Chapter 7

Han Kongque felt a surge of anger at the sight of Han Rongyao's nose-in-the-air attitude. A boy from the village, though he needn't feel inferior, had no reason to be proud. He really couldn't understand what made Han Rongyao look down on others.

"Go away, all of you. I said, I will fulfill my duty to support the elderly, but I can't do anything else. And you, since you won't even call me 'Big Brother,' I'll consider you as if you don't exist. Now, go away!" Han Kongque waved his hand and walked past Han Jianguo, heading towards the basement he had rented.

"Hey, give us the money before you leave. Do you think we want to come to your doghouse? Don't say I don't take care of my brother. When I start working, I'll give you a little benefit, which will be more than what you earn as a laborer. You should be grateful! Having a brother like me is a blessing you've earned in your past lives." Han Rongyao said with a condescending look.

Han Kongque turned around and looked at this arrogant boy. He was truly a frog at the bottom of a well, who had never seen the vast sky.

A boy who hadn't yet stepped out of the ivory tower, unaware of the hardships of the world, really thought that going to university would solve all his problems?

He had seen many such boys, full of ambition when they left school, only to return home in defeat to farm the land.

Without real skills, yet with lofty ambitions, they were good at nothing and always complained about the pay, never showing gratitude or contentment. Such people, with their high expectations and low abilities, were not even wanted by small companies, let alone large ones. No wonder companies nowadays were reluctant to hire fresh graduates.

"Who would have thought that the money I worked hard to earn would raise a white-eyed wolf? It seems my first 28 years were a failure. No matter how much you talk, even if you say the sky is raining gold, I have no money. See? I only have 200 yuan left. That's my food for the next month, and I won't give it to you." Han Kongque sneered.

There was nothing anyone could force him to do, not in the past, not now, and not in the future.

"Big Brother, don't say such harsh words. You don't have an education, so you can only do hard labor. In the future, you'll still need to rely on your younger brother. If you give your salary now to buy a suit for your younger brother, he can find a decent job and help you in the future. Then you won't have to do such dirty and tiring work, right?" Han Jianguo said earnestly.

"Do you want me to use the money I worked hard for to buy a suit for him?" Han Kongque asked, disbelieving.

Han Jianguo said matter-of-factly, "Of course. Your younger brother told me he has already chosen a suit. He said it's a brand name and will make him look good. If his image is good, he can find a good job. He will earn over 10,000 yuan a month, which is more than three times your salary. If you add bonuses and benefits, his monthly salary might even equal your annual salary. The suit only costs 3,000 yuan. This is an investment we must support. Think about it carefully."

Han Kongque stared at Han Rongyao. This boy was really willing to spend money. Wearing a good suit for an interview was understandable, but without money, wearing clean and tidy clothes wouldn't make anyone think you were poor. After all, you're just a fresh graduate, and no one expects too much from you.

Han Rongyao was clearly putting on a show, wanting to look fancy despite the family's financial difficulties. Such a person, who didn't understand the family's hardships, would never help others even if he became successful in the future.

"I spent less than 300 yuan on my entire outfit. Do you want me to give you all the money I worked hard for to buy you clothes? Do you think I'm a fool? Even if I were to buy clothes, they would be for me to wear. Do you really think you're a rich kid? You're just the son of a farmer from a poor village." Han Kongque said bluntly to Han Rongyao.

"Pfft! You're lucky to have a 300 yuan outfit. If I gave you a 3,000 yuan suit, would you even dare to wear it out? You, who works so hard, actually dare to compare yourself to me? I will earn more money each month than you can imagine. How can someone who didn't even finish high school compare to me?" Han Rongyao said, lifting his chin in disdain.

Han Kongque was at a loss. Was he really not good enough compared to this boy?

Not to mention other things, even the two books he had, especially the medical book, were not something he could afford in the short term.

When it came to earning money, Han Kongque was not inferior to anyone, not even the coal bosses or real estate tycoons.

Looking at Han Rongyao's disgusting face, Han Kongque felt helpless. After all, he was family, and he couldn't just scold him.

Moreover, he couldn't tell them that he could earn money. If they knew, they would pester him every day.

"Go away, I don't have time to argue with you." Han Kongque didn't wait for their response, opened the basement door, and went inside, closing the door behind him, leaving the two outside.

Han Jianguo and Han Rongyao stood outside, at a loss. They had never encountered such a situation before. The soft-spoken person who always gave in to their requests had suddenly turned into a prickly hedgehog.

