UNCLTRD chapter 6

“No luck?”

Chen Qiusu always met Yang Tao on his own. The driver didn’t know what Yang Tao looked like and hadn’t seen anyone at the designated spot. After waiting for a while, he returned to report to Chen Qiusu.

“Yeah, I waited for a bit, but I didn’t see any kids.”

“I see.”

Thinking about Yang Tao often wandering alone, Chen Qiusu felt uneasy. It wasn’t like Yang Tao to miss an appointment, given his personality.

He wondered what kind of parent Yang Tao had to let a kindergarten-aged child roam around unsupervised.

Unable to get in touch with Yang Tao, Chen Qiusu decided to arrive earlier the next day at their meeting place.

…..

The next day, parents leading their children began emerging from the pedestrian street. Chen Qiusu guessed it was dismissal time and instinctively stood up, scanning the crowd for a familiar figure.

Wave after wave of people passed by, yet there was no sign of Yang Tao. Just as he considered checking the kindergarten, a small figure with a bag as big as himself came wobbling out from the direction of the setting sun.

“Uncle Chen!” Yang Tao’s sharp eyes spotted him from afar, and he called out, quickening his pace. By the time he reached Chen Qiusu, he was out of breath.

Yang Tao had just gotten a haircut, making his chubby cheeks even more prominent. He used both hands and feet to climb onto the bench, and Chen Qiusu helped him up by the arm.

“Thank you, Uncle,” Yang Tao said as he plopped onto the bench and exhaled deeply.

Seeing Yang Tao lively and cheerful put Chen Qiusu at ease. He sat down beside him. “Did you not come yesterday?”

Yang Tao rubbed his round head. “My dad picked me up from school yesterday, and we went to get a haircut. I was worried you’d be waiting for me, but luckily, you didn’t come.”

“Your dad didn’t pick you up today?”

Yang Tao found it odd, too. His father had said in the morning he’d come to pick him up, but there was no sign of him by the afternoon. “No, he didn’t.”

Despite this, Chen Qiusu still felt uneasy and couldn’t help but remind Yang Tao, “You mustn’t go with strangers. If you don’t see me, go straight home.”

Yang Tao had heard this lecture so often that his ears were practically calloused. Not only did his dad nag him, but now Uncle Chen did too.

He nodded earnestly. He had thought of a solution last night. He took off his backpack and rummaged through it until he pulled out his smartwatch.

“Uncle Chen, let’s exchange numbers. That way, we can contact each other.”

Chen Qiusu hadn’t expected Yang Tao to have something like that. He chuckled. “You even have a phone?”

The smartwatch was something Yang Tao had secretly brought to school without his dad’s permission, so naturally he didn’t respond confidently, looking slightly guilty.

“Tell me your number, and I’ll save it in my phone.”

Entering a phone number was no problem, but typing a name using pinyin was a bit challenging for Yang Tao. Pinyin was something taught in elementary school, and he hadn’t gotten there yet.

“It’s okay,” he said, “Usually, it’s just my dad calling me. The other number will be yours. Even if I don’t save the name, I’ll know who it is.”

Afterward, he recited his own number and supervised as Chen Qiusu typed in his name. “Yes, that’s the right two characters.”

Yang Tao was delighted. He loved exchanging phone numbers—it felt like an important ritual for making friends as adults did.

“Quickly put your watch back safely.” Chen Qiusu didn’t need to ask to know that Yang Tao had likely sneaked the phone watch out without permission. He couldn’t afford to let it get lost.

Yang Tao obediently tucked the watch into the inner pocket of his bag. But, as with all kids, things had a way of slipping out of place. A small, colorful slip of paper fluttered to the ground.

Chen Qiusu picked it up for him without thinking. “See? You need to take better care of your things—”

He stopped mid-sentence when he noticed it was a lottery ticket. For a child so young, a lottery ticket—a form of gambling—was undoubtedly inappropriate.

Yang Tao let out a soft “oh no,” quickly snatching it back and carefully tucking it beside his phone. This ticket, worth a million, was not something to lose.

“Did you buy this?”

“My dad bought it with me! It could win a million!” Yang Tao grinned, revealing two small tiger teeth. His eyes sparkled with excitement about money—a little miser already.

Chen Qiusu became increasingly perplexed about Yang Tao’s father. Everyone dreams of easy money, but how could an adult instill such passive beliefs in a child? What kind of values was he passing on?

Yang Tao was bright and endearing, but every time he talked about money, he acted calculatingly mature—missing some of the innocence children his age should have. It was evident how deeply influenced he was by his father.

Chen Qiusu placed his large hand gently over Yang Tao’s head. “Leave money matters to your dad. You’re still young—focus on making paper guns for now.”

