Chapter 274

Jin Siyuan smiled slightly and didn’t press further. He asked everyone to sit down and had Jin Rong prepare some tea. In no time, the room was filled with a delightful aroma, the fragrance of the tea refreshing the senses. Xie Wendong sighed inwardly, thinking that the two men of the Jin family were very similar—both lovers of tea. He couldn’t resist taking a sip. At first, it tasted bitter, but after it settled in his stomach, a subtle sweetness emerged, leaving a lasting aftertaste. He praised, “Good tea! But I’m an amateur and don’t know what kind of tea this is, Uncle Jin.” Seeing his sincere admiration, Jin Siyuan was very pleased and said, “This is high-quality Maojian tea.”

“Maojian!” Xie Wendong, though an amateur, had heard of Maojian before and agreed it was good. Jin Siyuan continued, “Tasting a good pot of tea is like experiencing life—bitterness mixed with fragrance, and fragrance with sweetness. At first, the tea tastes bitter, but once the bitterness fades, sweetness follows.” Xie Wendong joked, “It seems I’ll never reach Uncle Jin’s level of tea appreciation in my lifetime.”

“That’s life experience. You’re just too young yet,” Jin Siyuan replied, then changed the subject. “Actually, I’ve long wanted to meet you in person to thank you, but I’ve never had the chance.”

Xie Wendong was surprised and asked, “What do you want to thank me for, Uncle Jin?” Jin Siyuan said, “A few years ago, you saved Rongrong from those villains. That alone is enough for me to be eternally grateful. Moreover, you’ve always taken good care of her and secretly protected her from harm—things I couldn’t possibly miss.” Xie Wendong smiled bitterly. “You already knew I had people protecting Rongrong?” Jin Siyuan chuckled, “I’m not blind. How could I not notice? Like father, like son. Jin Peng was remarkable, so his son isn’t much weaker either. It’s just that he chose an ordinary life, but that doesn’t mean he’s ordinary.” Xie Wendong said, “Because of my father, Rongrong has a special status, so I had no choice but to do this.” Jin Siyuan smiled. “I understand. That’s why I’m not blaming you. I still want to thank you.”

Xie Wendong said, “This time, I’m planning to head south to Shanghai. I’ll pass through City T on the way. Rongrong wants to visit her grandfather and is planning to go with me. What do you think, Uncle Jin?”

Hearing her name, Jin Rong immediately perked up, pricking up her ears to listen attentively. Xie Wendong thought Jin Siyuan might not agree or at least need time to consider before responding. But as soon as he finished speaking, Jin Siyuan immediately replied, “Rongrong is grown up now. If she wants to go, let her. Besides, her grandfather really misses her—he’s called several times. But with the busy work at the end of the year, my wife and I haven’t had time. With you accompanying her, I’m relieved.”

That father is truly open-minded. Xie Wendong shook his head in secret—entrusting his daughter to a stranger he had only met once was beyond his expectations. As Jin Siyuan had said, he wasn’t unfamiliar with Xie Wendong. A father knows his child best, and vice versa. No one knew Jin Peng better than Jin Siyuan. If even such a suspicious and calculating father could trust Xie Wendong, what was there for him to worry about? Seeing through Xie Wendong’s thoughts, he smiled and said, “My father once told me you’re someone trustworthy. I still trust my father’s judgment when it comes to people.” Xie Wendong shook his head with a smile, admiringly saying, “That old man really is good at judging people!”

Xie Wendong returned to City H quietly, without even his subordinates inside knowing he had left. He left just as silently, without a large group of followers seeing him off. Having spent a long time in the underworld, he knew when to make a fuss and when to keep a low profile. Not many people in City H knew he had left, and even fewer knew where he had gone. A breeze blew across the lake, creating ripples, but once the wind stopped, the surface returned to calm. The flight from DL to City H took just over an hour, yet the temperature difference was enormous.

As soon as they got off the plane, Xie Wendong and the others could tell the temperature had changed. The sun was bright, seeming larger than it was in City H, intense and scorching, making it hard to look up at. Winters in DL weren’t cold, but only when there was no wind. After leaving the airport, Li Shuang unzipped his coat, spread his arms, and looked up at the sky, saying something that surprised everyone: “I’ve finally left Province H!” “Pfft!” Sanyan almost choked on his spit, glancing at Li Shuang sarcastically and saying, “Oh, that’s really something to brag about!” Li Shuang replied seriously, “It’s really my first time leaving the province!” “Come on!” Sanyan snapped, “Besides, everyone in the world heard that. If you can give up such a thing, we certainly can’t!” With that, he pulled Xie Wendong and quickly stepped aside.

