Middle-aged tycoon: Twins come knocking on his door when he goes home for Chinese New Year

Zhang Jianguo's question made everyone at the table perk up their ears.

Li Mengli, in particular, was so excited her eyes were practically sparkling.

She was just about to open her mouth and reveal her father's glorious achievements as a "billionaire," "acquired Apple," and "bought a Porsche."

So that they would all be completely astonished.

"Uncle, you don't know, actually my dad..."

"Ahem!"

Li Ze suddenly coughed twice, interrupting his daughter.

He gently nudged Li Mengli's foot under the table, signaling to her with his eyes: Girl, keep a low profile, keep a low profile!

Li Mengli swallowed back the words she was about to say after being kicked, and looked at her father with a puzzled expression.

Li Ze knew exactly what was going on.

Mengli is a young girl with a simple mind. Besides, he is her biological father. Even if he said he was the Jade Emperor, this girl would probably believe him.

But who are these people sitting in front of me?

That was his brother-in-law who watched him grow up, and his ex-wife who knew him inside and out.

These people know perfectly well what conditions Li Ze had in place back then.

He was an ordinary college graduate from a second-tier university, majoring in public administration, with no connections whatsoever.

So he just abandoned his wife and children and ran off to America, and in eighteen years he can earn trillions, even hundreds of trillions? He can buy up Fortune 500 companies like they're dirt cheap?

If I said that out loud, they definitely wouldn't believe me.

Not only would they not believe it, they would probably think he had done something illegal or disorderly abroad.

Or perhaps they joined some kind of pyramid scheme or fraud organization and their minds were brainwashed.

At that point, forget about making amends to Ruoran; I bet his older brother will call the police and have him arrested.

This kind of earth-shattering wealth should be revealed to them gradually, like peeling an onion, showing them layer by layer.

Li Ze picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and a bitter smile, the kind that comes from years of hardship, appeared on his face.

He looked at Zhang Jianguo and began to weave a story in a calm tone:

"Brother, since you asked, I won't keep it from you anymore."

"Actually, I had a really good brother back then. He had some connections over there and insisted on dragging me to America to make money."

"Back then, my family was terrified of poverty. I was also confused for a moment, blinded by greed, and thought it was an opportunity, so I decided to take a gamble."

"But when I got there, I realized that money isn't so easy to earn."

"In the past eighteen years, I've washed dishes and delivered food there. Later, I saved up some money and started a small business with a partner."

"Through ups and downs, I guess I've earned some hard-earned money."

At this point, Li Ze stretched out one hand, spreading his five fingers:

"Right now, I have about this many in my possession."

Uncle Zhang Jianmin's eyes widened, and he forgot to eat the chicken leg he was holding, exclaiming in surprise:

Five million US dollars?!

If it's five million US dollars, that's more than thirty million Dragon Coins, which is definitely a fortune!

The breathing of everyone present quickened slightly.

Li Ze shook his head, lowered his hand, and said calmly:

"No, no, there aren't that many."

"It's converted into Dragon Coins, probably around five or six million."

Upon hearing this, the tense atmosphere instantly relaxed.

The light in Zhang Jianmin's eyes also went out. He pursed his lips and continued gnawing on his chicken leg.

The eldest brother, Zhang Jianguo, let out a long sigh.

He stomped the cigarette butt in his hand on the ground twice, his tone tinged with disappointment and frustration:

"this one?"

"Li Ze, Li Ze, what can I say about you?"

"You left your wife and children at home for eighteen years, making them suffer so much."

"So all you did, working yourself to the bone, only managed to save a few hundred thousand US dollars?"

"Twenty years ago, this would have been a huge sum of money. But what about now?"

"If you worked diligently and honestly in China, with your intelligence, wouldn't it be difficult to earn several million in eighteen years?"

Second brother Zhang Jianjun also picked up food for Li Menghan while shaking his head and saying:

"Yes, brother is right."

"If you stayed in China, even if you earned less, even if you only earned one or two million."

"But isn't it better to have the whole family together, a wife and kids, and a warm bed?"

"You've ruined your family for this little bit of money. Do the math yourself, is it worth it?"

These words are both reasonable and logical.

Li Mengli, listening from the side, was extremely anxious.

She pouted, feeling incredibly frustrated.

Dad! You are incredibly wealthy, with assets worth hundreds of billions or even trillions.

Even a single hair you pluck from your leg is thicker than five million!

Why do you have to portray yourself as so pathetic and pathetic?

She was just about to say something in defense of her father:

"No, that's not true. My dad's super rich..."

As if Li Ze had eyes in the back of his head, he picked up another chicken wing with his chopsticks and stuffed it into Li Mengli's bowl.

"Honey, eat some vegetables, this free-range chicken is quite good."

Li Ze stopped his daughter again with a look, then turned to his three brothers-in-law, bowing and scraping, and sincerely admitting his mistake.

"My eldest and second eldest brothers are right."

"You are right to teach them a lesson."

"I regret it now, I'm so regretful."

"Back then, I was young and naive, and I wanted to take shortcuts."

"I've figured everything out now that I'm back."

