Lu Mingfei: Don't call me a loser, call me a hero.

After playing StarCraft all night with his new friend Lao Tang, Lu Mingfei felt refreshed and slept soundly until dawn.

I got up at 6:30 am under the influence of my biological clock. When I opened my eyes, I was still a little dazed. The unfamiliar ceiling, the soft and comfortable bed, and the absence of the creaking sound of a four-poster bed.

Looking at the spacious bedroom, he clearly realized that he had left his uncle's house and could return to the life he had lived as a child.

When he was in elementary school, his parents were often away on business trips, leaving him alone in the family building to grow up eating at various homes. Although he was lonely, he was at least carefree and happy.

Later, he was fostered at his uncle's house, where he lived a very hard life, which could only be described as paying someone to be a long-term laborer.

Thankfully, I mustered the courage to leave yesterday; otherwise, I don't know how long this would have continued.

He slipped on his slippers and went into the bathroom to wash his face. The face in the mirror still had a little bruise around his eyes, but the deep-seated sense of despondency seemed to have been gone by the punch he received last night, and he looked somewhat unfamiliar to himself.

"No, how come this injury heals so quickly?" Lu Mingfei touched the bruise around his eye. It had faded so much after just one night. If given another half day, it would probably disappear completely.

Is this the effect of the Dragon King's blood?

Am I going to be captured and dissected for research?

That's what he said, but he wasn't really scared at all. He figured he'd deal with whatever came his way and leave the rest to his future self.

The most urgent task is to complete the daily tasks. You can leave the [Study] and [Internet] tasks for the evening and focus on the [Training] tasks first.

I warmed up on the balcony for half an hour with Baduanjin and Tai Chi, then went back inside to study the Basic Swordsmanship taught to me by Chu Zihang.

To practice swordsmanship, one naturally needs a sword. He summoned Muramasa, and the long, unguarded sword appeared out of thin air in his hand.

The blade, clad in sharkskin, gleams like water, and bears the inscription "Heaven and Earth are ruthless; evil shall be slain." It is quite heavy.

He plucked a hair and blew it towards the blade; the severed hair fell silently, its sharpness needing no further explanation.

It's just too dangerous. It's one thing if he hurts himself, but if he damages all the expensive furniture in the living room, even if you sell Lu Mingfei, Xiao Tiannv wouldn't want him.

With no other option, he grabbed a mop handle and ran to the rooftop to face the morning breeze, swinging the handle according to the movements that appeared in his mind... swinging the sword!

It was a bit awkward at first, but the basic kendo became like a memory etched into my muscles, and it became smooth after a few rounds.

Swing, chop, thrust, parry—every movement is clean and crisp, the body moves naturally with the center of gravity, and it's a pleasure to watch.

What he didn't know was that his every move was being watched.

Su Enxi sat behind the monitor screen, watching the boy on the rooftop wielding a broomstick with impressive skill and demeanor, and could hardly believe her eyes.

"When did he learn this skill?"

Although she is a logistics staff member, she also has a certain fighting ability.

It's obvious that Lu Mingfei's posture is standard, his power generation is clear, and his movements are well-paced, whether he's practicing Tai Chi or swordsmanship. He's not just doing Xia Jiba's attacks.

Moreover, this kid practiced for an incredibly long time, more than an hour already. He looked like he'd been pulled out of a sweat tank, yet he could still manage to laugh!

I've never heard of bloodline awakening turning a lazy dog ​​into a training maniac!

Su Enxi was completely baffled and suspected that Lu Mingfei was practicing his sword so early in the morning, perhaps preparing to take up his sword and go back to his uncle's house to fight his aunt.

I checked the time; the long-legged girl wouldn't arrive until noon at the earliest. I hope the first thing she does after landing is to go to the police station to bail her out.

It shouldn't be that bad, let's see.

Lu Mingfei was unaware that someone was secretly watching him. After completing his daily training tasks, he only felt sore all over, but surprisingly, he didn't feel tired.

Perhaps due to the awakening of his bloodline, he was able to clearly perceive the changes that occurred in his body during the training process, as well as the improvement in his proficiency with [Basic Swordsmanship].

The overwhelming sense of accomplishment made him feel incredibly happy.

After washing up and having breakfast downstairs, the lawyer that Little Fairy had found for him rang the doorbell.

