Salty Fish Lineage

Chapter Sixteen

Looking for trouble? Or collecting a debt?!

Li Wenchuan's place was tiny too—practically shabby for an ordinary celebrity. Could he have taken out loans just to make ends meet?

The staff members' minds raced. They were carrying cameras; surely these people wouldn't dare cause trouble outright? Thinking of the breakfast Li Wenchuan had treated them to, they instinctively stepped forward a few paces and shielded him behind them.

"You..." What were they doing here?

Before he could finish, the six suited men in front dropped to one knee, clasped their fists in both hands, lowered their heads, and said, "Young Master, the six-year term is up. It is time for you to return home and inherit the family business!"

"..."

If this had been an animated scene, crows would definitely have been cawing as they flew across the sky. Everyone present was speechless.

"No, you... have the wrong person, right?" Li Wenchuan took a frightened step back.

He was not afraid of people looking for trouble, but he was afraid of awkwardness. Right now, he was so awkward he could dig out Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum on the spot.

"Young Master, stop fooling around. The family head said that as long as you are willing to return, he will agree to any request you make," the lead man in black said solemnly.

After paying their respects, the group stood and gave the staff a ninety-degree bow, leaving them flattered and overwhelmed. They had never received such a formal salute in their lives.

"Young Master, it is one thing for you to come out and have fun, but how can you mingle with these commoners?" The suited man looked around, his tone dripping with disdain.

Li Wenchuan: "???"

Staff: "???"

"You are the one who will inherit the family business. You carry the noble bloodline of the Li Family. How can you be doing these things?" The suited man looked at Li Wenchuan with complete seriousness.

Seeing that Li Wenchuan did not move, he greeted the staff. "We have some private matters to discuss with Young Master. They involve Lineage secrets, so we hope you understand."

Cameraman: "..."

Cameraman: "Oh, oh, so you want to...?"

The suited man did not answer. Instead, he looked at Li Wenchuan and made an inviting gesture. "Young Master, may we speak in private?" He pointed toward a luxurious Rolls-Royce parked by the roadside.

Several suited men surrounded him at once, giving the windblown and bewildered Li Wenchuan no chance to react before escorting him into the car.

The cameraman even saw Li Wenchuan desperately turn back for one last look, his eyes clearly spelling out two words: "Save me."

But before they could say anything, the Rolls-Royce proudly shut its noble door.

"Dad, do you really think this is the right thing to do?" Li Mingyu was deeply worried.

"It happened to be at this time. Once it airs, no one will gossip about your big brother anymore." Li Zhengyuan was utterly confident.

Li Mingyu frowned. Why did he not believe that at all?

They had heard nothing after sending his brother money, but his brother had also said that he did not want to see them again. They could not simply show up at his door, fearing they would further damage their already fragile family bond, so they could only arrange for some people to look after him.

But when Li Zhengyuan heard about it, he decided that would not do and proposed a new plan.

It would both give him money and hint at Li Wenchuan's true identity to those clueless people online. Killing two birds with one stone—brilliant.

"I think..." Li Mingyu hesitated again and again before speaking.

"I do not care what you think. I care what I think."

"..." Fine. Conversation over.

Inside the Rolls-Royce, Li Wenchuan looked at the four men standing guard outside, then at the man seated beside him, and fell into a long silence.

"You..."

The middle-aged leader promptly explained, "Young Master, we told you. We are from the Li Family."

"..." There was only one Li Family in his understanding.

But the original owner had not left behind any clues that the Li Family was this kind of Li Family!

Li Wenchuan truly felt numb. His heart was dead. So awkward, so awkward.

The middle-aged man handed him a luxurious black-and-gold card. "Young Master, this is your exclusive card. The family head said you have truly suffered too much out here."

Then he cleared his throat, as though imitating someone's expression and tone, gazed tenderly at Li Wenchuan, and said, "Chuanchuan, come home. We miss you very much."

After saying that, the middle-aged man's eyes brimmed with tears. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the corners of his eyes, choking out, "Family Head, he has truly had it hard. He misses you very much."

Li Wenchuan said, "This love is too heavy..."

The middle-aged man beamed. "It is wonderful that Young Master understands." Mission accomplished.

Li Wenchuan: Fatherly love, as heavy as a landslide :).

He accepted the card. As the middle-aged man sent Li Wenchuan back, he said earnestly, "Young Master, if anything goes wrong, just come home."

Li Wenchuan froze, then slowly nodded. "Okay."

A long time ago, someone had also told him, "Just come home." His heart suddenly turned sour, and only then did he realize how much those words mattered to him.

After Li Wenchuan returned, the people in black drove away as well.

The staff asked curiously, "Who... were those people?"

In broad daylight, the whole thing had been far too surreal.

Li Wenchuan had already composed his expression. Wearing a mask of confusion and bewilderment, he said, "They said I have an uncle in Africa with thirty mines and hundreds of billions in inheritance. He is sick and about to die, but has no heir. Then he found me, his distant relative, and wants me to inherit it."

Why did they recognize every word, yet understand none of it when they were put together?

The staff wore expressions as if struck by lightning, while the cameraman muttered, "That is fake, right?"

"I think it is fake too. Everyone needs to stay alert against scams like this." Li Wenchuan nodded in strong agreement, looked directly into the camera with a serious expression, and said, "Pies do not fall from the sky. Only traps do. Trust in the purity of your own bloodline. What African uncle could there possibly be?"

Come to think of it, Li Wenchuan was so fair. How could he possibly have African ancestry?

It was simply too absurd...

That day's interview finally ended with Li Wenchuan and the elderly men energetically practicing Tai Chi. Unfortunately, the staff had been thoroughly shaken by the Li Family's series of ridiculous stunts. Seeing a scene so unlike a celebrity's public persona no longer stirred much reaction from them.

That really was a Rolls-Royce. Did scammers use real luxury goods to trick people these days?

Maybe they had an African uncle with thirty mines too?

The cameraman casually looked at his own complexion. Yellow—but upon closer inspection, a little dark too. Yellowish-dark skin... maybe he had African ancestry?

Carrying that soul-deep uncertainty about his bloodline, they said their friendly goodbyes and returned to their little dark room to edit the footage.

The director reviewed the day's interview content and also fell into deep thought. In the end, for the sake of the show's effect, he decided to give Li Wenchuan's interview segment the most screen time, grouping the other guests together and placing Li Wenchuan with one other guest.

They would make two trailers this way. However, to avoid unnecessary trouble, they also called Jiang Hansheng to ask. What if he did not agree? The director did not want to offend anyone.

The other party readily agreed and said the production team could arrange things however they wished; he would not interfere.

This delighted them immensely, and they eagerly got to work.

Thus, for the first time, This Is Life had two trailers. Only after everyone watched the first trailer did they realize two people were missing. That evening, when most people were idly scrolling through their phones, the official account released this major surprise.