53: Chapter 53: Not only do you need a powerful father, but you also need to fight with your fists – that's what it means to be a rich young master.

The sky was just beginning to brighten, and a thin layer of mist still drifted over the artificial lake at Longwan No. 1.

The air was cool, carrying the fresh scent of soil and vegetation.

"Bang!"

A dull, thunderous sound shattered the morning silence.

On the lawn in the backyard of the estate, Chen Fan was wearing a loose white martial arts uniform. His movements were not fast, but every step he took felt like a pile driver hitting the ground. He suddenly turned sideways, his shoulder slamming fiercely into the thickened, integrated sandbag in front of him.

That two-hundred-pound sandbag was sent swinging high into the air by this impact, almost flying away.

Su Muyang stood under the veranda, holding a towel, stunned by the sight.

He hadn't slept well last night. His dreams were filled with Wang Hao's bloody, mangled face and his own swollen, trembling hand.

Having money certainly made people afraid to mess with you. But if it hadn't been for those four bodyguards yesterday, and without Chen Fan backing him up, he would likely have been beaten to death by those thugs at the food stall, or killed in retaliation by Wang Hao, relying solely on his own flailing punches.

To forge iron, one must be strong oneself.

Su Muyang took a deep breath and walked barefoot onto the lawn.

"Dad."

Chen Fan finished his stance, exhaled a puff of white air, and turned to look at his son. The boy still had red bloodshot eyes, but his spirit was much stronger than yesterday, like a blade that had just been sharpened.

"Up so early?" Chen Fan wiped away his sweat. "Why not sleep a bit more? That bed is a horsehair mattress imported from Sweden, costing hundreds of thousands each."

"I couldn't sleep."

Su Muyang walked to the still-swinging sandbag and reached out to push it. It was heavy, deathly heavy.

"Dad, I want to learn this." Su Muyang pointed at the sandbag, his gaze intense. "Yesterday, when I hit Wang Hao, my hand hurt, and my strength wasn't enough. If I could do what you just did, I could have crippled him in one hit."

Chen Fan chuckled.

He draped the towel over his neck and looked his son up and down. "Want to learn Baji Quan? This isn't for health; it's a lethal martial art, and it's extremely grueling."

"I'm not afraid of hardship." Su Muyang took off his T-shirt, revealing his lean upper body. "I used to deliver food, running two hundred orders a day; I wasn't even afraid when my legs felt like they were going to break. I'm only afraid of having no ability and having to rely on you to clean up my mess later."

Chen Fan's eyes lit up.

That's a real man.

"Alright." Chen Fan didn't waste any words. He walked over and kicked Su Muyang's calves. "Stand properly. Feet shoulder-width apart, center of gravity lowered. Remember, strength rises from the ground, originates in the waist, and reaches the shoulder."

"The Baji Burst is all about the word 'burst.' You have to twist all the strength in your body into a single rope and let it explode in an instant."

Chen Fan corrected his movements while he spoke. He didn't hold back, slapping Su Muyang on the back, which made him stumble.

"Keep your back straight! You look like a shrimp; you'll throw out your own back before you even hit anyone!"

"Tighten your legs! Who are you showing that softness to? If you want to be a weakling, go back to bed!"

On the morning lawn, the sounds of scolding and impact rose and fell.

Su Muyang gritted his teeth, slamming into the sandbag again and again. His shoulder soon became red and swollen, his skin burning with pain, and sweat dripped from his chin into the grass.

But he didn't make a sound, nor did he stop.

With every impact, he shouted a name in his heart.

Wang Hao. Qian Li. The cowardly version of his past self.

Smash them to pieces.

"Oh my—"

A lazy, teasing voice suddenly came from the balcony on the second floor.

Su Nianyao was wearing pink bear pajamas, her hair a messy bird's nest, and she held a half-eaten apple in her hand. She leaned on the railing, watching the two men sweating profusely downstairs, and took a crisp bite of the apple.

"Brother, aren't you being a bit too competitive?"

Su Nianyao said, her voice muffled. "What time is it? You're already trying to show off in front of Dad? What's the matter? Are you afraid I'll steal your inheritance, so you want to secure your position as the Crown Prince through 'forceful usurpation'?"

Su Muyang's movements faltered, his energy leaked away, and he almost got knocked over by the rebounding sandbag.

He looked up with a dark face. "Su Nianyao, can you ever say anything nice? I'm just building up my strength!"

