Chapter 8: The Post Goes Viral

The thread exploded with activity. Initially, netizens were merely being cheeky, urging the original poster to splurge on themselves. However, the conversation took an unexpected turn when a user named “Quiet Prince” chimed in with a detailed comment:

「On Investing in Minors」

What followed was a concise yet comprehensive essay of nearly a thousand words, outlining various methods to invest money in minors. From mutual funds and equity stakes to auctions, the “Quiet Prince” covered it all. Their unique perspective even touched on legal tax avoidance strategies, elevating the discussion to new heights.

The comments section erupted:

[This expert is next level! It’s criminal… brilliantly criminal!]

[Is this Quiet Prince some accounting prodigy?]

[FYI, accounting doesn’t have prodigies.]

[How come?]

[Because those who can’t even balance a company’s books aren’t considered elite. The truly capable ones have cushy government jobs.]

[Ha! No need to make prison time sound so poetic.]

[Quiet Prince, if I may ask: How old are you? Where do you work? And do you take apprentices?]

Everyone expected the mysterious poster to maintain their aloof persona and ignore the questions. To their surprise, they responded to the last inquiry: “Five years old, freelance, not accepting apprentices.”

The thread exploded anew.

[Five? Did you forget a number before that?]

[Here we go again, another character straight out of those ridiculous CEO novels with five-year-old hacker prodigies!]

[Plot twist: This thread isn’t about flaunting wealth, it’s about hyping up this ‘Quiet Prince’!]

[Five years old? Yeah, right. Only a fool would buy that.]

Meanwhile, in a hospital room, a frail boy sat quietly, tablet in hand. His eyes, clouded over as if shrouded in mist, betrayed no emotion. His small face remained tense, devoid of any visible reaction to the screen before him.

The cold light reflected off his breathing tube, casting an eerie glow reminiscent of death’s scythe. Perhaps due to his illness, the boy’s delicate features had taken on a fragile beauty, like fine porcelain on the verge of shattering.

Outside the room, a man leaned against the wall, phone clutched tightly as he tugged at his tie in frustration. “Come on, Brother Wei,” he pleaded, “I’m the Yan family heir. A few million is pocket change to me!”

“Young Master Yan,” came the sardonic reply, “when you came begging for money, I didn’t hesitate to hand over five million. Now that I’m calling in the debt, you’re pulling rank? If your old man knew about the tens of millions you’ve racked up in gambling debts, I wonder how long you’d keep that heir status.”

“That’s not what I meant!” Yan Kang backpedaled frantically. “I’m just saying I’m good for it! The old man’s keeping a close eye on my projects right now. Just give me a few more days—”

“I’ve already given you an extra two weeks,” Brother Wei cut in. “With interest, you now owe me eight million. Wait any longer, and I fear even the great Young Master Yan won’t be able to foot the bill.”

It was the first time Yan Kang had heard someone speak of “high-interest loans” with such righteous indignation. Inwardly seething, he swallowed his pride. With the IOU and evidence of his gambling in Wei’s possession, he had no choice but to grovel. “Brother Wei, please, just a few more days. You know my cousin, Yan Yueqing, right? I know you’ve always had a thing for her. I could bring her over, let you—”

“Save it!” Brother Wei spat through the phone. “The former Miss Yan might have been pure and lovable once, but she’s degraded herself. She got a kid, joined showbiz – who knows how many men she’s been with? You think she’s worth eight million?”

Desperate, Yan Kang pressed on. “She’s raking it in as a celebrity! I’ll bring her over, you can take some compromising photos. Think of it as leverage!”

Brother Wei was disgusted by this line of thought. “Do you think I’m some sort of sleazy XXX?! Trying to blackmail people with photos and shit? Yan Kang, stop changing the subject! I don’t care what methods you use, but get me eight million yuan within three days or I’ll have your old man come settle it himself!”

The line went dead. Yan Kang hurled his phone against the wall and burst into the hospital room.

The boy on the bed, Yan Wang, didn’t even look up. His vacant eyes seemed oblivious to his uncle’s rage, unnervingly calm. But for a split second, his finger twitched, swiftly switching back to a different screen.

Yan Kang caught a glimpse of a children’s video playing. His anger boiled over. “You little bastard,” he snarled. “I’m broke, and you’re still holed up in this fancy ward?” He glared at the high-end medical equipment. “The old man’s so biased. Wasting a fortune to keep a mongrel like you breathing! After five years, you’re still a mute who can’t string two words together. Should’ve dumped you in an orphanage ages ago!”

Yan Wang looked up, his expression blank as if he couldn’t comprehend his uncle’s words.

Yan Kang’s tirade continued, each word dripping with venom. “Your mother’s trash, you know that? she refused to marry into the Lin family despite their wealth and instead ran off to have you with some random man, ruining all chances of cooperation between our families and turning them into bitter rivals! That brat Lin Qiming’s been a thorn in my side at the casino ever since. If it weren’t for you and your whore of a mother, would I be in this mess? Groveling to scum like brother Wei?”

He ranted on, heedless of the child’s feelings. After all, what harm could a mute, sickly boy do? “The old man’s lost his mind,” Yan Kang sneered. “Your mother dumps you here, and he keeps footing the bills. But when I lose a bit of cash, he’s ready to toss me out! Just because she’s his flesh and blood, and I’m adopted? Tough luck for him – a sick mute with the mental capacity of a goldfish. You’ll be lucky to see ten, let alone run the Yan family business!”

Yan Kang cursed his nephew for minutes on end right before his eyes, venting all his pent-up frustration until he finally slammed the door shut and left.

As his uncle’s footsteps faded, Yan Wang slowly raised his head. His eyes, clear as spring water, brimmed with barely concealed loathing.

The Yan family’s waters ran deep indeed.

For as long as he could remember, the old man had instructed him to play deaf and mute, to wait patiently for his mother’s return.

But mother…

She hadn’t visited in what felt like an eternity.

Would she ever come back?

Yan Wang’s slender fingers hovered over the tablet, his expression momentarily uncertain. After a pause, he opened Weibo and typed “Yan Yueqing” into the search bar.

In the past, he’d eagerly followed all her reality show appearances. But this time…

She was starring in a family-oriented program.

On screen, she played the role of someone else’s mother…

While never mentioning her own flesh and blood, she doted on other children?

The thought made Yan Wang’s stomach churn. He’d deliberately avoided the show from the start.

But as the search results loaded, the top trending topic made his blood run cold:

「Yan Yueqing Reveals She Has a Child?」