Chapter 176 A Man's Responsibility
With that final shout, the once noisy bank fell silent.
One million three hundred and seventy thousand?
Can I withdraw all 1.37 million at once?
Many people who came to withdraw money looked at the cashier with schadenfreude, thinking, "He's really messed up now, hasn't he?"
The cashier was stunned. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief and found that the number was still the same: a seven-figure deposit!
Of this million-plus yuan, there was a fund Chen Xu's father had set aside for him to pursue women, and there was also money Chen Xu had earned through games, all deposited in this card. And 1.3 million yuan is an absolute fortune for ordinary people; even in a bank, a private deposit of over a million yuan is not a small amount… Generally, for withdrawals of 100,000 yuan or more, one needs to call the bank in advance to make an appointment, let alone a million.
The cashier was at a loss for what to do. This was just a branch bank, and all the cash in the branch was only about this much. If it was all withdrawn at once, and it was because of her, she would definitely be fired!
People often only regret their mistakes after they've made them beyond their control.
Fortunately, the manager came out at this time and invited Chen Xu to the VIP room. He served tea and apologized, and after speaking kindly to Chen Xu, he finally calmed down Chen Xu's stubbornness and gave him 20,000 yuan. He then respectfully wrapped the money in an envelope and put the matter behind him.
Chen Xu tossed the note to Wu Yu, stopping him from speaking: "Damn it, we've been brothers for over ten years, enough with the nonsense. I won't let you write the IOU, you can pay me back when you have the money. Your wife's having an abortion will take a toll on her health, so make sure she gets proper nourishment!"
Wu Yu nodded emphatically, punched Chen Xu lightly, and said, "Consider this a debt I owe you."
Men don't need to say those mushy things anymore, and given their relationship, there's no need for such a cliché as an IOU... If this guy dares to renege on his debt, Chen Xu will just go to his house and ask his dad for it. When his old man asks why he borrowed so much, Chen Xu will say that Wu Yu got that girl pregnant...
This trick works even better than an IOU!
As Chen Xu left the bank, he felt as if someone was watching him from behind. It was as if a gaze was fixed on his back. He casually turned around and saw two or three guys with messy, permed hair and rock-style clothes whispering and pointing at him and Wu Yu.
It's like in the movie *Hero*. Jet Li's assassin exudes murderous intent in front of a pile of candles. While there's no scientific basis for this concept of murderous intent, it does exist—like someone constantly staring at another person's back. The person can't see it, but they can still sense it. Chen Xu, through training, possesses extraordinary perception, allowing him to sense such faint, potentially unfavorable signals.
Seeing the men's expressions, Chen Xu quickly understood. It turned out that these thugs had witnessed his actions at the bank and, knowing he had money, were planning to take a risk and pull off a heist.
Chen Xu didn't take the three thugs seriously at all, even if they had knives... Of course, if they had guns, then Chen Xu would be the one running away.
Chen Xu was already in a bad mood today, otherwise he wouldn't have bothered arguing with the cashier. Although he vented a little earlier, it wasn't enough, and things eventually fizzled out. Now, someone had delivered right to his doorstep. It was exactly what he wanted!
Moreover, Chen Xu had long wanted to test his skills, having been constantly humiliated by his instructors in the virtual reality world. In reality, the only ones he could truly challenge were Zhu Wulei and Nangong Lan, the strangely related successors of the Bagua Sect… Against them, Chen Xu had no hope of winning unless he went all out… and even then, victory wasn't guaranteed!
So, it was rare for someone to offer something like this. It was like a punching bag being delivered to Chen Xu just when he needed to vent, or a pillow being handed to him just when he wanted to sleep. Therefore, Chen Xu secretly told Wu Yu to go back to the hospital first, as he had something to take care of. After sending Wu Yu away, Chen Xu deliberately walked into a small alleyway. Sure enough, the three men behind him immediately followed him when they saw him moving.
Chen Xu didn't really try to evade them... The main problem was that he was afraid of losing the guys behind him. Where else could he find an opportunity like that?!
So Chen Xu walked slowly forward. The provincial hospital had been built some time ago, so there were still some old houses around and many alleys. Chen Xu quickly turned into an alley and secretly peeked behind a wall. Sure enough, the three people followed him.
