Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 179: The Armored Convoy

According to Chu Tianyu’s vision, a project as vast as the development of “Pei” could not be completed in a short time even with the entire nation’s efforts. Moreover, developing the western region involved not just funding but also many other decisive factors such as mindset, systems, and the environment.
These elements were interlinked, and simple investment alone could not guarantee results. It was a massive project that might only see partial progress after generations of effort—something utterly impossible for Chu Tianyu!
Yet, perhaps only such a task could pose a challenge to him. In fact, everyone was striving, though at different levels.
Today, Chen Qing’s words acted like a fuse, igniting something deep within Chu Tianyu. Beyond the loneliness of his martial arts plateau, he finally found a direction to channel his efforts. For him, the goal he needed to challenge could be summed up in two words: difficulty!
Of course, to challenge difficulty, one must first understand it and have a clear awareness of one’s own strength; otherwise, it’s all just talk!
Chu Tianyu was certainly not someone who indulged in empty talk. He had the resources to pursue this vision and take on this challenge, but they weren’t enough to ensure success. So, as everyone discussed, his thoughts drifted to one person—key to whether he could succeed. Her name was Qin Nianran!
Chu Tianyu currently didn’t lack resources. Even if what he had wasn’t enough to transform “Pei” as a whole, improving specific areas or certain regions was definitely possible. What was lacking was talent. Aside from the genius Qin, neither he nor Ouyang Ziyi possessed the ability to manage such a vast project.
“Tianyu, what are you thinking about?” Ouyang Ziyi asked, noticing his lost expression.
Chu Tianyu snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at those around him. Realizing how difficult his vision seemed, he also realized that fate had given him much more. Not to mention Ouyang Ziyi and Bai Lei, who would surely support him firmly, there were also potential backers like Lan Yue, who could become a significant advantage in the future.

Seeing that Chu Tianyu hadn’t replied, everyone’s attention turned to him. Chu Tianyu remained unmoved, as if thinking for a while before saying, “Nothing much. I just had some thoughts suddenly. By the way, Chen Qing, could I ask you to be my guide this summer?”

The sudden shift from answering Ouyang Ziyi’s question to asking Chen Qing left everyone puzzled. Ouyang Ziyi seemed pensive, while Bai Lei seemed to sense something odd; he stopped making noise and turned his head sideways, ears perked, waiting for what would come next.

“A guide? What do you mean?” Chen Qing asked, looking at his girlfriend in confusion.

“I want to go to your hometown over the summer, take a look along the way, conduct some useful social research, and learn about the local customs…” Chu Tianyu said calmly.

“Great! Yueyue and I will sign up first!” Bai Lei exclaimed after hearing this, slapping the table loudly.

Ouyang Ziyi didn’t say anything, just stared at Chu Tianyu thoughtfully. The others weren’t surprised by Chu Tianyu’s words but were shocked by Bai Lei’s sudden outburst.

“Damn it, idiot! Chu Tianyu is going to the countryside to observe the people—why are you so excited?” the tall guy said.

“That’s right! Why are you so excited? And even if you’re eager to go, there’s no need to make such a fuss by slapping the table and knocking over chairs!” Bao Cai added.

Bai Lei completely ignored the two idiots’ “criticisms.” He had a strong intuition that following Chu Tianyu on this trip would be absolutely amazing—worth every second!

“Huh, where have I heard that ‘amazing’ phrase before? Did I say it when trying to trick Chu Tianyu into being my underling?” Bai Lei thought.

What really excited Bai Lei was the fact that he could now fully focus on accompanying Chu Tianyu on his trips without any worries. From past experiences, every time Chu Tianyu went somewhere, good things happened—going to Hong Kong brought back Ouyang Ziyi, going to Motuo brought him the famous actress Xue Feifei. This time, after going to Europe, not to mention anything else, he even went further, not sparing foreign kids either. From the way they looked at Chu Tianyu at the airport, it was clear they were like little lambs falling into the wolf’s den.

So hearing Chu Tianyu say that, Bai Lei naturally became anxious. The big stars and “little lambs” out there couldn’t always give Chu Tianyu an edge, right? Although Bai Lei himself didn’t have any particular plans, it wouldn’t hurt to go and take a look. Besides, what if he really met some fairy-like girl? Well, that would just be fate. He believed Xiao Yueyue would understand too, hehe…

Seeing Bai Lei suddenly interrupt in such a way and, after being mocked, inexplicably fail to retort at all—staring there as if frozen, drooling slightly with a dreamy expression—everyone was puzzled. Chu Tianyu could more or less guess Bai Lei’s thoughts, so he ignored this good-for-nothing and continued explaining to Chen Qing, “This time, I mainly want to visit your place personally. Since I’m not familiar with the area, I’m looking for a guide…”

At this point, it was hard to continue speaking. Actually, he really hoped to get to know their place better through Chen Qing before heading northwest from Guangxi. So when he heard that Chen Qing wanted to work, he thought it would be better to invite him along—this way, Chen Qing could go home and cover his travel expenses. Chu Tianyu was sure he’d find a way to compensate them for the income they planned to earn from working. But mentioning this now would damage their normal relationship as classmates.

