Chapter 67: One Million

Chapter 67: One Million

Some smiles were unmasked, their sincerity or falsity discernible at a glance.

After Zhang Wenxuan analyzed the situation on his phone, he lifted his coffee cup for a sip and said, "He did visit your home during the New Year, didn't he?"

To him, this was as solid as evidence could get.

Some matters didn’t need explicit explanation; right and wrong would be judged by others.

Upon the video's conclusion, he retrieved his phone, propped his chin in his hand, and rewound it for another viewing. When he looked up again, he muttered, "Why does it have to be you?"

He seemed presentable and wealthy, but when it came to emotions, things were murky, and he wasn’t proactive about his feelings, leaving one to wonder what exactly attracted the other party.

Ah, he was proactive, but only with others.

—It was infuriating.

The mere thought of this situation gave Zhang Wenxuan a headache. He slammed his phone onto the table and said, "Can't you sort out your affair with Yang Shu?"

A matter that had been unresolved since high school, still tangled and unclear, was something he, who couldn’t stand convoluted affairs, found utterly frustrating. This was a sentence he’d been repeating since high school.

He said, "How many years do we have in life? If you can’t untangle this now, you might as well let someone else find their spring."

For someone so obsessed with money to assert that friendship and wealth were equally important, he must have made a significant decision. Such a person was not someone even he dared to easily disappoint, nor could he bear to see them left hanging.

This conversation had veered far from the topic of documents. Huochuan decided to set aside his files for the moment, loosening his tie slightly, and repeated, "Chen Yibai and I aren’t in the relationship you think we are."

"Fine, let’s assume it’s not the relationship I’m thinking of," Zhang Wenxuan conceded smoothly, then continued, "But you know how people feel, right?"

"Your time is precious, and so is theirs."

He finished his coffee and said, "Don’t let your entanglement with Yang Shu continue. What you have isn’t normal affection. Life is long; if you keep this up, neither of you will be happy, and you’ll hold Chen Yibai back."

Huochuan slowly sipped water, his head lowered.

"Let me tell you something else," Zhang Wenxuan said, "Do you remember Uncle Wang, the one in the film industry? I happened to run into him in the old man’s office today and overheard something."

He added, "He’s preparing a drama, and Chen Yibai is tentatively cast as the lead. They’re probably holding auditions these two days, and if all goes well, filming starts next month. You know how this industry works; once they start shooting, they’re locked in for months with little rest. It seems like this month might be the only time he has available."

Huochuan put down his water glass and picked up the documents again.

—

Chen Yibai passed the audition. The contract was signed swiftly, both parties acting decisively after the successful audition.

This production company was an industry leader, generous with their payments. They didn’t need to be prompted to offer a mountain of gold; they simply laid it out without hesitation.

In reverence of the golden opportunity, his money-making partner had scheduled fewer engagements for him this month, allowing him ample time to prepare for the new script.

With some free time on his hands, he received the first job from the God of Wealth after the New Year. Though perplexed, the God of Wealth had unexpectedly raised his salary, offering the same rate as during the holiday season despite it not being a special occasion, maintaining a daily wage of one million.

Earning one four-hundredth of his total goal in a day was too tempting to refuse. Without hesitation, a certain Bai accepted the job.

March arrived, bringing with it a season of incessant rain.

It began raining in the early hours of the workday, showing no signs of stopping by morning. The sky outside was dark and gloomy, making it difficult to distinguish between day and night.

"Swish—"

His work shift started at eleven in the morning. Waking naturally, Chen Moubai glanced out the window while brushing his teeth, his hair tousled as he assessed the weather.

The rain was heavy, but not exceptionally so. It seemed unlikely he would receive the subsidy for working under adverse weather conditions.

Disappointed, he rinsed the foam from his mouth, washed his face in a whirlwind manner, and wiped away the droplets that fell from his face. Returning to his room, he changed out of his pajamas.

