Unconventional Center

Chapter 27: Leave a Way Out

Nirvana Media was now on the right track, and Xiao Luo had shifted his focus entirely to Valencia. He was currently in his office discussing matters with Chen Ping when his cell phone on the desk suddenly rang. Xiao Luo picked it up, took a look, and smiled at Chen Ping, saying, “It’s Chu Yang. I guess Li Jia mentioned the soccer show to him.” Chen Ping chuckled as well. “That kid’s pretty eager. Looks like he’s still quite concerned about his reputation back home.” “Chu Yang?” Xiao Luo answered the call. “Xiao Dong, are you busy?” Chu Yang’s voice was incredibly enthusiastic. “Not too bad. Is there something you need?” Xiao Luo decided to keep Chu Yang in suspense for a moment. “There’s something I’d like to ask you,” Chu Yangdao said. “I heard from Manager Li that you keep quite a few fine specimens at home.” “Huh?” Xiao Luo was a bit taken aback. “Oh, right, right. A friend overseas helped me get them. What’s up?” “Well, you see, I’m actually quite a compassionate person—I absolutely love animals and all that. Do you think you could help me get a few of them too?” No sooner had Chu Yang finished speaking than Li Jia, sitting across from him, shot him a withering glare. To be honest, there weren’t many people in the entire company who dared to speak to Xiao Luo so informally—Chu Yang was surprisingly bold, all things considered. “You like them too?” Xiao Luo’s voice betrayed a sense of joy at finding a kindred spirit. “Of course. What man doesn’t?” “That’s easy to arrange. These creatures are hard to come by domestically, but it’s a breeze overseas.” “That’s exactly what I was waiting to hear,” Chu Yang said, almost slapping his thigh in excitement. “So, see if you can get me a white tiger first? I’ve wanted to keep one for a long time.” “Whoa, that’s a pretty unique hobby you’ve got there.” Xiao Luo was a seasoned veteran—he was quick to take things to the next level at the drop of a hat. “Not at all—I’m nowhere near as eccentric as you.” “I can get one for you, but… this might sound a bit harsh—we’re all friends here, so I’ll be blunt,” Xiao Luo paused for a moment. “Setting aside whether you can afford to buy one, even if you did, could you actually take care of it?” “Huh?” Chu Yangdao. “Xiao Dong, you’re underestimating me a bit. I can afford to support a person—let alone a cat? Even if it is a bit on the large side.” “Is that so? That’s good,” Xiao Luo’s smile grew even brighter. “As for raising a tiger, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have a big estate or a mansion—a small courtyard will do. As for food, it doesn’t have to be top-notch. When it’s young, a little milk will do for now. It’ll be a bit more trouble once it grows up, but a few dozen jin of beef per meal should cover it. You’ll also need to hire a dedicated caretaker, but that won’t cost much either. I can help you handle the paperwork and such—you can even bring it back to China, though it’s a bit of a hassle. Also… Hey? Chu Yang, are you listening?” Chu Yang had long since been completely flabbergasted by mentions of a “small courtyard” and “tens of jin of beef per meal.” It took him a while before he finally said, “Oh, I get it, I get it. Thanks, Xiao Dong. I’ve been thinking about it—I’m still young and can’t even take care of myself yet, so I’d rather not get a pet for now.” “Come on, it’s rare to find someone who shares my hobby. Just get a few—that way we can exchange tips later.” Ignoring Li Jia’s disapproving glare, Chu Yang said, “No, no, thanks. I’m not really that into animals anyway. Let’s just talk about it another time. That’s all for now, Xiao Dong. Sorry to bother you. Bye.” “Oh, okay, we’ll talk about it later then. By the way, about that show… Huh? Did you hang up?” Chu Yang hung up the phone in frustration and looked at Li Jiadao. “If you want to laugh, just laugh. Why hold back?” “Hahahaha!” Li Jia burst into uncontrollable laughter, completely losing all composure. After a long moment, she slapped the table and said, “Now you know, don’t you? You’re still too young. Do you really think you can play the games of the super-rich?” “This can’t go on any longer,” Chu Yang said as he stood up. “I’ve got to work hard to make money—buy a villa, get a big cat… Hmm, I’ve heard that pet shipping is a real hassle, and it’ll be tough to bring them back to the country later, so I’ll need to buy a private jet too. Wow, all of a sudden, life feels so full of motivation.” Li Jia stared in disbelief at the immature teenager standing before her, unable to reconcile him with the radiant