Chapter Ten: A Word of Advice for Yan Peng

“Huanhuan, Chaochao, let’s go!”

With Nan Li’s help, Huanhuan and Chaochao had changed into their sportswear, wearing sun hats. Chaochao was even clutching a soccer ball larger than his own head.

“Let’s go, let’s go!”

The siblings shouted excitedly.

“Lili, we’re off.”

“Take it easy on the way and watch Huanhuan and Chaochao closely.”

“Got it.”

“Bye, Mom!”

“Bye, Mom!”

Zhou Chen helped Huanhuan and Chaochao into the car and fastened their seatbelts.

“Sit tight, kids. Dad’s about to drive.”

Chaochao happily waved his little hands, “Let’s go, let’s go!”

The gym that Yan Peng and Zhou Chen often visited was not far—about a twenty-minute drive.

Yan Peng favored tennis. Since meeting Xia Junshan, he often played matches with him.

For this purpose, he had even reserved a court at the gym on a long-term basis.

When he wasn’t there, others could use it, but once he arrived, the staff had to clear the court for him. So no matter when they came, they always had a place to play.

Although reserving a court year-round wasn’t extremely expensive, most people wouldn’t spend that much just to play a few times. Only a wealthy second-generation like Yan Peng would do such a thing.

“Brother! Brother!”

As Zhou Chen arrived at the court with Huanhuan and Chaochao, he heard someone calling out. A man of medium build, dressed in white sportswear and in his thirties, was waving at him.

As they entered the court, Huanhuan and Chaochao immediately ran up to Yan Peng.

“Uncle Yan! Uncle Yan!”

Yan Peng happily patted their heads. “Huanhuan, Chaochao, have you missed Uncle Yan?”

“Yes,” Chaochao answered obediently.

Zhou Chen glanced around, puzzled. “Why just you alone?”

Huanhuan looked a bit disappointed. “Yeah, Uncle Yan, didn’t Ziyou come?”

Huanhuan and Ziyou were classmates and also relatives, so they were very close and often played together.

Chaochao echoed, “Where’s Brother Ziyou?”

“Sigh, don’t mention it,” Yan Peng said gloomily. “My wife, you know, is always forcing Ziyou to study. I told her I wanted to bring him here to play ball with Huanhuan and the others, but she absolutely wouldn’t allow it. We almost argued over this.”

“You really are something...” Zhou Chen was about to say something but noticed Huanhuan and Chaochao were still there. He turned to them, “Huanhuan, Chaochao, do you want to watch Dad and Uncle Yan play, or go play on the field yourselves?”

Huanhuan was already eleven, lively and sensible. With a well-behaved Chaochao in tow, Zhou Chen felt quite at ease.

Huanhuan immediately replied, “Dad, Uncle Yan, you guys play here. I’ll take Chaochao to kick the soccer ball.”

With that, she grabbed Chaochao’s hand and ran off.

“Bye, Uncle Yan! Bye, Uncle Yan!”

Yan Peng watched them bouncing away, envy in his voice. “Nan Li’s really something. Look how lively and adorable Huanhuan and Chaochao are. My wife’s not like that—studying, studying, and more studying all day.”

Zhou Chen pointed at Yan Peng, expression blank. “Why don’t you show some manliness? Tian Yulan forces Ziyou to study every day, forbidding him from playing. Aren’t you afraid of driving Ziyou crazy? Haven’t you seen the news? Some parents push their kids so hard they go mad. Worse yet, some even jump off buildings or commit suicide.”

“No way, right?” Yan Peng was startled. “Tian Yulan might be strict with Ziyou, but not to that degree. Plus, Ziyou is cheerful and filial—he’d never end up like those kids.”

“Heh.” Zhou Chen snorted disdainfully. In the story, Ziyou was driven to madness—it wasn’t mere paranoia.

“You should be careful,” he advised, then dropped the subject.

“Alright, let’s play.”

Taking a racket from Yan Peng, the two lined up and began.

Tennis required power and skill. Zhou Chen, with Xia Junshan’s memories, decent stamina, and quicker reflexes than before, played fairly well.

Yan Peng was clearly experienced. They volleyed back and forth for over an hour before pausing.

“Tired, tired. Let’s rest.”

They sat on a nearby bench, drinking water and chatting.

“Brother, what have you been busy with lately? I messaged you a couple of weeks ago to play, but you never replied.” Yan Peng asked, slightly out of breath.

Zhou Chen sipped water, exhaled slowly, and said, “Busy earning extra cash recently, so no time to play.”

“Extra cash?”

Yan Peng was surprised. “What kind of extra cash? Tell me.”

Zhou Chen looked at him. “Why so eager? I’m short on money, that’s why I want to earn some—unlike you, who’s rich and just thinks about gaming all day.”

“Brother, come on. Just because I’m not short on money doesn’t mean I don’t want to earn more. Besides, who doesn’t have some pride? I can’t keep asking the old man for money forever.”

“Cough, cough.”

Zhou Chen almost choked on his water. Brother, if I hadn’t seen the TV shows, I’d really think you’re an ambitious young man. And you say you have pride with your parents?

“Alright, don’t say I don’t help you. I’m about to make an investment—a guaranteed profitable deal. In a few months, the profit will at least quadruple.”

Yan Peng was amazed. “Really?”

Though he was just coasting in a state-owned enterprise and didn’t care much for the family business, it didn’t mean he was ignorant. Quadrupling profit in just a few months sounded incredible.

“Brother, please don’t do anything illegal.”

“What are you thinking? Am I that kind of person?” Zhou Chen rolled his eyes and explained, “Go check Bitcoin. That’s what I plan to invest in. From what I’ve observed, it’s going to skyrocket in the coming months. If you trust me, buy some. If not, just ignore what I said.”

Yan Peng was a decent guy; otherwise, Zhou Chen wouldn’t have shared such important information.

With Bitcoin’s huge market, anyone could profit. Yan Peng was a reliable brother, so what he said counted. Whether Yan Peng bought in or not was his own choice.

“Bitcoin? I’ll check it now.”

Yan Peng pulled out his phone and quickly found information about Bitcoin. After a moment, he asked, “Brother, are you sure about this?”

“No one can guarantee investments, but there’s a good 70 to 80 percent chance it’ll work out.”

Zhou Chen didn’t overpromise, after all, he was someone who had crossed over with memories from another life—who knew if some butterfly effect might interfere.

“Seventy to eighty percent? Alright, I’ll study it.”

Just then, Huanhuan came running over, holding the soccer ball in one hand and pulling Chaochao with the other.

“Dad, Chaochao and I are hungry. When will we eat?”

Zhou Chen quickly took out a towel and wiped their sweat. It was spring, but they had sweated so much that a breeze could easily cause a cold.

They had worn new clothes when they left, but after playing a while, their outfits were stained and spotted, clearly from playing hard.

Yan Peng checked his phone. “It’s already past eleven. Huanhuan, Chaochao, what do you want to eat? Uncle Yan is treating today.”

Huanhuan, cheerful and straightforward, immediately said, “Uncle Yan, I want spaghetti and ice cream.”

“Chaochao wants steak.”

Chaochao popped out from under the towel and shouted loudly.

“Don’t move around. Dad will clean you up.”

Yan Peng then asked Zhou Chen, “Brother, what about you?”

“I’ll just go to a Western restaurant. I don’t need anything fancy.”

“Alright, I know a good Western restaurant nearby.”

“Huanhuan, Chaochao, put on your jackets, let’s go.”

…