He chose a white hoodie, convenient and quick. Initially planning to leave it at that, he suddenly remembered something as he neared the door, turning around to step out onto the balcony to gauge the outdoor temperature.

"…"

It was somewhat chilly. Dressing like this and going out directly would likely invite the concern of a good neighbor.

Though there was no such neighbor to watch over him, he still added a coat, doubling down on warmth. With hat and mask on, he was ready to step out.

This time, a dedicated car service was arranged, with the driver already waiting at the entrance of his residential area. Upon his arrival, he could proceed immediately. Losing out on the transportation allowance, Chen Moubai sighed regretfully, stepping into the vehicle.

The car was different, but the driver remained the same—the uncle who had chatted with him throughout the previous journey. Clearly remembering him, the uncle greeted him with a smile upon his entry and, once seated, said, "The destination might need to change. We’re heading to President Huo’s company first."

Buckling his seatbelt, Chen Bai turned his gaze slightly. "What’s the reason?"

"There’s an urgent matter President Huo needs to handle, which will take some time," the driver uncle explained. "You should have received a message about it."

Chen Bai thus lowered his head, retrieving his phone.

Indeed, there was a new message, not from the God of Wealth’s assistant, but directly from the God of Wealth himself, sent about ten minutes ago.

Leaving the millionaire God of Wealth waiting for ten minutes, he slightly lifted his cap, quickly replying to the message as the driver pressed the accelerator.

The scenery along the roadside blurred past the windows, raindrops slanting against the glass, gradually blurring the view.

Chen Yibai had visited the God of Wealth’s company a few times before, when entering and exiting the EV building nearby. Previously, he had observed it from a distance with his money-making partner; this was his first time actually entering the building.

A cluster of buildings in the vicinity had inadvertently become a landmark, prominent from afar and imposing up close. Looking out through the rain-streaked car window, Chen Bai belatedly realized that he had never asked Mr. and Mrs. Jiang what they did for a living.

Descending from the elevated road, passing through slightly congested sections, the vehicle encountered no obstructions, directly entering the internal parking lot of the building.

As usual, he hopped out of the car energetically. The driver uncle had reached out his hand, intending to open the door for him, but was ultimately too late. Slowly retracting his hand, he transformed his gesture into a wave, bidding him farewell.

Chen Bai returned the wave with a smile. He seemed to possess boundless energy, radiating warmth even in the chill of the parking garage.

The God of Wealth's personal assistant was already waiting for him here. After he greeted the driver, the assistant led him to the elevator that went straight to the floor where the God of Wealth was.

The personal assistant was an old acquaintance. It was this assistant who told him a year ago that his salary of 120,000 yuan was after-tax income.

The considerate assistant remained as thoughtful as ever. Considering his current special status, the assistant briefly explained, "This elevator goes directly to President Huo's office. No one else will see you."

Chen Yibai nodded and lowered the brim of his cap with his hand. He wasn't too worried; with his face covered like this, it was unlikely anyone could recognize him.

As the elevator ascended, it gradually slowed down, stopped, and opened. A few steps from the elevator, one could see the office door.

Since they had already greeted each other earlier, there was no need to knock. After arriving, he could directly open the door and enter.

"Click—"

The sound of the doorknob turning rang out. The person sitting behind the desk slightly raised their gaze and looked sideways.

The weather outside was gloomy, but the office was bright. The person who walked into the office wore a white hoodie under a coat. Upon entering, he skillfully removed his mask, smiled, and met the eyes looking at him, calling out, "President Huo."

It was a smile that was both unfamiliar yet familiar, light and warm, calm and natural. His voice was steady, slightly soft.

Huo Chuan imperceptibly paused, lowering his raised eyebrows slightly,收回ed his gaze, and looked at the personal assistant standing to the side, nodding slightly towards the sofa on the other side of the office.

The personal assistant understood his intention, leading the man to sit down by the sofa before going to prepare tea. The man wearing a hat extended his fingers, saying, "Just a glass of water is fine."