Chen Xu originally wanted to go up and show off by taking on three opponents, but then he thought that they might actually have brought daggers or something similar. If he accidentally got scratched while fighting three opponents, he would be at a great disadvantage. So, after thinking about it, he quickly went back through another alley... The alleys here are very interconnected.
After the three men caught up, they couldn't find Chen Xu anywhere. One of them, a blond-haired guy, shouted, "Big brother, that kid seems to know we're following him, he's disappeared!"
The eldest brother touched his bald head and spat: "Damn, he's lucky. But that kid's got money, over a million. If he pulls off this, our lives will be much better!"
Another short man wearing glasses said, "Brother, his money is in his card. Are we supposed to force him to go to the bank to withdraw it? The bank only allows withdrawals of 5,000 a day. He can't possibly withdraw it all at the counter!"
This is a difficult problem. All three of them fell into deep thought. At this moment, Chen Xu suddenly appeared from behind, grabbed the blond man's hair without saying a word, pulled him back hard, and slammed him against the wall!
With a loud crash, the blond-haired man was struck on the head, bleeding profusely, and immediately passed out. Chen Xu clapped his hands, noticing that he had pulled out a few strands of the man's yellowish-brown hair, the color of feces, due to the force he had used. As he brushed the hair away, Chen Xu said slowly and deliberately, "I can think of a way for you. Take nude photos and make him go to withdraw the money. If he dares to call the police, we'll publish the nude photos online."
The two men were stunned for a moment before they reacted. The bald man yelled "Ah!" and pounced on Chen Xu, throwing a punch.
Such a slow speed!
In Chen Xu's eyes, this bald guy was the kind of muscular guy who hadn't really trained and relied solely on brute force. This kind of thug posed no real threat. Fighting him wouldn't even be worthwhile, but there was nothing he could do. Chen Xu was furious, and he needed to vent his anger somewhere. Otherwise, he'd suffer internal injuries from holding it in!
So let's just have these two fight; it's better than nothing.
The bald man threw a punch, powerful enough, but too slow. He also used too much force, and Chen Xu easily dodged to the side. Before the bald man could react to his missed punch, Chen Xu grabbed his ear and pulled him forcefully to the side, slamming him against the wall!
The ear is one of the most vulnerable parts of the human body. Especially when it is pulled forcefully, the excruciating pain can make even the toughest man cry out.
Chen Xu's pull and tug had a surprisingly effective, effortless power, slamming the screaming bald man against the wall. He followed up with a kick to the waist, sending the bald man sprawling against the wall, tears streaming down his face and nose. But Chen Xu wasn't finished. He pressed down on the back of the bald man's shiny head and slammed him forward. The man's entire face was pressed against the wall with a loud bang. Blood streamed from his nose and mouth, his eyes rolled back, and he passed out.
To be honest, Chen Xu's blows were truly ruthless! Since he started fighting, he had never used such force against anyone in real life. With that kind of strength, slamming someone's head against a wall would at least cause a mild concussion!
But Chen Xu was extremely frustrated today.
This anger came very suddenly. Logically speaking, it shouldn't have caused Chen Xu to have such emotions if his brother accidentally got his girlfriend pregnant... unless the woman his brother got pregnant was his own girlfriend.
However, Chen Xu's frustration wasn't anger, but rather agitation, extreme agitation, to the point where he wanted to yell at the sky!
From a psychological perspective, Chen Xu's irritability stems from the anxiety and strange psychological conflicts he experienced during adolescence.
Adolescence is a period that requires a lot of attention. During this time, teenagers often develop a sense of distrust towards the world. This distrust can escalate into distrust of themselves, their families, and their friends. Of course, different individuals will express it differently.
Another significant contradiction during this period lies in the differing views on growing up.
On the one hand, teenagers at this age feel that they have grown up and are capable of handling many things and are free from the protection of parents and teachers. Therefore, they often resist some of the advice given by parents and teachers, and they dislike older people using their age to tell them that they are young... "I am not a child anymore," is a phrase they often say.
However, at the same time, children at this age may feel a certain degree of fear about growing up. Children like Chen Xu, who are 17 or 18 years old, are fine, but for children who are 13 or 14 years old, girls may experience their first menstruation, boys may experience their first ejaculation, and they may have fantasies about the opposite sex. These are all psychological anxieties of adolescence.
