"Damn, no wonder I feel so comfortable. A return ticket costs 47,000 US dollars. Why not just rob it? No, that would be much slower than this." After returning to the Imperial Capital Airport in China, Jiang Hai had already booked a five-star hotel in advance. A car was waiting for him outside the airport, and it took him directly to the hotel.
Once at the hotel, he checked his balance on his phone—something Jiang Hai had become fond of doing lately.
There was no way around it. After so many years of being a loser, suddenly having this much money made him feel the need to check it multiple times a day; otherwise, it felt a little unreal.
Before leaving, his total fortune was 332,045,211 US dollars. Of that, 330 million came from selling the pink diamond, 2 million came from other gemstones, and the remaining 45,211 US dollars (equivalent to more than 284,800 RMB) came from various smaller sources: more than 150,000 from selling flowers, more than 100,000 from selling crystals, and the remaining 10,000 was saved up beforehand.
It was a bit sad to think about it. He was such a big man, yet so little remained after selling his house. Reflecting on what had happened with his family a year ago, Jiang Hai couldn't help but sigh. In just one month, he had changed drastically. The Jiang Hai from a month ago was no longer the same person.
"Enough of this. What's the point of dwelling on it? Tomorrow I'm heading back to Ice City. I'll visit my parents, buy a house, and reunite with my brothers. There's no point in coming back after that." He tapped his forehead, shaking off the feeling of sadness. Life is short, and plants and trees only last a season. Happiness is what everyone wants. The idea of living a life constantly marked by sadness made him feel nauseous. He wasn't one of those ancient beauties—he'd find paradise even in purgatory, and now that he had money, life was already looking better.
He stopped thinking about it and went to sleep. The next morning, the front desk called to wake him up. After washing up and eating downstairs, he boarded a plane to Ice City.
When he arrived at the airport in Bingcheng, it was noon. He grabbed a taxi to his favorite restaurant and enjoyed a meal of Bingcheng's famous sweet and sour pork. After that, he made his way to the crematorium. Since his parents had passed away unexpectedly, there hadn't been time to buy a cemetery for them. So, they were temporarily placed there. Although he could afford to buy the best cemetery now, Chinese customs dictated that graves couldn't be moved for three years after burial. It had only been a year, so there was no rush.
After visiting his parents' graves and burning paper money, he took a taxi back home.
However, the house was no longer his.
A year ago, Jiang Hai and his mother had sold the house to a newlywed couple. At the time, they had no choice. Now that he had money, Jiang Hai was determined to buy it back.
When he knocked on the door, a woman holding a child answered. She looked about his age, and the child in her arms appeared to be only a few months old. It was surprising that, after a year, they had already had a child.
"Hello, how can I help you?" The woman was taken aback upon seeing Jiang Hai. She vaguely remembered him, but what was the former owner doing here?
"Uh..." Jiang Hai hesitated. It was difficult to explain.
"Wife, who is it?" A man wearing an apron came out from the inner room. Upon seeing Jiang Hai, he was also surprised. Jiang Hai smiled and nodded at the couple, then gathered his courage. He had to buy back his house, no matter the cost.
For him, this house wasn't just property; it held the memories of him and his parents.
Though some people intentionally forget such things, Jiang Hai was not one of them.
The conversation went smoothly. Jiang Hai's house was a small 48-square-meter unit in an old building, with a usable area of 40 square meters due to the kitchen being moved to the balcony. The average price for this area was 8,000 yuan per square meter, so the house was worth about 380,000 yuan. The couple had bought it for 360,000 yuan, a bargain at the time since Jiang Hai's family urgently needed the money.
Now that Jiang Hai was back, he was determined not to cheat them. Housing prices had remained stable in Bingcheng, and he ended up paying 600,000 yuan for the house. The couple was pleased with the offer, as it would allow them to buy a much larger two-bedroom apartment.
The agreement was reached, and the couple would handle the transfer the next day. Within ten days, they would move out. They would temporarily live with relatives, which was no big deal.
Once the house matter was settled, Jiang Hai breathed a sigh of relief. It was a major task completed.
After leaving the house, he checked the time on his phone. His friends should have finished work by now. Thinking about it, he picked up the phone and dialed a number. A few moments later, a slightly groggy voice answered.
"Hello?" Hearing the familiar voice, Jiang Hai couldn't help but laugh.
"Hey, have you gotten up yet? It's almost dark!" Jiang Hai shouted through the phone.
"Huh? This number... Damn, Jiang Hai, where have you been? Why have you been so quiet?" After a few seconds of confusion, the other person responded, cursing.
"Haha, old man, I've made a fortune and returned home in glory. Stop sleeping and get up. We're having dinner tonight. I'll call the others." Jiang Hai chuckled as he spoke.
"You bastard, wait for me. I'll wash my face first. Where are you? Do you need me to pick you up?" The voice on the other end laughed and cursed, full of amusement.
"I'm at my house. Hurry up!" Jiang Hai said, then hung up. He called a few more friends, and within ten minutes, a small van arrived in front of his house. The window rolled down, revealing a familiar smiling face.
"Damn, where have you been? Get in the car!" Jiang Hai smiled and climbed into the passenger seat.
"Didn't I tell you? I've made a fortune and returned home in glory." Jiang Hai grinned at his old friend.
"Stop talking nonsense. You've been gone for almost two months. Where have you been?" The man didn't believe him and looked at him with disdain.
"I'll tell you when everyone is here." Jiang Hai laughed at the man's skepticism. The man, understanding, changed the topic.
"So, where are we going now?"
"Let's go to the secret room and eat skewers!" Jiang Hai suggested enthusiastically.
The van drove to a small kebab shop, where several cars were already parked. Without saying much, they entered the shop. Three familiar faces were sitting at a table, absorbed in their phones.
"Damn, you're still alive? I thought you disappeared for two months with no news!" Jiang Hai walked up behind them and slapped the man sitting at the outer end of the table on the back. The sound was loud, but he didn't use much force. The man jumped, turned around, and saw it was Jiang Hai, immediately flipping him the middle finger.
"Sit down already. I've already ordered 20 beef tendons, 20 plum meats, 10 kidneys, 10 chicken wings, and a pot of tripe. I think that should be enough... I'm starving. What else should we get?" The man looked at Jiang Hai and the others, eager to add more food to the order.
"Boss, when did you ever say you were hungry? How much can you eat after all that?" Another friend laughed.
"Alright, I'm hungry too. Anything left over is mine," Jiang Hai said, grinning. He grabbed the menu and placed an order for grilled squid, grilled cod, 20 plum meat skewers, 10 chicken hearts, and 10 chicken gizzards. With a hundred skewers for five people, plus toast and dumpling soup, it would be more than enough.
As they waited, the group joked around.
"Where have you been recently? No letters, no calls. We thought you were silenced by Qi Li's ex-boyfriend!"