Inside the computer room of a small supermarket in Riverdale.
Swish.
Andrew Han adjusted the computer interface, picked up the battered mouse, swapped it for a brand new one, then stood up and walked to the checkout counter.
When the flow of customers slowed, he called over the other three attendants who were organizing the shelves.
"Two hundred yuan each."
"Don't tell my dad about what happened here today. I'll transfer two hundred yuan to each of you via WeChat. If anyone talks... I'm my father's only son, so I should have the right to decide who stays or leaves at the supermarket."
With that,
Andrew Han said no more, immediately initiated the WeChat transfer, gave the four bewildered attendants a deep look, and turned to leave the supermarket.
Only the attendants were left staring at each other, completely baffled.
......
May 14th, midday.
A tranquil, secluded street—the same road with the small lake and ruins.
Silently and without warning,
A sapphire-blue Porsche coupe appeared at the end of the street, sped quietly along, and stopped beside Andrew Han, who was standing by the lakeside.
Click.
The car door opened.
Gavin King, wearing a pure white trench coat, tall and muscular with sharp features, saw Andrew Han and broke into a warm smile: "Andrew, you called me over in such a hurry—is something wrong? Just say the word. If I can help, I won't refuse."
Andrew Han turned, quietly gazing at Gavin King.
As if struggling with how to ask for help.
Gavin King smiled faintly, "Andrew, you still don't realize your own worth. Let me be blunt—in three years, you'll be able to do as you please in all of Riverdale. Whatever trouble you're facing, whatever help you need, just say it."
"As long as you consider me, Gavin King, a friend, that's the best reward I could ask for."
The next moment.
Andrew Han asked in a low voice, "I want to ask about someone. A middle-aged man—his name sounds like 'Wu Jie.' He's connected to officials in business and tax departments. I need to know who he is."
"Wu Jie?"
Gavin King was taken aback.
He had never heard that name before.
As the head coach at Honglu Martial Arts Gym, Gavin King held a certain status in Riverdale, but even with his position, there were limits to whom he knew.
With such vague information, he had no way of knowing, nor any means to help.
Gavin King frowned.
If he tried to help Andrew Han search, with only this information, he'd have to ask countless friends to find out... But then again, Andrew Han was a Third Rank martial arts student of extraordinary talent, and might even know that terrifying figure.
It was worth investing in him.
If not now, then when?
However,
A warm summer breeze, carrying a wave of heat, swept along the lakeside, past the Porsche coupe, and reached Gavin King and Andrew Han—as if someone had pressed pause on the scene.
Gavin King was suddenly dazed, while Andrew Han waited quietly.
Gulp.
A moment later, Gavin King's eyes flickered. He lowered his head, pretending to think, but a trace of uncontrollable fear and shock flashed across his face!
His hands hung at his sides, trembling slightly.
If one were to lift Gavin King's white trench coat, they'd see his back already drenched in cold sweat, soaking his dark gray undershirt.
......
Moments later,
Gavin King reached for his pack of Zhonghua cigarettes, opened it, pulled out a cigarette, and spoke softly: "Mm, the person you're asking about should be Jack Wu."
He hadn't known at first, but now he did.
To be precise, that terrifying figure had relayed the information to him from afar, detailing everything.
Snap.
His right hand trembled, and the fresh cigarette dropped to the ground.
Andrew Han's eyes lit up, but he didn't mind. He hurriedly asked, "Jack Wu? And then?"
Gavin King nodded, pulled out another fresh Zhonghua cigarette, picked up a green plastic lighter with his left hand, and tried to light it, but couldn't get it to ignite no matter how many times he tried.
The more he failed, the more anxious he became.
"Cough, cough."
Gavin King's face flushed red as he coughed.
A strange look flashed in Andrew Han's eyes—a Second Rank martial artist, and yet his arm was trembling so much he couldn't light a cigarette?
What's going on?
