Chapter 463: Just Follow My Instructions!

Night fell, and the city lights began to glow!

After chatting idly all afternoon, seeing that it was almost time for dinner, Li Yi suggested taking everyone out to eat.

But both Huang Lixing and Wang Anguo said they weren’t very hungry and suggested they could just make some simple congee at home.

Li Yi knew they didn’t want him to spend money on them; after all, with such a large group, even a casual meal out would cost quite a bit.

If they were to eat something nice, it might even cost several dozen or even a hundred yuan.

Although they knew Li Yi wasn’t short on money, they still didn’t want to put him out.

Li Yi told everyone straight out that he planned to take them to his family’s restaurant for dinner.

Hearing this, everyone immediately perked up; they were all eager to see Li Yi’s properties in the capital.

So, the group quickly got ready, left the house, and headed straight for Beiguan Village.

When the convoy arrived at the hot pot restaurant, it was just before 7:30—the busiest time of the day.

When Huang Lixing and the others walked inside, they were quite surprised to see that eighty percent of the tables were occupied.

Huang Lixing was particularly astonished; he remembered that just last year, Li Yi had been an ordinary man selling mushrooms from a horse-drawn cart.

It had only been a few months since they’d last seen him, and yet this young man had actually opened such a large restaurant in a place like the capital.

Setting aside the quality of the food for the moment, the place was certainly doing brisk business.

Over at the counter, Long Zhanjun was busy ringing up a customer and hadn’t noticed Li Yi and his group.

But Li Na, standing nearby, did spot them. She recognized everyone—Wang Anguo, Li Gang, and the others, as well as Huang Lixing and his wife—and immediately came over to greet them.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Li Yi asked right away, “Sis, do you have any larger private rooms available?”

“There’s one left. Private Room No. 6 has just been cleaned up, and it’ll fit you perfectly!”

“Alright, I’ll take everyone there. Have Dongzi and the others get the food ready right away!” Li Yi said.

“Got it!”

The group made their way to Private Room No. 6, where they took their seats according to their roles as hosts and guests!

“Brother Li Yi, business at your place looks pretty good!” Huang Lixing remarked with a hint of admiration.

“Haha, just a small operation—nothing to write home about!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Brother Li Yi, you’re being too modest. There aren’t many restaurants this popular, even in Hong Kong!”

Huang Lixing then added, “Would you be interested in letting me invest? We could expand this restaurant nationwide.”

Hearing this, everyone in the room turned to look at Li Yi; they all thought Huang Lixing’s idea was a good one.

Judging by what they’d just witnessed, if every branch were this popular, it would be nearly impossible not to turn a profit.

However, to everyone’s surprise, Li Yi merely smiled and then decisively turned down Huang Lixing’s proposal.

“Old Huang, let’s just forget about this. If you’re really looking to partner up, I’ve got a better business opportunity coming up—we can talk about that!”

Li Yi was indeed interested in partnering with Old Huang, but certainly not in the restaurant business.

Although the barbecue and hot pot restaurant was doing well, it was difficult to expand on a large scale in the current market environment.

Setting aside staffing issues, the bigger problem was that most agricultural products now required ration coupons—especially grain and meat.

Under these circumstances, it was difficult enough to maintain a single shop, let alone a chain of stores.

Huang Lixing’s eyes lit up the moment he heard Li Yi’s words, and he immediately replied, “Alright, let’s have a good chat tonight!”

“Alright…”

Just as they were speaking, the door to the private room was pushed open from the outside, and Dongzi walked in carrying a large charcoal brazier balanced on an iron rod.

After setting the brazier down, he quickly brought in a large copper pot.

He then began serving dishes into the private room: sliced lamb, beef rolls, beef tenderloin, pork belly…

This combination of grilling and hot pot was a first for many, and they all found it quite novel.

Before long, everyone was won over by the experience of tucking into the meat…

………

By the time they finished eating, it was already 9:00 p.m. Since Wang Anguo, Li Gang, and the others had to return early the next morning, Li Yi, at their request, arranged for the group to stay at the cotton mill’s guesthouse!

After settling Wang Anguo and the others in, Li Yi took Huang Lixing back to his own courtyard house.

Back home, Jiang Xue and Chen Chuhong each tended to their own little ones, while Li Yi invited Huang Lixing into his study.

After sitting down across a small round table, Li Yi poured Huang Lixing a cup of tea and asked, “Old Huang, have you resolved those troubles over in Hong Kong yet?”

Huang Lixing knew Li Yi was referring to his recent failed attempt to retire from the underworld. After a brief pause, he replied, “It’s basically settled!”

Huang Lixing then explained, “I took your advice, brother. Instead of going head-to-head with them, I went back to the organization. Since they saw I wasn’t insisting on leaving, they stopped giving me a hard time!”