The personal assistant thus prepared a cup of warm water, which the man sitting on the sofa quietly thanked him for when it was handed over.

There was no need to prepare any snacks, so the personal assistant left the office after delivering the water, closing the door behind him.

The office fell silent. As soon as his body touched the sofa, he instinctively wanted to lean back, but fortunately, Chen Moubai was aware of where he was. Holding the water cup, he sat upright and knew that it was still working hours, so he didn't touch his phone.

Not knowing how long the God of Wealth would work, and not wanting to disturb him, he took a shallow sip of water. With nothing to do, he simply reviewed the script he had read last night in his mind.

Steam rose, and the water level in the cup decreased by more than half.

When people think, their hands often make unconscious movements, such as drinking water. Just as he was about to take another sip from the cup, President Huo, who had been quietly working behind the desk, called out his name.

It wasn't exactly his name; the God of Wealth used to call him Chen Bai, but now he was calling him Chen Yibai.

Pausing his mental rehearsal of the script, Chen Yibai slightly raised his head and asked, "Is there something you need, President Huo?"

His brain hadn't caught up yet, but his professional habits did. His voice was low, his smile faint, and he was very dedicated.

"..."

Closing the document and putting down his pen, Huo Chuan lowered his eyebrows and said, "No need to act."

"?"

Chen Yibai's smile instantly faded, making a pause gesture as he declared, "Logging out temporarily."

After making his declaration, he opened his eyes, his tone changing as he asked, "Am I fired?"

"..."

For a moment, President Huo didn't follow his train of thought. Only after realizing what he meant did he say that the salary would continue to be paid.

With one-fourth of the total goal secured, Chen Yibai didn't let his guard down. Instead, he asked, "Last supper?"

Criminals get a good meal before their execution; analogously, he would receive a high salary before being fired.

—No wonder the client raised his salary for no reason, and no wonder he had to come to the company today. It turned out everything was premeditated.

There was no premeditation. Before his thoughts could wander further, the client stopped his meaningless speculation.

Not having been fired and seemingly without any intention of firing him, Chen Yibai first sighed in relief, then felt something was off. He said, "Taking money without doing work, isn't that becoming a freeloader?"

Everyone loved getting something for nothing, but that didn't quite align with the worker's code. Money in hand wouldn't be held tightly if earned without effort.

Huo Chuan didn't elaborate much, only flipping through the next set of documents and glancing sideways. "Time is also a cost."

Master Chen found this reasonable, even though he hadn't figured out whether his day was worth a million. But since the God of Wealth was giving him money, there was no reason to refuse.

Work suddenly became much easier, akin to lying on a sofa in a different place. He thanked the generous boss, immediately put down the water cup, leaned back, removed the hat on his head, and started reading the electronic version of the script on his phone.

Some people were completely different before and after removing their hats. A mess of hair sprang out, completely masking the coldness in his eyes, and when he lowered his eyes, he looked more like someone who hadn't gotten enough sleep.

Huo Chuan收回ed his gaze.

Paid to prepare for other work, Chen Yibai read the script with unprecedented seriousness, transitioning from lying down to sitting.

"..."

The office was quiet. When Huo Chuan passed by the sofa with his water cup, the person originally lying on the sofa had sat up, bent over, and was writing and drawing on a blank sheet of A4 paper on the table.

He took a sip of water, stood to the side, and lowered his eyes to see what the person was drawing on the paper.

It was a roughly triangular shape with strange, continuous spiky protrusions, looking sloppy yet serious.

He took another look at the masterpiece, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Are you planning to join Huo Qing in the abstract art world?"

"Impolite."

The person drawing immediately raised his head sharply, holding up his artwork for a front display, opening his eyes to say, "This is the sacrum and coccyx."

He was playing the role of a forensic doctor in this production, and there was a scene where he had to draw by hand. If he couldn't draw, he could find a hand double, but that would incur additional costs and risk exposing the trickery. He personally didn't want that, so he planned to draw it himself, and this was his practice.

