After the soul swap, I became stronger (12): Home phone call from the children of the world

After the news that Si Qi developed a special drug for AIDS spread, the students at school were bewildered, Si Qi’s parents were dumbfounded, and the “family of three” from the Wang family, who had been secretly observing Si Qi’s movements and were deeply afraid of being entangled by him, completely collapsed!

That “fool” who they avoided at all costs, who never intended to return, and who only knew how to bury his head in books without any idea of competing or fighting, actually casually donated more wealth than ten Wang families combined, and he did it under the name of Si Qi, who had no connection to the Wang family at all!!

They were so jealous they were about to go crazy!!

If they had known their son had this ability, why did they always stop him from doing research, why did they refuse to provide him with the most basic conditions for experiments, why did they always urge him to fight for those trivial benefits from the Wang family, and why did they treat him like a cheap commodity to be “sold” to other families for marriage alliances in exchange for benefits?

Were they stupid?!

Just when they wanted to contact Si Qi, they didn’t even know where he was living, what he was doing, or how to find him.

The country also would not let them know! Even less would it casually allow them to establish any relationship with Si Qi!

They had never been recognized by Si Qi as father and son before, so naturally, there was no possibility of being recognized by Si Qi in the future. They lost a watermelon to pick up a sesame seed, and now it was too late to regret it!

After hearing the news, the school was overjoyed and couldn’t contain themselves. They must have thanked their lucky stars countless times for not hearing those rumors before and for dismissing Si Qi.

Otherwise, now that the news had come out, everyone in the world knew that with Si Qi’s abilities, he would never demean himself to do such a thing. Yet the school, biased and credulous, would become a perpetrator of public opinion, recklessly and arbitrarily driving away an innocent student, allowing him to be blamed by millions.

Of course, now it was possible to use Si Qi’s name and receive praise from everyone internationally, boasting, “This is the school that had the foresight to sponsor Si Qi’s education years ago!”

Seeing more and more people extending olive branches to the school, offering to sponsor it and promising numerous benefits, and preparing to send their own children here to study, the school leaders are almost going crazy with joy!

They didn’t know how many times they had been grateful for the decision to spend money to bring Si Qi to the school to study; it was an incredibly profitable deal, even more so than a tenfold return on investment!

Originally, there were keyboard warriors online who, due to the unequal relationship between Si Qi and Chu Feng, tried every means to portray the two in a negative light, but they had now been completely silenced.

Seeing Si Qi casually donate more than Chu Feng’s net worth, who would still dare to say a bad word about Si Qi? Instead, everyone praised Chu Feng’s keen insight, recognizing Si Qi’s talent so early on, regardless of Si Qi’s age and experience, and fully funding Si Qi’s research, pouring hundreds of millions into Si Qi without hesitation.

If it weren’t for Chu Feng’s help, how could that special drug against the AIDS virus been cultivated by Si Qi?

This also led to the continuous surge in the stock market value of Chu Feng’s company in recent days. The shareholders couldn’t stop smiling at Chu Feng, praising him for his vision time and again, throwing out flattery as if it were free, completely forgetting how they used to badmouth him and Si Qi behind their backs.

And various aspects of Si Qi’s life had been gradually uncovered by netizens. For example, he came from a poor background, and his family was in massive debt, yet he managed to get into an international school with top-notch teaching resources through his own efforts, receiving the best education in the country. Not only did he not spend a dime, but he was also able to receive money from the school to support his family.

For example, during his time at school, he had close relationships with teachers and classmates. Recently, when he was almost slandered, the school leaders and teachers were the first to stand up and speak for him. The students also jumped out in righteous indignation to argue with netizens on his behalf. Their heartfelt and sincere actions made people marvel at Si Qi’s good relationships.

Some people even found the dilapidated little house where Si Qi had lived for ten years. As soon as they opened the door and stepped inside, they were almost driven back by the foul smell, covering their noses and screaming, “What is that smell?”

Looking at that cramped and dark place, it was hard to imagine that a family of three could actually live there. Then recalling the bright and beautiful campus seen online before, which seemed to gather all the world’s beauty, netizens couldn’t help but once again admire Si Qi’s resilience, as he seemed utterly unfazed by this harsh reality.

