Old Gu of Versailles

Chapter 182

The motion-sensor light in the hallway flickered on and off.

Gu Ran leaned against the peeling wall, looking at the shaken young girl in front of him.

Ye Zhenzhen shrank into the corner, her small face deathly pale, fingers twisting her skirt tightly. "Uncle Gu's eyes just now... he looked like he wanted to eat someone! Why don't you go stay at a hotel tonight?"

The girl bit her lower lip lightly and whispered, "I'm really afraid he'll break your legs."

Gu Ran: "..."

You are so considerate.

"The monk can run, but he can't take the temple with him."

He reached out to smooth a stray lock of hair damp with sweat at her temples, his tone relaxed. "Don't worry, Lao Gu is just jealous. He definitely wasn't as romantic as me when he was young, nor as rich."

"How can you still be joking at a time like this!" Ye Zhenzhen was so angry she wanted to stomp on his foot, but she couldn't bear to do it, so she could only glare at him fiercely with red-rimmed eyes.

"Alright, go on up." Gu Ran dropped his playful smile.

You get cut whether you stick your head out or pull it in. Might as well face the music.

Gu Ran pushed the door open.

The living room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Gu Xiangcheng sat bolt upright in the center of the sofa, the cup of tea in front of him long gone cold.

Hearing the noise, he slowly raised his head.

Those eyes, which had scrutinized countless felons, were now locked dead on his son.

"You're back?" His voice was deep, betraying no emotion.

"Yeah." Gu Ran changed his shoes, his expression normal.

"Zhenzhen, go back to your room first. I have something to ask Gu Ran."

As soon as Lao Gu released his authoritative aura, Ye Zhenzhen didn't dare make a peep. She cast a worried glance at Gu Ran and slipped back into her bedroom with her head down.

"Into your room."

Gu Xiangcheng stood up and paced with his hands behind his back, his silhouette exuding a chilling "leniency to those who confess, severity to those who resist" vibe.

Gu Ran shrugged, followed him into the second bedroom, and closed the door behind him.

"Bang!"

The moment the door closed, he slammed his palm on the desk, rattling the pen holder. "You've got a lot of nerve, kid!"

"Dad, don't get worked up, take a seat." Gu Ran casually pushed his old man down into the chair.

"Cut the crap! Where did the car come from?!"

"Bought it." Gu Ran sat on the edge of the bed, as calm as a bystander.

Gu Xiangcheng laughed out of sheer anger.

He pointed a trembling finger at the Audi A6L reflecting the streetlights outside the window. "Over four hundred thousand out the door! Four rings! Where does a high school student get that kind of money?"

"Hey, don't talk nonsense. Mine is the top-trim V6, six hundred thousand!" Gu Ran corrected him with a serious face, leaving Gu Xiangcheng a bit dumbfounded.

Why was this kid so fearless?!!!

"Fine, six hundred thousand!" Lao Gu's face was ashen, as if finding it hard to speak. "Did you go off and do something illegal? Or maybe..."

He took a breath and gritted his teeth, "Are you being kept by some rich older woman?!"

Gu Ran: "???"

Catching suspects all day, has his brain developed an occupational disease?

"Dad, it's a real waste of your talents not writing mystery novels."

Gu Ran sighed helplessly. "If I could be kept by a sugar mommy, that would mean I'm eating off my own merits. Unfortunately, your son's stomach is weak; I can't force down that kind of soft rice."

"Wipe that smirk off your face!"

Gu Xiangcheng undid his belt and whipped it onto the desk with a sharp smack. "I am a police officer! I know better than anyone how that quick money is made! Money laundering? Online gambling? Fraud? Gu Ran, our family might not be rich, but we can't cross this bottom line! If you dare to walk a crooked path, I will put righteousness before family today!"

Seeing the bulging veins on his father's forehead, Gu Ran put away his joking demeanor.

Lao Gu had a nasty temper, but he was a man of strong principles.

"Put the belt away first. I won't be responsible if your high blood pressure acts up."

Gu Ran skillfully turned on the computer. "I was going to wait until school started to tell you, but since you asked, take a look."

A click of the mouse.

Several core folders popped open.

The business license, tax registration certificate, and that dazzling array of backend data.

"GR Games, legal representative Gu Ran. This is the daily revenue for Temple Run, this is the download count for Fruit Ninja..."

Gu Ran explained as he scrolled the mouse. "Every cent has been taxed, and it can withstand any economic investigation. You're a veteran detective; you can tell at a glance whether this data is faked or not."

Gu Xiangcheng leaned close to the screen suspiciously, his posture like he was inspecting a murder scene.

At first, his brows were tightly knit, his eyes searching for flaws.

But as the mouse scrolled, seeing those absurdly long strings of numbers and the bright red official seals, his pupils contracted violently.

Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands... tens of millions?!

Gu Xiangcheng abruptly took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and put them back on.

He stared fixedly at the account balance.

The air froze for a full minute, with only the computer fan whirring madly.

"Is... is this real?"

Lao Gu's voice was dry, the finger pointing at the screen trembling uncontrollably. "Just from two little mobile games? Even robbing a bank wouldn't be this fast, right?"

"Dad, this is the boom of the mobile internet."

Gu Ran leaned against the edge of the desk, arms crossed. "Standing in the right updraft, even a pig can fly. Your son got lucky and flew along with it."

