Chapter 353 - 244: Youthful Chivalry, Youthful Ruthlessness

Chapter 353: Chapter 244: Youthful Chivalry, Youthful Ruthlessness

"Mr. Lin Chu?"

"Please come in. Sir is waiting for you in the tea room."

She invited him in politely and warmly. Lin Chu smiled, nodded at her, exchanged a few pleasantries, and followed her inside.

He casually sent Zhang Peng a message.

"Peng, a butler, a Filipino maid—get on it. Ask that real estate agent."

Zhang Peng: "You got it! I’ll ask right now."

Lin Chu still felt a bit of cultural dissonance when it came to the "comb-up woman." While he found the tradition impressive, the ideal of equality was ingrained in his very bones. The thought of having such a "servant" made him feel awkward. He decided to stick with the market economy—time to hire a Filipino maid. After all, that kind of domestic help was very common and well-established in Xiangjiang.

This house was even larger than Villa 108, but more people lived here.

In the courtyard, an old man in a wheelchair was sunbathing. A Filipino maid was massaging his legs.

The old man had graying hair and his eyes were closed, looking as if he were thoroughly enjoying it.

Lin Chu glanced over but didn’t say hello. ’He’s probably one of Jackie Chan’s old brothers-in-arms,’ he guessed.

After all, Jackie Chan had come up as one of the Martial Artists. It was possible he had old, injured comrades, and it wasn’t a bad idea for them to spend their retirement years together.

He arrived at the tea room.

Through the glass door, he could already see Jackie Chan in the host’s seat. Inside, three older men and one middle-aged man were laughing and chatting happily.

Lin Chu washed his hands at the entrance, accepted a proffered towel to dry them, and stepped inside. All four men immediately looked his way.

Whoa.

This feeling...

’It’s like the senior center back in the village.’

The peculiar analogy popped into his head, and Lin Chu couldn’t help but chuckle. ’It’s good that they have something to enjoy in their old age.’

"My friend, President Lin. He’s a big boss from Peng City who runs a media group and golf courses."

Jackie Chan stood up and introduced him with a smile, then introduced the others.

They were all his old brothers, either from his stuntman days or from the gangs—big shots from the so-called "Jianghu." Although Jackie Chan’s introductions were veiled, Lin Chu understood.

They all shook hands.

Lin Chu respectfully took the most junior seat.

The feeling was strange, as if he had caught the very tail end of a bygone era. He didn’t know what they had all been through, but the fact that they were still sitting here now clearly made them the lucky ones. They were what remained after the great waves had sifted the sands. Whether they were true gold or stubborn stones, they were, at the very least, tough enough to endure.

’Living a long life is what really matters.’

"President Lin is a really good young man. Last night on his livestream, a fan he didn’t even know asked for help, saying her brother had gone missing in Southeast Asia, and he agreed to help."

"He dropped two million today, hired Shenlong Security, and had the kid rescued within hours."

"The young man truly understands honor!"

Jackie Chan explained with a smile, revealing the reason he had invited Lin Chu.

This was the main reason.

Righteousness—even the underworld’s code of honor—might not have been standard back in their day, but it was at least the mainstream value. Traitors faced severe punishment. Nowadays, however, such a code was exceedingly rare. Lin Chu’s "old-fashioned" character was something Jackie Chan genuinely admired.

The other men smiled and murmured a few words of agreement.

In this kind of setting, Lin Chu didn’t say much. His age dictated his place.

But he wasn’t bored. He listened with great interest as they chatted.

Their conversation topics were casual, drifting from reminiscences of their tumultuous glory days to recent romantic scandals, along with all sorts of messy business and political gossip.

Occasionally, they would turn the topic to Lin Chu, asking about the romantic exploits of the younger generation.

Lin Chu would just grin and play along, sharing some eye-catching tidbits of gossip for them. The men would then all sigh with feeling, remarking on how the young people really knew how to have fun.

Just as their conversation was getting lively...

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

There was a soft rap on the glass door.

The "comb-up woman" from before appeared at the door. Seeing a lull in the conversation, she slid the door open and entered. "Sir, three young men are here to pay their Mid-Autumn respects. The one in the lead is Zhuang Xiurui’s eldest, with two followers behind him."

"Alright, have them come in for a cup of tea."

Jackie Chan waved his hand with a smile, not even shifting in his seat. Zhuang Xiurui had been an old friend who passed away last year. His sons were a mess, fighting over the inheritance, and none of them were amounting to much.

Before long, three young men entered.

The one in the lead was dressed in a British style, all tailored suit and leather shoes, and looked to be around thirty.

Of the two behind him, one was a skinny guy, but Lin Chu recognized the other. It was Kang Hao.

At this moment, upon seeing Lin Chu, Kang Hao froze in astonishment.

He knew Lin Chu was planning to buy a house here, but he never imagined that Lin Chu would be a guest in Jackie Chan’s home.

"Yingcheng, how are things at home these days?"

Jackie Chan had the three of them sit down without making any introductions, asking casually with the clear air of a senior.

Yingcheng?

Zhuang Yingcheng?

The name sounded vaguely familiar to Lin Chu. He thought for a moment and then remembered. With Kang Hao also present, it clicked. When he had mentioned wanting to join the United Youth Association, Zhuang Yingcheng had been a key figure. Apparently, he’d also pursued Zhou Luan, only to get blocked by her.

However, after being rejected last time, Lin Chu’s desire to mix in those circles had faded considerably.

’Back then, my main reason for wanting to get into that circle was to investigate their marital and romantic situations, to build a database for my own reference.’

"Uncle, not so good. My second and third brothers have been acting up lately. Second Brother found some Americans, a big bank, and wants to buy out all the shares that Third Brother and I hold. Third Brother is so pissed he’s thinking of hiring someone to put a bullet in him. Mom got so angry she ended up in the hospital. I’ve been taking care of her, and honestly, I’m starting to lose heart. If they want to fight, let them fight. They don’t even care about Mom anymore... damn them all to hell!"