Chapter 118: Winter Lotus
At work, Su Jun had gotten on good terms with his colleagues and the shift leaders.
After all, a young man like Su Jun had no ulterior motives. He was straightforward and a good conversationalist, so everyone liked him.
After work, Chu Feng and Su Jun returned to their dorm.
"You’ve gotten used to working here now," Chu Feng said. "I’m going to resign tomorrow, so you just keep up the good work on your own."
"Don’t worry, brother-in-law," Su Jun said maturely. "I’ll definitely be fine. It’s about time you went back to be with my sister. It must be hard for her, being home alone all the time."
"Now that I’ve adjusted, I feel like work isn’t so bad," Su Jun said. "The tasks are pretty simple, and I can chat with the older colleagues, so it’s not boring. The time flies by."
His mood had stabilized, and he no longer flew into rages or complained constantly like before.
"Alright then, keep up the good work. Let me tell you a secret," Chu Feng said, lowering his voice. "Your sister already said that as long as you stick it out, she’ll make you a manager at one of the Su Group’s factories. Besides, the Su Group will be yours sooner or later. All this effort you’re putting in now is just paving the way for your future, so don’t you dare give up and let it all go to waste."
"As for the Su Group, your sister also said that it’s all yours. She won’t fight you for it. She’d even give you her ten percent of the shares, provided you listen and show some ambition," Chu Feng told Su Jun.
"Come on, brother-in-law, do you really think I care about any of that? That’s just Dad being obsessed with it. But becoming a factory manager? I’d be so happy I’d wake up laughing in my sleep."
"Even these minor shift leaders act so high and mighty. If I were the factory manager, I’d be flying high," Su Jun said to Chu Feng.
"You have to work hard for it," Chu Feng said. "And even when you become the manager, you can’t just fool around."
"Don’t worry, brother-in-law," Su Jun said. "Once I’ve made it through this, don’t you forget about buying me that G-Wagon."
"The day you get your first paycheck, bring your pay card to me, and I’ll take you to get it immediately," Chu Feng said.
"You got it! Just you wait, brother-in-law," Su Jun said happily.
Just as the two were deep in conversation, Chu Feng’s phone rang.
Seeing the call was from his wife, Chu Feng answered, "Miaoke? What is it? Is everything okay?"
"How’s Su Jun holding up?" Su Miaoke asked curiously. "Is he managing to stick it out?"
Su Jun, who was nearby, overheard this and immediately retorted, "Hey, don’t look down on me! Who says I can’t handle it?"
"Is it urgent?" Chu Feng asked.
"I got a lead on the Winter Lotus and Summer Plum Blossom you were looking for," Su Miaoke said. "Do you know how to tell if they’re authentic?"
"I do," Chu Feng said. "As long as I can see it in person, I’ll know if it’s real."
The Winter Lotus and Summer Plum Blossom only grew in highly specific environments, making them incredibly rare.
"Okay," Su Miaoke said. "Someone’s selling them, but the asking price is two hundred thousand. It’s a bit steep."
"Price isn’t an issue," Chu Feng said. "As long as they’re real, I’d pay two million." ’He had the money now, after all.’
Moreover, the value of these items was astonishing. The Winter Lotus, in particular, was filled with a vigorous life force.
This potent life force could forcibly extend the life of someone on the verge of death or whose natural lifespan was coming to an end, for instance, after an accident or a fatal injury.
"Alright then. Are you free tomorrow?" Su Miaoke asked. "We can go check it out together. The seller insists on an in-person transaction, out in the Beihai countryside."
"I am," Chu Feng said. "I’ll be ready to go as soon as I finish my resignation paperwork. Just come pick me up here tomorrow morning."
"Okay, talk to you then." Su Miaoke ended the call.
"Brother-in-law, what were you two talking about?" Su Jun asked, looking completely lost. "Something about two million, real or fake... It was all Greek to me."
"It’s better that you didn’t understand," Chu Feng said with a laugh. "It’d be a real surprise if you did."
"Messing with me again," Su Jun grumbled. "If you don’t want to tell me, fine. I’m not interested anyway. But hey, brother-in-law, could you give me some advice? A few of the girls from work keep asking me to dinner, but I’m broke... What should I do?"
Su Jun was the tall, handsome, energetic type—a classic boy-next-door.
So it was only natural that a lot of girls liked him.
"Sigh... I’ll give you a thousand yuan," Chu Feng said. "You can figure out the rest. Just make sure you don’t tell your sister it came from me."
He knew exactly what Su Jun was getting at. The kid obviously wanted to go but was broke.
"Thanks, brother-in-law! You’re the best!" Su Jun jumped up happily and threw his arms around Chu Feng.
But Chu Feng immediately pushed him away.
"Get off, get off. Men shouldn’t be so hands-on with each other," Chu Feng joked, then transferred a thousand yuan to Su Jun.
That very evening, Su Jun took the girls out.
The next morning arrived in a flash. Su Jun went to work as usual, while Chu Feng had already finished his resignation paperwork.
When Chu Feng reached the gate, Su Miaoke was already waiting for him.
"What took you so long? I’ve been waiting for more than half an hour," Su Miaoke complained, her arms crossed.
"Couldn’t be helped. I was as fast as I could be," Chu Feng said. "I still had to go through the resignation process. It might only be a thousand-something yuan, but it’s still money I earned through hard work."
"Where’s Su Jun?" Su Miaoke asked.
"He’s at work," Chu Feng said. "The kid’s full of drive these days."
"So, shall we go?" Su Miaoke asked.
"Yeah," Chu Feng nodded.
"You’re driving," Su Miaoke said.
"Huh? Why me?" Chu Feng asked.
"Because I don’t want to. Is that a problem?" Su Miaoke retorted. "I want to get some more sleep."
Chu Feng was speechless.
’Can’t be helped,’ he thought. ’She’s my wife, after all.’
"So, this lotus that grows in winter," Su Miaoke asked, "is there anything special about it?"
"It doesn’t look any different," Chu Feng explained. "It’s almost identical to a regular lotus. The difference is what it holds inside."
"What it holds inside is different? What does it hold? Is it filled with gold?" Su Miaoke was intrigued. She couldn’t fathom why a single lotus flower could sell for two hundred thousand—it was an astronomical price.
"Not gold, no," Chu Feng said. "But the Winter Lotus contains a potent life force. For someone whose life is nearing its end, or who is critically injured and on the brink of death, it can be used to extend their life."
"It’s that incredible?" Su Miaoke said, astonished. "I can’t believe something like that actually exists."
The two then followed the address Su Miaoke had found, driving for several hours to reach their destination.