"What do you mean?" Chu Ah's face darkened.
"What do you think?" Xiang Ri stretched lazily, leaning back as far as possible on the sofa, crossing his legs with an air of arrogance and nonchalance.
Chu Chu watched anxiously, pinching his arm to remind him to behave properly.
"You're far too insolent!" A flash of coldness appeared in Chu Ah's eyes. "Do you believe I can have you thrown out?"
"Father!" Chu Chu cried out in grievance.
"Silence! I have no daughter as unfilial as you!" Chu Ah roared.
Xiang Ri, with a smirk, slipped his hand discreetly to Chu Chu's lower back, sneering, "Throw me out? You can try. I've never experienced that before."
Chu Chu squirmed, trying to escape his grasp, but his hand clung to her as though rooted, leaving her no choice but to glare at him in frustration.
"Hmph!" Chu Ah, witnessing the scene, held back his fury, refraining from calling for help. From their behavior, it seemed they might have already... Damn it! How could those idiots fail to catch something this crucial?
"Chu Chu, sit properly!" Chu Ah snapped, though it was less a reprimand and more a warning to Xiang Ri not to take things too far.
"Let me go, you scoundrel!" Chu Chu muttered softly.
"We'll continue this at home," Xiang Ri chuckled, releasing her from his embrace, before turning to the elder Chu. "Mr. Chu, if there's nothing else, Chu Chu and I will take our leave."
"Wait!" Chu Ah called after him. "If I were to marry my daughter to you, how would you provide for her?"
Chu Chu's face flushed instantly, and just as she had risen to her feet, she fell back into Xiang Ri's arms, overwhelmed with joy.
"By working hard, of course," Xiang Ri replied dismissively.
"Working hard? What a joke! Do you know how much Chu Chu's monthly allowance is? Do you realize any one of her outfits costs more than months of your salary? Do you even know what kind of makeup she uses, or what car she drives?"
"I know nothing of that! All I need to know is that I can take care of her. The rest is none of your concern," Xiang Ri interrupted coldly.
"Fine, fine, fine! You reckless young man, I hope you won't regret this! I'm giving you one last chance. Here's one hundred million. Take it and get as far away from Chu Chu as possible. Never show your face again!" Chu Ah, seething with rage, filled out a massive sum and threw the check at him.
"Do you think money is everything?" Xiang Ri didn't even glance at the check that fell to the ground. Instead, he pulled a black card from his pocket and tossed it onto the coffee table. "Here's ten billion U.S. dollars. From now on, stay out of Chu Chu's affairs."
"You..." Chu Ah, overwhelmed with fury, grabbed the card, ready to discard it. But as his eyes caught sight of a specific symbol in the lower-left corner, his hand trembled. Could this be real? Though the card appeared no different from an ordinary one, that unique black design and the symbol it bore—he knew very well what it represented. It wasn't something just anyone could possess.
Chuchu gazed at them silently, on the verge of tears. How could things escalate so quickly from a simple conversation to a life-or-death enmity?
"Chuchu, let's just go home. Your old man is a bit out of his mind," Xiangri said, tapping his temple.
"But I...," Chuchu stammered, utterly lost.
"Enough with the 'but's. Let's go, home!" Xiangri grabbed her hand, ready to leave.
"Take your things with you," Chu A, now calm, tossed a black card their way.
"Has the old man regained his senses?" Xiangri remarked, unceremoniously pocketing the card. After all, this was a billion dollars—he must have lost his mind for a moment. If Chu A had really kept it, that would've been a colossal loss.
"I admit you can give Chuchu a good life, but I still won't let her marry you," Chu A coldly declared.
"You're sick, old man! What did I ever do to you?" Xiangri muttered, visibly annoyed.
"Just look at your attitude! You show no respect for your elders. How could I ever marry my daughter off to someone like you?"
"You..."
"Xiangri!" Chuchu shrieked, "You idiot! Can't you show some respect to my father?"
"Hey, girl, are you trying to rebel against me? Daring to yell at me like that?"
"Ugh! You're sleeping in your own room tonight!"
