560 Fate-Changing Choice
The hostel was located at the end of the street. Only one room on the third floor had its light on in the darkness. Han Fei stood downstairs for quite some time before he walked upstairs. He avoided all the cameras and appeared silently outside one of the rooms.
The light slipped through the gap and shone on the corridor. Han Fei could hear a girl laughing through the door. The disease didn’t ruin the girl. She was optimistic before her mother. Perhaps she thought that was the only thing she could do for her. Fu Yee and her mother were poor. On top of that, Fu Yee’s medical bill was heavy. However, when they were together, the small room felt like home.
Han Fei knocked on the door. He stopped avoiding the problem.
“Who is it?” Fu Yee’s mother called out. She had Fu Yee lay in bed while she walked to open the door. The doorknob turned, and the door opened slightly. As she prepared to pull the door back, the light inside the room lit up Han Fei’s face.
The mother, who had nothing but her daughter, stood in the lighted room, Han Fei, who appeared to have everything stood in the dark corridor. The half-open room door became a horizon that separated the two. The woman held the doorknob. She could not believe her eyes. She had pondered how she’d react once she saw Fu Yi again. She thought she would be angry or lose her mind, but when it really happened, other than the initial shock, all she felt was detachedness.
She didn’t scream or scold. She looked at Han Fei like he was a stranger. She asked, “How did you find this place?”
“Fu Yee was trying to save a cat that day. I happened to pass by.” When Han Fei spoke, the woman walked out of the room. She didn’t wish for Han Fei to be in the same room as her daughter. The woman closed the door and stood with Han Fei in the dark.
“I didn’t come with malice. I just want to help Fu Yee.” Han Fei lowered his voice. A child’s heart was sensitive. He didn’t want Fu Yee to hear these things, and he didn’t want Fu Yee to believe that she had dragged down her mother. The woman didn’t answer. She turned to walk down the stairs. Han Fei had to follow her.
The two left the hostel. The woman only stopped when they left the alley. She turned back to look at Han Fei. The eyes that were dull with life carried some hope.
“Even if you don’t come to find me, I’ll go find you tomorrow. I’ve taken care of our daughter for nine years. I want to make her the happiest girl in the world, but who would have thought fate would punish me?” Fu Yee’s mother gripped her fists. She had suffered a lot. For the sake of her family, she had to face many challenges. “Before I met you, I had a job, a life. But ever since I met you, everything was ruined.” The woman smiled sadly, “During the first year, I thought you’d change and come back. But you have no humanity at all.”
Han Fei kept telling himself that the woman was scolding Fu Yi and not him, but strangely enough, the memory world made it so that he was not only playing Fu Yi’s role but also had inherited the man’s emotions.
“You can kill me if you want, but can you wait until Fu Yee’s illness is cured?”
The mention of Fu Yee thickened the despair in the woman’s eyes. The shell she put on before her daughter faded away. Her thin body leaned on the wall like she was crushed. “Certain illness can’t be cured.”
“I asked Fu Yee before, and she said she suffers from progressive muscular dystrophy. However, I did some research. This genetic disease often only affects males.” Han Fei was rational, “Is it possible that this is a misdiagnosis?”
“We’ve seen many doctors. We’ve found the best expert with the help of a Good Samaritan.”
The word caught Han Fei’s attention. “A Good Samaritan?” Through interaction with the woman, Han Fei confirmed it was not Fu Yee’s mother who spread the flyer at the company. The culprit disguised herself as Fu Yee’s mother and slandered Han Fei’s name without even interacting with Han Fei. This person didn’t want to solve the problem. She just wanted to make the problem bigger. In other words, the culprit couldn’t care less about Fu Yee and her mother. She just wanted to destroy everyone related to Fu Yi.
“Is the Good Samaritan a woman who is very beautiful but has a horrible voice? Is her surname Du?” Han Fei was familiar with Du Zhu’s personality. The woman wanted to toy with Fu Yi until he died. She would do this personally because this was an entertaining game for her.
“That’s right. The doctor’s surname is Du. How do you know?”
“Don’t trust her.”
“Am I supposed to trust you then?” Fu Yee’s mother shook her head. “Actually, I don’t trust anyone, but I don’t have a chance.”
“Doctor Du aside, what did the other doctors tell you about Fu Yee’s illness?”
“They also said it’s a genetic illness.”
“Then did the other doctors tell you how much is needed to treat her?” Han Fei really wanted to help Fu Yee. He wouldn’t abandon Fu Yee because she was not as crucial as Fu Sheng.
“Around 200000, but I have owed other people for helping with her treatment, so in total 400000.” Fu Yee’s mother admitted. At that moment, the system rang. “Notification for player 0000! You’ve activated altar mission—Life’s Debt.
“Life’s Debt: this is your life’s debt. You can choose to pay or deny it.
“Mission requirement: Clear the debt within 72 hours!
“Mission Completion Method 1: Take out 720000 RMB from your current family savings and hand it to Fu Yee’s mother.