"What should we do? Your Big Brother said he would pay for your university, and now you've graduated. If he doesn't give me the money, I really can't do anything about it."

Han Jianguo spoke firmly to Han Kongque, but he wouldn't dare to lay a hand on his son. Since Han Kongque was seven or eight, his body had grown strong. Whether he was farming in the village or working in the city, no one dared to bully him. Not only that, many people were afraid to even look at him.

Han Rongyao, of course, was all talk. He knew his Big Brother didn't like him, and if it weren't for his father, his Big Brother would have already dealt with him. Now, even his father couldn't do anything about his Big Brother, so he dared not challenge him.

However, for the interview, he had to have a good outfit. His classmates all had nice clothes for interviews, and he couldn't be the only one without them.

Besides, he had already boasted to his friends that he had bought the clothes and that his family would bring them. If he didn't have nice clothes for the interview, he would be embarrassed.

After some thought, Han Rongyao came up with an idea. "Dad, do you know where Big Brother works?"

"Yes, what's the matter?" Han Jianguo was puzzled.

"I remember you once helped Big Brother collect his salary." Han Rongyao said again.

Han Jianguo still didn't understand but followed his son's lead. "Your Big Brother has been working at a large company for over ten years. Their company is very formal. A few times, the family needed money urgently, and your Big Brother was on a business trip. So, I had to ask him to have the company's finance department let me collect the salary on his behalf."

"If you go to Big Brother's company now to collect his salary, can you do it?" Han Rongyao smiled slyly.

Han Jianguo looked puzzled. "Collect Big Brother's salary now? He got paid yesterday, so he should have already collected it. We won't be able to get it now."

"I mean, if Big Brother hasn't collected his salary, and you go to collect it on his behalf, can you do it?" Han Rongyao said, somewhat smugly.

Han Jianguo began to understand. However, to collect the salary in advance, it wouldn't work for this month. It was like trying to quench thirst with a distant spring.

"It should be possible. Just bring the household registration book and ID card. Last month, when your Big Brother was on a business trip, you needed money to smooth things over, and I went to his company to collect the salary. I've done it four or five times before, so it should be fine this time too." Han Jianguo answered seriously.

"Then it's settled. Let's go to Big Brother's company." Han Rongyao said smugly.

"What are we going to do at Big Brother's company?" Han Jianguo asked.

Han Rongyao explained, "We'll go and pre-collect Big Brother's salary for the next three months. When we get there, you tell the finance department that Big Brother has had an accident and needs money urgently to save him. I'll call Big Brother from outside, and the finance department won't be able to reach him. You can remind them that Big Brother's phone might be broken. Since you've collected his salary before, they shouldn't suspect you of lying."

"Ah? Can we really pre-collect the salary?" Han Jianguo was surprised.

Han Rongyao said, "As long as it's a large company, it should be possible. Besides, Big Brother has worked there for ten years, so he should have some connections with the executives. They will give him some face. Moreover, the money is for saving Big Brother, who is their employee. Pre-collecting three months' salary should be fine."

"Alright, this time Big Brother has really been unreasonable. Little Brother, you shouldn't bear a grudge against him. If you become successful in the future, remember to find a good job for Big Brother." Han Jianguo still had some concern for Han Kongque.

However, he never imagined that his eldest son was the real money god. Just the book he found today could earn him what his capable son could earn in three to five years, even at the rate of over 10,000 yuan a month.

"Don't worry. Although he treats me badly, he is still my Big Brother. I won't hold a grudge. I'll make sure he has a meal to eat in the future." Han Rongyao lifted his head, almost looking at the road with the back of his head.

"That's good." The two of them agreed on the plan, and Han Rongyao hailed a taxi, heading towards Phoenix Tower.

At this moment, in the basement of Phoenix Tower, a red-faced old man was raging, "What are you doing? You've only done this much work all morning? Where is the red jade? Red jade? Do you even know what red jade is?

Qian Liang, what are you doing? Have you been eating shit all these years? If you can't produce a pair of blood jade bracelets this time, we'll have to pay a compensation of 100 million dollars. Do you know that? Selling your entire family a hundred times wouldn't be enough to cover it."

"What is this mess? Where is Xiao Han? Is Xiao Han off today? Send a car to bring Xiao Han here immediately. I need top-quality red jade. You've opened hundreds of pieces of jade, and this is all you've produced?"