Raising You This Small Stuff

Chapter 55.1 (Po Fei’s owner) Po Fei’s final destination A

Po Fei lowered his head habitually as he walked and didn’t pay attention to the man getting out of the car, let alone notice the man’s gaze that fell on him.

As he approached, Kan Ming looked at him more carefully. The teenager was wearing an old style sneakers and his trousers were a little wrinkled most likely due to his part-time job, but you could see clearly that they were usually washed very clean because the cuffs and the legs of the trousers didn’t have any stains on them. Fatigue could be seen from his obviously malnourished face and the bag he was holding revealed a thin wrist that was particularly blinding.

Po Fei was walking hurriedly when a dark figure suddenly accelerated towards him and bumped into him. It was unavoidable and it appeared as if the other party was aiming at the bag in his hand as his wrist became loose from the collision and the bag fell to the ground with a snap.

The man, who was half a head taller than him stiffened, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

Po Fei: “….” How come this explanation didn’t sound so unconvincing at all?

Kan Ming bent down to pick the bag for him. Po Fei moved to take it but he didn’t let go, “I’m really sorry for wasting your dinner.”

Po Fei frowned and moved to take it again, “It’s okay.”

Kan Ming took a half step back, avoiding his hand then said with a sincere tone, “I’ll pay you back. It’s just as well, I’m going out for dinner.”

“There’s no need.” Po Fei felt that the man in front of him was getting more and more suspicious. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was holding his dinner in his hands, afraid he would have already turned his head and left.

“You live here?” Kan Ming looked like a roadblock bully molesting a little girl.

“….”

“Join me for a meal??”

Po Fei finally couldn’t stand it and turned to leave.

Kan Ming said hurriedly, “It’s a pity that you wouldn’t be able to eat some of the braised elbow, lion’s head…”

Po Fei’s feet stopped.

Then he looked at Kan Ming suspiciously. They were both men, so eating together shouldn’t be a problem, moreover this big silly thing in front of him… didn’t look like a bad person. Of course, he wasn’t attracted to that elbow, lion’s head or whatever he said…

Kan Ming drove him to a very famous restaurant then ordered a copy of what he had just ordered for him before asking Po Fei what else he wanted to eat.

Po Fei gulped untraceably but still said with a cold expression on his face, “Just these.”

Kan Ming nodded, closed the menu then said to the waiter, “Two more bottles of juice and two portions of rice.”

“Alright sir, please wait for a while.” The waiter left.

The atmosphere was a little awkward for a while, and after a few minutes of silence, Kan Ming finally spoke first: “Do you live in that neighborhood?”

“Hmm.”

“You seem like, a university student?”

Po Fei replied, “No.”

“Then… a worker?”

“Hmm, sort of.”

“What kind of work do you do?”

Probably too annoyed by Kan Ming, Po Fei took his peaked cap off, revealing his slender eyebrows, “Big brother, you have a lot of questions.”

Kan Ming froze for a moment, “….. Alright, then I won’t ask.” Anyway, he was already clear about the teenager’s life experience a long time ago because the investigation had been very thorough, making him feel distressed for the first time in his life for a stranger he’d never met before.

The teenager, in addition to the time spent in the game inside the classroom, spent most of his time working part-time jobs to pay for the basic needs of the vegetative person in the care center. He couldn’t even imagine how much pressure an elf who was only 17 years old, under the circumstances of a player who abused alcohol and gambled indiscriminately was under and endured as he struggled to support a broken home. Moreover the investigation revealed that Fang Gui had violent tendencies when he got drunk. The teenager’s life in this kind of environment could only be imagined.

Soon the food was served one after another and Po Fei buried his head and ate up, eating fast and barely chewing, not even drinking the juice that had been poured out for him.

“Have something to drink, eat slowly.” Kan Ming said.

Po Fei’s chopsticks paused, perhaps seeming to feel that his appearance was a bit wretched, but he still stuffed a piece of stir-fried pork in mouth then drank two mouthfuls of juice, “You… how come you’re not eating?”

“Ah, I’ll eat, I’m…. I’m waiting for the rice.” Just as he said this, the waiter brought in two bowls of rice. Kan Ming placed the meat on top of the rice and mixed it well.

Probably a novelty to Po Fei who was looking at it, he also placed a piece meat on top of the rice, mixed it, then fetched a big mouthful with a spoon then put it in his mouth — it was so delicious!

Thus the two guarded the table of food. They each ate two large bowls of ‘mixed rice’ then leaned back contentedly in their chairs, so comfortable that they wanted to sleep.

