Duan Chi had no intention of eavesdropping on someone else’s family affairs but another voice suddenly rang out, making him stop dead in his tracks.
“How much do you owe?”
It was Encore’s voice. Duan Chi had heard it countless times during matches and livestreams, so there was no way he could mistake it for anyone else’s.
The middle-aged man hurriedly replied, “Five million. I only need five million. I heard that people in your line of work make over a million a year and you can earn quite a lot just by starting a livestream.”
Duan Chi could barely stand listening to this any longer. His brows furrowed.
Lin Anke asked, “I don’t have that much. How much did you borrow in the first place?”
The middle-aged man said angrily, “I only borrowed one million two hundred thousand but those heartless bastards kept adding interest upon interest.”
His tone suddenly changed, turning pleading.
“An’an, your father knows you’re the most capable one. Aren’t you on good terms with that boy from the Xu family? I saw that he’s also doing this… what do you call it… being a game player, right? Go ask him to lend you some more. He’ll definitely give it to you!”
Lin Anke said, “I really don’t have that much money. I can give you eight hundred thousand at most.”
The moment the middle-aged man heard that it was only eight hundred thousand, he immediately became dissatisfied.
“Are you trying to stand by and watch me die? Are you really that heartless, letting your own father get his kidney cut out by those people? Your mother and I raised you. She even worked herself to death for your sake and now that you’re living comfortably, eating well and enjoying yourself, you don’t care whether your own father lives or dies! How can you possibly face her after this?”
Lin Anke said, “I…”
“It’s fine even if you don’t have the money. I’ll go and find your team. The boss of such a big company should have money, right?”
The host’s voice suddenly echoed throughout the venue. The match was about to begin and Lin Anke’s phone rang at the same time.
It was the team coach calling.
“Encore, where did you go? You’re going on stage soon. Xu Sheng went looking for you. Did you see him?”
Lin Anke replied, “No. I’ll be back right away.”
He hung up and said to his father, “I have to go play the match first. We’ll talk about the money afterward. Don’t go looking for the club. The five million… I’ll figure out a way to get it.”
Lin Anke hurried back to the lounge, completely unaware that another person was still standing in the corridor.
Duan Chi tugged down the brim of his baseball cap, concealing his face, his gaze settling lightly on Lin Anke’s retreating figure. His eyes landed on the ID printed across the back of that team jersey,
Encore.
After thinking for a moment, he pulled up his recent call history and dialed Duan Zhuo.
“Hey, bro, can we discuss something?”
“What is it this time? I really don’t have an Encore support banner here. If you need one urgently…”
“Lend me five million. I’ll pay you back later.”
Duan Zhuo was startled.
“You got yourself into trouble out there? Take it easy and tell me what happened. Where’s the kidnapper? Put him on the phone. I can talk to him. If he wants to threaten you or beat you up, whatever, that’s fine. Just tell him not to rush into tearing up the ransom note.. I mean.. killing the hostage.”
Duan Chi: “…I ran into a down and out beauty at the venue. He’s encountered a little trouble and to keep him from going down the wrong path, I’ve decided to do a good deed.”
“Speak like a normal person.”
“Just pretend I’ve been possessed.”
“Fine. Then how are you planning to pay me back?”
“I’ll be your starting player for a year.”
“Do you take your brother for a beggar? Five years.”
“Deal.”
Duan Zhuo was a little long-winded as usual but when it came to transferring money, he was extremely quick. There wasn’t much the Duan family could boast about but money was definitely not one of their problems. When it came to their own people, they were especially generous.
As soon as Duan Chi received the money, he pushed open the door to the stairwell.
Lin’s father was sitting on the stairs smoking. At the sound of the door opening, he raised his head.
Duan Chi’s gaze settled on his face. There wasn’t the slightest resemblance between this man and Lin Anke. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, “You’re Encore’s father?”
It was an unnecessary question. He had just heard their entire conversation. The man had repeatedly called himself Lin Anke’s father and Lin Anke had never denied it.
Lin’s father exhaled a mouthful of smoke.
“Yes. So what?”
The smoke was making Duan Chi uncomfortable. He opened the window beside him to let some fresh air into the stairwell before asking another question.
“He isn’t your biological son?”
Lin’s father answered irritably, “What does that have to do with you?”
“I’m Lin Anke’s friend. I can help you pay back the five million but you have to answer my questions first.”
The moment Lin’s father heard that, his wrinkled eyes immediately snapped toward Duan Chi.
“You’re serious?”
Duan Chi nodded.
Lin’s father said, “He was a child my wife brought home from somewhere else. His biological family couldn’t afford to raise him, so they abandoned him with my wife when he was barely a month old.”
Duan Chi asked again, “How did his adoptive mother die?”
Lin’s father said, “Of course, she-”
When he caught the impatient look in Duan Chi’s eyes, he immediately swallowed the string of insults he had been about to throw at Lin Anke. Thinking about the five million, he could only suppress his resentment and say bitterly, “She worked too hard and got sick. She died from her illness.”
