AGRCIW CH9

Chapter 9: Widowers attract trouble.

Tang Huhu was climbing and tumbling on the sofa, expending energy, while Xie Zhuo stared at the WeChat interface, deep in thought.

After the New Year, he had tuition fees, rent, and childcare insurance to pay. He also couldn’t cut corners on Tang Huhu’s first time going home for Chinese New Year, so he hired someone to renovate the bathroom, install air conditioning, and add anti-theft doors and surveillance cameras at the front and back.

There wouldn’t be much money left next year.

For the past year, he had been preparing for graduation and consuming his savings. The last time he was this strapped for cash was when Tang Huhu was just born.

After the New Year, he would go check out institutions again.

Since his freshman year, Xie Zhuo had been tutoring in various subjects—primary school, middle school, postgraduate entrance exams. As long as he could get a job, he would find ways to adjust his schedule to do it. Heaven rewards hard work; his years of reputation, experience, and connections were the foundation for him to juggle work and raising his child later on.

Xie Zhuo, inherently frugal, hadn’t really worried about money after becoming an adult. He had scholarships in middle school, and the local government also gave him a reward after his college entrance exam results came out.

He hardly spent any money.

Until Tang Yu appeared.

[WeChat Pay collection: 200 yuan] – the notification sound pulled Xie Zhuo back from his money-making plans, a troubled expression on his face.

The difficulty was the threat of his actual savings continuously falling, and the numbers on his balance constantly fluctuating.

Refunding money was harder than earning it.

Xie Zhuo’s brow twitched. He carefully composed a message to Lin Songyu: “If we are friends, please don’t—”

Before he could finish editing, Tang Huhu pounced on him, accidentally touching the send button. So Xie Zhuo saw another red exclamation mark.

Evidently, the other party was not yet his friend.

Tang Huhu thought it was Uncle Yang He returning money. Uncle Yang He had so much small change, two hundred yuan.

“Is it Uncle Yang He?”

“…Mhm.”

Tang Huhu: “Daddy, can I chat with Uncle Yang He?”

Xie Zhuo: “…” Oh please, after graduating, Yang He didn’t get a job; instead, he struggled through various entrepreneurial ventures. Many of Tang Huhu’s little money-making tips were things he remembered from Yang He’s tall tales and boasts.

The uncle and nephew would sit cross-legged on the sofa, muttering and giggling, full of questionable ideas.

However… calling Yang He was actually a good idea.

Xie Zhuo: “Daddy will talk to Uncle Yang He first.”

Tang Huhu: “Okay.”

Xie Zhuo went to the kitchen, closed the soundproof glass door, and after connecting the call, stated plainly: “If you accidentally leak your payment QR code, and someone keeps transferring two hundred yuan to your WeChat repeatedly, refusing to communicate, how would you solve it?”

Yang He, a man from the north with a powerful build and a loud voice, exploded in anger: “Is some rich lady harassing you again?!”

When he was in middle school, his family moved to the south. Because of the accent difference, he often couldn’t understand what the teachers were saying in some classes, so he had to ask the top student. Xie Zhuo helped him a lot. Although the universities they eventually attended were vastly different, with Yang He’s naturally intimidating appearance, he went out into the world without completing nine years of compulsory education, relying entirely on the top student’s halo.

After graduating from university, Yang He wanted to start a business and even borrowed money from Xie Zhuo, which he repaid quickly. In his eyes, the top student was the embodiment of “omnipotence and boundless prospects,” if only he hadn’t encountered that unlucky car accident.

When Tang Huhu wasn’t around, few people bothered the aloof top student. Xie Zhuo was elusive, but ever since he started raising a child, perhaps because of his mature dad vibe, or because being a single parent entered him into the secondary dating market, many rich women with a little money started getting restless.

Before, there was a single mother from the same school as Huhu who, relying on being a local with two properties, openly @’d Xie Zhuo in the parent group to express her affection.

If it weren’t for her son being only one year old and therefore impossible to be instigated to harass Tang Huhu, he would have transferred schools overnight.

Widowers attract trouble.

In Yang He’s heart, only highly educated, handsome, and high-quality individuals were worthy of the top student.

“Dare to harass the top student? I’ll get on a plane right now; I happen to be going to your area.”

When encountering oddballs, Yang He’s fierce face and intimidation were more effective than Xie Zhuo’s cold refusal ten times over.

Xie Zhuo: “It’s not harassment; it’s probably… sympathy.”

Yang He: “Whose sympathy involves transferring two hundred yuan at a time?”

Xie Zhuo: “…Also two hundred fifty.”

Yang He: “And cursing! How much has he transferred you?”

Xie Zhuo: “Ten thousand total this afternoon.”

