Unshakable Bonds

"No way, I have to call your brother and ask."

To facilitate communication with Bruce, who is far away in the United States, Xu Zhendi's phone is equipped with an international long-distance card—of course, it was Lee Xinyi who helped her set it up, as she couldn't manage it herself. To save on call costs, Xu Zhendi usually calls once a week, but now, in her anxiety, she certainly couldn't wait.

There's a 16-hour time difference between Shanghai and Los Angeles. When Bruce received Xu Zhendi's transoceanic call, he was in his Beverly Hills mansion, enduring Cai Chengping's nagging. This lethargic fellow had been pestering him to throw a party to celebrate Bruce's housewarming, and today, he finally succeeded, arriving early at Bruce's house, evidently quite excited.

With a wave of his hand to signal that he had a call, Bruce managed to momentarily escape the bothersome chap and walked to the balcony on the second floor to answer the phone.

"Son, son, I saw a piece of news in the paper, is it about you? It says you made a billion, in U.S. dollars?" Xu Zhendi's voice, shaky with excitement, came through the phone, a bit disjointed.

"Mom, don't get too excited, let me explain everything slowly," Bruce responded, genuinely worried she might faint in her agitation. He tried to sound calm as he made the situation seem more reasonable, wasting a good half-hour in the process, but finally, Xu Zhendi got the gist of it.

"I was thinking of waiting until everything was nearly settled, and I'd sorted things out myself, then I'd come back and tell you in person, as things over the phone can be unclear. Plus, you know, in China, people say 'don't flaunt your wealth.' It's better to be safe. Not many people know me abroad, and everything here is by the book, so there's no danger. But it's different back home in China; we should keep a low profile. Let's wait till I've arranged everything and then come back, what do you think?"

Despite showing great respect for her opinion, it was really just to placate her; even if she disagreed, Bruce had other excuses ready. Throughout the conversation, his tone remained as even as any ordinary call, discussing all the trivial family matters and considerations in detail.

Influenced by his calm, Xu Zhendi's emotions gradually settled. Being a typical lower-class Shanghainese, she was always only aware of her small world. After much repetition, the core message was that he didn't tell her immediately for their own good, and he would explain everything once he returned.

"Son, oh son, to think such a big thing happened and you didn't even tell your mom." Xu Zhendi complained, yet inside, she felt that her son made a lot of sense. If others knew how wealthy her son was, it could invite trouble, and it would be terrible if someone got bold enough to kidnap a family member. It really was better to keep things quiet for now, waiting for her son's return to arrange everything.

"I'm currently busy setting up the new company. Don't worry about me, just take care of yourselves. Spend what you need to spend, and I'll transfer some money to your account soon." Bruce's voice sounded no different over the phone, even more sensible than before, comforting and warming as he reassured Xu Zhendi.

"When will you be coming back?" Her son seemed even more mature than before; indeed, studying abroad really makes a difference. It had been almost a year since Xu Zhendi last saw her son, and she missed him dearly.

"Maybe around the New Year, I'll come back then. Let me know what gifts you want, and I'll bring them for you," Bruce said with a light smile.

"What do we need gifts for, it's a waste of money, you're starting a new company and need every penny. Don't hang up yet; your sister wants to talk to you." Despite her overwhelming joy, Xu Zhendi still demurred, handing the phone to Lee Xinyi, who had been eagerly jumping around in anticipation.

"Bro, are you really a billionaire now?" Lee Xinyi asked, her voice full of disbelief, as if she needed Bruce's confirmation to make the surreal news tangible.

"After deducting some other expenses, it's not that much, but yes, I am a billionaire," Bruce replied nonchalantly, prompting a shriek and gasp from the other end of the phone.

In his memory, Lee Xinyi was a sensible and well-behaved girl. An old saying goes, "The child of a poor family is driven to maturity early," and it fit the two siblings well. To have the usually demure Lee Xinyi react so emotionally showed the immense impact of the news on the Li family.

After promising Lee Xinyi a host of things, Bruce said he would arrange to transfer some money to their account and to check for it later, reminding them to stay safe before ending the call. Even after hanging up, Xu Zhendi and her daughter lingered in disbelief, hugging each other and shedding tears of joy, feeling as if their hardships had finally turned to sweetness.

Bruce understood the ecstasy and excitement in that small family far away in the East. With that transcontinental call, many memories he had long ignored slowly resurfaced in his mind.

Bruce was born into a typical lower-class family in Shanghai, much like those in the slums of New York, just with a lower crime rate.

From the moment he became aware, Bruce was repeatedly reminded by his affluent aunt and wealth-loving grandmother that he was born into the wrong family. His father, Lee Cunrong, never had what they considered a respectable job, and his mother, Xu Zhendi, hovered at the lowest wage line. Even though relatives like his aunt and uncle lived comfortably, Xu Zhendi never asked them for a dime, even in the toughest times.

Bruce never understood why until the family couldn't afford his overseas education, and he realized how cruel the world could be.

On that cold night, Bruce called his grandmother, uncle, and aunt from downstairs, and the unanimous answer was refusal, with his uncle and aunt not even bothering to give a reason. Desperate and not wanting to upset his mother, he begged them not to tell Xu Zhendi about his loan requests.

They agreed. But before Bruce stepped through the door, Xu Zhendi received their calls, and that's when Bruce first saw his mother in tears.

Eventually, they mortgaged their house for a loan to cover his tuition. From that moment, Bruce swore to himself to keep his distance from these relatives, only showing face during obligatory family events like weddings and funerals.

No wonder Bruce's ambition to rise above his circumstances in America was so strong. Even after seeing through the survival of the fittest, Mephisto still sensed a lingering resentment in Bruce from after he left.

He suddenly felt he hadn't adequately maintained the ties to this body's world, as he would need to rely on Bruce's identity to exist in human society for a while longer.

It seemed necessary to devote some thought to handling the issues with Bruce's family and friends.