The lawyer, in his early thirties, was impeccably dressed in a suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, shiny leather shoes, and his hair was meticulously combed. He introduced himself as the legal advisor for the Su Group, and said his surname was Zhang.

"Ms. Lu, Ms. Su has told me about your basic situation. Let me first confirm your needs." As soon as he sat down, Attorney Zhang got straight to the point:

"Do you want to get back the living expenses, transfer guardianship, pursue legal action for negligence, or file criminal charges for abuse?"

"It shouldn't be called abuse, right?" Lu Mingfei didn't expect this lawyer Zhang to be so wild, coming up right off the bat to send his aunt to jail.

Although his aunt treated him poorly, she didn't lock him in a dark room, prevent him from eating, or beat and scold him frequently.

"If you want, you can convict someone." Attorney Zhang pushed up his glasses with his middle finger, his face exuding the confidence of an outlaw.

At this point, the game also pops up a mission option:

No one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes. Faced with your uncle and aunt's negligence, please choose—

1. Forgive generously and let bygones be bygones.

2. To sever all ties, like cutting off one's robe and sleeve.

3. Those responsible will be held accountable according to the law; there will be no leniency.

Given Lu Mingfei's meek nature, he would actually be satisfied if he could get back the remaining living expenses.

But he remembered the empty time he spent squatting under the streetlight yesterday after being kicked out of his home, with no one coming to see him.

He recalled how his uncle had lied to Lu Mingze to enroll him in extracurricular classes, and felt that the wound of betrayal could never heal.

"Take my money back, transfer the guardianship, and we'll go our separate ways from now on."

Lu Mingfei was, at heart, still kind and good-natured. Although he didn't have a pleasant time at his uncle's house, it at least provided him with a place to stay, and he didn't want to push things too far.

"If they persist, then we'll take them to court!"

"Okay, here are your parents' remittance records and your expenses over the years. Take a look." Attorney Zhang took out a document and handed it to Lu Mingfei.

Looking at the striking numbers on the document, Lu Mingfei felt a little short of breath.

He had thought his uncle and aunt might be greedy, but he never expected them to be this greedy.

Over the years, the living expenses his parents sent him have amounted to less than a fraction of what he has spent on himself!

"Attorney Zhang..."

"I am here."

"I have no other demands, I just want you to take back everything they owe me."

Attorney Zhang nodded slightly: "Don't worry, I'm a professional."

……

When Lu Gucheng hurriedly asked his boss for leave and rushed home, he found a BMW 7 Series parked downstairs, a car far superior to his own BMW 3 Series. He knew things were really serious and quickly took the elevator upstairs.

Before the elevator doors even opened, I heard my wife's booming voice, and I knew without even listening that it wasn't anything nice.

There were many neighbors watching in the corridor. When he appeared, covered in sweat, they all cast intriguing glances at him.

Lu Gucheng felt incredibly embarrassed and didn't dare to look any further. He lowered his head and quickly walked to his front door.

The door was wide open, and the old woman's voice, octaves higher, was pouring out:

"I raised you for 5 years. Your parents didn't care about you or wanted you. We raised you!"

You're now hiring an outsider to turn against your own family? Have you lost all conscience?

Hearing this, he quickly went inside and found that his wife, who had been aging, had turned into a radiant woman, pointing at Lu Mingfei sitting on the sofa and a slick-haired lawyer next to him, and yelling at him.

Although she spoke loudly and used very harsh language, as her husband, Lu Gucheng could tell at a glance that his wife was all bark and no bite; she looked fierce on the surface but was actually incredibly weak inside.

Having been used to being domineering for so many years, she subconsciously didn't want to show any weakness in front of Lu Mingfei.

His eldest nephew sat on the sofa with his back straight and no expression on his face.

The bruises on his face had faded considerably. Although he was still wearing his school uniform, he was completely different from the timid, downcast kid he used to be, like a spring that had been compressed for too long that had finally been released.

Even when facing her aunt, whom she had always feared the most, she did not show any fear or timidity.

Sitting next to Lu Mingfei was a pale-faced man. Seeing Lu Gucheng enter, he nodded slightly, then turned to the flushed middle-aged woman opposite him and spoke in a steady voice:

"Mrs. Lu, you said you supported my client for five years. So, what was the largest expense you incurred for him during those five years?"

