Chapter 6: The Dust Settled, and He Took His Whole Family to Buy a Bigger House

Time flew. Two weeks later, Victor Zimmerman received his sentence. He was convicted of Crime of Occupational Embezzlement involving a huge sum and sentenced to eight years of fixed-term imprisonment. As an accomplice and direct participant, Leo Zimmerman received five years of fixed-term imprisonment. The news reached the tube building family compound around six in the evening, right when every household was preparing dinner. The entire building filled with cooking smoke and gossip. "Eight years! Victor Zimmerman got eight years!" "Serves him right! That bastard made how much dirty money at the factory over the past two years? His punishment finally caught up with him!" "His son, Leo Zimmerman, went in too? The whole family got hauled away together…" "I told you, that Lyson boy was no ordinary person. You saw him driving back in that Audi that day, with boxes full of cash. Tsk, tsk. He's made something of himself now. He's not the same as before." "Exactly. That old bastard Victor Zimmerman finally got what was coming to him. Serves him right!" River Lyson stood by the second-floor corridor window, listening to the uproar below. The corner of his mouth lifted faintly. Eight years. In his previous life, Victor Zimmerman had taken everything and walked away without losing a hair. In this life, he would pay back everything he owed. River turned, went back into the apartment, and shut the window, cutting off the noise outside. The day after the Zimmerman family's downfall, May Lapwood came. River had just gone downstairs to drive out when he spotted her standing beneath the Chinese parasol tree by the building entrance. She had lost a great deal of weight. Her makeup was hastily applied, leaving dark circles beneath her eyes, and her hair was tied into a careless ponytail. The floral dress she wore was the same one River had bought her the previous year with his overtime pay. "River." She called out to him in a soft, hoarse voice, as though she had scraped the words raw in her throat before forcing them out. "I know you hate me. But… Leo's been taken away, and his mother kicked me out of their house. I don't even have a place to stay anymore. Could you…" "Could I what?" River opened the car door without even turning around. May bit her lip. Her eyes reddened at once. She took two steps toward him, her voice beginning to tremble. "River, I was wrong. I really know that now. I was blind back then. I shouldn't have gotten involved with Leo… If you're still willing to give me another chance, I'll do anything you say. I'll take care of your parents. I-" "May Lapwood." River finally turned around. He looked at her calmly, with the faintest hint of a smile on his lips. That smile was colder than no smile at all. "Before you came to find me, did you ever consider one thing?" May froze. "The Zimmerman case is still under investigation. Victor and Leo are behind bars, and every person who handled that money will be scrutinized one by one." He paused. His voice remained quiet, as though he were discussing something that had nothing to do with him. "Your name appears on several transfer records. I was the one who gave testimony against you. No need to thank me." The color vanished from May's face. It did not fade gradually. Every trace of blood drained away in an instant. River did not spare her another glance. He bent down, slid into the driver's seat, and pulled the door shut. The engine roared to life. The black Audi A6 drove past May, stirring up a gust of wind that scattered the loose strands of hair across her forehead. She remained rooted to the spot. That evening, the little apartment belonging to the Lyson family felt unusually bright for once. The lightbulb had not changed. It was still the same fifteen-watt incandescent bulb, with a gecko clinging motionlessly beside the lampshade. What had changed was the color in everyone's faces. Mrs. Lyson had cooked four dishes and even gone to the end of the alley to buy half a soy-braised chicken. In the past, such a meal had been reserved for the New Year. When she finished arranging the food, she did not even untie her apron. She stood in the kitchen doorway, gazing at the table. Then she suddenly smiled. The smile lingered until her eyes grew red. "All right, all right. Let's eat," Mason Lyson said, clearing his throat. He pretended not to notice his partner wiping away her tears, picked up his enamel cup, and took a sip of liquor. His Adam's apple bobbed twice, but he still could not find the words to say. Renee Lyson sat across from River, eating small mouthfuls of rice. The little girl wore a school uniform washed nearly white. She had trimmed the loose threads around the collar with scissors, and every cut was neat. At the corner of the table lay a battered copy of Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Mock Exams. Several pages of handwritten notes were tucked between its worn covers. River picked up a chicken leg and placed it in his sister's bowl. "Eat this. You've gotten too skinny." Renee pressed her lips together in a smile, then lowered her head and gnawed at the chicken leg. Her cheeks bulged like a little hamster's. "Big Brother, I'm entering the final sprint next week. My homeroom teacher said that with my current grades, a first-tier university should be a sure thing as long as I perform normally." "Then don't perform normally." River poured himself a glass of beer and smiled. "Outperform yourself." Renee laughed so hard she nearly choked. Mason hesitated, then set down his chopsticks and looked at his son. "River, about the machinery factory… What are you planning to do next? Victor may have gone to prison, but someone still has to decide what happens to the equipment and the property." That was the sort of thing the head of the family had to worry about. River took a sip of beer and leaned back in his