Chapter 37

"Father, you're pushing me into the fire. Not helping me is one thing, but you even cut my living expenses," Xia Hou Zhong Ying said, jumping with anger.

Xia Hou Zhong Ying had a monthly living allowance of 4 million Korean won, equivalent to more than 20,000 RMB. Originally, he planned to use this money for his studio and other necessary expenses, with a detailed budget for each area. Although it wasn't much, it could still accomplish a lot.

However, after Xia Hou Shang's intervention, his living expenses were cut in half, and even the credit card for emergencies was taken away. How could he make up for the shortfall? Asking those girls to donate wouldn't help; they didn't have much money, not even enough to fill a tooth gap.

"Hey, kid, why are you so anxious?" Xia Hou Shang was very dissatisfied with Xia Hou Zhong Ying's attitude and couldn't help but scold him, "Listen to my explanation first."

"There's nothing to explain," Xia Hou Zhong Ying couldn't listen now, worried about the reduced living expenses.

"Sit down," Xia Hou Shang was also angry, raising his voice and giving his son, who lacked respect, a stern look, "Then listen carefully, and we'll talk after you hear my explanation."

"Fine," Xia Hou Zhong Ying sat on the sofa, sulking, "Go ahead, Father."

"Let me ask you, have I ever controlled your living expenses? Although you officially have 4 million won a month, have you ever spent less than that? Including other miscellaneous expenses and the overdrawn credit card, it must be around 10 million won, or at least 8 million won," Xia Hou Shang asked.

"Maybe," Xia Hou Zhong Ying used his credit card or cashed it out when he ran out of money. Since his card was a family card under his father's name, he could use it without worrying about the consequences, which his father would handle. Faced with the facts, Xia Hou Zhong Ying had no choice but to nod helplessly.

"Let me ask you again, in your school, how many people have more living expenses than you?" Xia Hou Shang asked.

"Quite a few," Xia Hou Zhong Ying thought for a moment and said, "Our school has many wealthy families, and many students spend more than me. Some can even casually take out 100 million won."

Xia Hou Shang's face darkened; talking to this money-obsessed son was really frustrating. He had to change his approach, "I'm talking about the proportion. You are still one of those with high expenses."

"It depends on the proportion," Xia Hou Zhong Ying mumbled.

"Your living expenses are already quite high," Xia Hou Shang ignored his son's mumble, "Even though I cut it in half, you still have 2 million won. What are you so angry about?"

"I've been treated well enough," Xia Hou Shang said with a look of disappointment, "Do you know that many wealthy families kick their children out after they turn 18, leaving them to fend for themselves? If they can't support themselves, they lose the right to inherit the family assets."

"But I'm not 18 yet," Xia Hou Zhong Ying mumbled.

"Because you're not 18, I still give you 2 million won a month," Xia Hou Shang was almost driven to distraction by his son's words, "If you were 18, I'd kick you out of the house and not care if you lived or died."

Seeing his father's anger, Xia Hou Zhong Ying didn't dare to speak.

"Son, if you don't understand the hardships of life and the difficulty of earning money, how will you live in the future?" After calming down, Xia Hou Shang said to his son, "Although I have some assets, they are not unlimited. I only have you as my son, and all my assets will be yours in the future. If you don't learn to be independent and earn money, with your current spending habits, these assets won't last long. What will you do after you've spent it all?"

"How could it be spent in a few years? At my current rate, it would take over a hundred years to spend it all," Xia Hou Zhong Ying said indignantly, "Besides, Father, your two secretaries spend as much as I do every month. If it's all spent, you can't blame it on me."

"Brat, how I spend my money is none of your business," Xia Hou Shang was furious, especially when his son pointed out his affairs, which made him lose face. He angrily slapped his son's head.

"I don't care how you spend your money, but you can't touch the money Mother left me," Xia Hou Zhong Ying, driven by the lack of money, stood up to his father.

Xia Hou Shang was speechless, both amused and frustrated. Knowing that his son couldn't fully understand his intentions, he patiently continued, "Son, if you want to do something, you need to act like it. Relying on family money to play with movies isn't a skill. You've always lived in a comfortable environment and never worried about money, so you don't understand the difficulties of starting a business. I want you to experience the hardship of earning money so that you won't waste it and ruin the family assets."

"But... this short film can't make money. How can I use it to support myself?" Xia Hou Zhong Ying said, still不服气 (unconvinced).

"If it doesn't make money, can't you think of a way to make it profitable?" Xia Hou Shang slapped his son's head again, scolding him, "How can I have such a stupid son?"