"I provide him with food, clothing, and education; every single expense is an inconvenience."

"Please don't confuse the concepts. I'm referring to the expenses you pay for him, excluding the living expenses his parents send him."

Attorney Zhang pointed to a document on the table and loudly stated the huge sum of living expenses and tuition fees that Lu Mingfei's parents had transferred to Lu Gucheng and his wife for safekeeping, making sure everyone outside could hear him.

These neighbors might not understand what US dollars or exchange rates mean, but they could clearly hear that after converting it to RMB, Lu Mingfei had received millions of RMB in living expenses over the years, but that amount was less than a fraction of what he actually received.

Hearing such a blatant comparison, the aunt's face turned from red to purple, and she argued:

"Groceries are free? Water and electricity are free? Does he not have to pay for living in such a big room?"

"My client is staying in the bunk bed in your son's room, which is about 10 square meters. Also—" Attorney Zhang glanced up at her, his eyes unfriendly:

"Starting from the second year of junior high school, my client has taken on most of the daily housework. Based on market hourly wages, this work can be accumulated. Are you sure you want to calculate it this way?"

The aunt's mouth opened and closed repeatedly, her finger trembling as she pointed at the lawyer for a long time, before finally turning to Lu Mingfei: "Look at the person you hired!"

Lu Gucheng finally found a chance to speak, grabbing his wife's arm: "You better shut up!"

Then she turned to the lawyer and forced a smile: "Sir, my wife has a bad temper. Let's sit down and talk it over. There's nothing that can't be resolved between family members."

However, Attorney Zhang didn't respond, but pushed the documents on the table forward: "Mr. Lu, take a look at this first."

A sense of foreboding welled up in Lu Gucheng's heart; he knew this might be the reason that had enraged his wife.

When he picked it up and looked at it, he almost fainted. It turned out that they were required to return all the money except for Lu Mingfei's expenses over the years, and to transfer the guardianship and care rights, thus severing all kinship and care relationships between the two parties.

The central message is simple—pay back the money!

But that's easier said than done, since their current affluent lifestyle is built on misappropriating Lu Mingfei's living expenses.

Otherwise, with just his salary as a lowly researcher, how could he afford a house, a BMW, a luxury watch, and some high-quality counterfeit designer brands? How could his wife not have to work and just gamble away money at mahjong? How could his son attend a prestigious school like Shilan Middle School, and have countless allowances to squander...?

Their current lifestyle is all thanks to sucking Lu Mingfei's blood. They've become fat and bloated from it, while Lu Mingfei has been reduced to skin and bones.

Seeing his increasingly grim expression, the lawyer sitting next to Lu Mingfei, speaking in a voice that wasn't loud but was definitely loud enough for the onlookers outside the door to hear, revealed the grievances Lu Mingfei had suffered over the years:

"...My client has been cooking, washing dishes, and mopping the floor every day since he came home for the past five years. He has less than 100 yuan of pocket money a month, and most of the clothes he has bought in the past five years are from street vendors."

His cousin, Lu Mingze, gets hundreds or even thousands of yuan in pocket money, buying one pair of designer clothes and sneakers after another. You can all imagine where that money comes from.

Lu Mingfei could have lived the life of a young master, but they forced him to become a farmhand and frequently insulted and deducted his allowance.

Upon hearing this, the neighbors immediately erupted in uproar.

They had heard from Lu's wife that they took good care of Lu Mingfei, and that all the living expenses sent by his brother and sister-in-law were used for him, and that they also subsidized him regularly.

The truth was a complete lie. Not only did they embezzle all of Lu Mingfei's living expenses, but they also abused him. They were inhuman.

"No wonder Mingfei is so skinny, like a monkey, while his son Lu Mingze is all plump and healthy..."

"After the argument last night, I thought Mingfei was going through a rebellious phase, but it turns out his parents-in-law are just being inhuman."

"Old Lu, isn't that a bit unfair of you? It's one thing to use other people's parents' money to raise your own son, but at least treat them equally!"

Listening to the undisguised gossip of the neighbors outside the corridor, the uncle and aunt, two "respectable people," felt as if their dignity had been thrown to the ground and trampled on.

