Hard work after winning the lottery

The phone, which had been slammed onto the bedsheet, stubbornly lit up for a few seconds before finally going dark.

The rented room was deathly silent, save for Hua An's heavy breathing, like that of a wounded, trapped beast.

His chest heaved violently, his hands rested on his knees, and his eyes were bloodshot.

That fire wasn't just anger, but also a fear of betrayal.

Now, who is this Zhou Yanjin who suddenly appears?

What kind of bullshit CEO is this?

He'd seen plenty of rich people like that; in this big city, there were plenty of scumbags who drove luxury cars and played with people's feelings.

Does a simple "I don't know" mean you can erase the suffering of the past few years?

dream!

In his heart, his sister Hua Yun was the best woman in the world.

We absolutely cannot let some random random man ruin the peace and stability my sister has finally achieved!

"Zhou Yanjin..."

He squeezed out those three words through gritted teeth.

Although they had never met, he had already sentenced that name to death in his heart.

He turned around, his gaze falling on the narrow, cramped desk.

He turned on his computer, which was filled with densely packed program symbols—the project progress that the company urgently needed tonight.

For this project, he stayed up for three consecutive nights and drank countless cups of instant coffee.

In this so-called internet giant, he was like a cog in a machine that could be replaced at any time.

Working overtime day and night, being scolded without any dignity, and the seemingly endless prospect of promotion.

The manager's greasy and mean face suddenly appeared in my mind's eye.

"Hua An, young people should be able to endure more hardship. Don't even think about leaving until this bug is fixed tonight."

"Hua An, without connections in this city, you can only rely on your own hard work."

Desperately?

I risked my life, but what did I get in return?

Even if something really big happens at home, I'm always the last to know!

An unprecedented sense of weariness instantly swept over my entire body.

He looked at the rented room, which was less than ten square meters, and at the bustling yet indifferent neon lights outside the window.

This is not his home, nor is it anyone he cares about.

He's burning his life here like a fool, but for whom?

Isn't it all so that I can provide a safe haven for my sister and nephews?

But now, someone wants to steal his house!

"Perfect!"

Hua An slammed his hand on the table, making the instant noodle bucket next to him jump.

"I don't want to do this lousy job anymore anyway!"

Forget about future prospects, year-end bonuses, and promotion opportunities—get lost!

He strode to the computer and pounded his fingers on the keyboard, making a crisp "clattering" sound.

The document was opened, and the cursor was jumping around wildly.

There were no titles, no honorifics, only the most straightforward expression.

To the company: I have decided to resign immediately due to personal reasons.

"Over the past year, I thank you for letting me see the true face of capitalists."

"That meager salary can't buy back my youth, much less my dignity."

"Let whoever wants to handle the follow-up work take it; I'm not doing it anymore!"

After typing the last exclamation mark, Hua An felt as if every pore on his body had opened up.

Move the mouse and click "Send".

The email transformed into a data stream, flying towards that suffocating server.

After doing all this, he didn't even turn off the computer; he simply closed the lid.

With a "snap," it seemed to put an end to this frustrating corporate slave life.

He turned and rushed to the wardrobe, pulling out the dusty suitcase.

The zipper was roughly pulled open, emitting a piercing scream.

He acted like a madman, grabbing clothes haphazardly from the wardrobe and stuffing them into the suitcase.

Whether it's winter or summer, whether it's folded or unwashed.

Stuff everything that could be taken with you into the box.

A small Superman doll fell out of the pile of clothes.

He had just bought it last week as a gift for Sitao to take back home for the Chinese New Year.

Hua An paused for a moment, and his eyes instantly reddened again.

He picked up the doll, carefully patted off the dust, and solemnly placed it on top of the box.

Just then, the cell phone on the table suddenly started vibrating wildly.

The word "Manager" flashed on the screen, standing out starkly in the quiet night.

Hua An sneered, picked up his phone, pressed the answer button, and shouted before the other end could speak.

"Hey? Hua'an, what are you doing? What does this email mean? Don't you want to quit?"

The manager's furious roar came from the other end of the phone.

"Yeah! I quit!"

Hua An's voice was even louder than his, carrying a sense of resolute determination.

"Find someone else to take over the project afterwards, and don't call me again!"

"If you dare leave, you won't get a single penny of your salary or bonus this month!"

The manager clearly hadn't expected the usually timid and honest man to dare to talk back like that, and started threatening him with money.

"I'll save this for your coffin!"

After shouting that, Hua An hung up the phone and immediately added the number to his blacklist.

The world is finally quiet.

At that moment, he felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

He had only one thought in his mind: to go home!

Immediately! Right now!

He wanted to go back and see how many heads that bastard who dared to call himself "Dad" had!

If that Zhou Yanjin dares to treat my sister even the slightest bit badly, he'll risk his life to kill that bastard!

After packing his things, Hua An looked around the small house where he had lived for more than a year.

The goals he wrote when he first arrived are still posted on the wall; now, they seem like a joke.

He shouldered his simple bag and walked out of the room without looking back.

He tossed the keys onto the shoe cabinet by the door, making a crisp clinking sound.

He left in a hurry, directly telling the landlord that he wanted to move out, and he didn't even intend to ask for the deposit back.

He didn't want to waste any more time, even just a minute, as long as he could get away as quickly as possible.

Even if it meant giving up the tens of thousands of yuan in prize money he was about to receive, he felt it was worth it.

Money can be earned again, but you only have one sister and one family.

The night wind howled, and the streets of City C remained brightly lit and bustling, but all of that was irrelevant to him.

He flagged down a taxi and headed straight for the train station.

A day and a night later.

A silver-white train, like a sharp sword, cleaved through the rolling mountains.

Hua An sat by the window, his eyes were dark and swollen, clearly he hadn't slept well for the past few days.

His windbreaker was wrinkled and his hair was messy, making him look like a refugee.

But his eyes were frighteningly bright.

The scenery outside the window rushed past, from skyscrapers to low-rise houses, and then to endless farmland.

The familiar scenery finally brought a moment of peace to his restless heart.

Checking out, checking out, and scrambling for tickets—every second felt like an eternity.

He didn't answer any of his family's calls because he was afraid he would soften his heart and waver after hearing his sister's explanation.

He doesn't need an explanation.

He only believed what he saw.

He pulled a bottle of mineral water out of his backpack and took a big gulp.

The icy water flowed down his throat and into his stomach, but it couldn't extinguish the fire in his heart.

My phone vibrated; it was a news notification.

It happened to be a financial news flash about the Zhou Group, accompanied by a picture of Zhou Yanjin, dressed in a suit and looking aloof.

Hua An stared intently at the face on the screen, his fingers digging so hard that his knuckles turned white.

The man in the photo has a cold gaze and exudes an aura that keeps strangers at bay.

Is this the man who wants to marry my sister?

Is this the so-called "father"?

He looks like a heartless and ungrateful person!

How could a rich young master like that possibly be genuinely good to his sister?

It must have been a spur-of-the-moment decision, or it could have been a fight for custody of the child!

Isn't that how it's always portrayed in TV dramas?

Once they've won her over, they'll kick her aside and run away with the child.

"Don't even think about it..."

Hua An cursed under his breath and slammed the screen off, as if he wanted to crush the man's face.

"Passengers, the train is about to arrive at..."

A sweet female voice came over the loudspeaker, reminding everyone that the final stop was approaching.

Hua An suddenly stood up and grabbed the backpack from the luggage rack.

The movement was so large that the passengers next to him shrank back in fright.

Ignoring the stares of others, he strode towards the carriage door.