I'm back in 1990

Chapter 1126: You Need to Stand Up For Yourself

Sydney is quite chilly at night, but the Park Hyatt Hotel has heating on its balcony, and with the lights of the Sydney Opera House across the water, the night view is quite nice.

The two sat on the balcony, drinking silently.

Chen Zhe sat in the wicker chair, his brows furrowed, his fingers constantly fidgeting with the wine glass in his hand.

Seeing that his wine glass was almost empty, Huang Xiaochuan poured him another half glass.

Seeing that Chen Zhe remained silent, Huang Xiaochuan did not urge him. The two had known each other for over twenty years, and he understood Chen Zhe's personality very well. Moreover, if a person had something on his mind, he would have to take the initiative to speak up.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Zhe suddenly downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, then sighed deeply, "I shouldn't have given Wuhen custody in the first place."

Seeing Chen Zhe speak, Huang Xiaochuan then asked, "What happened to your son?"

Chen Zhe smiled wryly: "I don't even dare to recognize myself."

Huang Xiaochuan waited quietly, knowing that Chen Zhe was about to start talking.

Sure enough, Chen Zhe continued, "He has a row of earrings, his hair is of varying lengths and looks messy, and he speaks and acts like a complete foreigner. When I asked him about school, he seemed indifferent. When I asked about his grades, he said they were so-so. When I said he was quite tall, he said that his race affected his height."

As Huang Xiaochuan listened, he poured some more wine into Chen Zhe's glass.

Chen Zhe picked up his cup and took another big gulp, quite indignant: "That's fine, but the key is that this kid is actually in a relationship! How old is he? He already has a girlfriend, and Chen Qiao even knows about it."

I know that the culture here in Australia is different from that in China. People can get married at sixteen, and the schools here don't object to it. They even teach these kids how to take precautions. It's just...

Frustrated, Chen Zhe downed the entire glass of wine in one gulp.

Huang Xiaochuan quickly advised, "Drink slowly. At this rate, you'll get drunk soon."

Chen Zhe waved his hand: "Forget it, you're right. I need to get custody of this child back as soon as possible, or the child will really be finished."

Huang Xiaochuan asked, "Old Chen, isn't your Wuhen sixteen years old this year?"

"Yes, but I'll be sixteen at the end of the year."

After receiving a definite answer, Huang Xiaochuan reminded Chen Zhe, "I looked into the laws here in Australia. Sixteen is a crucial age. Once a child turns sixteen, they can choose their own guardian. You need to hurry. Given how he treats you now, do you think he'll choose you after he turns sixteen?"

Chen Zhe was aware of this, so he nodded: "If that kid were sixteen, he definitely wouldn't choose me as his guardian. He's closer to his mother now, and he gets along alright with that old man, Qiao's current boyfriend. Today when I went to wait for him at his school gate, he didn't seem excited at all when he saw me, just like he was seeing a familiar stranger."

Seeing that Chen Zhe was familiar with the local laws, Huang Xiaochuan asked him, "So what do you plan to do?"

Chen Zhe picked up the bottle and poured himself another half glass, then took a sip. His gaze hardened. "I've made up my mind. I'm going to sue. I originally arranged to meet Chen Qiao tomorrow to have a serious talk with her, to give her a large sum of money, and see if we could resolve this through negotiation. But tonight, when I took Wuhen home, her attitude towards me..."

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Chen Zhe shook his head self-deprecatingly: "She didn't even let me in the door. You know, I bought that house. With her attitude towards me, what's there to talk about? So I canceled tomorrow's meeting and will let my lawyer talk to her."

Huang Xiaochuan nodded: "You should have done this a long time ago. You and Chen Qiao have been divorced for so many years, and every time you give an inch, she takes a mile, just because Wuhen has custody. You pay child support every month, and she lives such a comfortable life here without even a job, but why can't your son even attend a decent private school?"

Hearing his friend's words, Chen Zhe couldn't help but recall Chen Wuhen's words during dinner that evening: "You'll have to ask your ex-wife about that."

It's better not to think about it, because just thinking about it makes Chen Zhe feel suffocated.

"I don't know much about this either. I asked Wuhen, but he didn't tell me the reason. He just told me to ask his mother. But I'm confused. The money I give them every month is enough for them to live very well, let alone send their child to a private school. Where did Chen Qiao spend the money?"

Huang Xiaochuan patted Chen Zhe's arm: "This is easy to investigate. I'll have someone check Chen Qiao's finances later to see where the child support has gone over the years. If she misappropriated it, it will be good evidence for you in the guardianship case."

Chen Zhe nodded without saying thank you; there was no need, and saying it would only make things seem distant.

Later, because of Chen Qiao, he came to Australia to study. After his divorce, he returned to China alone. Huang Xiaochuan helped him get a teaching position at the University of Finance and Economics. He rose from professor to dean and was also hired as the dean of the Shanghai branch of the Hong Kong Economic Research Institute.

She also quietly facilitated his marriage to Cheng Ling, bringing him back to life and helping him find a lover to spend his life with.

At that time, Huang Xiaochuan was already Asia's richest man and a world-renowned economist with a distinguished reputation, but his affection for him never changed.

"By the way, I discovered something else during dinner tonight: Wuhen might have started drinking alcohol. I've been such a negligent father."

Huang Xiaochuan laughed and said, "Drinking is fine. You know my brother-in-law. My father-in-law fed him alcohol when he was a child, so he can drink a lot now."

Then he changed the subject: "But I don't agree with your statement that you failed as a father. When you divorced Chen Qiao, you did fight for custody. It was only because Chen Qiao knew that she could get child support from you if she had custody of Chen Wuhen that she gave in. You also considered that the child's living environment in Australia was stable, and that he was born here, so you compromised. Over the years, you have given a lot of money and have made time to see the child every year. I have seen everything you have done."

At this point, Huang Xiaochuan downed his drink in one gulp, his voice filled with dissatisfaction: "As for Chen Qiao, she insisted on staying in Australia, saying it was for the good of the children. But what has she done all these years? What kind of person has she raised Chen Wuhen? Two Chinese children who can't even speak their mother tongue, speaking only English, behaving completely Westernized, and not even knowing who their ancestors were. Is this what you call doing it for the good of the children?"

These words struck a chord with Chen Zhe, who nodded guiltily, "That's what I thought too, especially after seeing Chen Wuhen like that today. I was thinking, how can I face my ancestors in the future?"

"So you need to step up. Don't worry about the lawyer. I'll have someone contact the best lawyer around here tomorrow. This case needs to be resolved as soon as possible."

Huang Xiaochuan then asked, "Now I want to ask you, what will happen to the child after you get custody?"

We wholeheartedly recommend this book to you: "1990, I'm Back". You can read it here.