Chapter 4: The Casino

  "Wait!"

  "What's going on?"

  "Someone!"

  "You look ill! Of course, Mom and Dad are at home."

  "No, apart from Dad and Mom, there are others." Haobing's expression was very serious.

  Chen Chu's mouth twitched, seemingly smiling yet not: "You can't be serious? This is going home, not handling a case."

  Hao Bing was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing: "Ha ha ha ha. Occupational disease, occupational disease."

  Chen Chu's hand hesitated for a moment, and he couldn't help but feel a bit helpless: "Just now when I was parking the car, it was the same. Why not just park there and be done with it? Do you have to drive around in circles and make life so tense? Look at me, I'm even walking like this very relaxedly." Just as he was about to knock on the door, Chen Chu suddenly stopped his hand movement: "You go in first."

  "Don't make life so tense, this is going home." Huáng Bīng retorted.

  Chen Chu smiled and said, "It's not good to be too relaxed either."

  Chen's parents lived in a garden-style residential area, with only five households per building and no security lock on the ground floor. At this time, Chen's father and mother inside did not know that their unfilial son had arrived.

  Inside came the sound of laughter, as melodious as a wind chime: "The little niece is inside."

  "Hmm." He nodded and pressed the doorbell at the same time.

  The doorbell rang and soon someone came running to open the door: "Who?"

  "Your uncle."

  The door opened, and a lively little girl with a sunny disposition stood at the entrance. Seeing it was Haung Bing, her expression changed: "You! Who did you claim to be again?"

  His attitude wasn't very friendly, but Haung Bing was still smiling: "Your uncle who doesn't make progress is hiding."

  "There!" The girl stretched her head outside and looked around, soon discovering Chen Chu hiding at the staircase entrance: "Little uncle, why aren't you coming up?"

  Chen Chu's younger cousin, Chen Qian, is seven years younger than him and is now in high school. This generation gap seems a bit strange, but such situations exist in many families. Perhaps because they are not from different eras, there is no so-called generation gap between them, and since childhood, Chen Qian has always enjoyed playing with Chen Chu.

  Chen Chu nodded and pointed inside: "Chen Qian, what's the situation in there?"

  The little girl was very clever and quickly turned her head to shout inside: "Grandpa, grandma, Chen Chu's uncle and Haobing are here!"

  "This dead girl..."

  "What's with still standing there, come on up." Haung Bing said with a smile.

  Chen Chu walked up with his head down, and when he reached the door, his mother had already come out. At Chen Chu's age, his parents' wrinkles and white hair seemed to increase every day, and it had been almost a month since he last visited. The mother in front of him seemed to have aged a bit more. Chen Chu's heart skipped a beat, knowing that this was related to himself: "Mom."

  "I'd like to spank you, come here!" Mother was angry, but this couldn't conceal the joy in her son's heart when he came home.

  Hao Bing and Chen Qian pushed Chen Chu in after putting on shoes.

  The living room was central to Chen Fu, who looked similar to Chen Chu Liu. If the old man were ten years younger, he would look almost identical to Chen Chu. The atmosphere suddenly became eerie, as earlier they had been wrapping dumplings at home and the old man was holding a rolling pin. His tightly clenched hand was conveying a dangerous signal to Chen Chu...

  Chen Chu looked at his father and hesitated for a moment before suddenly kneeling down: "Dad, I was wrong!!!"

  As soon as the words were spoken, a rolling pin flew over. Haung Bing's eyes were quick and he blocked it in front of him. He followed to protect the driver. This was what the two had agreed on: "Uncle, this time Chen Chu really knows his mistake! You listen to him finish speaking!"

  Chen Qian pulled Chen Mu aside and thought to herself "It's starting again, that little uncle really doesn't know how to change his tactics..."

  That's right! This is not the first time Chen Chu has knelt down to admit his mistake. In the past, Chen Chu once said a sentence "If kneeling can appease my parents, I'll kneel a few more times", but unfortunately, after kneeling multiple times, the effect gradually became zero, and even... Now what awaits Chen Chu is not scolding, but being directly beaten up.

  Pointing at Chen Chu, Chen's father scolded: "You come alone to admit your mistakes? I've said it before, if you don't bring back the daughter-in-law I approve of, then don't come back!" Saying this still didn't relieve his anger, he grabbed a basin and was about to throw it at Chen Chu.

  This thing can't be resisted, Huáng Bīng rushed up to hug Chen Fù and retreated: "Uncle, don't be impulsive! There's something to talk about, this time Chen Chū really understood."

  "Get out of my sight!" Chen's father, a former soldier from the southern border who had fought against the barbarians, was still robust and strong despite being over sixty. With one swift kick, Hao Bing was sent flying to the side: "You young scamp, what have you been up to with him? I'm not blind! And you, Hao Bing, are also getting married soon, how can you still be so reckless!"

  "Huh?" Haobing was shocked, there's no reason why Chen Fu would know about him helping Chen Chu pay back the money. As a detective, Haobing quickly found the source of the leak "This woman..." he cursed in his heart, it must be the daughter-in-law who hadn't even married into the family yet who had reported this.

  Chen Chu felt that it wasn't so simple to calm his father down this time, he stood up: "Dad, let's not mention the past, it's not something I can just chase back if I want to."

  "Old Chen laughed: 'What are you still standing there for? Get out!'"

  Chen Chu wiped his mouth, he wasn't angry at his father's attitude, this was the result of his own actions. Was it necessary to stay and continue arguing with his father? Chen Chu thought not, silently thinking "it should be better next time". "Mom, I'm leaving, if there's anything call me." After saying that, Chen Chu turned around and left, while Huan Bing hurriedly went to pull him back, but Chen Chu gave a strong wink behind his father's back. Huan Bing was taken aback, then suddenly understood.

