CHAPTER 361: CHAPTER 358 [BECOMING A MAN]

Chapter Three Hundred and Fifty-Eight: He’s a Man Now

Jinling City.

At Chen Nuo’s home.

The Gray Cat nestled in the corner in its cat bed, lying there listlessly with half-closed eyes, yet its gaze was constantly fixed on the person in the living room.

Ou Xiuhua returned home from work still in her uniform, her face etched with exhaustion, her eyes always carrying a hint of sorrow.

When she entered, Ou Xiuhua saw Sun Keke coming out of the kitchen and hesitated for a moment before managing a strained smile. "Keke, you’ve come."

Seeing Ou Xiuhua, Sun Keke’s eyes reddened slightly. "Auntie, I..."

Ou Xiuhua noticed that the kitchen was tidy and clean, and on the balcony, there were even bedsheets and quilts hanging out to dry. They were clearly taken from Chen Nuo’s room.

"There’s still no news about Chen Nuo... you really don’t have to come every day," Ou Xiuhua sighed.

She was a mother, and coupled with her own experiences—Chen Nuo’s father had also disappeared after leaving home—she had endured the torment of such days and could naturally understand Sun Keke’s pain at this moment.

She sighed, walked over, took Sun Keke’s hand, and drew the girl to sit down on the couch. She didn’t let go, however, just held Sun Keke’s hand gently as she said softly, "I know you’re a good kid, and that you truly like Chen Nuo. But... with the situation as it is now, I really don’t know what to say to you."

Sun Keke pursed her lips. "Chen Nuo... he must be fine. He definitely won’t be in trouble. He will come back."

"Yes, I believe he will come back too," Ou Xiuhua sighed. She looked at Sun Keke for a few moments, a sense of helplessness welling in her heart.

This girl was the one Chen Nuo had himself acknowledged as his girlfriend. Ou Xiuhua undoubtedly liked Sun Keke very much.

Young, beautiful, with a gentle and kind personality, and a good family background. What was particularly commendable was the girl’s character; she lacked the flightiness and materialism common in some young women today. Her thinking was refreshingly simple, and her feelings were genuine.

Which elder wouldn’t like such a girl?

Chen Nuo had said he was going out on business, but he had not returned. In the first few days, Ou Xiuhua, although anxious, had managed to remain somewhat composed. But as time went on, not only could she not contact her son, but neither could Brother Lei, Zhang Linsheng, nor any of Chen Nuo’s business associates.

Then Ou Xiuhua truly panicked.

The police had been notified, but it was of no avail. The investigation yielded no results, as there were no records of Chen Nuo leaving Jinling, nor any purchases of train or plane tickets. The police could only tentatively speculate it was a case of youthful rebellion, perhaps running away from home. Further investigation showed Chen Nuo was officially a student with uncomplicated social connections and no apparent enemies.

Actually, Brother Lei, Zhang Linsheng, and Sun Keke were somewhat aware of some of Chen Nuo’s "special secrets."

But the problem was, telling Ou Xiuhua these things was useless—other than making this mother worry more and think more, it would be of no help.

In the early days, it was actually Sun Keke who took the initiative to comfort Ou Xiuhua.

However, as Chen Nuo’s disappearance dragged on, Sun Keke also grew increasingly anxious. Although Chen Nuo was a capable man, such a long disappearance surely meant he had encountered serious trouble!

Nobody could guarantee his safety.

"Although Chen Nuo has been away for a long time this time... the family isn’t actually in any difficulty," Ou Xiuhua said, seeing Sun Keke in a daze and thinking she was worried about their household. She tried to reassure her, "He left behind a lot of money, and we’re not short of it. Xiao Yezi is in kindergarten, and I have to work, so I had to switch her to full-time boarding... As for Ye Zi, for the first two weeks when she came home on weekends, I could only lie and tell her that her brother had gone on a business trip. Later, when I couldn’t deceive her any longer, I had to tell her that her brother had gone to work in another city and wouldn’t be back until the Spring Festival..."

In fact, Ou Xiuhua said these words not as an explanation, nor to comfort Sun Keke—it was more like she was comforting herself.

Sun Keke thought for a moment and said softly, "Auntie, if the family isn’t short of money, it might be better to bring Ye Zi back home. Full-time boarding at school might not be very good for the child."

Ou Xiuhua looked at Sun Keke, sighed softly, but said nothing, merely shaking her head.

