Upon hearing that Ye Chen and Xiao Churan could still receive compensation despite not being at the scene last night, Xiao Changkun felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.
He felt that he had risked his life to earn this hundred thousand dollars, yet Ye Chen and his daughter could get the same amount without going, making his life-threatening efforts seem meaningless.
After all, as a university-educated scholar, he quickly formulated an equation in his mind: let being on the island be X, and bearing the risk be Y. Originally, X+Y, meaning being on the island and bearing the risk, equalled a hundred thousand. But now, X alone equalled a hundred thousand. Plugging in the variables, Y’s value was zero.
Ma Lan, meanwhile, instinctively felt dissatisfied and muttered to Hani, “Look here, Hani, you need to talk to your boss. We were nearly killed at the bar yesterday, but my daughter and son-in-law weren’t even there. If they’re getting a hundred thousand dollars, shouldn’t we at least get two hundred thousand to be fair? We can’t have risked our lives for nothing, can we?”
Hani replied apologetically, “I’m sorry, Ms. Ma, this was decided by our group’s president. I’m just a lowly manager with no chance to even speak to the president, let alone make suggestions…”
Ma Lan, indignant, pressed on, “Well, a hundred and fifty thousand should be reasonable, shouldn’t it? They’ve got to give us something extra to make it right!”
Hani, visibly embarrassed, hurriedly said, “Ms. Ma, I’ll pass your feedback to my supervisor, but I can’t guarantee it’ll be approved.”
Then, grasping for an excuse, he added, “Sorry, Ms. Ma, I have other guests to notify. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave!”
Before Ma Lan could respond, Hani turned and fled.
Fuming, Ma Lan grumbled, “Their boss is utterly clueless. How can they treat those who were there the same as those who weren’t?”
Xiao Churan, exasperated, said, “Mum, they’re already being generous by offering compensation. Stop nitpicking. If it’s an issue, I’ll give up my share for you and Dad.”
Ma Lan’s face instantly lit up, though she said, “Oh, Churan, it’s not about wanting your money. I just think their approach lacks humanity. I’m only trying to secure a bit more for us! I recall that in America, compensation standards are high. Trip in a restaurant, and they’ll pay you a million or two in dollars. Your dad and I nearly got killed yesterday. Two hundred thousand each isn’t much.”
Xiao Churan replied, “You said it yourself, America’s standards are high, but we’re in the Maldives, where per capita GDP is low. A hundred thousand dollars is already a lot. Let’s not dwell on it.”
Ma Lan nodded eagerly, smiling, “You’re right, I won’t dwell on it. Oh, Churan, about your hundred thousand, your dad and I will split it. Just have them transfer it to my account directly, it’s easier for them.”
Xiao Changkun froze, wanting to protest but holding back.
When it came to money, he didn’t dare challenge Ma Lan. To her, money was harder to pry away than a bone from a dog’s mouth, and he wasn’t about to risk her wrath.
Seeing Xiao Changkun’s dejected look, Ye Chen stepped in, “Dad, I’ll have my share transferred to you. You and Mum can enjoy Dubai this time, don’t be like last time.”
Xiao Changkun was overjoyed, “Good son-in-law, you’re not pulling my leg, are you?”
Ye Chen chuckled, “Why would I joke about this? I’ll tell them later to split mine and Churan’s compensation between you and Mum.”
Xiao Changkun was thrilled, unable to resist hugging Ye Chen, exclaiming, “They say a son-in-law is half a son, and the ancients weren’t wrong!”
Just then, the doorbell rang again.
Xiao Changkun hurried to open it, muttering, “Wonder who’s here now.”
Opening the door, he saw Ye Chen’s Middle Eastern tycoon client standing there.
Hamid looked at Xiao Changkun and asked politely, “Mr. Xiao, is Brother Ye here? I rang the bell at his villa, but no one answered. Your butler said he’s here.”
Xiao Changkun nodded, “He’s here, he’s here! Good son-in-law, your client’s arrived!”
Then, courteously, he said to Hamid, “Come in, please!”
Hamid waved his hand, “No, no, I won’t come in. If Brother Ye is free, I’d like to speak with him privately.”
Ye Chen approached, smiling, “Big brother, what’s up?”
Hamid quickly said, “It’s about feng shui. I have some doubts and would like to consult you. Shall we take a walk and talk?”
“Sure.” Ye Chen nodded readily, said goodbye to his family, and walked with Hamid to the beach.
