DLRAS Chapter 106

Chapter 106: It’s not that he’s fickle, he is paranoid.

Xiao Gao felt like the days of being “driven like a duck onto a perch” had returned.

But actually, it was fine. Chen Wengang had already clarified the situation at the foundation, and after a full day of looking through things, he didn’t feel particularly busy.

He had the virtue of being focused; before he knew it, the afternoon tea break had arrived.

A colleague had ordered a baumkuchen to celebrate his recovery. Chen Wengang didn’t put on airs; he thanked them and sat down to enjoy it with them. Someone brewed a few cups of black coffee and brought them over to go with the cake.

As everyone chatted, Xiao Gao looked at the Patek Philippe on his wrist: “Chen-ge, this watch isn’t cheap, is it?”

Chen Wengang smiled enigmatically, touching the watch face with his fingertips: “I’m not too sure. Someone gave it to me.”

Xiao Gao immediately guessed it was his “Young Master Huo.” “Ah, my hometown is in the countryside. I didn’t reach the big city until I got into university. I remember a roommate who wore a Rolex—he said it was a coming-of-age gift from his parents, and that it wasn’t worth much. I thought it looked quite nice and even asked him where he bought it, thinking that if it were a few hundred yuan, I’d buy one too. When I asked the price, I was too stunned to speak. He kept saying it really wasn’t that expensive… Later, when I graduated from university, I saved up three months of salary, and the first thing I did was buy a Rolex.”

Someone nearby laughed, teasing that his was an inspirational story.

Chen Wengang smiled: “I have a little bit of loose ends to finish up. You guys keep eating.”

He sorted the backlogged documents, signed the receipts that needed signing, and left the rest aside. The “loose ends” were quickly handled. Chen Wengang rose slowly and walked around the 19th floor; it was only four or five in the afternoon, and half the office area was already deserted.

A real estate agent called to tell him that a buyer was interested in his villa and might come to negotiate the price later.

At the turn of autumn and winter, the days were becoming shorter, and the sunset slanted across the carpet.

Chen Wengang leaned against the wall, staring at the golden light for a while.

He didn’t leave until it was time to get off work. Outside, it had started to drizzle, and Chen Wengang didn’t have an umbrella, so he waited for Kang Ming at the entrance of the building.

Men and women were huddled together to avoid the rain. Xiao Gao came down too, complaining with a bitter face about not leaving earlier.

He rolled his eyes: “Chen-ge, someone must drive to pick you up to work and back, right?”

Chen Wengang said: “Actually, there’s no need to call me ‘Chen-ge’; you can just call me by my name.”

Xiao Gao felt awkward, finally processing this: “Oh… actually, I think you’re quite mature, as steady as an old employee. I forgot you’re even younger than me. I couldn’t help but wonder what I was doing in my early twenties? I had just found an internship, doing odd jobs at a big company—serving tea, pouring water, running errands—hardly any pay, and I still had to spend two hours commuting every day. Nothing like you…”

Chen Wengang asked: “Do you envy me?”

Outside of working hours, Xiao Gao was blunt: “Isn’t it worth envying? Look, you already have financial freedom. You go to work just for the sake of it, unlike us who are doing it to scrape a living. The little money I make every month, I’m afraid it wouldn’t even buy a bathroom in the city center.”

Chen Wengang smiled without answering.

Xiao Gao turned to look at him. All the men and women around them had tired faces weighed down by work, except for him, who stood out—quiet and still.

For some reason, Kang Ming was late, but a Rolls-Royce pulled up to the curb.

A playboy-looking figure stepped out of the car, pulled an umbrella from the door, opened it, and walked toward Chen Wengang with a beaming smile. Chen Wengang saw him and revealed a similar smile, reaching out to tuck his hand under his arm, and the two embraced in the humid mist.

He turned to say goodbye to Xiao Gao, and the two returned to the car under the same umbrella. Xiao Gao looked on with envy as the taillights sped away.

He thought of his own hour-and-a-half subway ride home, the broken faucet in his rental that he didn’t know if the landlord had fixed, the child upstairs playing the piano every day in fits and starts…

Endless emotion stirred in his heart. No matter how you put it, being born into the right family is a technical skill. Either you’re born into a wealthy family, or you’re born with a good face.

But as for serving others with beauty, who knows how long such “favor” can last?

Then, on second thought, even if he fell out of favor, the “severance pay” wouldn’t be small—wouldn’t he still be better off than him? Damn!

He had been back at work for two days like this.

Huo Lingchong came to find Chen Wengang, aggressively questioning him: “Did last month’s expense approval form end up with you? It was already delayed; Finance didn’t pay out for ages, and when I asked, they said it was because you hadn’t signed it. What’s going on?”

