Chapter 123.2: Too Mindblowing Part 2
Tong Hua’s expression had none of her usual playfulness or liveliness. Instead, it was filled with a kind of sorrowful cruelty. “He can’t leave, Ji Jue. He can no longer leave.”
She handed her phone over to Ji Jue. The screen lit up, showing the latest news.
“Just now, Chen Xingzhou’s lawyer fell from a building and died. The safe was broken into, and Chen Xingzhou’s will was found.” Tong Hua sighed. “If Chen Xingzhou dies, then all his assets in Everline Bank, more than four billion in funds and shares in eleven listed companies, will all be handed over to his only relative, Chen Yubo. The will has been notarized by Everline Bank. Even if the sky collapses, that money will definitely be delivered into his hands.”
Ji Jue stared blankly, only feeling a chill crawl up his scalp. He turned stiffly to look at Chen Yubo.
“In other words...”
Now, sitting right next to him was the number-one Tang Monk meat[1] everyone in all of Cliff City—no, in all of Haizhou—would drool over.
A person with absolutely no ability to protect himself had suddenly inherited a massive fortune. No, even before Chen Xingzhou’s death, merely having the qualification to inherit this fortune was enough to make him the target of everyone’s greed or the center of the storm.
If he stayed in Cliff City, there would still be his brother’s organization and remaining forces who, out of respect for what Chen Xingzhou had once done, would try to protect him. But the moment he left Cliff City, nothing but hungry predators would wait for him, opening their bloodied mouths wide. All of them waited impatiently to tear into his flesh.
Even Ji Jue, after hearing this, felt a surge of dark irritation. He even considered going for it for a moment. What, kidnapping? It wasn’t like he hadn’t done it before. He had even nearly torn someone apart doing it. Unfortunately, he still had a shred of conscience left, however small it was, and he couldn’t bring himself to go through with it.
Ji Jue sighed.
“Can’t he just give up the inheritance?”
“The people at Everline Bank only recognize contracts, not people,” Tong Hua replied. “Even if Chen Xingzhou suddenly woke up and said he changed his mind and wouldn’t give it anymore, they still wouldn’t care unless the contract was officially revoked.
“No matter how much trouble this money causes, they will still deliver it into Chen Yubo’s hands. Otherwise, Everline Bank’s credibility would be completely destroyed. They’ve probably already sent a manager over, just waiting for Chen Xingzhou’s death certificate to be stamped before they come to enforce the terms.”
Tong Hua sighed. “We’ve known each other for a while, Mr. Chen, Right now, your only option is to go kneel before Lei Yaoxing, sign a waiver refusing emergency treatment, wait until your brother passes, and then hand this money over to him, beg him to spare your life, and sever all ties with the Wasteland Assembly completely. If you do that, Ms. Wen can use the Safety Bureau’s authority to protect you and keep you alive.”
Chen Yubo didn’t say anything. He just kept his head down. Several times he tried to speak as tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.
“My dad... My dad was a gambling addict. Even before I was born, while I was still in my mother’s belly, he had already abandoned us. My mother also died early, and she was gone when I was just two years old.
“If it weren’t for my brother, I would’ve been thrown away like trash to rot in some ditch long ago. Even the first time I picked up a knife to cut someone, it was for my school fees and food money. I know he did a lot of shady things, things that can never see the light of day, but without him, I would be long dead. Half of what he’s done wrong is my burden too.
“Since I walked this path, I knew I’d have to pay the price sooner or later. If I die, then so be it. But asking me to kneel to the people who killed him, asking me to harm him... I’d rather just die like this.”
He wiped at his tears and snot in a sorry mess, stood up and bowed deeply.
“Thank you all for your kindness. I’m just too useless. It’s my fault. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
With that, he said his goodbyes, preparing to leave. Ji Jue forced him back onto the sofa.
“Hold on. The situation might not be that bad.” He paused for a bit, then added, “There’s at least one more option.”
Chen Yubo swallowed hard, on the verge of crying from anxiety. His legs were trembling. If there was another option, Ji Jue should just get on with it already.
Ji Jue studied him for a moment. “Anyway, you’ll just die in the worst-case scenario, right? Do you mind never getting married for the rest of your life?”
Chen Yubo froze. “Huh?”
“First of all, let’s be clear about one thing.” Ji Jue raised a finger. “As long as Chen Xingzhou is alive, you don’t even have a chance at this money. If he dies, you definitely won’t be able to keep it either. But at the very least, you can decide where this money goes, right?
“Since it’s going to be handed over anyway, why should such a massive sum end up benefiting someone like Lei Yaoxing, a gang leader with a mountain of sins? Even if he really promises to protect you, would you dare believe him?”
Chen Yubo was unable to refute it. Honestly speaking, even if Lei Yaoxing smiled at him and said, “I was just joking earlier,” would he actually dare to relax?
“And if you give it to the Safety Bureau? They’ll just find a way to pocket it themselves, or funnel it through three or four layers into some department’s private fund. I’m not wrong about that, am I, Ms. Wen?”
Wen Wen waved her hand casually, admitting it without concern.
“So... Have you considered giving it to the Radiant Church?” Ji Jue asked.
The sudden suggestion left everyone stunned. Only the cats in Chen Yubo’s arms meowed in response.
The Radiant Church was a religious organization spread across the entire world. They believed in the Doctrine of Light, which stated that all souls and spirits came from light and would eventually return to light.
