making him shout with excitement. It looked like he had found a way to secure his startup funds!