484: Chapter 484 They came knocking!

Zhao Chunmei's legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed to the ground, only managing to steady herself by grabbing onto the ATM.

"Jian... Jianjun, come look at this, quick..."

Cao Jianjun, holding the child, leaned in and looked at the screen.

The next second.

His eyes bulged wider than copper bells, and his mouth hung open, unable to close for a long time.

"Ten... ten million?!"

His voice changed pitch, sounding as if someone were squeezing his throat.

Childs Nickname lay on her father's shoulder and asked in a milky voice, "Daddy, there are so many zeros. Does that mean we can buy lots of candies?"

Cao Jianjun swallowed hard, unable to say a single word.

This was more than enough to buy lots of candies; they could open a candy factory directly...

Zhao Chunmei suddenly pulled out the card, turned around, and started running back.

"No, no! This is too much! We have to give it back to her!"

Cao Jianjun chased after her with the child and grabbed her. "Where are you going to return it? She's long gone!"

Zhao Chunmei stamped her feet in anxiety.

"Then... then what do we do? Ten million! Our whole family couldn't earn this much in several lifetimes, even if we didn't eat or drink!"

Cao Jianjun was also dazed.

Indeed, ten million.

He could lay bricks for a lifetime and still not earn even a fraction of that.

Childs Nickname lay on her father's shoulder, not understanding why her parents were so excited. She just clutched the receipt and grinned.

"Godmother is so good to me."

Zhao Chunmei and Cao Jianjun looked at each other, both speechless.

Yes.

Godmother was so good to her.

So good that... they both felt like they were dreaming.

...

As twilight fell, the Guang City lights in the distance began to glow. Neon lights cast mottled reflections on the water, swaying gently with the ripples.

Bing Lan didn't speak; the two of them just held hands and walked quietly.

After walking for a while.

Bing Lan suddenly stopped and turned to look at him.

"Ye Chen."

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

Ye Chen was stunned for a moment, then smiled. "Why are you thanking me again?"

"Thank you for bringing me here today."

Bing Lan lowered her head, looking at the stone path beneath her feet. "Seeing Little Raindrop, seeing Childs Nickname... knowing they are living well in this life, the weight in my heart has finally eased a bit."

She looked up at the rising moon over the river, her eyes slightly reddened.

"Do you know? All these years, I've always felt like I was an ominous person!"

"The day Mom died was my birthday, and Dad's disappearance was also because he was celebrating my birthday..."

"Although Dad disappeared because he received an emergency mission and left without saying goodbye, I always felt that if it weren't for me, they wouldn't have met with misfortune."

"So, this became a knot in my heart."

"Until today..."

She took a deep breath, her voice carrying a hint of relief.

"I saw Little Raindrop sleeping soundly on her mother's back, and I saw Childs Nickname being cherished by her family..."

"I finally feel that since they are doing well, I should let go too."

Ye Chen looked at her and suddenly reached out to ruffle her hair.

"Silly girl, it's good that you think that way."

"Everyone has their own path to walk. Your parents had theirs, and you have yours."

"They are safe and happy in this life, so you should live well in this life too."

"If you're miserable all day, they won't be at peace either."

Bing Lan's hair was messed up by his ruffling, but she didn't pull away, only giving a soft "Mhm."

Ye Chen withdrew his hand and chuckled.

"Besides, you're now a top expert at the Heavenly Realm Peak. In the entire Dragon Country, there are very, very few people who can beat you."

"How could someone like that be a jinx?"

Bing Lan couldn't help but curl her lips at his words. "Are you comforting me, or are you showing off?"

"Comforting you, of course," Ye Chen said with a serious face. "What kind of person am I? I'm the best at comforting people."

Bing Lan rolled her eyes, too lazy to expose him.

The two continued walking along the riverbank. The streetlights lit up one by one, stretching their shadows very long.

After walking for a few minutes, Bing Lan suddenly spoke: "So, where are we going next?"

Ye Chen's footsteps paused, and the smile on his face faded slightly.

"To settle the kidnapping matter."

Bing Lan's gaze also turned cold, and she nodded slightly. "It must be settled, otherwise there will be a second time."

Although she had only spent a short time with Childs Nickname, from the moment she was called "Godmother," she knew she couldn't let that child be harmed again.

If those kidnappers could target Childs Nickname today, they could target other children tomorrow.

If the root cause behind it wasn't completely dug out, such tragedies would continue to happen.

Even...

They might continue to target Childs Nickname.

Ye Chen took out his phone and glanced at the address Yan Qingwu had sent.

"Let's go to Dayi Villa."

