Trillionaire's Slice of Life

"If your father and uncle had respected Grandfather's last wishes, there wouldn't be today's situation. Since even you Zhou family members don't respect Grandfather, what makes you think I, an outsider, should respect him... Find another reason. I will, for Grandfather's sake, give you two more minutes. If you can't convince me in two minutes, you may leave!"

Now, the timing starts."

As Chu Mo's words fell, the pupils of the woman in red shrank suddenly. She had originally thought that Chu Mo and the late Grandfather Zhou Shixing had a deep personal relationship. After all, Zhou Shixing's prestige was really high during his lifetime. But now it seemed, this was just her wishful thinking.

Although she had only two minutes, Zhou Ruyi wasn't anxious. She gracefully straightened her skirt and then gently stood up, walking to the bookshelf in two steps. She extended her delicate fingers, lightly skimming over the rows of books, and quickly found a book titled "Chu Mo's Short Essays Collection" at the very front of the top shelf.

Holding the selected essay collection, she gently flipped through the pages. Then, with a trace of nostalgia in her eyes, the woman's voice lightheartedly said:

"Compared with the sequels, I actually prefer Mr. Chu's first volume. This 'Chu Mo's Short Essays Collection 1' contains a total of two hundred and seventy-five short essays, many of which are about school life and reflections on life. The one I like the most is about the depiction of a father and son.

The father and son of childhood, is the warmth of a large hand leading a small one. As adults, the father and son share a silent concern. What struck me about this article is, at some point, fathers and sons no longer hold hands!

Mr. Chu, when were you writing this article?"

The woman in red had a touch of curiosity in her eyes, as if she wasn't here for the rise and fall of the Zhou family but merely to discuss books with Chu Mo.

Chu Mo, who had just opened his laptop at the desk, turned back to the woman. She had once again defied his expectations. If she had used these two minutes to try to persuade him, no matter what conditions she offered, she would surely have ended in failure.

But now, she wasn't talking about the Zhou family's matters but had shifted the topic to his books.

If there was anything in the world that Chu Mo cared about, it certainly wasn't money. With his unlimited bank card, he could withdraw countless amounts of money; the least of his concerns was wealth.

Aside from his family, the only thing that Chu Mo would really invest his effort in was his books.

"Chu Mo's Short Essays Collection" had two volumes; the first volume sold only a little over three thousand copies due to the lack of promotion, while the second volume, heavily advertised by many big stars, had a spectacular performance, selling nearly a million copies.

Strangely, despite only selling three thousand copies of the first volume, Chu Mo was very interested in those readers' comments and feedback. However, due to the small number of readers, there were even fewer comments.

As for the second volume, its sales rivaled those of top famous authors. There were numerous comments and feedback, but Chu Mo found that he didn't care much about the reactions to the second volume. There were many reasons for this, one being that the second volume's sales owed much to celebrity endorsements. The fans bought the book not because they liked it, but to support their idols.

So after buying it, they just let the book gather dust in a corner.

Furthermore, the first volume contained the best quality works selected from all Chu Mo's collections, which could be considered his magnum opus from start to finish. In contrast, the second volume was a selection from the remaining collections and of much lower quality, so Chu Mo didn't pay much attention to readers' reactions to the second part.

In reality, Chu Mo seldom encountered anyone who initiated a conversation with him about his books. Even if they did, it was only to flatter him and curry favor. Therefore, he had little interest in it.

Now, meeting Zhou Ruyi unexpectedly, not only had she read his books, but she had also posed questions. Chu Mo was almost certain that this woman must have spent a lot of effort on him for today's meeting.

Nevertheless, "Chu Mo Short Stories Collection 1" was indeed a piece he took pride in. Now that it was rare for someone to appreciate it, regardless of their motives, Chu Mo was somewhat interested.

Leaning back in the soft seat, a relaxed Chu Mo spoke softly,

"You're talking about Page Seventy-Three, 'Father and Son.' When I wrote that piece, I had already graduated from college. Then one day, I passed by an elementary school. It just so happened to be when the school was letting out, and I saw many fathers holding their children's tiny hands.

That's when I started to reflect on how long it had been since I last held hands and walked with my father. When exactly? It seems like it was back in elementary school, probably after the fifth grade... No, maybe since junior high, I never took the initiative to hold my father's hand again.

Moved by that thought, I wrote 'Father and Son,' but I don't have children. It's written more from the son's perspective. Perhaps, once I have children, I might understand it from a father's point of view!"

There was a touch of melancholy in Chu Mo's eyes. Meanwhile, the lady in red across from him flipped the book to the title page, her eyes curving happily, and yearningly she said,

"Actually, compared to 'Father and Son,' I prefer the first story, 'A Letter to a Girl.' It must be a letter Mr. Chu wrote to his secret crush. I can feel Mr. Chu's affection for that girl who sat next to him in class. By the way, Mr. Chu, did you ever confess to her in the end? Did you end up together?"

Zhou Ruyi, with curiosity in her eyes, spoke in a light tone. She seemed to have forgotten the purpose of her visit, as if she was truly there just to seek guidance from Chu Mo, the author.

Chu Mo was suddenly taken back to his trip home two months ago, where he indeed encountered that girl he sat next to in middle school. She was now married, running a flower shop, living a simple and happy life.

With a hint of reminiscence in his eyes, Chu Mo said slowly,

"We never got together, not even the words of confession were spoken. When I last visited my hometown, I saw her. She mentioned she had read that confession letter, but..."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Chu, the two-minute limit you stipulated has passed. Although I would like to hear about your romantic love story, I don't dare to violate your rules..."

The lady in the red dress interrupted Chu Mo, her eyes filled with regret and reluctance, seemingly saddened by her inability to hear Chu Mo's story.

Chu Mo, who had just been aroused with interest, opened his mouth slightly, then remembered he had indeed given her only two minutes to persuade him. Now that time was up. Yet, letting her leave like this, Chu Mo suddenly felt an odd sensation stirring within him.

The lady in red bowed slightly, then turned and started walking towards the door of the study. Her steps were slow, as if each one waited for a summons from Chu Mo.

As she was about to step out of the study, Chu Mo, with a feeling akin to a cat scratching at his heart, suddenly spoke up,

"Miss Zhou... It's getting late. If you don't mind, stay for dinner."

At that, the woman in red halted her steps. She turned briskly, her beautiful hair flying like a waterfall in the breeze. Then, looking straight at Chu Mo, the sincere woman softly said,

"Mr. Chu, you see, rules are so easily broken! Even the ones you set yourself. As long as you're willing, they can be easily discarded. Now, on behalf of the entire Zhou family, I would like to have a proper talk with you, Mr. Chu.

This time, please give me five minutes."