Chen Wengang looked up at this overly arrogant Vice Chairman and Secretary-General and smiled calmly.

“You’ve come at the right time. I actually have a question for you.” He pulled out the receipt that had been pressed under other documents. “Why is the supplier for the food items among the materials donated to this stray animal rescue organization on Taoyuan Island an entertainment company?”

He had discovered that the Huo Foundation, besides dabbling in the arts, had a few odd charitable projects that were incoherent.

Huo Lingchong disdained wasting words: “Just for this? You think there’s a problem with the accounts? Tell me, where is it?”

Chen Wengang looked at him earnestly: “I’m not saying there’s a problem; I just don’t understand, so I didn’t dare sign it blindly.”

Huo Lingchong smirked: “I can tell you that it’s been like this for years. Do you really think of yourself as the Chairman? Is this even a matter for you to decide? Your job is just to sign it; as for why, it has nothing to do with you.”

Chen Wengang sat in his office chair, resting his chin on his hand as he watched him: “The legal representative of this entertainment company is just a figurehead, but the company itself belongs to Fenghua International Holdings. The boss behind Fenghua International—is his surname Huang or Wang? Is he someone you know? Or someone Second Uncle knows?”

Huo Lingchong’s back stiffened; he thought he was incredibly bold: “Don’t try to be too clever for your own good.”

Chen Wengang pushed the expense form back to him and smiled: “I wouldn’t dare. So, please go find someone who dares to sign it.”

Huo Lingchong snatched the document off the table and turned to leave, presumably to find someone to complain to.

Chen Wengang chuckled softly.

By the afternoon, Huo Yingfei, the son of Second Uncle Huo, arrived in the Chairman’s office and sat casually on the sofa: “Shall we talk?”

Chen Wengang wasn’t surprised and had Xiao Gao bring a cup of tea.

Huo Lingchong was a man Huo Second Uncle had planted in the foundation to check and balance Fang Qin. It was normal for the underling to leave and for the backer to move in. However, Huo Yingfei didn’t care about the approval form at all: “It’s just a signature on an expense form; does it matter who signs it? Are you getting used to it here?”

Chen Wengang looked at him politely: “It’s alright.”

After chatting for a bit, Huo Yingfei asked: “Actually, I haven’t asked until now: how did you meet Huo Niansheng?”

Chen Wengang sat on the sofa opposite him and smiled: “Why the sudden interest in our love story?”

Huo Yingfei rested both hands on the armrests: “That’s where you’re mistaken. It’s not that I’m interested. Since you’ve ended up with Huo Niansheng, there are countless people who want to hear about your ‘skills in managing a husband.’ I’d rather be the one to ask first. Shall we talk?”

His phone received a message. Chen Wengang looked down; it was from his Uncle Chen Zeng, not very important, so he didn’t reply for the moment.

He turned his gaze back to Huo Yingfei: “Met, got to know each other, fell in love, got married. How could it be any different from anyone else?”

Huo Yingfei suddenly sat up straight, leaning forward, his eyes fixed on him: “Do you know what Huo Niansheng’s greatest flaw is?”

“What?” Chen Wengang was slightly taken aback.

“Not that he’s unfaithful; it’s that he’s paranoid,” Huo Yingfei said. “Things he wants to do, he won’t do himself; he’ll find ways to design you into doing them. Things he wants to say, he won’t say himself; he’ll find ways to make you open your mouth. You know he and I don’t get along, and Huo Jingsheng doesn’t get along with him either. But do you think we hate someone without a reason? Why does even his own brother hate him? From the time Huo Niansheng arrived home, I discovered this when I was very young: when he wants something, he rarely says so directly, but he will play tricks bit by bit to get it, making others walk right into his trap and deliver it into his hands. He has calculated against Huo Jingsheng too many times; you really can’t blame Huo Jingsheng for loathing him.”

Chen Wengang said nothing, his expression plain; it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Huo Yingfei continued: “If he wore these things on his face, he wouldn’t seem so terrifying. But Huo Niansheng is very good at performing, acting as if he’s a normal person. As long as he reaches his goal, he can show you any persona you want to see.”

Chen Wengang said: “I’m already living my life with him; what does it matter if you tell me these things?”

Huo Yingfei said: “Even if you’re married, it’s not as if you can’t get divorced. I am very happy to expose him; you can observe him further.”

Chen Wengang watched him leave, only then remembering his uncle’s message, and took out his phone to check.

It turned out Chen Zeng was asking him about buying a house.

