Chapter 44 – Bai Family

“Mr Bai, Mr Bai! Can we ask, did Mr Qiu really help you repay 5 million yuan!?”

“What’s the reason? Is it because of Mr Bai Lang’s connection? Could it be that you already knew about the two people’s relationship a long time ago!?”

“If you knew about it and didn’t approve of it, then why did you still take Mr Qiu’s money!? Can you please explain!?”

“Or was it only that you didn’t find out until afterwards, Mr Bai!? Then now that you know, shouldn’t you repay this 5 million to Mr Qiu ah!?”

“Yesterday your mother said that now the two of you don’t owe each other anything, is she talking about this 5 million!?”

“Can we ask what does Mr Bai do for a job? 5 million is not a small sum, have you thought of an appropriate plan to repay the money?”

“After hiring someone to beat up Mr Bai Lang, aren’t you scared that Mr Qiu will come to chase his debt ma!?”

“It seems like Mr Bai Lang hasn’t decided to press criminal charges. Mr Bai, do you think he will go to the authorities or not!?”

After the news about his borrowing money was exposed, Bai Li was surrounded by over ten journalists waiting in ambush as soon as he stepped out from his home. This scene was even more grand than the day before. Bai Li couldn’t stand the pressure and immediately backed back into the house and shut the door, however the sounds of the questions being yelled from outside could still be heard.

“Mr Bai, Mr Bai!? Don’t shut the door ah!! Come out and answer some questions...”

“Mother Bai is in the house right!? Can she please come out so we can interview her....”

“Also what is Father Bai’s opinion!? Is Father Bai the same as you two and doesn’t accept Bai Lang....”

The were [peng-peng-peng] sounds on the door, it was really quite aggressive.

Bai Li backed into the living room with a pale expression. Mother Bai and Father Bai also heard the commotion and came over looking worried.

“They, they are still outside?” Father Bai asked in a weak voice. “Isn’t this time to finish work? How come they’re still there?”

“Are you stupid? Do you think journalists work regular hours!?” Bai Li’s mood was extremely bad and lashed out. “Mom, yesterday why did you talk like that? It makes things impossible for me to refute. Look, they’ve grabbed your words and are using it to make trouble!”

“Didn’t I do it for you?” Mother Bai also got angry. “When I heard that that wretched fellow wants you to repay the 5 million, it made so angry. Just asking him to sponsor a little bit of money and he still wants it back!? He’s definitely sick in the head. Isn’t that also why you hired someone to go talk to him?”

When Mother Bai said this, Bai Li’s angry face slowly changed to embarrassment.

Of course he had not told his parents that he had taken money to find someone to beat Bai Lang up. The reason he had given was that Bai Lang had come to ask him to repay the 5 million and he only hired someone to go have a chat with him. He didn’t expect that that person would use violence. Thus everything was just a misunderstanding and an accident.

Also when Mother Bai heard about repaying money, she immediately panicked. All her thoughts were filled with these things. To his day she had not forgotten about Bai Lang’s suggestion of using her two precious apartments to pay the debt.

“So that’s why I seized the opportunity to tell that fellow to forget about the 5 million. Isn’t that good? Otherwise he’ll keep thinking about our two apartments!” Mother Bai didn’t feel as though she had done anything wrong. “Anyway everything is his fault to begin with. Didn’t he already sell himself? If he sold himself, then why should he come back and ask us to repay the money!?”

Father Bai’s face changed. He couldn’t help but say, “Wait, didn’t we already agree that we would slowly repay the money? If what Ah Lang said back then is true, then we should...”

“Idiot!” Mother Bai interrupted him loudly. “It’s his fault for getting into the mess anyway! Think about it, now that he and that man have ruined his reputation, and everybody knows, how can Ah Li continue to do business!! That means if Ah Li’s business fails, then it’s his fault and he still wants us to repay his money!? That 5 million should be what that fellow compensates to us!!”

“But...” Father Bai just opened his mouth when Mother Bai interrupted him again. “I still haven’t blamed you ne!! Everything is your fault from the beginning! I told you a long time ago I didn’t want to give birth but you insisted on having a second child!! Now look what’s happened!! Asking him to help earn a bit of money is like death. You said he could help Ah Li but look, it’s more like he’s pulling down his back leg!!”

Mother Bai scolded Father Bai furiously. Bai Li, who was standing next to them, rubbed his face. He was filled with regret at having lost big for a small gain.

He hadn’t even had a chance to tell Father Bai and Mother Bai that after repaying the 5 million, he had borrowed money again from his friend to open an internet cafe. As for why there was still someone who was willing to lend him money, it was of course because of the famous Bai Lang who was standing behind Bai Li. And it was unavoidable that in the beginning of a new business it would lose money. Although it wasn’t a huge amount however it was slowly starting to mount, Bai Li was also scared of repeating the same mistakes. So these days he had been trying desperately to get in contact with Bai Lang. However each time he had been blocked by Qiu Qian’s people.

