Chapter 3

"Wait... wait a moment!" Li Xu said, his lips twitching, his face ashen as if he had just eaten a pile of shit.

"We agreed that if I made this deal, I wouldn't have to go to college!" he glared at his father.

"At the time, I just said I would consider it, Second Generation," Old Edward replied calmly.

Li Xu narrowed his eyes again and forced out the words through gritted teeth: "You're not keeping your word, Dad! You're deceiving your own child! Oh, do you remember what the first lesson you taught me was? If you promise something, you must do it, and if you can't do it, don't promise it!"

"Since you were 12, you've been emphasizing that you're already an adult and capable of making your own decisions. Now you want to act like a child again?" Old Edward laughed, "And I always just said I would consider it."

If I didn't want to let the opportunity slip away, would you give me the chance to hesitate? Li Xu looked at his father in this life with a speechless expression, took a deep breath, and asked in a slightly sarcastic tone: "Dad, am I your biological child?"

It's one thing for your trader to follow my trader and pick up the leftovers, but now you're even fooling me. Do you really think I won't dare to hit you just because you're my father in this life?

"Of course," Old Edward seemed not to notice, raising his hands, "A few days after you were born, your grandfather had you tested. You know, he takes these things very seriously and has a strong obsession with them."

"..." Li Xu couldn't help but cover his forehead; being born into this family was truly a depressing thing.

"Oh, I forgot to mention," Old Edward suddenly added, "It was your grandfather who first gave the phone number to Principal Curtis, and then me. He was very satisfied with your performance."

Hearing this, Li Xu was speechless. Anything involving his grandfather was always very complicated.

"Also," his father continued, rubbing salt in the wound, "Your grandfather wants to have a formal conversation with you about some topics you've discussed before, so you should go see him in San Francisco."

A bad feeling rose in Li Xu's heart: "What about you?"

"I still have a lot of work to handle," Old Edward said with a straight face, "And you're already an adult, capable of making your own decisions, right?"

Sucking in a cold breath, Li Xu glared at his father in this life: "Am I really your biological child, Dad?"

"Trust me, it's certain," Old Edward chuckled, "Alright, Second Generation, it's just a chat with Grandpa, not a meeting with a tiger."

"I'd rather be locked in with a tiger," Li Xu mumbled.

"Besides," Old Edward continued, "Having Grandpa's support is always good, no matter what you want to do in the future. I remember how you used to talk to him so confidently."

"Can't I have your support?" Li Xu countered, "You know how impossible Grandpa's plans are."

"Not at the moment," Old Edward shrugged, "But... maybe it's worth a try."

He smiled at him: "If you can keep making such achievements, Second Generation."

What?! Li Xu blinked, looking at Old Edward in disbelief. What a joke, are you really planning to implement Grandpa's wild schemes?

At that moment, the phone on the desk rang, and Old Edward picked it up casually: "What is it, Mary? Oh? Alright, put them through."

He chuckled and changed his tone to a gentle one: "Hi, dear, are you awake or still sleeping? It should be around 5 AM in Tokyo, right?"

Li Xu's eyelids twitched, and he sat there in silence, sighing at what might happen next. As soon as Old Edward changed his tone, he knew who was on the other end.

Sure enough, after a few words, his father glanced at him: "Of course, he's right here. He did a great job this time, dear, really great."

Then he handed the phone to Li Xu.

Taking it with some reluctance, he began speaking in Japanese: "Good morning, Mother."

"Ah, it's so good to hear Liangshi's voice," came the melodious female voice, tinged with surprise that sounded almost teasing, "How long has it been since you last called your mother? I miss you so much."

Ha... Li Xu rolled his eyes in his mind but kept his tone respectful: "I'm really sorry, Mother. As you know, I've been busy with silver trading and living in New York, always keeping an eye on the market, so I forgot to call. I'm very sorry."

"Yes, I know, Liangshi has grown up and is working hard for his career. It's amazing how quickly my little Liangshi has grown. I miss the chubby little you in my arms so much," the voice alternated between wistful and sad, like a sentimental girl.

