Reaching the age of thirty, my income randomly doubled

Chapter 730: Chapter 538: Stir-fried Egg Fried Rice

In the blink of an eye, a few more days passed.

Chen Pingsheng took a private jet with Chang Fu and Yang Qian and traveled to Guangzhou together.

Ever since Xiao Danchun divorced Gao Hu, she had been living in the house he once gifted her, along with her parents and their two-year-old child.

Because the house was a gift from him, no matter how much debt Gao Hu owed, no one attempted to come after her for repayment.

Gao Hu had disappeared for quite some time, and Chang Fu couldn’t figure out why Chen Pingsheng had brought him to Guangzhou.

To make matters worse, they arrived at the neighborhood where Xiao Danchun lived.

This house, with its four bedrooms and two living rooms layout, was purchased by him for thirty million back then as a wedding gift for Xiao Danchun.

It was located in the city center, the busiest area of Guangzhou.

Not far from the neighborhood was a street lined with night food stalls—not exactly a proper food street, just a gathering of small vendors forming a lively scene.

Residents of the neighborhood often passed by this area while taking evening strolls, with neon lights illuminating the night.

By eight o’clock in the evening, the small vendors would start wheeling out their carts.

In the crowd, there was a man wearing a baseball cap, looking weathered and forlorn.

Perhaps no one could have imagined that he was once the president of a publicly-listed corporation.

From a life full of infinite glory, he now stood there, quietly frying egg fried rice.

For him, this street might have been his choice after losing all his fortune, simply because he remembered he had a child and a wife who once loved him, living nearby.

Back then, he didn’t treasure what he had.

Now that it was gone, what remained was boundless regret.

Without a doubt, Gao Hu was not a suitable father; he had failed miserably.

His only wish at this point wasn’t to stage a comeback—he knew that was impossible.

All he hoped for was to stay nearby, occasionally catching glimpses of his child growing up day by day.

Amidst the crowd, Xiao Danchun would take her child out for walks daily.

Partly to avoid cabin fever in the apartment, and partly because young children are naturally energetic.

If she didn’t take him out, he would cry easily.

Gao Hu didn’t have the face to acknowledge her, nor did he want Xiao Danchun to see his current pathetic state.

Chen Pingsheng and Chang Fu sat in the Rolls-Royce Phantom, the car window open, both watching the man skillfully flipping the wok full of fried rice.

There was a time when they were brothers growing up together.

Fighting side by side, playing recklessly, and later going to the Capital City to start their business together.

Now, they were still respectable bosses, while Gao Hu, who once owned several successful hot pot restaurants, had become the owner of an egg fried rice stall.

If time could turn back, Chen Pingsheng believed he wouldn’t have started that ridiculous college “bride selection” group within Tengying Entertainment.

Of course, he also wouldn’t have stayed completely clean.

The hardest thing for people to change is always their nature.

Chang Fu couldn’t bear to keep looking, “How could this guy reduce himself to such a state?”

“He had billions, enough to live comfortably for a lifetime, as long as he didn’t mess around too much.”

“Back in Tengying Group, Gao Hu and I were practically on par.”

“Who would’ve thought he’d end up selling egg fried rice on the street?”

Simply calling it the whims of fate would be understating it.

“He can’t even take a train or plane now, let alone go out in public—what else can he do?”

Yang Qian sighed deeply. “That’s exactly what Xiao Danchun doesn’t know. If she did, would she still stay with Gao Hu?”

“If she did, she’d have to shoulder all that debt together—she’s probably the person Gao Hu hurt the most.”

“I’m feeling a bit hungry; let’s go down and have some fried rice together!”

Chen Pingsheng pushed open the car door. Chang Fu thought he wouldn’t approach Gao Hu, but to his surprise, he went directly over.

After years apart, their reunion spoke of life’s burdens.

Perhaps Gao Hu himself hadn’t expected to meet him under such circumstances.

The two didn’t say anything. Chen Pingsheng grabbed a small stool and sat down. The usual clientele here were young people.

Mostly working-class folks without much money, some bringing their girlfriends, and most grabbing a quick bite before leaving.

If you’re eating street food, you don’t worry about food safety; filling your stomach is enough.

A small table, enough to just about seat the three of them.

Chen Pingsheng said, “Boss, three bowls of egg fried rice.”

“Yeah, give me an extra egg,” Chang Fu grabbed some disposable chopsticks and handed them to Yang Qian and Chen Pingsheng.

Gao Hu was on the verge of tears, but he said nothing. After frying rice, Chang Fu grabbed his hand and had him sit down for a drink.

Perhaps the next time they met, the child would already have grown up.

It was a toast to their shared past as brothers.

And another toast to the camaraderie that faded as life goes on.

Gao Hu sat down, a handful of peanuts, three bottles of beer, and plates of fried rice.

They ate quietly before leaving.

Neither asked how Gao Hu was doing now, nor if he regretted anything.

Sometimes, everything is left unspoken.

Gao Hu put his baseball cap back on, then pulled out a mask to wear.

A plump little child came over and asked, “Uncle boss, why are you crying?”

“My mom says your fried rice is really delicious, just like my dad’s. Do you know my dad?”

Beneath the night sky, Xiao Danchun may have recognized him, but she didn’t dare acknowledge him.

Much less tell her son that this was his amazing, incredible dad.

Gao Hu wouldn’t dare acknowledge either, frying rice as tears dropped onto the rice balls.

The Rolls-Royce slowly drove away, sparking faint murmurs of surprise among the crowd.

The distance between the car and the man was only a few meters, but the gulf in their realities was like an unbridgeable chasm.

In the past, such gaps could perhaps have been closed with effort; now, even his best effort would only land him a decent job as someone else’s employee.

Chen Pingsheng always stayed at Baiyun Villa when in Guangzhou, a particularly large estate he seldom visited.

Usually, it was occupied by the housekeepers.

Sometimes they’d bring their kids along for a few days; as long as it wasn’t excessive, Chen Pingsheng typically wouldn’t say anything.

Only when he showed up did the place return to silence.

By the time the sun rose again the next day, he still planned to visit his secretary Zhang Wanyi.

Teng You Media had become the leading player in the influencer industry, with an astonishingly vast impact.

To be blunt, if this happened to an ordinary person, they’d probably get dragged out for routine “chats” every few days.

The influencer world remained a chaotic space, primarily because many of the people in the industry lacked decent character.

Not all of them, of course, but a significant portion.

Scandals surfaced from influencers every single day, as if their presence anywhere was just a showcase of their disgraceful behavior.

Even though Zhang Wanyi spent tens of billions to acquire the former Tengying Entertainment Art Academy, rigorously training and managing those influencers, it made no difference.

At some point, the term “influencer” had become an undisputed derogatory label.

Whenever outsiders mentioned it, they’d shake their heads disapprovingly.