chair. "Dad, there's no need to rush the factory." The timeline in his head was crystal clear. In his previous life, the large-scale demolition in the River City Economic Development Zone had begun in late June that year. The thirty-mu plot belonging to No. 3 Machinery Factory, roughly five acres, sat directly inside the designated development boundary. Under the compensation standards of the time, the land and above-ground structures alone would conservatively be worth more than $5 million. In his previous life, Victor Zimmerman had pocketed all of it. This time, not one cent would end up in an outsider's hands. But he could not mention any of that yet. The demolition plans had not been made public. If he revealed the news ahead of time, people would either think he was insane or complications would arise. "The factory has been shut down and sealed. The equipment and property are all still there, and no one can touch them." River's tone remained steady. "For the moment, there are only two things that matter. Renee's College Entrance Examination, and finding our family a better place to live." Mason blinked. "Find… a new place to live?" "Dad, take a look at this apartment." River raised a hand toward the ceiling. A crack stretched from the corner of the wall all the way to the lightbulb. Whenever the upstairs neighbor took a heavy step, dust sifted down from above. "Barely thirty square meters for four people. Renee doesn't even have a quiet place to do her homework." Mrs. Lyson instinctively added, "But… how much would a house cost?" "Mom, don't worry about the money." River spoke calmly, but his tone carried such firm certainty that no one could argue with him. He had already chosen the place. Emerald Garden. It was one of the first commercial housing complexes in downtown River City, with its market open in 2001. The developer was Prosperity Group, the largest local real estate company. Its average price was between $180 and $220 per square meter. That was practically a bargain twenty years later, but in River City in 2000, the price placed it firmly in the upper-middle-class range. Ordinary working families did not even dare dream about it. River knew exactly how much those homes would be worth in the future. Properties bought in 2000 would quadruple in ten years and increase fifteenfold in twenty. Only an idiot would pass up that opportunity. "All right, Mom, Dad." River settled the matter with a decisive tone. "Renee's off school on Sunday. We'll all go take a look." Sunday arrived. Early June in River City was hot enough to scorch a person's throat. River drove the car downstairs first thing in the morning. Mrs. Lyson had changed into a blue polyester shirt patterned with little flowers. It was a new style, one River had insisted on buying for her recently. Mason rarely dressed up, but that day he wore a white shirt. The cuffs were a little tight, and it took two hard tugs before he managed to button them. Renee came downstairs last. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, and she wore a pair of new white sneakers River had bought for her. The family of four climbed into the car. When River turned on the air conditioner and cool air rushed through the cabin, Mrs. Lyson let out a startled "Oh!" She waved her hand in front of the vents, her expression caught between wonder and embarrassment. "This car has air-conditioning too? We're really living well…" Renee sat in the back seat and secretly touched the leather upholstery, tracing one finger along the stitching. Her eyes sparkled, though she said nothing. Mason sat in the front passenger seat with his back ramrod straight, staring ahead without a word. River noticed that the old man kept tapping his hands lightly against his knees. It was an irrepressible rhythm, filled with barely restrained excitement. The Audi A6 passed through the narrow lanes of the old city district before merging onto the newly built River City Avenue. The Chinese parasol trees lining both sides of the road were at their lushest. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering mottled patches of brightness across the windshield. Twenty minutes later, the car stopped in front of a building hung with an enormous billboard. "Emerald Garden-River City's Premier Cultural Residence." The golden lettering gleamed beneath the sunlight. Two rows of flowers stood outside the sales office. A red carpet stretched from the steps all the way through the glass doors, while two young women in professional attire stood at the entrance with smiles polished enough to have been cut from a magazine. Mrs. Lyson glanced through the window at the impressive display and instinctively shrank into her seat. "Do you think they'll even let us in?" River switched off the engine, pulled out the key, and smiled. "Mom, we didn't come here to chat. We came here to spend money." He pushed open the door, then glanced back at Renee. The little girl was staring through the window at the scale model outside the sales office. Tiny buildings, gardens, and fountains reflected in her eyes, making them shine brilliantly. The corners of River's mouth curved upward. The family of four stepped out of the black Audi and walked toward the glass doors of the sales office. The midday sun stretched their shadows long across the brand-new red carpet. The receptionists swept their eyes over the family's clothes, and their professional smiles faltered for a moment. A flicker of hesitation crossed their eyes. Then their gazes landed on the glossy black Audi A6 in the parking lot. Their smiles instantly became warmer. "Hello, welcome to Emerald Garden! Is this your first time visiting to learn about the development?" River slipped one hand into his trouser pocket, his gaze settling on the enormous property model in the center of the lobby. "You don't need to give me the full sales pitch." He lifted his chin slightly. "Take me straight to your largest floor plan."