For Chen Xu, hearing that his best friend had a child today made him realize that he had become an adult and was no longer someone who could be called "brother" but "uncle." This sudden leap in growth was hard for him to accept.
Because Chen Xu felt he was still young and had never even been in a serious relationship, he had no idea about future marriage or children. But when this issue was suddenly presented to him, Chen Xu started to panic.
He was wondering what he should do if he encountered such a situation.
What if one day a woman suddenly tells you she's pregnant and you're going to be a father?
This anxiety is the main reason why Chen Xu is currently feeling irritable.
So Chen Xu was less about teaching these guys a lesson and more about venting his anger. He was well aware of the consequences of his actions, but he was also thinking that these were just a bunch of thugs who had targeted him first, so he was acting in self-defense, and these guys had no human rights.
In the past, Chen Xu could be considered a fairly kind-hearted person. As Ge You said, even if killing someone wasn't illegal, he wouldn't be able to bring himself to do it. But now, partly due to this anxiety, and partly because of his elevated status, he has developed a sense of contempt for such people at this moment.
But seeing the two men, especially the bald one with blood streaming from his mouth and nose, Chen Xu felt a pang of regret. So, when he attacked the short, bespectacled guy next, who looked like a high school student, Chen Xu held back. Although the guy pulled out a knife, Chen Xu only used a grappling move to make him plunge the knife into his own thigh…
Chen Xu felt he had been quite lenient, because the one-eyed instructor had taught him not to stab people in vital areas, and that if he stabbed someone in a non-vital spot like the thigh, he should rotate the dagger or pull it down. He hadn't done that either. He was just teaching them a lesson; he'd vented his anger anyway.
I wonder how those three guys will feel when they find out that Chen Xu has these thoughts. I doubt they'll feel good about it.
After venting his anger, Chen Xu felt refreshed, the air felt fresher, and the world seemed more beautiful. So he returned to the hospital, where Gao Xiaojie was waiting for him at the entrance.
Seeing the unfriendly expression on Gao Xiaojie's face, Chen Xu shuddered and walked over to ask, "Um, how is it?"
"Wang Jiao said she didn't want to abort the child."
"No way?" Chen Xu said quickly, "She's not planning to have the baby, is she? Didn't you try to talk her out of it?"
"Persuade her?" Gao Xiaojie glared at Chen Xu: "How can I persuade her? Persuade her to kill her own child?!"
Why is this girl so impulsive?! Is she on fire? Chen Xu said, "Why are you taking it out on me? She's not my child!"
Gao Xiaojie turned around and said angrily, "You men are all the same!"
Another map attack! Chen Xu said, "Please, this has nothing to do with me, okay? Don't take your anger out on me!"
"You still say no? You men only care about your momentary pleasure. You don't care about our feelings at all. It's not like you gave birth to the child!"
Chen Xu broke out in a cold sweat and said, "Big sister, don't get so emotional. It's not like I got you pregnant..." Uh, before he could finish, Gao Xiaojie glared at him fiercely and lunged at him. Chen Xu realized his slip of the tongue and quickly said, "I meant that this didn't happen to us. Why are you so agitated?! They're just a young couple. They accidentally got pregnant. There's nothing you can do about it."
Gao Xiaojie snorted, knowing that Chen Xu was right. It was not her place to interfere in the affairs of a young couple, but women really felt differently about these things than men.
The pregnant woman is the one who is pregnant!
Men just shirk their responsibilities in these situations, leaving women to suffer. I've heard that abortions are very painful and bad for the body!
But she also knew that this matter had nothing to do with Chen Xu. Although she was a little willful, she could still distinguish right from wrong. Chen Xu was a very gentlemanly person. But the problem was that men were such creatures, hmph.
Chen Xu, having vented his anger, knew that Gao Xiaojie, being a woman, might be more empathetic in such situations. He gently advised, "Actually, there's nothing we can do about it. They're still young, after all, and not ready to be parents. Putting aside everything else, who knows what they've been taking? I've heard that some medications can seriously affect fetal development. So, they're not prepared at this stage. If the child is deformed, it's better to abort it. Also, they're both students; they haven't finished their studies, and their careers haven't even started yet. It's not suitable for them to have a child at this time, and more importantly, it's an unmarried pregnancy..."