“Whatever about a guide or not, although people here are poor, we’re extremely hospitable. I’ve made up my mind—this summer, I, Chen Qing, will invite everyone to my hometown to enjoy the most authentic smoked meat and red bean stewed with pickled vegetables, and to see the scenery there…” Before Chu Tianyu could finish speaking, Chen Qing firmly declared, slapping his chest.

Before Chu Tianyu could say anything, Bai Lei, who had snapped out of his daydreams, rushed to speak up, “Alright, alright. Since Danqing has spoken, let’s not be shy. But then again, everyone has to cover their own travel and meal expenses. Registration starts now—those who want to go, shout out!”

Chu Tianyu was amused by Bai Lei cutting in, but since he had planned to include him in this trip anyway, his enthusiasm was perfect—let him use his skills to organize things! That way, Chu Tianyu could have some peace.

However, Da Ge and Bao Cai showed little interest in this proposal. Chu Tianyu’s words had been rather vague, and they thought he was planning a trip to get close to the countryside and nature, so they didn’t think much of it. Feeling they each had their own matters to attend to, they decided not to join.

In the end, it was Chu Tianyu and Bai Lei’s group who decided on the plan. Although Ouyang Ziyi hadn’t said much, she strongly supported this trip. Needless to say, Lan Yue, that crazy girl who loved excitement, was even more enthusiastic. However, Li Rou couldn’t go with Chu Tianyu because she still needed to take care of her father after his successful surgery during the holiday. Thanks to Chu Tianyu, her father’s surgery had been successful, and she had long wanted to go back. But her mother kept refusing, emphasizing the importance of her studies, saying that the family’s conditions were much better now and urging her to focus on her studies. She also asked Li Rou to thank her classmate Ouyang Ziyi properly…

What pitiful parents! As long as their children do well in school, Chinese parents will spare no expense and create almost miraculous conditions!

So when Li Rou heard about this arrangement, she looked downhearted. Ouyang Ziyi, sitting next to her, noticed this immediately. She took Li Rou’s hand, leaned closer, and whispered, “Rourou, don’t worry yet. Go back and listen to his explanation and plans. I think he definitely has something to tell us.”

…

After dinner, when they returned to the city, everyone split into two groups. Da Ge and Bao Cai went back to school first. Chen Qing also needed to take his girlfriend back to pack her things. Since they had decided to go, they had to get ready again.

The rest went to Ouyang Ziyi’s villa to discuss the details of the trip. Along the way, Bai Lei was extremely excited, not knowing what to do with himself. Finally, he had the chance to adventure with Chu Tianyu. Haha, who knows? He might even encounter beautiful girls, or ancient divine weapons, secret manuals, or magical elixirs hidden in remote mountains and forests—thanks to his great fortune!

But when Chu Tianyu shared his ideas, everyone in the room fell silent, though their expressions varied.

Ouyang Ziyi looked enlightened, Li Rou looked admiring, Bai Lei looked deep in thought, while Lan Yue looked skeptical and doubtful. But Lan Yue was smart enough not to question Chu Tianyu impulsively like usual. Instead, she glanced at Ouyang Ziyi’s expression and saw no sign of disbelief, so she swallowed back the questions that were almost out of her mouth.

When Chu Tianyu selectively shared some of his own ideas and capabilities, such as replacing the Xuanji Sect with the Chu Group, everyone’s expression turned the same—full of excitement and anticipation…

Because Chu Tianyu’s vision and words fully ignited the passion in everyone’s hearts and the fearless spirit of the young people to move forward bravely. Especially Bai Lei, who had already promised Chu Tianyu with a firm handshake that not only his father’s company but also his own virtual Three Kingdoms assets online would be fully and unconditionally dedicated to supporting Chu Tianyu’s plan…

“It’s too early to talk about these things now. The difficulties involved are probably beyond your imagination. I’ve experienced a bit of it before, but not in depth. So this time, taking advantage of Chen Qing’s opportunity, we’ll use our own eyes to see and our hearts to feel. As the old saying goes, no investigation, no right to speak!” Chu Tianyu said calmly.

Chu Tianyu’s reminder didn’t dampen anyone’s enthusiasm at all; instead, it inspired them to speak freely, imagining a bright future and the process of striving hard!

…

After the excitement subsided, only Chu Tianyu and Ouyang Ziyi were left in the room. The other passionate young people, led by Bai Lei, were so talkative they felt sore in their chests and decided to take a break first, continuing tomorrow.

“Tianyu, do you have any specific plans for the route and itinerary this time?” Ouyang Ziyi asked.

