Resolution 242

He reached out his hand, pressed his fingers on the red property ownership certificate, and then slowly pushed it forward, back to Old Liu.

"Old Liu, I can't take this notebook right now," Lin Fan said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Old Liu was so anxious that he was about to stand up: "How can this be..."

"Let me finish speaking first," Lin Fan interrupted him, raising his hand.

Lin Fan glanced at Xiao Yu, who was wearing a mask, and then turned to look at Lao Liu.

"Although Xiaoyu's bone marrow transplant was successful, it only meant he had passed the first hurdle. The rejection period, infection control, subsequent targeted therapy, and the monthly checkups—each of these is a bottomless pit of money."

Lin Fan pointed to the property certificate on the table.

"If you transfer this house directly to me, you'll have no tangible assets left. That 1.7 million is a life-saving fund. What if something unexpected happens during your child's recovery and the money isn't enough? What will you use to cover it up? Will you have to go out on the street begging for help again?"

Old Liu was stunned, his lips moved slightly: "But..."

"There's no 'but'," Lin Fan interrupted him.

"In that case, I can leave this property certificate at the shop and keep it for you. Consider it collateral. But I absolutely will not sign the transfer document until Xiaoyu is fully recovered and no longer needs large medical expenses."

Lin Fan also pushed those notarized documents back.

"If Xiaoyu needs money for medical treatment during this period, you can take this booklet to the bank to apply for a mortgage loan. If you encounter any difficulties, come to me anytime."

Seeing that Lao Liu still wanted to argue, Lin Fan directly shut him down.

"If you don't agree to this arrangement and insist on a clean and precise transfer of ownership now, fine, I'll close down and move out as soon as the six-month lease expires this year. I not only don't want this shop, but I also won't rent it out again. You can decide for yourself."

Having said that, it was tantamount to cutting off Lao Liu's escape route.

The hall fell silent.

The water dispenser's heating indicator light turned green and emitted a faint buzzing sound.

Old Liu fell silent.

He lived to be over fifty years old, spending most of his life scheming and haggling in the business world, and he was used to people turning their backs on him and kicking him when he was down.

But today, standing in front of this man who is more than ten years younger than him, he felt that his perspective was far too narrow.

Lin Fan wasn't doing him charity; rather, he was doing it in a manly way, preserving his dignity while leaving his son a final escape route.

After a long silence, Old Liu wiped his eyes hard.

"Okay." Old Liu's voice was completely hoarse, with a heavy nasal tone. "Boss Lin, I'll do whatever you say. You can keep this notebook. I'll do whatever you tell me to do."

Lin Fan nodded and casually put the red property certificate into the bar counter drawer.

This matter is now completely over.

Lin Fan poured out the slightly cold water from the cup, filled two more cups with hot water, and placed them on the table.

"Have you had lunch yet?" Lin Fan asked casually.

"I ate something, just grabbed a bite at a fast food restaurant downstairs from the hospital and came over."

Holding the steaming paper cup, Lao Liu gradually calmed down.

"The child just had surgery, so I guess we'll have to go to the hospital for the next six months or so, right?" Lin Fan leaned back in his chair and relaxed.

"Yes." Old Liu nodded.

"The doctor said the first three months are the most critical, and I have to go to the hospital for blood tests every week. So I rented a one-bedroom apartment in a nearby community. Once the rejection period is completely over and all the indicators are normal, I will take him with me."

"Leave Jiangcheng?" Lin Fan asked.

"Hmm." Old Liu looked at his son, who was watching the cat gathered around a cardboard box not far away. His eyes became somewhat weathered, yet they revealed a kind of clarity that came from having experienced many things.

"Boss Lin, don't laugh at me. When I was young, I was very ambitious. I always felt that since my ancestors left me this shop in the city center, I would definitely make a name for myself in Jiangcheng. Over the years, I've dealt in building materials, run a restaurant, and partnered with others to do some small business."

Old Liu gave a wry smile.

"And what was the result? He didn't make much money, spent all his time outside smiling and socializing, and didn't even have time to take care of his sick wife. He dragged her down until she died."

Old Liu reached out and gently touched Xiao Yu's bald head through his woolen hat.

"A year ago, Xiaoyu was diagnosed with this disease and urgently needed money to save his life. I took the property certificate to my former business partners, relatives and friends who used to call me brothers. Those people who usually ate and drank my food and drinks, as soon as they heard that they needed to borrow money, either did not answer the phone, or cried poor, and some even blocked me overnight."

"After experiencing Xiaoyu's serious illness, I finally understand everything."

Old Liu sighed, his tone revealing a profound understanding born from experience.

"In this life, getting rich or standing out from the crowd are all illusions."

"In this big city, no matter how tall the buildings made of reinforced concrete are, they can't warm people's hearts. When you're really in a life-or-death situation, the ones who can lend you a hand are the strangers you haven't spoken to much before."

Lin Fan listened quietly without interrupting.

He was also a father, and he understood the weight of Lao Liu's words.

"So, I'm planning to take Xiaoyu back to my hometown." Old Liu turned his head, a relaxed smile on his face.

"Hometown?" Lin Fan asked.

"Yes, my hometown is a small county town under Jiangcheng, in the countryside. Although it's a bit far from the city, it's quiet." Old Liu's eyes lit up when he talked about his hometown.

"In the early years when business was good, I bought a piece of land in my hometown and built a three-story villa with a large yard."

"After the renovation, it was left empty and I didn't live there much. A couple of days ago, I asked a relative in the village to open the windows and ventilate it. They said it was cleaned up quite well and ready to be lived in anytime."

Old Liu started gesturing, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out.

"Everyone in town knows each other. I don't care about making a lot of money. Even if I only earn a hundred or so yuan a day for vegetables, that's fine."

"I'll turn over the yard, plant some scallions and cabbages, and raise a few free-range chickens. I'll just stay here at the supermarket, watch Xiaoyu's hair slowly grow out, and watch him go to school in town with his schoolbag. This life won't have been in vain."

As Lao Liu described it, a slow-paced and heartwarming picture of rural life slowly unfolded in the air.

There's no bustling traffic like in Jiangcheng, no exorbitant prices, and no endless debts. Only the simple life of working at sunrise and resting at sunset.

"That's good." Lin Fan nodded and said sincerely.

Old Liu's pursuit is actually what Lin Fan is pursuing now.

Outsiders all thought that Lin Fan's culinary skills were superb, and that he could easily befriend top-level dignitaries like Qin Lang and Elder Ye, and that he would definitely build a catering empire in the future.

But only he himself knew that his original intention in doing all this was never for social status.