9 p.m.
Jon was home. He had just put down his schoolbag and was lying comfortably on the sofa.
Not only had he spent the whole day at school, but he also had to walk home. Jon was now the son, and Ryan was the father. Ryan hadn't given Jon any pocket money, so he couldn't take a cab. He sulked as he thought about it.
The program team said that Ryan had performed well just now, which made Jon even more irritated.
But Jon felt happy that Ryan wasn't home yet. He thought that Ryan must be working overtime at the company.
His investment company had been growing recently. All of the company staff were working very hard. They were busy as they worked overtime every day.
Jon felt exhausted as he thought about it but he was also secretly happy.
"What's this little bit of schooling? It's worth it to let that brat experience the hardship of being an adult with a job."
However, there was an uproar under the live broadcast upon hearing that statement.
"Oh my God, what a dumb dad! Your son has already soared high. He quit his job. What job are you talking about?"
"Does he even need to learn? He's a financial genius. There should be at least 10 famous finance colleges that reached out to him this afternoon.
He definitely has a scholarship."
"This is probably the most miserable dad I've ever seen on this TV program."
"F*ck, the main character is back. He must have gone out for a good time just now."
As Ryan pushed the door open, lipstick stains were visible on his face.
Behind him were a blushing host and a cameraman.
"You—"
Jon stood up abruptly.
Ryan glanced at him and said, "What, you want to control me? Remember your current place."
"I—"
Jon felt like his lungs were about to explode.
The program team staff reminded him, "Mr. Jon, this is a live broadcast."
He immediately realized that he was now the son. Besides, even though this kid had gone out to play, he had also done his work today.
Jon sat back down on the sofa and ignored Ryan's state.
"Wasn't it busy at the office today?" Jon asked.
Ryan took off his coat and sat beside him as he reeked of alcohol. "I was busy. That's why I came back so late. What's wrong? It's so hard earning money out there. You have it easy—studying at school. Do you have to ask about everything?"
Jon felt a little suffocated.
Wasn't that what he usually said?
This kid—
People were already laughing hysterically in the live broadcast.
"The brat has shown his power. I can't—"
"Hahaha."
Jon suddenly understood. "I get it. It's your first day at work, and you have the program team following you. The company must not have allowed you to participate in the projects, which is why it's so easy for you."
Ryan was silent for a moment. 'Should I tell him about quitting my job?'
But after thinking about it and seeing Jon's sorry face, 'I rather not provoke him.'
Then, Ryan walked towards the television and unplugged it.
Jon's eyes widened as he said, "What are you doing?"
"Have you finished your homework? You should be in the ninth grade now. Your teacher said that you shouldn't be near televisions, mobile phones, and other electronic products."
"Also, my performance in your company was good."
"I'll call your boss now and put it on speaker. Listen up."
Ryan was afraid that Jon would not believe him so he took out his cell phone and dialed a number.
One hour ago, Jon's boss had called Ryan with this number.
As Ryan called the number, the other end picked up within seconds.
The chairman of Jon's company had been watching the live broadcast from the start.
How could he not know what was going on?
The boss cleared his throat, "Hello? Ryan? Haven't you gone to rest yet? What's the matter?"
Through his voice, it was clear that Jon's boss cared about Ryan.
Jon had never been treated like that before. Upon hearing the boss's concern, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
"Oh, I just wanted to hear how my performance was today," Ryan said.
What else could the chairman say? Ryan's performance on television was absolutely amazing.
The company would thrive with such a talent present.
"Mr. Ryan, although you are quite young, your performance really surprised me. Your business sense is highly comparable with your father's. It was good, very good."
The chairman felt that he shouldn't say too much but Jon felt like a huge bomb had just dropped.
'Good performance?
Business sense comparable to mine???'
Jon almost thought that he had misheard the boss's compliment but he knew it was true after he saw the number on Ryan's phone.
He stood there in a daze.
The program team also added, "Ryan's performance in the company was indeed really good. It's all in the live broadcast."
"What are you daydreaming about? If you don't study hard now, how are you going to get into a good university?
If you don't fully understand your lessons, then read more books and make some notes," Ryan said as he looked at the dazed Jon.
It was a common father-son conversation.
However, the people in the live broadcast noticed a change.
"Oh my God, is Ryan an actor? His father is so unfortunate."
"Hahaha, why do I feel so satisfied even though I'm a dad?
No, I have to treat my children well in the future."
"This acting is surreal. Ryan really has the talent to portray a father."
"What do you mean acting? Can't you see that Jon has already gone mad?"
At that moment, Ryan went straight to the wine rack and took a bottle of red wine.
Jon's expression changed as he said, "My collection—"
"What do you mean your collection? It's my collection now. My life has nothing to do with you. Your only task is to do well in school, study hard, and do your homework—"
"Pfft—"
Everyone in the live broadcast laughed out loud.
"This is too funny. His father must be suffering."
A staff member reminded him, "Mr. Jon, the program is currently being recorded. We're swapping roles—"
Jon quivered.
'F*ck, how could the chairman compare this kid to me? What kind of luck does this kid have? What exactly did he do in the company?'
Jon's heart was itching to know the truth.
But there was nothing he could do.
'My scenes are still being recorded. Wasn't it just studying? How can this kid be better than me? Is this some kind of joke?
The rule I set in the past was no TV.
But now I had to abide by that rule.'
Jon shook his head and walked straight to Ryan's bedroom.
He worked on his homework and began to have a headache again.
Whether it was math or physics, it was definitely not something that could be learned within a day or two.
But Jon gritted his teeth and thought to himself, 'I can do it. After all, I worked overtime every day.'
He began to flip through some books, look for formulas to gain more knowledge, and began writing rapidly.
In the end, he felt a little braindead. He took out his calculator and checked the math problem over and over again.
The sound of the television outside the room was constantly heard, which made him annoyed.
He opened the door and shouted outside, "I'm doing my homework. Can you lower down the volume?"
"Didn't your teacher say that you shouldn't pay attention to anything outside and only focus on reading your books? As long as your mind is calm, I won't be able to disturb you even if I'm watching TV beside you."
Bang!
Jon slammed the door.
'Why you little—'
After a while, Jon's head hurt after cramming everything in one go.
Although the door was made of solid wood and was rather soundproof, he could always hear the slight sound outside.
'It's that football program that I like to watch.'
Jon couldn't hold it in any longer. He tiptoed out of the room and appeared in the camera behind Ryan.
He swallowed and asked nervously, "Can I watch the TV with you for a while?"
"No TV until you finish your homework," Ryan said without turning his head.
Click.
Ryan proceeded to turn off the TV.