Chapter 2: Relatives

Luocheng City, Central Garden.

Chen Shuo and Wang Huiling stood in front of a villa's gate. Outside the beige courtyard wall hung a wooden sign that read 'Central Garden, Villa 33, Peace and Joy'.

Wang Huiling said sarcastically, "When your elder brother's family first moved into their new house, your sister-in-law invited us over for barbecues every other day, as if her family was the only one with a villa and a yard. She couldn't stop showing off!"

"Don't you have a villa now too?" Chen Shuo said proudly. "If your man weren't so clever, would you be living in a villa?"

Wang Huiling happily linked her arm through Chen Shuo's. "Look at you, so clever!"

Chen Shuo opened the door with his fingerprint, revealing a magnificent high-ceilinged living room with a crystal chandelier and genuine leather Italian imported sofas.

However, on the most prominent coffee table in the living room, there was a black and white photograph of Chen Ji's deceased parents, with fresh fruit placed in front of it.

Wang Huiling muttered, "How could they put a photo of the deceased in the living room? Does Chen Ji have no sense of etiquette? Doesn't he find it unsettling? Even if he doesn't mind, how would guests feel seeing it?"

With a clang, Chen Shuo carelessly tossed the photograph into the trash can.

Back then, he wanted to partner with someone on a big business venture and asked his elder brother for four million. But his brother insisted he wasn't suited for big business and only gave him 200,000 to open a small supermarket, treating him like a beggar.

Wang Huiling sat on the leather sofa, touching things here and there. She looked at the 100-inch LCD TV across the room and said gleefully, "How comfortable would it be to watch TV series here? They really lived like gods before."

"What TV?" Chen Shuo interjected. "Go upstairs quickly and find the property deed. I remember they also bought some gold; find that too."

On the second-floor hallway wall were honor certificates: 'Triple-A Student,' 'First Prize, Luocheng Go Tournament'—all belonging to Chen Ji.

Wang Huiling pursed her lips at the sight. "Every time we came here, your sister-in-law would drag us upstairs for a tour. She couldn't show off enough. Throw them out quickly; they're annoying to look at."

Wang Huiling immediately pulled all the certificates down and threw them on the floor, unable to wait even a moment.

Opening the bedroom doors, they found Chen Ji's room stacked with books—mostly military science popularization books, along with detective, mystery, and spy novels, and many specialized scientific books.

On the desk lay an admission letter from the Army Foreign Language Institute.

Chen Shuo and Wang Huiling rummaged through the rooms, clearing out and discarding all of Chen Ji's family's belongings. It seemed only by erasing these traces would the house truly belong to them.

In the living room, Chen Shuo scratched his increasingly thinning scalp. "Hmm, where's the property deed? Where did Chen Ji put the real estate certificate?"

"Could he have guessed something and hidden the deed somewhere outside?"

"No way, Old Liu said he still thinks we're doing this for his own good."

Wang Huiling quickly chimed in, "We really *are* doing it for his good! After his parents died, he stayed cooped up at home all day. If he keeps this up, he'll definitely have problems and become disconnected from society!"

Ding-dong. The doorbell rang.

Chen Shuo froze for a moment. "Who is it? It's so late."

He went to open the door. Outside stood a middle-aged man in a black Tang suit, with dark skin and a short, sharp buzz cut. "Where's Chen Ji?" he asked.

Chen Shuo looked suspicious. "Chen Ji isn't home. You can tell me what you need; I'm his second uncle."

"Second uncle?" The middle-aged man pushed Chen Shuo aside and walked in. Only then did Chen Shuo notice another person behind him.

This person had a shiny bald head, but a scar over ten centimeters long stretched like a centipede from his crown to the back of his head.

"Who exactly are you?" Wang Huiling retreated in fright. "We're calling the police!"

The middle-aged man ignored them, surveying the surroundings. "My friends like to call me Pao Ge. I usually dabble in moneylending. This one behind me is my little brother, Er Dao. Don't be afraid; Er Dao's scar looks fierce, but he actually just fell on a construction site, misstepping, and now his brain isn't quite right; he's a bit rigid."

Pao Ge continued, "We're here because Chen Ji mortgaged this house. He called this afternoon and said he couldn't repay the money, so he asked me to come and take possession of the house."