In the silence, President Huo's eyebrows slightly raised.

Seeing that the expression on the person's face didn't seem to indicate understanding, Chen Bai took out his phone from the side and said, "It looks like this."

On the phone was an illustration of the sacrum and coccyx—a 3D diagram that was clear and straightforward. Simply put, it was a world apart from the drawing on paper.

Mr. Huo offered his opinion, saying, "You're better suited to venture into the realm of abstraction with Huo Qing."

Working together, they might even make a name for themselves.

Having received high praise from the client, Master Chen lowered his head and took another look at his masterpiece before deciding to give it another go.

The pen tip glided across the paper as he began drafting an inverted pyramid once more. Halfway through, Master Chen looked up to see the client still standing by his side.

Why hadn't he left yet? After a moment's thought and carefully pondering the other party's intentions, he tentatively extended the pen, asking Mr. Huo, "Would President Huo like to give it a try?"

The client lowered his gaze.

President Huo hadn't intended to try, but he still accepted the pen.

The seated person instinctively made room for him, passing over a clean sheet of paper in the process.

The office paper never imagined it would have such an abstract day before being adorned with a drawing.

Chen Yibai had been sitting on the side watching, curious about what wonders the God of Wealth could create. When the man put down a few strokes, he changed his posture, propping his cheek with one hand, his unruly hair following suit.

As the outline of the masterpiece began to take shape, he shifted his hand supporting his cheek slightly, covering the corner of his mouth.

When the drawing was halfway refined, he spoke up, sincerely suggesting, "Boss, why don't we three form a team and bravely venture into the world of abstraction?"

He added, "We three might just become rising stars together."

As long as the boss was willing to spend money, he could create three dazzling new stars through sheer investment alone.

Reality proved that it wasn't just the piano; the God of Wealth simply lacked any artistic talent, likely not limited to playing the piano or painting.

After creating something on par with the others, Huochuan put down the final stroke, glanced at his work, and couldn't help but chuckle.

Thinking that the man was laughing at his masterpiece, Master Chen, who now had his smiling lips under control, patted him on the shoulder in consolation, saying, "At least it looks very unique."

Then he asked, "So, have you considered forming a team?"

After offering comfort, he genuinely dealt a fatal blow.

Master Huo didn't have any immediate plans to cross over into another field. After putting down the pen and picking up his water cup, he stood up, checking the time on his wristwatch, saying, "Work will probably end in about half an hour."

It meant there was half an hour until mealtime, and the ever-ready-to-eat Master Chen nodded before continuing his creative endeavors.

The rain continued unabated, growing slightly heavier by noon, but fortunately, it didn't affect their travel plans. Apart from using an umbrella from home to the entrance of the residential area, Chen Bai didn't touch his umbrella again after that.

The place they ate lunch was in a mall, different from the ones he usually frequented for supplies. This mall appeared much more refined, with fewer people than a typical mall, possibly due to the rain.

There was a direct elevator from the indoor parking lot to the floor where they were eating, allowing them to get a good view of the mall's interior from the lift.

He looked around for a week, concluding that he still preferred the malls he usually visited.

At least the prices there were comforting to look at.

This time, they finally weren't having Western food, opting for a Chinese restaurant located on the topmost floor, right outside the elevator.

The restaurant had excellent privacy, with private rooms and the same server attending to them both before and after the meal.

With someone else footing the bill, Chen Moubai could enjoy anything he ate.

After the meal came the digestion activities. Instead of leaving the mall immediately after eating, the two of them took the elevator down to the lower floors.

Just a few steps after descending, Chen Yibai spotted a familiar face first.

Very familiar, recognizable at first glance.

—After all, it was himself.

This area was the clothing section, specifically the EV store, where his image was displayed on the large electronic screen outside. It was a promotional photo taken a long time ago, with a hair color different from his current one, still in the white-haired phase.

Confronted unexpectedly with his own image in an unexpected place, he first pondered the situation before decisively shifting his gaze away.

