Chapter Forty-One: Online Homeland

Chapter 56: Online Homeland

Hearing Fu Xinxin's voice, Zhuo Nan finally snapped out of his thoughts. "Ah, school's over. Haha, it's nothing, just some scribbles. Let's go home." As he spoke, he stuffed the papers into his backpack.

Fu Xinxin looked at him doubtfully but said nothing, quietly following Zhuo Nan out of the classroom. In her view, some things were better left unasked. If Zhuo Nan wanted to tell her, he would; if not, asking might only lead to unpleasantness. One had to admit, Fu Xinxin was a clever girl. Even at her young age, she understood these subtleties.

In fact, it was her mother who had taught her this wisdom. Her father was often away on business, hardly spending the night at home, while her mother, injured at work and now bedridden, always maintained a serene clarity. She never exposed the unspoken truths, and to outsiders, the family still appeared harmonious. Fu Xinxin would often ask, "Mom, why don't you ask Dad why he doesn't come home?" But her mother would reply, "Silly girl, if your father wants to talk, we'll listen. If he doesn't, asking will only upset him. Rather than making him unhappy, it's better we ask nothing. This way, the family stays content, doesn't it?"

Over time, Fu Xinxin adopted her mother's perspective. If Zhuo Nan wanted to speak, she'd listen; if not, she'd let it be.

After arranging to meet at their usual spot at noon, the two parted ways. When Zhuo Nan reached home, he heard laughter coming from inside. He was surprised—there seemed to be guests, perhaps his father's colleagues. But upon opening the door, he saw someone both expected and unexpected.

Du Fanhao, that sly fellow, was sitting at the table chatting merrily with Zhuo Wengang, while Sun Yan was helping Wang Liru in the kitchen.

As soon as Du Fanhao saw Zhuo Nan, he jumped to his feet. "Nan—Zhuo Nan..." He had almost called him "Brother Nan," but a look from Zhuo Nan made him hastily correct himself.

Sun Yan heard Du Fanhao's greeting and hurried out of the kitchen, still wearing her apron. "Zhuo Nan..."

Zhuo Nan smiled politely. "Brother Du, you're out already. The case was resolved quickly."

Du Fanhao replied at once, "Yes, Zhang Xinhong was arrested. The police investigated and found out I was framed, so I was released. Zhuo Nan, I really have to thank you for this."

"You're too polite, Brother Du. In fact, I should be thanking you. If it weren't for your money, I wouldn't have gotten out either," Zhuo Nan said.

At this, Zhuo Wengang spoke up, "Du, Zhuo Nan is right. We owe you thanks for that hundred thousand yuan. We'll pay you back in a while."

Du Fanhao nearly panicked at these words. "Uncle, that money was... for Zhuo Nan. You don't need to repay it, really." He nearly blurted out "a gift for Brother Nan," but caught himself in time.

"How could we not repay it? A hundred thousand yuan isn't easily earned. We must pay it back," Zhuo Wengang insisted righteously.

Wang Liru came out of the kitchen, embarrassed. "Du, we really must pay you back, but you'll have to wait a bit longer."

Du Fanhao and Sun Yan were both at a loss. Ordinarily, having someone pay back a debt would be a good thing—after all, nowadays, debtors are like royalty. But they couldn't accept repayment. First, Du Fanhao owed his life to Zhuo Nan, then his exoneration. The favor was immense; giving Zhuo Nan a hundred thousand was nothing in comparison. How could he possibly accept repayment?

Catching Du Fanhao's pleading look, Zhuo Nan interjected, "Mom, Dad, leave the money issue alone. I promised Brother Du that I'll work for him after I graduate from college, and he can deduct it from my salary then." He had thought long and hard and found this the only reasonable excuse.

Du Fanhao and Sun Yan exchanged glances, thinking, "Brother Nan is truly clever—even such a dubious excuse works."

"How can we do that? It'll be years before you graduate..." Zhuo Wengang shook his head.

"Uncle, I'm in no rush. Zhuo Nan and I agreed—he'll work for me and pay it back from his wages. Please, don't worry about the money," Du Fanhao quickly chimed in.

"That's right, Dad, just leave it," Zhuo Nan added.

Wang Liru stepped in at the right moment. "Wengang, since Nan has said so, let's respect his wishes. If he can't pay it back, we'll repay it ourselves. Du isn't afraid of us running off, after all."

"Yes, yes, Uncle, don't worry," Sun Yan echoed.

"Alright, Dad, let's eat. I'm starving," Zhuo Nan said, reminding Wang Liru, who suddenly remembered the food on the stove.