“Hehe, do you remember our first meeting? You had sports cars and Hummers, and with someone as crazy about racing as you, I think we should organize our own convoy. We can drive along the way, stop whenever we want, completely free!” Chu Tianyu replied with a smile.

“That’s great! I was waiting for you to say that. Hehe, Lan Yue and I are both off-road racers. There’s no problem with driving skills or vehicle handling!” Ouyang Ziyi said excitedly, as if she had already thought about it.

Chu Tianyu smiled too and continued, “How about we start from Beijing and head south? First, we’ll go to Zhejiang and take Li Rou along the way. It’ll be a good chance for us to visit my uncles and aunts. Hehe, your benefactor should also show up!”

“That’s a good idea. From Zhejiang, we can head southwest, passing through Jiangxi and Henan, and then head straight to Guangxi…” Ouyang Ziyi followed Chu Tianyu’s train of thought.

“Mm, then we’ll take a route through the northwest and finally circle back to Beijing. Does the itinerary seem okay to you?” Chu Tianyu asked.

“Absolutely no problem! Don’t worry. Once the route is arranged, you don’t need to worry about anything else. As for what to bring and prepare for this road trip, Lan Yue and I are much more professional than you. I’ll start preparing things with Lan Yue tomorrow.”

“Don’t you need my help?” Chu Tianyu asked.

“No need. Isn’t there that passionate young man? With his high energy, it’s perfect for him to vent his feelings…”
Hearing Ouyang Ziyi’s tone, Chu Tianyu felt a chill in his heart and silently prayed for Bai Lei: “Brother, may you have a safe journey tomorrow. You must hold on!”
“Heh, then I’d end up being completely idle!” Chu Tianyu said.
Ouyang Ziyi glanced at him lightly and sneered, “Idle? Do you really think I’d let you go so easily just because of that wretched passionate young man? Your thoughts are too idealistic!”
“Isn’t that the case?” Chu Tianyu asked, puzzled.
“You yourself said that although this plan is wonderful, the difficulties are unimaginable. Even though our families are strong, even the country is at a loss on this issue. Our strength is but a drop in the ocean, not worth mentioning!” Ouyang Ziyi analyzed.
After a pause, seeing that Chu Tianyu remained silent, she continued, “I know how powerful the Xuanji Sect is and what you’ve gained from your trip to Europe. That’s why I had no doubts or distrust when you proposed this idea. Do you know why? It’s because I believe in your strength and believe you have the ability to take on this challenge. Even if, in the worst case, we can’t change the entire underdeveloped region, we still have the capability to make a difference locally…”
“Ziyi, what are you trying to say?” Chu Tianyu asked, confused.
“What I’m trying to say is, since we’re going to take on this challenge, we need to do our utmost and mobilize all available resources. These resources include not only material resources but also human resources. I think by now you understand what I mean. Even if we have ample resources, only certain people among us have the ability to control, manage, and allocate them—other than Qin Nianran!” Ouyang Ziyi said, emphasizing each word.
Before Chu Tianyu could react, she added in an unequivocal tone, “So, your task is to bring our Miss Qin here! Heh, isn’t it a simple task?”
Looking at Ouyang Ziyi’s smiling face, realizing she had taken such a long route only to arrive at this conclusion, Chu Tianyu shrugged with a wry smile. He could only respond to Ouyang Ziyi with a helpless and frustrated expression.

As for Qin Nianran, Chu Tianyu never expected Ou Yang Ziyi to think of the same thing. He had originally planned to have Ou Yang Ziyi talk to Qin Nianran, but now she actually spoke first. How could Chu Tianyu not feel frustrated?!

“Has she already returned to Shanghai? Why don’t you get in touch with her first?” After thinking for a long time, Chu Tianyu finally managed to say this. He really felt embarrassed facing Qin Nianran—not because he was still reluctant about their relationship, but because he had been so busy that he hadn’t thought of her at all. It felt awkward to reach out only when there was a problem.

“Tch, even if she hasn’t left yet, what’s there to worry about if she has? We can just drive to Shanghai on the way and pick her up. The real question is whether she’ll even listen to your nonsense, you jerk!”

Faced with Ou Yang Ziyi’s bluntness, Chu Tianyu was completely speechless!

……

When Chu Tianyu returned from Peking University, exhausted, he saw two brand-new extended Beijing SUVs parked in front of Ou Yang Ziyi’s villa—both of the latest models. He heard that these models were produced in limited quantities worldwide, purchased mostly by wealthy enthusiasts of off-road driving, and their performance was unmatched among similar vehicles!

“Wow, you guys are really going overboard!” Chu Tianyu couldn’t help but exclaim after approaching.

Under Ou Yang Ziyi’s instructions, Bai Lei was acting as a laborer and porter, loading various ammunition and equipment onto the two vehicles—sniper rifles, semi-automatic heat-tracking rifles, and so on. Even more astonishingly, on the second vehicle, Lan Yue was also sweating profusely as she installed a heavy machine gun…