Chapter 004: I Want to Make Money

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Xiao Han's teeth began to tremble. There had been a time when he swore he would catch the murderer who killed his father.

"Xiao Han, what's wrong?" Mother Xiao came in, asking concernedly, "Are you feeling unwell?"

Looking at his mother's affectionate face, she had suffered greatly over the years. After Father Xiao's death, his mother had raised him alone, and after the factory closed down, she took odd jobs outside. She not only had to work every day but also take care of her own meals and daily life. Once called the beauty of the Fuxing Factory, her temples were now frosted white, and her complexion aged.

"Mom!" Xiao Han suddenly choked up with tears.

"What's the matter? Are you really feeling unwell?" Mother Xiao was alarmed. She hurried over and touched Xiao Han's forehead, saying, "Xiao Han, should we go to the hospital to have a look?"

"Mom, I'm fine," Xiao Han gritted his teeth and said, "I'm sorry to you."

"Silly child, listen to what you're saying." Mother Xiao smiled and said, "Didn't do well on the mock exam, right? It's okay. If you didn't do well this time, just try harder next time. It doesn't matter even if you don't get into a university. The most important thing in life is to be happy. Understand?"

Once the top scorer of Wangjiang District's middle school exams, his grades plummeted after the first year of high school. Mother Xiao saw his decline and it pained her heart. She knew Xiao Han was deeply traumatized by his father's death, so she had never had the heart to scold her child.

"Mom, I feel so sad," Xiao Han said as tears streamed down his face. "It's all because I'm not good enough."

"Silly child, don't force yourself," Mother Xiao said with a laugh. "If it comes to it, mom will take care of you in the future."

Xiao Han's tears flowed even more. He plunged into Mother Xiao's arms. Biting his teeth, he silently swore in his heart that he would never let his mother suffer again. He had been suppressed for two years, felt wronged for two years, and had muddled through two more years. Now that fate had awakened him and even endowed him with a brand-new brain, he must not let down the great love from heaven.

Suddenly, Xiao Han asked, "Mom, what exactly did Dad die from?"

Upon hearing her son ask about her husband, her expression changed rapidly and she said, "Your dad died in a car accident."

"No!" Xiao Han shook his head and said, "I don't believe it!"

Seeing her son's serious demeanor, Mother Xiao looked at him gravely. Her son had grown up, and some things seemed impossible to hide anymore. However, this matter was of great importance and she could not afford to get him involved, so she said earnestly, "Xiao Han, there are some things I can't tell you now. You just need to remember, your father was a great man. That's enough!"

"My dad, he..." Xiao Han was astonished.

Unexpectedly, there was indeed a story behind this. His father's death was not as simple as a mere car accident. It seemed that he must find a way to investigate his father's death thoroughly.

"Don't ask anymore, let's eat," Mother Xiao said.

The lunch was simple: two sunny-side-up eggs, a portion of pickled vegetables, and a plate of steamed fish.

Mother Xiao gave both eggs and the steamed fish to Xiao Han. She herself mixed the pickled vegetables with white rice.

Xiao Han couldn't help but cry. Their family was too poor. The compensation from his father's car accident had been spent a year ago. Due to his father's departure, his mother became depressed and later fell seriously ill, spending over a hundred thousand to finally recover and be discharged from the hospital. Their home was completely impoverished.

Looking at his impoverished home, Xiao Han felt sympathy, and for the first time, he had a more urgent desire than getting into university—to make money.

Mother Xiao was indeed working too hard, earning just over a thousand a month. After work, she would sometimes shine shoes for others or peddle some odds and ends. The money she earned barely sufficed for the mother and son's living, and their life was quite straitened.

How to make money became a deep scar in Xiao Han's heart.

He definitely couldn't get involved in illegal activities, but what kind of job would make the most money? After much thought, Xiao Han still had no clue.

After a brief lunch break, Xiao Han carried his school bag and headed to school.

Despite his outstanding performance in the morning math class, this did not change his classmates' opinion of him. Instead, many were resentful that Xiao Han shared a desk with Chen Zihan. Of course, the person most resentful had to be Jiang Xiaoliang.

At Linjiang No.1 Middle School, Chen Zihan was recognized as the school belle, not only excelling academically but also beautiful. Fairy-like with an excellent figure, though only sixteen, she not only had the youthful beauty of a young girl but also the allure of a grown woman.

In the afternoon classes, Jiang Xiaoliang was seething, sitting next to Li Dapang. He couldn't settle down to study at all, disturbed by Li Dapang's snoring. Of course, the greatest unease was seeing Chen Zihan seemingly not minding Xiao Han sitting next to her at all. He had always believed that he and Chen Zihan were a match made in heaven.

