Chapter 624: CHAT OVER COFFEE
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
Wang Che could not remember the last time he had stepped on the Wang family residential property. But everything about the place was familiar as he drove through the gates. It was ingrained in him because of the countless years he spent alone around the place he called home.
He could remember almost every feature on the estate so very clearly. And surprisingly, only a few things had changed through these years.
His family had made some attempts to reach out to him after he gained success through Clarion Motor City. However, he had rebuffed them on countless occasions because he knew that they were only interested in his material things.
Now, he was stepping back into the lion's den. He wanted to look each of the people who claimed to be his family in the eye and find out who had messed up with Shun.
And he would not forgive them.
The person he was visiting on this day was his little brother, Wang Ning. The two of them were not close, but their relationship was not as bad, compared to the rest of the family. On a few occasions, he and Wang Ning talked in a completely civil manner.
If they met during a party or when out with friends, they would exchange a few words.
With Wang Lu, the relationship was completely hostile. The two of them did not even give each other polite nods of acknowledgement. But with what Wang Lu had done, Wang Che felt like ignoring him was too kind. He wanted to flay his eldest brother.
However, he promised himself that he would not be that kind of person again. If he was that violent mess, he would not be worthy of Shun.
He pressed his lips together in frustration as he remembered the current state of things with Shun. Eight days had passed since Shun left him at that parking lot. However, he still refused to pick up his calls or respond to messages.
It was too exasperating.
"Brother Che!" Someone shouted as soon as Wang Che stepped out of his vehicle.
It was Wang Ning. The younger man was walking to him with a cheerful smile. He was wearing athletic clothes while carrying a basketball. The image looked youthful and fresh, especially when coupled with the happy face.
"Wang Ning," Wang Che said with a polite smile.
"Do not be so stiff." Wang Ning laughed before dribbling the ball and throwing it fast at Wang Che.
Wang Che caught the ball easily out of his natural instinct. He had never played basketball or other sports. He was not bad at athletics or anything, but he found the whole thing a little useless when he was in high school.
When he had spare time, he preferred to do a little extra reading.
"You have great reflexes. We should play a little one-on-one soon." Wang Ning seemed pleased with the idea.
"Maybe," Wang Che said noncommittedly. "Why did you want to meet up here?"
Two days ago, Wang Che met with Wang Ning accidentally on purpose in one of the bars that the younger brother frequented. The two of them talked a little, covering the polite chitchat about the weather and such nonsense.
Then, Wang Ning had told him that he heard about his fight with Shun.
Apparently, everyone had heard about the huge disagreement, and they knew that Shun abandoned him in the parking lot of a high-end restaurant. Moreover, the news about his panic attack and the general reaction was in the grapevine.
That was the worst thing about Supreme City's upper-class society.
Somehow, everyone knew everyone else's business. It was like there was a hidden driving force that kept the freshest gossip flowing. Naturally, Wang Che could not escape from being swept up in the wave of gossip after the incident.
Wang Ning spoke a few words of sympathy before inviting him to visit during the day at the Wang estate. Wang Che made a few polite gestures of refusal before he accepted. However, he made it clear that he did not want to see the other family members.
Wang Che planned to infiltrate the family and find out who had harmed Shun. Therefore, he did not want to seem overly eager because they might keep their guards up against him. He intended to play them before exposing their secrets.
He did not intend to be as kind to his family as he was before. His instincts told him that it had to be either his parents or his brothers responsible for that accident. Of course, his money was on his eldest brother. If he did not hesitate to harm him back then, he would not stop now.
"I was just trying to be sensitive to your situation, Brother Che." Wang Ning responded to Wang Che's question. "I did not think you would want to go to a public space with all the stuff going on around about you."
Wang Che lowered his eyes to conceal his irritation. His brother had grown up to be as tactless as he was as a child. He would always claim that he was just honest and straightforward as opposed to rude and crass.
"Thank you." Wang Che looked up with an even expression.
"The best thing to do when there is a bad rumour is to lay low. This is Supreme City. Sooner or later, someone else will be at the forefront of the news. Then, you will not have to worry about anything. Anyway, come in." Wang Ning said with a smile.
Wang Che followed his brother into the house.
