Ye Chen didn’t go home after leaving the police station; he drove to a neighborhood of single-story houses.

Since the roads inside were very narrow, Ye Chen had to park his car by the roadside and walk in by himself.

The residents here are those who can’t afford to buy a house and are waiting for demolition to happen. They’ve lived here for many years.

Even so, they hope the demolition will change their lives and fate.

Ye Chen is quite familiar with this area; even if there’s a demolition, the compensation wouldn’t be much.

These houses were originally built illegally. It’s only right to tear them down, and while there is compensation, it’s very little—far from enough to buy a new house.

Ye Chen stood in front of a small house and knocked on the door.

He came here because there was a person he was looking for, someone connected to a murder case.

The door opened, and a middle-aged man with stubble stood at the doorway. His clothes were patched, and his hair was somewhat messy.

Ever since that incident, he’s seldom gone out, staying home except when visiting his mother.

The neighbors originally assumed the man was simply lazy, but Ye Chen understood the reason behind his behavior.

"Who are you looking for?" The middle-aged man asked, sizing up Ye Chen.

"Uncle, I’m here for you, of course." Ye Chen said with a smile.

"For me? You must have the wrong person." The middle-aged man replied, looking at Ye Chen with displeasure.

The man’s memory was decent, yet he couldn’t recall ever knowing this young man in front of him.

Judging by Ye Chen’s attire, it was clear he was a wealthy person, and the middle-aged man didn’t remember having such a rich friend.

"I’m not mistaken; you’re exactly the person I’m looking for." Ye Chen said once more with a smile.

Then he asked, "Aren’t you going to invite me in to sit down? It’s not very appropriate for us to stand at the door and talk like this."

"I have to go to the hospital to see my mother. I don’t have time to chat with you, plus we don’t know each other." Saying this, the middle-aged man prepared to leave, but Ye Chen stopped him.

"Uncle, I have something to say to you. Let’s talk inside; I don’t think I’ll take much of your time." Ye Chen said as he walked into the house.

The middle-aged man wanted to stop him, but Ye Chen’s strength was too great.

He was unable to push Ye Chen out of the house, so he had no choice but to let this stranger enter.

Ye Chen walked into the room and, seeing the cramped space, felt a pang of sadness. The scene before him could only be described as poverty-stricken.

Despite the small space, it was kept very clean and tidy, showing that the middle-aged man wasn’t as sloppy as he appeared.

Upon seeing Ye Chen scanning the surroundings after entering, the middle-aged man irritably said, "What exactly do you want?"

The middle-aged man felt his pride was wounded; he once had several good friends, but they all thrived, while he was still squeezed into this tiny, dilapidated house, fueling his discontent.

He was a devoted son, wanting to change his fate with his mother, but the world kept playing tricks on him.

Years of hard work took a toll, resulting in him developing kidney failure.

Although he’d contributed greatly to the company, upon learning of his illness, rendering him unable to work, the boss heartlessly abandoned him.

Powerless and without any clout, the middle-aged man was unable to seek justice.

He had no choice but to resign and look for another job.

He once had a happy family, but when his wife saw he couldn’t earn money anymore, she left him with their child.

Since then, he’s relied on his mother, but now she’s gravely ill too, which only added to his woes.

"I don’t want anything, just to have a chat with you." Ye Chen said with a smile.

Ye Chen’s behavior infuriated the middle-aged man, who didn’t expect Ye Chen to be so audacious.

"I don’t have time to talk with you here; I have things to do, and my mother is waiting for me in the hospital." The middle-aged man unhappily said, staring at the arrogant young man.

Perhaps understanding the man’s thoughts, Ye Chen smiled and said, "I assure our conversation will help you, and your time won’t be wasted."

The middle-aged man ignored Ye Chen, thinking that since Ye Chen refused to leave and he had nothing worth stealing, he would leave instead; after all, Ye Chen, being wealthy, wouldn’t care for anything here.

Seeing the middle-aged man about to leave, Ye Chen abandoned pretense and directly said, "I know your mother is gravely ill, and it’s not easy to treat this illness."

Ye Chen’s words didn’t pique the man’s interest; he continued heading towards the door.

"However, I can help you and make your mother well again." Ye Chen said slowly to the man’s back.

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man’s steps halted, and he turned to Ye Chen, asking, "Are you serious?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Why would I lie to you? Besides, I’m busy; I don’t have the time to waste here." Ye Chen said with a blank look at the man.

The middle-aged man was a dutiful son; when the doctor informed him of his mother’s condition, he felt as if the sky was falling.

In the past, the middle-aged man had money, but spent most of it on his mother’s treatment, which was one reason his wife left.

Remembering how his father died early, and his mother raised him alone, he couldn’t abandon her. Now was the time to repay her for her upbringing.

Though his situation wouldn’t have been so dire otherwise, these years, his savings went into treating his mother, forcing him and her to squeeze into this small house.

If not for his mother, he wouldn’t be living so miserably, yet he still chose this path.

Ye Chen knew this, hence he came to seek out the middle-aged man personally.

"But why would you help me? We don’t know each other. I don’t believe good fortune falls from the sky, and even if it does, it wouldn’t land on me." The middle-aged man skeptically asked Ye Chen.

He couldn’t understand why this stranger came to his home and offered to help his mother.

"It’s normal you don’t know me; this is our first meeting. Even so, I’m genuinely willing to help. I admire your dedication in running around for your mother’s illness without abandoning her, which deeply moves me." Ye Chen said with a smile.

"Just because of this?" The man asked skeptically, his eyes full of doubt.

"Of course, there’s a condition to my help." Ye Chen said with a mischievous grin.