“So what are your plans for the future?” Li Yi asked again.

Huang Lixing shook his head and said, “I haven’t figured that out yet, but I definitely don’t want to get mixed up with the gang anymore. What goes around comes around!”

“I don’t mind getting hacked to death myself, but I can’t drag Ah Hong and Ah Min down with me!”

Li Yi nodded. “I understand where you’re coming from, but that’s just how the underworld works. It’s not something you can just walk in and out of whenever you please—it’s completely beyond your control!”

“Then what should I do? I’ve lost the ambition I once had. Forcing myself to keep going won’t necessarily lead to a good outcome!” Huang Lixing said in a low voice.

“Hmm, I understand. But your idea of ‘washing your hands of it’ isn’t feasible. If you truly don’t want to stay in Hong Kong doing those shady deals, I can help you withdraw gracefully!” Li Yi said.

“Really?” Huang Lixing asked excitedly.

“Remember what I told you last year? As long as you handle the school donation properly, I’ll give you a golden opportunity!” Li Yi said.

“Of course I remember. It’s just that this isn’t going to be easy to pull off. Old Wu and Fat Qiang aren’t going to let me walk away that easily!” Huang Lixing said, frowning.

“Don’t worry about that. Just follow my instructions!” Li Yi said.

“So what do I need to do?”

“Once you get back from Beijing, set aside some money, and then wait for me to handle it!” Li Yi said.

“How much will it take?”

“The more, the better!”

“Alright!”

Huang Lixing then asked again, “So, Brother Li Yi, when are you planning to go to Hong Kong?”

“Probably after mid-July. After all, Xiao Xue has her college entrance exams in early July, so I can’t be away for long before then!” Li Yi said.

Huang Lixing thought for a moment. It was already mid-May, which meant there were less than two months left!

“Alright, then. Once I get back, dxmbang will start making preparations for this!”

“Alright!”

After that, the two discussed some specific details, and by around 10:30 p.m., they finally wrapped up their conversation.

Although Huang Lixing still wasn’t entirely clear on exactly how Li Yi planned to help him or what kind of business they intended to collaborate on, knowing that Li Yi was going to Hong Kong personally to help him resolve the triad-related matters put his mind at ease!

………..

After the convoy entered the city, Li Yi didn’t take Lao Huang and the others to a hotel on the outskirts.

Nor did he comply with Jiang Longcheng’s request to take them to the guesthouse at the cotton mill.

Instead, he took them straight to his own home!

Bringing guests home is a form of hospitality deeply ingrained in the hearts of northerners.

It wasn’t that they couldn’t spare the money for a hotel or guesthouse; rather, they wanted their guests to remember the way to their home so they could visit often in the future.

In contrast, people from the south do not have this custom.

This isn’t to say that Southerners aren’t hospitable enough; rather, they place greater value on privacy. Not only would they never invite friends to stay at home, but they rarely even invite relatives over.

If a Southerner thinks you’re a good person worth getting to know deeply, they’ll invite you out for dim sum—the kind of gathering where you chat all day long.

After driving through the city for nearly half an hour, the car finally arrived at the entrance to Li Yi’s alley.

After parking the car, Li Yi got out and led Huang Lixing and the others toward his home.

It was then that Li Yi met Old Huang’s daughter, Ah Min.

The little girl was now over eight months old. Held in her mother Chen Chuhong’s arms, she was curiously gazing at the rustic buildings around her.

The little girl had fair, delicate skin and was very pretty—a trait she had clearly inherited from her mother.

At the Li residence, Jiang Xue was busy in the kitchen, while Zhang Xinyao was in the inner room watching over the two little ones!

Knowing that Old Huang and the others were coming today, and that they likely wouldn’t stop for a meal along the way,

So Li Yi had gone to the market early in the morning and bought quite a bit of meat and vegetables.

He spent the entire morning in the kitchen, and it wasn’t until nearly noon that he called Jiang Longcheng and they headed out. The prepared dishes were kept warm in pots, ready to be eaten together once Old Huang and the others arrived.

Just as Jiang Xue had finished setting out the bowls and chopsticks, she heard the door open outside.

Knowing the guests had arrived, Jiang Xue immediately went out to check.

Seeing that it was indeed Old Huang and the others, Jiang Xue immediately went out to greet them, then said with poise, “Brother Huang, Sister-in-law, Captain Wang, Captain Li, welcome to our home!”

After spending several months in the capital, coupled with the guidance and example set by her mother, Ye Lingyun, Jiang Xue had made significant progress in her social graces.

She no longer showed any trace of her former shyness or awkwardness; she now carried herself with the grace and poise of a well-bred young lady.

“Little Xue, it’s finally good to see you!” Chen Chuhong said first.

