"Two apartments. Calculated at Ye Chen's four-million transfer fee, that's a total of twelve million. But the actual market value of those two apartments right now is already fourteen million! Not to mention in a frantic bidding war like this—once a property becomes impossible to find, the value will be even more than fourteen million!"
"To think you've been in business half your life, and you can't even figure out basic math like this?" The high-society lady glared at her husband and scolded him in a low, dissatisfied voice.
Ye Chen didn't mind this at all.
He smiled and nodded, accepting the high-society lady's terms.
"Manager Xu, I'll have to trouble you to help us process the transfer!" Ye Chen looked at Xu Tong.
"Right this way, please!"
Giving Ye Chen a complicated look, Xu Tong had no choice but to lead the way.
Two hundred thousand had turned into four million in just three days.
This—this was definitely unprecedented in the history of real estate speculation!
Chapter 32: Time to Pay Up
Because there was a signed agreement in black and white, the Jinlin Mansion side couldn't go back on their word or start any disputes.
Soon, the transfer procedure for the deposit subscription agreement was completed.
The high-society lady who traded with Ye Chen was quite a decisive person, with much more backbone than her husband.
As soon as the transfer process was finished, before Ye Chen even had to ask, she took the initiative to offer to transfer the money to him at the bank.
Four million yuan was transferred to Ye Chen without a single trace of hesitation or regret.
"Mr. Ye, shall I accompany you to Bauhinia Kindergarten next?"
Outside the ICBC branch, by the Land Rover, Zhang Jingshan stepped forward to greet Ye Chen as he walked out of the bank.
He hadn't yet had time to go pay for and secure those two apartments at Jinlin Mansion. Learning that Ye Chen was going to the bank with the high-society lady to complete the transfer, he and Li Changfeng had driven the Land Rover over to follow them.
"No need. Just drop me back at Jinlin Mansion. I'll go over with Director Zhou in a bit!" Ye Chen said.
"Alright, whatever you say!"
Back outside the Jinlin Mansion sales office, Zhang Jingshan and Li Changfeng went inside to process the purchase of the two apartments for which they had paid the deposits.
Even though selling the deposit subscription agreements could net a tidy profit, when he thought about having to hunt for clients, not to mention slapping a two-million-yuan transfer fee on a one-hundred-thousand-yuan deposit, he simply couldn't bring himself to be that brazen.
Outside the crowded sun canopy, Ye Chen dialed Zhou Xiaolan's number.
"Director Zhou? It's Ye Chen. I'm right where we met earlier. Are you free to go back to the kindergarten with me now?"
"Alright, wait for me a moment. I'll be right out!"
Less than two minutes later, Zhou Xiaolan walked out, exuding her signature intellectual elegance.
"Mr. Ye, will you ride back in my car, or are you driving yourself?" Zhou Xiaolan asked.
"I haven't bought a car yet," Ye Chen answered candidly, without a trace of embarrassment.
Zhou Xiaolan was somewhat taken aback, completely unable to read him.
He had the money to buy property, yet not even a commuter car?
Besides, Youyou's mother, who had claimed she couldn't afford Youyou's tuition, always rode a little electric scooter when dropping off and picking up Youyou.
What kind of family economic situation and structure was this?!
Still, she didn't dwell on it. She nodded, then drove her little Honda Fit commuter car back to Bauhinia Kindergarten with Ye Chen.
Tuition for a single semester was 12,000 yuan. That certainly wasn't cheap for a kindergarten.
Paying for the remaining half of the semester came to 6,000 yuan. However, since Youyou hadn't attended for over a month, the school administration decided to offer a discount.
But Ye Chen refused; he wasn't short on that little bit of cash. Not only did he make up the remaining 6,000 yuan, but he also paid for the following semester as well, totaling 18,000 yuan.
"Since you've brought a child into the world, you have to take responsibility for her. No matter how fierce the conflict between husband and wife gets in the future, don't make a mockery of a child's education and growth!" Zhou Xiaolan said as she saw Ye Chen out of the kindergarten.
Throughout the entire process, the impression Ye Chen gave her was completely different from her previous memory. It was as if the drunkard who had caused a scene under the children's performance stage last June 1st had completely transformed into a different person.
Perhaps he had been arguing with Youyou's mother at the time, and had come over reeking of alcohol after a bingeing session, she thought, perfectly making excuses for Ye Chen.
"Yes, yes, yes, Director Zhou is right to lecture me! I'll definitely reflect on myself properly when I get back!" Ye Chen chuckled dryly over and over.
"Alright, that's good then. I won't walk you out. Have a safe trip, Mr. Ye!" Zhou Xiaolan said.
