581: 500 million

"With the funds I currently have on hand, I can't have a significant impact on international gold prices..."

"Are you really that blunt..."

After grumbling about the system's "bluntness," Ye Su began to think about how to invest in gold.

"Right now, the price of gold is over 810 per gram. If it rises to 1,000, I can make over 180 per gram, which is less than a fifth."

"Investing in physical gold, buying fifty million worth, would only net less than ten million after half a year. This return is way too low."

If other investors knew that Ye Su considered a project with a guaranteed nearly 20% return in half a year to be underwhelming, they would be shocked.

Those investors whose only goal since their second day in the field was to "break even" would probably drown Ye Su in their spit from cursing him out.

"I'll just stick to futures. One lot of gold futures is 1,000 grams, with a margin of 100,000. After half a year, the profit would be around 180,000, a 180% return rate."

"I'll start by putting in fifty million. By next January, that'll be ninety million in profit!"

Most importantly, gold involves a massive global market.

Just as the system said, the over one hundred million he had on hand wouldn't even cause a ripple if thrown into it.

This also meant that over the next six months, as long as he had spare cash, he could continue to buy gold futures.

He had 120 million in cash; the 12 million from the meteorite hadn't been received yet. Shangwei New Materials' stock price was climbing steadily, and another twenty million would be coming in by the end of the month.

Additionally, there was intelligence income for the next six months and profits from industries like Ye Family Catering... After a rough calculation, Ye Su felt that squeezing out a few hundred million more to invest in gold futures shouldn't be a problem.

Even if the gold price gradually rose as he invested more later, Ye Su conservatively estimated that earning around five hundred million in total wouldn't be an issue.

"Five hundred million in profit, plus the principal and income from these six months... before the next Lunar New Year, my net worth will be at least over one billion!"

In just one year, going from a college student to a billionaire with over one billion in net worth—and that billion being in cash—Ye Su's excitement was beyond words, even diluting the sadness of Ye Kaijun's impending death.

"I'll sleep first. Once I wake up, I'll handle things one by one."

Closing the system and pulling up the covers, Ye Su fell into a deep sleep with the woman beside him... The next morning, after breakfast, he sent the addresses of 43 Chaoyang Avenue and the eleven store locations from the intelligence to Meng Feiyu and Zhang Xiuying, asking them to make a trip over the next two days to rent all twelve shops.

Chen Xinyi had also made plans with Su Yingxuan to go out and film some videos.

After receiving replies from Meng Feiyu and the other, Ye Su went out alone, bought a bag of fruit, and drove to the residential area where Ye Kaijun lived.

Knock, knock, knock—

After knocking a few times, Ye Su waited at the door for a moment before hearing the sound of the door opening inside.

The door opened halfway, and Ye Kaijun poked his head out. Seeing it was Ye Su, a smile immediately spread across his face:

"I was wondering who would be knocking on my door this early."

As he spoke, Ye Kaijun opened the door fully and waved Ye Su inside:

"Come in and have a seat."

"Well, I just got back from my hometown a couple of days ago and realized it's been a while since I came over for tea. I had some free time this morning, so I thought I'd drop by and bring you some fruit."

While greeting him, Ye Su kept his eyes on Ye Kaijun's face.

Perhaps because his time was near, even Ye Su could see that Ye Kaijun's complexion was terrible; his withered skin seemed barely able to cling to his bones.

After entering, putting down the fruit, and chatting for a bit about the trip home, Ye Kaijun suddenly furrowed his brows and hissed in pain.

"Hiss—"

Seeing this, Ye Su hurriedly asked, "Uncle Jun, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Ye Kaijun waved his hand with a forced smile. "Just an old ailment. It'll pass if I bear with it."

"If it could be fixed just by bearing with it, how could it have become an 'old ailment'!" Ye Su immediately stood up:

"No way. Since I'm free today, let's go to the hospital and have a doctor look at you."

"It's really not necessary..."

After some arguing, Ye Kaijun couldn't win against Ye Su and finally told him the truth:

"Actually, I have liver cancer. It's already in the terminal stage, and I don't have many days left. Taking me to the hospital would just be a waste of money and time."

"Ah!"

Although he had known about Ye Kaijun's condition for a long time, hearing him say it himself still left Ye Su with mixed emotions. He couldn't help but urge,

"This... you're not joking, are you? Or maybe the hospital misdiagnosed it. Why don't we go to another hospital for a check-up?"

"Haha." Ye Kaijun's laughter was full of the open-mindedness of someone who had seen through life and death:

"I've already been to several hospitals. Without exception, they all said it's late-stage liver cancer and there's no cure."

Seeing the gloom on Ye Su's face, Ye Kaijun felt both comforted and guilty. He patted Ye Su's shoulder and consoled him,

"You don't need to be sad. I'm already seventy-one. They say reaching seventy is rare since ancient times, so it's normal for me to go now. You don't have to be sad for me."

"But..."

Ye Su's throat felt dry. All the words he had planned were stuck in his throat; he couldn't say a single thing.

Ever since binding with the system, Ye Su felt he was the child of destiny, destined for great success and perhaps even standing at the world's summit to command the wind and rain.

But now, Ye Kaijun was teaching him a lesson with his life.

There are some things that even wealth, power, or even a system cannot change.

"Alright."

Ye Kaijun's hand, so thin it was almost just a layer of skin, patted Ye Su's hand twice and then rested on the back of it:

"You know my situation. Ever since Xiao Lan and the others left, I've felt that life has no meaning. I've thought several times about just going down to join them. Getting this illness is actually a wish come true."

"But... sigh..."

Ye Su hadn't experienced nearly as much as Ye Kaijun, so he couldn't achieve such open-mindedness. He opened his mouth several times but could only let out a sigh.

"It's fine, don't be sad for me."

Even though it was Ye Kaijun who had cancer, he was the one constantly comforting Ye Su:

"Speaking of which, I should thank you. In these last few months, you've enlightened me, helping me accept the departure of Xiao Lan and the others. You helped me settle them in the Ander Building and often come to keep this old man company."

"There's nothing to thank me for..." Ye Su said quietly:

"If anyone should be saying thank you, it's me. You let me stay in your house for free and even gave me two jars of that precious old tangerine peel."

"Alright, then let's not say thank you anymore."

Ye Kaijun simply explained his final arrangements to Ye Su as if he were talking about an everyday matter:

"When I kick the bucket, I'll have to trouble you to help settle me in the spot I prepared in the Ander Building. As for any funeral arrangements, there's no need for those."