"Ah, Chuchu, it's my fault, all my fault!" Seeing that Chuchu was still ignoring him, Xiangri turned to Chu A, determined to salvage the situation. "Uncle Chu, I was really out of line earlier. You know how young people are—our blood runs hot, and we can act impulsively. But someone as wise and magnanimous as you wouldn't hold a grudge against a mere junior, right? You smiled, which means everything's fine now, right? The storm has passed. It's wonderful! After all, as future family, we should live in harmony, supporting and respecting one another."
"Hmph!" Chu A interrupted his flattery, then turned to his daughter, whose brow was furrowed with frustration. "Chuchu, stay home for dinner. Your mother's coming back tonight, and it's been a while since we all dined together."
"Father, what about him?" Chuchu pointed at Xiangri, who was looking somewhat hopeful.
"Our home doesn't welcome strangers!" Chu A retorted, heading upstairs.
Seeing Xiangri about to stir up more trouble, Chuchu quickly grabbed him. Things were already taking a turn for the better; if he messed it up again, all would be lost. She dragged him to the door.
"What are you doing, girl? Your old man treats me like this, and you don't feel any sense of shared outrage?"
"Serves you right for treating my dad like that!"
"Hey, be fair! Your father was the one making things difficult for me first. Didn't you see him trying to intimidate me the moment I walked in, even trying to buy me off with money? He clearly treats you like a commodity!" Xiangri said, attempting to drive a wedge between them.
"Yes, my father's awful, but you're even worse! Now tell me, where did all that money come from? And your martial arts skills—how come I had no idea about them before? You've been hiding things from me all this time, you jerk and idiot!" Chuchu glared at him fiercely.
"I'll accept being called a jerk, but idiot? No way. My IQ's over 180. There's another word that fits me better—genius, perhaps?"
"Get lost! Genius? More like a born fool! No, don't try to dodge my questions. Be honest and answer me now!" Chuchu demanded, hands on her hips, shouting furiously.
"Oh no, your old man's coming after us! As a 'stranger,' I'd better make my exit!" Taking advantage of the moment when Chuchu turned to check, Xiangri quickly planted a kiss on her soft cheek and dashed away in a flash.
"Damn it! I hate you!" Chuchu stomped her foot, but the culprit had already disappeared.
Tie Wan was an elite of the police force, rising swiftly through the ranks to become the deputy director of the Eastern District police station, all by the age of 28. This achievement was closely tied to the countless high-profile cases she had cracked. She was known for her low-key demeanor, which helped her in undercover work, and a powerful figure in the shadows who erased her tracks, ensuring few knew of her formidable position.
Today was Tie Wan's 28th birthday, but she insisted on gathering intel. A few days ago, an informant had revealed that a large shipment of drugs was about to flood the city, linked to the district's notorious gangs. Unfortunately, the informant disappeared before passing on further details, and it was unlikely he survived.
Tie Wan was confident in her looks; the glances from her male colleagues were proof enough. Today, she had applied light makeup and donned a skirt—something she rarely wore—before entering the bar "Surrender." On the surface, the bar seemed unremarkable, but her intel indicated it was the territory of the "Hungry Wolves," one of the city's two major gangs. Its owner was a close confidant of the gang's fearsome enforcer, "Crazy Wolf."
Sitting at the bar, Tie Wan sipped a "Sex on the Beach," savoring the sweet and sour taste as she scanned the room for suspicious figures. After declining another man's offer to buy her a drink, she adjusted her posture just as the door opened, and a young man entered. Since the bar faced the entrance, Tie Wan was the first to notice him.
A student, she concluded, sizing him up. He looked refined, wearing black-framed glasses, and was of average height, roughly the same as her. What stood out, though, was his attire—he was decked out in designer labels, something rarely seen in a place like this. Rich kids like him typically frequented private clubs, not seedy bars.
Xiangri had simply been drawn in by the bar's intriguing name and decided to take a look. The moment he walked in, he noticed a beautiful woman staring intently at him. She was tall, almost his height, with a slim waist and long, toned legs visible beneath a black pleated skirt. Her tanned skin exuded a healthy glow.
"Hey there, gorgeous. How about buying me a drink?" Xiangri said playfully as he approached her.