Chapter 27: Change the Term of Address to

Eat well, drink well; Wang Yan pretended to be drunk again, this time drinking even more than last time—when you pretend, you must be consistent.

Again, Gu Jia dragged both of them back.

This time Wang Yan was much more well-behaved; he couldn't keep pulling little tricks. What if he lost control by accident? That would be terrible.

First time's a stranger, second time's familiar; this time Gu Jia knew the routine inside out—she had the access code and password, and settled Wang Yan in with perfect ease.

Regardless of others, Wang Yan slept soundly in a good dream.

The next day, he went to the company to handle some matters. Some things his subordinates simply couldn't handle—he had to go himself. Besides, if everything could be handled by others, he still couldn't trust them.

Over this period, Wang Yan had been operating on multiple fronts.

He successfully sold off all his previous stocks, securities, and other messy assets. Meanwhile, he had people quietly skimming profits on international markets. His scale was too small to stir up major waves—he'd get crushed easily. Small-time theft worked fine; his assets grew steadily, nearly doubling.

His company wasn't just doing work for him—it also raised a portion of funds like a private equity fund. The returns were quite good, and the investors were largely satisfied. Strong performance was the best promotion; rich people's money sat idle in banks, watching it depreciate daily, making their hearts tremble.

He scoured everywhere for projects guaranteeing returns, preserving their wealth from erosion. Through word of mouth, Wang Yan had become somewhat well-known. He'd attracted substantial capital, enough to be useful. His main goal, however, was expanding his network—after all, things always go easier with connections.

As a manager, as a controller, he certainly didn't handle every detail himself.

Wang Yan devoted most of his time to improving himself. On this point, he never slackened.

Being able to clearly perceive his own progress felt like flying—he didn't want to stop at all.

Wang Yan was lucky—he could experience that thrill. Whether useful or not, once he mastered something to a certain degree, the system panel would display the corresponding skill; that sense of accomplishment was unmatched.

Now Wang Yan could write code passably; he was building a small website. He didn't need to understand underlying principles—once he learned the basic syntax, he could pick up frameworks, tinker for a couple days, and get something working.

Not to mention Wang Yan's learning ability. He couldn't claim full mastery, but he understood most of how things worked—that was enough. For problems he couldn't solve, open-source communities and forums were full of programmers yakking away; he'd just browse around and figure it out.

Just as Wang Yan was banging away at his keyboard enthusiastically, he received an unexpected phone call.

It turned out Xu Huanshan and his good friend Shen Jie had been playing soccer, got into an argument with some kids, and ended up getting beaten up. They were taken to the police station, bruised and swollen. Xu Huanshan didn't want Gu Jia to find out—he'd get scolded nonstop. After thinking it over, he remembered Wang Yan, who'd been drinking with him yesterday, his son's godfather, his guiding light, his life mentor.

He immediately called Wang Yan, hoping he'd come help sort things out.

Wang Yan was speechless. You got your ass kicked like that—how the hell are you going to explain it to Gu Jia? With her mind, three sentences and she'd know everything. You still think you can hide it?

Since they'd called, Wang Yan couldn't refuse. He enthusiastically agreed, told him to wait a bit, and he'd be right there. A free chance to boost goodwill—especially one handed to him? He had to grab it.

Wang Yan tidied up, went downstairs, and drove to the police station where Xu Huanshan was.

Seeing a row of people squatting inside, he spotted Xu Huanshan, bruised and swollen, squatting there.

When Xu Huanshan saw Wang Yan arrive, it was like seeing a savior—he stood up immediately. "Lao Wang, you finally came! These kids today have no morals—they specifically target the face. Look at what they did to me."

The others who'd been playing soccer also stood up when they saw their savior.

Shen Jie, beside him, added: "They hit way too hard—I lost my shoe completely."

That made Wang Yan laugh hard. "Hah, you're Shen Jie, right? Lao Xu mentioned you when we drank last time."

"Bro, you're too funny. This is a serious situation—don't make me laugh."

Wang Yan shook his head. "Alright, keep squatting. I'll handle this."

Wang Yan walked over to the police officer. "Hello, Officer, I'm a friend of Xu Huanshan, here to resolve this matter."

The officer shook his hand and gestured for Xu Huanshan to confirm his identity. "These kids are all students. We've talked to them already—they don't want a private settlement."

Wang Yan thought for a moment. "How about this—I'll talk to them again and try to reach an agreement. If we can settle privately, it's better. Legal resources are limited; we shouldn't waste them, right?"

The officer agreed—he thought the same.

Wang Yan walked over to the group of students squatting on the other side. "Who's the ringleader? Let's resolve this."

One of the youths spoke up: "No need to talk. We don't want money. This isn't negotiable."

Clearly, they'd been discussing it for a long time—they were determined to get some kind of resolution.

Chen Xu could've handled these students easily—let alone Wang Yan.

He walked up to him. "Listen. You're all students. If this escalates, what consequences will you face for organized, disciplined gang fighting? Think about how your parents will react."