"Dayi Villa?" Bing Lan raised an eyebrow slightly. "That's the most famous luxury residential area in Guang City, where only the top wealthy live."

"Exactly."

Ye Chen said indifferently, "The Ma Family's residence is in the deepest part of Dayi Villa. This trip, we're going to settle the score with the Ma Family."

Bing Lan's expression hardened, but she ultimately nodded.

...

Dayi Villa, Ma Family Manor.

At this moment, the main hall was brightly lit, and a large round mahogany table was covered with delicacies from land and sea.

Sitting at the head of the table was the eldest master of the Ma Family, Ma Tianlai. He was in his early seventies, with white hair, but his eyes were exceptionally spirited.

"Let's eat."

Sitting opposite him was the second master of the Ma Family, Ma Zhonghe. He was in his sixties, plump, with a round face and large ears, looking every bit like someone who lived in luxury.

He stuffed a piece of Dongpo pork into his mouth before putting down his chopsticks. "Big Brother, you should change your cook. The meat is stewed too soft; it has no chew to it."

Ma Tianlai glanced at him and said indifferently.

"If you think it's not good, you can go back to your own place to eat."

"I'm just here to see you."

Ma Zhonghe smiled, looking like a Maitreya Buddha. "We're family; it's been a long time since we sat down to eat together."

Several juniors were also sitting at the table, all with their heads down, eating and not daring to make a sound.

It was common knowledge in the Ma Family that these two masters did not get along.

The eldest master managed the Ma Family's legitimate businesses: real estate, finance, hotels... everything was thriving.

And the second master?

In his early years, he had worked hard alongside the eldest master. Later, for some reason, they split the family, and he set up his own business, dealing in some marginal trades.

On the surface, they were still one family, but in secret, they had long gone their separate ways.

Ma Tianlai put down his teacup, picked up his chopsticks, and took a piece of steamed sea bass.

"Speak. Why are you really here today?"

Ma Zhonghe put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and his smile faded slightly.

"Big Brother, I heard you recently stopped the development project for that plot of land in the south of the Guang City?"

Ma Tianlai's brow furrowed slightly. "There are geological issues with that land; it needs re-surveying. Stopping it is normal."

"Normal?"

Ma Zhonghe chuckled.

"Big Brother, we spent eight hundred million to acquire that land. Every day it's stopped, it's hundreds of thousands in interest."

"You just stop it like that without even discussing it with the family?"

"Since when was it your turn to meddle in the Ma Family's business?" Ma Tianlai's voice wasn't heavy, but it carried weight.

The juniors at the table buried their heads even lower.

Ma Zhonghe's expression flickered, but he quickly forced a smile again.

"Big Brother, I'm not meddling. I'm thinking of the Ma Family."

"Think about it. If that land is delayed and construction doesn't start, how will you explain it to the bank? How will you explain it to the shareholders?"

"That's my business," Ma Tianlai said expressionlessly. "You just take care of your own business."

"My business..."

Ma Zhonghe chuckled. "Big Brother, I actually have one more thing I want to discuss with you today."

Ma Tianlai looked at him but didn't speak.

Ma Zhonghe cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "Big Brother, I've recently come across a project with very high profits. I want to pull you in to do it together."

Ma Tianlai's brow furrowed, but he still didn't say anything.

"Over in Southeast Asia, a few friends are involved in some trades."

Ma Zhonghe chose his words carefully and continued, "The money comes fast, and the risk is low. We just need to provide some convenience in terms of channels..."

"No."

Before he could finish, Ma Tianlai put down his chopsticks and interrupted decisively.

Ma Zhonghe was stunned. "Big Brother, I haven't finished..."

"There's no need to finish."

Ma Tianlai looked at him. "The Ma Family's business has always been clean. Don't bring those unsavory things of yours into the family."

Ma Zhonghe was his younger brother.

He knew exactly what kind of schemes were brewing in his brother's mind.

This fellow had always felt he had the ability to surpass him, but he had failed repeatedly.

To the point where...

He had several times turned his attention to grey industries.

This was the thing Ma Tianlai could least tolerate.

Ma Zhonghe's face darkened completely.

"Big Brother, what you're saying is wrong."

"What do you mean by unsavory?"

"These days, who isn't walking in both the black and white worlds? Look at those big families in Guang City; which one doesn't have some grey industry behind them?"

"Only our Ma Family maintains this lofty pretense. People are laughing at us behind our backs!"

Ma Tianlai's gaze suddenly turned cold.

"How others laugh is their business."

"Since our father's generation, the Ma Family has been built on legitimate business."

"If you want to walk the crooked path, don't drag the entire Ma Family down with you."