Chapter 2 : Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Relatives

Luocheng, Central Garden.

Chen Shuo and Wang Huiling stood in front of a villa’s gate. Outside the beige courtyard wall hung a wooden sign: “Central Garden Building 33, Peace and Joy.”

Wang Huiling sneered sarcastically: “Back when your big brother’s family moved into this house, your sister-in-law invited us over for barbecues every few days, acting like they were the only ones with a villa and a courtyard. She couldn’t show off enough!”

“You’ve got a villa now too,” Chen Shuo said smugly. “If it weren’t for your man’s smarts, would you be living in a place like this?”

Wang Huiling gleefully hooked her arm around Chen Shuo’s: “Look at you, so proud!”

Chen Shuo pressed his fingerprint to unlock the door. As it opened, a grand, high-ceilinged living room came into view, adorned with a crystal chandelier and furnished with genuine Italian leather sofas.

However, on the most prominent coffee table in the living room sat a black-and-white photo of Chen Ji’s parents, with fresh fruit placed in front of it.

Wang Huiling muttered irritably: “Why put their photo in the living room? Doesn’t Chen Ji know any manners? Doesn’t it creep him out? Even if he’s fine with it, how awkward for guests to see this?”

With a loud clatter, Chen Shuo carelessly tossed the photo into the trash can.

Back when he wanted to partner up for a big business deal, he asked his big brother for a four-million loan. His brother insisted he wasn’t cut out for big business and only gave him two hundred thousand to open a small convenience store, treating him like a beggar.

Wang Huiling sat on the leather sofa, touching this and that. She looked at the hundred-inch LCD TV across the room and said gleefully: “Watching dramas here would be so comfortable. They really lived like gods before.”

“Forget the TV. Hurry upstairs and find the property deed. I remember they also bought some gold—find that too.”

On the second-floor corridor, the walls were lined with pinned-up certificates: “Outstanding Student,” “First Prize in Luocheng Chess Competition,” all belonging to Chen Ji.

Wang Huiling sneered at the sight: “Every time we came over, your sister-in-law dragged us up here to show off. She couldn’t brag enough. Throw them out—they’re annoying to look at.”

Wang Huiling tore down all the certificates and tossed them on the floor, unwilling to wait a moment longer.

Opening the bedroom doors, they found Chen Ji’s room stacked with books—mostly military science texts, detective, mystery, and espionage novels, along with many professional science books.

On the desk sat an admission letter from the Army Foreign Language Academy.

Chen Shuo and Wang Huiling rummaged through the rooms, tossing out the family’s belongings as if only by erasing these traces would the house truly belong to them.

Back in the living room, Chen Shuo scratched his increasingly thinning scalp: “Huh, where’s the property deed? Where’s Chen Ji’s real estate certificate?”

“Could he have guessed something and hidden it somewhere outside?”

“No way. Old Liu said he still thinks we’re looking out for him.”

Wang Huiling quickly added: “We are looking out for him! After his parents passed, he stayed holed up at home all day. If that went on, he’d definitely have problems—completely out of touch with society!”

Ding-dong.

The doorbell rang.

Chen Shuo froze: “It’s so late—who’s that?”

He went to open the door. Outside stood a middle-aged man in a black Tang suit, his skin dark and his short buzz cut exuding toughness: “Where’s Chen Ji?”

Chen Shuo eyed him suspiciously: “Chen Ji’s not home. Whatever it is, you can tell me. I’m his second uncle.”

“Second uncle?” The man pushed past Chen Shuo and walked inside. Only then did Chen Shuo notice another person trailing behind him.

This man had a shiny bald head, marred by a ten-centimeter scar running from the crown to the back of his skull like a centipede.

“Who the hell are you?” Wang Huiling backed away in fear. “We’re calling the police!”

The middle-aged man looked around as if no one else were there: “Friends call me Pao Ge. I do some lending business. This guy behind me is my little brother, Er Dao. Don’t be scared—Er Dao’s scar looks fierce, but it’s just from a fall at a construction site. His head’s not quite right now, a bit stubborn.”

Pao Ge continued: “We’re here because Chen Ji mortgaged this house. This afternoon, he called saying he couldn’t pay back the money and told me to come take the house.”

“What?!” Wang Huiling’s face paled in shock: “On what grounds did he mortgage this house? This house is ours!”