Bai Li was becoming more and more panicked. Thus when someone approached him with a sum of money to ask him to appear to make trouble for Bai Lang, Bai Li didn’t think much before agreeing.

One of the reasons was because he needed money. The other reason was that the person’s tactics seemed sufficiently secretive and safe. As long as nothing went wrong then no one would find out and he would be able to win a sum of money. After all now that Bai Lang was becoming more and more famous, Bai Li wasn’t so stupid as to want to get estranged from his younger brother. He kept thinking that if Bai Lang was able to help him with 5 million before, then in the future he should be able to help him with even more.

So when the photos of that transaction was exposed, the thing that Bai Li was most worried about, other than criminal charges, was Bai Lang turning his back on him. At that time he still might have been able to hide his motivation of why he had done it, however now with Mother Bai’s actions, they really had cut off connection with Bai Lang this big tree.

No, this can’t be. He had to find a way to get back... after thinking for a long time, Bai Li suddenly turned to Father Bai who had been silent the whole time he was being yelled at by Mother Bai. “Dad, we can only rely on you now.”

“Me?” Father Bai got a fright. “Why, what can I do...”

“Dad is the only person who hasn’t expressed that he is opposed to Ah Lang. You should go out and let the reporters know that there is still someone in our household who supports Ah Lang. That way Ah Lang will still help us if we need him in the future.” Bai Li thought for a while, this was really the only method. “After some time passes, we can also jump on father’s boat and rebuild our relationship with Ah Lang.”

“What? You want us to forgive him!?” Mother Bai immediately protested. “That wretched fellow is wrong in the first place for coming back to ask us to repay the money. What else is there to say to him? He’s completely unfilial and ungrateful! Everytime I see him I will swear at him–”

“Mom, calm down!” Bai Li said impatiently. “Have you forgotten about Boss Qiu who is behind Ah Lang? If we really offend Ah Lang, do you think Boss Qiu will let us go!? I still want to do business! If I offend the Qiu family, how do you think I can build connections in the future?”

Mother Bai closed her mouth speechlessly. As soon as the talk turned to ‘business’, this previously a farmer woman completely trusted and believed in her son Bai Li.

“I don’t think that Boss Qiu really thinks highly of that fellow anyway. Otherwise why would he ask him to repay the 5 million?” Mother Bai quietened down but couldn’t help grumbling a few more words.

Bai Li ignored her. He turned to his father. “So dad, go right now and tell those reporters that you still want Bai Lang to have a good life and that you will try to persuade the family. It’s only that right now you need some time–”

Father Bai, who made the least decisions in the family, didn’t even let him finish speaking before rejecting him. “My mouth is stupid. No, no, it’s better if you say it.”

“I can’t!” Bai Li suppressed a feeling of violence. He said through clenched teeth. “Haven’t you heard what they’re saying? I can’t take back the things I said before right now otherwise it’ll be like hitting my own mouth! No one would believe me!! So we can only depend on you, got it? It’s very simple. Just say exactly as I told you.”

“But...” Father Bai still wanted to reject it but was dragged by Bai Li towards the door.

Bai Li knew that as time passed the yelling would decrease. He knew that Father Bai was cowardly.

When Mother Bai saw the situation she stood on her son’s side and pushed him too. However she couldn’t help mumbling, “Don’t forget about the 5 million ah, it’s better if we don’t have to repay. Anyway that wretched fellow has a lot of money, remember to say it ah.”

Thus under the half-force and half-persuasion of Bai Li and Mother Bai, Father Bai reluctantly opened the door. Immediately he was confronted by a gaggle of sharp-eyed reporters and there was an explosion outside the door.

“Father Bai! Old Mr Bai!!” The spectacle was unlike anything that Father Bai, who for more than half of his life had toiled in a simple rice field and who even after selling it, worked as a simple ticket salesman, had ever seen before. In his whole life he had never faced the situation of 5 people trying to talk to him at the same time. Father Bai’s head was completely blank.

“Old Mr Bai! What is your opinion on Bai Lang coming out of the closet!! Do you support him or reject him!!?”

“Old Mr Bai! What’s the deal with the 5 million! Will you guys be repaying Mr Qiu!?”

“If Bai Lang decides to go to the police, what will you do!! Do you think Bai Lang will do it!?”

“When did you know about Bai Lang and Mr Qiu’s matter!? Was it before borrowing the money!?”

“Bai Li hired someone to beat up Mr Bai Lang, was it because of the 5 million!?”

“Old Mr Bai, how come there’s a debt of 5 million? Can you let us know?”

...

Outside was a scene of chaos and confusion. Microphones, cameras and lights were all aimed at him. Father Bai’s face went green and white and he struggled to make a sound. Finally someone yelled, “If you guys keep asking like this, old Mr Bai won’t be able to reply! Quieten down and let old Mr Bai talk!! If he came out then he must have something to say!!”

