"I was asleep! How could I not answer your calls?"
Lin Feng rubbed his eyes, still trying to shake off the drowsiness.
"Asleep? Until this hour?"
"It was a long night..."
He sighed.
"Anyway, how did you find out about that?"
"How did I find out?" His mother's voice rose. "I've been bombarded with calls all night! Your father and I couldn't sleep because of you!"
Lin Feng winced.
"Sorry, sorry..."
There was a pause on the other end.
"Lin Feng."
Her tone shifted.
"You're not involved in anything illegal, are you?"
"What? How could I be involved in anything illegal and show it to the public on TV?"
She scoffed.
"Those rich guys do it all the time and it's on TV."
"Mom, come on." He sat up straighter. "I told you about the money I received before, remember? I even asked Dad for advice."
There was a moment of silence.
"Ah... I remember something like that."
"I took Dad's advice and invested," he continued. "My investment paid off and I more than tripled my money. I used that to co-found a few companies."
He paused.
"And now they're making money too."
"Hmm."
She didn't sound entirely convinced.
"What about that girl I heard you were managing?"
Her tone sharpened.
"Are you getting involved with girls now? After I warned you about those city girls?"
"Mom, calm down." Lin Feng sighed. "Su Yue is not like that. Also, our relationship is purely business."
"Hmph. It better be."
Before he could respond, she continued.
"And how are your studies going? You don't think you can abandon your studies just because you have a little money, do you?"
Lin Feng blinked.
"You changed faces quite fast. It wasn't that long ago when you were asking me to get a girlfriend."
"That's different!"
He could practically hear her waving her hand dismissively.
"So? Your studies?"
"In fact, our midterm results just came out," he said. "You'll never guess which position I got."
"First place?"
"Um, well... yeah. I was first place in our class."
He paused.
"I also came in second in the whole year."
"Just second place?"
"Hey! Why are you ignoring the first part?"
She ignored him completely.
"You need to study harder! You know, Old Wang's sister's husband's cousin's nephew's friend - he just became a doctor and built his parents a mansion! If you don't study hard, how are you going to do that?"
Lin Feng facepalmed.
Mom is quite hard to please.
"I am studying though..."
"Study harder!"
"Also," he interjected, "I'm making so much money now. I could build you a mansion. Do you want one?"
"What's the use of a mansion? It's all superficial stuff. You should just save your money."
Lin Feng facepalmed again.
So which is it?
She didn't seem to have that opinion a second ago.
But he didn't dare say it.
"Anyway," he said, changing the subject. "How is Dad doing?"
"Just the usual. He went out to buy something earlier."
There was a sound in the background.
"Ah, he just returned. You want to talk to him?"
"Sure."
There was some shuffling, followed by muffled voices.
Then a deeper voice came through.
"Lin Feng."
"Dad."
"I saw the program last night."
His father's tone was calm, but Lin Feng could hear the warmth underneath.
"Congratulations, son. You've done well."
Lin Feng smiled.
"It's all because of your advice, Dad. If you hadn't told me to invest back then, none of this would have happened."
His father chuckled.
"I just pointed you in a direction. You're the one who walked the path."
There was a brief pause.
"The chairman spoke highly of you. Said you had a sharp mind for business."
"Chairman Wu is too kind."
"Don't be modest." His father's voice carried a hint of pride. "You earned that praise."
Lin Feng leaned back against the headboard.
"How's work been, Dad?"
"Same as always. Busy, but manageable."
"Can't you take a break?" Lin Feng asked. "I'm making money now, and I could…"
"Lin Feng."
His father's voice was gentle but firm.
"I'm proud of you. Proud of what you've made of yourself."
He paused.
"Your mother is too. Even if she's too shy to admit it."
"What about me?" His mother's voice came from somewhere in the background.
"Nothing, honey," his father called back.
Then he continued.
"But you should focus on yourself first. Your mother and I are still young. We can handle things on our end."
"Dad..."
"Focus on yourself before you worry about your parents," his father said. "We'll be happy just seeing what you'll become."
Lin Feng wanted to argue, but he knew that tone.
There was no changing his father's mind.
"...Alright."
"Good."
His father's voice softened.
"Take care of yourself out there. And call more often. Your mother worries."
"I will."
"That's my son."
The call ended.
Lin Feng stared at the phone in his hand.
He sighed.
I couldn't even convince Dad. Mom is no hope at all.
It was good that they were worried about him.
But they really shouldn't be.
He clenched his fist.
This is more reason to earn even more money.
When I can pour millions at their feet, even they won't be able to resist.
His eyes narrowed with determination.
I should start preparing for when I return home.
…
Lin Feng spent the next while going through his phone.
The notifications were ungodly.
Missed calls. Text messages. Friend requests on social media.
He cleared them methodically, one by one.
Some people had called him multiple times throughout the night. He took the time to block them.
These people that called right after it happened are definitely up to no good.
He recognized a few names from high school - people he hadn't spoken to in years. Others were complete strangers.
Some of them must have leaked my number online or something.
He sighed.
I should definitely get a new number.
As he continued clearing the notifications, one caught his eye.
It was different from the others.
[Game Store]: Your game "Fool's Gambit" has been recommended in the New & Trending section.
He paused.
It's just as I thought.
The algorithm had picked them up.
Now with this recommendation, they could capture a few more sales. And who knows - they might even make it to the front page.
Well...
He considered it.
For that to happen, we'd need a whole lot more than our current sales.
He put down his phone and rose from the bed.
But who knows.