Previously, Zheng Yucheng helped Chen Zeng out of his predicament and arranged his current job as a pier supervisor. Since then, things had been smooth sailing, and he had soon saved up a bit of money. This time he had learned his lesson and didn’t dare to mess around blindly, thinking about buying a house outside and moving out of the old city. His two sons would be starting middle school in two years, and he and his wife were planning to change to a better school district for them.

Families with the ability to move out would move to better places; that was how the old city was slowly abandoned by time.

This naturally had nothing to do with Chen Wengang. Uncle Chen Zeng and his wife felt he was heartless and hadn’t even contacted him much for two months. But at this crucial moment, they remembered his extensive connections and wanted to ask if Chen Wengang knew anyone in real estate who could provide a discount.

Chen Wengang accompanied them to look at the property.

The project was an off-plan development, not yet built, but there was a model of a similar layout available for reference. Chen Zeng had been looking for a long time; he wanted the four-bedroom unit. The saleswoman took them around: “This large one is the master bedroom, perfect for a couple. This is the living room, with a full balcony. These two secondary bedrooms have identical layouts, perfect for the two children, one for each…”

The uncle became more satisfied the more he looked: “What do you think?”

Chen Wengang asked: “Is there enough space if you include Xiangling? Or she gets one, and Guangzong and Yaozu sleep in bunk beds, sharing one?”

The two children were unhappy and started clamoring. The aunt quickly promised: “That won’t happen, don’t argue. We said before you’d each have your own room, one room each, it won’t be short.”

She straightened her back: “Guangzong and Yaozu are getting bigger; boys should have their own space. How can they stay crowded together?”

Chen Wengang stood before the window; the bare, rough cement of the unfinished wall was exposed, and the floor was covered in messy footprints.

He pulled his uncle aside: “Why don’t you sell me the old house?”

In his nephew’s eyes, Chen Zeng’s lips moved, but he didn’t say the phrase “married daughters are like spilled water” to his face. It would take two or three years for the off-plan house to be delivered. By then, Chen Xiangling would be at the age for marriage. If the timing worked out, there would be no need to arrange a room for her in the new house; that was how the parents had originally planned it.

Buying a new house required a down payment and a loan. Chen Zeng had originally planned to list the old house on Chuntao Street to alleviate his financial pressure.

Chen Wengang offered 150,000 to buy it.

The two sides didn’t haggle long over this price. Residential houses in the old city had no room for appreciation; 150,000 was just about level with the market price. Chen Zeng was worried that it might drop even lower in two years. Besides, a nephew was always more convenient and easier to talk to than a stranger. Chen Wengang could give him the money now, which would greatly alleviate the embarrassment of being broke after the down payment, and the couple agreed almost immediately.

Chen Wengang signed the purchase contract with his uncle and would go to the real estate bureau to handle the transfer formalities another day.

His own villa was also sold quickly. The buyers were an entrepreneurial couple who had started from scratch and were preparing to have children there. He wasn’t short on money; he could have bought another house for Chen Xiangling, but she was a student, and it wasn’t the time to consider these things yet. Rather than selling the house on Chuntao Street to strangers, it was better to leave it to her as a place that was still “home.”

They found a Friday to finish the formalities at the real estate bureau, and Chen Wengang’s mind was finally at ease.

He had been cautious and wrote both his and Chen Xiangling’s names on the deed, making it easy to transfer the property to her in the future. The entire family of his uncle could continue to live on Chuntao Street until the new house was renovated, but the owner of the house was now his cousin.

After his uncle and aunt got on the bus, Huo Niansheng got down from his sports car, which was parked far away.

Chen Wengang knew he had been waiting for a long time: “I didn’t expect the queue to be so long.”

Huo Niansheng took off his sunglasses: “Who told me to be ‘unpresentable’?”

Chen Wengang smiled, holding his hand: “No, it’s that you are too presentable, dripping with wealth. My uncle and aunt, seeing me have a ‘friend’ like you, I don’t know what kind of trouble they might stir up; that’s why I had to let you hide.”

He walked up the steps, and Huo Niansheng was below him. They held hands, and as they were about to reach the top, he suddenly called out:

“Huo Niansheng.”

Huo Niansheng turned back.

Chen Wengang jumped down from the height and, with a childish air, lunged at his shoulders.

Huo Niansheng caught him with a laugh: “It’s been a long time since we’ve had a date. I’ll take you somewhere to have fun this weekend.”

Chen Wengang didn’t doubt him, taking his sunglasses to wear himself: “Where to?”

Huo Niansheng didn’t say, driving the sports car to carry him along. First, they went for a drive along the river, and before he knew it, the car had left the city and was heading toward the hillside.

However, as soon as they reached the foot of the mountain, Chen Wengang realized what was happening. He had been laughing and talking with Huo Niansheng, but he fell silent.

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