Chapter 20: Displaying Superiority

Since he was already at the pharmacy, Hong Chen decided to stay, occupying Qi Gang’s laptop to play online games. Whenever a patient arrived, Qi Gang attended to them, and Hong Chen watched from the side. After the treatment, as the patient left, Hong Chen would give Qi Gang some pointers. He stayed until seven in the evening before leaving.

At lunchtime, he received a call from Gao Tianxiong. As expected, after receiving a negative reply, the Huang family issued a challenge. The match was scheduled for Saturday night.

Hong Chen said little, only asking Gao Tianxiong to prepare a full-body trench coat and a human face mask for him.

...

One day later, Saturday morning.

Hong Chen slept until he woke naturally, nearly ten o’clock. After a bit of tidying up, he left his room and was surprised to find the entire family miraculously gathered in the living room.

Based on past experience, Lin Yuan returned would visit the flower and bird market early on weekends and wouldn’t come back until lunch. Lin Yuxin, eight out of ten weekends, had to work overtime and left before nine. Lin Yufei did the same, though not for overtime but for outings with friends.

Hong Chen’s surprise flashed briefly, but he wasn’t stirred to gossip. He simply walked to the dining table.

“Hong Chen, come here!” Shen Huifang suddenly turned and shouted. Hong Chen went over, but took a minute, biting into a steamed bun, holding a deep-fried dough stick in one hand and a cup of soy milk in the other. His appearance was quite amusing, though Shen Huifang looked as if she could grind her teeth to dust, Lin Yufei wore a face of utter disdain, and Lin Yuxin and Lin Yuan returned simply shifted their gazes elsewhere, pretending not to see him.

“The hundred thousand yuan you promised before you left that day—where is it?” Shen Huifang restrained herself from snatching away Hong Chen’s breakfast and held out her hand. Hong Chen froze for a moment, about to spit out his bun, but Lin Yuxin spoke first: “Mom, that’s enough. Second uncle and third aunt, you know what kind of people they are. Their outrageous demands shouldn’t be taken seriously.”

Shen Huifang grunted gloomily and gave Hong Chen another glare, habitually cursing, “Useless.” Her eyes rolled, then she said, “You started work yesterday, and today is the weekend. The company leaders are off. Those cars at the company, you can get the keys, right?”

Lin Yuxin immediately guessed her mother’s intention and spoke for Hong Chen: “Mom, Hong Chen has only worked one day. If he’s caught using the company car for personal use, he’ll be fired immediately. If you think Dad’s Citroën C5 is embarrassing, why didn’t you object when choosing the car? There were plenty of options for thirty thousand yuan.”

Lin Yufei interjected, “Sis, the company’s cars are parked anyway. Who would notice if they’re used? Even if they do, it’s not as serious as you say. Dad’s Citroën was bought two years ago. Last time we went to Grandpa’s house, Aunt compared it to their Mercedes, criticizing everything from performance to accessories and making Dad’s car seem worthless. Wasn’t it awkward? Did you forget?”

Lin Yuxin frowned, momentarily speechless.

Hong Chen sensed the gist, swallowed his bun, and asked, “So, are we going to Grandpa’s today?”

Lin Yuxin glanced at him, “Aunt’s family is spending the weekend in Qing City, staying at Yarai Villas. We’re going over this afternoon to get together and have dinner.”

A hint of understanding flashed in Hong Chen’s eyes, mingled with helplessness. Every time they went to Grandpa’s or met Aunt’s family, Aunt would relentlessly flaunt her superiority in front of them, and he was her favorite target for humiliation. The reason was simple: his uncle and father were of similar standing; his cousin Xiaoting was no match for Lin Yuxin; looks paled beside Lin Yuxin and her sisters, yet Aunt had a promising fiancé with a good background and career. As a son-in-law, Hong Chen was the so-called “useless” one.

Hong Chen had no tendency for self-abuse and naturally wanted to avoid such tedious family gatherings, especially with important matters to attend to that night.

“Mom, tonight the company leaders are meeting important clients. I have to drive for them, so I won’t go.”

“Driving for the leaders tonight? That’s perfect. You can get the car now, drive us over this afternoon, and whether you stay for dinner is up to you. Then, after you’re done with the leaders, come pick us up tonight.”