Unlike the young Sun Keke, Ou Xiuhua was a woman who had experienced hardship; her life had been marked by domestic turmoil twice. She naturally had longer-term considerations. Chen Nuo had disappeared, and although she was trying hard not to let herself collapse, consoling herself and believing that her son would be found safely... But... She was, after all, an adult in her forties, with rich life experience, who had endured loss and death, family breakdown, a husband gone missing... She had considered quitting her job to take better care of her young daughter, Chen Xiaoye, at home. But... What if Chen Nuo could not be found? The money Chen Nuo left for the family was substantial, with savings of several hundred thousand yuan, and there was an electric bike shop still in operation. But... she didn’t understand business, nor did she feel secure about it. Business was fickle; sometimes it made money, sometimes it didn’t. As for the savings at home, a few hundred thousand yuan seemed like a lot, enough for her and her daughter to live on for many years. But... if Chen Nuo really couldn’t be found, what would happen once they’d eaten through their savings? Ye Zi was still in kindergarten, and soon there would be expenses for primary school, then middle school, then university. If she quit her job and Chen Nuo truly never returned, once they had depleted the family savings, who would support them? Brother Lei and Zhang Linsheng were good people, Chen Nuo’s brothers even... Although the business was partnered with Chen Nuo, logically speaking, even if Chen Nuo wasn’t around, the family should still have a share of the earnings. But... after all, they were outsiders. It wasn’t that she distrusted their character. But in this world, human hearts were the least reliable things! Ou Xiuhua’s thoughts were simple: if something serious really happened to Chen Nuo and he couldn’t return, she couldn’t entrust her family’s livelihood to the kindness of outsiders. She had to rely on herself to support her daughter. So, quitting her job was absolutely out of the question. She, an ex-convict, had finally found a stable job. Although the income wasn’t high, at least it was a fallback for the family. If she quit, as an ex-convict, if they were to sit idle and run out of resources, trying to find a job later would probably be harder than climbing to the sky.

Sun Keke noticed Ou Xiuhua shaking her head and misunderstood her intentions, immediately saying, "Auntie, if you’re too busy, I can pick up Xiao Yezi every day. I can also come over every day to help take care of Xiao Yezi."

"No, that won’t do!" Ou Xiuhua immediately shook her head, squeezed Sun Keke’s hand, and spoke gently, "Keke, I know you’re a good person. But... there are some things I can’t agree to, that I can’t accept. You’re still a student, in your final year, and need to apply to college! This year is the most critical in your life. If our family’s situation distracts you and affects your future, then our family would be deeply indebted to yours, the Sun family! And... if Chen Nuo doesn’t return... we would have held you back, a debt we could never repay in a lifetime."

As she said "doesn’t return," Ou Xiuhua’s voice caught with a sob.

The two women, one older and one younger, sat and talked for a while longer, but the more they talked, the sadder they became, until they were lightly holding hands and wiping away tears.

Just then, there were a few knocks on the door.

Ou Xiuhua immediately stood up, wiped the tears from her eyes, and went to open it.

The visitor was Brother Lei.

Brother Lei, bald head and all, walked in carrying several bags, large and small.

"Brother Lei, why are you... I’ve told you many times, you really don’t need to keep coming... We don’t lack anything at home." Ou Xiuhua seemed a bit flustered.

Brother Lei shook his head, his tone very solemn. "Whether there’s a lack or not, please don’t say that. Master Chen is the one who ensures I have food on my table; he’s my benefactor. No matter what, I have to do my part for his family."

With that, Brother Lei nodded a greeting to Sun Keke and started bustling about.

Brother Lei had brought a lot of things. A bag of rice filled the rice bin, followed by fresh meat and vegetables from the market, which he used to stuff the refrigerator to the brim.

It was clear this was not Brother Lei’s first visit; he knew exactly how much their refrigerator could hold and had bought just enough to fill it completely.

Sun Keke knew that Brother Lei came every week, always filling up the home’s refrigerator before leaving.

But this time, there was something else.

After finishing his work, Brother Lei took an envelope from his bag. Inside was a bank card, which he placed on the table.

"I got this card from the bank yesterday. The PIN is Master Chen’s birthday."

Ou Xiuhua looked at Brother Lei, surprised.

Brother Lei said slowly, "Lin Sheng and I have discussed it. We’re determined to wait for Master Chen’s return, no matter how long it takes! Every month, we’ll deposit Master Chen’s share of the store’s profits into this card. Master Chen isn’t home, and you’re a woman raising Xiao Yezi. Please, take this money and use it!"

Ou Xiuhua was shaken.

