The money had arrived

Inside the Sincerity Hotel, Zhang Jun and his family were in a panic.

Li Xiuying had wiped away tears more than once over this. The elderly woman had even begun to think that everything yesterday had been a hallucination.

After taking her son to kindergarten, Yan Mei called her company to request the day off, then stayed home to keep her mother-in-law company.

Zhang Jun had also taken a day off and spent the entire morning searching around the hotel.

As for calling the police, that was out of the question.

Quite apart from their inability to explain Zhang Hongxing's current identity, a grown man being missing for a single morning did not warrant a police report.

By the time lunch had come and gone, he still had not found him. Ravenous, he had no choice but to head back to the hotel first.

"How did it go? Any news of him?"

Seeing Zhang Jun return, Yan Mei immediately came out to meet him and asked in a low voice.

"How's Mom?"

"The same as before. I just made lunch, but she barely ate any."

"Honestly, what a mess."

Zhang Jun vented his frustration, his voice neither loud nor quiet.

"You must be hungry. Eat first, then go out and look again. If we still can't find him today, we'll call the police."

"Call the police? How am I supposed to explain this to them? Would they even believe it?"

Zhang Jun grumbled a little more while Yan Mei went straight to the kitchen to reheat the food.

Just as she finished, the doorbell suddenly rang. She opened the door, and who else could be standing outside but Zhang Hongxing?

"You... where did you go this morning?"

As his daughter-in-law, Yan Mei did not feel it was her place to say much more.

"Oh, I went to the flower and bird market," Zhang Hongxing replied as he walked over to the dining table. Yan Mei immediately filled a large bowl with rice and brought it to him.

Zhang Jun shot Zhang Hongxing an angry glance, then took his frustration out on the food.

Whatever else might be going on, the man before him was still his father. What son had the right to blow up at his own dad?

Hearing the commotion from her room, Li Xiuying came out, glanced at Zhang Hongxing, then retreated inside again. Of everyone there, the elderly woman had the most complicated feelings and was suffering the most.

"I just went to earn some money. I thought it would only take a little while, but I didn't expect to be held up so long. Next time, I'll let you know first."

After offering that explanation, Zhang Hongxing began shoveling food into his mouth.

"Dad, this isn't the era you lived in anymore. A lot of things are different now. Making money, especially, isn't something you can do overnight."

Perhaps because he was too worked up, Zhang Jun actually blurted out the word "Dad."

"Mm, I understand."

Zhang Hongxing nodded and kept eating. Zhang Jun was bound to call him Dad sooner or later, so he did not feel particularly excited about it.

"Mom, uh, Dad's back now. Come out and eat."

Since he had already said it, Zhang Jun decided to stop holding back. Rather than let the awkwardness drag on, he might as well be the one to break it. Hearing her son call, Li Xiuying stopped hesitating, tidied herself up a little, and came out.

The family sat around the table together once more.

"Xiuying, don't overthink things. As for your age, I can't do anything about it right now, but give me some time, and restoring your youth won't be impossible."

Seeing how dispirited Li Xiuying looked, Zhang Hongxing could not help speaking up.

As soon as he finished, Zhang Jun chimed in:

"That's right, Mom. Maybe Dad really does have a way. If traveling to another world can happen, what's impossible?"

"Red Star, do you really mean that?"

Li Xiuying looked straight at Zhang Hongxing, her eyes full of hope.

"Don't worry. Six months at most. I promise I'll make you eighteen again."

With Zhang Hongxing's assurance, a smile finally appeared on Li Xiuying's face. The rest of the meal finally felt a little like a family gathering, and much of the strange, awkward atmosphere faded.

After eating and drinking their fill, Zhang Hongxing and Zhang Jun sat on the sofa to watch television.

Li Xiuying and Yan Mei cleared away the dishes together and went into the kitchen.

"Dad, Mom and I talked yesterday. We decided to sign the demolition compensation agreement. Once the money comes through, we'll buy a bigger place."

After saying it a few more times, Zhang Jun found that calling him Dad came more and more naturally.

"Sign that agreement if you want. You don't need to tell me. As for buying a home, someone will be bringing some money over in the next few days. Just use that money to buy one."

"Someone's bringing money over? Dad, don't tell me you've got some kind of system too?"

"A system?"

"The kind in webnovels that gives the main character all sorts of good stuff. What kind of system did you get, Dad? Come on, tell me."

"What are you thinking? I don't have a system. I just know a few cultivation techniques. If you want to learn, I can teach you."

"Ding-dong, ding-dong."

The doorbell suddenly rang, and Zhang Jun hurried over to open the door.

The person outside was indeed there to deliver the money. After looking into Zhang Jun's family background, Old Master Zhuang had assumed they were Zhang Hongxing's relatives. Since they were merely relatives, he had not come in person.

"Hello, I'm Zhuang Hao from Jiayun Real Estate. My grandfather sent me to deliver some money to Mr. Zhang."

"Mr. Zhang?" Zhang Jun turned to look at Zhang Hongxing inside.

"If it's 1.4 million, just accept it."

"Mr. Zhang is here too? That's wonderful." Hearing Zhang Hongxing's voice, Zhuang Hao strode into the room, then raised his leg and kicked at him.

The kick went straight toward Zhang Hongxing's lower abdomen. Clearly, he was only testing him.

Having practiced martial arts with his grandfather since childhood, he admired martial arts masters above all else. But he also despised those so-called "martial arts masters"—frauds who used the title to swindle people. Whenever he encountered one, he taught them a lesson.

This time, a master had appeared whom even his grandfather acknowledged.

How could he possibly contain his excitement?

Zhang Hongxing could naturally tell that Zhuang Hao meant no harm, but that was not enough to excuse his disrespect. He reached out, caught the right foot coming toward him, then exerted his strength and flung him out through the doorway.

Thud.

It was a hard fall, but Zhuang Hao lay on the ground laughing at the top of his lungs.

Only after laughing for a long time did he stagger to his feet, then make his way back into the living room using both his hands and feet.

"Mr. Zhang, please forgive my offense just now."

He first cupped his fist and bowed to Zhang Hongxing, then opened a black carry bag he had set on the floor earlier.

"Mr. Zhang, this is the money for the flowers. Grandfather rounded it up to two million. There's another twenty million on this bank card, and the PIN is six eights. It's a small introductory gift to ask you to take me as your disciple. I hope you'll accept it."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhuang Hao dropped to his knees.

"Master, please accept your disciple's bow."

"Leave. I don't take disciples. If you want to learn martial arts, go to your grandfather."

"Master, please accept me."

"I said, leave."

The moment Zhang Hongxing uttered those words, Zhuang Hao felt a surge of dread, as though he were staring death in the face. In less than ten seconds, his back was soaked with sweat.

Facing Zhang Hongxing felt like standing before an aircraft carrier.

The sheer shock was utterly beyond words.

At that moment, he no longer dared to linger. He turned and headed outside.