He stepped forward, took the green plastic lighter, and easily lit a flame.
Whoosh, whoosh.
A gentle summer breeze blew in from afar, making the flame of the lighter dance.
The lakeside in early summer was a bit chilly.
After lighting the cigarette, Andrew Han asked curiously, "Mr. King, what's wrong?"
Gavin King took a deep drag before replying with an awkward smile, "To be honest, I spent the whole morning practicing stance work and strength training. My arms are still a bit sore."
Andrew Han quickly said, "Then driving here must've been dangerous for you."
He couldn't shake the feeling that Gavin King's demeanor was a bit strange. He'd been fine just moments ago, and for a Second Rank martial artist to have sore arms—what kind of intense strength training must that have been?
Fortunately,
He didn't need strength training—stance work alone was enough for him.
Gavin King hung his head, sitting by the roadside, a barely noticeable bitter smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Dangerous?
That ancient voice, which had just silently entered his ear, was the real danger!
Gavin King knew in his heart—he'd bet correctly! He'd gambled for a bright future! He'd earned a favor beyond imagination!
"Andrew, my brother!"
"It doesn't matter if you don't know Mr. Newman... As long as Mr. Newman pays attention to you, no one in Riverdale would dare provoke you!!"
Gavin King muttered inwardly.
But on the surface, he pretended to be recalling, and described Jack Wu's background in a halting manner: "Jack Wu operates on the edge of the gray zone, always skirting the law to seize opportunities. He lacks real ability, but his sister is a government official in charge of commerce and taxation."
"He has an assistant—a Fourth Rank martial artist named Gene Lee."
"Lately, Jack Wu seems desperate to buy a rundown warehouse from an electronics chain. He's very short on cash."
As the summer breeze continued to blow, Gavin King condensed his explanation.
Until finally,
He said seriously, "Andrew, if you want to find Jack Wu, just go straight to that electronics chain's warehouse. I remember he's been busy tidying up there lately—he's probably there often."
Andrew Han asked succinctly, "Address?"
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Gavin King pursed his lips, about to give the exact address, but after blinking twice, he could only offer a vague location and the name of the electronics chain.
"Thanks."
Andrew Han nodded deeply, gave Gavin King a grateful look, and walked away down the road.
......
All day long, Andrew Han nearly traversed the whole of Riverdale, found the rundown warehouse, and confirmed Jack Wu's identity, but still couldn't figure out the exact truth.
Nowadays, it's a society ruled by law—illegal detention is rare.
Jack Wu probably doesn't have the guts or ability to detain someone illegally, so what exactly did he do to get the authorities to detain my dad? What reason or legal basis did he use?
However,
Just Jack Wu's gray-area status alone is enough to draw a line between black and white.
Snap.
Snap.
Andrew Han walked the road home, his mind racing.
"I already found that electronics warehouse this afternoon. The door was chained shut—clearly no one was there. I'll go again tomorrow."
"This isn't over!"
"If you humiliate my dad, no matter how powerful you are, I'll make sure you're badly injured—at least ten days to half a month of recovery."
He thought to himself.
But for some reason, even with his plan for revenge set, there was still a deep, lingering sense of frustration and resentment he couldn't shake.
Like a surging volcano hidden beneath the calm surface of the sea.
......
The sky gradually darkened.
Clusters of dark clouds shrouded the bright moon, spreading gloom.
Andrew Han arrived at the entrance to his building and took a deep breath.
He hadn’t gone to school today. As a martial arts student, he’d sent a leave message to his homeroom teacher, Mr. Li Ming, so there was no issue.
"Forget it."
"I’ll go home first and see how Dad is doing."
Andrew’s heart tightened. He hurried up the stairs and returned home.
Click.
He took out the key and unlocked the security door, immediately seeing his father, William Han, sitting at the dining table, reading with a calm expression.
"Andrew, you’re back."