Thus the people settled down. It was only a few reporters reminded him kindly, “Old Mr Bai, the camera is over here. If you have anything to say to Bai Lang, you can say it like this.”

However this sudden silence made Father Bai’s panic rise to a new level.

Right now he already couldn’t speak. Now asking him to speak freely was like asking him to go and perform on a stage.

However the expectant gazes of the people around him forced him. Father Bai had no choice but to open his mouth and stammer.

“Five, five million....” The extremely panicked Father Bai could only seize this one sentence in his brain. He stammered, “Just, just like your mom says, just leave it ba.”

After he said this there was a sudden commotion from the reporters and several indrawn breaths. Father Bai thought he had spoken wrong and said in an even more panicked tone, “Other, other than that, you, you have a good life yourself ba!”

All the reporters faces changed. Father Bai suddenly couldn’t take it anymore. He turned around, opened the metal door behind him and fled back to his familiar space. [Peng!] the door slammed, leaving the reporters standing outside stupefied.

“.....”

“.....”

“.....”

The reporters standing outside the door were speechless at the situation.

Because right now the meaning of Father Bai’s words seemed to be.... He didn’t want to have any relationship with Bai Lang anymore, however he still wanted to keep the 5 million and not repay it?

If it was like this, then they had really never met such a openly greedy family who weren’t even afraid of making themselves clear on camera.

They didn’t want their son. But they still wanted their son’s money.

***

On the other side, as soon as Father Bai came back in he rushed into his room, locked the door and refused to come out again.

He was scared to death that his wife and son would push him out again. So he completely ignored Bai Li’s panicked knocking and questioning.

Thus when Bai Li finally saw what his father said on the news a few hours later, it was completely too late to take it back.

Because at the same time Bai Lang also made a statement and reply through his management company He said, thank you everyone for your concern and sorry also for causing such a fuss. From now on I will live well by myself and won’t disturb my family. That includes regarding the 5 million.

Bai Li was furious and demanded that his father go out to explain. However Father Bai would rather die than confront the reporters again. Mother Bai was also extremely satisfied. In her opinion, as long as Bai Lang didn’t think about that 5 million then everything was good. As for Bai Li, he wasn’t as thick-faced as some politicians and wasn’t able to on one day curse at someone and the next day change his mind to forgive him.

So Bai Li intended to let things settle for a while, then after some time find an opportunity to find Bai Lang to “smooth things over”.

However Qiu Qian wouldn’t let things go just like this.

Bai Lang had agreed not to press criminal charges against Bai Li, however Qiu Qian had never agreed to just let Bai Li beat up Bai Lang with zero repercussions.

A few days later the internet cafe that Bai Li had borrowed money to invest in, burned down in an unexplained electrical fire.

It was lucky that at the time of the fire breaking out, there was no one inside. Also the newly built internet cafe was in a freestanding building. No neighbours were harmed. The loss was purely financial.

However this financial loss once again reduced all of Bai Li’s assets to zero. But there was still the debt he owed plus the interest every month. He looked at the opinions online of the Bai family’s greed and the thin-faced to outsiders Bai Li didn’t dare to go look for Bai Lang at this time. So in this situation of having no choice, he actually stole the housing title deeds from Mother Bai, intending to sell one of the two apartments.

However he didn’t expect that on the day of the sale the middleman agent kept saying that selling one is not as good as selling two. If the two levels were segregated then it would lose its advantage of being a two level apartment. And the pricing would be vastly reduced. Bai Li thought his made sense. This was after all the reason they had purchased this apartment in the first place. Now if they sold it for half its value that would really be a shame.

At this time the agent said, Mr Bai ah, the excess from the sale can be used to help you start again right? After repaying your debt, you will still have money left over to start a new business. Isn’t always having a debt quite a lot of pressure? Based on Mr Bai’s ability, you can definitely earn everything back. Then it won’t be any problem to buy the house again if you want.

Bai Li was won over by greed. He really sold both of these apartments that Mother Bai loved.

The sale price of the house was really quite beautiful. However if he wanted to buy something similar again then that would be a different story.

Thus on the day she was told to move out and Mother Bai found out everything, she almost stopped breathing. She rushed to scream and hit Bai Li as though he had never been her most precious oldest son.

Bai Li had never experienced being yelled out or hit by Mother Bai before. Her tongue and actions were extremely poisonous. Bai Li was extremely humiliated and angered. Originally he planned to buy a smaller apartment for his parents but with this he completely abandoned the idea. He decided to use all the money he had to invest in a new venture.

Qiu Qian was waiting for this.

From the fire, to the middleman agent, to the project that Bai Li would come to invest him... Qiu Qian watched as Bai Li, step by step, walked in the trap he prepared for him.