“Thank you for this meal….” Po Fei opened his mouth. Although he didn’t know what medicine this silly big man was selling in his gourd, the food was real.

“You’re welcome.” Kan Ming said with a smile, “I’m the one who bumped into you first…. and, since we’ve had dinner together, we could be considered friends, so how about you do me a favor?”

“What kind of favor?”

Kan Ming said, “There’s a girl living on the third floor of the first unit of a certain building… I… am pursuing her, she likes… garlands made of willow branches, so I want to send one to her every day, but I’m too busy at work and want to find someone who lives in that neighborhood to help me.”

Po Fei: “….” So insincere.

Kan Ming continued, “If you know someone who is suitable you can recommend him to me, I will be paying him a salary.”

Hearing the word salary, Po Fei’s narrow eyes lit up, “How much?”

Kan Ming stifled the smile at the corners of his lips. This was an authentic foodie plus a money fan!

“Every day….” If he mentioned too much it would seem too fake right? “200 yuan. Yes, not more than that.”

Po Fei covered his bulging stomach and sat up straight, “200 yuan a day just to deliver a garland?”

Kan Ming said: “It’s not only that, you also have to do it by hand, the rougher the better, so as to make it seem like I did it myself. Deliver it twice a day and also imitate my handwriting to write notes on the card.” Kan Ming struggled to weave his lie, pretending not to see Po Fei’s blank stare.

The world of the rich and stupid people really didn’t need to be understood by someone like him, but the money earned was very good. It just so happened that he needed to pay the fees for the care center tomorrow and he was still more than a thousand yuan short and didn’t know where to get it. So Po Fei patted his chest and took the job. As he left the restaurant, Kan Ming immediately contacted his subordinate to rent a house in the neighborhood where Po Fei lived.

As he sent Po Fei back to his neighborhood, the sky was already dark. Looking at the teenager’s back under the dim yellow street lamp, Kan Ming felt as if his chest was being blocked by something. The first time he had seen Po Fei here, he had unconsciously compared him to Yuan Suo. One was held in the palm of a hand for fear that he would fall, so loved and cherished and one was doing heavy manual work and sometimes went hungry, but the two…. were once both pure souls who didn’t know anything about this world.

—

When Kan Ming went back to Mo Yi Cheng’s hotel room, he saw Yuan Suo sitting on the sofa watching a movie with his ‘limited’ snacks, but when he saw Kan Ming greet him, he knew it had to be because of the issue concerning Po Fei so he turned the TV off quickly and sat upright. Mo Yi Cheng patted him on the back to make him less nervous, then motioned for Kan Ming to sit down.

Kan Ming sat down and went straight to the point, “Fang Gui’s debts have now reached seven figures and it’s impossible for him to pay it back by himself and he has already scrapped Fang Ya dry over the years, so we can consider starting from this area.”

Mo Yi Cheng thought about it for a moment, “But even if you give him more money, he has no way of transferring the ownership of the elf so it can only be a temporary solution, and once you open this opportunity, it will become a bottomless pit.”

The look on Kan Ming’s face turned grave. This was a problem he hadn’t thought about, but there was no better solution right now.

“Second young man, I want to give it a try. First take back the person…. the elf from Fang Gui’s hands. Although the things that will follow would be uncontrollable, at least it’s a positive solution.”

“You want to give it a try?” Mo Yi Cheng heard the extra meaning behind Kan Ming’s words.

“Yes, I’m willing to do my best to help Po Fei.” Kan Ming’s gaze was unusually firm, and Mo Yi Cheng knew Kan Ming’s character well enough to know that his mind was now made up.

“Alright, if there’s anything you need me to do, just ask.”

“Alright, I will.”

Chapter 55.2 (Po Fei’s owner) Po Fei’s final destination A

Po Fei had officially started his job a few days ago and every morning when he came out from the game, the first thing he did was to bypass the bottles all over the floor, open the door, then go downstairs.

Because it was an old-fashioned neighborhood, there was no greenery around, but there were two large willow trees with lush leaves at the entrance of the alleyway. The first thing he did was to take the willow branches and weave a ‘garland’ according to Kan Ming’s ‘rough’ standards, then deliver it to the address Kan Ming gave him yesterday.

Po Fei knocked on the door and the person who answered the door was a young lady. She looked beautiful and was dressed very fashionably…. it was just, he hadn’t been able to figure out how such a person could live in such a place. The girl, as usual, took the garland made of willows, said thank you, then closed the door. Although he still had some doubts in his heart, the card containing the 2000 yuan salary Kan Ming had paid in advance was really tempting.

