Outside the hospital, Chen Shilei dialed a number. "Manager Yu! Hey, it's me—Chen Shilei!"
A mocking, sneering voice came through the phone: "Well, well, if it isn't our big shot Chen! Sleeping in today, huh? What do you want from me?"
Manager Yu was not only his direct supervisor at an e-commerce company, but also the chairman's brother-in-law. He always carried himself like he owned the world.
Chen Shilei forced a smile. "Manager Yu, you're joking. Nothing important… My family member is sick, so I wanted to ask if I could get an advance on my paycheck, and maybe borrow a little money too."
"What? Borrow money? No way. You skipped work today, I haven't even settled that yet, and now you want an advance? Dream on. Get back to work, or forget about your paycheck this month!"
The line went dead. On the other end, a burly, middle-aged man almost shouted himself hoarse. "Just wait till you get back, you little brat! I'll deal with you!" Manager Yu muttered to himself.
Chen Shilei rubbed his ear. "Geez, he must've taken something wrong… It's not like I need him to lend me anything. Skipping work was my fault, there's no need to blow up my eardrums like that."
He sighed and continued making calls. "Hey, Xiao Zhang, what's up? Lao Fan's sick. Medical bills are 250,000 yuan. Can you lend me some money?"
Xiao Zhang sounded helpless. "Brother Lei… sorry, I can only lend you 6,000 yuan. The household finances are under my wife's control. This 6,000 is my personal savings. I'll send it to you."
"Thanks, thanks a lot!" Chen Shilei said gratefully.
Looking at the 5,000 yuan that just hit his account, he felt a flicker of relief. It wasn't nearly enough for the medical bills, but Xiao Zhang's help meant a lot. He knew Xiao Zhang's situation—this was all the money he could spare.
Chen Shilei continued calling. "Hi, Li Ge… I want to borrow some money…"
"Hello?"
"Hey, Lao Liu, sorry to bother you… I wanted to ask if I could borrow a bit…"
"Hello…"
"Hello, Hui Ge! Have you eaten? How's everything going? Listen, I have a favor… I need some money…"
He scrolled through his contacts until the phone almost fell apart. In total, he managed to borrow 25,000 yuan. Adding what he already had, he only had 130,000 yuan—still far short of the 250,000 needed.
Suddenly, an idea struck him. He rushed back to his apartment, rifling through drawers.
He was looking for the jade pendant his mother had given him before she died. He intended to pawn it to raise money, planning to redeem it later once he had enough to pay. But no matter how he searched, he couldn't find it.
He slapped his forehead. "It's probably with her! She's the only one who knows I have this jade."
He pulled out his phone and called his girlfriend, Su Qinxue. They had met three years ago, when he helped her out while job hunting. She had then recommended him for a position at her company.
"One sunny, handsome guy, one stylish, beautiful girl—they quickly fell in love." But over time, Su Qinxue had changed. She became materialistic, selfish, and calculating.
The phone rang. "Xue! Is my pendant with you?"
On the other end, a strikingly beautiful woman with long legs and porcelain skin answered calmly: "Yes, you said you were going to give it to me, right? You weren't home, so I took it."
"I need it back! Lao Fan is sick, I'm trying to raise money!" Chen Shilei said urgently.
Su Qinxue remained calm. "Sorry… it's with my mom. A friend of mine really likes it. Why don't you just give it to me? And that old man—don't bother with him. Let him fend for himself."
"I owe him my life! I have to save him! I hope you can understand…" Before he could finish, the line went dead.
Chen Shilei decided to go to the company in person.
Getting off the bus, he saw through the window of the coffee shop next door a burly, overweight man sitting beside a beautiful, well-dressed girl. The man was groping her, and she wasn't resisting.
"Ugh… the world really has gone downhill," Chen Shilei muttered, about to turn toward the company. Wait… That man—wasn't it Manager Yu? And that girl—Su Qinxue?"
"Damn, when did these two get together? No wonder everyone at work has been giving me weird looks. I'm the only one who didn't know about this!" Chen Shilei cursed.
He stormed into the coffee shop. "What are you two doing?"
Startled, Su Qinxue stood up, but quickly composed herself. "Chen Shilei, Yu and I have been seeing each other for a while. He can give me the life I want. You… you can't. We're done. You're not good enough for me."
"Fine. If you want to break up, that's fine. But give me back my pendant!" Chen Shilei said, holding back his anger.
"Is this it?" Yu Fei pulled the jade pendant from his pocket, smirking. "I like this piece. If you kowtow a few times and call me 'Grandpa,' I'll give you a few thousand to buy that old man a coffin. Otherwise, you get nothing."
Chen Shilei's eyes turned cold. "It's been a long time since someone talked to me like that. You're not the first, and you won't be the last."
In a flash, Chen Shilei lunged, snatched the jade from Yu Fei, and kicked him in the stomach.
Yu Fei flew back, crashing into a table. The scalding coffee on it spilled onto his brother.
A man like Yu Fei, accustomed to indulgence and excess, couldn't react fast enough. Meanwhile, Chen Shilei—raised in a wealthy family but patient and restrained—finally acted.
Yu Fei clutched his stomach, groaning, while Su Qinxue stood there dumbfounded.
"Chen! You're not allowed to set foot in the company again! And mark my words—I'll have someone break your legs!" Yu Fei shouted, still in pain.
Chen Shilei let out a cold chuckle, looked at them once, and turned away. He felt resolute. From this moment on, he would face all challenges alone—but he knew that as long as he stayed true to his principles, he would find a way.