Looking at that whole, entire ten thousand yuan!
Chen Qing froze.
"Haha! Hahahaha!" Chen Qing laughed wildly.
"Hahahahaha!"
All three of them jumped.
After a good while, Chen Qing finally stopped laughing, his tone very solemn. "Ten thousand? A whole ten thousand!"
Huang Xue sat there dazed, and at last caught a whiff of something off.
"I know you're a little better off now. Ten thousand isn't much, but it's not a little, either!"
"And besides, Chen Qing, we're family—blood is thicker than water! When your cousin makes something of herself, there'll be benefits for you too."
"Benefits?"
Chen Qing sneered. "A Grade S talent joining the Martial School comes with a scholarship of at least a hundred thousand—and you're giving me ten thousand? Handing alms to a beggar?"
Huang Xue and Hong Jian both stiffened.
They'd discussed many times over how much to give Chen Qing, and settled at last on 10,000.
The extra 5,000 was something Hong Jian had thrown in on the spot just now.
Because they'd counted on the fact that Chen Qing, an orphan, wouldn't know about things like scholarships. Just like all those clueless college kids—classmates whose parents arrange full credits and paved paths, graduating straight into a cushy civil post, while they don't even know what that is. Same principle.
They could make a killing on the scholarship, and pick Hong Ya a good school besides—two birds with one stone!
Who could have dreamed Chen Qing would know about the Martial School too?
"You... you... anyway, you're not going to attend, so it's no use to you!"
"With Little Ya's smarts, once she's in the Martial School she'll definitely become a big shot, and finding you a position then would be easy."
Huang Xue labored to talk him round. "Little Qing, we're family—blood is thicker than water. This bloodline can't be cut."
Huang Xue added, "Another ten thousand, then, all right?"
"That's twenty thousand—quite a lot!" Chen Qing looked coldly at the three of them.
Seeing Chen Qing tempted, a delighted look surfaced on Huang Xue's face.
Chen Qing went to the bedside and pressed the service bell.
"Send me up ten bottles of mineral water—and I want ten people to bring them!"
"Huh?"
The operator blanked.
The presidential suite had a fridge—never mind mineral water and soft drinks, there was even red wine.
"Can you do it?"
"Uh... yes!"
The operator cursed inwardly, but agreed all the same.
The attendants were all cursing too, but there was nothing for it; each took a bottle of mineral water and went up.
"Doesn't treat people like people, damn it."
"Guy's got nothing better to do!"
"Probably thinks this'll claw back some of the room rate. Absurd."
"All right, all right, that's enough. A presidential-suite request has to be met by any means possible."
The ten lined up, each cradling a bottle of mineral water in both hands. Seeing the door open and three extra people inside, they were puzzled, but still smiled and knocked. "Mr. Chen, your mineral water is here."
Chen Qing beckoned. "Bring it over."
The first attendant offered it up with both hands.
Chen Qing took it offhandedly and gave him two yuan. "Water money."
The attendant blinked, about to say it was free.
Chen Qing handed over two stacks of big red bills. "This is your tip."
The attendant froze.
Huang Xue froze.
Hong Jian froze.
Hong Ya froze.
"Chen... this, sir..."
The attendant's voice shook a little, his hands shaking too, and he finally came to and took the two stacks of red bills, flushing with excitement. "Thank you, sir!"
The attendants behind him were all stunned!
The line, orderly as one body, had gone a bit ragged.
Chen Qing looked coldly at Huang Xue. "Twenty thousand? Is that a lot?"
The second attendant, forcing down his excitement, brought the mineral water over in both hands.
Chen Qing produced two yuan. "Water money."
Then went to the safe and took out twenty thousand. "This is a tip, your reward."
He looked at Huang Xue again. "Back when I had nothing to eat, the 200 yuan I asked to borrow from you—that was the money that could have saved me and Xiao Man!"
Chen Qing sneered. "And now—twenty thousand. Is that a lot?"
The third attendant walked over trembling too.
Chen Qing again gave 20,002 yuan.
"So now—you want to buy my Grade S talent for twenty thousand?"
"Is your money printed in gold?!"
"Are you out of your mind?"
Huang Xue's face had already changed. She shot to her feet. "Chen Qing!"
"You cringe little worm, what's the meaning of this?"
"Oh, and you too, cousin? You really are a piece of work. What's the meaning of this? The meaning is: my Grade S talent—I'd give it to a dog before I'd give it to you!"
The attendants understood now, all of them.
This was a real-life "never scorn a poor youth"!
Hong Jian gave a cold snort. "Chen Qing! Don't say things you can't take back." He stared hard at Chen Qing. "And don't do things you can't undo!"
"Can't undo? You think you've got anything on me?"
"Still 'family, family'? Pah! Don't make me sick!"
"That line—'her cheap little spawn has come begging at my door'—I'll remember it my whole life!"
"Two old cheap wretches and one little cheap wretch!"
"And today you actually had the gall to come see me?"
"Bringing this milk worth a few lousy yuan!"
Chen Qing suddenly kicked the milk hard.
Bang!
The milk burst, spraying everywhere.
The Hong family in particular were drenched head to toe.
Huang Xue was livid. "You... you... you unfilial wretch!! You ingrate!!"
"I'll show you filial!"
Chen Qing raged harder. "Did you raise me? Did you give birth to me? If you'd given me and Xiao Man so much as a single ear of corn, I'd honor you as an elder!"
"Filial? I'd sooner honor a dog than honor you!"
"I'll tear you apart!!" Hong Ya couldn't hold back and lunged at him.
But several attendants pinned her down.
"Let me go! This is assault!! Rape!!" Hong Ya screamed, still held fast.
A female attendant slapped her hard across the face. "Shut up!"
"You... you hit me?"
Hong Ya froze.
Chen Qing was startled by the slap too.
Then he laughed and simply tossed two stacks of cash over. "Skilled work. A reward!"
Hong Jian and Huang Xue shoved several attendants aside, breathing hard. "Chen Qing, we'll see about this!"
They made to leave, but the attendants had already blocked the door.
The three of them panicked at once.
"You... what do you want!"
"No need to 'see about it' standing up—sit and see about it," Chen Qing said coldly.
"Chen... Chen Qing, you're still young, don't be rash..."
Huang Xue was flustered now. "We—we were in the wrong. Just pretend we never came, let... let, let, let us go, please."
Chen Qing's hand went to the necklace again, but in the end he lowered it.
He only laughed loud and long:
"Hahahaha! Hahahaha!"
"That high-and-mighty family of cheap spawn—see it now! Today they came begging at my door!"
Chen Qing roared with laughter a while more.
Then sneered: "Those two words, 'cheap spawn'—today I officially return them to you."
That said, he called out loud, "Let the three cheap spawn go!"
The three had faces of iron, but truly didn't dare say another word.
Faces full of fury, they left.
An attendant suddenly chased after them and announced clearly:
"So sorry! The elevator's out of order today—please take the stairs!"
"You! You people go too far!"
"Please take the stairs!"
"This is the 30th floor!!!"
"Please take the stairs!"
Chen Qing listened to the commotion outside, tossed over another twenty thousand, and laughed heartily:
"Skilled work. A reward!!"