Murong Sheng was an overbearing CEO.
He held the economic lifeblood of Haiyun Starās major shopping malls in his palm. With a single gesture, he could make prices across all of them rise. Moreover, his beautiful wife was one of Haiyun Starās great nobles.
He had money, his wife had power. It was a union of the strong, and his business ran with incredible ease.
Add to that a sensible and brilliant son, and he felt his life was going perfectly.
Except forā
His difficult father.
Murong Sheng looked at the strange message his father had sent, and his head began to ache. He didnāt know when it started, but his father had begun acting like a child.
One moment heād complain about an ache here, the next an ache there, but a trip to the doctor would never reveal anything serious.
Heād be living perfectly fine in the villa, then suddenly claim it was too boring and that he had no one to talk to, insisting he wanted to move into an elderly activity center.
The neighborhood was full of people his own age... there were plenty of people to socialize with, yet he was dead set on that elderly activity center.
āMy son is still alive and well, and Iām quite successful. If I really let him go, I canāt imagine what people in our circle would say.ā
Today, heād sent another message. Murong Sheng glanced at it. It looked like some kind of spam: "Follow the streamer and donāt get lost! Free Ancient Earth food, no charge! Iām waiting for you at the Sea Treasure Elderly Activity Center," blah, blah, blah.
āWhat the hell is this?ā
His first reaction was that his father had actually gone to the center. āIs this his way of telling me heās serious this time?ā
A wave of irritation washed over him. Murong Sheng tapped open the chat, racking his brain for what to say:
"Dad, why are you at the elderly activity center again? Canāt you just stay at the villa? Whatever you want, Iāll buy it for you! You like food from Ancient Earth, right? I can hire someone to make it for you, how about that?"
Murong Hai: "No. I like it, but I donāt want you to hire someone. You come and cook for me."
Murong Sheng: "Dad, can you please stop joking? Iām at the office. I donāt have time for all this."
Murong Hai: "You have time to take your son on long-distance trips. You have time to visit him day and night when heās sick. But you donāt have time to cook one meal for me?"
Murong Sheng: "..."
Murong Sheng: "Are you actually competing with your own grandson for attention?!"
Murong Hai: "You just donāt care enough about me anymore. Iām not competing with anyone. I just feel sad. Anyway, letās not talk about this. Tomorrow, I need you to assign three people from your company to me."
Murong Sheng: "Three people? What do you need three people for? Is something wrong? If somethingās up, you have to tell me. Youā"
Murong Hai: "Then you come and keep me company instead. Bring your wife and son, too."
Murong Sheng: "..."
Murong Sheng: "Alright. What time tomorrow should they come to see you? ...Father?"
His son seemed compliant, willing to give him anything he asked for, but the light in Murong Haiās eyes faded all the same.
The old man, who had been so full of spirit just moments before, now simply sank into his bed.
-
The next day, the old man, Murong Hai, got himself ready and prepared to set out.
The three people Murong Sheng had assigned from his company arrived. Worried that there might be matters needing to be handled, he had sent his own special assistant as well.
"We were sent by Mr. Sheng. May we ask what your plans are for today?"
The old man said nothing, simply leading the group into a car and heading straight for that elderly activity center.
It was the second day. After the first dayās success, word had clearly gotten out, and a huge crowd was now lined up here.
Murong Hai didnāt say a word. He just walked to the end of the line, and Assistant Mi and the others quickly followed.
The line wasnāt quiet; it was bustling with chatter.
Murong Hai remained silent, his eyes fixed on the sign of the stall up ahead.
Curious, the three people behind him also looked toward the sign.