Someone found Si Qi’s neighbors again and asked about Si Qi. These people, who lived at the bottom of society and had clearly experienced many unfair treatments, always liked to nitpick and be difficult, and at first glance, they seemed hard to talk to. However, in front of the video camera, they unexpectedly showed smiles and praised Si Qi. They said he was sensible, smart, and filial, and that he was a particularly likable child who would smile at everyone he met.

In short, as long as Si Qi’s name was mentioned, you would never hear a single bad word about him from these people, and every compliment was genuine and heartfelt, with not a hint of insincerity.

“That kid knows I have rheumatism, and every rainy day my legs hurt so much I can’t stand up straight. Climbing the stairs feels like it could take my life. Every time, he carries me up and down several flights of stairs, and he says that if I ever need anything done, just let him know and he’ll take care of it… Oh, when I see his obedient little face, how could I bear to refuse? My own son and daughter don’t care for me, but this little kid who lives next door is so considerate!”

“He knew I had stomach problems and didn’t want to take the medicine, so he went to the pharmacy himself to get the medicine, brewed it, and brought it to me, saying it was all traditional Chinese medicine and not worth much. He made me take it on time every day, and if I finished it, he would brew more for me. You have no idea, that medicine was bitter, but no matter how I drank it, my heart was sweet…” The elderly person on the other side of the side of the camera couldn’t help but wipe away tears while speaking, choking up and saying, “I watched him every day as he flipped through medical books, researching how to treat us. My heart just couldn’t take it! That child is truly wonderful…”

“The medicine he gave me was really effective. It was a problem that had been bothering me for several years. No matter what medicine I took or what treatments I had at the hospital, the pain would still come back. But after taking the medicine he gave me, I was better in less than a week! That kid really knows his stuff! This is it!” The aunt speaking gave a thumbs up, her smile incredibly bright.

The video started with the small house, interviews more than ten neighbors around it in the middle, and ended with a shot of the exterior of the small house.

After watching the video, the netizens sighed and commented:

“This house is the one that Si Qi only moved out of after that incident, right? Before that, he clearly already knew Boss Chu Feng and had a good relationship with those wealthy students at school, yet he still willingly chose to live in a place like this. It really shows that he didn’t care at all about those external material conditions.”

“There are actually such good people in the world, and I only found out about his existence now… If I could have known Si Qi earlier, I wouldn’t have been able to bear seeing him go through such a hard life… Just watching the video makes my heart ache and makes me want to cry.”

“Previously, there were even people slandering that Si Qi was with Chu Feng for money. I couldn’t help but sneer. Si Qi’s friends even said they were willing to give Si Qi a house to live in, but Si Qi didn’t want it. Isn’t that enough to prove his innocence? And yet, after that, they still spread rumors everywhere, saying how Si Qi was. Now, let’s see what those people have to say!”

“I guess those keyboard warriors’ faces must be swollen by now. That’s over 200 billion. Si Qi said he would donate it, and he did. He also said that the remaining money, according to the agreement, was supposed to be transferred to Chu Feng as part of the sponsorship fees. But since Chu Feng didn’t want it, he had to keep it. Actually, if you think about it, Si Qi probably didn’t keep a single cent for himself.”

“Hey, the more I think about it, the more I realize this kid is extraordinary. Whether it’s his brain or his character… he’s too selfless.”

“I am proud that our country has someone like Si Qi!”

“…So who was the person who framed Si Qi back then? Does the country not intend to stand up for Si Qi at all, not intend to catch that person and punish them severely? Aren’t they afraid of disappointing Si Qi?”

“Hey, Si Qi is just too kind. Why did he stop others from revealing the name of the mastermind during the live stream? I really wanted to be a keyboard warrior and unleash some online violence on that black-hearted guy!”

“If it weren’t for Si Qi’s abilities and strong character, any random teenager would probably be unable to turn things around if they encountered such slander, right?”

“I heard that the student is surnamed Wang, and his family runs a hospital and deals with medical equipment.”

