Chapter 15

"Wait, when are you coming in again? I'm so bored!" Andre said.

"...Probably not anytime soon! You know our house has a lot of people staying over, so we probably won't have time these next few days. But we'll try to come in!" Qin Yi thought for a moment before answering. Then he symbolically patted the black mist before him in consolation. "Can't you see what we do outside too? Just think of it as watching TV!"

"TV?" Andre looked bewildered. "Those boxes you people always watch, with moving people inside them?"

"Yeah!" Qin Yi nodded, then called Qin Rong over and left with him.

Inside the space, Andre finally realized that no one was left in front of him. With a dark expression, he released a burst of gloomy resentment before turning to search other planes.

Author's Note: Calling for comments.

Awoo~~~

PS

Tomorrow is Beauty Women's Day.

Little Eight is going out to have fun.

Awoo~~~

Chapter 15: Trivial Matters

Chapter 15

When Qin Yi and Qin Rong returned with soy milk and fried dough sticks, Grandfather Qin, Grandmother Qin, and Qin family's eldest uncle and aunt had already woken up. Seeing the two return from outside, they immediately took the breakfast from Qin Yi's hands. Qin Yi changed into slippers and entered the living room, where Mother Qin had already set out the bowls and chopsticks. She wore her usual bright smile, but Qin Yi keenly noticed a trace of gloom between her brows.

Qin Yi subconsciously turned to look at Qin Rong, only to see him walk over expressionlessly and help Mother Qin call everyone to breakfast. Qin Yi lowered his head and rubbed his nose.

"Xiao Yi, what are you thinking about? Come eat." Mother Qin looked up and saw Qin Yi standing there blankly, so she spoke up.

"Oh!" Qin Yi answered and went over to take his seat.

Unlike the usual lively banter at the table, breakfast was utterly silent today. Other than the clinking of bowls and chopsticks, there was almost no other sound.

Qin Yi finished breakfast feeling unusually uncomfortable. Afterward, Father Qin took everyone out for a stroll around the streets. Qin Yi immediately slipped into the kitchen and asked Tang Manru, who was washing dishes, "Mom, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Tang Manru kept her head down as she washed the dishes, not even looking up.

"..." Qin Yi circled behind Tang Manru and stood quietly to her right.

"What is it?" After a while, Tang Manru looked up at Qin Yi and asked.

"Mom, you seem unhappy," Qin Yi said weakly.

"It's really nothing. You're a child, don't worry about nonsense. Go play."

"Mom, what exactly happened?" Qin Rong suddenly asked.

"...Sigh!" Hearing Qin Rong's usual cool, calm voice, Tang Manru suddenly let out a long sigh. She turned to glance at the empty living room and said in low spirits, "All these years of struggle and effort, and just one sentence is enough to make me deal with it all—"

As she spoke, she casually brushed her hair back as though she did not care.

Was she talking about disposing of the business here and returning to J City?

Qin Yi glanced back at Qin Rong. Qin Rong squeezed with some difficulty between Qin Yi and Tang Manru, then stood at Tang Manru's left and said calmly, "Mom, can we talk?"

Tang Manru fell silent at his words, merely quickening her pace as she cleared away the dishes. After washing the grease from her hands, she applied hand cream and said to Qin Rong, "Then let's talk in the room."

With that, she left the kitchen first. Qin Rong followed closely behind her into the master bedroom. Qin Yi, who came last, stood there stiffly with a face full of dark lines. Tears streamed through his heart as he roared inwardly—

Why does she brush me off when I ask with a smile, but answer every question from that poker-faced guy? Is this discrimination or what?!

But no matter how much he wallowed in self-pity, no one paid him any attention. Qin Yi could only rub his nose awkwardly, pout, and follow them into the master bedroom. He sat beside Qin Rong, facing Tang Manru.

After Tang Manru's emotions had settled somewhat, Qin Rong slowly said, "Mom, if you don't like it, then we won't go to J City. We can still live very well in S City."

"Exactly!" Qin Yi immediately nodded in agreement. After all, he was the most qualified to answer that question. In his previous life, the Qin family's achievements in S City had definitely surpassed those of some inexplicable family business manager.

"It isn't that simple." Tang Manru shook her head. "For people like us, it's one thing if we aren't found. But once we are found and refuse to return to the family, without the family's protection, we'll be undermined by the family's rivals. At that point, it won't just be a matter of developing our own little patch of land. We may not even be able to keep our footing."

"But—" Qin Yi was somewhat unconvinced.

"Besides, if we're thinking of you two, J City truly is much better than S City." Tang Manru smiled. "Since the family already knows you exist, they will inevitably compare you with the other younger members of the family. Your father and I don't want you to lose at the starting line."

With Andre, we definitely won't lose at the starting line.

Qin Yi thought to himself. But he absolutely did not dare say such a thing aloud. Besides, even if he did, his parents might not believe him. It would be even worse if the family found out. Better to leave it for later! So he turned an expectant gaze toward Qin Rong, and the calm-faced Qin Rong stepped up carrying Qin Yi's hopes.

"Mom, if you're only considering us, then you don't need to go back. Even in S City, we will study hard and become sons you can be proudest of. As for what worries you, I believe that as long as you are still a member of the family, they will not allow their rivals to squeeze you out. Otherwise, it would be difficult for them to answer to those forces sheltered beneath their wings. After all, this is a family. But if I had to choose, I would choose J City." Qin Rong changed direction and suddenly said, "J City is the capital of our country, after all. There, we can develop more quickly. I believe that with the strength of Zhenru Garment Factory, it will develop even better there. Grandfather said we should settle matters in S City and return to J City with them, but he never said we had to sell the factory. We could learn from some foreign corporate groups and openly recruit an executive general manager for Zhenru Garment Factory in S City. He can handle the factory's operations in S City. Then we can use this summer vacation to prepare for the establishment of a new factory in J City. Wouldn't that give us the best of both worlds?"