Chen Xu couldn't continue speaking. Not only was Gao Xiaojie looking at him coldly, but he himself also felt that he was really evil. After all, it was a life!
A moment of silence.
After a moment of silence, Gao Xiaojie asked, "Hey, if, if your girlfriend, well, accidentally got pregnant while you were in college, what would you do?"
What could Chen Xu say about this? No one can truly understand the feelings of someone involved until it happens to them personally.
And Chen Xu was asked to say he should abort the child?
That's his own flesh and blood after all! And with Chen Xu's current financial situation, raising a child would be incredibly easy. As for not being ready to be a father... that's just an excuse. He wasn't ready and yet he got pregnant? And then he wants to abort it?!
As for being expelled from school, such reasons are even more meaningless. With Chen Xu's current abilities, does he even need to go to university? His only reason for going to school is because life there is very pleasant, and besides, there are people he can't let go of there.
So Chen Xu nodded very seriously: "I will not abort the child, I will give birth to it. It was my fault, and I will definitely take responsibility!"
Hearing this, Gao Xiaojie nodded in satisfaction, but then felt that her nod was really inappropriate, so she quickly changed the subject, saying, "You're kind enough to have a conscience... Never mind, Wang Jiao just realized it herself, she's really not ready to have a child right now. Let your brother keep her company. At this time, a woman's physical needs are secondary; the most important thing is here..." She pointed to her left breast.
However, Chen Xu misunderstood: "You want to nourish your breasts? Didn't you decide not to have children? Then you don't need breast milk anymore, so why would you need to nourish your breasts?!"
Gao Xiaojie was almost driven mad by this guy! She yelled, "What are you talking about, getting breast implants! Do you even have a brain?! I'm talking about the heart! It needs comforting! You idiot!"
Chen Xu felt wronged... How was he supposed to think of you making such an ambiguous gesture at this time?
Chen Xu didn't need to worry about what happened next, and even if he wanted to, he couldn't. So he went back to school with Gao Xiaojie. By the time they arrived, two classes had already passed that morning.
Upon seeing Chen Xu enter, Qin Xiao'an said with a bitter face, "Third brother, you should go to Lao Gao's office right away. They called your name during roll call!"
"No way?" Chen Xu was a little unhappy because he had thought his roommates were very loyal and had great teamwork. How come he was still arrested?
Seeing his expression, Qin Xiaoan quickly said, "Third brother, we did answer for you! But there's nothing we can do, you're just too famous! Old Gao specifically called on you to answer the question, and when I stood up, he said, 'Hey, I remember Chen Xu wasn't as handsome as you!'"
"Holy crap!" Chen Xu exclaimed. "No way! Am I that famous?" This guy, Lao Gao, teaches Marxist Philosophy, the most boring class for Chen Xu. So, from the very first class of the semester, he'd been hiding in the back corner to catch up on sleep. He never expected Lao Gao to still recognize him? This is outrageous!
At this moment, Gao Xiaojie, who was standing nearby, also heard this and quickly said, "What about me? What about me? Did Lao Gao mention me?"
"No," Zhan Jing chuckled beside her, "They only called on Chen Xu. Hmm, I think you'd better go quickly, or Lao Gao will say you don't need to take the Marxist Philosophy exam."
"Damn!" Chen Xu couldn't sit still any longer and rushed out of the classroom like the wind... He quickly rushed back: "Where is Lao Gao's office?"
"Office building, second floor, room 308, third brother, the wind is howling, the Yi River is cold!"
"Get lost!" Chen Xu shouted without turning his head. "I'll come back and make sure you never return!"
When Chen Xu timidly knocked on the door of 308, he heard someone inside say "Come in." After pushing the door open, he found that not only was Lao Gao inside, but also a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair and wearing a white coat.
"Heh, I knew you wouldn't come unless I used this method," Old Gao chuckled. "Alright, look at you, such a coward. It's just skipping one class, haven't you ever skipped one before? Why are you so scared?"
Chen Xu was speechless after hearing this, and could only scratch his head and smile awkwardly: "Well, I had something to do this morning, so I was delayed."
"You don't need to talk about your matter. I also believe that a young man like you who gets up at five o'clock every morning to run wouldn't sleep in," Lao Gao said with a smile. "The main thing is that this person wants to get to know you. Let me introduce you. This is the famous Dr. Li Liangyan."