The Wealthy Old Man’s Palm-Sized Pet - Chapter 8

Just as Song Zhiyuan reached the bottom of his building, he ran into his neighbor, Brother Li, who was waiting for him.

Brother Li wasn’t as friendly as usual this time: “Song Zhiyuan, why haven’t you moved out yet? They came back looking for trouble again. You managed to hide yourself away, but they’re still upstairs making a mess. Go solve it quickly! Don’t drag the rest of us into this!”

Song Zhiyuan apologized and hurried upstairs.

It was the same group of men again, crowded in the hallway and kicking at his security door. The wall, which had finally been cleaned, was once again covered in giant red characters, looking particularly glaring. Failing to find Song Tianlai or his elderly mother, they had come back to harass Song Zhiyuan; in their minds, it was only natural for a son to pay his father’s debts.

When they saw Song Zhiyuan, they surrounded him.

The leader sneered: “Song Zhiyuan, if you don’t pay up today, I’ll smash your house to pieces. And not just yours. I’ll smash your neighbor’s too. You should know they’re only unlucky because you won’t pay! As long as you don’t pay, we’ll come back every day.”

“Even if you call the police, we aren’t afraid. At most, we’ll go in for two days and come right back out to keep smashing. Debts must be paid; it’s the way of the world.”

Song Zhiyuan replied, “Song Tianlai is the one who borrowed from you. Go find him if you want the money.”

“We can’t find him, so we find you. Like I said, if you don’t give us the money today, don’t blame us for being impolite.”

The leader stepped closer to Song Zhiyuan, a flash of greed and amazement crossing his eyes. He only now realized how beautiful Song Zhiyuan was beautiful enough to blur the lines of gender. Before, they had been too focused on the money to notice that Song Tianlai’s son was such a beauty.

The man’s gaze fell on Song Zhiyuan’s neck, spotting two distinct red marks. Being experienced in the world, he knew at a glance that those marks were fresh and exactly how they were made.

“We’ve heard that ‘find him’ excuse enough times. Why don’t you just pay up and make it easier for everyone?” The man looked at him lecherously. “How about this: if you’re willing to spend a night with me, I can give you a few days’ extension.”

Song Zhiyuan blocked the door and slapped the man’s hand away. “Keep dreaming.”

“Dreaming? Fine, you chose the hard way.” The man shoved Song Zhiyuan aside and shouted to his underlings, “Smash the door! Smash everything inside too!”

Song Zhiyuan: “If you don’t stop, I’m calling the police.”

“Go ahead, who’s afraid? We’ll keep smashing even when the cops get here.” “Debts must be paid!”

Neighbors came out to watch the commotion, but no one dared to step forward to help. These men looked like desperate criminals. When one neighbor tried to record the scene, he was fiercely threatened with having his phone smashed, so he quickly tucked it away.

A thin, weak Song Zhiyuan couldn’t possibly stop them. They all held tools, and the security door was already beginning to warp. A few more hits and it would be ruined.

“Stop!” a voice called out.

Everyone looked toward the source. A man walked up the stairs unhurriedly. He looked refined and quiet, wearing a pair of glasses, but the glint behind the lenses was sharp and shrewd. It was Chu Wei, Fu Xingnian’s assistant.

As he approached, the neighbors instinctively made way. Chu Wei looked at the crowd and smiled: “Everyone should go back now. This isn’t the kind of show you want to be watching.”

His voice was gentle, but the neighbors immediately scattered and went home. They sensed this new man was also quite dangerous. Though they went inside, they pressed their ears to their doors, desperate to hear what was happening.

The leader looked at the well-dressed Chu Wei, assuming he was just another neighbor. “Who the hell are you? We’re here for a debt. Don’t meddle, or you’ll be the one getting hurt.”

Chu Wei adjusted his glasses and smiled gracefully. “I will be responsible for paying back everything Song Tianlai owes you. Not a penny less.”

The hallway suddenly went silent.

“You’re paying for him?” The leader looked Chu Wei up and down. “Do you know how much he owes?”

Chu Wei remained smiling: “Don’t you have the IOUs in your hand? Let me see them and I’ll know.”

In less than half an hour, the debt collectors had cleaned the red paint off the walls and picked up every bit of trash on the floor. The leader even asked Chu Wei cautiously: “Can we go now?”

Chu Wei looked at the clean walls and then at Song Zhiyuan: “Mr. Song, do you think they can leave?”

Song Zhiyuan nodded.

Chu Wei smiled: “Mr. Song says you can go.”

As they scrambled to leave, Chu Wei called out again: “If you ever dare to harass Mr. Song again…”

The leader replied hurriedly: “No, no! We’ll never come back!”

This man was terrifying. He looked like a scholar and always had a smile on his face, but his eyes were chilling. The leader had spent years in the underworld and knew by instinct that this was a man you didn’t cross. If they were “evil,” this gentlemanly man seemed even more so.

Once the collectors were gone, Song Zhiyuan invited Chu Wei inside. Chu Wei presented a card: “Mr. Song, Mr. Fu asked me to give this to you. The password is the last six digits of the card number.”

Song Zhiyuan took the card. Chu Wei then handed him a bag: “And this is the anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving ointment Mr. Fu instructed me to buy.”

Song Zhiyuan: “…”

Chu Wei spoke with a perfectly natural expression, as if he were used to such tasks, but Song Zhiyuan’s ears turned red. Having completed Fu Xingnian’s orders, Chu Wei took his leave.

A few minutes later, Chu Wei got back into his car and made a call: “Mr. Fu, rest assured. Mr. Song’s situation has been handled. We also reported them; that high-interest loan office will likely be raided today.”

“The evidence against them and their backers has been collected. It’s enough to keep them behind bars for several years.”

After hanging up, Chu Wei glanced up at the building as he started the engine. It was his first time being sent to deliver medicine in a situation like this, but he simply did as he was told.

After Chu Wei left, Song Zhiyuan took the items into the bathroom, his face burning. He had to admit the ointment was effective; after applying it, the swelling and stinging sensation eased significantly.

Song Zhiyuan had barely slept the night before and was exhausted from the morning’s drama. He sent a message to Fu Xingnian and then fell into a deep sleep on the bed. When he woke up, it was already evening.

The sky outside was in that half-dark state between day and night. Looking out the window, he felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of desolation, as if he were the only person left in the world.

The sound of his phone ringing broke the loneliness. It was his grandmother calling him from their hometown. She asked if he would come visit this year, her eyes full of expectation. Song Zhiyuan promised he would visit during the October holiday.

She laughed happily and reminded him to eat well and take care of himself. Song Zhiyuan told her he was doing fine that he’d grown taller and gained weight.

After hanging up, he checked his WeChat. The message he sent to Fu Xingnian three hours ago remained unanswered. When he stood up, he realized the pain was almost gone. Fu Xingnian’s medicine was truly effective.

Though he was no longer working at the club, he had been there for nearly a month. That was nearly a month’s worth of wages. Even though he was quitting, he felt he should tell the manager in person; he wanted to end things properly. The manager didn’t make things difficult and paid out his wages without a fuss.