Yang He: “Ten thousand a day, wow, that’s a high level! Wait for me, I’ll arrange to meet him and throw caterpillars at him to scare him. I’ll tell him two hundred yuan is only enough for one caterpillar! Ten thousand is fifty caterpillars!”

Just imagining it would make him turn pale with fright and never dare to offend again.

Xie Zhuo took a deep breath: “I don’t want to scare him. I just want to know how to make him stop transferring money.”

Yang He sensed something unusual: “That’s simple. Just cancel your payment QR code.”

Xie Zhuo was stunned. Why hadn’t he thought of canceling the QR code? It would only take a few seconds to do.

“Thanks, it’s fine now.”

Tang Huhu pressed his face against the glass, his chubby cheeks flattening and rising repeatedly, like kneading dough.

Fortunately, Xie Zhuo had wiped the glass door very clean, so the steamed bun still came out white and soft.

Xie Zhuo opened the door and said, “Uncle Yang He got on the plane. He can’t talk on the phone. You’ll see him tomorrow morning.”

Tang Huhu: “Huhu wants to take a plane tomorrow too!”

Xie Zhuo had bought plane tickets for tomorrow afternoon at 2 PM to go back to his hometown. The little rascal had never been on a plane. Since his birth, Xie Zhuo had only taken him as far as Hangzhou for meetings.

“Has Daddy been on a plane?” Tang Huhu asked.

“Yes, Daddy and Grandpa Zhou took a plane when they went to work out of town.”

“Has Uncle been on a plane?” The little rascal didn’t even add a surname when referring to Lin Songyu.

Xie Zhuo: “Yes.”

The little rascal was a bit disappointed that he hadn’t received a call from Uncle Yang He. After a moment’s thought, “Can I call Uncle then!”

“Huhu wants to say goodbye to Uncle.”

Xie Zhuo didn’t know how to explain to his son that his dad had been blacklisted again and couldn’t make a WeChat call.

The little rascal sat obediently on the sofa, looking at his father with expectant eyes. He knew, Uncle was the sixth avatar on Daddy’s WeChat.

Xie Zhuo didn’t let Tang Huhu know the real reason. “Uncle is dealing with a big bad guy.”

The little rascal’s eyes filled with admiration: “Then let’s call later!”

Xie Zhuo held his phone, reluctant to disappoint him. He thought for a moment and decided to contact Li Xiuyu to see if he could get Lin Songyu’s phone number from him.

…

The QR code was invalid.

Lin Songyu’s joy came to an abrupt halt.

He asked his assistant with a cold face: “That Yang He, has he arrived?”

The assistant checked the flight landing information: “The plane has landed. A driver has been dispatched to pick him up.”

Lin Songyu got up and went to the private room for the meeting. He sat in the back room, sipping tea while waiting for the contract in the front to be signed.

…

This was Yang He’s smoothest trade order ever. Over ten thousand pieces of clothing passing through his hands would net him a profit of 300,000 yuan.

Ah! Information is money!

“Mr. Yang has precise foresight. Just doing clothing business would be a waste of your talent. I’d like to introduce you to my boss. I wonder if Mr. Yang is available.”

“Of course I’m available!” Yang He had just nodded when a door opened behind him, and a man in black came out, gesturing for him to “come in.”

Yang He’s sturdy body trembled. Had he stumbled into some kind of Hongmen Banquet? But he had neither wealth nor beauty, so what could they want?

He discreetly sent his location to Xie Zhuo, asking him to call in five minutes. Meanwhile, he puffed out his chest and strode in… almost peeing his pants at the sight of the five black-clad bodyguards inside.

In the middle of the bodyguards sat a person with striking, yet cold, features.

Lin Songyu scrutinized Yang He. He looked fierce and intimidating. No wonder he didn’t pay back the money; he even dared to borrow money from an orphan and a widower.

“Mr. Yang, you’ll earn 300,000 from this contract, right?”

Yang He’s heart skipped a beat. He knew money wasn’t that easy to earn. Did they want to buy his kidney?

Lin Songyu slowly spoke: “If you make money, you should pay back the money you owe your friends. Then you can earn even more next time.”

Yang He was confused: “Are you a professional debt collector? You’ve got the wrong person. I don’t owe any loan sharks, do I?”

Lin Songyu frowned. Loan sharks this and that. Did he know to pay interest on the money borrowed from Xie Zhuo?

“Think carefully, who do you owe two hundred thousand to? If you pay this money back, we’ll have many more opportunities for cooperation in the future.”

If he actively paid interest, Yang He would get a lot of benefits.

Yang He racked his brains, going through all his upstream and downstream suppliers. He rarely delayed payments. When he first graduated, he borrowed ten thousand yuan from Xie Zhuo and paid it back within a year.

Could it be that this person wanted a kickback? Deliberately creating a contract with a 300,000 profit for him to sign, then taking a 200,000 kickback?