William Han looked as usual. He put down his book and smiled at his son. "How was school today? The college entrance exam is coming soon. Your mom is coaxing Xiaoqian to sleep. Let me keep you company with some soup, so you’re not lonely."
Andrew paused for a moment, then walked over to the dining table and sat down.
In front of him was a bowl of steaming kelp and pork rib soup, with strips of dark green kelp floating on top.
Creak.
William Han sat down beside Andrew, chuckling softly. "Son, you seem a bit down. Last night I had a class reunion—my old classmates drank until dawn."
Andrew stared at the white soup bowl and said quietly, "I’m alright. It’s just that the atmosphere at school is a bit stifling. Dad, did you drink last night?"
"I did."
"Just a little."
William Han spoke with conviction, his face tinged with nostalgia as he described last night’s dinner, sketching vivid portraits of his old friends.
Andrew took a sip of soup. "But you came home so late. You must be exhausted."
"Not tired, not at all." William Han sighed, then smiled warmly. "Honestly, a little tired is nothing, as long as you get into college—that’s the most important thing. Sometimes I feel truly lucky, having a grown son and a sweet little daughter."
Hearing this,
Andrew’s shoulders trembled slightly.
Not tired? How could he not be tired! Clearly he was oppressed outside, yet at home he had to pretend nothing was wrong, always thinking of Andrew, caring for him, looking after him.
Is he really not tired?
Most likely, he is.
Andrew continued sipping his soup, his voice muffled. "But I think you’re too tired."
William Han shook his head with a wry smile and looked at Andrew. "You’ve really grown up, Andrew. But I truly don’t feel tired. When you have your own family and career one day, you’ll understand. Besides, who doesn’t work hard in life... Even if it’s tiring, I’m happy. There’s always hope in life."
As he spoke,
A trace of resentment flashed in his eyes. He wanted to sigh deeply, but with his son right in front of him, he forced himself to appear normal, hiding any signs of distress.
Andrew was a martial arts student. In the future, his path would require money.
As his father, he had to ensure Andrew’s martial arts training was provided for. There was no way he would agree to Jack Wu’s terms.
The living room gradually fell silent.
Andrew looked up at his father, William Han.
Those eyes were faintly bloodshot, with noticeable bags underneath; streaks of white hair had appeared at his temples, and his face bore fine wrinkles—especially across his forehead. The corners of his mouth were red, likely from stress.
If he weren’t a Third Rank martial arts student with such sharp eyes, Andrew might not have noticed these details.
William Han looked at Andrew, smiling and encouraging him. "Hang in there—the college entrance exam is almost here. Once it’s over, you can really relax for a while. Don’t worry about business matters, just enjoy yourself and rest."
"Okay."
Andrew nodded.
William Han patted Andrew’s shoulder with satisfaction, raised his right fist, and waved it, his face full of encouragement and trust—just as he always did, rallying his son with passion: "You can do it!"
"Mm."
Andrew pursed his lips in silence and returned to his bedroom.
In a daze,
He leaned against the wall, lost in thought, a heavy ache pressing down on his heart.
All these years, the burden of the family must have rested entirely on his father's shoulders, never allowing him a moment’s carelessness or rest. He bore everything alone.
For him, for Xiaoqian, for the family—shielding them from the storms of life.
At last, Andrew understood what fatherly love truly was.
It was vast and deep as the ocean, resilient as steel, blazing as the sun—usually invisible, imperceptible.
A father’s love is like a mountain—silent, reserved, and profound.
Yet undeniably, this deep emotion is eternal, never fading, always present, quietly accompanying you through life.
"Dad."
"The humiliation Jack Wu gave you—I’ll get it back for you... I’ll pay it back a hundredfold." Andrew slowly lifted his reddened eyes, his face calm as winter rivers.
He was just an ordinary student—no money, no power, no influence.
But at least he still had one thing he could rely on—strength. The strength of a Third Rank martial artist.