The uncle was alright, he felt guilty, but the aunt felt that Lu Mingfei had ruined all her good days, and she was about to start cursing again:

"Lu Mingfei, you ungrateful wretch, are you doing this on purpose? You're trying to ruin our family..."

"Mrs. Lu, please watch your words." Attorney Zhang held up the recorder. "Every word you just said has been recorded. If we go to court, these recordings will be submitted to the court as evidence that you insulted my client."

Upon hearing this, the aunt fell silent instantly. No matter how fierce she was, she was only fierce within her own household; she couldn't defy the law.

Sweat poured down Lu Gucheng's back, his shirt sticking to his skin, feeling both sticky and cold. He knew he was finished; all the face and reputation he had painstakingly built up were gone.

He looked at Lu Mingfei, who remained calm and silent throughout, his eyes filled with a pleading tone:

"Mingfei, why can't we talk things out properly? Why do we have to escalate this to this point? Do we really have to go to court and make it public knowledge?"

If they sign this document, they will have to sell everything they own, otherwise they won't be able to fill this hole.

To fill this hole, they will be bankrupt and return to the days when they had to be frugal and carefully budget every penny.

Lu Mingfei looked up, his gaze as if he were looking at a stranger, and held up three fingers:

"I've waited three years for this opportunity."

I'm not trying to prove I'm great; I'm trying to tell everyone that I will get back what I've lost!

He lost so much in this family; his youthful spirit, self-esteem, and wealth were all robbed, leaving only an empty shell filled with decay.

"I originally wanted to save you some face, but since my aunt won't give me that chance, then I won't."

Before he came, he had actually thought about not going to such extremes, but his aunt did not give him that chance.

She even mocked Lu Mingfei when she saw him return, and when she learned that he had brought a lawyer to get her money back, she went into a hysterical rage.

Even after my uncle returned, he still wanted to act as a peacemaker, hoping to minimize the problems and resolve them altogether.

He had completely given up on this family and had nothing left to cherish.

Since you are so heartless, don't blame me for being ruthless. From now on, we will sever all ties.

The couple wanted to say more, but Attorney Zhang interrupted them by raising his hand and issuing an ultimatum.

"Mr. Lu, my client has already given you a choice."

Sign the papers, return the money, and that's the end of the matter.

If you don't sign, we will take legal action, and then it won't just be a matter of getting the money back.

Negligence in guardianship, misappropriation of a minor's property, emotional distress... all these liabilities combined could impact your job and your son's future. I suggest you consider this carefully.

This was a blatant threat, but it was also the truth.

If anyone were to label him as having improper conduct, Lu Gucheng would lose his job, and it might even affect Lu Mingze's chances of getting a civil service job in the future.

Lu Gucheng glanced at the haggard woman beside him and saw that she had finally stopped shouting. Her lips were trembling and her eyes were darting around in a panic. She clearly realized that things were completely beyond repair.

His previous blustering demeanor had completely vanished, leaving only a pale face.

He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them, picked up a pen from the coffee table, and gritted his teeth, saying, "I'll sign! I'll sign it."

After signing his name, he felt as if all his strength had been drained, and he collapsed onto the sofa, his mind foggy, as if the whole world was spinning.

"We will arrange for a professional team to come to your location to assess your assets and assist you in selling them to make up the difference." Attorney Zhang put away the documents and gave a professional smile.

"Thank you both for your cooperation."

After saying that, he nodded to Lu Mingfei, and the two got up and walked towards the door.

"Mingfei!" Lu Gucheng watched his nephew's departing figure and couldn't help but call out again, his voice filled with too many complex emotions.

But Lu Mingfei didn't turn back. He was heartbroken and didn't want to look back at the home that had caused him so much pain.

Outside the door, the neighbors looked at him with eyes full of guilt, apologizing for telling him to be more sensible and not throw a tantrum yesterday.

Lu Mingfei simply smiled and said, "It's all in the past; we should look forward."

As the elevator doors closed, the teenager, who was often used as a negative example in the neighborhood, left gracefully, perhaps never to return.

A deep, powerful roar came from downstairs as the blue-black BMW 7 Series sped away.

The neighbors all turned to look at Lu Gucheng and his wife, who were slumped on the sofa. Their eyes no longer held the envy they once had, but only contempt and disgust.

"I thought his family was really capable, but it turns out they're just sucking other people's children dry!"

"Pah! Shameless!"