C10 They Bought a House at a High Price

Zhang Lieh finally managed to usher her out of the house. Subsequently, they treated themselves to a lavish meal at an upscale restaurant.

Of course, having just eaten in the Void Realm, Zhang Lieh was essentially there for moral support.

Once back home, Zhang Lieh began consulting with law firms online.

With a confrontation with Uncle Wang looming the next day, he needed to be thoroughly prepared. In this era of advanced technology, Zhang Lieh quickly completed a host of formalities on his virtual screen computer. Eventually, the lawyers drafted a house transfer contract for him. All that was left was for Uncle Wang to sign it and get it notarized, and the transfer would be complete.

The following morning, Zhang Lieh picked up breakfast and found Han Shuang already watching TV.

After eating, he hopped into his flying car and headed straight for the Wang family residence.

He had a close relationship with the Wang family in the past and knew their address well.

The Wang family's estate was substantial—not ostentatiously so, but certainly affluent. Wang Xiaohua's father was a distinguished Federation citizen and a fully-realized Super Gene warrior.

Zhang Lieh pressed the doorbell, and Wang Xiaohua answered.

"You actually came back."

But that made sense, considering a single day in the Void Realm equated to ten days here. With the timelines being different, their meeting was highly probable.

Wang Xiaohua was visibly shocked to see Zhang Lieh at her doorstep and said with a snarl, "Wow, you've got some nerve showing up here."

Zhang Lieh retorted with a cold laugh, "What's the problem with me coming? This is Earth, under the jurisdiction of the Federation's laws. Are you planning on getting violent?"

Their standoff caught the attention of others inside. A middle-aged man's voice called out, "Xiaohua, who is it?"

"It's nobody, just a beggar," Wang Xiaohua replied, turning away.

"I'm here to resolve the issue with the house," Zhang Lieh stated, unfazed by Wang Xiaohua's scorn.

Wang Xiaohua scoffed, "What, you can't scrape together the money and you've come begging to me? Lucky for you, I'm feeling generous today and will give you a chance."

Zhang Lieh furrowed his brow. Since when had Wang Xiaohua, the notoriously sharp-tongued and spiteful individual, become so amiable? Was he actually offering him a chance?

Back when Wang Xiaohua had come knocking, full of aggression, he hardly seemed the type to offer anyone a break. "Come, kneel and lick my shoes clean, then I might consider giving you a few more days."

Zhang Lieh looked at her as if she were out of her mind. "Sorry, but you've got the wrong idea. I don't need your pity; the money is ready."

Wang Xiaohua burst into laughter. "Haha! My house may be rundown, but it has the ancestral deed. It's worth at least 1.5 million yuan. You, perpetually at the bottom, think you can gather enough to buy it back in just a few days? Have you lost your mind?"

Zhang Lieh scoffed, "Do you really think I'd come here to face such humiliation if I didn't have the money?"

Wang Xiaohua replied with scorn, "Who knows? Maybe a guy who spends his days killing White Liquid Jade Worms has gone mad."

"The money is here."

Wang Xiaohua was incredulous. "You're talking about 1.5 million, not a mere 100,000. Even my team would need two months to make that much. You, forever the bottom-dweller, could never earn that in a lifetime. And we haven't even settled our scores from the Void Realm yet. Just go back, pack your things, and leave the house. You're polluting the air just standing outside my door..."

As Wang Xiaohua rambled on, Zhang Lieh silenced her with his actions.

"A black card!" Wang Xiaohua stared, flabbergasted. "Impossible, absolutely impossible. It has to be a fake!"

Zhang Lieh sneered, "Faking transaction certificates is a crime. A simple scan would reveal the truth. Do you think I'd be foolish enough to try that?"

Wang Xiaohua knew that in this day and age, forging a transaction certificate was nearly impossible.

"I've also brought the contract. Have your father sign it," Zhang Lieh said, presenting the document he had prepared well in advance.

"You've really come fully prepared," Wang Xiaohua remarked, her face darkening.

"Sorry, but the stench of greed in your home is overwhelming. I can't bear to stay another second."

From within the house, the middle-aged man's voice rang out again, "Xiaohua, who are you speaking with out there?"

"Dad, just leave it alone," Wang Xiaohua said with a huff.

"You're my daughter, and this is my house. How can I not be involved? What beggar is bothering you now?" A middle-aged man, bearing a striking resemblance to Wang Xiaohua, stepped out the door and, upon seeing Zhang Lieh, his face lit up with a warm smile.

"Ah, it's Lieh. Why are you standing out here? Come on in, don't be shy. Make yourself at home."

"Uncle Wang, I'd rather not come in. I'm concerned my presence might upset someone," Zhang Lieh replied, casting a cool glance at Wang Xiaohua.

Uncle Wang responded with displeasure, "This is my home. Who would dare to be upset here?"

Zhang Lieh declined again, "Uncle Wang, I truly don't want to enter. I'm just a poor, powerless citizen. I don't belong in a grand household like yours."

Uncle Wang, with a furrowed brow, said, "Lieh, you seem to be speaking rather sharply today. Who's upset you? Tell me, and I'll set things right for you."

Wang Xiaohua stepped in between them and said, "Dad's not himself. He might be going through an early midlife crisis, speaking without thinking."

