When the call recording played, it started with a burst of static and electrical noise. Then, Ruan Luo’s voice came through.
“This is Ruan Luo.”
No greeting, just straight to the point. His voice sounded surprisingly cool and detached.
“Ruan Luo? You fucking know how to call your dad, do you? We’ve called you a thousand times, but you never fucking answer. You don’t pick up the phone, you don’t reply to texts! You ungrateful brat!”
The background on the other end of the line was noisy. After shouting this, the young man seemed to toss the phone to someone else.
The voice changed to that of a middle-aged man. “Ruan Luo, why don’t you answer your father’s calls and texts? Sigh, you child… You can always find me whenever you need, but when I need you, where are you?”
“My grandfather… is he doing well?” Ruan Luo ignored the accusations completely, his only concern being his grandfather.
“You bastard! Grandfather, grandfather! What else do you know besides your grandfather? Have you shown your parents a single word of concern all these years? Your mother might be your stepmother, but she raised you nonetheless. Even if you can’t stand her, I’m still your biological father! You act like you’re too good for everyone. What the hell are you so proud of? Fuck, damn it!” the young man cursed and swore.
“That’s not my mother,” Ruan Luo said, his voice still cold. “I have nothing to discuss with you. Let me hear Grandfather’s heart rate.” He paused. “Will you?”
The middle-aged man sighed and said nothing. Another woman’s voice cut in over the phone: “Ruan Luo, stop pretending to be a filial son in front of everyone. It’s so pointless. If you really cared about Grandfather, why don’t you come see him yourself? You’ve just forgotten your old nest after marrying into a wealthy family and becoming a phoenix from a sparrow. Coming back to your own broken home would be a disgrace to you, wouldn’t it? Everyone understands that people strive for a better life, but you were raised by the Ruan family. If you had any real filial piety, why would you ignore your father’s messages asking for money?”
“I wasn’t raised by the Ruan family. I was raised by Grandfather.”
“Isn’t your grandfather a member of the Ruan family? Since he raised you, you should be even more obligated to send us money. Now that you’re acting like a hands-off manager, aren’t we the ones still taking care of your grandfather?”
“I have no money.”
“Your dowry was thirty million. With you by his side, how could he not give you allowance money? Any single allowance payment you receive would be more than your parents earn in a year of hard work, wouldn’t it? Your mother won’t argue with you. If you want to hear your grandfather’s heart rate, it’s simple. You just need to transfer money into your brother’s bank account. Not much, just five hundred thousand. We’ll let you hear it the moment we receive the money.”
“I can’t afford it.”
“You’re so selfish! How could you be short on cash after marrying into a wealthy family? The family isn’t asking for much. But your grandfather’s medical and hospital bills, and your brother’s tuition, you have to pay them, whether you want to or not! Your grandfather is a fucking bottomless pit; he’s drained the family dry. Now we have to rely on you! If you don’t come up with the money, we might as well stop treating him. He’ll just be a bedridden old man anyway!”
“What about the thirty million for the goods?” Ruan Luo’s voice trembled.
“Fuck your ‘payment for goods’! Watch your mouth and stop being so passive-aggressive! That was Dad’s payment for raising you; what does that have to do with you? Twenty-five million of that is the family’s dead capital for the business. The remaining five million is for me to get married later. You’re an Omega; once you marry out, you’re gone. The family has to rely on me, an Alpha, to carry on the lineage! Don’t you dare try to calculate that money. When I get married and need to buy a house and a car, as my older brother, you’ll still have to give me…”
Just then, the crackle of static abruptly ceased, and the recording ended with a final “beep.”
Ruan Luo had forcibly hung up the call.
A heavy silence descended upon the living room. The only sound was the rhythmic patter of rain against the banana leaves outside the window. The evening rain had intensified without anyone noticing.
Butler Ji still clutched the phone, his breath held tight. He didn’t dare make a sound, for Fu Yu’s face was now a mask of terrifying darkness.
After a moment of silence, Fu Yu’s long, strong fingers reached for the black-and-gold Dunhill lighter on the table. He lit a Lucky Strike, his eyes narrowing as he crossed his long legs and leaned back into the sofa, wreathed in a cloud of smoke.
“Call them,” he commanded.
Butler Ji blinked, then quickly understood. He immediately dialed the number.
Ten seconds later, the call connected.
“It’s through,” Butler Ji said, wiping sweat from his brow.
Fu Yu flicked the ash from his cigarette with one hand. “Tell them to show up at the Group Headquarters this Friday at 4:00 PM. Every single one of them.”
A murderous glint flashed in Fu Yu’s dark eyes. “I’m inviting them for a cup of tea.”
When Ruan Luo woke up, his head was still heavy with grogginess.
He lay in bed for two minutes, and as he cleared the fog, he sat up in the unfamiliar room.
Unlike the last time he’d woken up on a hospital bed, this room was empty save for him.
There was no smell of disinfectant, only a faint, woody fragrance.
His first reaction was fear.
Then, that fear dissolved into a deep, suffocating sense of loss and confusion. He didn’t know if he was the master of this place or a guest.
Slipping into the plush slippers by the bed, he discovered his clothes had been changed again, this time into cotton pajamas.
He blinked at his unfamiliar reflection in the mirror.
For some reason, he felt an overwhelming urge to open the sealed door and look outside.
And so, he did.
Whether by design or chance, the moment Ruan Luo pulled the door open, he came face-to-face with a man whose height nearly touched the doorframe.
The man’s figure was tall and lean, his waist taut and powerful.
Especially the hand raised in the air, fingers poised to knock; the knuckles were prominent, hinting at an unimaginable explosive strength.
His sharply defined, handsome face bore a clear exhaustion, as if he had rushed here after pulling an all-nighter at work. Ruan Luo looked up, and their eyes met. A deep gaze swept over him, filled with unmistakable concern. Who else could this be but Fu Yu?
At the sight of him, Ruan Luo’s pupils shrank, and a shudder ran through his entire body. Before his mind could even process the thought, his body had already retreated a step. Thud. He slammed the door shut and locked it.
The entire sequence of actions had been fluid and seamless. Ruan Luo leaned against the door, panting.
As he caught his breath, a wave of confusion washed over him. What am I doing? he wondered. As far as I know, he’s my relative. What exactly am I so afraid of?
Once he calmed down, he felt his behavior had been utterly rude and unjustified.
When he finally mustered the courage to open the door, Fu Yu was already gone.
Ruan Luo resolved to find an opportunity to apologize for his actions.
Yet, for the next three days, he didn’t see Fu Yu again.
During the day, the maid would call him for meals on schedule.
But Fu Yu was never at the dining table.
On the fourth day, Ruan Luo asked the maid, “Has Mr. Fu gone on a business trip?”
The maid’s eyes seemed to flicker with a brief spark as she glanced at him quickly. “No, he hasn’t gone on a trip. Perhaps he’s just too busy at the office; he’s been eating and sleeping there lately.”
“Oh,” Ruan Luo murmured, lowering his head to eat his meal in small bites.
After Ruan Luo finished eating and went upstairs, the maid eagerly hurried to report to the butler. “Butler Ji, Mr. Ruan took the initiative to ask about Mr. Fu today. He wanted to know if he was away on business.”
Butler Ji’s expression remained cold as he nodded.
But as soon as the maid left, he too couldn’t wait any longer. He whipped out his phone and swiftly pressed the call button for his boss. “Mr. Fu, during the meal today, Mr. Ruan asked if you were away on business. He wants to know when you’ll be back.”