This area seemed to be a gathering spot for acquaintances. Avoiding his original route and taking a few more steps forward, he caught sight of his study buddy, Zhou Jing.

Apart from the first meeting long ago when he still vaguely exuded a cool vibe, his buddy usually didn't seem to have much to do with coolness in private. However, on the promotional photo, he looked perfectly presentable and exuded ample coolness.

To hesitate for even a second would be disrespectful to his study buddy. Chen Yibai quickly pulled out his phone, snapped a photo, and sent it to his buddy.

"."

His study buddy happened to be free and replied with a period. Feeling victorious, upon receiving the message, he was about to put his phone away when the device vibrated again, signaling another incoming message.

It was from his study buddy, who sent a picture—a screenshot from a previous live stream. In the image, he was seen with his hands on his waist, resembling a living grandpa.

The photo was somewhat blurry, as if coated with a layer of digital patina.

Looking at it for a few more seconds, he felt something was off. He long-pressed on the image.

Wonderful—it wasn't just a picture, but an emoji, which could be added by long-pressing.

His buddy claimed to have saved it from someone else, and many people in the crew loved using it.

"…"

It was a draw. Chen Yibai responded with a period and swiftly put his phone away.

While he was looking at his phone, the God of Wealth was looking elsewhere. After putting his phone away and following the direction of the God of Wealth's gaze, his eyes lit up.

Literally, his eyes lit up in the physical sense. His line of sight led to a watch store, brightly lit, with customers trying on watches. As one customer turned their wrist, the watch face reflected the overhead lights, illuminating the innocent passerby Chen's eyes.

Beside him, the God of Wealth lowered his head to ask him, "Do you like it?"

To check the time, one didn’t necessarily need a watch; a phone would do just as well. Objectively speaking, Chen Yibai preferred tangible money over these things. But the God of Wealth wasn’t exactly a neighbor who could be spoken to candidly about everything, so he chose a more diplomatic response: "It’s alright."

Afterwards, he closed his eyes that had been momentarily dazzled.

The God of Wealth proceeded towards the watch store.

The salesperson had already noticed them earlier and, upon seeing them approach, instantly brightened their smile, leading them to a sofa on the side to sit down.

It turned out that the God of Wealth wanted to buy a watch. Chen Moubai silently thanked himself for choosing the diplomatic route earlier, and glanced down at the watch still intact on his wrist.

Not bad, buying a few more would allow for a different one each day of the week.

Having no experience in this area, he wisely refrained from participating in the selection process. As the salesperson presented their featured watches, he couldn’t sit still and went off to explore other parts of the store.

On one side, the enthusiastic introduction was ongoing, while on the other, a lively conversation was taking place. When Mr. Huo looked up again towards the store, he saw the person already engaged in a lively chat with another salesperson on one side of the store. This person could even carry on a spirited conversation through a mask.

Whatever topic they were discussing, the salesperson couldn’t hold back their professional smile, covering their mouth with laughter.

"…"

In the midst of chatting with the salesperson, the social prodigy was beckoned back by the God of Wealth.

Sitting back down on the sofa, he noticed a glass of water prepared by the salesperson on the table. His mouth was parched from talking, and he reached for the cup, but then remembered the mask on his face and restrained himself.

Of the row of watches previously on the table, only a few remained. The God of Wealth asked for his opinion.

Caught off guard by the question directed at him, Chen Moubai was taken aback at first, before finally taking a proper look at the watches nestled in black velvet boxes.

The glistening gold watch that he had caught a glimpse of earlier, which seemed fitting for the God of Wealth’s persona, appeared to have been removed. He scanned the remaining options with a tinge of regret, eventually settling on a watch with an ink-blue dial that appealed to him, saying, "This one is nice."

The God of Wealth made the purchase. The casual nod from a certain Bai caught his attention, prompting him to raise his gaze and say, "Boss, you’re really trusting my taste?"

The boss didn’t elaborate, merely picking up the water glass to take a sip.