Chapter 37

Translator: Abo Dammen

Chen Lu looked at Qin Guchuan with a hint of restraint, suppressing the anticipation and excitement in his heart, pretending to be calm as he asked, “What kind of special training?”

Was it directly transferring him millions or tens of millions, letting him count the zeros? Or taking him to the vault to experience the awe of being surrounded by wealth? Or maybe piling boxes of cash in front of him, making him count until he was numb and felt nothing towards money? 

Was he about to become the person with the most exposure to money in the world?

Qin Guchuan looked at Chen Lu, whose eyes were shining as if expecting some wonderful news, and smiled slightly. “Very simple. Writing checks.”

Chen Lu: “???”

“After we finish tomorrow’s plot, you’ll come with me to the Qin Corporation. Before meeting Madame Feng, you’ll be responsible for filling out all the company’s checks. After writing until you’re sick of it, your first reaction to a check won’t be ‘five million’ anymore.” Qin Guchuan looked at Chen Lu’s cracking expression and said with a smile. 

“…It’ll be pain, right?” Chen Lu was speechless.

“You’d feel pain seeing five million?” Qin Guchuan glanced at Chen Lu, then waved the check in his hand. Chen Lu’s eyes followed the movement of the check.

It was like teasing a cat.

Qin Guchuan secretly waved it a few more times before continuing, “After writing them for a few days, you’ll be like the company’s finance department. Your first reaction will be to check if the check is filled out correctly.” As long as he didn’t lose his head at the very beginning and got through that short plot segment, there would be plenty of time for Chen Lu to go crazy later. 

He didn’t need Chen Lu to become completely unmoved by money. After all, a Chen Lu whose eyes lit up at five million was quite amusing too, so there was no need to force him to change.

After speaking, Qin Guchuan placed the check in front of Chen Lu again. “For example, this check I’m holding. The paying bank account number written on it is 17 digits. Do you think this check can be cashed?”

Chen Lu looked at the check, took out his phone, and glanced at his own bank card number.

19 digits. 

Instantly able to view the check calmly, Chen Lu: “…”

Seeing Chen Lu’s expression, Qin Guchuan smiled. “You can take this check to play with.

“There are many rules for checks besides the account number. For example, checks with folded seals can’t be cashed, seals outside the designated area can’t be cashed, overlapping seals…” Qin Guchuan listed a bunch of reasons checks couldn’t be cashed, leaving a very deep impression of ‘cannot cash’ associated with checks in Chen Lu’s mind.

Chen Lu instantly wilted. “Might as well just give me a bank card directly…” 

Qin Guchuan looked at Chen Lu, gaining a new understanding of this person’s… simple-mindedness. “The bank card account and password would belong to someone else. Even if you took it, what does it have to do with you?”

“I was just saying. I also know that if you take five million from someone for no reason, you have to pay taxes,” Chen Lu said, indicating he was also a well-informed netizen.

Qin Guchuan, hearing this. “…Ah.”

“What’s wrong?” Chen Lu looked up, sensing Qin Guchuan’s strange expression, and asked curiously. 

“I remember from the investigation… the debt left by ‘Chen Lu’s’ father seems to be five million,” Qin Guchuan said ‘nicely’ to Chen Lu. “In the later plot, after ‘Chen Lu’ took the money from Madame Feng, he just happened to pay off the debt.”

Chen Lu, understanding the meaning behind Qin Guchuan’s words, took a deep breath. “…This world is really very criminal.”

Two protagonists who should both be in jail?

This world full of bugs really makes it impossible to get by for even a moment. 

Once checks were associated with ‘criminals’, Chen Lu could truly be completely calm. When they started rehearsing again, Chen Lu finally got through that part of the plot smoothly.

Early the next morning, Chen Lu perfunctorily went through those abstract, emotional scenes with Qin Guchuan and prepared to return to his room to catch up on sleep. However, before Chen Lu could take a step towards his room, he was caught by Qin Guchuan.

Chen Lu: “?”

“Wasn’t it agreed you’d write checks?” Qin Guchuan looked at Chen Lu. 

“I think I’m already calm,” Chen Lu said, indicating he was still a baby who couldn’t handle the hardship of starting work at 8 AM.

Qin Guchuan glanced at Chen Lu and said, without any good intentions, “The check I gave you yesterday was real.”

Chen Lu’s eyes widened.

