Money Over Love
Copyright© 2026 by RomanticDoaist
Chapter 27: Relic
「North City Commercial District.」
Walking down the bustling pedestrian street, Lin Fan stared at a large pawnshop by the roadside and murmured to himself, Mom, after a full four years, I can finally redeem your precious ring...
Four years ago, the Su family had gone completely bankrupt. Su Mengqing’s gambling-addicted father, Su Guang, had vanished without a trace, while her brother, Su Gang, was seized by debt collectors, hung in a basement, and beaten to within an inch of his life. Zhang Meili and Su Mengqing begged their relatives and friends for money, only to be refused at every turn.
In desperation, Zhang Meili had run to the Suxin Clinic and knelt before Lin Fan’s mother, Lin Suxin, weeping and pleading for help. She had once inadvertently seen a treasured ring of considerable value that Lin Suxin owned.
And so, Lin Suxin had pawned the ring to pay off Su Gang’s gambling debts.
But as the Su family recovered and began to prosper, no one made any plans to redeem Lin Suxin’s ring. Though Lin Fan mentioned it to Su Mengqing several times, he was instead cursed by Zhang Meili and Su Gang, who accused him of holding the favor over their heads.
Clutching the yellowed pawn ticket, Lin Fan approached the counter. Before he could speak, the manager seated inside let out a cold, sarcastic sneer. “Well, well. You’re here again?”
“I’m here to redeem the ring. Here’s the ticket,” Lin Fan said, his expression grim as he handed it over.
The fat, balding man before him was utterly shameless. Every time Lin Fan had secretly scrimped and saved enough for the redemption price, the man would deliberately hike it up. Fortunately, this time, he had brought several times the required amount. He was determined to get his mother’s relic back, no matter what.
“Kid, seeing as you’re so filial, I’ll be generous today and give you back your mother’s ring,” the manager said with a sneer, raising and shaking three fingers. “Three hundred thousand. That’s the final price. If you have the money, you get it right away. Otherwise, no deal!”
Three hundred thousand? That was another fifty thousand added to last year’s price. It was now more than triple the original pawn amount.
BANG!
Without a word, Lin Fan took three thick stacks of cash from a black plastic bag and slammed them onto the counter.
“Eh ... Struck it rich, have we, kid?” The manager was momentarily stunned, then hastily gave the three hundred thousand in cash a cursory look.
“I’ve paid you. Give me the ring,” Lin Fan stated, emphasizing each word.
This lowlife had jacked up the price on a whim time and time again, clearly making things difficult on purpose. If his mother hadn’t insisted that he keep his abilities hidden and never reveal them, Lin Fan would have loved nothing more than to smash the fat bastard’s smug face in.
“Who said that’s enough? I’ve changed my mind.” The manager glanced at the black plastic bag in Lin Fan’s hand, greed glinting in his beady eyes.
“Don’t push it. The ticket is for a redeemable loan. Even after four years, the price couldn’t possibly rise to three hundred thousand,” Lin Fan said, taking a step forward with his fists clenched tight.
“Alright, alright. Seeing how persistent you are ... just give me all the money in that bag, and we have a deal,” the manager said, forcing a smile as he leisurely took a sip of his tea. At his signal, the two burly men with tattooed arms guarding the entrance understood immediately. They stepped forward, blocking Lin Fan’s path with menacing expressions.
BANG!
Unwilling to cause a major scene, Lin Fan simply tossed the entire black plastic bag over to them. Besides, the Yuan family was holding his mother’s funeral, and he needed to get there as soon as possible.
“Good! Very decisive!” The manager opened the plastic bag, and upon seeing the bricks of cash inside, he couldn’t hide his grin. “Go to the storeroom and get the ring from under locker number four!”
A few moments later, a subordinate placed an exquisite jewelry box in front of Lin Fan.
“The deal is done. We’re not responsible for anything once you leave the counter!” the manager said slowly, pointedly focusing on his tea as Lin Fan picked up the box and prepared to open it.