Chapter 142: 19 years old this year

Gao Yuan waited outside for quite a while before finally hearing the room gradually quiet down.

Luo Xingyu eventually opened the door, her eyes red, and said to Gao Yuan, "You all can come in."

Luo Guodong was right behind the door, and as soon as Xiang Weiguo entered the room, he immediately grabbed Xiang Weiguo's hand and, while shaking it vigorously, exclaimed loudly, "Thank you, thank you, I'm so grateful to you, I heard from Xiaoyu, really, I'm so thankful to you!"

Xiang Weiguo whispered, "It's what I should do, it's what I should do."

Luo Guodong now had the type of expression as if he wanted to kneel down and kowtow multiple times; holding Xiang Weiguo's hand and looking into his eyes, there was nothing but extreme gratitude in his gaze.

Presumably, in this short time, Luo Xingyu had already told her father about how she had made it through these days.

While Luo Guodong was continuously thanking Xiang Weiguo, Luo Xingyu quite subconsciously stood by Gao Yuan's side and even took his hand.

Gao Yuan, without changing his expression, brushed away Luo Xingyu's hand, but Luo Xingyu immediately took his hand again. When Gao Yuan pulled his hand free once more, Luo Xingyu hugged his arm tightly.

Just as Gao Yuan was about to push Luo Xingyu away from his arm again, Luo Guodong finally let go of Xiang Weiguo's hand and turned to look at him.

Luo Guodong's expression immediately became complex. He looked at Gao Yuan and then at Luo Xingyu, who was holding onto Gao Yuan's arm.

Gao Yuan nodded and said, "Uncle, hello..."

Luo Guodong also nodded. He hesitated for a moment but still took a step forward and extended his hand to Gao Yuan.

As he was about to shake hands with Gao Yuan, Luo Guodong said softly, "Well, I heard from Xiaoyu, I really don't know how to repay you, her survival is all thanks to you, I'm truly..."

Truly what? Luo Guodong could not continue.

Luo Xingyu whispered, "No need to talk about repayment, we're all family now. Besides, what could you repay me with, anyway? Money is useless now."

Luo Guodong was visibly taken aback, his expression falling into a clear stupor.

Gao Yuan felt a sense of guilt like that of a thief, but he thought about it and felt he had done nothing wrong. Why should he feel guilty?

Luo Guodong, a man of status, was the richest man in Stonegate. If it hadn't been for this apocalypse, Gao Yuan knew he could never expect to establish any relationship with Luo Guodong and Luo Xingyu. But now, things were different.

Taking a deep breath, Luo Guodong looked somewhat at a loss, then, as if possessed, he said, "Well... Xiaoyu is still young."

Gao Yuan felt stiff, then Luo Guodong quickly let go of his hand, saying, "Please sit down, please sit down. General Xu, how come you are here as well?"

Xu Manzhi smiled and said, "Xiao Gao was asking about you. I told him you were here, so I brought them straight over."

Luo Guodong seemed quite surprised. He looked at Gao Yuan and asked, "Really?"

It seemed Luo Xingyu had not had the chance to tell her father everything that had happened.

The layout within this prefabricated shelter wasn't bad. Although simple, it was quite good compared to the conditions in the refuge—there were sofas, chairs, a meeting table, and even a couple of potted plants.

They were people sharp with age, no, they were extremely intelligent. It would be odd if Xu Manzhi and Xiang Weiguo couldn't figure out the situation now.

Luo Guodong's feelings towards Gao Yuan were indeed complicated; he was grateful to Gao Yuan for saving his daughter, but he also felt aversion toward the man who had taken, or was about to take, his daughter away. It wasn't disgust or hatred, just a simple aversion.

It's complicated, really complicated.

Xu Manzhi said nonchalantly, "Xiao Gao, you've brought Xiaoyu back, but after you rest, you'll have to rush to Base 10. The superior is sure to see you tomorrow, and besides, a lot of things over there can't go on without you. So, you should rest up and I'll arrange for the train to take you over there. What do you think?"

It was Xu Manzhi speaking in a consultative tone, yes, that's what you call showing off without showing off, it's just that he made Gao Yuan show off invisibly.

Or, one could call it an invisible assist.

You can't say that Luo Guodong despises the poor and loves the rich, but if he naturally harbors some aversion to his future son-in-law, how would he feel if he knew that his future son-in-law not only does not need to rely on his father-in-law but also happens to be an incredibly, incredibly remarkable, instantly recognizable powerhouse of a big shot? What would Luo Guodong think then?

It's human nature, after all.

Indeed, a major general, surrendering himself to the base, made arrangements with the status of an elder, but spoke to Gao Yuan with a tone of consultation. It conveyed a lot, giving people a very subtle impression.

If you talk about who is really cunning, Luo Guodong is the true epitome of cunning, the bona fide tycoon of Stonegate, with a net worth in the tens of billions. If he couldn't discern this much, he would have gone bankrupt long ago.

But the thing is, Luo Guodong has long become completely insensitive to money in his life and has completely stopped caring about his status.

A local tycoon, yet wealth has lost its significance, and his family too has become fragmented. Not everyone can endure such experiences; faced with these circumstances, some become even more fanatical about wealth and status, while others become indifferent to wealth, caring only about their family.

Unfortunately for Luo Guodong, he belonged to the latter.

Having thought he was the sole survivor after his family was decimated, Luo Guodong instinctively rejected anything and anyone who might take his daughter away from him.

Luo Guodong merely smiled. The look in his eyes changed when he looked at Gao Yuan, but his gaze towards Luo Xingyu became even more determined.

"Xiaoyu, come here."

Luo Xingyu sat next to her father, and then Luo Guodong grabbed her hand.

Luo Guodong didn't say much, simply grabbing Luo Xingyu's hand, he looked at Xu Manzhi and Gao Yuan and said, "I thought Xiaoyu and her mother had... perished. Now that I can see her again, I really don't want anything else."

After heaving a long sigh, Luo Guodong glanced at Luo Xingyu beside him again and shook his head. "I don't want anything more. I'm content, truly content."

However, Luo Xingyu asked, "Dad, what do you mean by that?"

Luo Guodong paused for a second and said, "Oh, I don't mean anything by it."

"Are you saying you don't want me to marry Gao Yuan?"

Luo Xingyu didn't hesitate to pierce through the pretense, and Luo Guodong immediately appeared somewhat panicked. "No, it's not that. You're still too young. You're only seventeen, isn't it... isn't it too early to be talking about marriage?"

Xiang Weiguo sighed and said, "Mr. Luo, I'd like to say something. Well, in the past, this age would indeed be too early for marriage, but now, to be honest, if there's a chance to get married, why wait? You don't know what Xiaoyu and Xiao Yuan have been through. Well, I think it's better for you to let go."

At the mention of letting go, Luo Guodong held his daughter even tighter.

Gao Yuan couldn't help but smile wryly, "What are you guys saying? Isn't it a bit early to discuss this now?"

Luo Xingyu's expression instantly changed. "What do you mean, are you planning on abandoning me after all that's happened? Gao Yuan, let me tell you, in life, I'm yours; in death, I'll be your ghost! And Dad! I'll be nineteen after the new year!"