"Star Celebration has a seven-day holiday, and our class organized a trip to hike a nearby mountain."
"The climb went smoothly. After reaching the summit, our entire class went to a high-end restaurant called Black Pine Mushroom for a small pot of chicken. Towards the end, our homeroom teacher went to pay the bill, but the front desk told him that because there was a Black Gold member among the order, and it happened to be an event day, the bill was waived due to the double discount. The teacher was confused and asked who the Black Gold member was. The receptionist said the account name was Mr. Jiang, registered at the Black Pine Mushroom flagship store on Qi Yun Star, with a registered limit of five million, meaning he could get up to five million worth of food for free."
"I was the only one in the entire class surnamed Jiang. All my classmates looked at me, and I was also very confused. I said I didn't know, it couldn't be me."
"The teacher asked around, and no one in the class admitted it. Everyone was curious and asked the receptionist how the restaurant knew there was a Black Gold member among them. The staff said that when everyone entered the store, the door would automatically scan their phone numbers, and the phone numbers were linked to the accounts."
"So, our entire class conducted an experiment, lining up one by one to enter the store, with the front desk monitoring the computer. As soon as I entered, the receptionist called out, saying it was this gentleman. My classmates were in an uproar, asking how I had a Black Gold card. I couldn't explain it myself, only saying that there must be some mistake, perhaps their store's database was wrong. But the staff didn't buy it, smiling and giving me a small cake and a small plush toy."
"On the way back, I remembered why I had a Black Gold membership. When I was young, I participated in art association activities on various planets. The locals, wanting to curry favor with me, would give me a lot of benefits. Many cross-interstellar chain catering brands would issue me Black Gold cards or lifetime free dining privileges. Over those years, I received dozens of such privileges, and I had forgotten about them."
"I could no longer hide my identity. My classmates knew I was no ordinary person, but they didn't know the specifics. Later, during evening study, even the vice-principal specifically visited our class and inquired about my studies. My homeroom teacher repeatedly called the phone number of my parents, asking me to come to the office, saying they hoped to arrange a home visit."
"Next Friday evening, there's a parent-teacher meeting, and some procedures require parental signatures, meaning parents must attend. I'm trying to figure out a way."
"Your loving son, Jiang Senlin"
The letter was finished.
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng exchanged a look and both smiled.
"Our son is so silly, he can't even pretend to be poor properly," Cen Yemeng said.
"It's not easy for the poor to pretend to be rich, or for the rich to pretend to be poor. Economic strength is like an invisible force that surrounds people; there are always subtle clues that can reveal a person's financial situation," Jiang Ye chuckled. "Shall we attend the parent-teacher meeting next week?"
"If we go, wouldn't it scare our son's teacher to death?" Cen Yemeng's smile was a little awkward. "Our son won't be able to attend that school peacefully in the future. We'll have to send people to protect him."
"How about this, let Shao Wan find two reliable agents to pose as a junior officer and a bookstore owner, and have them attend our son's parent-teacher meeting," Jiang Ye suggested.
"What if they're exposed?" Cen Yemeng pursed her lips. "If the news gets out that Jiang Haiyang brought a fake set of parents to the parent-teacher meeting, won't he attract even more attention?"
"Agents, their job is to adapt to circumstances and blend into the environment," Jiang Ye said. "Let Shao Wan pick some more experienced agents, have them communicate with our son beforehand, and unify their stories. They'll definitely be able to pull it off."
"Alright, I'll go with your plan," Cen Yemeng nodded.
Jiang Ye immediately called Shao Wan, and then called his son, arranging everything.
While he was on the phone, Cen Yemeng silently stared at her husband, tilting her beautiful chin, her expression subtle.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Ye hung up the phone and stroked Cen Yemeng's head.
"Honey, our son... has been raised in a free-range manner," Cen Yemeng pouted.
"Free-range?" Jiang Ye smiled, finding the term used for poultry odd when applied to their son, but then he thought, "Indeed, it's free-range."
"Are we not fulfilling our duties as parents?" Cen Yemeng frowned. "Are we not qualified parents?"
"We might have spent less time with him, but I think we are qualified," Jiang Ye's expression turned serious. "I've thought about this issue carefully."
"How did you think about it so seriously?" Cen Yemeng stared at her husband.
"First, both of us love our son very much."
"Which parents don't love their children? They are the apple of their eye! Blood is thicker than water, flesh and blood."
"No, no, no, many parents, for various reasons, do not love their children," Jiang Ye shook his head. "Two years ago, when I was discussing work with Shao Wan, this topic came up unintentionally. There are many animalistic parents on various planets, which can be seen from the number of related cases. Late at night, in the garbage heaps of many cities, you'll find bloody abandoned infants crying loudly, only to be picked up and eaten by stray cats and dogs. Some are abandoned due to extreme poverty, while others are simply abandoned by beastly parents. There are even more depraved cases that I can't bear to look at the case files for."
"That's a minority. Loving children is instinctive; that doesn't prove anything," Cen Yemeng shook her head.
"When writing essays in elementary school, there's an eternal essay topic, do you know what it is?" Jiang Ye asked.
"What?"
"'I had a fever, and my parents carried me to the hospital. To emphasize the tragedy, they often added a setting of deep night or a rainy day. Then they would force a sentimental touch, and an awkward and forced essay would emerge. Every elementary school student has written similar essays," Jiang Ye said.
"Mm," Cen Yemeng chuckled. "Indeed."
"We never had to carry Jiang Senlin to the hospital because we could bring the most advanced medical resources on the entire planet to our home, having a platoon of military doctors attend to our son," Jiang Ye said. "Moreover, our son's food and clothing are the best, and the possibility of him falling ill is extremely low."
Cen Yemeng nodded. "Indeed, our son has hardly ever been sick; everything is prevented in advance."
"This is our responsibility as parents," Jiang Ye said. "It's not just about illness; many things are the same. The responsibilities that ordinary parents laboriously fulfill, we resolve with a few words, and our son enjoys things far better than ordinary children."
"Our son lacks our companionship," Cen Yemeng said.
"I admit that, but there are two points. First, when he was young, we spent a lot of time with him. Although we were always busy with work, our son played in our office, where he could see his parents anytime. Second, as our son grew up and left our protection early to venture into society, it also helped shape his personality."