“Hehe, opening a hospital? What a coincidence! If that’s the case, their family is going to have a tough time from now on… Of all the people to offend, they had to offend the big boss in this field. They’ll have plenty of trouble to deal with in the future!”

As the netizens said, the Wang family was indeed very unfortunate right now.

Although the public opinion was being controlled online, for the time being, no one knew that the person who framed Si Qi was the future heir of their family, so their hospital and pharmaceutical brand had not suffered a fatal blow or been spontaneously boycotted by the public.

But due to word of mouth among the students, people in the upper circles had almost all learned about the matter concerning the young master of the Wang family, Wang Jiu. They knew that he had offended the famous domestic entrepreneur Chu Fengg and the rising star Si Qi, who had already become a key protected figure by the state.

The Wang family suddenly became the pariahs of everyone around them. Wealthy and influential people who used to come to their hospital for consultations and treatments disappeared without a trace overnight. This invisible blow was equivalent to taking half their lives.

The Wang couple had really hit rock bottom, with external ridicule, internal family oppression, and the collapse of their biological son’s massive fortune. Any one of these would be enough to drive them to the brink of despair.

They blamed all of this on “Wang Jiu.” If it weren’t for his appearance, their son would still be their son, and they would still have their share of the hundreds of billions in assets! If “Wang Jiu” hadn’t maliciously targeted “Si Qi,” causing them to lose out, how could they have been disliked by the old master of the Wang family? How could they have been ridiculed by everyone for offending Si Qi and Chu Feng?

This shouldn’t have happened at all; it was all because of that damn, lowly, delusional brat who thought he could rise to the top in one step! It was all because of him!

“The family of three” caused a huge commotion because of this matter. The child of the world was both devastated and desperate, completely unaware of how things had turned out this way. He never expected that person to have such abilities. He regretted that people are indeed different from one another. Those with talent, regardless of their background or living environment, would eventually rise.

On the contrary, even though he had such a privileged family background and power that others could only dream of, in the end, he still ended up with nothing.

He gave up his almost within reach inheritance, lost the favor of teachers and classmates, abandoned the parents who cared for him, and lost the good impression he should have had with everyone…

Just by changing a chip, everything that originally belonged to Wang Jiu just disappeared like that…

Why, was he really that bad?

The child of the world, in pain, clutched his hair, hiding in the spacious and luxurious bedroom, questioning life and feeling utterly helpless.

At this moment, he couldn’t help but miss his parents. If it were them… would they forgive him and accept him again?

In this world, perhaps only those two people would unconditionally love him.

In his time of pain, he picked up his phone and dialed that incredibly familiar number, one he hadn’t contacted in months.

“Hey, Dad? It’s AQi…”

Your real son.

Over there, Dad Si’s expression changed, and he frowned, saying, “What did you say?”

Sitting on the sofa watching TV, no longer having to wake up early every day for work, Mom Si looked over in confusion, her eyes questioning.

Mr. Si and Mrs. Si exchanged a glance, said nothing, stood up, walked towards the bedroom, and closed the door.

The child of the world cried out, “Dad, I am really AQi, your biological son! The one now is an imposter! Dad!”

Dad Si sat on the stool at the foot of the bed with a stern face, silently listening to the unfamiliar man’s voice crying for a long time.

Although the voice was completely different, this familiar tone, even the emotions during crying, were exactly the same as the boy in his memories.

Thinking about the mysteries that had accumulated over this recent period; only at this moment had they finally all been unraveled.

The voice over there continued, “Don’t you find it strange? He’s changed so much during this time. Just look at how he talks and acts, where is he the same as me?”

“Dad, I’m not doing well right now. No one really cares about me. I miss you so much. I think about coming home every day… Boo hoo, Dad.”

Dad Si sighed silently, furrowing his brows and said, “Where are you now? What’s going on?”

The Child of the World choked up and said, “I’m at someone else’s house right now. I swapped souls with the person who took over my body. My name is now Wang Jiu. Wang Jiu was my classmate before, the one who was the student council president.”

