C2 Four Million Yuan in Debt

Before she could even finish her sentence, Chu Jun bolted out the door. His father had ascended the stairs, and with the fourth floor deserted, he must have headed to the rooftop. Panic rising, Chu Jun felt tears threatening to spill as he scrambled up the metal ladder. Sure enough, he found Chu Yunhe on the rooftop, leaning against the billboard at the edge, surrounded by a carpet of cigarette butts.

"Dad!"

"Chu Jun! What are you doing here?" Chu Yunhe's eyes were red and bloodshot, his usually immaculate hair now disheveled. His white shirt hung open, baring his chest. The sight of his son appearing so unexpectedly sent a wave of panic through him.

"Dad, we need to talk. Let's go to your office," Chu Jun urged, his voice trembling with nerves. He was cautious with his words, fearing any misstep might provoke his father, and tried to appear as calm as possible.

"Oh, alright." Chu Yunhe's gaze dimmed further at the sight of his son, but the previous air of despair seemed somewhat lessened by the bond of family. With a heavy sigh, he followed Chu Jun down from the rooftop.

"Dad, on my way here, I noticed a lot of workers downstairs demanding their pay. Do we owe them a significant amount?" Back in his father's office, Chu Jun knew that addressing his father's troubles was the only way to truly eliminate any thoughts of suicide. Merely being physically present wouldn't suffice.

"It's nothing. I'll handle it. But why the sudden visit? Is something happening at school?" Chu Yunhe attempted to deflect, instinctively steering the conversation away, but Chu Jun's next words abruptly ended that effort.

"Dad, I'm aware of the immense pressure you've been under. Since last July, the Thai Baht's devaluation triggered an Asian financial crisis that has swept through Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and especially Indonesia. Our family's toy exports—aren't they primarily to these countries?"

Chu Yunhe was taken aback, not expecting his son to be so informed about the financial crisis—a crisis that had plunged his once-profitable company into the throes of bankruptcy.

Pulling a crumpled cigarette from his pocket, he lit it and watched the smoke swirl. He observed his nineteen-year-old son, whose youthful face was etched with a gravity and maturity beyond his years, giving Chu Yunhe a sense of inscrutability that he couldn't quite fathom.

"This financial storm is so severe it might as well be called a crisis. The economic downturn has hit all Asian countries hard. Our country's financial policies have been cautious, with preventative measures in place from a few years back, so we're still relatively stable. However, the wave of bankruptcies among export-oriented businesses is unstoppable, and my family's business is among those affected."

Chu Jun's revelation left Chu Yunhe reeling, yet it was an undeniable reality. His toy company, which primarily exported to Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, was in dire straits. His clients had gone bankrupt, leaving him unable to collect substantial outstanding payments. He was not only burdened with bank loans, but he also hadn't been able to pay his workers for six months.

Just earlier, he had called a client in Thailand to press for payment, only to learn that the owner had taken his own life. Outside, workers were clamoring for their wages, their protests adding to his despair and driving him to contemplate suicide.

"Sigh! I had no idea you were so well-informed!" Chu Yunhe said with a resigned nod, lighting up a cigarette. The immense pressure had taken its toll on the once vibrant forty-year-old man, leaving him nothing but exhausted.

"Dad, how much do we actually owe?" Chu Jun, aware of his father's suicide and the company's bankruptcy, was too young at the time to comprehend the full extent of their debt, and the shock of his father's passing had left him in a daze.

"Jun, your dad will handle the company's issues. Don't worry about it," he reassured.

"Dad, please, just be honest with me. I can help you! Trust me!" Chu Jun implored, locking eyes with his father, his gaze unwavering. Chu Yunhe was momentarily taken aback by his son's resolve.

After a pause, Chu Yunhe spoke up, "The cost of raw materials, the bank loans, and the workers' wages, all together, we're looking at about four million yuan."

"Four million!" Chu Jun gasped, despite having braced himself for the worst. That amount was staggering, even by 2015 standards. After ten years of working since his university graduation, Chu Jun had barely saved a tenth of that sum.

To Chu Yunhe, four million yuan wasn't an insurmountable figure, but what he found unbearable was the hostile export market conditions and the abrupt bankruptcies of several key international clients, which had resulted in the loss of more than ten million yuan he had invested.

"Dad, don't stress about the money, I've got a plan!" Chu Jun burst into laughter. As a reborn individual, he was sure that failing to resolve such a minor issue would be squandering a fantastic opportunity.

Chu Yunhe was puzzled by his son's laughter, even thinking that Jun was behaving oddly.

"Jun, you—"

"Dad, cool down. It's only four million yuan. I've got it covered!" Chu Jun declared with unwavering certainty, as if he was about to thump his chest in a solemn oath.

"Jun, we can't resort to anything illegal!" Chu Yunhe exclaimed, alarmed, and quickly stood up. The debt of four million yuan had already driven him to despair. He couldn't fathom where to find such a sum, especially since all his friends were struggling themselves. Robbing a bank seemed like the only unthinkable option.

"Relax, Dad, you can count on me," Chu Jun reassured, gently pressing his father back into the chair before pulling a cigarette from the desk. "Dad, I need to have a smoke first."

Chu Jun was a hardened smoker. After university, he joined the City Annals Office through the civil service exam. A decade had passed in the same office chair, his title unchanged, always the regular clerk. Newspapers, tea, and cigarettes were his constant companions, and while he hadn't picked up much else, his nicotine cravings had only intensified over the years. Rebirth hadn't changed that.

With a couple of coughs, he slipped into his smoking routine. Despite his rebirth, he pondered how to alter his life and his family's destiny, to deter his father from thoughts of suicide.

Before he could finish his cigarette, Chu Jun flicked the butt to the ground, his eyes alight with determination. He had a plan, a method, and now, a way to get the money.

He might lack the supernatural abilities of others, but he had his intellect and memories. His years as a civil servant in the City Annals Office had given him something invaluable. What was the City Annals Office? It was dedicated to crafting the local annals, gathering, organizing, and studying local data, and compiling historical and situational literature.

While he might not have learned much else during his time in the office, he had meticulously cataloged every significant and trivial detail about Tianhai City.

What sprang to mind had to be something that could be cashed in for a significant sum of money!

Stamps! Valuable stamps!

Take the "Red Embossed Small Character in a Circle" stamp, for instance. It's one of the rarest early stamps and undoubtedly ranks among the priciest. Let's draw a practical comparison: the "Small Character in a Circle" stamp Chu Jun is ready to part with was auctioned in 2001. Do you know the hammer price? A whopping 5.5 million US dollars, which at the time translated to over 45 million RMB. Sure, it's only 1998 now, and it might not fetch quite that much, but it could still bring in at least 20 million RMB, right?

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