Chapter Twenty: A Billionaire Emerges in the Family

When Liu Yunfei arrived home, he found his parents sitting at the table, eating dinner and watching television. They were quite surprised to see him emerge from his room.

"Xiaofei, how did you get in? We didn't see you come through the door," his father, Liu Hongbing, asked.

"Heh, I haven't eaten yet either. Let me finish dinner first, then I've got some good news to share." Liu Yunfei decided to wait until after the meal to explain, since what he had to say was so unbelievable, he didn't want to risk startling them into choking.

He went to the kitchen to fetch a bowl and chopsticks, feeling that the atmosphere in the house was rather odd today. "What's going on? Mom, your eyes look a little red. Did you two argue again?"

"No, I was just watching TV and saw a story about a little boy, barely ten years old, who has leukemia. His family has already spent all their savings, and now needs hundreds of thousands more for medical treatment, but they have nothing left. The boy was so sensible, even comforting his mother. It was really heartbreaking," Liu Hongbing explained.

"Lao Liu, let's donate a thousand yuan," Liu Yunfei's mother suggested.

"Let's make it five hundred. Our monthly expenses are already high, and Xiaofei starts school next month. We still need to save up for his college," Liu Hongbing calculated on his fingers.

"Oh, what's the big deal? Let's give more—let's donate in US dollars." With a casual wave of his hand, Liu Yunfei produced a large bundle of US bills.

"Son, where did you get so many US dollars?" "How much is this even?" Both parents stared, wide-eyed, at the thick stack of bills on the table.

"This isn't much—I didn't count it, but it's probably a few hundred thousand." Liu Yunfei scratched his head.

"Son, you haven't done anything illegal, have you?" "Lao Liu, don't talk nonsense. Our son isn't that kind of person. What kind of crime could bring in so much money?" The two of them scrutinized him, taking on an interrogative air. "Xiaofei, we can't keep money with an unclear origin. Did you find it on the street? Whoever lost so much money must be desperately worried. We can't do such a heartless thing." His mother's imagination, at least, seemed somewhat on track.

"You don't have to worry—your son has struck it rich. This is just some cash. Look, I also have a prestigious VIP gold card from a Swiss bank. Check out the date—just opened this afternoon, or to be precise, ten minutes ago if you adjust for time zones. There’s nearly 200 million dollars on it."

"What? You're a billionaire now?" The number left his parents so dumbstruck they could barely close their mouths.

"This whole thing is beyond imagination..." Liu Yunfei briefly recounted what had happened, demonstrating a few of his new abilities for proof. He showed how he could retrieve things from a glowing jade slip, though it wasn't practical to summon the cloud somersault in the house. He kept the identity of his master a secret, as he had promised Patriarch Bodhi, and merely glossed over the part about rescuing the young prince and battling vampires. Although he now had a body of diamond, he knew any mention of danger would only worry his parents.

After he finished, his parents just stared at him, mouths agape, too shocked even to ask questions. After all, such supernatural abilities existed only in myth and legend—how could they imagine them to be real, let alone possessed by their own son? It all felt so much like a dream.

"Hello? Wake up! Mom, Dad, you’re stunned, aren’t you?"

Liu Hongbing was the first to recover. "We are stunned. So, is it not over? You have to go to Saudi Arabia next? Is it dangerous?" Hu Li, too, regained her senses; after all, a parent's first concern is always safety. "Is it really safe? Why else would they pay you so much?"

"It's fine—your son is invulnerable now. If you don’t believe me, bring a needle and try pricking me, or burn me with fire—see if I take any harm at all." Liu Yunfei tried to allay their fears.

"Well, that's good, but it's still hard to believe. Is it really true? You're not just pulling your dad and me along for a ride, are you?"

"Honestly, I didn't believe it at first either. I just mysteriously gained these powers." Liu Yunfei figured the idea of 'special abilities' was easier for his parents to accept. "How about I take you both for a stroll in the sky right now? Or we could go to Saudi Arabia to meet King Abdullah? I even have a Korean girlfriend in New York." Thinking of Park Min-ji brought a sweet feeling to his heart, although she wasn't officially his girlfriend yet.

"No, thanks. Your mom and I aren't youngsters anymore—we’re afraid of heights. Maybe some other time," Liu Hongbing demurred.

"Mom, Dad, don’t tell anyone about this—no one at all except you two. Not even grandparents. Otherwise, if someone gets curious and wants to study my body, your son might never see you again."

"Of course, but son, I have to say this—you’re not an ordinary person anymore, so you absolutely must not use your powers for anything illegal. You’re still young; don’t be lured by bad people into doing anything immoral," Liu Hongbing felt it was necessary to reinforce his son's values; with such abilities, wrongdoing would be all too easy.

"Dad, don’t you trust your own son? Special powers can be used for good as well as evil. Look, now that we have money, we can help people who are less fortunate."

"So when are you going to bring this girlfriend home for us to meet? All those Korean actresses in dramas are so pretty," his mother chimed in, clearly interested in her son's romantic life.

"She is pretty, just a bit talkative. Anyway, I think it’s best not to make a fuss about any of this for now. Once I finish my work in Saudi Arabia, I’ll take you both to travel the world." Liu Yunfei didn’t have any solid plans; he was just speaking off the cuff. Chinese people, after all, tend to keep their wealth hidden and are wary of showing off, mostly out of self-protection. If any bad people targeted Liu Yunfei himself, he wasn’t afraid—but his parents were still ordinary people.

"Yes, it’s all a bit sudden. Your mom and I need to think it over," Liu Hongbing said. He had often fantasized about winning the lottery, but even five million yuan never seemed enough. Now that the sum was enormous, he didn’t know how to spend it.

"Son, since they’ve given us this money, you have to do a good job—don’t let us Chinese lose face," Hu Li said.

"I understand. It’s nothing difficult—I’m just there to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t fall in with bad company. Maybe I’ll even bring the young prince to China for a visit. I’d like to see him in some remote, impoverished village, not understanding a word anyone says—let’s see how he could possibly make bad friends there."

"Even so, do your job well and be careful—there are plenty of bad people in the Arab world. Haven’t you seen all the suicide bombings on the news?"

"Don’t worry. The Americans bully people and then don’t let them fight back. Our country has never bullied anyone; the Saudis have always been polite to us. Besides, Saudi Arabia isn’t Iraq—it’s pretty stable." Liu Yunfei glanced at the clock. "It’s getting late. Think about how you want to arrange your lives from now on. I’m heading to New York for a bit. Call my cell if you need me. Also, top up my phone tomorrow—make it a big one. International roaming is expensive, but I’ll come back often."