"Oh no, the food's burning!" she cried, dashing back to the kitchen as the family burst into laughter at her flustered state.

After lunch, Sun Yan chatted with Wang Liru in the living room, Zhuo Wengang took a nap before his night shift, Zhuo Lanlan dutifully washed dishes in the kitchen, and Zhuo Nan spoke privately with Du Fanhao in his room.

"Brother Nan, I really have to thank you this time. If not for you, I'd be dead by now—or if not dead, facing decades in prison," Du Fanhao said sincerely. He wouldn't have come straight to Zhuo Nan's home otherwise.

"No need for thanks, Brother Du. As I said, we're brothers. I'll always help when I can," Zhuo Nan replied with a smile.

"Brother Nan, I won't say empty words. If you ever need anything from me, just ask," Du Fanhao pledged. That was exactly what Zhuo Nan wanted. He never expected Du Fanhao to become his subordinate like Long Kun had—after all, Du wasn't from that world.

"Brother Du, how about a business opportunity? Are you interested?" Zhuo Nan tilted his head, asking.

"Brother Nan, what do you mean?" Du Fanhao was unsure what Zhuo Nan had in mind.

Zhuo Nan pulled out the papers from his bag—five or six pages—and handed them over. "Take a look first, then we'll talk."

At first, Du Fanhao was indifferent, but as he read on, his expression grew more and more astonished. Genius—absolute genius. He was an IT man, and everything Zhuo Nan had written made perfect sense to him. He could also see the business potential. If this program was successfully launched, it would mark a revolutionary step for the internet. His hands trembled as he held the papers. "Brother Nan, you wrote all this?"

Zhuo Nan smiled slightly and replied firmly, "Yes, I did. The twenty-first century is the age of internet technology. Whether we can seize a place in this wave depends entirely on this."

"Brother Nan, aren't you afraid I'll..." Du Fanhao ventured a cautious question.

Zhuo Nan's lips curled into a subtle smile, then his expression turned cold. "This is just an initial proposal. The real source code is still in my head." He tapped his temple. "But... I trust your character, Brother Du. You wouldn't betray the one who saved your life for a bit of petty profit, would you?"

Du Fanhao scratched his head awkwardly. Zhuo Nan's words couldn't have been clearer: if Du Fanhao was loyal, there would be endless opportunities to make money in the future. If not, he would face more than just prison—Zhuo Nan had the power to save his life, and the ability to take it back.

One hand held candy, the other poison. It was up to him to choose.

"Brother Nan, I'll do whatever you say. I'll follow your lead in everything," Du Fanhao finally declared his loyalty, having understood everything.

"Good." Zhuo Nan clapped his hands. "We'll set up a new company—let's call it Longhua Network Technology Corporation. I'll be chairman, you'll be general manager. How about you take forty percent of the shares?"

Du Fanhao was stunned. Forty percent—more than enough. The value of this project was limitless. In a few years, that forty percent could be worth hundreds of millions, even billions. In that instant, Du Fanhao realized that this young man before him was someone he could never hope to match. If he served faithfully, fame and fortune would soon follow.

"Brother Nan, isn't forty percent too much for me? According to industry norms, thirty percent is plenty..." Du Fanhao replied, thinking it best to keep a low profile for now.

"Brother Du, not all forty percent is yours—thirty percent for you, ten for Sun Yan," Zhuo Nan explained with a smile.

Did it make any difference? Du Fanhao thought, but since Zhuo Nan insisted, it wasn't to his disadvantage anyway.

"Brother Nan, can the new company use my old team? Just change the name," Du Fanhao suggested.

"That's what I was thinking. We need to launch this project quickly. As for development funding, figure out what it'll cost, and I'll see what I can do," Zhuo Nan said seriously.

Du Fanhao smiled. "Brother Nan, if the source code is ready, development won't cost much—most of the expense is in later testing and marketing."

Zhuo Nan considered this. "Start on it soon. Once the project is set up, I'll give you the source code. Get professionals to refine it, and aim to have the project outlined within three months. In three months, I'll provide funds, and by the end of the year, we launch."

"Alright, Brother Nan. But the funding required won't be small..." Du Fanhao expressed his concern.

"Don't worry about the money." Seeing Zhuo Nan's confidence, Du Fanhao understood—Brother Nan never fought battles unprepared. Besides, at just fifteen, he'd already developed such a product—a true genius. And when a genius acts, how could ordinary people hope to guess his next move? All he needed to do was follow orders.