Chapter 92: Collecting the Debt

Chapter 92: Collecting the Debt

Chen Shouyi entered Cao Lili’s office.

Cao Lili was very polite, brewing him a cup of tea and asking him many questions.

At one point, Chen Shouyi brought up Zhang Xiaoyue. Cao Lili looked momentarily surprised but quickly understood—youthful infatuation was nothing new, whether in high school or even middle school.

She shared what little she knew. Unfortunately, she wasn’t well-informed about Zhang Xiaoyue’s situation. The transfer had been handled by Zhang Xiaoyue’s father, and he hadn’t mentioned where they were moving.

Chen Shouyi didn’t linger in the office and soon left the school.

Walking down the street, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of melancholy.

It seemed as though fate had played a cruel joke on him—giving him hope, only to snatch it away.

……

Aimlessly wandering, he found himself near the unfinished building again.

He noticed that the structure and the surrounding buildings had been demolished, replaced by tall concrete walls. As he passed the entrance, he spotted several soldiers standing guard. The area had clearly been converted into a military camp.

After a brief glance, Chen Shouyi moved on.

……

By noon, after eating lunch outside, Chen Shouyi accompanied his mother to an office building.

Equipped with a generator, the building had no shortage of electricity.

They took the elevator to the seventh floor.

Seeing that the company’s door was still open, Jiang Fen finally relaxed.

Chen Shouyi glanced at the company’s name: Yuanlongsheng Investment Company.

So, this was where most of their family’s money had been invested.

Jiangnan Province had always been commerce-oriented, with numerous small and medium-sized enterprises. These businesses often struggled to secure bank loans—the process was lengthy, approvals slow, and inflexible. This had given rise to a thriving underground financial market.

……

“Madam, apologies, but the boss is busy. Please wait a moment!” After stating their purpose, a heavily made-up receptionist ushered them into a meeting room.

Soon, two cups of tea were brought in.

Chen Shouyi idly spun his teacup while looking through the window at the office outside.

The company was small, with only about a dozen employees. Among them, a few stood out—muscular and imposing, clearly trained in Martial Arts.

After waiting five or six minutes, the boss strode in.

He appeared to be around forty-five, balding, with a jovial demeanor. The moment he entered, he smiled and said, “Sister Jiang, my apologies for the delay! What brings you here today?

Is this your son? He’s grown so much—I even held him when he was little!”

Jiang Fen—Chen Shouyi’s mother—laughed. “Yes, call him Uncle Huang. We were from the same village, though you probably don’t remember.”

“Hello, Uncle Huang,” Chen Shouyi said reluctantly.

Jiang Fen then complained, “What’s the point of keeping our money here? Our family is moving. I came today to withdraw it.”

Huang sighed, his expression troubled. “Since we’re fellow villagers, I won’t hide it from you. Things are tight right now. You know how bad the economy is—countless businesses are shutting down. We can’t get the funds either. You’ll have to wait a bit longer. Once I liquidate the collateral, I’ll return your money immediately.”

“That’s not what you promised before. We don’t even need the interest—just give us back the principal,” Jiang Fen insisted.

The boss frowned slightly upon hearing this. "Ah, Sister Jiang, don't you trust me? Just give me a little more time. Once I raise the funds, I'll repay you immediately—with double the interest! Right now, it's really not possible."

Jiang Fen, though outwardly strong-willed, was easily swayed. Hearing this, she hesitated. After all, they had known each other for years, and Huang had always had a solid reputation. After a moment of indecision, she asked, "How long do you need? I really need the money urgently!"

Huang immediately relaxed and declared firmly, "Give me a month—one month at most—and I’ll return the money without fail. My word is as good as gold."

Despite Huang’s confident assurances, Chen Shouyi grew increasingly suspicious. In fact, he found it strange that Huang’s company hadn’t already shut down and fled.

While such lending companies typically required collateral—usually property, shops, or luxury cars—even if they managed to seize those assets, Dongning City wasn’t like Hedong. The continuous power outages and cult-related incidents had severely disrupted business activity. Many wealthy and capable individuals had likely already left Dongning.

Not only had these assets depreciated significantly, but selling them now was questionable at best. Even if Dongning City restored electricity and lifted martial law, returning to its former prosperity would take an eternity.

Most investment firms didn’t operate with their own money but instead skirted the law by taking private deposits from the public. In a sense, Huang was already bankrupt.

Given that, the fact that his company was still operating normally seemed highly dubious.

Seeing Jiang Fen about to leave, Chen Shouyi quickly interjected, "Mom, don’t rush off. How much did we invest in total?"

"Over 3.8 million."

Chen Shouyi nearly choked. He had guessed the sum was substantial, but not this large.

Then again, it made sense. Their family’s restaurant had been running for years without rent expenses. His parents were frugal—aside from his and his sister’s tuition and training fees, their biggest expense had been the business vehicle they bought, which had recently been destroyed in a fire, costing just over 100,000.

This money represented years of scrimping, saving, and careful investment—their hard-earned life savings.

...

Chen Shouyi set his teacup down with a sharp clink. "Let me make something clear, Boss Huang. I don’t care what your plans are, but our money must be returned today."

A flicker of anger crossed Huang’s face, but it vanished instantly as he forced a smile. "Your son’s quite impatient, isn’t he? Don’t worry—in a month, you’ll get every cent back, plus interest. Sister Jiang, my apologies, but I have some documents to handle. Let’s talk another time."

He stood up as if to leave.

Chen Shouyi smirked. "Seems you didn’t hear me. I said today. If you skip town later, who do we go after for our money?"

Huang’s expression darkened, a muscle twitching in his jaw. But he was a master of composure—within moments, he managed another strained smile.

"You're still young and might not know me well, so I won't take it to heart. Your parents and I go way back. Every year your family invested money here, did I ever shortchange you on interest? It was always the highest rate."

He then turned to Jiang Fen: "Sister Jiang, your son is falsely accusing me. You should speak up for fairness!"

Jiang Fen also sensed something was off, especially the mention of "running away"—it was too sensitive. The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Her expression darkened: "I stand with my son."

Boss Huang shook his head, finally dropping the act. He lit a cigarette, leaned back in his chair, and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke: "You're forcing my hand. There’s nothing I can do. Right now, I don’t have a single cent to give."

He rapped his knuckles on the table.

Two burly men stepped into the doorway, eyeing the pair before asking, "Boss, what’s the matter?"

"Escort them out."

"Hah! I like it straightforward. What’s the point of beating around the bush?" Chen Shouyi laughed.

In one swift motion, he grabbed the redwood table in front of him—weighing over 100 kg—as effortlessly as if it were a stalk of wheat. Without hesitation, he hurled it toward the door.

He deliberately held back some strength, not wanting to kill the two men if they failed to dodge in time.

A thunderous BOOM followed, shaking the entire floor. The partition wall of the office collapsed instantly, the door flew off its hinges, and dust billowed into the air.

As for the two burly men? They had already scrambled away in a panic, fleeing for their lives.

Chen Shouyi strode forward, seizing the still-stunned Boss Huang by the collar: "The distractions are gone. Now we can have a proper chat."

Boss Huang snapped back to reality, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. He forced a composed tone: "Young man, don’t act rashly. Society is more complicated than you think. Brute force won’t get you far—some people are beyond your reach."

"If it’s so complicated that even force can’t solve it, then the force just wasn’t strong enough." Chen Shouyi pulled out a certificate and slapped it against Huang’s face:

"Here’s my Martial Artist Certificate. Go on, tell me—who’s backing you?"