Fang Gui got up and went straight to the bathroom. After dry heaving and getting tired from cursing in the kitchen when he didn’t find any food, he shouted Po Fei’s name twice and after no one responded, kicked the table twice then went back to sleep.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. He didn’t move, but the person outside didn’t seem ready to give up. Disturbed, he finally jumped up to open the door.

Once he opened the door, he saw two tall men in black standing outside. They didn’t look like the usual debt collectors, but they they looked aggressive.

Before he could close the door, Fang Gui was pulled out by the collar of his shirt.

“We don’t mean any harm, we just want to discuss something with you.”

“There’s nothing to discuss! Let go of me! You’re breaking the law! I’ll call the police…” They covered Fang Gui’s mouth and took him downstairs as he struggled desperately all the way.

When Po Fei returned after sending the garland and buying breakfast, the door was half open. He didn’t see Fang Gui and there was no sign of a fight inside or outside the house, so he wasn’t too concerned. He went inside to eat breakfast then changed into his best clothes to prepare for a visit to the care center later to visit Fang Gui’s wife who was also his closest person in this world.

—

“You can help me pay off all my debts?” His initial fear disappearing, Fang Gui’s arrogance rose immediately after knowing the intentions of the person opposite him.

Kan Ming’s gaze was bitingly cold, like a knife that couldn’t wait to gouge his flesh, “Yes.”

“Ha ha, you think you can buy away such a big secret with just that bit of money? If that elf is really sold on the market, it wouldn’t be at this price.” Fang Gui looked like he was ready to open his mouth wide for a lion share.

Kan Ming snorted coldly, “Do you think I don’t know that such an intelligent game has a self-protection mode? If you maliciously expose the game it would shutdown and even the highest-end technical talent now would simply be unable to break through. In their opinion, it’s just one of the most common low-end cell phone games. So you’ll never get the opportunity to sell it on the market.”

Fang Gui’s face paled after being exposed but soon shrugged his shoulders with brazen look on his face. “But you’re trying to buy it now, aren’t you? Since you want to buy it, don’t be afraid to spend money.”

Kan Ming’s face was gloomy, “How much do you want?”

Fang Gui spread his hand that was still stained with oil and gestured, “Five million, not a penny less otherwise don’t even think of taking that boy away! And after I get the five million, I guarantee that in the future, if the game crashes and you need the player to reboot it or to authenticate whatever permission settings, I’m at your disposal.”

Kan Ming’s eyes dropped as he considered it, not saying a word. It wasn’t that he wasn’t able to pay the five million, but whether Fang Gui would really honour the promise he had just made after he gave him the five million.

After a long time, Kan Ming said slowly: “I can give you the price you’re asking for.”

Fang Gui’s eyes flashed, his whole person excited.

“But it can’t be a one time payment.”

“What do you mean?” Fang Gui was dissatisfied.

“The five million, has to be paid in five years. During this period, I need you to strictly honor your promise.” According to the clues provided by Yuan Suo, Kan Ming had discovered after calculating that as long as he had his help, it was entirely possible for Po Fei to reach full level within five years.

“That won’t work!” Fang Gui was naturally dissatisfied with this kind of ‘payment in installment’.

Kan Ming added: “What I mean is, it’s in addition to helping you pay off all your current debts.”

Fang Gui froze for a moment then fell silent, as if he was thinking about it but said after only a few minutes, “Ok, I promise you.”

Kan Ming breathed a deep sigh of relief, “Good.”

Fang Gui grinned, then swayed a few times because the hangover made him a little unsteady, “Bring the contract, we’ll sign it now.”

Kan Ming’s eyebrows rose, “No need, this kind of thing isn’t legally guaranteed even after we sign a contract.”

“Ha ha, it’s okay even if we don’t sign it.” Fang Gui didn’t care, he had the advantage.

Seeing Fang Gui’s appearance, Kan Ming stood up suddenly, put his two hands inside the pockets of his trousers, rolled his neck then walked over in an imposing manner. Fang Gui gulped subconsciously, taking two steps back.

“But if you dare play tricks, I guarantee that there are many effective methods than the contract that would make you perform your duties.”

“… You… you don’t have to scare me… I’m not afraid of you.” Even though he said this, his legs weakened a little, because the aura of the man opposite was too regal.

After selling the elf at a good price, Fang Gui handed his phone over generously after taking the money.