"No way, I must drive this poor, useless kid away from Chen Zihan!"

This thought sprang up in Jiang Xiaoliang's mind.

The entire afternoon, Xiao Han hardly looked up at the lectern, instead flipping through his English textbook alone. From start to finish, he found it absorbing. He remembered everything he read, each detail deeply impressed in his mind.

It seemed that Xiao Han had accepted his sudden abilities, whether it was the photographic memory, the exploding amount of information in his brain or his physical changes. At this moment, Xiao Han had completely immersed himself in the ocean of knowledge.

"Damn, you really think you're a geek now?" After school, Li Dapang came over. He plopped down on the desk opposite Xiao Han.

"Big Fatty, Xiao Han is studying, you can't disturb him," Chen Zihan said with a hint of annoyance as she looked at Li Dapang.

"Hahaha..." Li Dapang suddenly burst out laughing and said, "This kid? He's not really cut out for studying. I sleep all day and even then, I scored three hundred and one points on the mock test, but this kid only got three hundred!"

Chen Zihan pursed her lips and replied, "So what? The spirit of learning from shame is the most touching."

"Chen Zihan, don't tell me you've fallen for Xiao Han?" Li Dapang grinned with a smile.

"You're talking nonsense!" Chen Zihan instantly turned red-faced.

"If you don't like him, why do you always speak up for him?" Li Dapang looked at Chen Zihan with a mischievous intent.

"Fatso, I'm not talking to you," said Chen Zihan, her face still red, as she quickly left the classroom with her bag slung over her shoulder.

Behind her, Li Dapang left with a dominant smile.

Xiao Han put away his textbook, and pulled Li Dapang outside.

"Hey, hey, slow down, kid," Li Dapang hurriedly said.

"Big Fatty, what do you think is the most profitable thing these days?" Xiao Han, while pulling Li Dapang along, asked curiously.

"Make money?" Li Dapang's ears perked up: "Damn it, of course, it's drugs, gambling, and vice! Each of these things brings in money fast!"

"Those are illegal activities!" Xiao Han shook his head and said, "We can't do that!"

"I've got it!" Li Dapang hurriedly said.

"What?" Xiao Han asked curiously.

"Heh heh..." Li Dapang suddenly revealed a sly smile, looking at Xiao Han with a pair of wicked eyes, then said, "I see you're tall and sturdy, plus you're a pure, innocent virgin boy. How about... becoming a gigolo?"

Pfft...

Xiao Han almost spat blood, he punched out and cursed, "Damn, Fatso, I'm seriously talking to you, why are you talking nonsense?"

"Are you really short on cash?" Li Dapang asked doubtfully.

"Yes, I'm desperately broke," Xiao Han nodded.

Xiao Han couldn't bear to see his mother suffer anymore, having drifted through life unawares for a few years. Suddenly, as if he had awakened, he could not continue to ignore the situation. Although he didn't understand what exactly he had gone through, or maybe it was because his brain had been jolted awake by a hit, in any case, Xiao Han had now completely come out of his previous struggles, as if he had been enlightened.

Rustle rustle...

Li Dapang hastily took out a lot of change from his pockets, not even sparing a few coins: "Look... I have over a hundred bucks here. Is that enough?"

Xiao Han was stunned, looking at Li Dapang's sincere and devout eyes, a slight touch of emotion stirred within him. Li Dapang's family wasn't very well-off either, with a disabled mother at home and a father who was a carpenter, who couldn't get much work in the first half of the year and only managed to make some money during the busy season of renovations in the latter half. Xiao Han took a deep breath, patted Li Dapang's shoulder, and said earnestly, "Big Fatty, do you want to get rich?"

"Get rich?" Upon hearing this, Li Dapang's eyes lit up: "Damn, who doesn't want to get rich? I fucking wish I had millions, driving luxury cars, living in mansions, holding on to foreign chicks..."

"Then come with me!" Xiao Han pulled on Li Dapang's arm.

"Together as gigolos?" Li Dapang asked in astonishment.

"Get lost!" Xiao Han glared at him and said, "I don't want to be a gigolo."

"Then what?" Li Dapang asked eagerly.

"Start a company," Xiao Han said seriously.

"Haha, you've gone mad, haven't you?" Li Dapang burst out laughing: "I thought you were not being yourself today; turns out your brain's got issues."

"I'm serious!" Xiao Han punched Li Dapang in the chest.

"Then let's hear it," Li Dapang, seeing Xiao Han's serious expression, put away his frivolous smile: "What kind of company?"

"We could open a tutoring center," Xiao Han said earnestly: "With college entrance exams coming up, we could totally set up a prep class."

"Who would teach?" Li Dapang asked urgently.