“Is it him?” Dad Si frowned, recalling the face he had seen a few times over the past few years, and the student who had spoken at the recent parent-teacher meeting. His expression grew increasingly tense, and his fists clenched tighter. “If what you’re saying is true, then your family conditions must be quite good now.”

The sound of crying over there suddenly became unnatural.

Dad Si’s face was grim, and there was a hint of anger in his tone: “Xiao Qi has been awake for almost two months. Why haven’t you come to find your mom and me during these two months after you swapped bodies with him? Why haven’t you told us the truth?”

The Child of the World fell silent once again.

Dad Si slammed his fist on the table: “You said you and Xiao Qi are classmates, so why didn’t you come to see us at the last parent-teacher meeting?”

“You clearly knew my and your mom’s phone numbers, why didn’t you call us to report that Xiao Qi was in a vegetative state before?”

“Were you planning from the start not to acknowledge us, thinking we were poor and a burden to you, wanting this wealthier family instead? Now that you’re suffering over there, seeing that our family’s situation has improved, you want us to help you?”

“Have you ever thought about the fact that you’ve already taken over Xiao Qi’s identity, and now you’re coming back to reclaim your own biological parents? What will happen to Xiao Qi?!”

The Son of the World was infuriated by the relentless questioning, and shouted loudly into the phone: “Why do you care about him? Are you so impressed by that guy’s success that you don’t want me as your son anymore? You snob! Do you even realize that I am your real family?! Do you have any conscience at all?!”

Dad Si’s face turned grim as he said word by word, “Yes, I like that kid more than you, but not because he is successful! Didn’t you used to be more successful than other kids? Weren’t your mom and I good enough to you? But how did you treat us before? After Xiao Qi came over, he still hadn’t figured out that so-called medicine, and the conditions at home were just as poor as before. Your mom and I are not his real parents, and we can’t even provide him with the most basic material conditions. We can’t compare to his real wealthy parents at all! But him? He treats us better than you, our son whom we’ve pampered for over ten years! He’s so filial and considerate to both me and your mother. He even knows to give us shoulder massages, pluck our gray hairs, and bring us a cup of health tea after we get off work! Your mother was so happy that she secretly cried with me several nights, saying that her son has finally grown up.”

“I’ll tell you, AQi, I know you’ve always been someone with your own ideas, and when you have a goal, you’ll do anything to achieve it. But this time, it’s different. You can’t use me and your mom to hurt that child.”

“Now that you have money, a good family environment, and don’t have to worry about food and clothing, you don’t need us, your once despised parents, to help you with anything. Don’t tell me you long for family affection; you’re not that kind of person! I know your intentions. The only advantage your mother and I have in the eyes of others is that we raised ‘Si Qi.’ Are you also thinking along those lines, wanting us to do something for Xiao Qi? Let me tell you, it’s impossible!”

The Son of the World was almost driven mad, screaming, “Why? Why does that guy get all the benefits? He took everything from me, he even took you away! You actually speak up for him, do you even consider me your son anymore?”

“I think you would rather be someone else’s son!” Dad Si snorted coldly.

The Child of the World was furious: “They never treated me like a son! In these wealthy families, everything is calculated. To them, family ties are nothing. They used to be polite to me, but now that they see I have no use for them, they turn their backs on me! They don’t even realize their own son has been replaced. You just leave me here and don’t care?!”

“That’s why Xiao Qi is so good to us; he never experienced family love before!” Dad Si’s words almost drove the Child of the World crazy. “This poor child, your mom and I will definitely treat him better from now on! We’ll make up for all the parental love he missed out on in the past!”

“Dad!!”

“Don’t call me Dad.” Dad Si closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and forced himself to harden up. He said to the person over there, “Don’t even think about coming over to disturb your mom. Your mom likes the current Xiao Qi more than I do. What you’re doing will only hurt her!”

“I—”

“Enough!” Dad Si said, “If you really get into trouble, your mom and I will help as much as we can, but I can’t think of any situation where you would need help from two people like us who have no money and no ability!”

A father knows his son best. As soon as Dad Si received the call and heard his son playing the victim, the first thing that came to his mind was that this person was preparing to use him to harm his current son; otherwise, his tone wouldn’t be so resolute.