On the surface, it didn’t seem much different from any ordinary religion. The key point was this: the “light” they worshiped actually manifested. From within countless souls, the compassion and virtue that rose upward and accumulated through the devotion and practice of generations of believers had, astonishingly, formed an intangible saint.
Chosen Ones of the Ascension Path often pursued the elevation of their souls and personal transformation by walking the path they set for themselves. Those who resonated with the Light of Compassion and received the covenant would renounce all wealth and reputation, dedicating their entire lives to practicing the Doctrine of Light: saving the dying, healing the wounded, and comforting souls.
If they violated the sacred covenant or deliberately harmed others, they immediately lost the protection and blessing of the sage, and were brought back to their original state.
Although only a very small number of people could receive the sacred covenant, anyone who did was welcomed warmly by all. Who wouldn’t like someone who devoted themselves purely to good deeds, with absolutely guaranteed moral integrity and conduct?
Although the organization only had a few hundred thousand registered formal members worldwide, and only a few thousand among them were Chosen Ones, the Radiant Church’s charitable institutions were spread across the entire world, including Cliff City.
Unlike those fake charities that either existed just to scam money or were simply used for tax evasion, their charitable funds were always used for relief and aid. No matter how much money there was, it would never be enough.
If it was just for show, any fund could easily report a surplus every year. But the moment they actually started doing real work, they couldn’t even keep their principal intact.
Education in impoverished regions, water supply in drought-stricken areas, medicine in epidemic zones, or hospitals in war-torn regions; even though Ji Jue wasn’t a believer, who in Cliff City’s poorer districts had never received help or protection from their charitable hospitals?
“Take all this money, donate it to the Radiant Church’s charity fund, then go to the archbishop of Haizhou and declare your vow to convert. From then on, you will hold no private property and seek no personal profit. With this money, the Radiant Church will vouch for you. Even the deepest grudges can be resolved in some way. Besides, you haven’t done anything truly heinous. No one will obsessively hunt you down.
“After a few years, things will calm down. No one will remember Chen Xingzhou, and no one will remember you. If you really can’t stand a life of austerity, you can also leave the church. Given the amount of money involved, the Radiant Church will definitely arrange a place for you. How about it?”
Chen Yubo stared at Ji Jue before looking at the others. “R-really?”
After the initial shock, everyone else, still silent, eventually nodded. The inheritance was more than four billion, plus shares in companies whose value was hard to even estimate but certainly not low, along with other assets. When wealth reached this level, it became almost impossible to measure it in ordinary terms. It was enough for ten thousand Ji Jues to live extravagantly for their whole lives without ever running out of money.
To suggest simply donating it all in one go, even if it wasn’t their own money, still felt almost extravagantly excessive. But it had to be said that this really was the best option for Chen Yubo. There was nothing better than this.
Chen Yubo hesitated for only a moment. After hearing the two cats meowing in his arms, he solemnly nodded. “I... I’m okay with it.”
He wasn’t married. He had plenty of female friends, but the financial relationships between them were all clear-cut and mutually consensual. On the surface, they called each other “honey” and “babe,” but everyone involved understood they didn’t truly mean it.
With his brother as a reference point, Chen Yubo had become even more cautious, always on guard not to form any trust beyond ordinary limits with strangers. The two cats in his arms were the only ones he could genuinely like and care for without fearing betrayal.
A person could have many attachments to the world, but to some, only the tiniest little things mattered. If he died, his cats would probably end up as real strays, scraping by one meal at a time, getting pushed around by whoever felt like it. Who’d even spare them a second look?
“Just... Can I keep a bit of money to buy cat food?” he asked cautiously.
Irritated, Tong Hua rolled her eyes, tapping her fingers against her arm. Her expression turned serious. “You donate this money and the Radiant Church will buy them cat food for life. Are you stupid?!
“The plan sounds great, but we still have to face reality. The premise of all this is that you must survive until your brother actually dies and a new person takes over. Otherwise, before the ties between you and the Wasteland Assembly are completely severed, even the Radiant Church, no matter how compassionate it is, will not interfere in these dirty matters under any circumstance. And this...”
She looked at Ji Jue, who nodded slowly. He could only let out a helpless sigh.
“No matter what, we’re friends.” He glanced at Young Master Chen, who was curling in on himself. Ji Jue’s headache was only getting worse. “He reached out to me at a time like this. I can’t just kick him out, can I?”
If I’m going to do good, I’ll do it properly all the way.
Worst case, he’d just play the coward for a few days and hide Chen Yubo a bit.
The guy had been squatting outside Ji Jue’s home, holding his cats and crying his eyes out. There was no way Ji Jue could just watch him walk out and die on the streets.
Running into something like this could only be chalked up to rotten luck. All he could feel was that every “gift” fate threw at him came with an absurdly inflated price tag. I’m just trying to make a little damn money off you brothers, so why the hell does it have to be this hard?!
Chen Yubo was moved to tears again and lunged forward, trying to hug Ji Jue while sobbing loudly. “Ji Jue, I...”
Exhausted, Ji Jue immediately pushed Chen Yubo’s face away with one hand. “Stop. I’m already starting to regret this. Calm down.”
Wen Wen, who had been observing quietly the whole time, suddenly spoke up from the sofa. “Actually, if he’s going to do it like that, the risk isn’t that high. It might be barely worth a try.”
1. “Tang Monk meat” comes from the classic Chinese mythological novel 《Journey to the West》. In the original story, Tang Sanzang is the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi and a man who has cultivated through ten lifetimes, which gave rise to the legend that eating even a piece of his flesh would grant immortality. As a result, countless demons and monsters along his journey coveted him. ☜
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