It's just that they have money.

The next morning, just as dawn broke, Fang Chen was awakened by the crowing of roosters.

He hadn't heard a rooster crow in a long time. After a few seconds of confusion, he realized he was at home. Still half asleep, he pulled out his earphones, put them on, and went back to sleep.

I woke up naturally.

[A significant need for improvement in the host's living environment has been detected. New task issued: Rebuild the family residence. Construction funds of 800 million yuan have been disbursed.]

[Task Objective: Complete the reconstruction and renovation of the self-built house in your hometown to improve the family's living quality. There is no time limit, but it is recommended that the host complete it within a reasonable timeframe.]

The system's task came at just the right time.

However, Fang Chen also knew in his heart that the system's tasks were never given for free.

His previous tasks, whether it was health management, hiring an assistant, or buying a house, were all subtly pushing him towards a better life.

It's the same this time.

"understood."

He sat up and stretched, silently reciting a phrase in his mind. He didn't know if the system could hear him, but as long as the meaning was conveyed, that was enough.

My phone vibrated; it was a message from Zhang Zhenghao.

"Going home?"

"It arrived last night."

"Isn't your mom pressuring you to get married?"

Fang Chen couldn't help but laugh out loud when he saw the message.

This guy is practically a mind reader.

"They urged me, but I managed to brush them off."

"Wow, that's impressive! Could you share your experience? My mom's been urging me to get back to work, I just hung up the phone."

"Just say you're afraid of being scammed."

Zhang Zhenghao sent a string of ellipses, then sent another message: "Goodbye."

As Fang Chen got up and changed his clothes, he heard several voices coming from the courtyard, men and women, making a lively noise.

Fang Chen frowned, got up, put on a coat, and pushed open the door to walk into the yard.

There were four or five people standing at the gate of the courtyard; they were all familiar faces from the town and the surrounding villages.

Leading the group was his uncle, a man in his fifties, who drove a slightly worn van. When he saw Fang Chen come out, he immediately grinned.

"Chenchen's back! Oh my, it's been years! He's grown taller and stronger!"

Fang Chen used to visit his family every year during the Lunar New Year when he was a child, but they have hardly been in contact in recent years, and there is not even a message during holidays.

There are other people, all of whom are related to each other in some way.

But these are all part of our parents' social circles.

If it weren't for their family ties, Fang Chen wouldn't have any interaction with them.

"Uncle," Fang Chen greeted politely.

"I heard you've struck it rich!" The uncle stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder with considerable force, "You even drove back a Mercedes-Benz! You're the first one in our area to do that!"

Several people nearby chimed in, chattering about how young and promising he was, bringing honor to his ancestors.

Fang Yuan stood to the side, looking somewhat embarrassed, but out of politeness, he still smiled and dealt with it. Xiang Pingping stood at the kitchen doorway, holding a spatula in her hand, clearly having been called out from by the group of people from the stove.

Fang Chen glanced at his father's expression and immediately understood what was going on.

These people weren't just visiting; they were there to watch the excitement, find out what was going on, and maybe even try to get on their good side.

With such a big car parked at the entrance, even if Wu Zhichao didn't tell anyone, the neighbors could all see it.

Small towns and villages lack entertainment, so gossip always spreads very quickly.

"Uncle, have you eaten yet? If not, would you like to eat with us?" Fang Chen said politely.

"We've eaten, we've eaten. We were just passing by and saw your car parked at the gate, so we came in to say hello," the uncle said with a smile, his eyes sweeping around the yard before finally settling on Fang Chen. "Chenzi, what big business are you doing in the city now? Help us old folks out, will you?"

"I didn't do any big business; I was just lucky."

"Good luck is also a skill!" The uncle gave a thumbs up. "I've known your dad for decades. I even held you when you were a baby. Don't forget your uncle if anything good happens to you."

Fang Chen smiled but didn't reply.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the group finally left.

Fang Yuan watched the backs of the group, then turned and went back into the main room, his expression not very pleasant.

"The news travels fast. You just got back yesterday, and someone came to your door first thing this morning."

Fang Chen sat down opposite him: "More than that, right? There will probably be more in the next couple of days."

Xiang Pingping came out of the kitchen with breakfast, put the porridge and side dishes on the table, and sighed: "Your dad received several phone calls last night, all asking if you've made a fortune. Some people even want you to help them find a job."

Fang Chen picked up the bowl of porridge, blew on it to cool it down, and took a slow, deliberate sip.

"Mom, don't take it to heart. Just say what you need to say, don't hide anything from me, and don't make any promises for me."

Fang Yuan glanced at him: "Aren't you afraid of trouble?"

"Troublesome?" Fang Chen put down his bowl, smiled, and said, "Dad, I came back so that the neighbors would know I've made a fortune."

Fang Yuan was stunned for a moment, not quite understanding.

"You and my mother have lived here your whole lives, and you've dealt with your neighbors for decades. Now that I'm rich, you can walk with your heads held higher, and people will look at you differently. That's the effect I want."

He paused, then added, "As for those who want to take advantage of me, I have plenty of ways to deal with them. You don't need to worry."

Fang Yuan was silent for a few seconds, then slowly nodded.

"You understand things better than I thought," he said.

Fang Chen smiled but didn't explain further.

He certainly understood things better than his father did.

He neither coldly greets relatives and neighbors who try to get close to him, nor does he readily agree to anything.

Politeness is one thing, but propriety is another.

He had known this saying since he was a child: "Even a wealthy person in the deep mountains has distant relatives."

Some people always feel that helping you with a small favor or treating you to a meal is an immense favor, and that you must repay it a hundredfold or a thousandfold after you become successful, otherwise you are ungrateful.

Knowing something is one thing, experiencing it firsthand is another.

"Dad, Mom, I'll transfer two million to each of you in a bit. You can spend it however you like. Also, if you have good relationships with relatives and friends, or if they've helped our family before, or if they really need help, lend them money."

Fang Yuan was silent for a moment before asking, "You said that we should still lend money to close relatives and friends who have helped our family in the past. But is this a genuine loan, or just a gift?"

Fang Chen thought for a moment and said seriously, "Borrow. But whether they repay it or not is their business."

If you're lending money, you have to be prepared that the other party might not pay it back.

If he could pay it back, he wouldn't have lent it.

It's very simple.

Fang Yuan nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

As Fang Chen drank his porridge, he began to plan how to rebuild the house.

"Dad, Mom, I've already asked someone to find a design company for rebuilding the house. Once the plans are ready, please take a look and see if you like them."

Last night he asked Ivy, and Ivy said that she was an interior designer and could not do overall architectural design.

So Fang Chen assigned Xu Wen a new task.

I also took the opportunity to tell my parents that I had hired an assistant.

Fang Yuan picked up a piece of side dish with his chopsticks, chewed it a couple of times, and suddenly asked, "Is your assistant there specifically to do these things for you?"

Fang Chen was taken aback for a moment: "Yes, she helped me with a lot of things, including coordinating plans and reviewing contracts."

"She's quite capable," Fang Yuan said casually, but Fang Chen felt there was something more to his words.

"She's quite capable." Fang Chen pretended not to notice and continued drinking his porridge.

"How old are you? What's your educational background?"

"He's one year older than me, and has master's degrees in both finance and law."

Xiang Pingping glanced at Fang Yuan from the side, and the two exchanged a look that Fang Chen couldn't understand.