It was late at night, and all was quiet!
On the large heated bed in the main room, the two of them, having just shared a passionate moment, lay nestled together, savoring the afterglow of their encounter.
After a moment, Li Yi suddenly said, “Xiao Xue, there’s something I want to tell you!”
“Go ahead, what’s the bad news?” Jiang Xue asked.
Li Yi frowned. “How do you know it has to be bad news?”
“Hehe, you took the initiative to cook today, picked me up from school, and were so proactive tonight—that’s very out of character for you!”
Jiang Xue continued, “As the old saying goes, ‘Unwarranted kindness is suspicious.’ You know the rest—I don’t need to spell it out, do I?”
Li Yi immediately laughed and said, “Is it that obvious?”
“You tell me. What’s going on? Spit it out!”
“I have to go to Hong Kong. I’m leaving in three days!” Li Yi said.
“Is that all? I thought it was something major!”
“I did promise to spend as much time as possible with you and the kids, but plans never keep up with changes. Something’s come up over there, and I need to go check it out!” Li Yi explained.
“If there’s a problem, just go. Although I’d love to have you by my side and the kids’ all the time, I wouldn’t want to hold you back from your work!” Jiang Xue said.
“Huh, that’s quite different from how you used to feel!” Li Yi said, somewhat surprised.
This girl used to be so dependent on him. Could it really be true, as people say, that a woman’s love shifts after she has a child?
Jiang Xue smiled, tracing circles on Li Yi’s chest with her finger as she said, “I used to be so anxious and couldn’t let go. But my mother told me that men are like ‘kites’—if they want to fly high, they have to be willing to let out the string, and women are the ones holding the string.”
“You’re a man destined for great things. Your life and your world shouldn’t revolve solely around me and the child. You deserve a bigger stage—you should dance with the wind, soar to the heavens, and look down upon all creation. As the woman holding the string, I can’t be a stumbling block in your path!”
Li Yi felt a slight tinge of emotion; his mother-in-law was truly someone he could get along with.
Of course, what moved him even more was his wife’s understanding and reasonableness.
“Silly girl, how could you ever be a stumbling block to me? You and the kids are the greatest motivation in my life and the most important thing on my mind. No matter how high or far I fly, or how beautiful the scenery I see, as long as you give the string a tug, I’ll come back. I promise!”
“Mm-hmm, I believe you!”
Then Jiang Xue said with a hint of regret, “Too bad Third Brother is going to be disappointed. He was actually planning to have you say a few words at the baby’s full-moon celebration. What a shame!”
Li Yi immediately replied, “There’s nothing we can do about it. Things over there are getting a bit tricky; I have to go!”
“Well… when will you be back?”
Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “The earliest would be mid-June!”
“Oh my, so you’ll be gone for over three months this time?”
“More or less!”
“Then why bother coming back? By that time, Juanzi and I will both be on vacation. We’ll just come find you there.”
Then Jiang Xue added, “Last time we were only there for six or seven days. We didn’t get to see all the fun places Sister Ah Hong mentioned.”
“Sounds great. I’ll make sure to show you around properly when you get there. If I have time, I can even take you to Zaiying across the ocean to experience the local culture and customs!” Li Yi said.
“Oh my, going abroad? Do we need to prepare anything in advance?”
“No need to rush that. We can just have Director Zhou and the others handle it on the spot when the time comes!” Li Yi said with a smile.
“Okay…”
Li Yi was just about to discuss business matters here with Jiang Xue. After all, she had a background in accounting, and since the rules applied domestically differed from international standards, Li Yi planned to have her intern at the company whenever she had time.
However, before he could even speak, Li Yi sensed something was off.
Li Yi knew this girl wouldn’t let up until she’d wrung every last drop out of him today. Fortunately, he’d spent several days in Lin’an recharging his batteries.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he mounted his steed!
The battle raged once more…
…………
In the blink of an eye, three days had flown by!
Over the past three days, Li Yi hadn’t paid any attention to the negotiations taking place over there.
On one hand, he didn’t want to get involved—after all, negotiations often touch on both sides’ core interests, and meddling would only spoil the fun.
Li Yi didn’t want Li Futiao and his group to take advantage of the state, nor did he want those Hong Kong businessmen to give up their own interests because of him.
Just as he had simply stayed out of it when Starry Sky Corporation negotiated with the government back then, he chose not to get involved this time either.
Isn’t it better to just quietly be a handsome guy… no, a spectator?
Of course, another reason Li Yi stayed out of it was that he was truly powerless to do anything.
Yes, exactly as the word implies: power…less!
Whether it was because he’d been away for months or because she was fixated on not being able to conceive their second child, his young wife had been going all out these past few days, finding new ways to wear him down every single day.
Even though his older sister had been feeding him all sorts of nourishing soups every day, he’d still wake up the next morning feeling unsteady on his feet, with a sore back and aching muscles.
So these past few days, Li Yi has been busy drinking soups and goji berry tea and taking care of the kids—he hasn’t had the energy to worry about anything else!
On the afternoon of March 19, Li Yi received two consecutive calls from Li Futiao and Zhou Rui, both regarding the investment negotiations between the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Beijing municipal government.
One side was eager to attract foreign investment, while the other had investment needs and was eager to reach an agreement, so the negotiations progressed at lightning speed.
In less than three days, both sides reached a conclusion.
Of course, this was also thanks to the precedent set by Star Investment Company, so both sides had a fairly clear idea of what to expect from each other’s terms.
After three rounds of negotiations, the Beijing municipal government signed investment agreements with 17 families or companies.
Under these agreements, these Chinese businesspeople from Hong Kong have agreed to invest in mainland China this year, with the 17 entities collectively committing a total of $1.9 billion.
Including the $200 million recently confirmed by Star Investment Company—and excluding other channels—the investment from Hong Kong alone has reached $2.1 billion.
This is a remarkable achievement, considering that the total foreign investment we have attracted over the past few years amounts to less than half of this figure.
In light of this, the state has demonstrated the utmost sincerity, not only ensuring these enterprises’ operational rights on the mainland but also providing substantial support and preferential treatment—particularly regarding land and taxation—to those with innovative technologies.
At the same time, state-run media has provided follow-up coverage of this matter, lavishing high praise on figures such as Li Futao and He Dongying.
When both sides demonstrate sincerity, cooperation truly comes naturally!
However, none of this had anything to do with Li Yi. Upon learning that the negotiations had concluded successfully, he knew it was time to head south.
As this moment arrived, Li Yi felt a mix of pain and joy.
The pain came from not being able to see his wife, and the joy also came from not being able to see his wife…