“Is this your ‘calmness’?” Qin Guchuan said, utterly unsurprised, looking at Chen Lu. Once again, he reached out and dragged the wailing Chen Lu into the car. 

Thus, Zhou Ji, who could be considered experienced, watched as Chen Lu, who had been carried by the scruff into the car, trembled as he took out a paper crane made from uniquely textured paper from his pocket.

Zhou Ji, recognizing what that paper was: “…” This was a scene he had genuinely never witnessed before.

He always felt… that every time he saw Chen Lu, his understanding was refreshed… The omni-competent assistant Zhou Ji fell into deep thought.

Qin Guchuan also fell silent for a moment upon seeing the paper crane in Chen Lu’s hand. 

He had guessed that Chen Lu would most likely mess around with that check, with a near 100% chance of rendering it useless. But he hadn’t expected Chen Lu to turn it into this.

Chen Lu looked at the paper crane in his hand with bitter hatred and heartfelt pain, then poked Qin Guchuan, signaling for him to hold out his hand.

Qin Guchuan looked questioning but complied. The next moment, he saw Chen Lu place the paper crane in his hand.

“Happy birthday,” Chen Lu said to Qin Guchuan in a solemn tone. 

Qin Guchuan, momentarily confused by Chen Lu’s tone and even seriously checked the date. “…It’s not my birthday today.”

“You can have two birthdays,” Chen Lu said in a somber tone. “This paper crane, worth five million, deserves an extra birthday.”

Qin Guchuan, forced to have an extra birthday: “……..”

Qin Guchuan looked at the small, cute paper crane in his hand, finally smiled, and put it away. Looking at Chen Lu’s still heavy expression, he took a check from the car drawer, rewrote it, and handed it to Chen Lu. “Alright, this is the birthday return gift.” 

Chen Lu deeply gazed at the string of zeros, even longer and fresher than before, took a deep breath, and accepted it with both hands solemnly. “Thank you, boss. I will keep it safe.” As he spoke, Chen Lu solemnly folded the fresh check into four parts and very solemnly placed it into his pocket.

Watching the undoubtedly scrapped check once again, Qin Guchuan looked speechlessly at Chen Lu. Then he saw the sly glint in Chen Lu’s eyes and suddenly understood: Chen Lu actually knew.

He was doing it on purpose.

Qin Guchuan even began to suspect that Chen Lu might have known the five-million check was real from the very beginning. 

Recalling Chen Lu’s exaggerated reaction just now when he mentioned the check was real, Qin Guchuan’s fingers slowly curled.

‘You want to give me money to spend.’ Chen Lu’s eyes clearly reflected Qin Guchuan’s thoughts, as if all his little thoughts were seen through by someone. Qin Guchuan somewhat fixedly averted his gaze.

Seeing Qin Guchuan’s reaction, Chen Lu finally laughed out loud.

He really found Qin Guchuan quite interesting. 

He was clearly a very mature domineering CEO, so why was he so childish in expressing emotions, like a complete beginner, even getting shy and embarrassed.

Chen Lu, who had always been doted on, thought with great emotion.

In daily life, Chen Lu often accepted treats from others, like the master chef at the Qin residence, or some fans from his livestreams, or teachers, classmates, neighbors, uncles, and aunties from his previous world.

He was all too familiar with others expressing their partiality towards him. He was just that popular, that peerlessly handsome! It’s just that the things this domineering CEO Qin Guchuan gave were worth a tiny bit more, maybe a billion points more, making them not so easy to accept casually. But actually, it wasn’t a big deal. 

For a domineering CEO, five million might not be more valuable than fifty yuan is to an average person.

In the end, it was just an expression of fondness. He himself spent money for his many ‘wifes’ too! Chen Lu, empathizing, felt there was nothing wrong with it. It’s just that Qin Guchuan would actually get embarrassed? Tsk tsk tsk, look at Fang Qizhi, how nonchalant he is.

Chen Lu internally pointed fingers at Qin Guchuan.

But Qin Guchuan’s reaction was what made it interesting. Chen Lu had absolutely no intention of reminding Qin Guchuan that he could be more nonchalant about it. 

You have to cherish a domineering CEO who’s this easy to tease. After all, once the kid grows up, there won’t be any more opportunities.

Chen Lu, completely unaware that there are differences between types of ‘fondness’, thought exactly that.