Once again, he was surprised by the lack of change in the house. Everything looked new, but he could remember almost everything, from the paintings to the furniture. It was like the house was stuck in some kind of time bubble.
If he could hazard a guess, he would say that his father had stopped his mother from making changes to the house. His father was a stubborn man who did not like anything new. He preferred to stick to his old ways, even if it meant his death.
"Let me take a shower first. We can have some good coffee and talk." Wang Ning said cheerfully. "Make yourself comfortable. As you can see, nothing has changed here. Except for my room because I put my foot down on that. Even your room is exactly the way you left it."
"Well, not exactly because Mom replaces the old things with newer stuff. I cannot for the life of me figure out how she manages to find new old stuff. Seriously, does anyone still have corduroy fabric? How the hell does she manage to find swathes of it?"
Wang Ning left the room still complaining about the unchanged house. The complaining made Wang Che almost smile. Almost. He could not smile because he felt like he had walked into the den that turned him into a man who could not love.
He walked around the room and found the corner with the photos. He found there were quite a few new photos in the gallery. Some photos were of his father with important people. A few were of his eldest brother in major conferences and media exposures.
His mother was also featured in a few pieces with other influential women in Supreme City. Most of the photos were related to some charities that his mother participated in. Of course, the photos were taken at charity auctions and banquets.
As for his youngest brother, he had multiple photos of his involvement in sports activities. Over the years, Wang Ning gained a reputation as a golden star on the field. Even if he did not become a true professional, his fame was significant.
It earned him a place on a few billboards as the spokesman of a major international sports brand.
Finally, Wang Che looked to his section. He thought there would be just a few old pictures of him. But he was surprised to see quality photos of him at major stages in his life. After the photo of him winning the student competition at fifteen, there was a picture of him as a race car driver.
He remembered that moment because it was his first race. Almost everyone thought he was a useless rookie. He bet on himself and won that race. In that race, he earned enough money to keep the children he took from the warzone fed and protected.
Therefore, it was a rare photo of him smiling.
The photos that followed were of him in various stages of life as a businessman. It was like a retelling of his life story. From the building of Clarion Motor City to the latest image of him in front of Clarion Extreme.
It was a touching tribute that showed the support that had been behind him all along. It was quite beautiful, really. But only an idiot would believe in this display of familial attachment. Wang Che's eyes turned cold.
Did his family think he was stupid?
If they thought he would buy this shrine, they did not know him at all. And he was not even being a pure sceptic. It took only a casual assessment of all the photos and their frames to see through the bullsh!t. His photos and frames were quite new, while the others had signs of fading due to UV exposure.
He could only assume that they had put them up because Wang Ning let them know he was coming. If they were willing to put in the effort, it meant that they had a plan brewing. And they were targeting him with all their best tricks.
His eyes became even chillier.
"Che?" A slight trembling voice called from behind him.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Wang Che could not remember the last time he had stepped on the Wang family residential property. But everything about the place was familiar as he drove through the gates. It was ingrained in him because of the countless years he spent alone around the place he called home.
He could remember almost every feature on the estate so very clearly. And surprisingly, only a few things had changed through these years.
His family had made some attempts to reach out to him after he gained success through Clarion Motor City. However, he had rebuffed them on countless occasions because he knew that they were only interested in his material things.
Now, he was stepping back into the lion's den. He wanted to look each of the people who claimed to be his family in the eye and find out who had messed up with Shun.
And he would not forgive them.
The person he was visiting on this day was his little brother, Wang Ning. The two of them were not close, but their relationship was not as bad, compared to the rest of the family. On a few occasions, he and Wang Ning talked in a completely civil manner.
If they met during a party or when out with friends, they would exchange a few words.
With Wang Lu, the relationship was completely hostile. The two of them did not even give each other polite nods of acknowledgement. But with what Wang Lu had done, Wang Che felt like ignoring him was too kind. He wanted to flay his eldest brother.
However, he promised himself that he would not be that kind of person again. If he was that violent mess, he would not be worthy of Shun.
He pressed his lips together in frustration as he remembered the current state of things with Shun. Eight days had passed since Shun left him at that parking lot. However, he still refused to pick up his calls or respond to messages.
