55: Chapter 55 Paranoia 55: Chapter 55 Paranoia Gao Yang’s mother hurriedly entered the kitchen, but she quickly came out again and said to Gao Yang and his father, “You two have a chat first.
I’m going to buy some meat and vegetables and will be back soon.
Old Gao, keep an eye on Yangyang, don’t let him run around.”
After that, Gao Yang’s mother took some money from the bedroom and came out.
Gao Yang, sharp-eyed, immediately noticed that his mother was clasping a handful of small change in her hand, mostly one yuan and quite a few fifty-cent pieces.
The Gao family was in decent financial shape.
His father had worked hard for most of his life and they had at least one million in savings, plus a house of over one hundred and fifty square meters and assets in the factory.
All together, it must be worth at least five million.
Being a millionaire might not be that special nowadays, but still, that did qualify as being rich.
Remembering that the big house had already been sold, Gao Yang didn’t need anyone to tell him what had happened.
He stood up from the sofa and said softly, “Dad, Mom, you’ve had a hard time.”
Gao Yang’s father laughed and said, “As long as you’ve come back, that’s all that matters.
Everything else is trivial; it’s nothing.
I’m not old yet.
I can just keep going.
Now that you’re back too, we can work hard together.
In a few years, our family’s days will get better again.
Son, don’t worry about anything.
Let’s just celebrate properly today.”
Gao Yang nodded and then pulled out a wad of brightly colored bills from his pocket and placed them on the coffee table.
The red ones were Chinese yuan and the green ones were US dollars.
“Dad, Mom, I haven’t been able to come back for several years, but just before I returned, I made a good deal.
Now we have money, several hundred thousand.
You don’t need to worry.
Our life will get better soon.
And don’t be afraid, this money comes from a clean source.
It won’t weigh on our conscience.
When we have time, I’ll tell you how I got it.
For now, let’s enjoy a good meal,” Gao Yang said.
Gao Yang’s mother nodded again and again, saying, “Good, good, Yangyang is capable.
I’ve always known that.
I believe you.
Our life won’t remain down for long.
I’m going to buy groceries right now, right away.”
Although Gao Yang’s mother talked about buying groceries, she didn’t move her feet, and her eyes didn’t leave Gao Yang for a moment.
Having just seen her son, she couldn’t bear to leave him even for a step, yet she was eager to cook for Gao Yang, showing a clear conflict of emotions.
Gao Yang smiled, grabbed a handful of the money, and said, “Mom, I’ll go buy groceries with you.
Let Dad prepare the dough at home.
When we come back, we can make dumplings.”
Gao Yang’s suggestion was unanimously agreed upon by his parents.
Then, Gao Yang and his mother hurried to the market and quickly bought cabbage and meat before rushing home to make Gao Yang’s favorite pork and cabbage dumplings.
Throughout the grocery shopping, Gao Yang’s mother never let go of his hand.
Once they brought the groceries home, Gao Yang’s mother immediately started chopping the filling, and Gao Yang’s father began making the dough.
Gao Yang, who didn’t know much about cooking, just helped out while seizing the opportunity to talk about how he had survived the past three years.
As the three of them talked and made dumplings, by the time they sat down to eat the steaming dumplings, Gao Yang just finished telling how he had saved Morgan and his son.
Of course, Gao Yang would never mention the fighting and killing.
He only said that he happened to save Morgan and his son, who, out of gratitude, gave him a large sum of money and helped him return home.
And Gao Yang also learned why his parents had moved into the old house.
Gao Yang’s plane crashed in Ethiopia, and soon after the crash, rescue workers found the wreckage and most of the bodies on board, which were largely disfigured.
Gao Yang was the only one missing, but the rescuers concluded that no one could have survived.
Ethiopia refused to continue searching specifically for Gao Yang’s body and declared that all passengers had perished.
However, Gao Yang’s father didn’t believe it.
He had only one thought in his mind: if alive, he must see the person; if dead, the body.
In the search for Gao Yang, his father spent three years hiring people to find him, sometimes as many as one or two hundred, to look for any trace of him.
Gao Yang’s father had indeed fallen into a state of paranoia.
Over the past three years, he had made six trips to Ethiopia, each lasting two or three months, in search of Gao Yang.
He gave up his factory, spent all his savings, and after selling the big house and exhausting those funds, he also sold the factory.
Even the current small house, merely sixty square meters, had been mortgaged to the bank.
The hundreds of thousands borrowed were what Gao Yang’s father spent on this trip to Africa.
In Gao Yang’s home now, everything of any value had already been sold.
If it weren’t for Gao Yang’s return, and the additional hundred thousand US dollars from Morgan, the small house they lived in would soon belong to the bank as well.
Of course, not everything of value had been sold.
Everything from Gao Yang’s original bedroom had been moved back from the big house and arranged as before in the small house.
In fact, Gao Yang’s family was now extremely poor, but his parents didn’t care.
As long as Gao Yang could come back, that was all that mattered.
Although Gao Yang was moved to tears, he wasn’t concerned about his family’s financial situation.
With the over ninety thousand US dollars soon to be in his possession giving him confidence, Gao Yang also believed in his ability to earn money and let his parents live comfortably again.
Though the content of their conversation was sad, Gao Yang and his family spoke in a very relaxed tone.
Just as Gao Yang and his parents were enjoying their dumplings, reveling in their family happiness, their house’s door was suddenly knocked on.
Gao Yang’s father opened the door cheerfully, only to see four or five bald, burly men standing at the doorway.
After a moment of stupefaction, Gao Yang’s father asked curiously, “Who are you looking for?”
One of the men at the door offered a cold smile and said, “Gao Wu, right?
We’re looking for you.
When do you plan to repay the money you owe?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the four or five burly men surged into Gao Yang’s small living room.
Gao Yang, who was sitting on a chair, leapt to his feet, while his mother, not knowing what was happening, clung to Gao Yang, her eyes brimming with tears as she shook her head continuously.
Gao Yang did not speak for a moment, but his father, looking at Gao Yang, said to the unwelcome burly men, “You must be mistaken, gentlemen?
I don’t owe anyone any money.”
The lead bald man said leisurely, “Trying to wriggle out of debt?
Heh, not so easy.
Don’t you plan on repaying the half a million you owe Boss Zhao?”
“Boss Zhao?”
After pondering for a moment, Gao Yang’s father flew into a sudden rage and said, “Are you talking about Zhao Xinwen?”
“That’s right, Boss Zhao.
Good you remember.
When do you plan on repaying what you owe him?”
“Nonsense!
I’ve already paid him in full.
I transferred the factory to him at a discounted price, and he got a great deal.
How has it turned into me owing him now?
Where is Zhao Xinwen?
Let him come and confront me!
Oh, I get it now.
I was in a hurry back then, didn’t take the IOU with me, and now he plans to make me pay twice.”
“Cut the crap, the IOU is still in our boss’s hands.
If you don’t pay up today, heh, we brothers won’t be leaving.”