“Mission Completion Method 2: Once the debtors disappear, all the debts will disappear too.”
Han Fei’s expression changed. This new mission was the choice Fu Yi faced in the past, to pay the debt, or to kill the debtors.
There were two details worth nothing. The first was Fu Yee’s mother only asked Han Fei for 400000, but the system required 720000 from Han Fei. This meant that Fu Yee’s mother owed more than she was telling Han Fei, and she didn’t want to rely on him entirely.
The second was more crucial. The system limited Han Fei to getting the funds from his family savings. It limited Han Fei’s choices. He couldn’t use these 72 hours to ‘borrow’ money from others. He could only withdraw from his family savings.
“Do you think the number’s too high?” Fu Yee’s mother had her hope disappear when Han Fei didn’t answer. “I’ve taken care of Fu Yee for eight years, and most of the time, she needs treatment…”
“400000 RMB is too little. I did my research after leaving your home. The treatment needs at least 600000.” Han Fei shocked the woman. She didn’t think she’d get the money from Han Fei. After all, Fu Yi was a heartless bastard in her eyes.
“Three days, give me three days. I’ll do my best to collect the money.” Han Fei promised the woman. “Three days later, I will come to you with 600000, but I have a small request.”
“What request? Don’t tell your wife and company leader about this?” Fu Yee’s mother looked at Han Fei coldly, “Don’t worry. I have no interest in destroying another person’s family. I just want to protect my daughter.”
“You misunderstand me.” Han Fei was honest. He knew Du Zhu would not let this go. “Everyone at the company already knows. Soon, I’ll lose my job. My favor has nothing to do with that.”
“Then what do you want from me?” The woman was confused.
“Stop contacting Doctor Du. She misdiagnosed Fu Yee, so she is not a good doctor. After I give you the money, you need to find a better doctor.” Han Fei handed 5000 in his pocket to the woman, “Fu Yee will get better.”
Fu Yee’s mother stood there holding the money. She hadn’t seen Fu Yi for eight years, and the man had changed so much. The change was more than superficial. Han Fei turned to leave. The system said, “Notification for Player 0000! You’ve paid 5000 of your debt. You have715000 left.”
Thinking back to the Manager Mission, Han Fei believed Du Zhu approached Fu Yee’s mother disguised. Then with the fake intention of helping them, she slowly pushed Fu Yi to the edge. She finally created an opening for Fu Yi to kill Fu Yee and her mother personally. Du Zhu wanted Fu Yi to kill his own daughter, and for Fu Yi’s remaining family to live in permanent pain and despair.
“What a vicious woman.” Han Fei was a good observer after solving so many cases. He knew this was the perfect chance to regain the trust of Fu Yee and her mother. ‘The only way Fu Yi can produce 700000 is to sell his house.’ Han Fei’s brain spun. Suddenly his vision blurred, and he almost fell to the ground. Han Fei touched his nose. Other than blood, there were other impurities. Han Fei wiped away the blood and took the bus home.
Before Han Fei entered his home, he adjusted his clothes. He didn’t want to bring his outside troubles home. When he opened the door, Han Fei had a confident and warm smile. He smiled at Fu Tian, who rushed to open the door for him, and Fu Sheng, who sat beside the table. He felt reenergized.
“There’s OT today?” His wife came to grab Han Fei’s briefcase. “You must be tired. You should wash your hands. The porridge is still warm.”
“Thank you.” The family gathered around the table. Fu Tian silently placed the carrot in his bowl back into the pot. He was discovered by his mother. After being scolded, Fu Tian said stubbornly that he’d create a world without carrots when he grew up. Fu Sheng studied while he ate. He was preparing to return to school. Han Fei didn’t worry about Fu Sheng’s results. After all, the man would change the world. Han Fei’s expression turned strange as he glanced at what Fu Sheng was reading. “Fu Sheng, what are you studying?”
“I’m reading for my essays.” Fu Sheng took a sip of the porridge and turned a page, “I have had to experience so much stupidity, so many vices, so much error, so much nausea, disillusionment and sorrow, just in order to become a child again and begin anew. I had to experience despair, I had to sink to the greatest mental depths, to thoughts of suicide, in order to experience grace.― Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha.”
“Sounds good.” Han Fei had no other opinion.
The dinner soon ended. Fu Sheng returned to his room to study while Fu Tian insisted on playing hide-and-seek with Han Fei. At 10 pm, his wife coaxed Fu Tian to bed. Han Fei returned to his bedroom. He placed the mattress. As he prepared to sleep, suddenly, the blanket moved as his wife lay down beside him.
“The floor is too cold. You need to get back to the bed.” Han Fei sat up. His wife didn’t move. She lay on the other side of the mattress. She stared silently at Han Fei for a long time.
“Did something happen to you?” Han Fei leaned against the wall and said nothing.
The room was quiet except for the ticking of the clock. After a long time, his wife turned away from Han Fei and pulled back the blanket. “I feel like sleeping down here tonight.”
