112: Opportunity

Chen Li rushed up the stairs two steps at a time. Standing before his familiar front door, he raised his hand and knocked loudly, 'thump, thump, thump,' as eager as a child returning home from school.

"Dad, Mom, open up! I'm back!"

The door opened in response, and Mother Chen appeared at the entrance wearing an apron, her hands constantly wiping against it.

She deliberately pulled a stern face, but her eyes couldn't hide the smile within. "You knock so loudly every time; you're going to break this door sooner or later."

As she spoke, she reached out to take the backpack from his shoulder while pulling him by the arm into the house.

"Where's Dad?" Chen Li asked as he unloaded his backpack and nimbly kicked off his shoes.

A familiar aroma of braised food wafted toward him, making him impatient to dive into the kitchen.

Before Mother Chen could even answer, Chen Li had already followed the scent to the kitchen.

He saw Father Chen standing before the small stove, skillfully flipping a piece of frying fish, the pan sizzling loudly.

"Dad, you're frying fish? Where are my braised pig's trotters?" Chen Li said as he lifted various pot lids to search, looking like a child begging for food.

"In the pressure cooker. I just turned off the heat, be careful not to burn yourself," Father Chen said, pointing his spatula toward the corner.

Without even stopping to wash his hands, Chen Li lifted the lid of the pressure cooker, and a rich, braised fragrance immediately filled the air.

Ignoring the heat, he reached in and fished out a piece of pig's trotter that was braised to a glossy, reddish-brown hue. After blowing on it for a moment, he impatiently took a large bite.

This was the taste—the taste he had grown up with, the bite he missed most every time he came home.

Actually, he had returned to Gao Cheng earlier that afternoon.

He first dropped Liu Nansheng off at home and arranged to visit her parents tomorrow; at the very least, he needed to prepare and buy some gifts to bring over.

He didn't drive any of those eye-catching luxury cars; instead, he drove Meng Yu's relatively low-key Audi back.

He found a random parking spot in the old Residential Complex and couldn't wait to run home.

Knowing he was coming back, Mother Chen had specifically gone to the market to buy his favorite dishes.

Father Chen had also finished work early to come home and help. In the tiny kitchen, the couple had been busy all afternoon for their son.

The food was soon on the table, and the family of three sat around the somewhat aged dining table.

Chen Li ate with great satisfaction, crossing his legs and savoring the long-lost taste of home.

Once he had almost finished eating, Mother Chen finally couldn't help but ask about the hundred thousand yuan from before.

"Xiao Li, tell Mom the truth. What exactly are you doing now to be able to earn so much money?"

"Is it a lot?"

Chen Li smiled nonchalantly and tapped on his phone a few times. "Mom, I just transferred another one million to you.

This is the profit from an investment I made with a classmate. I kept the money I need for further investments; you two can spend this however you like."

"One... one million?!" Mother Chen looked at the notification on her phone, her hands shaking slightly as she looked at Father Chen, at a loss.

Father Chen put down his chopsticks, his expression serious. "Xiao Li, tell Dad the truth. Is everything you're doing legal and above board?"

"Dad, Mom, don't worry."

Chen Li sat up straight and said seriously, "Every cent is accounted for and completely legitimate. There's absolutely nothing illegal going on."

Father Chen stared at his son for a few seconds before slowly nodding. "Good. As long as you're on the right path, your mother and I are happy for you no matter how much you earn."

He understood his son. Although he could be impulsive at times, he wasn't bad at heart and would never do anything illegal.

Mother Chen, however, was still in shock, a lingering worry etched between her brows.

They were both ordinary employees of a public institution who had worked diligently their whole lives. They had lived in this old house assigned by their unit for twenty years, reluctant to even replace the sofa.

Now that their son had suddenly produced so much money, it was inevitable for a mother to worry.

Seeing that his parents had finally accepted the fact, Chen Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He understood his parents' personalities. His father was always open-minded, and while his mother would worry, she wouldn't interfere too much.

"Dad, Mom, since we have money now, why don't we consider moving to a new house?" Chen Li asked tentatively.

"No moving,"

Mother Chen immediately shook her head. "We're used to living here, and we know all the neighbors. Keep this money for yourself to buy a new house when you get married later."

A wave of warmth rose in Chen Li's heart.

These were his parents; even with money, the first thing they thought of was their child.

After eating and drinking his fill, Chen Li spent some time in the living room watching TV with his parents and chatting about recent events.

The dim yellow light spilled over the somewhat worn sofa, creating a familiar and cozy atmosphere.

Seeing that it was getting late, his parents told him they were heading to bed, and he also got up to return to his room.

This room, where he had lived since he was a child, remained exactly the same. High School textbooks were still arranged on the desk.

Although the posters of sports stars on the wall had yellowed a bit, they were filled with memories.

He had just sat down on the edge of the bed when his phone vibrated repeatedly—it was his various girlfriends, and he casually replied to their messages.

Just then, a wechat message popped up—it was from Liu Zhao: "A Li, are you back yet?"

Seeing the message from his High School best friend, a smile unconsciously appeared on Chen Li's face.

Liu Zhao was one of his closest buddies from High School. Although he had gone to study in the north after the college entrance exams, their friendship had never faded.

There was also another good brother, Zhong Hao, who had also gone away for school.

"Just got home today. Zhao, when did you get back?" Chen Li's tone carried the joy of a long-awaited reunion.

"I also just arrived today. Want to go out for a drink? Let's call Hao-ge too."

"Hao-ge is back too?" Chen Li was a bit surprised.

"He snuck back two days ago. I heard he was in a hurry to see his girlfriend, that He Min from the class next door. You remember her, right?"

Chen Li checked the time; it was already ten o'clock at night.

After traveling all day, he was indeed quite tired. "Of course I remember. But it's too late tonight, it's already ten. How about tomorrow night?"

"Sure, let's make it tomorrow then."

Putting down his phone and lying on the bed, Chen Li couldn't help but think of tomorrow's schedule—he had to visit Liu Nansheng's home first thing in the morning.

Based on her previous descriptions, her parents had a serious preference for sons over daughters, which gave him quite a headache.

What era was this, still clinging to such archaic ideas?

But on second thought, this might also be an opportunity.

To win Liu Nansheng's favor, he still needed to leverage external forces.

He would first see the attitude of Liu Nansheng's family. Whether her parents were aggressive or pleasant, he would have to act according to the situation.

He absolutely could not do anything to repel her just because he was eager for success.

If he accidentally overstepped and caused her to become guarded or even dissatisfied, all his previous investment and effort would go to waste.

Two days had already passed since the start of the mission, with twenty-eight days remaining.

On the surface, it seemed like there was plenty of time, but at the current lukewarm pace of progress, he really didn't feel confident.

Perhaps he needed a perfect opportunity—a certain moment that could truly move her heart.