Uncle Wang shot Wang Xiaohua a stern look, "How can you speak to Lieh like that? If it weren't for Lieh's father, you wouldn't even have your dad here today."

Wang Xiaohua let out a cold snort, "That was ages ago. Are you still bringing up those old, insignificant stories?"

Uncle Wang, fuming to the point of steaming, raised his hand as if to strike her.

Zhang Lieh crossed his arms and said with impatience, "Enough, Uncle Wang! If you and your daughter want to put on a show, do it behind closed doors. I don't have time to watch a melodrama about father-daughter affection. Let's keep it simple. I'm here today to buy a house."

"Buying a house?" Uncle Wang was completely bewildered.

Zhang Lieh gave a thumbs-up and said, "Uncle Wang, you're quite the actor. You're a natural. The world owes you an Oscar."

Wang Xiaohua's cheeks turned crimson as she yelled, "Zhang Lieh, have you lost your mind?"

Uncle Wang intervened, pulling Wang Xiaohua aside and faced Zhang Lieh squarely. "Little Lie, tell me, what's the whole story?"

"Don't pay attention to his wild tales," Wang Xiaohua interjected, tugging at her father's arm.

Zhang Lieh smirked, sensing the lack of communication between Wang Xiaohua and her father.

Without elaborating, Zhang Lieh produced the contract. Uncle Wang read it and questioned, "Why the sudden urge to buy the house? Is there a problem?"

Zhang Lieh scoffed, "I had no choice. Your darling daughter showed up recently with a contract, demanding that we vacate the house we're living in within two weeks, as per the agreement."

Uncle Wang turned a stern gaze on Wang Xiaohua and demanded, "Is this true?"

"Dad, I was just following the contract," Wang Xiaohua replied nonchalantly.

Uncle Wang, fuming, slammed his hand against the door and bellowed, "Who gave you the nerve and authority to act on the contract? That's my house, the one I gave to the person who saved my life. When did it become your place to reclaim it? Who gave you the right to use my contract to take action without my consent? I haven't agreed to anything, and you've already taken matters into your own hands."

"But the contract explicitly states this."

Uncle Wang's expression darkened. "That's the savior's... It's none of your business!"

Wang Xiaohua hung her head, feeling wronged.

"And you still refuse to apologize to Little Lie," Uncle Wang insisted sternly.

Wang Xiaohua burst out, "Why should I apologize to him? I refuse to apologize to the lowest-ranked person in the Void Realm. He shamed me there, and it's already an act of great mercy that I haven't laid a hand on him."

Uncle Wang, incensed, declared, "No apology, then you can sleep on the streets. Forget about stepping foot in this house ever again!"

Tears streamed down Wang Xiaohua's face as she felt a deep sense of injustice. "Am I even your real daughter? I'm your child, yet you side with a stranger over me."

Uncle Wang was seething with anger. "Are you going to apologize or not!?"

As the father-daughter drama intensified, Zhang Lieh interjected coolly, "Uncle Wang, let it be. I'm not worthy of an apology from someone of Miss Wang's stature."

He was no fool. He was much older than he appeared and had long since learned not to take everyone at their word.

Wang Xiaohua's spoiled nature was evident, yet Uncle Wang was now putting on an act of stern fatherhood, which clearly didn't fit the reality.

In his past life, Uncle Wang had been keen to gather information about his parents, but Zhang Lieh was well aware of his true colors before his own rise to success.

"You've got some sense," Wang Xiaohua said with a smug cross of her arms.

But Uncle Wang wasn't ready to let it slide. After a firm pat on his daughter's head, he pressed down, saying, "Xiaohua, I've spoiled you rotten. Don't hold it against her."

Wang Xiaohua exploded with indignation, "Dad! Why should I have to bow down and apologize to a nobody like him!"

Zhang Lieh spoke with impatience, "Enough, Uncle Wang. The charade is over. Sign the contract, please. I've wasted enough time here, and my sister is waiting for me to have dinner."

Uncle Wang chuckled awkwardly, "What are you talking about, Xiao Lie? This house was meant to be a gift to your family. It was your father's stubbornness to draft an agreement that led to this misunderstanding. Forget about the contract. Stay as long as you wish; no one will dare to force you out."

Despite Uncle Wang's attempt to appear benevolent, his act was transparent, riddled with too many flaws.

Regardless of how Wang Xiaohua came into possession of the contract or her reasons, it ultimately caught Zhang Lieh's attention.

Uncle Wang had been lying from the start. If he truly intended to gift the house to Zhang Lieh's father, he could have simply destroyed the contract after signing it. There was no way it should have ended up in Wang Xiaohua's hands.

"Uncle Wang, I address you as such out of respect for both you and my father. Now that my father has disappeared and I've come of age, I ask that you extend the same respect to me by signing this contract. It's the only way I can truly have peace of mind."

"My father always taught me the importance of discerning right from wrong and showing gratitude. You've looked after me for many years, so in recognition of that, I'm willing to pay an extra two million for the house!"

"For you, this transaction is certainly not a bad deal. For me, it means no longer living in fear that someone might show up one day with a contract, forcing us to leave."

"Selling the house to me settles the matter once and for all. It spares me a great deal of hassle, and Uncle Wang, it relieves you of a lingering concern. Isn't that a win-win situation?"

Zhang Lieh's demeanor was grave, his intentions unequivocal. Purchasing the house was a definitive resolution to the issue.