Sanyan rushed around everywhere; he couldn’t claim to have visited all of China, but he had been to at least half of it. He was even familiar with the Golden Triangle, having gone there several times to do business with Lao Gui. But Li Shuang was different—Hutang’s influence hadn’t spread outside the province, so he had always played a role of keeping watch. On his first trip to a strange place, fearing that others would leave him behind, he hurried to catch up with them, shouting, “Wait for me!” Outside the airport, Sanyan had already arranged several cars to wait. When Xie Wendong and the others came out, the doors opened and over a dozen people got out. Leading them was Chen Baicheng, whose face was filled with a bright smile. From afar, his laughter could already be heard. He strode forward, bent down, and said respectfully, “Brother Dong, hello!”
Xie Wendong smiled slowly, patted his shoulder, and asked, “With Brother Zhang away these days, you must be exhausted, right?” “Not at all!” Chen Baicheng replied obsequiously. “With Sanyan Brother in charge of DL’s affairs, everything is on track. I’m just responsible for supervision and handling some trivial matters.” Xie Wendong pointed at him with a smile and said cheerfully, “Very good! It’s been a while—Lao Chen has learned to be modest!” Sanyan nodded repeatedly with a smile beside him. Praise from Xie Wendong made Chen Baicheng feel honored as well. Gao Qiang wasn’t as happy; he snorted coldly and stepped aside.
As they left the airport, Chen Baicheng acted like a host, guiding them back and forth, bustling around busily. He helped Xie Wendong and Sanyan into a black luxury BMW, then went around to the other side of the car. Just as he was about to get in, someone held down the door. He snapped angrily, raised his head to shout and curse, but his mouth opened without a single word of anger coming out. His anger instantly turned into a fake smile, and he said respectfully, “Brother Qiang!”
It was Gao Qiang who had held down the door. He shook his head expressionlessly and said coldly, “You’re considered an experienced person—you should know the rules. This seat isn’t suitable for you!”

Chen Baicheng’s expression changed repeatedly before he finally forced out a ugly smile, a smile without sincerity. “Thank you, Brother Qiang, for your ‘guidance.’ I’ve ‘taken note’!” After saying that, he stepped aside to make room. Gao Qiang gave him a brief glance, sneered, and ignored him completely, getting into the car without paying any attention to the hidden meaning in his words. In Gao Qiang’s mind, Chen Baicheng wasn’t important enough. It wasn’t until the car had driven away for a while that Chen Baicheng returned to his normal state, his hatred for Gao Qiang evident in his words. At that moment, one of his subordinates ran over and said, “Brother Chen, everyone else has left. Only we’re left.” Chen Baicheng looked around and saw that indeed, out of seven or eight cars, only one remained behind him; the others had already driven far away. He stomped his foot angrily and said, “Someday, I’ll make you understand my strength!”

Gao Qiang pushed Chen Baicheng aside. Sanyan, who was in the car, naturally saw this, but since the two of them were very close, they didn’t care about such trivial matters. He just chuckled and said nothing. Instead, Xie Wendong laughed and said, “Qiangzi, you’ve gone too far with Old Chen.” Gao Qiang replied indifferently, “His heart isn’t pure.” Sanyan chuckled and said, “How do you know? Do you also have mind-reading skills?” Gao Qiang didn’t know why he disliked Chen Baicheng; it might have been purely instinctive. He shook his head and said, “There’s no reason. I just know!”

Sanyan shook his head and said, “To be honest, I know well what kind of person Old Chen is. Although he’s a bit ruthless in his actions, he’s loyal to me. Moreover, he’s indeed a capable person who’s helped me a lot in the Dragon Hall. With him around, I can ignore some minor matters and let him handle them, often doing a better job than I could.”

Gao Qiang remained silent. Xie Wendong narrowed his eyes and said, “Chen Baicheng is a capable person, but he’s definitely also a smart one.”

The car slowly stopped in front of a large building. Sitting in the car, Xie Wendong looked up. The roof of the building soared into the sky, at least forty stories high. He asked, “Is Old Yu here?”

