Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 501: Taking Care of the Mother-in-Law

As bodyguards, they indeed had to face harsh environments at all times. However, Zhou Yuwen's parents were just ordinary people. Naturally, they could not bear to see the group of bodyguards protecting their son sleeping on the streets, so they specifically cleared out a room at home for them to rest.Zhou Yuwen had only returned this time to visit; he had no grand plans in mind. He did not have much to chat about with his parents either. Instead, it was Zhou Guobin who took the initiative to speak with Zhou Yuwen about their home being slated for demolition and relocation.

Zhou Yuwen was naturally aware of this matter. In about a year, right around 2015, the area where his family lived would be included in the urban renewal plan. In his previous life, Zhou Yuwen had been away at school and knew nothing about it. In fact, he had not needed to know; after all, he was just a kid who did not understand much.

In this life, the fact that his father took the initiative to bring this up meant he was finally treating Zhou Yuwen as an adult.

He even went so far as to ask Zhou Yuwen which of the compensation plans would be best.

Without a second thought, Zhou Yuwen declared straightforwardly that if possible, they should opt entirely for property replacement. Given the large footprint of their current home, they could easily be compensated with seven or eight apartments.

It just so happened that with the demolition occurring in 2015, they would catch the tail end of the real estate boom.

The resettlement allocation methods varied. Some involved directly picking a few units from already constructed resettlement buildings as compensation, while others promised rebuilding on the original site.

The contract stipulated that the properties would be handed over in two years, but plans rarely kept pace with reality. By the time the apartments were actually delivered to Zhou Yuwen's family, it would already be 2018. That was when the housing prices peaked. Before anyone could even manage to renovate, the market would plummet as if sliding down a steep slope.

As for the resettlement residential areas, there were three in total, and they needed to choose one among them.

Zhou Yuwen told his father that he felt the future development of the small county town would skew toward the southern district. If they were to be relocated, they definitely needed to choose the properties in the south.

His father nodded. Seeing Zhou Yuwen speak so logically and clearly, he understood that his son's immense success today was likely not just because he had good luck.

Zhou Yuwen originally only wanted to stay at home for two quiet days. However, news of his return undeniably caused quite a stir in the county. From local officials and administrators down to relatives and friends, everyone swarmed to Zhou Yuwen's house like a hive of bees.

First, it was his father, Zhou Guobin, who received several phone calls from the Investment Promotion Bureau. The callers would open with, "Old Zhou, I heard your son is back?"

Then, the deputy county magistrate in charge of investment also called Zhou Guobin. After exchanging some pleasantries, he asked, "Is your son free these next few days? If so, how about we go out for a meal together?"

The leader held a position half a rank higher than Zhou Guobin and wielded real power, so Zhou Guobin would never refuse. Furthermore, his father firmly believed that the country operated on human sentiment; he figured his son would eventually need these connections.

In fact, it was not just the local county. Even people from the neighboring counties came over to build connections.

After all, in an era where the economy reigned supreme, everyone knew that Zhou Yuwen had earned over three billion abroad. If those three billion could take root and blossom in the local county, it would become their personal political achievement.

On the second day of Zhou Yuwen's return, various relatives showed up uninvited. Zhou Yuwen's side of the family actually had decent relations. Because his father, Zhou Guobin, was already a prominent figure among their relatives, the ones who came visiting were of relatively high caliber.

Still, an occasion like this—with an endless stream of cars and a massive gathering of guests bustling outside the Zhou family's front door—was truly a rare sight.

Zhou Yuwen did not turn down these social engagements. He even agreed to the various investment proposals one by one; after all, he was currently a living billboard for success.

Everyone knew he had money, which meant that the banks were perfectly willing to issue loans to Zhou Yuwen. They even hoped he would borrow a bit more.

The Xuzhou-Huaibei region enjoyed convenient transportation and had been a highly contested strategic area for the military since ancient times. Therefore, if one wanted to strike it rich in this small county town, there was one business guaranteed to make a profit: logistics.

This was especially true during 2014, when various e-commerce platforms were building their own logistics and warehousing systems. Although Zhou Yuwen did not work in logistics himself, he maintained excellent relations with Vipshop. Leveraging his connections with Vipshop, Zhou Yuwen secured a massive plot of land in his hometown, declaring his intention to build the largest logistics and warehousing center in the Xuzhou-Huaibei region.

This project, however, put Brother Dong next door in a rather awkward position.

In addition to this, Zhou Yuwen also discussed participating in some urban investment and construction projects with the deputy county magistrate. He would only be responsible for the investment; as for the actual construction, Zhou Yuwen would not interfere.

Small county towns operated on an all-hands-on-deck investment promotion system. This meant that regardless of whether one was a regular clerk or a section chief, and whether they worked at the Procuratorate or any other department, anyone could bring in business investments.

Once the recruited merchants established themselves, the recruiter could earn a commission ranging from two hundred thousand to one million. Any project exceeding one billion was a solid, undeniable political achievement.