It was too exasperating.
"Brother Che!" Someone shouted as soon as Wang Che stepped out of his vehicle.
It was Wang Ning. The younger man was walking to him with a cheerful smile. He was wearing athletic clothes while carrying a basketball. The image looked youthful and fresh, especially when coupled with the happy face.
"Wang Ning," Wang Che said with a polite smile.
"Do not be so stiff." Wang Ning laughed before dribbling the ball and throwing it fast at Wang Che.
Wang Che caught the ball easily out of his natural instinct. He had never played basketball or other sports. He was not bad at athletics or anything, but he found the whole thing a little useless when he was in high school.
When he had spare time, he preferred to do a little extra reading.
"You have great reflexes. We should play a little one-on-one soon." Wang Ning seemed pleased with the idea.
"Maybe," Wang Che said noncommittedly. "Why did you want to meet up here?"
Two days ago, Wang Che met with Wang Ning accidentally on purpose in one of the bars that the younger brother frequented. The two of them talked a little, covering the polite chitchat about the weather and such nonsense.
Then, Wang Ning had told him that he heard about his fight with Shun.
Apparently, everyone had heard about the huge disagreement, and they knew that Shun abandoned him in the parking lot of a high-end restaurant. Moreover, the news about his panic attack and the general reaction was in the grapevine.
That was the worst thing about Supreme City's upper-class society.
Somehow, everyone knew everyone else's business. It was like there was a hidden driving force that kept the freshest gossip flowing. Naturally, Wang Che could not escape from being swept up in the wave of gossip after the incident.
Wang Ning spoke a few words of sympathy before inviting him to visit during the day at the Wang estate. Wang Che made a few polite gestures of refusal before he accepted. However, he made it clear that he did not want to see the other family members.
Wang Che planned to infiltrate the family and find out who had harmed Shun. Therefore, he did not want to seem overly eager because they might keep their guards up against him. He intended to play them before exposing their secrets.
He did not intend to be as kind to his family as he was before. His instincts told him that it had to be either his parents or his brothers responsible for that accident. Of course, his money was on his eldest brother. If he did not hesitate to harm him back then, he would not stop now.
"I was just trying to be sensitive to your situation, Brother Che." Wang Ning responded to Wang Che's question. "I did not think you would want to go to a public space with all the stuff going on around about you."
Wang Che lowered his eyes to conceal his irritation. His brother had grown up to be as tactless as he was as a child. He would always claim that he was just honest and straightforward as opposed to rude and crass.
"Thank you." Wang Che looked up with an even expression.
"The best thing to do when there is a bad rumour is to lay low. This is Supreme City. Sooner or later, someone else will be at the forefront of the news. Then, you will not have to worry about anything. Anyway, come in." Wang Ning said with a smile.
Wang Che followed his brother into the house.
Once again, he was surprised by the lack of change in the house. Everything looked new, but he could remember almost everything, from the paintings to the furniture. It was like the house was stuck in some kind of time bubble.
If he could hazard a guess, he would say that his father had stopped his mother from making changes to the house. His father was a stubborn man who did not like anything new. He preferred to stick to his old ways, even if it meant his death.
"Let me take a shower first. We can have some good coffee and talk." Wang Ning said cheerfully. "Make yourself comfortable. As you can see, nothing has changed here. Except for my room because I put my foot down on that. Even your room is exactly the way you left it."
"Well, not exactly because Mom replaces the old things with newer stuff. I cannot for the life of me figure out how she manages to find new old stuff. Seriously, does anyone still have corduroy fabric? How the hell does she manage to find swathes of it?"
Wang Ning left the room still complaining about the unchanged house. The complaining made Wang Che almost smile. Almost. He could not smile because he felt like he had walked into the den that turned him into a man who could not love.
He walked around the room and found the corner with the photos. He found there were quite a few new photos in the gallery. Some photos were of his father with important people. A few were of his eldest brother in major conferences and media exposures.
His mother was also featured in a few pieces with other influential women in Supreme City. Most of the photos were related to some charities that his mother participated in. Of course, the photos were taken at charity auctions and banquets.