"What?!" Wang Huiling exclaimed, turning pale. "How could he mortgage this house? This house is ours!"

"Oh?" Pao Ge said calmly. "The property deed is in Chen Ji's name. What does that have to do with you?"

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

"Fifteen million," Pao Ge said, sitting imposingly on the sofa. "We follow rules strictly. As long as the customer can repay the principal and interest, we'll have no issues. But now I've taken a liking to this house. You don't have to repay the money; the house is mine."

"No!" Wang Huiling shrieked. "Chen Ji is mentally ill now; the mortgage contract he signed isn't valid!"

This statement also reminded Chen Shuo, who quickly added, "That's right, Chen Ji is mentally ill! We have his diagnosis here!"

Pao Ge frowned.

He looked at the date on the diagnosis in Chen Shuo's hand and chuckled in anger. Chen Ji had arranged for him to repossess the house tonight, yet he suddenly produced a diagnosis. It was clearly a setup to trick him. Not having money to repay a debt was understandable, but treating him like a fool was simply naive. "So, this is what you were waiting for? You conspired to pull a trick on me, didn't you? Kneel."

"What?" Chen Shuo almost thought he'd misheard the last two words.

Er Dao: "Pao Ge, where should they kneel?"

"In front of me."

Before Chen Shuo and Wang Huiling could react, Er Dao grabbed them both and brought them before Pao Ge, kicking each in the back of the knee. They instantly knelt before Pao Ge.

Pao Ge bent down and stared at Chen Shuo. "I've been knocking around in society for so many years; what haven't I seen? Do you really think you can pull a scam on me? Break a finger, then we can talk properly."

Er Dao: "Which one should I break?"

"The index finger."

Er Dao: "Which joint?"

Pao Ge scratched his eyebrow helplessly. "The second joint, I suppose."

Their conversation was bizarre. Er Dao was very by-the-book; he did exactly as Pao Ge told him.

Er Dao's hand gripped Chen Shuo's index finger like an iron vice, and with a snap, he precisely broke the second joint.

"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 until she blacks out."

After thinking for two seconds, Er Dao swung his arm and delivered a resounding slap that made Wang Huiling's vision go black.

After slapping her, Er Dao observed Wang Huiling's expression, then turned to Pao Ge and said seriously, "She should have seen her by now."

Pao Ge took the diagnosis from Chen Shuo's hand. "I'm a very reasonable person. Since Chen Ji said he couldn't repay the money, the house is mine. Normally, that would be the end of it, but I absolutely despise being lied to. Since you set up a scheme to deceive me, you should face the consequences."

"No!" Chen Shuo gradually realized. "No, no, no! We didn't set up a scheme to trick you; Chen Ji set one up to trick *you*, and we were tricked too!"

"Oh?"

Chen Shuo's finger throbbed, making cold sweat break out on his forehead. "Chen Ji said he couldn't repay the money, so he asked you to come and repossess the house. But as far as I know, his parents left him at least thirty million! So, he can't be short on money, nor does he need to mortgage this house, and it's even more impossible that he couldn't repay your money!"

This news surprised Pao Ge. Chen Ji wasn't short on money?

As Chen Shuo analyzed the situation, his mind gradually cleared: Everything Chen Ji did at the hospital this afternoon was an act, just to make them bring the diagnosis back and enrage Pao Ge, while Chen Ji himself remained safe and sound in the hospital.

That's why Chen Ji ignored all the legitimate banks and chose a ruthless individual from the underworld to take the house!

Pao Ge looked thoughtful. "Chen Ji? I thought he was quite honest and shy. Are you trying to trick me?"

He recalled his impression of Chen Ji; Chen Ji had been particularly shy and quiet when they signed the contract.

Could a student from a sheltered background have the cunning to manipulate everyone?

Seeing his hesitation, Chen Shuo continued to explain, "Didn't you see how he tricked me too? I didn't even know he signed a mortgage contract with you until now. Doesn't that prove my point? And don't you want this house? He has the money to repay you at any time. If you wait until you've dealt with me before he redeems the house, you'll only earn a little interest! He's playing you!"

Pao Ge smiled faintly. "So, according to you, I've been used by a high school student? Interesting. Where is Chen Ji now?"

"In a mental hospital!"