Shen Huifang’s mind worked swiftly, arranging everything for Hong Chen as if reciting a rhyme, not forgetting to threaten, “Don’t say I’m forcing you. The hundred thousand yuan you promised is your own word. If you bring the car today and outshine Huizhu’s Mercedes, I’ll let you owe it and deduct it in installments from your monthly salary. If you fail, you either bring out the hundred thousand yuan, or write a divorce agreement with Yuxin and leave it with me. This afternoon, I’ll show it to Huizhu and see how she flaunts her son-in-law in front of me. With Yuxin’s qualities, even divorced, she could find a man more outstanding than her son-in-law.”

Her final words were delivered with a sense of vindication, as if declaring the rise of a nation! How strong was her vanity and competitive spirit, and how dissatisfied was she with Hong Chen as her son-in-law?

Everyone was stunned. Eventually, Lin Yuan returned frowned and scolded, “What kind of talk is that?”

Shen Huifang remained unconcerned.

“Mom, if you keep this up, you can go alone this afternoon,” Lin Yuxin said coldly. Shen Huifang stubbornly insisted, “Was I wrong? He promised a hundred thousand. As a man, either don’t say it, or keep your word.”

Hong Chen replied, “If my hearing isn’t failing, someone said that if I give a hundred thousand, she’ll kneel and call me ancestor.”

Shen Huifang’s face stiffened. Hong Chen smiled, “You’re Yuxin’s mother. You don’t need to kneel or call me ancestor. I’ll give you the hundred thousand, and I’ll bring the car. But I have one request: for the next month, let me have some peace. Treat me as air if you wish. Don’t let me hear another disparaging word from your mouth, and don’t make any more demands. Can you do that?”

Shen Huifang paused for a second, then nodded solemnly, “Fine, that’s no problem. For a hundred thousand, I can praise you to the skies every day.” Her eyes, however, said: You make it sound real, but do you actually have a hundred thousand?

Hong Chen said no more, finished his soy milk in one gulp, went to his room to change, and before leaving, said, “Send me a message when you’re ready to leave this afternoon. I’ll wait by the roadside outside the complex ten minutes early. I won’t drive the car inside—the more you advertise, the more likely we’ll get burglars.”

“Yuxin, you heard that—it was his own decision. I didn’t force him.”

After Hong Chen left, Lin Yuxin watched Shen Huifang make an innocent gesture, feeling exhausted, and returned to her room.

...

Three o’clock in the afternoon.

The Lin Yuan returned family dressed up and left home, arriving outside the residential complex to find a brand-new Bentley parked roadside, with Hong Chen waving them over. All were somewhat stunned.

Only after Lin Yuxin took several photos with her phone and Shen Huifang walked around the car did everyone get in. From the rearview mirror, Hong Chen glanced at Shen Huifang in the back seat, “Mom, does this car meet your requirements?”

Shen Huifang blushed and snorted, “It’s not your car. You’re just the driver. Stop showing off. Drive.”

Her requirement was a car worth at least five hundred thousand, since Aunt’s Mercedes cost just over that. Even if she didn’t know the exact price of this Bentley Mulsanne, she knew it must be over a million.

Was Hong Chen showing off to her?

Hong Chen didn’t start the car immediately. He took out a bank card from his pocket and handed it back, “There’s a hundred thousand in the card, password is six ones.”

The three women in the back were stunned. Shen Huifang took the card, looked it over suspiciously, “Is it real? Not an empty card to fool me, so you can claim you gave me a hundred thousand?”

As if anticipating this, Hong Chen handed over a bank deposit slip, “It’s stamped by the bank. Forging a stamp is a crime. If you think I’d risk jail to trick you, when you find it’s empty, just call the police.”

Hearing this, Shen Huifang was silenced. Lin Yuxin hesitated and asked, “Hong Chen, where did you get the money?”

“I borrowed it. A month of peace and quiet is well worth it.” With that, Hong Chen pressed the accelerator, and the car rolled forward.

Yarai Villas was a five-star resort hotel, with red exterior walls surrounding about ten acres, several three- to six-story buildings scattered among green pines and bamboo. Its natural hot springs were a specialty. The drive took half an hour, and as the Bentley neared the hotel entrance, Shen Huifang urgently cried, “Slow down, slow down, stop by the side first.”

She took out her phone and dialed, then said to the other end, “Huizhu, we’re almost there. Where did you park? Is there any space nearby? Oh, you’re coming to the parking lot to meet us? How can we trouble you like that?”

Despite her words, excitement glimmered in Shen Huifang’s eyes, and her face flushed slightly.