Dragon Clan: Force me to be reborn and slay dragons

Chapter 292 Chu Tianjiao's Secret
The next morning, after Lu Mingfei and the others finished breakfast, they were about to split into two groups to search for him when Cheng Shuangfan, who had left after landing, came to their door and said that his hunting team was about to assemble and asked if they wanted to come and join in the fun.

Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang naturally refused, as they were busy with important matters and had no time to play Little Dragon Man Hunting with him.

Chu Zihang did not tell his family that he had returned, so Lu Mingfei asked his classmate Xiao Su for help and asked her to get two cars.

It's not Su Xiaoqiang, it's Su Enxi.

It was at this time that Lu Mingfei learned that Chip Girl had actually acquired a group in the local area—the Huanya Group.

He had never even heard of it in his previous life, but in this life it is a well-known and famous corporation.

Its scale is similar to that of the Black Prince Group and the Su Group, making it a leader in local heavy industry.

It is said that seven or eight years ago, the boss of Huanya Group succeeded his father and became the new helmsman. Young, ambitious and arrogant, he made some shady moves, wanting to make the company bigger and stronger and create new glories.

The result was the same as that famous Jiangnan leather factory owner: he absconded with the money.

P.S.: I didn't bring my sister-in-law.

At the time, due to his questionable actions, the development project of the high-tech heavy industrial zone planned by the municipal government was paralyzed. Fortunately, a fool acquired the soon-to-be-bankrupt Huanya Group and used his inhumanly rich financial resources to forcibly revive this hopeless case.

This was a hot topic of discussion in the city a few years ago, but the new and old bosses of Huanya Group did not make any big moves or shady operations afterward. They did not even change the name and always emphasized being low-key and keeping a low profile, so no more trouble was caused.

Lu Mingfei was shocked when he heard the news: "Good heavens, how old were you back then? A little kid like you dared to slam down the table and acquire a bankrupt and liquidated group. Weren't you afraid of being stuck with it?"

Su Enxi on the other end of the phone sneered: "When I was six or seven years old, I was already a big shot in the gambling world. I've dealt with countless fat sheep. I was the CEO of a company when I was eight. Financial tycoons, investment magnates, market giants, and Wall Street wolves are just thresholds to meet me."

She said it casually, as if stating a fact.

Lu Mingfei had no doubts. After all, the Black Stone Mansion in Atami was purchased by her eight years ago. The fact that she could mobilize such a huge amount of funds back then clearly showed how outstanding her talent was.

"Then why did you think of acquiring Huanya Group?" Lu Mingfei couldn't understand Su Enxi's intentions at all. Could it be that she was trying to provide a way out for "himself" who missed the Kassel Gate?
Is it "I Can't Go to University and I Can't Slay Dragons, So I Can Only Be a Corporate Slave" or "Rebirth of a Beautiful Young CEO Who Turns Out to Be My Brother's Follower"?
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, then a casual reply: "The heavy industrial zone planned by the municipal government is in my hometown. I guess it's just a way to benefit my hometown."

Upon hearing this, Lu Mingfei raised an eyebrow: "So we're from the same hometown. How come I didn't hear your accent?"

"I ran away from home when I was five to work in the casino." Su Enxi said in a flat tone, indicating that she didn't want to talk about it anymore.

After all, these days, you're not worthy of sitting at the same table with Lu Mingfei if you don't have some unforgettable past.

Lu Mingfei stopped there and didn't press the matter further: "By the way, I was in such a hurry before that I forgot to blow up the toilets in Chiyoda Ward. You can arrange that."

"Okay, I'll have Mai go later."

After hanging up the phone, Chu Zihang, who was driving, glanced over out of the corner of his eye and clearly knew which toilet Lu Ming insisted on blowing up.

However, his focus was not on that, but on the Asia Pacific Group, which had business dealings with his stepfather's company.

He had been taken to a business gala once before and met the CEO of Huanya Group, a man, who was drinking and chatting happily with his stepfather; they seemed to have a very good relationship.

Could there be some story behind this?
"Hey, there are so many coincidences in this world." Lu Mingfei said meaningfully, then turned to look at Erii, who was sitting alone in the back row playing on her phone.

The internet-addicted girl was holding the matching iPhone that Lu Mingfei had bought for her the night before, texting her brother who was far away overseas. A barely perceptible smile graced her delicate face, and her eyes sparkled.