Yang Tao held onto the hand atop his head, tilting his gaze upward to look at Chen Qiusu intently. To him, Chen Qiusu’s hand felt broader and more comforting than his father’s. Whenever it rested on his head, he’d instinctively shrink his neck. He didn’t yet understand the scent of pheromones but found Chen Qiusu’s presence as reassuring as his father’s.

….

After thinking the compensation matter was resolved, Yang Shao planned to pick up Yang Tao from school in the afternoon and take him to the supermarket for his favorite snacks. But then, he received another call from Agent Qian.

Agent Qian said a lot of polite things, but Yang Shao only heard the crucial message: his compensation payout was now on hold, per contractual terms.

The compensation issue had been a rollercoaster of twists and turns. Just when it seemed settled, it hit another snag. Furious, Yang Shao barked into the phone, “We agreed yesterday! How can you go back on your word? Does your company ever say anything that counts?”

“Mr. Yang, we’re following the contract,” came the reply, which essentially meant they were taking advantage of the fact that Yang Shao had no evidence. Words were meaningless; they could change the terms whenever they wanted, depending on their mood.

After enduring enough humiliation, Yang Shao’s temper finally snapped. He hung up the phone and stormed to the insurance company.

But Agent Qian knew him too well. Predicting his reaction, Agent Qian simply stayed out of the office. No matter how much Yang Shao raged in the lobby, no one except the security staff paid him any attention.

A beta with an injured arm was no match for the security guards.

Other clients in the office threw curious glances his way and quietly asked the staff what was happening. To maintain the company’s image, the staff would shrug and mutter, “Just someone trying to exploit the contract for more money.”

The whispered comments felt like invisible knives cutting across Yang Shao’s face. He wanted to cast aside his pride and act like a rogue, yelling the truth for everyone to hear. But he couldn’t. He knew no one would truly empathize with him. Why should they believe him just because he said so?

Throwing a tantrum wouldn’t help. It would only humiliate him further, and in the end, he still wouldn’t get the money.

Yang Shao sat there until the company closed for the day. As he prepared to leave, a cleaning lady, pitying his situation, quietly advised him, “They’ve gone home. Staying here won’t do any good. These companies always hire people to handle these shady tactics—they take advantage of ordinary folks who don’t read contracts carefully. You’ve learned your lesson now.”

…

The sky darkened quickly in the cooler weather. Leaving the insurance company, Yang Shao wandered aimlessly along the sidewalk. The roar of passing cars pulled him back to reality.

Up ahead, a nearly empty bus waited. His home was far from the insurance company, and the last bus of the day had already left. After hesitating for a long while, he finally flagged down a taxi.

As the taxi sped onto the highway, the scenery outside blurred past. Bad luck seemed to follow him like a shadow. Everything required money. No matter how much he earned, it felt like trying to fill a bottomless pit.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He answered to hear Yang Tao’s worried voice: “Daddy, why aren’t you home yet?”

It was already dark, and Yang Tao must have been scared alone at home. Yang Shao wanted to reassure him like always, but his throat felt hoarse. “I’m on my way home.”

Yang Tao, alone in the living room, had turned on all the lights. Hugging his pillow, he perched on the couch and waited. When he heard the door open, he immediately stood up on the couch, craning his neck to look toward the entrance.

“Daddy!”

Without raising his head, Yang Shao replied, “Stop staring. Grab your clothes and get ready for a bath. It’s bedtime soon.”

Yang Tao had been planning to act cute, but seeing his dad’s grim expression, he held back. Quietly, he went to his room to get his clothes and followed his father into the bathroom.

The atmosphere at home was heavy, and Yang Tao tried several times to ask his dad what was wrong, but the oppressive mood seemed to choke his voice.

“Go to sleep. I’m turning off the lights now.”

As his dad left, he didn’t fully close the door, leaving a crack open, through which the light from the living room seeped into the room. Yang Tao held his breath, straining to hear any sounds from the living room. He listened for a long time but could only catch occasional footsteps before sleep finally overtook him.

Yang Tao didn’t sleep well that night. He didn’t dream but rested uneasily, suddenly jolting awake.

The house was silent, and he could hear his own pounding heartbeat. The thin strip of light under the door was still there.

“Daddy…” It was still pitch-black outside. Not knowing what time it was, Yang Tao called for his dad but got no response. Sniffling, he climbed out of bed and padded towards the door. “Daddy?”

The living room lights were on, but his dad wasn’t there. Yang Tao checked the bedroom as well but still couldn’t find him.

Standing dazed and unsure in the quiet house, Yang Tao instinctively reached for his smartwatch to call his dad. However, the cold, automated female voice responded, “The number you dialed is currently unavailable…”

Half awake now, Yang Tao’s sleepiness faded, and his bewildered little face took on a look of fear. He bit his lip, his throat letting out soft whimpers as he tried to keep calm. He dialed his dad’s number again several times, but it was still turned off. Unable to hold back anymore, he let out a loud wail.