Zhou Yuwen estimated an overall investment of around two billion, all of which would be credited directly to Zhou Guobin's name.

Although it would not interfere with his daily work, it guaranteed that he would wear a large red rosette at the year-end commendation conference and claim various accolades, such as the "Pioneering Ox" from the "Three Ox Awards."

After dining with the deputy county magistrate, he returned home to yet another family banquet filled with relatives. During the meal, people rushed to flatter him, tossing around compliments like how they had long seen that Yuwen was different from the rest, or praising the older sister and brother-in-law for knowing how to raise such an excellent child.

Zhou Yuwen was indifferent to these empty words. Since he had launched a logistics park project, he naturally needed trusted people to help run it. Therefore, if any of these relatives needed a job, Zhou Yuwen simply threw them all into the operation.

In truth, Zhou Yuwen really hoped that his cousin, Peng Xiaoyong, would step up as the person in charge of this logistics park. Among his multitude of relatives, Peng Xiaoyong was one who had genuinely endured years of grueling study, rising up step by step. He was truly a remarkable talent.

Meanwhile, Peng Xiaoyong's mother, Zhou Dagu, had also gotten ideas after hearing that Zhou Yuwen was arranging jobs for relatives at the logistics park. After the meal, she actively sought out Zhou Yuwen and said, "Wenwen, your aunt loved you the most when you were little. Now that you're so developed, do you think you could guide your cousin a bit?"

Zhou Yuwen stated that it was absolutely no problem.

"I can't promise much else, but as long as my cousin is willing to come back, I'll pay him a salary of thirty thousand a month."

Zhou Dagu was overjoyed upon hearing this. A salary of thirty thousand was not only higher than what he made in Jinling, but more importantly, he wouldn't have to leave his hometown.

Frankly speaking, Peng Xiaoyong had studied abroad for two years. He had finally returned home with great difficulty, only to settle in Jinling, over a hundred and fifty kilometers away. As the saying goes, a mother worries when her child travels far. Zhou Yuwen's aunt truly missed her son.

This was perfect. Thanks to Zhou Yuwen, her son would no longer have to work out of town. He could comfortably find an easy job right in his hometown, and the pay was phenomenally high!

Zhou Dagu expressed her endless gratitude. Completely disregarding their seniority, she flattered Zhou Yuwen endlessly at the dinner table and even eagerly toasted him with two glasses of liquor.

Once the lively gathering dispersed, Zhou Dagu, in excellent spirits, returned home and called her son to share the news via a phone call.

However, Peng Xiaoyong was not happy to hear this news. He remained silent on the phone call for a long time.

It wasn't until his mother pressed him again that Peng Xiaoyong finally said, "Mom, I want to rely on myself and strive hard for a few years."

"You fool!"

Zhou Dagu immediately grew frantic upon hearing this. "You have nothing in that big city, how are you going to strive?! Your younger male cousin has made something of himself and is perfectly willing to help you out. You stubborn ox, why are you being so unreasonable?!"

Zhou Dagu exhausted both gentle persuasion and harsh scolding, but Peng Xiaoyong seemed to have firmly made up his mind. No matter what she said, he refused to return home.

In Zhou Dagu's eyes, returning to their hometown would provide her son with a bright and beautiful future.

But for Peng Xiaoyong, going home was the last thing he wanted.

Having been away for many years, his memories of his hometown had long since blurred. The only thing he clearly remembered was the countless nights—those bone-chilling winter nights—where a single, small desk lamp illuminated his tiny, sixty-square-meter home.

Every day, he faced an endless mountain of test papers and an infinite list of English vocabulary words to memorize.

His mother had always told him that it didn't matter if other families were wealthy. As long as he was willing to put in the hard work, he would surpass them one day and live a good life! This sentence became Peng Xiaoyong's core belief for many years. He carried this belief with him across the ocean, thinking to himself that he must make everyone who used to look down on him look at him with new eyes.

Yet, as the years slipped by, that grand vindication felt remarkably hollow.

The big city was chaotic and vast. Even though Peng Xiaoyong boasted impressive academic credentials, he was merely a drop in the ocean in such a metropolis. However, here, he didn't have to worry about people gossiping behind his back, claiming he was a failure.

A big city could not cradle the body.

But a small county town could no longer contain the soul.

No matter how much Zhou Dagu cried and fussed, Peng Xiaoyong resolutely refused to go back.

Naturally, Zhou Yuwen was completely unaware of all this.

Zhou Yuwen had planned to stay home for just two days, but due to these worldly delays, he ended up staying for almost four, nearly forgetting his most important task.

That was, naturally, to pay a visit to his mother-in-law, Aunt Pan Min.

Setting aside how exceptionally kind his mother-in-law had been to him in his previous life, even in this life, when Zhou Yuwen saw Su Qing off to New York, she had specifically asked him to take care of her mother while she was away.

Zhou Yuwen, of course, would not forget.

Thus, finding a spare moment, he had Liu Shuo drive the G-Wagon to take him to Su Qing's home to visit Pan Min.