"Ah, right. Could I also trouble Director Zhou to let Youyou's mother know so she can send Youyou back here to school?" Ye Chen said.
"No problem, I'll call her in a moment!"
Waving goodbye to Zhou Xiaolan, Ye Chen walked toward the main road. Just as he was about to hail a taxi, his phone rang.
"High-achieving scholar, you've struck it rich, haven't you, damn it!"
"Huh?"
Hearing that familiar, gruff voice on the other end, Ye Chen raised an eyebrow.
"Fuck, don't play dumb with me, dammit! My men saw you go to Jinlin Mansion to buy property. Tsk tsk, property prices at Jinlin Mansion have skyrocketed severalfold overnight; today's opening price is reportedly at least over 30,000 per square meter! For you to dare run over there and buy real estate, you've got some deep pockets. What, you didn't plan on paying back the money you owe before buying property?"
It was Brother Biao, who had come to the rental apartment to collect the debt last time and had been forced to grant another week's extension when Ye Chen pressed a shard of glass against his neck. He spoke in a cold voice.
"What's the rush? We agreed on a week, doesn't it expire tomorrow? Besides, I'm just about to send the money over to you!" Ye Chen said.
"Nice and straightforward! Haha, you know our rules, right? Best bring cash!" The cold voice turned into a loud laugh as Brother Biao spoke.
"Alright!"
"Know the location? Want me to text you the pin?"
"No need. Anda Finance Company, right? I know the address!"
"That works then. Step on it, huh? I'll brew some good tea and await the great scholar's august presence!"
Hanging up the phone, Ye Chen took a deep breath. A sharp, chilling glint flashed in his eyes.
The money he owed, he would pay back—every single cent, principal and interest alike. But this loan shark gang—he would never let them off, either.
Normally, paying debts is only right and proper. If he owed money in his past life and couldn't pay, he wouldn't have a single word of complaint if they killed him. But what they shouldn't have done—what they had no right to do—was to drive his family to ruin in that past life!
If they hadn't called Chen Yinuo, why would Chen Yinuo have gone to look for that bald CEO? And if she hadn't gone to that bald CEO, how could it have led to her taking Youyou and perishing together with that man later on?
This score—Ye Chen wasn't just going to settle it, he was going to settle it to the death! Even though his rebirth allowed him to prevent that tragedy from happening, this vendetta still had to be paid in full!
***
At the Jinlin Mansion sales office, Zhang Jingshan briskly paid the full amount for the two apartments, then returned to the Land Rover with Li Changfeng.
"Old Zhang, do you think Ye Chen could be a heavyweight backer?"
As Zhang Jingshan started the Land Rover, Li Changfeng in the passenger seat suddenly asked.
"A heavyweight? How do you mean?" Taken aback by the question, Zhang Jingshan froze.
"He'd rather make a bit less than owe us a favor. Besides, holding a hundred-thousand-yuan deposit, he dared to calmly throw out a price of two million. Does that sound like a ruined, broke gambler? Also, I noticed that when that middle-aged man accused him of making an exorbitant demand, not only was he completely unflustered, but his presence completely overwhelmed the other guy. You have to remember, that guy is worth at least tens of millions, while he's the ruined gambler you described!" Li Changfeng said.
Zhang Jingshan scratched his head. "Though I'm reluctant to believe it either, from everything I've managed to find out, he really was a bottom-feeder of a gambler back then—not just a gambler, but a drunkard, and an absolute coward to boot! But the strange thing is, from the few times I've interacted with him, all those labels—gambler, drunkard, coward—don't show a single trace on him anymore. I'm genuinely baffled!"
Li Changfeng paused for a moment, then shook his head. "His past shouldn't serve as a reference anymore. We should focus on the present and the future. Being able to predict your peach blossom tribulation, being able to foresee that my car would meet with an accident, being able to be dead certain that Jinlin Mansion's property prices would skyrocket overnight—just based on these points alone, not to mention the aura he exuded while dining at Champs-Élysées and his suppression of that wealthy magnate just now, all of this is enough to show that he's definitely no ordinary person. Stop getting bogged down by his past; we need to fix our sights on the future. Jingshan, maybe we really ought to manufacture an opportunity to get deeply acquainted with him!"
At this, Zhang Jingshan eagerly stepped on the gas pedal. After letting his mind race through a few rounds of calculation, he said, "Didn't he brush all those things off as intuition? We can test him again—test whether he really is that divine!"
"How do we test it?" Li Changfeng asked, curious.
"You'll know when the time comes!" Zhang Jingshan smiled mysteriously, purposely keeping him in suspense.
Chapter 33: How Do You Have the Face to Say That to Me?
"Director Zhou?"