"It doesn't matter how much money you have, what matters is your family."

"I only hope that Ruoran can give me another chance, considering my genuine remorse."

At this moment, the table was silent.

All eyes turned to Zhang Ruoran, who had remained silent.

The bowl and chopsticks in front of Zhang Ruoran were spotless; she hadn't eaten a single bite of rice or drunk a single drop of water.

With her eyes red and swollen, she stared intently at Li Ze.

In those eyes, there was disappointment, anger, and even more so, endless heartache.

After a long pause, she finally spoke, her voice hoarse and trembling:

"Li Ze".

"After all that, you've only made a few million outside."

"So, all those things you wrote in that letter, like 'When I get rich' and 'I'll take you around the world,' were just lies!"

"If that's all the money you've made, why did you come back?"

"You promised me so confidently that you would wait for me and come back to give me a good life."

"And now? What does this even mean?!"

Li Ze felt a pang of pain in his heart and lowered his head.

"Yes, it's my fault for being useless."

"But if that's the case, a few million may not be a lot, but in our small town, it's enough to buy a big house, pay for the children's tuition, and make you less of a burden."

"Isn't that enough?"

"Snapped!"

Zhang Ruoran slammed her hand on the table, tears streaming down her face.

"That's right, there's enough money!"

"But Li Ze, put your hand on your heart and ask yourself, do you think all of this was worth it?!"

"Can your five million buy back the eighteen years I've spent with my child?!"

"Can we buy back the fatherly love that Menghan and Mengli lacked?"

"Can I buy back those nights I spent shivering in the tin shack?!"

"Can I buy back the memories of my 18 years of youth?!"

Every word Zhang Ruoran uttered was like a heavy hammer blow, striking Li Ze's heart.

A wake-up call!

Yes.

Let alone the fabricated five million.

Even with Li Ze's current assets of trillions, that's enough wealth to buy the entire Earth.

Can these eighteen years really be bought back?

The system can give him countless amounts of money and superpowers, but it can't give him his real past.

Li Ze held the wine glass, the sense of powerlessness in his heart almost suffocating him.

Just then, Li Menghan, who had been sulking on the sidelines, suddenly interrupted.

He looked at his weeping mother, his heart aching terribly, and turned to Li Ze, saying fiercely:

"Mom! Don't talk to him about these things!"

"Someone like him, obsessed with money, has no idea what you've suffered all these years!"

"If you ask me, let's just pretend he died abroad! We're better off without a father like that!"

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound.

Zhang Jianjun, the second uncle, struck Li Menghan's hand with his chopsticks with perfect accuracy.

"Ouch!" Li Menghan cried out in pain, clutching the back of her hand.

Zhang Jianjun reprimanded him with a stern face:

"How dare you speak like that?"

"How could you curse your father to die? He's still an elder, and it's the Lunar New Year."

"Disrespectful and unacceptable!"

Li Menghan touched her hand, which was sore from being hit, and looked aggrieved.

But seeing his second uncle's stern gaze, he dared not talk back and could only turn his head away angrily.

Li Ze felt both moved and saddened as he watched this scene.

Second brother is upholding his father's dignity on his behalf.

Li Ze took a deep breath, stood up, picked up the bottle, and poured himself a full glass of baijiu.

He raised his wine glass with both hands, looking at Zhang Ruoran with pleading eyes:

"If so."

"I know it's all my fault, I've caused you so much suffering all these years."

"I know that money can't buy back time or feelings."

"But one must always look forward."

"I really want to make it up to you, please give me a chance?"

"Even if... even if you don't forgive me, just let me help you with your daily life, let me fulfill some of my responsibilities as a father, okay?"

Zhang Ruoran wiped away her tears, took a deep breath, and calmed herself down.

She raised her head, and in her still beautiful eyes, a resolute determination shone through:

"Li Ze, listen up."

"If you want to help Meng Han and Meng Li, that's your business. They have your blood in them, and I won't stop you."

"But between us..."

Zhang Ruoran paused, then said, word by word:

"There is absolutely no possibility of a reconciliation."

That marriage certificate was invalidated a long time ago, and I gave up on you a long time ago.

"Give up on that idea."

Upon hearing this, Li Mengli's eyes dimmed instantly.

She glanced at her father with a hint of disappointment, then reached out and quietly squeezed Li Ze's hand under the table, as if to comfort him.

Feeling the warmth of his daughter's hand, Li Ze's disappointment eased slightly.

Looking at Zhang Ruoran's resolute attitude, he was not discouraged, but instead showed a wry smile.

As long as you don't stop him from being good to the child, this is already a huge step forward.

As for his wife's heart...

Even if it's just a stone, he'll spend the rest of his life warming it up!

Li Ze nodded heavily:

"it is good."

"If that's the case, then your words are enough."

I promise you, I won't force you.

After saying that, Li Ze tilted his head back and drank the spicy liquor in his glass in one gulp.

The strong liquor burned like fire in his heart as it went down his throat, igniting the fighting spirit in his eyes.

"For the rest of my life, I will do everything I can to make it up to you."