After Kan Ming got the phone, he clicked on the screen and saw an empty but humble apartment inside the game. His complexion finally eased and he asked someone to send Fang Gui back.

The first thing Kan Ming did was to tell Mo Yi Cheng about the latest development. Yuan Suo was also very happy to hear this, but they all knew in their hearts that although he had temporarily gotten control of the ownership over Po Fei through money, they had also planted a very big hidden danger. Afraid that there would be more problems to be dealt with, but at least at the moment, everyone was happy.

Po Fei’s whereabouts had been reported to Kan Ming so coming out from the office, he drove all the way to the care center hurriedly.

Tian Yao, Fang Gui’s wife, had been here since she entered a vegetative state five years ago after being in a car accident. Po Fei came to visit her whenever he could, keeping watch by her bedside.

Through the small window on the door of the ward, Kan Ming saw Po Fei squatting by the side of the bed as he wiped Tian Yao’s cheeks with a handkerchief. After years of being in a coma, Tian Yao’s condition was very bad. Her mouth was half open and her face was pale and gray as she lay on the hospital bed as if she was a skeleton.

Kan Ming stood outside the door watching them until Po Fei inadvertently looked up and saw him. Surprised and confused, he went out.

“Why are you here?” Po Fei thought it was a chance encounter.

Kan Ming smiled, “I came to ask if you’ve finished your work this morning.”

The corners of Po Fei’s mouth twitched, “You have a fever, right? Don’t come here even if you’re sick, go to the mental hospital.” Although it was a sarcastic remark, it was the longest sentence Kan Ming had heard him say ever since he met him and although it was said in a mocking tone, his whole body softened.

Kan Ming shrugged, a helpless look on his face, “Maybe, that’s why I reached here in a daze.” Saying this, he took a cell phone from his pocket.

Chapter 55.3 (Po Fei’s owner) Po Fei’s final destination A

Po Fei didn’t understand what Kan Ming’s words meant at first. It wasn’t until he saw the phone clearly, including the small scratch on the upper right corner of the screen which really confirmed that what Kan Ming was holding in his hand was the phone that operated his game.

“You… you…” He was surprised speechless.

“Why don’t we go inside the room and talk about it.” Nursing staff and family members who came to visit passed by from time to time on the corridor, so it was really not a good place to talk.

Po Fei’s brain was blank at this moment, so he just followed Kan Ming into the room.

“What exactly is going on here?” He held the phone tightly as he looked at Kan Ming warily.

Ten minutes later, he sat somewhat dazed on top of the plastic chair by the hospital bed, his hand shaking slightly as he held the phone. He glanced at Kan Ming then moved his eyes away quickly.

“One last question, why did you do it?” Po Fei bit out the word ‘you’ heavily. He wasn’t asking why Du Du or Du Du’s player did this, but why Kan Ming did this. He spent such a large amount of money, just to exchange for a useless elf like him. What exactly were his intentions?

Kan Ming seemed to have seen through his thoughts as he spoke slowly: “Because your appearance the first time I saw you, when you were carrying a handy bag as you looked up at the sky, then down at the kitten’s is engraved in my heart. You and Du Du are alike and should both have a happy life. I didn’t take over the game to control you and won’t restrict you. You have an independent personality and we can get along like friends.” Of course there were many things that Kan Ming didn’t say. Like he had seen Po Fei squatting alone under a tree crying, seen him almost get hit by a car as he handed out leaflets wearing a doll costume, and also seen him spread the little bit of the money he had earned flat then put it away, and then drooling at the food stall not even able to afford to buy an oden that cost one yuan.

“….. Thank you.” It seemed as if Po Fei had accepted this outcome calmly but at this moment, it was as if a tsunami was surging in his heart. He had never imagined that his life would change so drastically. He had always thought his end was to sink with Fang Gui and one day return to the darkness… but before that, he had wanted to do everything he could to give Tian Yao the best.

Neither of them noticed, that as they spoke, Tian Yao’s dried fingers on the hospital bed moved a little.

Having received Po Fei’s approval, Kan Ming took the phone and held it in his hand solemnly as if he had just received the best treasure in the world.

“Can I click on it?”

Po Fei nodded, somewhat uncomfortably although he didn’t know exactly where this embarrassment came from.

Kan Ming smiled then clicked on his profile.

