Chapter 37: We Are Family

Both Wenliang and I were stunned as we watched the little monkey pull a handful of bank cards from his pocket. Even Zhao Haibo and Cai Lei, standing not far away, had their eyes widened, staring unblinkingly at the cards in the boy's hand.

I had assumed there were only cards for him and Hei-ge, but there were six in total. This meant that all six of Third Master’s apprentices had been accounted for, with two million each.

The little monkey’s eyes were red-rimmed as he looked at me and said, "Actually, before the New Year, Master told me he wanted to go on a trip to find someone. He said he didn't know when he would return, or if he would return at all. That’s why he divided his savings from all these years into many portions—for the six of us, for you and your sister, and even for the brothers and sisters at the recycling center."

I wiped the tears from his eyes with both hands and said with a smile, "Third Master never forgot about us."

I said this as much for those two ungrateful bastards standing nearby as for anyone else. I didn't know what was going through their minds at that moment, or if they felt any regret for what they had done.

The little monkey nodded and continued, "Master originally instructed me to distribute them only after he had left, but this incident happened before he even had the chance! That afternoon, when I was keeping Master company, he told me that if you and Sister Yan couldn't take care of Hei-ge and me, we should use this money to look after ourselves. After Hei-ge and I arrived at your place, I was afraid that if I told the truth, you might only take care of us for the sake of the money, or that you might try to get your hands on this money and do something to us... Brother Stone, I shouldn't have suspected you like that!"

I smiled and ruffled his hair. "Silly, we are family. Whether there is money or not, or whether Third Master entrusted us with it, taking care of you is the right thing to do!"

Cai Lei was covered in tears, murmuring, "Master still thought of me? He still left money for me?"

"You have no right to call him Master!" the little monkey shouted at Cai Lei, his eyes filled with rage. "From the moment you betrayed your conscience and struck out at him, you lost the right to this card! Master also said that if anyone had ulterior motives, the card should not be given to them!"

Cai Lei stood there blankly, not knowing if he had even heard the little monkey, his mouth moving in a constant, unintelligible mutter.

Zhao Xiangbo let out a cold, mocking laugh, looking at Cai Lei with disdain. "You really are a damn fool. Do you believe everything he says? Who knows if this monkey just grabbed a few useless cards to trick us? Do you really think that old geezer would be thinking about us?"

The little monkey pulled out two cards and looked at the numbers on the back. "Zhao Xiangbo, your card has 091113 written on the back, and yours, Cai Lei, has 100822. These two sets of numbers are the passwords for the cards that belonged to you, and they represent the days Master first took you under his wing. Only Master and you yourselves knew these dates; no one else did. So, whether you say the cards are fake or real, that’s up to you. But Master... he is no longer your master."

"Ah! Master!" Cai Lei collapsed to the floor and burst into loud, wailing sobs.

Zhao Xiangbo, however, wore a sinister expression, biting his back teeth so hard the muscles in his cheeks bulged. He cursed through gritted teeth, "It was money we helped him earn in the first place; isn't it only right that it should be returned to us? It’s just that I don't care about it anymore! Now that I have a godfather, a mere two million is nothing! I’ll be soaring to success soon; I’ll have as much as I want!"

He glanced at the weeping Cai Lei beside him and kicked him in annoyance, snarling, "What the hell are you howling for? That old bastard hasn't kicked the bucket yet! It won't be too late to howl once he’s dead! I hate the smell of this place; it reeks of a corpse! Let's go. If we can't find that guy today, when we get back to Godfather’s, you’ll have plenty to cry about! Bastard! Daring to double-cross us? Once I find that jerk and get that thing back, I’ll be sure to break his other leg!"

The two of them left with their own separate agendas. Brother Liang, the little monkey, and I returned to the hospital room. Holding his own card, Brother Liang slumped over Third Master, sobbing uncontrollably. I didn't try to stop him; I was filled with my own overwhelming emotions.

But what truly made me feel uneasy was the last thing Zhao Xiangbo had said. It was clear they were hunting for someone, and it sounded like they were looking for Deng Zhiyong! But what did "double-cross" mean? And what was this "thing" they wanted to get back?

The little monkey walked over and handed me the card he was holding. "Brother Stone, go withdraw the money later and pay everyone back! It’s not right to have outsiders paying for our hospitalization. Use whatever you need—don't be stingy. Use the best medicine for Hei-ge; if my money isn't enough, use Hei-ge’s. You should also give these cards to Sister Yan; it’s up to her how they are spent."

Wenliang also handed over his card, wiped his tears, and said to me, "Give mine to Yanzi, too!"

I stared at him, wide-eyed. "Brother Liang, you’re a bona fide millionaire now! With this money, you can go anywhere in the world. Are you still planning to stay at my little dump of a shop?"

Wenliang glared at me and scolded, "I just got back from a trip and you're already kicking me out? Do you really see me as nothing more than a beast of burden? I’m staying here, and I’m not going anywhere! It’s only two million—by the time you buy a decent place in Haizhou, there won't be much left. What kind of millionaire is that? Let Yanzi save it for me; I can't bear to spend it. I’ll work for you, you pay me a salary, and I won't feel guilty spending your money!"

I couldn't help but laugh through my tears, scolded him, and took the cards. Aside from the little monkey’s card, which would be used for medical expenses, the rest were in my hands. This was a full eight million. Even if I met "Limping Deng" later and gave him his card, there would still be six million left! I had been so desperate to scrape together five hundred thousand that I had dissolved my company and sold my house, and in the blink of an eye, I was a multi-millionaire. I didn't even know whether to step out with my left or right foot first!

Taking a deep breath, I called the little monkey and Brother Liang over, and the three of us sat on the bed.

"If my judgment is correct, Third Master and Hei-ge are safe for now. At the very least, they—and Zhao Xiangbo—won't make another move."

Wenliang frowned and asked, "Can you be sure?"

I nodded. "Luo Weijing is a man capable of going toe-to-toe with Third Master, and his intention wasn't to kill him, but to find something. More importantly, I can tell he’s a man of grand ambition. He would find it beneath him to strike at an opponent who can no longer resist. As for Zhao Xiangbo, after the lesson Luo Weijing gave him, he should be lying low. Their target now isn't us—it’s Deng Zhiyong!"

"The Limper?" Wenliang frowned. "How long has he been missing? Why is Luo Weijing looking for him?"

"I don't know!" I shook my head and said to them both, "At first, Third Master and I both thought Deng Zhiyong was being held by Zhao Xiangbo, but now it seems we were both wrong. I feel like he’s right here among us, but for some reason, he doesn't want to show his face—or perhaps he doesn't dare to. Now he’s in danger, and I have to go help him. I don't think he’s one of Luo Weijing’s men! Furthermore, there must be a secret he’s carrying that Luo Weijing is desperate to obtain. If Luo Weijing ever gets his hands on it, it could be disastrous for Third Master!"

Wenliang and the little monkey nodded in unison and said, "I’ll go with you..."

Before they could finish, they both looked at each other and said, "You stay!"

I quickly interrupted them. "Both of you stay! Third Master and Hei-ge need people by their side, and one person can’t handle it alone here. Just take good care of them, and leave the rest to me! Don't worry! Remember, we are family!"