"Pfft, as if I'd believe that." Su Nianyao tossed the apple core accurately into the trash can downstairs. "I think you're just trying to suck up to Dad. You schemer!"

Chen Fan watched the siblings bickering, his mood greatly improved.

This is what a home is.

Previously, he stood alone at the pinnacle of the world; although it was glorious, it was terrifyingly lonely. Now, with these two lively kids, Longwan No. 1 finally had some life in it.

"Alright, stop the bickering." Chen Fan waved to the floor above. "Come down to eat. The chef made crab roe buns today; if you're late, your brother will eat them all."

"Coming, coming! Save two for me!"

As soon as Su Nianyao heard about food, she turned and ran, her slippers making a clattering sound on the stairs.

...

In the dining room.

Su Muyang had taken a shower, changed into dry sportswear, and was wolfing down food at the long table.

With the high level of exercise, he got hungry quickly. He ate the thin-skinned, filling-packed crab roe buns one by one, his mouth glistening with oil.

Su Nianyao sat opposite him, eating much more delicately. She stirred the bird's nest porridge in her bowl with a spoon, but her eyes kept darting to Su Muyang's red and swollen shoulder.

"Brother, does it hurt?"

"Duh." Su Muyang didn't even look up. "You try smashing your flesh against a wall."

"Serves you right." Su Nianyao gloated. "That's what you get for showing off. What kind of family are we now? In the future, just take eight bodyguards when you go out. If you don't like the look of someone, just let the bodyguards handle it; why do you need to do it yourself? You have a poor person's mindset, you need to change that."

Su Muyang swallowed the bun in his mouth without refuting her. He knew his sister was worried about him, even if her words sounded annoying.

"By the way, Dad." Su Nianyao turned to look at Chen Fan at the head of the table. "When are you going to pick up Mom? This big house is nice, but without Mom here, it always feels like something is missing. And..."

She glanced at Su Muyang and smirked, "And I see Brother practicing so hard; is he planning to perform breaking a boulder on his chest for Mom when she arrives?"

Chen Fan put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Soon." Chen Fan looked out the window, his gaze softening. "Once I clean up the trash on hand, I'll go pick her up. At that time, you two better be sharp and don't let the cat out of the bag."

"What cat out of the bag?" Su Muyang asked, confused.

"Don't let your mom know how much money I have." Chen Fan said seriously. "Your mom is timid; if she knew I had a net worth of trillions, she'd probably be scared enough to run away overnight with a train on her back. We have to take it step by step and let her adapt to the life of a 'nouveau riche' first."

Su Muyang and Su Nianyao exchanged glances and rolled their eyes at the same time.

A trillion-dollar net worth is called nouveau riche? This old Versailles.

"Brother, did you hear that?" Su Nianyao kicked Su Muyang's foot. "In this family, although Dad is the ATM, Mom is the supreme commander. Those flowery martial arts moves of yours are useless. If you want to get along well in this family, you have to learn to hug Mom's thigh."

Su Muyang was stunned for a moment, then smiled. He remembered his childhood, whenever he caused trouble and was beaten by his father, it was his mother who protected him. Back then, they were poor, but his mother's embrace was always the warmest harbor.

"Got it." Su Muyang finished his last sip of soy milk and pushed the bowl away. "As long as Mom can come back, I'm willing to be a sandbag."

Chen Fan stood up and adjusted his collar.

"Alright, stop being sentimental here. Once you're full, follow me to the underground garage."

Chen Fan took two car keys from the housekeeper and tossed them in his hand, making a crisp clinking sound of metal.

"Since you want to be a Young Master from a wealthy family, you can't keep taking taxis when you go out. Go pick out a decent mode of transport so you won't be laughed at when you go to school later."

Su Muyang's eyes lit up instantly. Cars! That is every man's ultimate dream. He stood up, ignoring the pain in his shoulder, and strode after him.

Su Nianyao looked at the backs of the father and son and pursed her lips. "Men are boys until they die. It's just a few wheels and a sofa, is there any need to be this excited?"

Despite saying that, she still put down her spoon and trotted after them. After all, who could refuse a stroll through their own underground garage, which was more luxurious than a car show?

"Brother! I want to choose too! I want that pink one!"

"That's mine!"

"Chen Fan, control your son! He's being mean to me!"

The sounds of bickering echoed in the spacious corridor.

A new day began, woven with money and family affection.