Sanyan sighed and said, “Those who can spend money must also know how to enjoy themselves.” He was still resentful that Yu Chao always asked for money from various factions within the organization, but found it extremely difficult to ask him for money in return. He firmly believed that using legitimate businesses instead of illegal ones wouldn’t lead to great wealth. There were so many members in Wen Dong’s organization that even he could no longer count them all—could such a large group really be sustained by those “trivial” incomes from legitimate businesses? He expressed doubt. Xie Wendong patted Sanyan on the shoulder and smiled, “You have a prejudice against Old Yu, and that’s not good.” With that, he got out of the car and headed inside the building. Sanyan hurried after him, calling out, “It’s not prejudice—it’s an opinion. Brother Dong, we’re investing too much money in legitimate businesses right now.” “Without heavy investment, how can there be high returns? If the investment is too small, it’ll slow down the pace of transformation too.” “Why do we have to transform? Our illegal business is booming and at its peak.” “But after all, it’s illegal. If the authorities use that against us, it could plunge us into irreparable trouble!” Xie Wendong sighed deeply. He knew illegal activities brought quick profits, but they also exposed too many weaknesses. Sanyan clenched his fist and said, “There are risks, but money can make even ghosts work. If we allocate just one-tenth of our income, it’s enough to build relationships throughout the organization!” Xie Wendong shook his head and sighed, “If we want to grow, if we want to last, if we want to avoid being controlled by the authorities, transformation is necessary. What? Brother Zhang still doesn’t understand?” Sanyan was helpless; he shook his head and said nothing more. When Xie Wendong was determined about something, no one could stop him, not even Sanyan. Li Shuang, Gao Qiang, and the others didn’t follow upstairs. The two of them also felt headaches whenever they saw Yu Chao—this man seemed to be born to say two things: a greeting, “Have you eaten?” and the main topic, “Give me money!” It was already hard to avoid him usually, let alone go to see him voluntarily. The two of them took Jin Rong and went to a nearby fast-food restaurant to eat. Chen Baicheng seized the opportunity, hurried after them, pressed the elevator button before Xie Wendong, and said proudly, “Brother Dong, let me do it!”

Chen Baicheng seemed very familiar with this place, as if it were his own home. After entering the elevator, he skillfully pressed the button for the 27th floor. Xie Wendong asked, “Lao Chen, it seems like you come here often!” Chen Baicheng replied seriously, “Yes! After all, Dongxing Group is our own company. Moreover, if Lao Yu encounters difficulties, I’ll personally go and help. In fact, once legitimate business gets government support, it becomes much more efficient and profitable. So, it’s important to maintain good relations with those in power. In that regard, I’m better than Lao Yu.” Sanyan glared and asked, “Do you come here often? Why don’t I know?” Chen Baicheng quickly said, “I was afraid it might upset Brother Sanyan!”

Xie Wendong laughed heartily and joked, “Brother Zhang, although Lao Chen is under your command, sometimes he does things even better than you!” Sanyan also laughed, patted Chen Baicheng on the head, and said mockingly, “You brat, I’ll settle accounts with you later.” Chen Baicheng was smooth-talking and cunning. He had already figured out Sanyan’s personality—just by looking at his expression, he could tell whether Sanyan was angry or not. Knowing that Sanyan was saying such things but actually admiring him, Chen Baicheng deliberately grinned foolishly, scratched his head, and said nothing.

“Ding!” The elevator doors opened. Two young, beautiful women in dark formal wear smiled and greeted them. Before Xie Wendong could speak, Chen Baicheng stepped forward and said with a smile, “It’s me!”

The women were familiar with Chen Baicheng and quickly smiled, “Oh, it’s Mr. Chen. Please come in.” Chen Baicheng asked, “Is Lao Yu here?” “President Yu is in his office.” Chen Baicheng pointed at Xie Wendong and Sanyan and said, “These two are Lao Yu’s ‘good friends.’ Is it okay if we go in together?” The women glanced at them, finding them unfamiliar. After hesitating for a moment, they still smiled sweetly and said, “Let me inform the general manager first. If President Yu gets angry, we can’t take responsibility.”

Beautiful women are always popular because few men get angry at them. Chen Baicheng shrugged, unwilling to insist, and turned to Xie Wendong and the others, saying, “Brother Dong, what do you think…” Xie Wendong waved his hand and said, “Then let’s wait for this ‘President Yu’ to show up!” He walked up to the reception desk and said to the women with a smile, “Please tell your general manager that I’m Xie Wendong. If he doesn’t come out within half a minute, I’ll leave right away.”

The girl, seeing that he was young but spoke in a bold tone, couldn’t figure out who he was. She picked up the phone and informed Yu Chao’s secretary. She didn’t know who Xie Wendong was; perhaps she didn’t even know what “Wendong” meant, but Yu Chao’s secretary did. Upon hearing the name Xie Wendong, she recognized it immediately and promptly connected the call to Yu Chao’s phone.