Although she usually doesn't show much facial expression, under Lu Mingfei's guidance, she has learned to use emoticons.

The conversation with Genjiro at this time was roughly as follows:
Genjiro: "How is Erii's first trip to another country? Is she able to adapt?"

Erii: "I'm so happy! Sakura took me to a bar! //＞＜//"

Yuan Zhisheng:?

Erii: "We'll sleep together again tonight //＞ v＜//"

Yuan Zhisheng:? !
Erii: "Oh right, I also ate something weird. It smelled stinky, but it was kind of delicious Oo."

"What are you chatting about that makes you so happy?" Lu Mingfei asked curiously. Last night, this girl saw someone selling durians on her way home and insisted on buying one to try.

As a result, he soaked in the bathroom for more than half an hour before going to bed, and insisted that his room also smelled bad. He ran over and took away his bed, leaving him to squeeze in with Lao Tang for the night.

Erii looked up, her eyes crinkling with a smile: "My brother said he'll book a plane ticket and come over right now."

"Huh?" Lu Mingfei was somewhat surprised. "This person is so unpredictable. Can't he have some principles? If he keeps changing his mind, he'll end up like Yamcha."

Soon, the car arrived at a factory of the Black Prince Group. The driver immediately identified himself as a descendant of Chu Tianjiao, there to handle his belongings.

The security guard in charge of the gate called over a middle-aged man in his forties. He looked at the three good-looking young men and women dressed in bright and stylish clothes with some suspicion.

But after seeing Zihang's face clearly, he still opened the door:

"You're Old Chu's son, right? Isn't your name Chu Zihang?"

Chu Zihang was surprised that the other party recognized him, and nodded, "Yes."

"Why are you only arriving now?" The middle-aged man glanced at him, wanting to say something, but then shook his head and sighed, his eyes filled with complex emotions. Perhaps he had already imagined a melodramatic soap opera about the grudges and entanglements of a wealthy family.

Lu Mingfei chuckled and pulled a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes from his pocket, stuffing it into the middle-aged man's hand: "Those who know, know; those who don't, you won't understand even if I explain. Uncle, don't ask. The interests involved are too great, and it won't do you any good to say anything. I can only say that the waters run deep, and all the information online has been deleted."

The middle-aged man was amused by his series of moves, and the slight resentment he felt towards Chu Zihang dissipated. After all, the events of that year were indeed somewhat complicated, and the news materials online had indeed been deleted; everyone was keeping quiet about it.

"Old Chu's things are all kept in his room. No one has come to claim them all these years, and we haven't touched them either." He put the cigarette in his pocket and led the group towards the dormitory building.

"Uncle, tell us about what happened to Uncle Chu back then. We were only in junior high school at the time, and our families didn't tell us anything." Lu Mingfei started trying to get closer to him.

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man's eyes flashed with reminiscence. He wanted to finish his cigarette, but seeing the girl the young man beside him was holding hands with, he held back.

"Old Chu is a man..." He scratched his thinning hair, "He's not a bad person, he's quite honest, and he never slacks off when it comes to work."

I used to drive for the leaders at the tax bureau, but later I quit my job to become our boss's driver in order to earn more money.

He didn't have any bad habits, just liked to have a couple of drinks, and when he was a little tipsy, he liked to brag.

The middle-aged man glanced at Chu Zihang, who was listening silently, and sighed inwardly, thinking of ways to improve his old friend's image.

"He often told me how beautiful his wife, a dancer, was, and how smart and handsome their son was. He said he felt sorry for them, and that he left with nothing of value when they divorced."

"They come here saying the boss pays them the highest salary and gives them the best car, making them feel really proud to pick up their kids from school."

Chu Zihang listened in silence; these were indeed things that man would say.

But the most expensive Maybach in the city was seen at the entrance of Shilan Middle School very rarely, you could count the number of times on one hand.

Moreover, the child support that my mother had promised to send on time every month has never been mentioned by her.

"He doesn't have any hobbies. He only goes out when the boss needs him, otherwise he just stays in the factory, probably trying to save money." The middle-aged man sighed.

“He used to be very talkative. He could chat for half an hour over a plate of braised pork intestines, and he could talk about anything and everything. But he gradually became less talkative. When we drank together, I didn’t know what he was thinking. Sometimes he would only manage to say a few words after drinking a whole bottle of sweet potato liquor.”