At Huaxing Trading, Chen Yinuo, who had already reported to her position in the business cooperation team and familiarized herself with the work, answered her phone and spoke in utter surprise.
Why would the vice principal of Bauhinia Kindergarten be calling her?
"Youyou're mom, I wanted to tell you that you can send Youyou back to our Bauhinia Kindergarten. Youyou've already had her tuition paid, and the next semester's tuition has been paid in full as well!" Zhou Xiaolan said.
"What? Director Zhou, did you make a mistake? How could Youyou's tuition be paid?"
Chen Yinuo was stunned, hurrying toward the restroom at the same time.
"It was paid by Youyou's dad!"
"Ye Chen? How did he know Youyou transferred schools?" Chen Yinuo was even more perplexed.
"Well, I happened to run into Mr. Ye and recognized him as Youyou's dad, so I brought it up. He said he'd been having a falling out with you and didn't know about it, so he came back to the kindergarten with me and paid the tuition. Youyou's mom, the child's tuition issue is already resolved. In terms of educational space and developmental space, those ordinary kindergartens outside still can't compare to Bauhinia. You should send Youyou back to us tomorrow, okay!"
Stunned, she exchanged a few more polite remarks. Until the call ended, Chen Yinuo still couldn't snap out of it.
That money-grubbing scum actually paid Youyou's tuition?
And not only did he pay, he paid 18,000 yuan in one go?
Was he no longer worried about paying back his usurious debts?
To Chen Yinuo, this was just as unbelievable as Ye Chen voluntarily pulling out 100,000 yuan to cover the settlement fee for Chen Yihao!
In the eyes of that vicious gambler, there was only himself; he would only ever think of protecting himself. What wife, what daughter—to him, they were entirely expendable.
The man who would steal Youyou's New Year's lucky money meant for tuition to go gamble, the scumbag who ranted and raved about not letting his daughter go to school because kindergarten was a waste of money—would he voluntarily pay 18,000 yuan for Youyou's tuition in a single lump sum?
Furthermore, this was while he owed over 200,000 yuan and was at risk of being hacked to death by creditors at any moment if he couldn't pay!
No, the selfish, cowardly, and spineless Ye Chen would never do such a thing!
So how else could she explain what Director Zhou said on the phone?
Hesitating over and over, she finally dialed a mobile number she hadn't dialed in a long time.
***
Outside the bank, Ye Chen held the thirty thousand yuan packed into a black plastic bag. As he just stepped out of the bank, his phone rang.
Seeing "Yinuo" displayed on the caller ID, his breath instantly hitched.
"Yinuo?"
"Did you pay Youyou's tuition for this half of the semester, as well as the next semester's tuition?"
Chen Yinuo's tone was as icy as ever.
"Yes, I happened to run into Director Zhou. She said Youyou wasn't at Bauhinia Kindergarten anymore, that because of money troubles you'd transferred her to another kindergarten, and that the conditions of those outside kindergartens couldn't compare to Bauhinia's. She mentioned that Youyou's educational and developmental environment had degraded, so I went back to the kindergarten with her and paid the tuition."
Before Ye Chen could finish, he continued, "Yinuo, this concerns the child's education and growth after all. No matter how much you hate me or despise me, you should have discussed it with—"
However, before Ye Chen could finish speaking, Chen Yinuo cut him off. "Ha! Discussed it with you? Ye Chen, how do you have the cheek to say that to me? How do you have the face to say that to me? Are you blaming me for transferring Youyou to another ordinary kindergarten?"
"I—"
Ye Chen wanted to explain, but Chen Yinuo didn't give him any chance.
"Isn't all of this thanks to you? If it weren't for you, this scum and degenerate, would I have had to transfer Youyou to another ordinary school? Huh? Do you think I don't know that Bauhinia Kindergarten's facilities and staff are light-years ahead of those ordinary kindergartens outside? If I could scrape together the money, would I ever let Youyou leave Bauhinia Kindergarten?!"
"It was you! It was you, you beast, who drove us mother and daughter into a dead end! I tried borrowing from other people, but the money I previously borrowed to help pay off your gambling debts still hasn't been repaid—do you think anyone would still lend to me? I couldn't borrow a single cent! My credit cards were all stolen and maxed out by you, and even online loans—every single online loan platform I could possibly borrow from—you stole my ID and phone to max out!"
"Not only did you ruin my credit and get me blacklisted, but I have to deal with those collection calls every three to five days! I was driven to the verge of breaking—you have any idea what that's like? Forget Bauhinia Kindergarten, I was barely able to scrape together the thousand yuan for a regular kindergarten outside! The monthly rent, utilities, food and living expenses for Youyou and me—"
At this point, Chen Yinuo broke down completely, sobbing uncontrollably.