young man she’d seen on the basketball court. “This is the first time I’ve seen someone whose life is driven by the desire to keep a tiger. Chu Yang, you’re something else.” “It was just okay,” Chu Yang said, waving his hand. “Sister Li, you’re busy—I’m going to head out now.” “Mm-hmm, okay. Take care, and come by often when you have time.” Chu Yu was playing a video game at home when she looked up and saw Chu Yang walk in looking glum, then sit down beside her, seemingly lost in thought. “Ayang, what’s wrong? Did you just get dumped?” “Me, heartbroken?” “Oh, right. To have a broken heart, you’d need a girlfriend first—and you don’t even have one,” Chu Yu said. “So, are you running a fever?” As she spoke, she reached out to feel Chu Yang’s forehead and said, puzzled, “You don’t feel hot.” Chu Yang shot her a sidelong glance, and Chu Yu could easily read the message “Don’t bother me” in his eyes. Seeing how serious he looked, Chu Yu adopted a serious tone herself: “What’s really going on? Tell me so your big sister can offer some advice.” Chu Yang had no choice but to tell her the truth. Chu Yu looked at him strangely and said, “So what you’re saying is, you’re going to work hard to make money, buy a villa, and keep tigers and lions as pets?” “Right.” After seeing photos of Xiao Luo’s three pets, Chu Yang instantly felt that Golden Retrievers, Su Mu, and Er Ha were all totally lame in comparison. “Ayang,” Chu Yu said earnestly, “I’m not doubting your ability to make money, but… how should I put this? Do you still remember what happened when you were five?” “So many things happened when I was five—which one are you talking about?” Besides, I’ve actually been through two “five-year-old” phases. “When you were five, you had two parrots—remember? They died. When you were six, you had a turtle—it died too. I mean, even managing to kill a turtle—you’re quite the pro. When you were seven, I remember you brought a cat home from Jiang Xuan’s house, right? Hmm, the poor little thing hung on for three months before running away—it still hasn’t come back; when you were eight, you kept two fish—I don’t even know what kind—and they didn’t survive either. You insisted on cremating them, but halfway through, you suddenly thought it smelled pretty good, and then… well, the smell wasn’t half bad; when you were nine…” “Stop, stop, stop.” Chu Yang quickly threw in the towel. As fellow time travelers, others were already starting Companies and chasing girls by the time they were eight—why am I still doing such childish things? That just doesn’t make sense. “So,” Chu Yu patted Chu Yang on the shoulder, “let the tiger off the hook. It’s not that big of a grudge. Give him a way out, okay?” “What do you mean, ‘give him a way out’? Who’s been messing with you?” Mei Yun, carrying a plate of fruit she’d just washed in the kitchen, had just walked into the living room when she heard Chu Yu talking about “deep grudges” and “a way out,” so she quickly asked. Chu Yang quickly beat Chu Yu to the punch and said, “It’s nothing. I just figured that since neither my sister nor I can be home with you, and Dad’s such a quiet, reserved guy, you must be really bored at home all by yourself. I’ll probably be living here full-time from now on, so I was thinking of buying a bigger house. That way, when you retire…” Mei Yun nodded approvingly, thinking she hadn’t raised this son in vain—he did have a filial heart after all. But when she saw Chu Yu struggling so hard to hold back a laugh, she sensed something was off and couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Get to the point.” “So… ha ha… so Ayang thought we could get a few pets to keep you busy…” Chu Yu was out of breath as he turned to look at Chu Yang. “That’s what you meant, right? Hehehe.” Chu Xiaoyang, oh Chu Xiaoyang, you’ve finally met your match. Where’s your IQ? Haha, that’s hilarious. “Pets? Sure, why not. I can even take care of you guys—what’s one pet, anyway?” Chu Yangdao said, “Hehe, you’re absolutely right. Mom’s the best.” “Wait a minute,” Mei Yun cast a suspicious glance at the siblings, finally fixing her gaze on Chu Yang. “What do you want to keep?” “Um, a tiger.” Though it was just three words, Chu Yang’s voice dropped from high to low, filled with inner conflict, suspense, and a hint of trepidation and unease. “What?” Chu Yu chimed in, “He wants to keep a tiger. If possible, he’d also like a lion—and ideally a leopard too.” Mei Yun turned her head, looked around, picked up a throw pillow from the sofa, and hurled it straight at Chu Yang. “I’ll beat you to death, you unfilial son!”