Money Over Love
Copyright© 2026 by RomanticDoaist
Chapter 23: Debt repayment in ten thousand folds!
“No, it can’t be ... this is absolutely impossible...”
Stamping her feet in anxiety, Xu Juan rushed over to snatch the phone.
Zhang Qiang shuddered, snapping awake. He fumbled to pull out his phone and open the stock trading app. For the past four years, he had been continuously buying shares of Su Pharmaceutical. Besides pouring in all his cash, he had borrowed heavily from all quarters. He had even gone so far as to mortgage his own house and Xu Juan’s family home.
And Su Pharmaceutical had performed admirably, its stock price climbing year after year. Zhang Qiang had made a killing and never missed an opportunity to show off. Naturally, his investments had only grown more frenzied.
If this damn thing suddenly crashes ... I’ll have to jump off a building!
With his heart pounding in his throat, he opened the app. Zhang Qiang’s vision went dark, and his head buzzed as if it would explode.
The chart was green. A sickening sea of green, representing a cliff-like plunge.
“Su Family, you bastards! You’ve killed me!”
THUD!
Zhang Qiang collapsed to his knees, humiliating tears streaming down his face.
“What the hell are you hesitating for? Sell it all! Hurry!” Xu Juan was on the verge of hysterics. She snatched the phone, and one look was enough to make her sway, struggling to remain on her feet.
In the few minutes that had passed, Su Pharmaceutical’s stock price had plummeted even further. If they sold now, they would be completely ruined.
“Zhang Qiang! I want a divorce!” Xu Juan burst into angry tears, furiously kicking and punching the despairing Zhang Qiang.
“Zhang Qiang! You’ve fucking killed us all!”
Just then, Uncle Ma and the others started crying too. Su Pharmaceutical’s stock price had collapsed. Not only was Zhang Qiang unable to repay his debts, turning their IOUs into worthless paper, but they had also been caught in the disaster. They had often been green with envy as Zhang Qiang boasted about his stock earnings, so they had followed his lead and bought a lot themselves. Now, they had been fleeced for everything they had, right down to their underwear.
“Ah! My life’s work! It’s all gone, completely gone!”
“Lin Fan! Lin Fan, can you help us again? You have a hundred million, don’t you? Just pretend none of this happened and give us a few hundred thousand more!”
“Yes, yes! Lin Fan, I’m begging you! Please, just think of it as saving Uncle Ma’s entire family!”
The whole group collapsed to the ground, wailing as if at a funeral. But then, their gazes suddenly fell upon the pile of cash in the corner. Instantly, the eyes of every man and woman present filled with greed.
Turning, Uncle Ma hurried over to Lin Fan.
THUD! He dropped to his knees.
THUD. THUD.
The others followed his example, kneeling before Lin Fan and begging pitifully. Even Zhang Qiang and Xu Juan, their faces full of eagerness, shuffled over as well.
“I already told you. I gave you the money, and you were the ones who burned it. As long as you don’t regret it,” Lin Fan said slowly, finding the situation incredibly amusing.
It seems I’ve still underestimated their shamelessness. They turned on me completely for the small favors Zhang Qiang promised them. Now, to cover their losses, they have the gall to come begging to me? Do they have no shame? They are truly shameless!
“Lin Fan, how can you just stand by and watch us die?”
“You’re so rich! What’s a few hundred thousand to you?”
“Exactly! What do you need all that money for? Help Uncle Ma out, and my whole family will be grateful to you for the rest of our lives!”
Seeing Lin Fan refuse without a moment’s hesitation, completely unmoved, the expressions on the faces of Uncle Ma and the others instantly soured. The sound of their bitter pleading turned sharp and indignant.
“Am I heartless? No. You’re the ones who look down on people, and you don’t know the first thing about gratitude.” Lin Fan’s gaze turned completely cold as he once again pointed toward the door. “My mother spent seven years treating the sick and doing good deeds, but none of you were grateful. You’re nothing but a pack of shameless animals.”
“There’s plenty of room on the road outside. If you want to cause a scene, do it there!”
“My patience is limited! Don’t fucking push me into hurting someone!”
His roar echoed through the mourning hall. Uncle Ma and the others trembled, swallowing the curses that were about to leave their lips.
At that moment, Zhang Qiang suddenly charged toward the pile of cash. He frantically scooped up several bundles and turned to run. Xu Juan stood stunned for a moment, then followed his lead, grabbing a few bundles herself.
Holy shit, you can just do that?
This snapped Uncle Ma and the others out of their stupor. They too rushed forward, scrambling to grab the money.