The $400K Ultimatum

Chapter 4: A New Life Begins

Han Qian had an optimistic mindset. After buying a pack of cigarettes, he headed to a real estate agency to look for a place to live. Eventually, he settled on a slightly pricey duplex on the top floor. He knew that saving money alone wouldn’t be enough to pay off his 4 million yuan debt. To repay it, he needed more than just frugality.

The landlady was a kind woman. During their conversation, she learned that Han Qian was job hunting and didn’t have a stable income. Despite this, she made an exception and allowed him to pay rent monthly, though she still required a one-month deposit. The rent was 2,500 yuan per month.

When Han Qian handed over 5,000 yuan to the landlady, his heart ached. Through their chat, he learned more about her. She was a single mother raising a child in middle school. Her husband had been a businessman who made some money but quickly squandered it on women and gambling. In just a few years, he lost everything and eventually jumped off a building, leaving behind two properties. The landlady and her son lived on the second floor, while the 11th floor was rented to Han Qian.

The apartment wasn’t spacious, but it was well-equipped. The living room was modest, with a sink to the left leading to a bathroom, and a shoe cabinet and screen to the right separating the kitchen. Behind the wall dividing the kitchen and living room was a staircase leading to the second floor, which had two bedrooms, a bathroom, and another bedroom on the first floor behind the TV wall.

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom duplex suited Han Qian well, especially considering the 2,500 yuan rent. He felt relieved he wasn’t in a first-tier city like Beijing or Shanghai, where housing would have been a bigger issue. The apartment came fully furnished with a TV, sofa, and even new dishes and utensils in the cabinets. The only thing missing was bedding, which Han Qian wouldn’t have used even if it were provided.

As Han Qian was about to head out to buy some daily necessities, there was a knock on the door. It was the landlady, carrying a bundle of household items.

"I work at a supermarket, so these things don’t cost much. If you don’t mind, take them. They’re all new," she said.

Seeing the toothbrush, towels, and other essentials in her hands, Han Qian smiled and accepted them without offering to pay. He thanked her warmly.

"Meeting you, sis, feels better than running into family. I won’t stand on ceremony. If your kid ever needs help with schoolwork, feel free to send him over. I did pretty well in middle and high school."

"Great! I can tell you’re a good guy. When you find a girl you like, I’ll definitely introduce you to someone. Well, I won’t bother you anymore. Take care!"

The landlady came and left quickly. Holding the toothbrush, Han Qian smiled. He didn’t think he’d overpaid; instead, he felt touched by her kindness.

After three years of being a stay-at-home "househusband," Han Qian hadn’t interacted much with others. Spending the afternoon shopping felt refreshing. He realized that life could be comfortable this way. Without Warm, his mother’s surgery fees wouldn’t have been covered, and he wouldn’t have the freedom he had now. Though the past three years had been restrictive, they had also given him a higher starting point than most fresh graduates.

After buying bedding, Han Qian gritted his teeth and spent 700 yuan on a secondhand laptop. It seemed to only be good for browsing the internet, but that was enough for him. He didn’t have many other hobbies, and his computer skills were limited.

During this time, he also went to the bank and transferred 8,000 yuan to his mother, though he didn’t mention the divorce.

His mother treated Warm the way Li Jinhè treated Han Qian. While she didn’t provide material comforts, she gave Warm the maternal warmth she had never experienced. Li Jinhè, on the other hand, gave Han Qian a kind of strictness he had never known.

Ear-pulling and shoulder-slapping were common occurrences. Li Jinhè didn’t just treat Han Qian this way; she was the same with Warm and Old Wen.

Han Qian kept only 2,000 yuan for himself, with 1,000 set aside for living expenses and the rest for emergencies. The first thing he did after turning on the laptop was search for Glory Group, a rising competitor to Changxiang.

Glory Group had a presence in every industry Changxiang was involved in: real estate, retail, electronics, food, and pharmaceuticals.

Han Qian’s ultimate goal was to join Glory Group’s planning department. He planned to return to his old profession but wouldn’t take reckless risks under pressure again. He had learned his lesson at Changxiang.

Meanwhile, Warm was on the verge of a breakdown.

Her house had been sold. Li Jinhè casually mentioned that she had lost it to Auntie Zhao in a mahjong game and told Warm to take any complaints to her.

Warm had always kept her distance from Auntie Zhao, who insisted on being called "Sister Zhao." The older woman had no qualms about asking Warm inappropriate questions, like how Han Qian’s stamina was, leaving the inexperienced Warm at a loss for words.

In that regard, Warm was as pure as a blank sheet of paper.

Frustrated, Warm called Lin Zongheng, hoping for some comfort and to ask when he’d be back. But after three unanswered calls, she sent a message threatening to cut ties if he didn’t answer.

He called back immediately, but Warm hung up after three seconds.

While she didn’t mind that Lin Zongheng had women abroad, she couldn’t accept him calling her while in the middle of such activities. When he called again, Warm poured out her frustrations, but Lin Zongheng kept fixating on why Han Qian had answered her phone, questioning if something had happened between them.

Instead of comfort, she got suspicion. Furious, Warm hung up and sat on her bed, asking herself:

Did she really love Lin Zongheng? Or was he just a mental crutch?

Three years had passed since he went abroad. Time had diluted everything.

When Warm and Han Qian first married, a long-distance call could last late into the night. Over time, those calls shortened to an hour, then ended abruptly when Han Qian called her to dinner.

Suddenly, Han Qian’s image appeared in her mind. She remembered the time a p*****t pretending to be a delivery man barged in, and Han Qian, covered in soap suds, stood in front of her and chased the intruder away.

During her most difficult days each month, Han Qian would wake up early to make fish head tofu soup or pork rib soup. He’d also prepare ginger and goji berry water in a thermos for her to take to work.

In an instant, Warm felt lost.

Lin Zongheng’s image grew blurrier, while Han Qian’s became clearer.

Warm couldn’t stand it.

She had been dumped by Han Qian. She refused to let herself think of him in this state. Feeling on the verge of a breakdown, she grabbed her keys and phone and stormed out of the house.

On the road, her red Alfa Romeo sped past at 120 km/h, like a ghost in the night.

The car stopped in front of a bar, drawing attention—not because of the car’s value, but because of the woman who stepped out of it.

Dressed in a white T-shirt and light jeans that accentuated her long legs, with her hair in a simple ponytail and no makeup, Warm looked out of place.

She stared at this unfamiliar place, gathered her courage, and walked into the bar she had always avoided.

But she needed to vent.

Warm had no friends.