Duan Chi gave a cold laugh.
“I’d say you were the one who became addicted to gambling and drove your wife to her death.”
“You!”
Duan Chi looked at Lin’s father with undisguised disgust. He really, truly had no desire to spend a single cent helping a man like this but when he thought about Lin Anke’s attitude just now… Encore probably couldn’t bear the thought of his father actually being dragged away and having his kidney cut out.
Suppressing his disgust, Duan Chi said to Lin’s father, “I can pay back the five million for you but once you receive the money, you are not allowed to cause him any more trouble. If you come looking for him again, I can pay off this debt for you but I can just as easily have you sent to Myanmar and when that happens, it won’t be just one kidney you have to worry about.”
Lin’s father was so frightened that he hurriedly nodded again and again. He had spent years frequenting gambling dens, so he knew all too well what methods wealthy people could use when they really wanted to deal with someone.
“I definitely won’t go looking for him again! I swear I won’t!”
Only then did Duan Chi ask him for the repayment account belonging to the lending company and transfer the money.
Five million was certainly not a small amount to Duan Chi. After all, his own pocket money amounted to only a few hundred thousand but to the Duan family, five million was little more than pocket change. Once Duan Chi reached adulthood and inherited the portion of the family’s dividends that belonged to him, five million wouldn’t be considered much of anything at all.
After threatening Lin’s father, Duan Chi hurried back to the front-row audience section. He had barely made it in time and almost missed TIG’s entrance.
On the stage, Lin Anke wore a team uniform that clearly didn’t fit him properly as he followed behind Xu Sheng and entered the arena.
A wave of fans’ voices immediately rose through the venue, everyone shouting, “Encore!” Only in the corners of the audience could a few scattered voices be heard calling out the names of the other players.
Duan Chi raised the support banner the staff member had given him and gently waved it, copying the girl standing in front of him.
Written across it were the words:
An God, the Number One Support in the World, Make the Opponents Cry Their Hearts Out!
TIG won the regular-season match 3–1, which was more than enough to make the fans feel that their tickets had been worth the money.
After finishing the match, Lin Anke hurried back to the stairwell, only to discover that Lin’s father was already gone.
Worried that his father had actually gone to cause trouble at the club, Lin Anke immediately called him. To his surprise, Lin’s father answered in a cheerful voice.
“Your friend already helped me pay everything off. I knew you were capable. You even managed to make a friend who’s that loyal and willing to help. All right, I still have something to take care of. Make sure you thank him properly for me.”
At that time, Lin Anke was so quiet within the team that he was practically invisible. Outside the team, he had even less contact with anyone and had never really spoken to anyone about his personal affairs. The moment Lin’s father mentioned a friend, the first person who came to Lin Anke’s mind was Xu Sheng.
At the time, Xu Sheng had only just realized that he had developed feelings for Lin Anke but Lin Anke was too cold and distant and Xu Sheng didn’t dare to confess his feelings recklessly.
Then, as if even heaven itself had decided to help him, Lin Anke suddenly came looking for him and thanked him for helping his adoptive father pay off his debt.
After knowing each other and accompanying one another for so many years, Xu Sheng could recognize Lin Anke’s embarrassment and helplessness with just one glance.
“Five million isn’t a small amount. I’ll definitely pay you back, Xu Sheng. My father, he…”
Lin Anke bit his lip. His beautiful eyes, clear and dazzling like precious jewels, looked toward Xu Sheng with an unmistakable trace of embarrassment and discomfort.
At that moment, Xu Sheng thought that none of this could really be blamed on him. Anyone in his position would have found it impossible to resist such temptation.
He simply loved Lin Anke too much. Because his feelings were so deep, he was terrified of being rejected and because he was so afraid of losing the slightest opportunity, the moment one finally appeared in front of him, he had instinctively reached out and grabbed it without giving himself any time to think.
“I did it willingly for Anke. You don’t have to feel embarrassed about it.”
“If Anke really feels that bad about owing me, then how about you agree to one condition?”
“What condition?”
“Let me pursue you.”
How can someone be so shameless????? Xu Sheng! You jerk!!!
✦ ✧ ✦
Fleurveil
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
This translator has been caught working for free again. Scandalous.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← Previous
ChaptersChapter 1 · He was substituted off the fieldChapter 2 · I’ll avenge youChapter 3 · Leaving TIGChapter 4 · Point and shootChapter 5 · Join DGChapter 6 · Live stream collisionChapter 7 · MysteriousChapter 8 · Transfer NoticeChapter 9 · Want the championshipChapter 10 · Galaxy BattleshipChapter 11 · Be my DogChapter 12 · Post match ConflictChapter 13 · ReportedChapter 14 · Weibo CodeChapter 15 · Live Streaming to attract FansChapter 16 · Duan Chi’s horse was exposedChapter 17 · Emotional articlesChapter 18 · Match voice recordingChapter 20 · Fallen Beauty