Li Xu couldn't help but cover his forehead; he really didn't know how to respond to his... mother, who always seemed a bit unserious at times like this.

"Um, Mother, Dad should have told you, I did a great job this time, but he still wants me to go to college," Li Xu cleared his throat.

"You already know? Oh, I thought your dad would wait until you graduated to tell you." Mother sighed, seemingly very regretful that she couldn't see her son's disappointed face.

"Mother..." Li Xu could only call out weakly, already used to it.

"Ah, when will Liangshi come back to Japan to see Mom? I haven't seen you in so long," Mother changed the topic, her tone becoming melancholic, "It's lonely being an empty-nester."

Li Xu's lips twitched, and his face turned a bit dark. He wished he hadn't taught her that word.

"You're only 43, far from being an old person," he forced himself to say calmly.

"But aging is fast, especially when you're not around," Mother sighed, causing Li Xu a headache.

"Alright, alright," he quickly decided, "Since there's nothing much going on recently, Dad said I can apply to Harvard without any problem. Missing a few classes shouldn't matter. Once things here are settled, I'll come to see you, okay?"

"Ah, that's great, I can't wait to see Kangshi," Mother said happily, though a bit exaggerated, especially with all the "ah," "ne," and "oh" mixed in.

Why are there so many onomatopoeic words in Japanese? Li Xu thought to himself, and he had long wanted to ask his mother: Are you really Japanese? Are you really a Japanese woman?

After a few more words, he finally hung up, sighed, and looked at his father, his lips twitching.

The other party looked interested: "I have to say, Second Generation, you've never talked to me like that."

Can't you stop looking like you're competing for favor? Li Xu rolled his eyes, didn't want to talk much, and stood up: "Please prepare a plane for me, Dad. Once things here are settled, I want to go back to Tokyo."

Before Old Edward could speak, he quickly added: "And please call Oakland High School to take a leave for me."

"No problem," his father agreed, seeming to indulge him, but then added: "But before that, dear son, you need to go to San Francisco and have a good chat with your grandfather."

Li Xu rolled his eyes again, gave his father the middle finger without hesitation, and walked to the door. Then he turned and asked: "Does it have to be Harvard? Can't it be something else, like Stanford?"

"Your grandfather graduated from Harvard, your deceased uncle graduated from Harvard, your cousin graduated from Harvard, I graduated from Harvard, and even your mother graduated from Harvard. What do you think?" Old Edward smiled and countered.

"Got it," Li Xu shook his head and walked out. It was just a futile struggle, like the question of whether he could skip the chat with his grandfather.

Well, he should have been prepared. Since he was 12, every time he fought for autonomy, he always succeeded and failed at the same time—gaining a little independence but facing even greater pressure.

"If I go back... no, if anyone in this life dares to say or write that American upper-class families let their children earn their tuition and living expenses to foster independence, I'll slap them to death!" Li Xu muttered angrily as he got back into the car.

From his 17 years of life experience, the real upper class would never do such a thing—well, not entirely, but any child treated this way usually meant one thing: they were abandoned.

Just like his father in this life. If not, Old Edward wouldn't have a Japanese wife, even if she was from a prestigious family in Japan... Well, that's not entirely true. Although most of the Li family's resources were concentrated in Li Xu's uncle, Old Edward's brother, Franklin Spencer Li, Edward Pierpont Li wasn't completely neglected.

So, when the Franklins died in a car accident, Edward could quickly take over the family business and maintain stability.

Thinking about this, Li Xu sighed. American father, Japanese mother, and a son with a Chinese soul—truly the most screwed-up rebirth.

The car drove to 7 Park Avenue, and Li Xu got out, entered the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and went straight to the penthouse suite, unlocking the door with a key.

"Theresa, are you here?" Noticing movement in the room, he asked as he walked in, then froze at the bar.

In the living room of the suite, a round-faced, gentle-looking Eastern woman sat on a single sofa, her brows slightly furrowed. Two middle-aged Asian men in suits sat opposite her, and they seemed to be discussing something.

When Li Xu entered, the three of them looked up. The woman showed a complex expression of relief and sadness, while the two men frowned.