Then he would also effortlessly earn 100,000, a win-win… Bullshit.

This CEO Lin looked like someone not to be trifled with. Once on his pirate ship, it would be hard to get off. He didn’t have the intelligence to scheme with a tiger.

“I don’t owe anyone, and I don’t want to owe anyone—”

Lin Songyu lost his patience: “You owe Xie Zhuo two hundred thousand.”

Yang He: “What?!”

Lin Songyu: “His son said so.”

In a flash of lightning, Yang He remembered something: “That was the milk powder money he spent on his son!”

Lin Songyu frowned: “Are you a milk powder seller?”

Do you have the qualifications? Why would Xie Zhuo buy milk powder from an unqualified clothing merchant?

“No, it’s because his son can read bills. Xie Zhuo didn’t dare to let Huhu know that the milk powder was expensive, so he said he lent the money to me.”

Lin Songyu: “…”

Lin Songyu: “…”

The person who had just been arrogant, noble, and seemingly unapproachable suddenly flushed, like a kitten whose tiger mask had been suddenly removed.

“You’re not allowed to tell Xie Zhuo about today’s matter. Consider the 300,000 as my compensation for your emotional distress—”

Just then, Xie Zhuo called as agreed. Yang He quickly answered, “Xie Zhuo, there’s someone here who insists I owe you two hundred thousand. Please clarify it for me quickly.”

Xie Zhuo: “…”

Lin Songyu: “…”

Yang He put the call on speaker, but both parties were silent as if their voices were blocked. He scratched the back of his head in bewilderment. How could he have thought Lin Songyu was unfathomable just now? This person didn’t even doubt what Tang Huhu said!

After a long while, Xie Zhuo said, “CEO Lin?”

“Yang He didn’t borrow money from me.”

Lin Songyu pretended not to hear. It wasn’t him.

Xie Zhuo seemed to see his actions, saying, “Hold on, Yang He, give him the phone. Huhu wants to say goodbye to him.”

After a while, a soft, milky voice came from the other end of the phone: “Good evening, Uncle!”

Lin Songyu had no choice but to speak. He originally had ten thousand ways to silence Yang He and completely deny the matter, but Xie Zhuo actually sent Tang Huhu into the fray.

Xie Zhuo was truly deeply cunning.

“Good evening, Huhu. Have you eaten enough?”

“I’ve eaten enough! Huhu is going to take a plane tomorrow!” Tang Huhu said slowly, his tone starting excited, then becoming a little low, “I won’t see Uncle for a very, very long time.”

Lin Songyu: “Where are you going?”

Xie Zhuo explained: “Huhu’s on winter vacation, so I’m taking him back to my hometown for Chinese New Year.”

Lin Songyu remembered Xie Zhuo’s birthplace and immediately became anxious: “To the countryside?”

Xie Zhuo: “Mhm.”

Lin Songyu: “Why? Does your hometown have toilets? Does it have heating? Does it have takeout? Is there a top-tier hospital nearby? What if Huhu gets sick?”

He asked a rapid-fire series of questions, without even thinking, as if he had asked them a long time ago.

Xie Zhuo’s voice suddenly lowered, unclear which question he was answering.

“No.”

Lin Songyu presumed the answer was “no” to all, becoming even more righteous: “Can’t you not go back to your hometown for Chinese New Year?”

Can’t you not go back to your hometown for Chinese New Year?

Someone had asked him the exact same question.

The knuckles of Xie Zhuo’s hand gripping the phone gradually stiffened. A needle-like pain began to spread from his earlobes, as if he wasn’t in a warm room but on a cold, windswept sea.

Two years ago, when he suggested going back to his hometown for Chinese New Year, Tang Yu immediately questioned him with prejudice, asking if his hometown still had pit toilets and why he insisted on going back since his parents were no longer there.

Tang Yu touched his belly and listed inconveniences like no takeout, no restaurants, no fresh food delivered in an hour, and even added the inconvenience of no top-tier hospital.

At that time, Xie Zhuo didn’t understand the hint in the last point. It wasn’t until Tang Huhu was born that he realized Tang Yu knew he was pregnant then. He was someone who wouldn’t shortchange himself and insisted on staying in the safer S City.

Xie Zhuo finally agreed to celebrate Chinese New Year with Tang Yu in S City.

But ultimately, they didn’t celebrate New Year, because on New Year’s Eve, Tang Yu disappeared at sea.

That was an extremely cold New Year.

Xie Zhuo often thought, if only he hadn’t agreed to stay in S City for New Year, Tang Yu might have gone back with him.

Lin Songyu waited for a long time, then urged: “Speak.”

“I’m very sorry, I can’t agree.”

“Go wherever you want!”

Lin Songyu returned the phone to Yang He, “Unyielding.”

Yang He suddenly understood: “You’re two hundred and two hundred fifty!”