As for his youngest brother, he had multiple photos of his involvement in sports activities. Over the years, Wang Ning gained a reputation as a golden star on the field. Even if he did not become a true professional, his fame was significant.
It earned him a place on a few billboards as the spokesman of a major international sports brand.
Finally, Wang Che looked to his section. He thought there would be just a few old pictures of him. But he was surprised to see quality photos of him at major stages in his life. After the photo of him winning the student competition at fifteen, there was a picture of him as a race car driver.
He remembered that moment because it was his first race. Almost everyone thought he was a useless rookie. He bet on himself and won that race. In that race, he earned enough money to keep the children he took from the warzone fed and protected.
Therefore, it was a rare photo of him smiling.
The photos that followed were of him in various stages of life as a businessman. It was like a retelling of his life story. From the building of Clarion Motor City to the latest image of him in front of Clarion Extreme.
It was a touching tribute that showed the support that had been behind him all along. It was quite beautiful, really. But only an idiot would believe in this display of familial attachment. Wang Che's eyes turned cold.
Did his family think he was stupid?
If they thought he would buy this shrine, they did not know him at all. And he was not even being a pure sceptic. It took only a casual assessment of all the photos and their frames to see through the bullsh!t. His photos and frames were quite new, while the others had signs of fading due to UV exposure.
He could only assume that they had put them up because Wang Ning let them know he was coming. If they were willing to put in the effort, it meant that they had a plan brewing. And they were targeting him with all their best tricks.
His eyes became even chillier.
"Che?" A slight trembling voice called from behind him.
Wang Che could not remember the last time he had stepped on the Wang family residential property. But everything about the place was familiar as he drove through the gates. It was ingrained in him because of the countless years he spent alone around the place he called home. He could remember almost every feature on the estate so very clearly. And surprisingly, only a few things had changed through these years. His family had made some attempts to reach out to him after he gained success through Clarion Motor City. However, he had rebuffed them on countless occasions because he knew that they were only interested in his material things. Now, he was stepping back into the lion's den. He wanted to look each of the people who claimed to be his family in the eye and find out who had messed up with Shun. And he would not forgive them. The person he was visiting on this day was his little brother, Wang Ning. The two of them were not close, but their relationship was not as bad, compared to the rest of the family. On a few occasions, he and Wang Ning talked in a completely civil manner. If they met during a party or when out with friends, they would exchange a few words. With Wang Lu, the relationship was completely hostile. The two of them did not even give each other polite nods of acknowledgement. But with what Wang Lu had done, Wang Che felt like ignoring him was too kind. He wanted to flay his eldest brother. However, he promised himself that he would not be that kind of person again. If he was that violent mess, he would not be worthy of Shun. He pressed his lips together in frustration as he remembered the current state of things with Shun. Eight days had passed since Shun left him at that parking lot. However, he still refused to pick up his calls or respond to messages. It was too exasperating. "Brother Che!" Someone shouted as soon as Wang Che stepped out of his vehicle. It was Wang Ning. The younger man was walking to him with a cheerful smile. He was wearing athletic clothes while carrying a basketball. The image looked youthful and fresh, especially when coupled with the happy face. "Wang Ning," Wang Che said with a polite smile. "Do not be so stiff." Wang Ning laughed before dribbling the ball and throwing it fast at Wang Che. Wang Che caught the ball easily out of his natural instinct. He had never played basketball or other sports. He was not bad at athletics or anything, but he found the whole thing a little useless when he was in high school. When he had spare time, he preferred to do a little extra reading. "You have great reflexes. We should play a little one-on-one soon." Wang Ning seemed pleased with the idea. "Maybe," Wang Che said noncommittedly. "Why did you want to meet up here?" Two days ago, Wang Che met with Wang Ning accidentally on purpose in one of the bars that the younger brother frequented. The two of them talked a little, covering the polite chitchat about the weather and such nonsense. Then, Wang Ning had told him that he heard about his fight with Shun. Apparently, everyone had heard about the huge disagreement, and they knew that Shun abandoned him in the parking lot of a high-end restaurant. Moreover, the news about his panic attack and the general reaction was in the grapevine. That was the worst thing about Supreme City's upper-class society. Somehow, everyone knew everyone else's business. It was like there was a hidden