live-in son-in-law

Crunch… Boom— Flames were roaring, circuits popping, as he dragged himself out of the wrecked car, his head swimming. The riverside park was dark, just the city lights shimmering on the other side of the water like some kind of floating kingdom. It looked alive over there—which just made this side feel even more lonely. Funny, he remembered. He was the one who pushed for this park more than ten years back. “What a waste,” he muttered under his breath. A cold gust swept over him as he stumbled toward the glimmering water. Then—BAM. The car behind him exploded, flames shooting up, heat blasting against his back. Helicopters thumped above, a searchlight suddenly cutting through the dark, blinding him. Voices shouted from above. Cop cars swarmed the park from both sides, lights flashing everywhere. What a mess. His head was still fuzzy. Blood dripped down his forehead. He wiped it with his sleeve, pulled his coat tighter. Now boats and inflatables were closing in from the river—like he’d actually try to swim for it. “Seriously? I’m not some kind of assassin.” Land, water, air—they had him completely surrounded. His vision was still blurry, and part of him knew there was probably no way out. But as the wind picked up, his mind drifted back… to simpler things. This was his hometown. Back in the day, it wasn’t nearly this built up. There were no shining towers, no lightshow on the water—just dirt paths and lots of trees. He used to bike down this very trail with his friends on the way to school. “I’m gonna turn this whole place into a park one day,” he remembered saying. “Make it nice. And we’ll fill the city with buildings so big, we’ll all live like kings.” He was just a kid then. He’d just gotten back from the capital, full of big dreams. And for thirty years after that, he fought like hell. Built an empire from scratch. Sometimes, looking back, it all felt like someone else’s life. People saw him as unstoppable. A giant. He believed it too. But now, standing here again… he finally got it. This park—it was a failure. It was supposed to make people happy. It wasn’t like he couldn’t fix it. He had the money. But he never did. Back then, he couldn’t afford it. These days? He just couldn’t be bothered. Not profitable enough. It’s funny—you think you remember what matters. But you forget. And the stuff you do remember… sometimes it’s the things you wish you’d forgotten. His old friends. The big plans. The promises. The girl. He sank onto a stone bench by the water, squinting against the lights. He patted his pockets. God, he could use a cigarette. Even after all these years. Then—someone held one out to him. The guy in the suit and gold-rimmed glasses. He didn’t have to look up to know who it was. He took the cigarette, and the man lit it for him, cupping his hand against the wind. “Was just thinking about the old days,” he said, taking a drag. “All of us biking to school. You, me, Qingyi, Akang, Ruoping… Qingyi’s gone now, isn’t he? I missed the funeral.” He blew out smoke. “How’s Ruoping?” “She’s got two kids. Doing good,” the man in glasses said, sitting down next to him. “Oh… right, you told me. Forgot.” He smiled faintly. “She was the prettiest, you know. I had a thing for her. Never said anything.” The other man was quiet for a moment. Then he lit his own cigarette. “I knew you liked her. I asked her out before you could. She said no. Said she liked you.” “You never told me that.” “What was there to say? We were all trying to make something of ourselves. You moved on. She wasn’t gonna wait forever. You never spoke up, so she married someone else.” “Yeah. Missed my chance.” “You always wanted everything perfect.” “You know, when you get to the top…” He held up his hand, like he was measuring the air. “…you realize there’s nothing there. Just this… emptiness. You start wondering if you took the wrong road way back when.” “Yeah,” the man in glasses said softly. They sat in silence for a minute. He looked at his cigarette—almost burnt down. “That ten-plus billion deficit… it’s gonna be a nightmare to clean up. I knew months ago. Made a plan for it—it’s on my computer. Didn’t think you’d come at me this hard, though. A shake-up at the top would pin it on a few people. Make it easier. Tweak the plan—try not to bury too many others. We’ve all been in this a long time.” The man in glasses hesitated. “...I’m sorry.” “Don’t be. All this time, I’ve been out front. Maybe it’s your turn. You set it up well. The company’ll be fine with you. Just… do something with this park later, okay? I always meant to. Always thought I would. But I never did.” “I told them—after this is over, you can still live a good life.” “If you leave the roots, the weeds grow back. Let the tiger return to the mountain…” He turned, and his eyes were clear and hard. “What did you think was gonna happen?” “If I’m alive, I’m a threat to you.” He crushed the cigarette under his shoe. “It’s cold at the top. I’ve had enough. If I ever start over… I want a clean slate. No dirty games. No backstabbing. If I could do it all again...” He got to his feet with a faint smile. “If I could do it all again… I’d have told her how I felt.” Helicopters circling. Boats closing in. Cop cars everywhere. Under the blinding lights, the standing man suddenly pulled a gun—aiming it at the man with the glasses. The man with glasses jumped up, waving his arms at the cops surrounding them. “Don’t shoot—!” Gunfire erupted. Blood sprayed. A moment later, the man in glasses turned slowly. He stared at the body on the ground. Then he took off his glasses, wiped them, put them back on. He bent down and pried the gun from the dead man’s hand. “I said don’t shoot…” he whispered into the night. “It wasn’t even loaded.”