Chu Zihang glanced at him, then looked away. That man always had so much to say in front of him.

Lu Mingfei knew that Chu Tianjiao was a chatterbox; in his past life, even Aunt Xiaoyan had to avoid him when he talked too much.

As they were talking, the four of them arrived at the dormitory building.

The dormitory building is quite large and almost full of people, but it's construction time right now, so there's not much noise.

The middle-aged man went to the housing management office, found a bunch of keys, and led them through a long corridor, down the stairs.

Lu Mingfei frowned upon seeing this: "Uncle Chu lives underground?"

“He had nowhere to live at the time, and the boss asked me to arrange it. But the dormitory building was full, and only the underground storage room was empty. He didn’t mind and said he would stay there.” The middle-aged man nodded. “At the time, I just thought it would be a temporary place and he would move out once he found a place to live. I didn’t expect him to stay there for several years.”

Upon reaching the second basement level, a few solitary lights illuminated the dimly lit corridor, and the roar of the air conditioner compressor echoed through the air, along with a faint, almost imperceptible smell of kerosene.

Erii frowned her pretty eyebrows and grabbed Lu Mingfei's clothes. Clearly, the dirty and messy environment triggered her germaphobia, and she subconsciously resisted.

However, they did not mention leaving.

"He's been living in a place like this all these years?" Chu Zihang asked, somewhat incredulous. The super executive hailed as one of the top ten in Kassel College's history had been living in such a filthy and chaotic place for the past few years. "Yes," the middle-aged man stopped in front of a rusty tin door, picking at the key in the dim light, his voice filled with helplessness.
“He is the boss’s driver, not a factory employee. He doesn’t get room and board, so he simply stayed here to save on housing subsidies and accommodation fees.”

"They said they were saving money to give you and your daughter-in-law a big red envelope when you get married."

Lu Mingfei & Chu Zihang: "..."

Sometimes, when people are speechless, they really are speechless.

If they didn't know Chu Tianjiao's true identity, they would definitely think that fatherly love is great and needs no further explanation.

But Chu Tianjiao is someone who can dominate the world of mixed-race people with his martial prowess. Even if he doesn't care about combat strength, he can get by anywhere with his skills alone, and he would never have fallen to such a state.

What does it mean to endure hardship without suffering?

This is!
Fatherly love has a strong flavor, but it doesn't need much salt; too much will make your throat feel dry.

The door opened, and the room was surprisingly clean. The room, which hadn't been cleaned in a long time, had a musty smell, but the air was still fresher than in the corridor outside.

The middle-aged man stood at the door and made room for him: "These are all things that Lao Chu bought himself. I'll go find you a cart so it will be easier to move anything you need."

"Thank you," Chu Zihang said, then stepped inside first.

Lu Mingfei watched the middle-aged man leave before leading Erii into the room and closing the door.

The room was sparsely furnished: a double bed, a bedside table, a writing desk with a chair, and a small refrigerator in the corner.

The walls were yellowed from years of secondhand smoke, the cement floor was covered with a layer of dust, and clothes hangers were hanging from a few steel wires in the corner of the room.

The room was neatly arranged; clothes, shoes, and socks were not scattered around, and the bedding was folded and placed in the middle of the bed. It didn't look like the place where a single man lived.

"Judging from this alone, you have indeed inherited Uncle Chu's cleanliness." Lu Mingfei had seen Chu Zihang's room before, and it was just as tidy as this one.

Chu Zihang didn't speak. He went to the bedside table, picked up a photo, and quietly examined it.

It was a family photo taken when he was four or five years old. His mother was as radiant and beautiful as ever, while his father, with his slicked-back hair, had his arm around her shoulder, looking incredibly proud.

"Uncle Chu's appearance is a bit of a letdown." Lu Mingfei peeked out from beside him, looking at the handsome man with a smug look on his face, and could only barely match him with the Uncle Chu in his memory who was always so radiant.

He shouldn't be like this.

Chu Zihang remained silent, put down the family photo, and began searching for clues, but found nothing except for the magazine and some invoices.

Does that man just lie in bed daydreaming and reading magazines when he has nothing to do?
He frowned, disbelieving that the dwelling of the man who dared to charge against God could be so simple.

Just as he turned around to search for clues again and analyze the clues left by the man, he met Lu Mingfei's eyes.

