“Hehe, it’s nothing, nothing. Our Lin Lin is growing up, becoming quite the handsome young man! Come on, don’t just stand there, sit down, sit down. Today, Mom specially made you shrimp and minced meat porridge, along with milk pudding, fresh meat dumplings, spring rolls with scallions, and ham omelets…” The table was laden with a feast, with seemingly more dishes yet to be brought out. Lin Feng exaggeratedly opened his mouth wide enough to fit three salted duck eggs: Mom, oh, Mom, making so many dishes at once, isn’t this a bit too much? Can I even eat all of this? But no words could express his feelings now, only gratitude. Dear Mom, your son will strive to do better and won’t let you and Dad work so hard anymore. In a couple of days, when things calm down, I’ll take out some of the money. Dad should stop working out there and come back to enjoy some peace. Your son will definitely make sure you live a happy, worry-free life. Don’t worry, I’ll work hard to earn a lot of money to bring back.
At the breakfast table, Lin Feng set a solemn goal for his life, different from the promise he made to Wang Xiaoyun just to please her. This time, he truly realized his responsibilities and obligations as a son. I must earn a lot of money, enough to ensure my parents live their later years without financial worries, so they never have to fret about money again. The first thing on my agenda is to bring Dad back home! I’m not a little kid anymore; I can’t let my parents worry about me anymore. The unexpected fortune of over a million dollars seems very likely to be real, a conclusion Lin Feng had reached after much thought. Given the suddenness of his encounter with the bandits last night, it was unlikely they would have prepared counterfeit money to trick him. It was more probable that they were involved in some illegal transaction, which he had accidentally stumbled upon. Recalling their reactions, they clearly thought he was part of a group planning to rob them, making it even less likely they would use fake money to deceive him. Though it was likely he had unintentionally come by this ill-gotten gain, Lin Feng decided to stick to his original plan, proceed cautiously, and find an opportunity to verify the authenticity of the money. Initially, he hadn’t decided how to handle this large sum. Should he anonymously turn it in to the police or donate it to charity? This was his initial thought last night. But now, he suddenly changed his mind, feeling that his initial idea was too selfish. He wasn’t particularly noble; he just thought that giving away the money would earn him a lot of moral points, which would help him control his girlfriend sooner. He had overlooked the feelings of those closest to him.
Both parents toil day and night for a bit of money, and I, as their son, was previously unable to help them, which was one thing, but now that I have the opportunity, instead of immediately thinking of repaying my parents for raising me, I think first about how to get more benefits for myself. Such selfish thoughts truly make one ashamed. The money was obtained at the risk of my life; it’s only right to consider it a reward for eliminating harm to the people, right? Finding a reasonable excuse in my heart, the large sum of money naturally became mine, and my mind finally found some peace. Last night, the police raided such a large den of thieves; the headlines in today’s newspapers should be very hot, shouldn’t they? While walking on the street, Lin Feng subconsciously bought several copies of the day’s newspapers. Strangely, not only was there no news about last night on the front page, but there was also nothing in the secondary sections, middle columns, entertainment pages, or even in the smallest corners. Lin Feng, not believing it, specifically went to the TV department in a shopping mall, watching the morning news for a long time, yet still no related news came out. Lin Feng touched his forehead, thinking, was last night’s scene just a dream? He checked again, and the bundles of cash and more than ten guns in the storage space were indeed real. Could it be that those clumsy cops who went last night had such weak firepower that they were wiped out by the arms dealers rushing out from the basement? That would be too absurd! And if so many policemen were in trouble, Yushan City should be in even greater turmoil. The state takes great care in maintaining its official machinery; if such an incident had really happened, Yushan City might even be under martial law. Clearly, the complete annihilation of the police force was impossible. If so many policemen were suddenly wiped out, Yushan City would be in complete chaos by now, how could it still be so calm as if nothing had happened? So, it must be that the police are deliberately suppressing the news. But why? Is it because the case is too significant, fearing that exposure would cause public panic and disrupt social order? Or are they blocking the news to capture bigger fish that have escaped the net? The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed. Shaking his head, he thought, whether it gets exposed or not should be the police’s concern, why should a common citizen like me worry about it? I don’t get paid by taxpayers! However, what about those three female classmates now? They probably didn’t recognize me last night, otherwise, perhaps the police would have come knocking by now! But it’s better this way; it saves me from having to come up with an explanation if the police came to my door. Should I tell them that I am a modern-day Superman, whose duty is to maintain social order, so I went to the den of thieves first last night, secretly helped the police sweep the place, called them to come and arrest people, then went home, took a shower, and have been sleeping ever since! If I explained it like that, they’d surely think I was crazy!
While passing through the central square, Lin Feng almost collided with someone coming from the opposite direction. Fortunately, Lin Feng was nimble; he instantly performed a quick step, bending down and twisting his body to avoid the collision. In that moment, Lin Feng stood at a 90-degree angle on the spot, much like the iconic bullet time move by the protagonist in “The Matrix.” The man opposite him let out a surprised “Huh.” Lin Feng naturally heard the other’s exclamation, knowing that the Iron Bridge move he had just performed had caught the other’s attention. So, without much thought, he pretended to stumble and fall as they passed each other. However, the man evidently knew some tricks too. Seeing Lin Feng fall, he quickly bent down, grabbed Lin Feng’s arm, and with a little force, pulled him back up. The man looked at Lin Feng with some confusion, seemingly puzzled by Lin Feng’s inconsistent series of actions. “Do you also do street dance?” the other asked tentatively. “Street dance? Uh… hehehe… just a little bit…” Lin Feng knew he had accidentally shown his hand, making this young man suspicious, but since the other showed no ill will, he played along, responded casually, and wanted to leave. However, as he lifted his hand, he unexpectedly found several banknotes stuck to his palm, which were some of the cash he had set aside from the spoils to verify their authenticity. Somehow, they had fallen out when he stumbled. Had Niu Niu’s storage space malfunctioned again? This discovery made Lin Feng tense, and his face turned pale.