Wang Yan looked around. "Am I scaring you? Think carefully."

Hearing Wang Yan's words, their expressions changed.

Seeing their reaction, Wang Yan continued: "This isn't a big deal. Isn't there an old saying: better to resolve grudges than to hold onto them?"

"They got beaten up bad—you didn't lose anything."

"They're bosses—they won't skimp on things."

"Here's an idea: you like soccer, right? I'll get them to give each of you a membership card for the field—go play whenever you want."

"And I'll get each of you a pair of soccer shoes—just a token. How's that sound?"

They looked at each other, exchanged glances. The same youth said: "Alright, fine. We don't want this to get too big. We'll go with your proposal."

Seeing they were reasonable: "Good. You've been playing soccer and fighting all this time—you must be hungry."

"After we finish up, I'll treat you all to a meal—eat and drink whatever you want."

Seeing Wang Yan so enthusiastic, they said nothing. They were hungry anyway—who says no to free food?

After reaching an agreement, Wang Yan had Xu Huanshan send someone to take the students to buy shoes, get cards, and eat. He then approached the officer, signed a letter of understanding, and completed all the paperwork—the matter was settled.

After finishing the procedures, as they stepped out of the police station, the person Xu Huanshan had called arrived—it was Chen Xu, of course.

Wang Yan called Chen Xu over and took fifty thousand yuan in cash from his car, handing it to him.

Chen Xu was the most normal among them—just had a few quirks, but his thinking was sound. He didn't know exactly how much things cost, but with over ten people, he guessed forty to fifty thousand yuan would be enough.

Wang Yan told him to accompany them, gave him his contact info, and said: "If you need more money, let me know. Whatever's left over is yours."

Xu Huanshan added a few more instructions to Chen Xu—mostly not to tell Gu Jia.

Then Chen Xu happily left—he knew eating, drinking, and buying shoes wouldn't cost much. If he managed well, he could pocket ten or twenty thousand yuan.

After giving Chen Xu his instructions, Xu Huanshan walked over to Wang Yan. "Man, Lao Wang, I'm so sorry—made you come all this way."

"I'll pay you back the money. I'll bring it to you when I get home."

Wang Yan shook his head. "Forget it. It's not much. What kind of relationship do we have? Don't be so formal. Just leave it. Next time, treat me to a meal."

He turned to Shen Jie. "We're friends—I'll call you Lao Shen. Don't be polite—call me Lao Wang."

"Old Xu said you're in the fireworks business too—I told Old Xu that safety must be strictly handled; if something goes wrong with this stuff, it's no small matter."

Wang Yan gave Shen Jie a quick warning—he'd only been in the story for two episodes before getting dragged in. He just mentioned it offhand; take it or leave it.

Shen Jie nodded. Though this was his first time meeting Wang Yan, Xu Huanshan had mentioned him many times before, always saying he'd find a chance to introduce them. A friend's friend is still a friend, and Wang Yan had no ill intent. For him to offer a warning on their first meeting meant he didn't treat Shen Jie as a stranger—and Shen Jie was genuinely pleased.

"I've really been slack lately. Should I go check?" Shen Jie thought.

The three of them smoked a cigarette at the police station entrance and chatted for a while.

The main thing was two guys who had no sense at all—got beaten up like that and still had the nerve to brag to Wang Yan about how tough they were in the fight.

Wang Yan understood: a man's joy is so limited. Though he hadn't actually fought them, the pressure of life and work had been released, and both men were genuinely happy inside.

He understood, but he didn't want to bully them. What's the point of kids fighting? If Wang Yan truly lost his temper, a single glance—carrying the weight of dozens of lives—was no joke. Those two little worms? They wouldn't just pee their pants; their legs would definitely go weak.

After listening to them brag for a while, Wang Yan said: "Alright, let's go. Get in the car. I'll drive you home."

"Let's call it a day. We'll do something proper another time."

The two had no other thoughts—got in the car and stayed silent, already thinking about how to explain to their wives.

Going home looking this bruised and swollen? Without a reasonable explanation, it wouldn't fly.

Shen Jie's home was a bit farther, but still central. After all, he was a millionaire boss—even his worst place wasn't remote.

After dropping off Shen Jie, Wang Yan drove Xu Huanshan back to Junyue Fu.

In the elevator, as they neared the twelfth floor, Wang Yan said nothing—just gave him a look that said, "Good luck." He didn't think Xu Huanshan had a chance; Gu Jia would definitely call or come upstairs to confront him.

Sure enough, when Gu Jia saw Xu Huanshan's bruised and swollen face at home, she rushed to ask what happened.

Xu Huanshan turned into a mouse seeing a cat before Gu Jia—he stammered out the excuse he'd spent hours preparing. They'd been together for years; she knew him too well. One look told her it was all lies.

In just a few sentences, she took firm control. Xu Huanshan finally spilled the whole story.

When Gu Jia heard he'd gotten into a fight with students over soccer—and lost—then remembered he was flying to Jingcheng tomorrow to present a plan and negotiate partnerships at the amusement park, she was furious and scolded him mercilessly.