  His mother couldn't just let him go like this, she hurriedly chased after him: "Chu Yi!"

  "Mom, I'll come back another day. Today Dad's temper is too much for me to handle, and who knows, he might even pull out a kitchen knife later."

  Chen's mother gave Chen Chu two punches, of course, without using any force, a gesture of being heartless: "If you really know your mistake, I'll tell your father, wait until he calms down and then you can come back."

  "Hehe, mom is still the best."

  "You have to bring your wife back, others are very concerned about us these days and often come to visit me and your dad. Look at the fruits on the table, they were all bought by her."

  Chen Chu's eyes flickered: "I... I know."

  "Go on then! Haobing, keep a close eye on him and don't cover up for him in everything! You still don't know what's good for Chen Chu?"

  "Don't worry, auntie, I'll quit my job tomorrow and keep an eye on him every day."

  "Mother smiled: 'No seriousness at all. Alright, you guys go first and I'll tell your father later.' 'Bye, mom.'"

  "Go, go." The mother was reluctant to let her son leave like this, but she had to go and persuade the old stubbornness in the family. She knew her husband's temper better than anyone else, and it was useless to keep Chen Chu at this time, and the more she looked, the angrier she became.

  After Chen Chu Yi left, her mother walked back into the living room with a dark face and sat down in front of Chen's father.

  Chen's father felt a strange pressure, looked up and said: "What are you staring at me for? Did I say something wrong?"

  "That's right, but you scolded my son away, did I glare at you wrongly?!"

  Just as he was about to retort, Chen Fu suddenly sat back down, his expression extremely gloomy.

  Chen Qian glanced around and suddenly said, "Grandpa and grandma, I'm going to cook dumplings!" After finishing speaking, she carried the dumplings and ran away. As Chen's mother would say, "It's up to me to clean up after this old guy!"

  "What do you think should be done? Should we let things go on like this with Chu Yi making mistakes all the time, or give him a chance to change?"

  "That's one thing, but such a good daughter-in-law, ah..."

  Chen's mother sat down beside Chen's father, lowering her voice to say: "Mengmeng still has feelings for Chu Yi, otherwise, would she come visit us every week? Moreover, look at the fruit Mengmeng brought over, perhaps this girl didn't even notice herself, but all of these are Chu Yi's favorite snacks."

  "Like this?"

  ……

  The two brothers sat on the garden bench. Haobing comforted his good brother: "It's not bad, this explosion can temporarily calm down the volcano, and when you come tomorrow, at least Dad won't make a move."

  "I'm not thinking about this."

  "What was he thinking?"

  Chen Chu narrowed his eyes: "I have to quickly win back all that I've lost."

  Hao Bing was shocked and jumped up continuously, pointing at Chen Chu: "You still want to gamble?"

  Chen's expression didn't change, he narrowed his eyes and spoke in a very serious tone: "I want to bet even bigger." He glanced at Huaibing with disdain: "What's there to be excited about?"

  "Are you crazy?" No one knew better than Huang Bing, the focused gaze of Chen Chu at this moment represented what he had made a decision that even ten cows couldn't pull him back from.

  Chen Chu stood up: "Hao Bing, do you know what gambling is?"

  "I know you're done for now!"

  "It's still not thorough enough, this time I'll take this opportunity to start anew as a gamble."

  "You wait! I'll go get a rolling pin and beat you to death myself, no need for Dad to lift a hand!" Having said that, Huan Bin really ran off.

  Chen Chu smiled incredulously, thinking that Hao Bing must have been driven mad by him. As for Chen Chu's bet, it was placed on the "Critical Point" which was very similar to the concept he had proposed back then. This decision came suddenly and also proved how much Chen Chu cared about his original plan. "No one knows better than me what success at Critical Point will bring. If I seize this opportunity, what I lose won't be just money... I must win!" Chen Chu felt that everything could be lost, but the one thing he couldn't afford to lose was time!

  They had waited for half a day, but Haung Bing still hadn't arrived. Chen Chu decided to head back himself as he needed to prepare some things. Just then! Huang Bing really did appear, brandishing his rolling pin: "Chen Chu, watch me annihilate you!"

  Chen Chu stared with wide eyes: "You're really here!!"

  "I'll kill you myself, so you won't die outside and have no one to collect your corpse!!"

  Chen saw that things were not going well and turned around to run: "Hao Bing, don't be impulsive! Listen to my explanation!!"

  Hao Bing pursued from behind: "I have to beat you awake, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

  Chen Chu was soon cornered by Haung's soldiers. Wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead, he said, "Listen to me explain slowly."

  "What else can be explained?" Haung Bing stepped closer step by step.

  "Do you still remember when I first mentioned to you the concept of 'opening up a new era with a new background'?"

  The two brothers who had no secrets from each other naturally knew a lot about each other. Haobing stopped upon hearing this: "What does this have to do with your gambling?"

  "This gamble isn't about money on the table..."

  His expression changed, and Haung Bing suppressed his temper: "Alright, I'll listen to your explanation."

  Seizing the moment when Huan Bing was off guard, Chen Chu suddenly jumped onto a nearby staircase and flipped over to land on the back of the stairs. Huan Bing angrily shouted: "You bastard!" and rushed forward, but Chen Chu had already run far away.

  "I've lost too much, I need to win this one back!"

  Chen Chu's words, Hao Bing may think that he is referring to money after hearing them. In fact, among the things Chen Chu lost, this was what he cared about the least.