Recently, thanks to his association with Zhou Yuwen, Liu Shuo had also been living large, dining like a king. Though he was barely twenty years old, he was exuding an increasingly greasy, middle-aged aura.

Now, even Liu Shuo's old man had to tread carefully and watch his son's moods.

Ha, in Liu Shuo's own words, what did that old guy amount to? Just because he owned some crappy little stone quarry, he paraded around like he owned the world.

"I'm out here dining with the county magistrate and bureau chiefs every single day!"

"Do you even know people like that?"

That was exactly how bluntly Liu Shuo spoke to his father when he was at home.

And Father Liu, a man who had been in business his entire life, simply stood there chuckling.

His son had finally made a name for himself; how could a father not be delighted? He even adopted an ingratiating tone, asking, "Why don't you check which day your classmate, Zhou Yuwen, has some free time? We should all sit down and have a meal together."

"Sorry, no time. My bro is insanely busy, where would he find the time?" Liu Shuo replied with utter disdain.

While driving, Liu Shuo recounted all these events to Zhou Yuwen, grinning widely as he boasted, "Hehe, Bro, this is all thanks to you. Back in high school, whenever that old man had a bit to drink, he would tear into me, yelling about how I was terrible at studying and asking how I'd ever amount to anything. Hah, now he doesn't even dare to utter a word of nonsense!"

Zhou Yuwen found this quite amusing. He remarked, "He's still your father, after all. Can't you show him a little more respect?"

"Heh, he's just my biological dad. The guy brought a woman just a few years older than me into our home and gave me some inexplicable younger brother. They say if the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked. Since he's crooked up top, why shouldn't I be crooked down below?" Liu Shuo spouted his twisted logic while steering the wheel.

The car soon arrived downstairs at Su Qing's building. Zhou Yuwen dialed Pan Min's number first.

The phone call rang twice and was quickly connected.

Pan Min's remarkably feminine voice drifted from the other end of the line. "Hello?"

"Aunt Pan, it's Yuwen," Zhou Yuwen said crisply.

"Yuwen?" Pan Min was visibly surprised to learn who was calling. Once she confirmed it was him, she let out a soft sound of realization and asked, "Yuwen, what made you call me today?"

Zhou Yuwen smiled. "I made a trip back home recently, so I brought a little gift for you, Aunt Pan. Are you at home?"

"Ah, I really don't need anything." Pan Min was deeply flattered.

Zhou Yuwen insisted that it was Su Qing's intention. Some of the gifts were even handpicked by Su Qing in New York, and she had strictly instructed Zhou Yuwen to deliver them to her mother.

Hearing this, Pan Min's brow smoothed out. Ultimately, she sighed and murmured that they really shouldn't have gone to such trouble.

But since Zhou Yuwen was already there, Pan Min could not turn him away. She simply said, "I'm still at the office grading exam papers. How about this? You can just leave the items with the security guard. You really didn't need to make a special trip just for this."

Zhou Yuwen told her that was absolutely out of the question. "Aunt Pan, it's fine. I'm not in a hurry."

"I'll just wait here for you for a bit."

"You really don't have to." Pan Min despised troubling others. The more Zhou Yuwen insisted, the more of a burden she felt it was, yet she simply could not persuade him otherwise.

Finally, she relented. "Then wait for me at the house. I'll head back right away."

Zhou Yuwen assured her there was no rush.

After waiting for about ten minutes, a white Mercedes-Benz slowly pulled into the residential area.

Zhou Yuwen and Liu Shuo had been waiting inside the G-Wagon the entire time.

Catching sight of Pan Min's car in the rearview mirror, they prepared to step out.

However, the moment the white Mercedes-Benz parked, a figure darted out from the shadows.

The figure belonged to a middle-aged man straddling an electric bicycle. He had been loitering by the curb for quite a while. Zhou Yuwen and Liu Shuo had actually noticed him earlier, but they hadn't cared much about it.

Neither of them expected that as soon as Pan Min's car stopped, the man would sprint over, magically producing a bouquet of red roses from out of nowhere.

"Teacher Pan, are you off work?" The man was in his forties and appeared rather refined. He sported a slicked-back hairstyle glistening with pomade and wore thick, black-rimmed glasses. His dressing up made him look unmistakably like a stereotypical male literature teacher.

Pan Min was quite surprised to see him. "Teacher Luo, didn't I tell you that there's no need to be so overly polite?"

The teacher surnamed Luo smiled gently. He stated that he had carefully considered the matter for a long time and sincerely felt that Teacher Pan ought to give him a chance, and in doing so, give herself a chance as well.

"I am forty years old this year. I own an apartment outright and have fifty thousand yuan in savings. My son is already in university, and I hear your daughter has also gone to study out of town. We have exhausted ourselves laboring for our children our entire lives; it is high time we start thinking about ourselves."

"I admit that I don't have much money, but I have my strengths too. I am honest and pure-hearted. Teacher Pan, why won't you just give me a chance?" the male teacher pleaded.