She had thought she was strong. She had thought she was already numb to all of it. But when she spoke of it once more, she realized she was just a blade of grass—a pitiful, wretched blade of grass.
No, she wasn't even as good as a blade of grass. At least a blade of grass had roots!
And she—she was like rootless duckweed, with no destination or hope whatsoever. Drifting wherever the current took her.
A husband—a husband who was a scumbag and a beast.
A maiden family—a maiden family that looked at her with cold glares and showed her no warmth.
The pressure of raising a child alone.
The relentless collection calls.
Her blacklisted personal credit.
The harassment and suppression from her company superiors.
All of this had long since made it impossible for her to breathe.
Truthfully, if she hadn't couldn't let go of her daughter Youyou, she would have wanted to die. She genuinely wanted to find a quick release and end it all!
As her frantic crying subsided, she wiped the tears from her face. She didn't continue venting her suffering. It was simple—complaining to a scumbag and beast like him was completely meaningless.
"Hoo!"
She regulated her breathing.
"Talking about those things has no meaning. Let's end it here! Biologically speaking, you are Youyou's father. Since you paid her tuition, I will send her back to Bauhinia Kindergarten. But I don't want this to become an excuse for you to drag your feet on signing the divorce papers! If you have even a shred of conscience left, I hope you'll sign them as soon as possible and give Youyou and me a release and a new beginning!"
With that, Chen Yinuo didn't give Ye Chen a chance to speak again, directly cutting off the call.
In front of the restroom mirror, she pulled a tissue from her pocket to wipe away her tears, took out her portable makeup case, and used a cheap cushion compact to touch up her tear-stained, unsightly face.
Taking a few deep breaths to calm her emotions, she forced a cheerful expression onto her face before walking out of the restroom.
Yet that already riddled-and-scarred heart was still twisting in agony.
No matter how much it hurt, she had to fake strength, because she refused to let outsiders see her vulnerability.
Survival was exhausting, and life was bitter. But for Youyou's sake, she didn't have a single inch of leeway to allow herself to be vulnerable.
***
Outside the bank, Ye Chen stood frozen in place, holding the phone that had already gone silent, looking like he had been turned to stone.
After a long moment, his tear ducts convulsed uncontrollably, and two lines of clear tears burst from his eyes.
"I'm sorry..."
Wriggling his dry throat, he whispered in a miserable voice.
He didn't call back.
Letting out a long, heavy breath and steadying his emotions, he carried the black bag containing the three hundred thousand yuan toward a taxi waiting by the roadside.
Pulling open the door, he climbed in.
"Driver, Anda Finance Company, please!"
Chapter 34: Retribution
Anda Finance Company.
Even if you weren't a local of Jiangzhou, anyone who had lived there for any length of time knew this was a loan shark operation operating under the banner of a "finance company."
There were already countless families ruined by this loan sharking outfit.
Yet despite that—despite knowing Anda Finance was shady, despite knowing their debt collection methods were ruthless—there were still plenty of desperate people, gamblers, and addicts who flew toward the flame like moths.
It was very simple: Anda Finance had an extremely low threshold for lending.
Forget about houses or cars—as long as you had a wife and child, as long as your wife and child were living in Jiangzhou, they would lend to you!
However, the interest rates were far more terrifying than ordinary high-interest loans.
Take Ye Chen's 270,000 yuan, for instance: the principal was actually only 200,000 yuan, with a monthly interest of 30,000 yuan. Then, because of overdue payments, the snowballing interest had driven it up to 270,000 yuan.
Such a crazy usurious loan operation could truly be called lawless. Yet these damned loan sharks had backing; despite ruining countless families, the doors of Anda Finance still stood firm and unyielding, waiting for wave after wave of moths to throw themselves into the fire.
"Brother Biao, the guy is here!"
As soon as Ye Chen stepped inside, someone shouted.
"Damn it, what are you still standing there like idiots for?! Quickly welcome our high-achieving scholar in!"
At the far end of the storefront, which was roughly forty to fifty square meters, Brother Biao's gruff voice rang out.
A cold smile tugged at the corners of Ye Chen's mouth.
Under the escort of a few lackeys, he walked toward the back.
"Scholar, come, taste this fine Biluochun tea! The boss rewarded me with it—good stuff, haha!"
Unlike usual, when his eyes would only glow with the sight of money, Brother Biao grinned like a smiling tiger as he laughed and greeted Ye Chen.
"No need for tea, Brother Biao. Principal and interest, it's all right here. We're square!"
Ye Chen placed the black plastic bag onto the table and said.
"Hey, what's the rush? No hurry, no hurry, let's chat for a bit, huh?"
Brother Biao stood up, walked over to Ye Chen, and threw a heavy arm around his shoulder.