"How can I make it profitable?" Xia Hou Zhong Ying knew his father's decision wouldn't change, so he perked up, knowing it was crucial for his future.

"You figure it out yourself," Xia Hou Shang waved his hand, showing no intention of giving advice.

Xia Hou Zhong Ying was almost driven to distraction by his father's irresponsibility, "Father, I don't have a clue, that's why I'm asking you."

"Son, I can't teach you forever. I won't be around to support you. From now on, you need to think independently and not rely on others. Relying on others is unreliable; ultimately, you can only rely on yourself," Xia Hou Shang said.

"Understood," Xia Hou Zhong Ying knew his father wouldn't give him any advice, so he responded dejectedly.

"I've also come from a hard life. The hardships we went through are unimaginable to you," Xia Hou Shang continued, "Think about the Red Army's 25,000-li Long March."

Xia Hou Shang momentarily misspoke, saying 250 instead of 25,000, and laughed awkwardly, "Back then, your mother and I worked day and night to have a full meal. We rented a 10-square-meter shabby house where we lived and ate. Even when you were born, we had to borrow money for your milk, and people were worried we couldn't pay it back. We begged everyone we knew, and your mother was almost forced to return to her parents for help."

Thinking about those hard times, Xia Hou Shang's tone became somber, and he looked as if he couldn't bear to recall the past.

"Hey, Father, I have a grandfather?" Xia Hou Zhong Ying asked in surprise.

"Of course, without a grandfather, where would your mother come from?" Xia Hou Shang said irritably.

"Why have I never known about him?" Xia Hou Zhong Ying asked, "You've never taken me to see him."

"Well, your mother and your grandfather had a conflict," Xia Hou Shang laughed awkwardly, not wanting to continue the topic, "Our life started to improve when you were two. It was a period of rapid development in the country, and we borrowed some money to start a business. With the right investments, the business grew, and we founded a company. Later, as you know, our company was acquired by the state-owned enterprise where I now work."

Xia Hou Zhong Ying nodded, remembering this. When the company was acquired, he was eight and already understood. He still didn't understand why his father, who had a thriving business, was willing to let it go and join the current company as a senior executive.

"Father, why did you sell the company back then?" Xia Hou Zhong Ying couldn't help but ask.

Xia Hou Shang looked at his son, paused, and sighed, "There's no harm in telling you now. After your mother passed away, I was often in a daze, exhausted and unable to focus on the company. In that state, I knew I couldn't continue, so I agreed to the merger."

Xia Hou Zhong Ying nodded, remembering how his father often came home drunk late at night, even once having a drunken fit and beating him until he was hospitalized. This was the only time his father had ever hit him. When his father sobered up, he carried the unconscious Xia Hou Zhong Ying to the nearest hospital. In the hospital, after confirming he was fine, his father couldn't help but cry, holding him tightly. A grown man, crying in the hospital, showed how deeply his mother's death had affected him.

"Sorry, Father," Xia Hou Zhong Ying, recalling the past, regretted his earlier behavior and apologized.

"It's good that you understand," Xia Hou Shang patted Xia Hou Zhong Ying's head and sighed, "Your mother and I both hope you will have a good future and not end up accomplishing nothing. Now that you want to do something on your own, you need to learn to take responsibility."

"Even if you hadn't proposed doing something on your own, I would have kicked you out of the house when you turned 18. If you don't make something of yourself, you won't inherit my assets," Xia Hou Shang paused and continued, "You're growing up, and I'm very pleased."

"Don't worry, Father, I won't let you down," moved by his father's care, Xia Hou Zhong Ying felt a surge of determination and said, "I now think 2 million won a month is too much. I don't need that much; 1 million won a month is enough."

"Really?" Xia Hou Shang was surprised by his son's sudden declaration. His son, who spent money like water, seemed to have grown up. After a moment of reflection, he asked, "You won't regret it?"

Xia Hou Zhong Ying regretted his words as soon as they were out. He wanted to slap himself for being so boastful. But the words were out, and he couldn't take them back, so he had to tough it out.

"No, I won't regret it," Xia Hou Zhong Ying said, his face falling.

"Ha, if you don't regret it, then it's settled. 1 million won a month," Xia Hou Shang knew his son's character and realized he had spoken without thinking and was now regretting it. He didn't give him a second chance, wanting to teach him a lesson.

Xia Hou Zhong Ying was almost in tears. "Father, at least give me a chance to take it back. Now the funding gap is even bigger."

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