“Qiqi’s money is Qiqi’s, and Qiqi’s connections are also earned by Qiqi himself. Your mother and I have no skills at all. Now we just take the money Qiqi gives us out of filial piety and live a peaceful retirement. We can’t do anything to harm Qiqi for the sake of you, this ungrateful little brat!” Dad Si was halfway through his words when he suddenly saw the bedroom door being pushed open from the outside.

However, Mom Si just stood there, silently crying, seemingly not thinking of coming over to take the phone and talk to the person on the other end. Her face, full of despair, looked particularly pitiful.

Dad Si didn’t have the heart to continue talking to that ungrateful child. He hurriedly hung up the phone amidst the shouting and commotion, put down his phone, and walked over. Before he could say a word, the overwhelming sadness swept over him first. Unable to hold back, he hugged his wife tightly and choked out a sob.

“Don’t be sad, we still have Xiao Qi.”

“Woo woo woo woo…” Maom Si burst into tears, collapsing onto the ground, her legs giving way beneath her. She kept hitting her legs with her hands, “I can’t bear to part with this child. Why isn’t this child ours? Why! Woo woo woo…”

After being a mother for over ten years, Mom Si felt the warmth of her son’s filial piety for the first time. When she saw Si Qi, she felt as if her heart was melting, wishing she could dedicate everything she had to him.

She wasn’t unaware of the discrepancies, but she really couldn’t bear to shatter this illusion. She didn’t want such a good child to leave them. She knew that self-deception was wrong, but she truly lacked the courage to face the harsh reality.

“Alright, alright, don’t cry. If you cry, I’ll want to cry too,” Dad Si wiped the tears from the corner of his eye and said to Mom Si, “Xiao Qi has never mentioned wanting to recognize his biological parents. I’ve heard that his parents treated him very poorly and didn’t care about him at all. He would rather have us, his poor parents, than go back to that wealthy family, which shows that he still likes us very much.”

“Woo woo woo…” Maom Si was so sad that she could only cry. Dad Si said, “Since we already know about this, when Xiao Qi comes back, we’ll have a good talk with him and see what he thinks. If he wants to leave, we have no reason to force him to stay. He has already been good enough to us. If he wants to stay, then we won’t have to worry anymore and can raise him as our own son. What do you think?”

Mom Si cried for a long time, and under Dad Si’s gentle comfort, she slowly nodded and said sadly, “What about AQi?”

Dad Si’s eyes were complex, and the coldness in his tone from before was gone. It was clear that his earlier tough attitude was just a facade. He sighed and said, “The place where he lives now is very wealthy, and we don’t need to worry about his food and clothing at all. He didn’t want to acknowledge us before, so he must have been very satisfied with the conditions there. Now that he’s calling, he must have seen the news and realized that Xiao Qi is capable and our family is quite wealthy. I don’t really know what he wants to do. He didn’t mention any difficulties he encountered during the call, so I guess he’s just trying to sow discord.”

When Mom Si heard Dad Si arranging things against his own biological son like this, she pursed her lips, lowered her head, and actually felt that with that child’s personality, he could really do such a thing. Not a single thought of rebuttal arose.

Seeing that Mom Si looked sad, Dad Si wanted to say something nice to cheer her up. He smiled and said, “Do you remember the student council president at Xiao Qi’s school? You used to praise that kid, saying he spoke politely and was well-mannered. When you were helping him with the scholarship student enrollment procedures back then, you even said the student council president respected you a lot, didn’t mind our family’s poverty at all, and was meticulous and considerate in his work—Xiao Qi is that person.”

Mom Si was surprised for a moment, recalled Wang Jiu’s face, and happily said, “Oh, it’s him! He really is a good kid, very well-behaved, and his grades are excellent. I see that the teachers and classmates at school all like him very much.”

Dad Si also laughed, “We are really lucky to have met such a good child.”

“Yeah, winning the lottery isn’t as lucky as we are!” Mom Si curled her lips and smiled, “Ever since he came to our house, I wake up smiling every day.”