Grandfather Liu had long known that his granddaughter was involved in some business ventures. For instance, in Wushui County, she had opened a supermarket and a restaurant. While he was aware that these businesses were quite profitable, he hadn’t paid much attention, thinking it was enough for her to earn her tuition fees.
But now, out of the blue, he heard his granddaughter casually mention "three hundred million." To a farmer like him, who had spent his entire life working the land, this number hit with the same impact as stumbling upon a massive gold mine in his own field—utterly staggering.
"Three hundred million? How much money is that, really?"
He turned to look at Grandma, only to find her equally dazed. The most money they had ever seen in their lives was probably the figures recorded in the ledgers back when Grandfather worked as a village accountant.
Seeing their stunned expressions, Liu Yutong explained, "Grandfather, that’s the revenue, not the profit. After all the calculations, this month’s actual earnings are only around twenty million or so."
Grandfather Liu didn’t even know how to react. "Only twenty million? The metal cabinet at home probably couldn’t even hold that much cash. Are your supermarket and restaurant really that profitable?"
Liu Yutong replied, "One restaurant and one supermarket alone couldn’t make that much. But right now, your granddaughter owns eleven supermarkets, and counting the ones about to open, roughly the same number of restaurants."
Grandfather Liu: "......"
The speed of this expansion was simply unbelievable.
In the afternoon, Liu Yutong planned to take her grandparents to the mall to buy some new clothes. But when they heard that her supermarket also sold clothing, they insisted on going there instead. Unable to refuse, she took them to the supermarket first.
This visit completely opened the elderly couple’s eyes.
Before this, they had mostly shopped at the local farmers' market in their town or small convenience stores. They had never seen a large-scale supermarket like this.
After touring the Wanlong Supermarket’s University Town branch, they were thoroughly impressed—from the service to the environment, everything was beyond praise.
And this was just one of many locations.
Grandma couldn’t help but ask curiously, "Are all the big supermarkets in the city this huge and nice?"
Liu Yutong thought for a moment and said, "Not yet, Grandma. But maybe in the future."
In all of Bright Pearl City, Wanlong Supermarket was the only one that paid such meticulous attention to service and details.
As for the other supermarkets, whether they could reach Wanlong’s level depended entirely on whether they could withstand the professional "counterfeit-busting" team she had assembled.
If they could, they might evolve and continue competing with Wanlong. If not, they’d be relegated to second-tier status.
After a full tour of the supermarket and buying several outfits, Liu Yutong took her grandparents to Yuyuefang for a meal before finally heading home.
The moment they stepped through the villa’s grand entrance, the opulent decor left the elderly couple speechless.
The gleaming floors, the majestic chandelier—every detail exuded luxury, making them feel like they were in a dream.
Grandma even subconsciously tugged at her pant legs, afraid of dirtyening the immaculate floor.
"Is… is this really your house, Tongtong?" Grandma asked in awe. The most impressive and luxurious house she had ever seen in her life couldn’t compare to even a fraction of this.
"Exactly, this is our home now. Grandma, Grandfather Liu, you can stay here as long as you like. This house was prepared especially for you," Liu Yutong said with a smile.
Grandma ran her hand over the sofa, still unable to believe it. "How much did this cost?"
"The house didn’t cost anything—it was a gift from a friend. Only the furniture inside was bought by me."
"Grandma, don’t worry about that."
Liu Yutong helped her settle onto the sofa. "Grandma, is the sofa comfortable?"
The elderly woman sank into the plush cushions, shifting awkwardly. "It’s too soft—I’m not used to it. Maybe just give me a stool instead?"
Liu Yutong laughed at her grandmother’s words. "Grandma, there’s no stool here. Just try to get used to it—you’ll adjust in a couple of days."
"Grandfather Liu, you should sit too. The remote is on the coffee table—you can watch TV if you’d like."
"I’ll go make some tea for you."
Watching their granddaughter bustling about, the old man whispered to his wife, "Pinch me, old woman. Am I dreaming?"
Grandma actually gave his arm a firm twist, making him yelp in pain.
Now convinced they weren’t dreaming, the two elders’ eyes grew slightly moist.
"Our Yutong… she’s really made something of herself. After all the hardship she went through with those parents of hers, look where she is now…"
That evening, Grandma and Grandfather Liu had retired to their rooms, but Liu Debao still hadn’t arrived.
Liu Yutong called his phone, only to find it turned off.
Her younger cousin, Liu Yingying, didn’t have a phone either, so she couldn’t ask her directly whether Liu Debao had even left for Bright Pearl City or if he planned to stay another day in the county town.
However, her employees in Wushui County quickly reported back after checking with Liu Yingying at school.
They said Liu Debao had left around four in the afternoon and shouldn’t have lingered there.
Hearing this, Liu Yutong had a rough idea of what might have happened. She immediately called Ma Da and asked him to take some men to search around the bus station.
Honestly, she was a little annoyed—how long could it possibly take to deliver some living expenses?
If he had just told her, she could have arranged for someone in Wushui County to handle it.
Of course, she knew that was just frustration talking. It was only natural for Liu Debao to want to visit his sister.
Liu Yingying had been transferred to a private middle school in the county town at the start of ninth grade—this September. The school was fully boarding, with tuition costing nearly ten thousand a year, but it covered meals and lodging.
Normally, students were only allowed to go home once a month.
Though the school was strict, it was still much better than riding a bicycle over ten miles every morning before dawn in the countryside, especially during storms—those days were pure misery.
Duan Village only had an elementary school. For middle school, students had to travel to the town, nearly ten miles away.
Later, with the support of Liu Debao’s family, Liu Yingying was transferred to the private school in the county, hoping she could focus on her studies and get into a good high school.
There was still no word from Liu Debao, but Liu Yutong received a call from her aunt, asking if he had arrived yet.
Liu Yutong had no choice but to lie, saying he was already asleep.
Still, she couldn’t help feeling anxious.
Could this guy really have been tricked into working at some illegal labor camp?
"Make sure to search thoroughly, especially around the train station area," Liu Yutong ordered over the phone again.
"Yes, Miss Liu!"
"........."
After Scarface and his so-called "loyal crew" retreated from the train station, the place gradually descended back into chaos—where anything could happen.
The train station, long-distance bus terminal, and short-distance bus stops were all clustered together, not far from one another.
That area was crawling with shady strangers and scammers aggressively soliciting passengers. Liu Yutong was genuinely worried Liu Debao might fall victim to a scam, especially since he hadn’t been to the city many times.
And as it turned out, her instincts were right. Her cousin Liu Debao was currently in an internet café near the station, foolishly keeping an eye on someone else’s wallet.