Fed up with her nagging, Xu Huanshan stopped trying. He let out some truths: about his eldest son, about his obsession with climbing the social ladder among the wives.

Why did she hustle so hard, why did she grovel? Who was it all for? Wasn't it for their happy life? Faced with her husband's lack of recognition, Gu Jia was heartbroken. But knowing Xu Huanshan hated this kind of talk, wasn't it precisely this version of him that she loved? She suppressed her anger and soothed him gently.

Xu Huanshan was a cat who only responded to stroking—over the years, Gu Jia had mastered him completely. Within a few words, his anger vanished, and they resumed their warm, affectionate harmony.

After applying ointment to Xu Huanshan, she let him play with the kids. Then she busied herself making some small pastries, took them upstairs to let Wang Yan taste her cooking, as a small token of thanks.

Wang Yan invited Gu Jia to sit inside, but she smiled and declined. When alone with Wang Yan, she always felt uneasy.

Wang Yan didn't care about her refusal—it only proved she had thoughts. They chatted at the door, and he reminded her to bring his godson over to play before seeing her off downstairs.

After seeing Gu Jia off, he turned back inside and sat on a cushion in the living room.

Wang Yan brewed a pot of tea and ate the pastries Gu Jia had brought. The flavor was indeed good—enough to earn praise from a circle of wealthy ladies who'd tasted the finest delicacies. Her skill was certainly adequate.

Xu Huanshan got beaten today, flies to Jingcheng tomorrow—Lin Youyou should make her entrance now.

As he ate, he called his two subordinates and told them to assign someone to track Xu Huanshan's movements. Once he'd set the two of them up, Wang Yan would begin his own move.

Xu Huanshan was going to Jingcheng—he wouldn't be back for ten days or so.

Gu Jia stayed home, took care of the kids, ran her pastry shop, and mingled in the wife circle to climb the social ladder. Of course, Wang Yan couldn't be absent—his godson kept shouting for his godfather to play. When Gu Jia was too busy to manage the child, besides the nanny, she now had another option: Wang Yan.

Moreover, in Gu Jia's heart, she preferred Wang Yan to the nanny. Trust grew gradually; over time, she stopped using the nanny entirely and simply called Wang Yan to take the child.

Honestly, Gu Jia and Xu Huanshan envied Wang Yan—he had nothing to do every day. Every time they called him, he was either studying or out somewhere having fun. They weren't ignorant of finance—they just never saw anyone in this field as idle as Wang Yan, wandering around all day.

Xu Huanshan knew Wang Yan took care of the child too—he said nothing. In fact, every time he saw Xu Ziyan laughing and playing, he felt deeply grateful to Wang Yan.

Sometimes Wang Yan picked him up after school; sometimes on weekends they roamed all over Shanghai. Other times, to maintain his physical condition, Wang Yan visited a martial arts school he'd acquired to stretch his limbs. Children all dream of heroes—Xu Ziyan watched Wang Yan train with powerful, dynamic movements and worshipped him utterly, clinging to his legs, whining, begging, rolling around to make him teach.

Wang Yan thought for a moment, then asked Gu Jia and Xu Huanshan—mostly Gu Jia's opinion. When she heard him ask, she was slightly surprised: no wonder he felt so good when he touched her back then—he'd actually trained.

Gu Jia had always pursued elite education for Xu Ziyan and supported martial arts to strengthen his physique. Especially when the suggestion came from Wang Yan, who had grown increasingly important in her heart.

Gu Jia's education was decent enough. At least, she'd instilled persistence. Martial arts were hard—even though Xu Ziyan was only four and training lightly, it was still a major challenge for him. His own determination, combined with Wang Yan demonstrating a routine each time he nearly gave up, gave him motivation to persevere—and his progress was solid. Overall, it was good; he never quit.

Every time she saw Xu Ziyan return with Wang Yan, cheerful, energetic, and increasingly boyish, Gu Jia was delighted. She could tell he was truly happy—happier and more outgoing than when she took care of him.

As time passed, Wang Yan found it awkward hearing the child constantly call him "godfather." He spoke to Gu Jia and Xu Huanshan, and they agreed: just call him "Dad." To distinguish them, Xu Huanshan became "Daddy." It was just a title—they didn't object. Xu Ziyan happily chattered "Dad, Dad" like it came naturally.

Sometimes Xu Huanshan couldn't help wondering: did Xu Ziyan feel "Dad" was closer than "Daddy"? But every time he saw Xu Ziyan laughing and playing with him, he let it go.

Besides, he was completely bewitched by Lin Youyou—how could he have time to care for his wife and child? That left his life mentor, his guiding light, his good friend Old Wang, to enjoy the benefits.

With Gu Jia, he found no trace of male confidence. But with Lin Youyou, it was different—she acted exactly like a fangirl utterly conquered by Xu Huanshan's male charm: warm, sweet, lively, adorable. With Lin Youyou, Xu Huanshan found the confidence of a man—and unconsciously, he became addicted.