Gu Xiangcheng slumped into the chair, his throat feeling dry and his head buzzing.

He had worked diligently his whole life, was about to be promoted to a section chief, and made a few thousand a month.

His son, in one summer vacation, had earned more than he could in several lifetimes.

This huge sense of disparity made him feel dazed for a moment. His worldview seemed to have been smashed by a heavy hammer, shattering across the floor, impossible to piece back together.

"Phew..."

After a long time, Gu Xiangcheng's hands shook as he struck the lighter three times before finally lighting his cigarette.

Amidst the swirling smoke, he looked at the familiar yet strange young man in front of him.

He had grown taller, his shoulders broader, and the childishness in his eyes was gone.

Most importantly, he had always thought of his son as the harbor behind him that he needed to protect, but turning around suddenly, he found that his son had walked so high and so far...

"Good... that's good."

Lao Gu blew out a smoke ring, his eyes slightly red. "As long as you didn't take the wrong path, it's fine. As long as the money is clean... it's fine."

As long as it wasn't illegal, aside from a little bit of sourness, the rest of what a father felt was nothing but pride.

"Right, don't tell Aunt Ye about this."

Gu Xiangcheng suddenly lowered his voice. "She's already sensitive about bringing Zhenzhen into this blended family. If she knows you struck it rich, she'll definitely feel pressured. Just say you made a little pocket money, enough to spend."

"Alright, I'll listen to you." Gu Ran nodded. Lao Gu was actually quite thoughtful.

Gu Xiangcheng stubbed out his cigarette, stood up to adjust his collar, and paused just as he was about to walk out the door.

"But I'm warning you, don't let the money go to your head! Especially when it comes to your conduct!"

He gave his son a deep, meaningful look. "Especially with Zhenzhen, behave yourself! On paper right now, she's your sister after all! If you dare try anything funny, I'll still break your legs!"

A chill ran down Gu Ran's spine, and he gave a dry laugh. "Of course, I know the limits."

"Remember, keep this hidden. Don't let Aunt Ye find out. Once you two go to college, I'll find a chance to tell them."

Looking at Lao Gu's face, Gu Ran scratched his head, his eyes feigning complete innocence. "Tell them what?"

"You know exactly what!"

...

Early the next morning, the cicadas chirped noisily.

Gu Xiangcheng went downstairs, full of energy.

Just as he reached the entrance of the building unit, he saw a crowd gathered under the large locust tree.

That was the community's notorious gossip-loving Intelligence Center, commonly known as the CBD, or Central Bigmama District.

A few middle-aged women were pointing at the brand-new Audi A6L parked by the side of the road, gossiping so animatedly that spit flew from their lips.

"Four rings! I heard it costs hundreds of thousands!"

"Lao Gu's son drove it back last night."

"Tsk, tsk. Lao Gu just got promoted to bureau chief and he's already upgraded to a luxury car? How much did he have to embezzle for that?"

"You can know a person's face but not their heart. He used to look so modest, who would have thought he'd reach his hands so far into the cookie jar..."

The hushed murmurs drifted into his ears on the wind, full of sour jealousy.

Gu Xiangcheng paused his steps, then straightened his back. Wearing his usual serious expression, he strode over.

"Oh, Bureau Chief Gu, heading to work?"

Aunt Wang had sharp eyes and was the first to spot him. She immediately changed her tune, greeting him with a face full of smiles, as if she hadn't just been gossiping about him a moment ago.

Hearing this, Gu Xiangcheng stopped, glanced at the Audi, and suddenly let out a long sigh.

His inner actor instantly took the stage.

"Sigh! Don't even mention it!"

He shook his head with a look of deep disappointment, his voice loud enough to make sure anyone within ten meters could hear perfectly. "That brat of mine got into some game development, made a little money, and completely forgot who he is! He insisted on buying this car in full cash to honor me!"

"I told him I have a company car and that he should save the money for a wife. But he wouldn't listen! He insisted that this car has a high safety rating and forced it on me!"

Saying so, he patted the shiny hood of the car, making a hollow thumping sound, looking utterly helpless. "Tell me, aren't kids nowadays just too unreasonable? Buying a car like this at only eighteen, isn't it just a waste of money?"

Dead silence fell over them.

The women's mouths hung wide open, forgetting to even wave the palm-leaf fans in their hands.

His son bought it?

In full cash?

He must be bluffing, right?

"Alright, I won't chat with you all any longer."

Gu Xiangcheng glanced at his wristwatch.

At that moment, the black Passat from his workplace slowly drove up, and the driver, Xiao Zhao, respectfully opened the door.

"I'd better take the bureau's Passat. This Audi is just too flashy, I'll let him drive it around for fun himself."

He waved his hand and ducked into the Passat, a symbol of authority, leaving everyone with a view of his departing back.

The door closed, and the car sped off into the distance.

He left behind a group of dumbfounded neighbors staring at the brand-new Audi, the disdain in their eyes instantly turning into bitter envy.

At this moment, it was as if all the lemon trees in the neighborhood had collectively borne sour fruit.

...

Behind the curtains upstairs.

Gu Ran watched this scene and laughed out loud.

Comrade Lao Gu's flexing this time was top-tier, deeply capturing the true essence of the humblebrag.

He turned back to his computer and sent a message to Li Sinan:

[WeChat 1.0 version, ready for closed beta.]