"Please don’t refuse, and there’s no need for thanks—this isn’t something to be thanked for. This is originally Master Chen’s money. Master Chen started this business with Lin Sheng and me; he holds the largest share. The monthly profit dividends are rightfully his. Since he’s not home, of course, they should be entrusted to you."

After a pause, Brother Lei took a deep breath, looked at Ou Xiuhua’s face, and slowly added, "Big sister, we’re not children anymore. We should hope for the best but prepare for the worst. I mean... if Master Chen really... Well, after some time... perhaps next year, if Master Chen still hasn’t returned, Lin Sheng and I plan to change the company’s business registration."

Ou Xiuhua’s heart skipped a beat at this statement, clearly misunderstanding something.

But Brother Lei’s next words deeply moved her.

"For the registration change, we’ll need you to come with us to handle the paperwork. Because Lin Sheng and I were thinking of transferring Master Chen’s company shares to Xiao Yezi’s name. But Ye Zi is still young and can’t handle many things, and the company often requires the owner’s signature on documents. So, after thinking it through, we still have to trouble you. When the time comes, we’ll transfer the shares to your name instead."

Ou Xiuhua was deeply touched!

This was not a small sum of money. She knew the businesses her son ran with Brother Lei and Zhang Linsheng involved investments of millions. This was a business worth millions!

In 2001, several million yuan was still an astronomically large amount of money for the average person. If a family had several million yuan, they would definitely be categorized as "wealthy."

In business partnerships, it was common to hear of partners being swindled out of their share by others if they met with misfortune. It was rare to hear of anyone voluntarily returning assets to the rightful owner’s family like this.

Actually, the shop’s business was greatly affected, especially during the first month after Chen Nuo disappeared. Upon learning of his disappearance, Brother Lei and Zhang Linsheng practically abandoned the shop’s business.

The two of them frantically searched for a whole month. They searched in Jinling and even traveled to other cities. Brother Lei went to Shanghai City, while Zhang Linsheng tried his luck with the Guo Clan in the northwest. They scoured every place they could think of, trying every method imaginable. Brother Lei even asked friends in the police to inquire about internal procedures.

For more than a month, they closed the shop and did no business.

Later, after coming up empty-handed, they busied themselves with caring for Chen Nuo’s mother and younger sister. To say they were devoted would be an understatement.

Zhang Linsheng still wanted to continue the search—after all, he was young and stubborn, unwilling to give up.

But eventually, Brother Lei came to a realization. One day, he sat down and talked with Zhang Linsheng.

Brother Lei’s point was simple: if someone as capable as Master Chen got into trouble and couldn’t get back on his own, it was unlikely that he and Zhang Linsheng could find him.

Moreover, Brother Lei had been through the school of hard knocks for many years and always liked to have a backup plan...

"If we keep searching like this and no one takes care of the shop, the business will go under! It doesn’t really matter to us if the business fails. At worst, I can just go back to Tangzi Street and run an unlicensed taxi. You’ve got your own significant skills, Brother Haonan, and youth on your side—you’ll always find a way to make a living. But what about Master Chen’s mother and sister? What will happen to them? Ye Zi is only five years old! Master Chen’s mother is a good woman, but with a criminal record as an ex-convict, finding a decent, stable job will be incredibly difficult for her! Now, this business is all Master Chen has left them. If something terrible really has happened to Master Chen and he can’t come back... This business is their lifeline, what Master Chen’s mother and Xiao Yezi will depend on to survive for the better part of their lives! We can’t let this mother and daughter’s livelihood go down the drain! We have to get the business back on its feet!"

In the end, Brother Lei convinced Zhang Linsheng.

As the saying goes, "Comparisons are odious." When people are compared, some will inevitably seem lesser, just as when goods are compared, some will be discarded.

Look at what Brother Lei and Zhang Linsheng did. Then think about how Li Qingshan treated Fang Yuanchao...

Today, Zhang Linsheng didn’t go with Brother Lei to Chen Nuo’s home. He had just visited last week. Today, a new batch of cars arrived at the shop, and Zhang Linsheng had to stay to settle accounts with the suppliers, so he really couldn’t get away.

After finishing the business and sending off the suppliers, Zhang Linsheng finally had a moment to himself and called Brother Lei, learning that Brother Lei had already been to Chen Nuo’s home.

"Keke was there when I visited... Yes... Master Chen’s mother accepted the card. Keke helped persuade her..."

On the other end of the phone, Brother Lei finished explaining the situation and then hung up.