"..." Tang Manru looked at Qin Rong in surprise. She knew her eldest son had always been outstanding, but she had not expected him to be outstanding to this extent. Qin Yi also stared at Qin Rong with worship in his eyes. As expected of his big brother! He truly had the aura of a genius. Even at such a young age, he was still so extraordinary.

Qin Rong calmly accepted their admiring and astonished gazes, looking levelly at Tang Manru with a tranquil expression.

"I... will discuss it with your father!" Tang Manru was already leaning toward Qin Rong's suggestion, but years of habit still made her want to hear Qin Zhenguo's opinion.

Hearing Tang Manru say this, Qin Rong knew the matter was nearly settled. He immediately stood to say goodbye to Tang Manru, then pulled Qin Yi out of the master bedroom.

They passed through the somewhat messy living room and across the tidy courtyard, leaving the house in silence. Qin Rong led Qin Yi into the alley, and only when there was no one around did he signal for Qin Yi to take him into Andre's space.

"...Brother, what's wrong?" Inside the space, Qin Yi looked at Qin Rong's solemn expression and scratched his head in confusion.

"Our situation is very difficult right now," Qin Rong said calmly.

"?"

"??"

Andre and Qin Yi both looked at Qin Rong questioningly.

"Although what I told Mom just now was fairly optimistic, someone who disappeared for over twenty years has suddenly returned to the family and will also take part in managing the family business. The obstacles Mom and Dad will face are bound to be even greater. That is why I insist that they retain their own business." Qin Rong slowly explained as he looked at Qin Yi's bewildered expression.

"And under these circumstances, there is only one way to make the people in the family feel at ease, or at least not regard Mom and Dad as enemies. We need overwhelming strength and a voice that carries weight. Otherwise, Mom and Dad will be trapped by all those rotten affairs like people sinking into a swamp. If we want to compete in strength with such a reclusive family, we are definitely no match for them right now. But we have the greatest advantage of all: Plane Merchants. As long as we make good use of this advantage, surpassing them is inevitable. But now, I want to work hard over these three months—this summer vacation—to build an enterprise comparable to the Qin Clan. Or rather, to gain the ability to speak to them as equals." Qin Rong slowly laid out his objective.

Qin Yi and Andre looked at each other. Qin Yi was the first to speak. "Isn't that easy? There are so many sweet potatoes and grape wines on the market. We can trade with Kate for gemstones or something. It shouldn't be hard to surpass the Qin Clan's wealth, right?"

"It doesn't work that way." Qin Rong shook his head and explained patiently. "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. Without the force to protect our wealth, no matter how much wealth we have, we would merely be three-year-old children clutching gold, waiting to be slaughtered by anyone. Didn't Andre say before that he could contact planes with more advanced technology? Could we buy advanced weapons and stronger forces from them? Do they have things like robots?"

"Of course they do. Although those planes are quite far from ours, after my constant efforts these past few days, I'm about to contact some of them. But have you considered what you would trade for them?" Andre had thought the matter through very carefully.

"Trade means exchanging what each side has for what the other lacks. As long as they want to trade, we can find what they need," Qin Rong said blandly.

"Brother, do you not trust Grandfather Qin, Grandmother Qin, and the people of the Qin family?" Qin Yi suddenly asked.

"...It's not that I don't trust them. I have always been suspicious of strangers, especially a great family with such complicated relationships. Don't forget how Mom and Dad escaped from that family in the first place. The current head of the Qin family is Dad's elder brother and Mom's former fiancé. Do you think he can truly not care about such humiliation?" Qin Rong fixed his gaze on Qin Yi as he explained. Besides, Qin Rong had always had doubts about what happened back then. How could Dad have so coincidentally fallen in love with Mom, who was supposed to become his sister-in-law, while knowing nothing of her identity beforehand? And from Mom's words, she too had only suddenly received news that her family was arranging a marriage alliance with the Qin family. How could it be such a coincidence? If the Qin family's influence was truly as enormous as Dad described, how had Mom and Dad managed to escape all the way back to China so smoothly and hide for decades? According to Qin Yi, if not for Mark's accident at the restaurant, they might even have remained hidden for a lifetime. What a strange thing...

"..." Even Qin Yi, no matter how ignorant of worldly affairs he was, knew such a matter would be difficult to forgive. After hearing Qin Rong's words, however, his formerly optimistic thoughts had changed.

Qin Rong silently watched Qin Yi's thoughtful expression and sighed softly in his heart. Originally, he had not wanted to tell Qin Yi such things. He only hoped Qin Yi could hide behind him for the rest of his life and live carefree. But ever since Andre and all those strange events had appeared, he knew Qin Yi's path was no longer something ordinary people could understand or reach. As his abilities grew stronger and his connections broadened, all kinds of dangers would keep appearing. Though Qin Rong worked hard, there would inevitably be times when he could not take care of everything. So it was necessary for Qin Yi to understand the dangers of the human heart.

I only hope Xiao Yi can truly become strong one day. But if that day really comes, I, who have become used to Xiao Yi relying on me, will surely feel very lonely.