Elf information:

Name: Po Fei

Gender: Male

Age: 17 years old

Origin: 3077 A.D. War Zone A

Personality: introverted, loyal

Level: 21

Skin mode: Advanced version

Po Fei had already changed owners once and compared to the time he came to the game, his level was surprisingly only comparable to Du Du’s.

He seemed to be a little embarrassed, “If… If you skip classes or don’t have enough credits, your level will drop.”

“Oh, so I’ve taken over a bad boy.” The tone with which Kan Ming said this was relaxed.

Po Fei’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, making his feigned expression of anger much more vivid than usual.

“Alright, should I take you to lunch?” Kan Ming patted Po Fei’s somewhat hard shoulder then secretly decided to raise him the same as when Du Du was in his Q version, then immediately felt that it was a pity afterwards to have missed his Q version.

Although Po Fei was still a little unaccustomed to such intimate actions, he didn’t avoid it.

“What do you want to eat?”

“I want to eat oden.”

The two ordered a super spicy pot at a small oden restaurant, sweating profusely as they ate.

Po Fei’s pale face finally had a little bit of blood in it, making Kan Ming happy, but he still instructed, “Drink something, or else your stomach will hurt later.”

The two ate once again until their stomachs became round before they chatted quietly.

“Actually, my real player isn’t Fang Gui.” Po Fei revealed.

“What?” The cigarette in Kan Ming’s hand almost went out.

It turned out that Po Fei was only eight years old when he came to this world and was reborn in the game, and his owner was Tian Yao who was still in university at the time.

Tian Yao was a high achiever in the art department and despite the fact that she came from a middle-class family and her parents died early, she still completed her studies through perseverance and hard work, then became a very accomplished designer in the industry.

Because there hadn’t been any parental relationship since childhood, Tian Yao loved her ‘brother’ in the cell phone very much and the two get along very well. Po Fei called her sister, but in his heart he had long regarded her as a mother.

Later, Tian Yao married Fang Gui, and because the two were very much in love and happily married, she shared the secret of Po Fei being an elf with her husband, and Fang Gui accepted his existence.

But the good times didn’t last long. The second year after their marriage, Tian Yao had an accident. That day she took the 12-year-old Po Fei out and Po Fei, seeing a lost little boy crying in the middle of the road for his parents rushed to save him, but didn’t notice the speeding truck coming towards them. The moment before the tragedy occurred, Tian Yao jumped and pushed him and the little boy aside and was knocked far away….

He was still a child at the time and didn’t know what to do as he almost lay by Tian Yao’s side as she, his big sister was covered in bright red blood all over… in the moment when she was dying, she chose to transfer Po Fei’s player ownership rights to her husband and Po Fei naturally agreed.

Fang Gui used all the family’s assets to save Tian Yao’s life, but she never opened her eyes again. Fang Gui sank day by day, gradually becoming addicted to alcohol and gambling, lost his job, then blamed it all on him, making Po Fei who was already guilty feel even more that everything was his fault.

Kan Ming rubbed his hair, distressed, “It’s not your fault. Tian Yao loves you so much that in order to save you, she didn’t even mind exchanging her life for yours. She would definitely not want you to live in self-blame. Living happily, is the greatest reward you can give her.”

Po Fei was silent for a while, then nodded.

“Then according to what you’re saying, your real player is Tian Yao…”

“Hmm, because although my sister transferred the player’s rights, she hasn’t… passed away, so Fang Gui is just a proxy player and my sister is the real player.”

After listening to Po Fei’s words, Kan Ming was shocked: “That is to say, your ownership rights is actually in Tian Yao’s hands. As long as she becomes conscious she has the option of undoing your relationship with Fang Gui!”

Po Fei replied, “Yes.”

But Tian Yao had been in a coma for so many years, wanting her to wake up to solve all this was easier said than done.

Kan Ming said, “Don’t worry, I’ll find the best doctor to give her the best treatment, I hope…. she can recover soon.” Although the hope is slim, they still had to try.

“Then…. you’ve helped me so much, how do you want me to repay you?” He didn’t like to owe favors, even though he knew that what Kan Ming had done for him couldn’t be repaid in this life anyway.

Kan Ming froze, then pretended as if he was thinking then finally said very seriously: “How about in return, you promise me your body.”

Po Fei froze for a few seconds and was about to rush up to beat him when Kan Ming burst out laughing. He put the last string of tripe inside Po Fei’s bowl then took a deep breath, “You don’t have to think about repaying me, helping you is a choice I made based on my own beliefs. Of course, if you really want to repay me, I’ve never liked strangers entering my room, so in the future I won’t be hiring housekeeping.”