After returning home, Yang Yi waited until Xi Xi was asleep that night before heading to the study with two duffel bags of cash.
The money in the gray duffel bag, which Yang Yi had withdrawn from the bank that day, was his earnings from last month’s book *Soldier Assault*, rounded to a whole number. The other dark green duffel bag contained the “reward” he had received earlier for reporting the corrupt official.
Of course, it was no longer two million. Yang Yi had spent over eight hundred thousand—nearly nine hundred thousand—on buying a car, renovating the coffee shop, and other expenses combined.
That was a lot!
Fortunately, Yang Yi had earned it back with ease...
He unzipped the dark green duffel bag, took out the loose cash, and then began pulling money from the gray duffel bag, neatly stacking it into the dark green one.
He counted until the dark green bag held exactly two million!
The gray duffel bag still had one hundred twenty-two thousand seven hundred yuan left. Yang Yi took that out as well and placed it neatly in a cabinet in his study for everyday use.
Yang Yi liked keeping large amounts of cash at home, partly because the concept of mobile payments didn’t exist in this world, and partly due to a habit from his past life—always being ready to grab cash and run!
Even though there was no need for that now, Yang Yi still felt a lack of security...
Anyway, after organizing the dark green duffel bag, Yang Yi finally breathed a half-sigh of relief.
When he had first taken that two million from the corrupt official Luo Jinrong’s hidden stash, Yang Yi thought he could take it with a clear conscience, just like in his past life—pocketing the reward and walking away without a care.
But under Murphy’s relentless questioning, Yang Yi realized that while he had managed to bluff his way through with lies, a heavy burden had settled in his heart.
So this was how many restrictions existed in the ordinary world!
Yang Yi gradually began to see the conflict between his old mindset and his current life. Take this “reward,” for example—he might still see it as compensation for his efforts, but to ordinary people, this money was ill-gotten gains.
How could he use money squeezed from the people by a corrupt official for himself?
If he was acting on behalf of justice but also “taking advantage,” what right did he have to claim he was walking the path of righteousness?
Even the mother of his own daughter had been deceived—how could he use this money with peace of mind?
Since he had decided to fully integrate into the ordinary world, Yang Yi was slowly changing his perspective.
Although Murphy could never discover the existence of this money, Yang Yi felt that if he didn’t handle it properly, this obstacle would always linger in his mind.
How could that be?
Yang Yi was determined to live freely and without restraint!
So, after receiving the royalties from last month’s copyright earnings, Yang Yi withdrew the money that truly belonged to him and filled the hole he had created.
What remained was figuring out how to deal with that two million!
Fortunately, Yang Yi already had a plan.
...
After two weeks of promoting her new song on the charts, Murphy finally had a few days to rest. Though it wasn’t complete rest—she still had to attend some shows in Jiangcheng—Murphy insisted that Yang Yi bring Xi Xi home. She missed her daughter!
When Yang Yi saw Murphy, she still wore that cold, aloof expression, but in front of him, she didn’t hide the exhaustion and melancholy written in her eyes.
“I saw it in the newspapers,” Yang Yi said hesitantly. “Your new album isn’t doing well.”
Murphy was holding Xi Xi, the two of them engaged in a tender interaction. At Yang Yi’s words, she pursed her lips and replied stiffly, “Let’s not talk about that.”
Though she had eased tensions with Yang Yi, Murphy’s perception of him was still stuck in the past. She thought he remained dissatisfied with her work in the entertainment industry, so she preferred not to discuss it with him if she could help it.
Besides, over the past two weeks, the dismal sales of her album had left her utterly crushed. Home felt like her only sanctuary—why drag those storms into it?
Murphy’s tone was still quite grating, but Yang Yi didn’t get angry. He still felt that Murphy’s situation was dire, but the problem wasn’t with Murphy herself—it was that the songs on her new album were just too poor!
If he could “write songs” for her, with Murphy’s talent, returning to the top wouldn’t be impossible! After all, he had already sold songs to a stranger like Chen Yijie—how could he stand by and watch Murphy suffer in silence?
She was, after all, Xi Xi’s mother!
Yang Yi paused for a moment before speaking again. “I think maybe I can help you...”
“No need. Just stay home and take care of Xi Xi. Let me handle my career issues myself, okay?” Murphy interrupted him irritably, clearly annoyed.
Stifled, Yang Yi swallowed the words about wanting to write songs for her.
What a waste! Biting the hand that feeds you!
Yang Yi had a strong sense of pride too—he wasn’t about to grovel and stick his face where it wasn’t wanted!
Seeing Yang Yi fall silent, Murphy felt a flicker of panic. Of course, she had no idea what she had just missed, but for some reason, she inexplicably cared about Yang Yi’s feelings.
“Is he angry? Oh no, did I lose my temper again?” Murphy berated herself.
Still, with her cold personality, it was hard for her to take the initiative to apologize to Yang Yi. Her thinking was peculiar—she wouldn’t yield on matters she insisted on, but at most, she’d make it up to him in other ways.
This meeting between them seemed to end on a sour note.
After dropping Xi Xi off with Murphy, Yang Yi had a few days off. Following his plan, he tossed the dark green duffel bag into the car, packed a few clothes, and drove westward alone, arriving in Sichuan Province, the Land of Abundance.
After two days and three nights of travel, following the map, Yang Yi finally found a place called Miansi County.
Yes, this was the same Wenchuan that had suffered a massive disaster in his past life! But due to a divergence in history, Miansi County—renamed Wenchuan during the Jin Dynasty in the original timeline—had kept its old name.
The geographical location hadn’t changed. Though he knew little about history, Yang Yi, who had once dealt with a corrupt official here, found his destination.
“I want to privately fund the renovation of this school. Money isn’t an issue, but I demand that all the renovated school buildings—every single one, classrooms and dormitories—meet the highest earthquake-resistant standards!” Relying on faint memories, Yang Yi found the rural school at the epicenter of the earthquake from his past life—the only one for miles around—and placed the dark green duffel bag on the desk. “Here’s two million. If it’s not enough, I can add more.”
Two million was far from enough for such a large project with the highest seismic standards.
Facing the bewildered expression of the person across from him, Yang Yi remained calm but exuded an undeniable presence that left no room for doubt.
He didn’t know if this world would experience the same terrifying earthquake as his past life... Yang Yi understood that if history had truly diverged, the money he was pouring in might be like throwing it into the water, possibly even inviting ridicule.
But who could say for sure?
There were still four years to go. If it did happen, Yang Yi couldn’t change anything—he could only hope that these preparations now would be a small contribution.