The latter raised his hand and pulled him aside, then flicked his finger upwards. The iron bed frame, mattress, and blanket all floated up under the pull of an invisible force, moving in the direction of Lu Mingfei's finger.

The covering was removed, revealing a hidden door under the bed.

This is a tightly fitted hidden door, welded together from sheet metal and a frame, and secured with a heavy iron lock.

Clearly, this is the real secret room where Chu Tianjiao hides his secrets.

Chu Zihang bent down and grabbed the iron lock. His golden eyes, concealed by colored contact lenses, flashed with a cold light. Then, a scorching heat appeared in his palm, and the extreme heat instantly turned the iron lock red.

With a gentle twist, the iron lock snapped, and he opened the hidden door.

Instantly, a chill swept in from the dark space below, carrying with it mystery and icy cold.

Chu Zihang looked up at Lu Mingfei, their eyes met, and after nodding, he jumped down, grabbing an iron bar in mid-air to cushion the impact.

Upon landing, it was pitch black. He turned on his tactical flashlight, and instantly the secret space on the third underground floor was as bright as day.

"Boom!"

A soft sound came from behind, and Lu Mingfei landed lightly with Erii in his arms.

Releasing the curious girl from his sight, Lu Mingfei looked around, sighed inwardly, stepped forward and patted the boy who was standing motionless on the shoulder, standing side by side with him looking at the extravagant basement in front of them.

Directly in front of them was a handcrafted wooden liquor cabinet, each bottle of whisky gleaming with an amber luster, the vintage on the label indicating that these were valuable collector's items.

Next to the old-fashioned gramophone, vinyl records are neatly stacked, each one a classic treasure coveted by collectors.

The cigar rack displayed beautifully packaged cigars of a familiar brand, the same one Caesar smoked—all top-quality Cuban cigars.

In the corner, several retro cameras and a complete set of developing equipment are quietly placed, while heavy fitness equipment that you can only see in gyms is placed against the wall, with any dumbbell weighing at least 100 pounds.

In the very center of the room was a soft and comfortable large bed with a sheepskin mattress, and an energy-efficient air conditioner was mounted on the wall.

No wonder the dormitories upstairs are so simple and clean, they don't look like anyone lives there. It turns out that the real enjoyment is here.

Chu Zihang stared blankly at the luxurious, even extravagant, facilities inside. He didn't know what to think at that moment, but the middle-aged man's words kept echoing in his ears.

"I told them I was sorry, that I left with nothing when I got divorced and didn't keep anything of value."

"If there's nothing to do, he just stays cooped up in the factory, probably trying to save money."

"Save up money so you and your daughter-in-law can have a big red envelope when you get married."

The words that had touched me just moments before now sound like the most biting irony.

He suddenly remembered the rented room he had lived in since he could remember.

It was a large single room, about the same size as this one. It wasn't spacious enough for a family of three; the man couldn't even carry him on his back like a horse.

But he was still very happy back then. Although his home was small and messy, it was warm, cozy, and joyful. Even after moving into a big villa and having his own bedroom, he still couldn't stop missing it.

But why, why...

The coldness in Chu Zihang's eyes intensified. He turned to look at the workbench on the other side, where photos were nailed to the wooden board.

Judging from the shooting angle, they were all taken secretly. Without exception, the main subjects of the photos were all the mothers when they were young and the baby-faced boy. But you can see that the focus of the lens is always the bright and beautiful mother.

The man was a very good photographer; he made his mother look like a movie heroine, with each photo showcasing breathtaking beauty.

Unlike him, who always had a cold face and no extra expression.

Occasionally, a blurry male figure will appear in the frame, but it is always deliberately blurred to make his face unclear.

Chu Zihang knew who it was, and a nameless fire inexplicably welled up in his heart.

If you mind someone taking your place and feel uncomfortable about it, why choose to give it up in the first place?!
He approached and saw that the date of the unauthorized photograph was marked in red pen on the corner, along with a message left by the man:
"This is your first year away from me. You seem to be doing well, so I'm relieved."

It's pretty good, except that I occasionally wake up crying in the middle of the night.

"It's the second year now, please, don't look so haggard."

It's no wonder that someone who drinks heavily until midnight looks haggard.

"In the third year, you gained weight, but you looked good."

I've already started to forget you.

"In the fourth year, I think of you less often."

……

"In the fifth year, it continued to decrease."

……

"It's been six years, but I still miss you."

(End of this chapter)