driving force that kept the freshest gossip flowing. Naturally, Wang Che could not escape from being swept up in the wave of gossip after the incident. Wang Ning spoke a few words of sympathy before inviting him to visit during the day at the Wang estate. Wang Che made a few polite gestures of refusal before he accepted. However, he made it clear that he did not want to see the other family members. Wang Che planned to infiltrate the family and find out who had harmed Shun. Therefore, he did not want to seem overly eager because they might keep their guards up against him. He intended to play them before exposing their secrets.He did not intend to be as kind to his family as he was before. His instincts told him that it had to be either his parents or his brothers responsible for that accident. Of course, his money was on his eldest brother. If he did not hesitate to harm him back then, he would not stop now. "I was just trying to be sensitive to your situation, Brother Che." Wang Ning responded to Wang Che's question. "I did not think you would want to go to a public space with all the stuff going on around about you." Wang Che lowered his eyes to conceal his irritation. His brother had grown up to be as tactless as he was as a child. He would always claim that he was just honest and straightforward as opposed to rude and crass. "Thank you." Wang Che looked up with an even expression. "The best thing to do when there is a bad rumour is to lay low. This is Supreme City. Sooner or later, someone else will be at the forefront of the news. Then, you will not have to worry about anything. Anyway, come in." Wang Ning said with a smile. Wang Che followed his brother into the house. Once again, he was surprised by the lack of change in the house. Everything looked new, but he could remember almost everything, from the paintings to the furniture. It was like the house was stuck in some kind of time bubble. If he could hazard a guess, he would say that his father had stopped his mother from making changes to the house. His father was a stubborn man who did not like anything new. He preferred to stick to his old ways, even if it meant his death. "Let me take a shower first. We can have some good coffee and talk." Wang Ning said cheerfully. "Make yourself comfortable. As you can see, nothing has changed here. Except for my room because I put my foot down on that. Even your room is exactly the way you left it.""Well, not exactly because Mom replaces the old things with newer stuff. I cannot for the life of me figure out how she manages to find new old stuff. Seriously, does anyone still have corduroy fabric? How the hell does she manage to find swathes of it?" Wang Ning left the room still complaining about the unchanged house. The complaining made Wang Che almost smile. Almost. He could not smile because he felt like he had walked into the den that turned him into a man who could not love. He walked around the room and found the corner with the photos. He found there were quite a few new photos in the gallery. Some photos were of his father with important people. A few were of his eldest brother in major conferences and media exposures. His mother was also featured in a few pieces with other influential women in Supreme City. Most of the photos were related to some charities that his mother participated in. Of course, the photos were taken at charity auctions and banquets. As for his youngest brother, he had multiple photos of his involvement in sports activities. Over the years, Wang Ning gained a reputation as a golden star on the field. Even if he did not become a true professional, his fame was significant. It earned him a place on a few billboards as the spokesman of a major international sports brand. Finally, Wang Che looked to his section. He thought there would be just a few old pictures of him. But he was surprised to see quality photos of him at major stages in his life. After the photo of him winning the student competition at fifteen, there was a picture of him as a race car driver. He remembered that moment because it was his first race. Almost everyone thought he was a useless rookie. He bet on himself and won that race. In that race, he earned enough money to keep the children he took from the warzone fed and protected. Therefore, it was a rare photo of him smiling. The photos that followed were of him in various stages of life as a businessman. It was like a retelling of his life story. From the building of Clarion Motor City to the latest image of him in front of Clarion Extreme. It was a touching tribute that showed the support that had been behind him all along. It was quite beautiful, really. But only an idiot would believe in this display of familial attachment. Wang Che's eyes turned cold.Did his family think he was stupid?If they thought he would buy this shrine, they did not know him at all. And he was not even being a pure sceptic. It took only a casual assessment of all the photos and their frames to see through the bullsh!t. His photos and frames were quite new, while the others had signs of fading due to UV exposure. He could only assume that they had put them up because Wang Ning let them know he was coming. If they were willing to put in the effort, it meant that they had a plan brewing. And they were targeting him with all their best tricks. His eyes became even chillier. "Che?" A slight trembling voice called from behind him.