“Oh?” Pao Ge said calmly: “The property deed’s in Chen Ji’s name. What does it have to do with you?”

“How much did he mortgage it for?” Chen Shuo asked nervously.

“Fifteen million,” Pao Ge said, sitting boldly on the sofa. “We do things by the rules. As long as the client pays back the principal and interest, we’re all good. But I’ve taken a liking to this house now, so no need to pay back the money—the house is mine.”

“No way!” Wang Huiling screeched: “Chen Ji’s a mental patient now. Any mortgage contract he signed doesn’t count.”

Her words jogged Chen Shuo’s memory. He hurriedly added: “Right, Chen Ji’s a mental patient. We have his diagnosis right here!”

Pao Ge’s brows furrowed.

He looked at the date on the diagnosis Chen Shuo held and laughed in exasperation. Chen Ji had arranged for him to come take the house tonight, yet pulled out a last-minute diagnosis to scam him. Not being able to pay was understandable, but treating him like a fool was unacceptable: “So this was the trap waiting for me. You all planned to pull a con on me, huh? Kneel.”

“What?” Chen Shuo thought he’d misheard the last two words.

Er Dao: “Pao Ge, kneel where?”

“In front of me.”

Before Chen Shuo and Wang Huiling could react, Er Dao grabbed them and brought them before Pao Ge, kicking each behind the knees, forcing them to kneel.

Pao Ge bent down, staring at Chen Shuo: “I’ve been in this game for years, seen it all. You think you can pull a con on me? Break a finger, then we’ll talk properly.”

Er Dao: “Which finger?”

“Index finger.”

Er Dao: “Which joint?”

Pao Ge scratched his eyebrow helplessly: “Second joint, I guess.”

Their conversation was bizarre. Er Dao followed orders to the letter, doing exactly as Pao Ge instructed.

Er Dao’s hand clamped onto Chen Shuo’s index finger like a vice, snapping the second joint with a crack.

“Ah!” Chen Shuo cried out in pain.

“I’m calling the police!” Wang Huiling shouted.

Pao Ge: “Er Dao, slap her.”

“How hard?”

Pao Ge sneered: “Slap her till she sees her great-grandma.”

Er Dao thought for two seconds, then swung a slap that left Wang Huiling’s vision swimming.

After the slap, Er Dao studied her expression and turned to Pao Ge, saying earnestly: “She probably saw her.”

Pao Ge took the diagnosis from Chen Shuo: “I’m a reasonable guy. Since Chen Ji says he can’t pay, the house is mine. That should be the end of it. But I hate being lied to. You set me up, so you face the consequences.”

“No!” Chen Shuo gradually pieced it together: “No, no, no! We didn’t set you up—Chen Ji did! He tricked us too!”

“Oh?”

Sweat beaded on Chen Shuo’s forehead from the pain in his finger: “Chen Ji said he couldn’t pay, so he told you to take the house. But I know his parents left him at least thirty million! He’s not short on money, so he wouldn’t need to mortgage the house, let alone fail to pay you back!”

That caught Pao Ge off guard. Chen Ji wasn’t short on money?

As Chen Shuo analyzed, his mind cleared: Chen Ji’s behavior at Qingshan Hospital that afternoon was all an act to get them to bring the diagnosis and provoke Pao Ge, while Chen Ji stayed safe in the hospital.

That’s why Chen Ji didn’t go to a legitimate bank but chose a ruthless loan shark to take the house!

Pao Ge mused: “Chen Ji? He seemed so honest and shy to me. Are you trying to fool me?”

He recalled his impression of Chen Ji, who was quiet and reserved when signing the contract.

Could a sheltered student like that outsmart everyone?

Seeing Pao Ge’s hesitation, Chen Shuo pressed on: “Didn’t he fool me too? I didn’t even know he signed a mortgage contract with you until now—doesn’t that prove it? And you want this house, right? He’s got the money to pay you back anytime. If you rough me up, he’ll just redeem the house later, and you’ll only make a bit of interest! He’s playing you!”

Pao Ge gave a faint smile: “So you’re saying a high school kid played me?”

“He’s not a high school kid. He got accepted to the Army Foreign Language Academy through a special recruitment.”

Pao Ge raised an eyebrow: “That school doesn’t just teach languages—it produces overseas diplomatic military attachés… Interesting. Where’s Chen Ji now?”

“At Qingshan Mental Hospital!”