It was already the end of the workday, and Zhang Linsheng had not gone out to dinner with Xia Xia today. The young couple were effectively living together, usually in the apartment in the complex behind the shop. But today, Zhang Linsheng did not plan to go back there. He wanted to visit his own family and see his parents.

Leaving the shop after instructing the staff to lock up, Zhang Linsheng rode off on his bicycle.

When he arrived home, his parents, Zhang Tiejun and Zhang Linsheng’s mother, were waiting for their son to join them for dinner, as he had called ahead of time. Zhang Linsheng arrived with a serious expression, making his parents realize he had returned home with something important on his mind.

At the dinner table, they didn’t talk much at first. Zhang Linsheng ate quickly, finishing his meal before everyone else. After his parents also finished eating and put down their chopsticks, Zhang Linsheng stopped his mother from clearing the table.

"Mom, please have a seat. Um, Dad, Mom, there’s something I need to talk to you about."

Zhang Tiejun looked at his son, then lit a cigarette, took a drag, and quietly watched him. Zhang Tiejun was quite satisfied with his son these days and understood that he had truly changed. If this were the past, in this situation, he would have suspected that his son had gotten into some kind of trouble again.

"It’s like this... my business partner, Chen Nuo, the classmate I work with—you’ve met him, right? He’s run into some trouble recently..."

Zhang Linsheng quickly summarized the Chen Family’s situation, explaining Chen Nuo’s disappearance. He only said that Chen Nuo had gone out—whether for business or travel was unclear—but in any case, he was now missing. He left behind his mother and a five-year-old sister.

"...Brother Lei and I have discussed it. If Chen Nuo really has met with an accident and can’t return... we can’t take their family’s shares in the business. So, we plan to transfer the business shares to Ou Xiuhua or Chen Xiaoye, depending on what the mother and daughter decide. This is their family’s property; we can’t just take it. Besides, Chen Nuo did me a great service. I owe everything I have today to him. Without him, I’d probably still be a good-for-nothing delinquent, unable to get into university, just fighting in the streets all day."

After listening to her son, Zhang’s mother didn’t say a word, just glanced at Zhang Tiejun.

Zhang Tiejun took a deep puff of his cigarette and stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray.

Looking at his son whose shoulders had grown wider and stronger, Zhang Tiejun spoke seriously, simply saying three words: "As you should!"

Zhang Linsheng’s expression did not relax in the slightest.

He spoke softly, "Dad, Mom, regarding the business, I mainly wanted to inform you of my plans. But there’s something else I need your approval for."

Zhang’s mother looked at her son. "What else is it?"

Zhang Linsheng spoke softly, "Chen Nuo is my good brother. If—and this is a big if—if something really happened to him and he can’t come back... his mother and Xiao Yezi would have no one to rely on. So, I want to help take care of them. I’d like to ask Auntie Ou Xiuhua to be my godmother, and Xiao Yezi to be my little sister. You... wouldn’t object, would you?"

A complex smile slowly spread across Zhang Tiejun’s serious face, tinged with emotion and a hint of world-weariness.

"Lin Sheng, you’ve done well in business these past six months and made something of yourself. As your father, I’m gratified by that. But tonight, after hearing what you’ve said to us old folks... From this day forward, in my eyes—your old man’s eyes—you are truly a man!"

「Antarctica. The Red Circle.」

It had been three months since the incident. The Octopus Monster’s minions had long since departed. The dozen or so survey points they had excavated were now abandoned. Only a few leftover monitoring instruments around the Red Circle were still transmitting data back at scheduled intervals.

In the midst of the wind and snow, visibility was extremely low.

The explosion from three months ago, the subsequent cave-in, the digging, the drilling surveys—all traces had been utterly erased by three months of extreme weather and relentless blizzards, leaving only an endless expanse of white.

Lu Xixi lightly landed in the center of the Red Circle.

Her movements as the Empress went completely undetected by the remaining monitoring instruments.

Lu Xixi released her spiritual power, permeating in all directions and deep into the ground... She pushed herself to her limits, unreservedly unleashing the full energy of a top-tier Controller, as if wringing out every last drop.

This was already her third visit to the incident site in Antarctica in the past five days!

An hour later, Lu Xixi, still without any discovery, sat down in the snow, disappointed.

"Chen Nuo... where the hell did you go? Even if you’re dead, you must have left some trace behind! Damn it!!!"

[A quick announcement: I’m going on a business trip tomorrow, so I’ll be taking a one-day break. Updates will resume the day after. My apologies to all you esteemed readers, and thank you for your understanding.]