Jiang Xue, meanwhile, looked at the little girl in Chen Chuhong’s arms and said with delight, “This must be Amin. She’s so pretty!”

Seeing Jiang Xue compliment their precious daughter, Huang Lixing and Chen Chuhong were both overjoyed!

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, everyone went inside.

After introducing Zhang Xinyao to everyone, Li Yi asked everyone to take their seats in the dining room, and they quickly began the meal.

Since today’s guests included not only Huang Lixing’s bodyguards but also several officers from the Ning City Public Security Bureau,

The table in the main room was a bit small and couldn’t accommodate everyone, so Li Yi set up another table in the west wing and had Huang Lixing’s bodyguards dine there.

Once everyone was settled, the welcome banquet for Huang Lixing finally began!

……..

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the women took the three children into the inner room to chat, while Li Yi led Huang Lixing, Jiang Longcheng, Wang Anguo, Li Gang, and the others into the living room.

After pouring a cup of tea for everyone, Li Yi asked with a smile, “Old Huang, have you settled everything up north?”

“Pretty much. I spent over a month in the North this time, selecting 87 impoverished areas in Ning City, Qingcheng, Lucheng, Echeng, and Bacheng to build schools. I also had someone calculate the costs—it’ll take about five million to complete them all!”

Huang Lixing continued, “I’ve already transferred the funds to the provincial government’s designated account. They’ll oversee the use of the money, and it will all go toward building the schools.”

Hearing this, Jiang Longcheng, who was standing nearby, gaped in astonishment.

He had always thought his brother-in-law, Li Yi, was already quite wealthy, having earned over four million in just a few short months.

He never expected that this Mr. Huang was even more impressive—donating five million on the spot, and for the purpose of building schools, no less.

In an instant, his opinion of Huang Lixing changed significantly.

Although this man ran casinos and was involved in smuggling, the fact that he could come up with such a large sum all at once to build a school clearly meant he wasn’t a completely rotten person—someone worth associating with.

No sooner had Huang Lixing finished speaking than Wang Anguo chimed in from the side: “Old Huang, this school is being built to the standards of a first-class central school—classrooms, dormitories, a cafeteria, a playground, and a library are all fully equipped. A donation of five million has even caught the attention of the top official in the province!”

“Hahaha, Brother Li Yi once said that building a school is a deed that benefits both the present and future generations—we can’t cut corners on this!”

Huang Lixing then added, “Besides, this is also about accumulating merit and praying for blessings for my daughter Amin—we certainly can’t cut corners on this!”

Li Yi immediately replied, “Old Huang, no matter what, I still have to thank you for this. Who knows how many children’s lives your act of kindness will change!”

“Brother Li Yi, you’re too kind. If we were to exchange thanks, we’d never finish!” Huang Lixing said with a smile.

“You’re right. I won’t dwell on the thanks then. Since you two are here in the capital, I’ll make sure to show you around this ancient Ming and Qing dynasty capital over the next few days!”

“Hahaha, we’d be grateful for that, Brother Li Yi!”

Then, Li Yi turned to Wang Anguo and asked, “Captain Wang, did you come to Beijing just to escort Old Huang and the others?”

“That’s right. Now that we’ve delivered them, our mission is complete. Unless something unexpected comes up, we’ll be heading back tomorrow!” Wang Anguo replied.

“In such a hurry? Can’t you stay a few more days? I heard Sister-in-Law An Hong is coming back in a few days—why not see her before you leave?”

Wang Anguo hesitated for a moment, but finally shook his head and said, “I’d rather not. I really can’t get away from the bureau!”

Just then, Li Gang, who was standing nearby, suddenly chimed in with a smile, “Brother Li Yi, you really shouldn’t try to keep him here. A deputy director at the Municipal Bureau has just retired, and Brother Anguo has his eye on that position!”

Li Yi immediately asked, “Are you confident?”

Wang Anguo smiled and said, “Not really. After all, I’m still a bit junior, and I was only promoted last year. But whether I succeed or not, I’ve got to give it a shot!”

“That’s true,” Li Yi said. “You have to put in the effort before you can even think about anything else!”

Li Gang chimed in with a laugh, “Brother Li Yi, why don’t you give Brother Wang a reading to see if he stands a chance this time?”

Hearing this, everyone’s eyes turned to Li Yi, filled with anticipation.

However, Li Yi shook his head and said, “I’d rather not. What’s the fun in knowing the outcome before you even try? The beauty of life lies in the unknown and the surprises it holds!”

“Brother Li Yi is right—let’s not do it!” Wang Anguo said with a laugh.

Li Yi smiled and said, “I won’t predict the outcome of this matter, but I can offer Brother Wang a piece of advice!”

“What’s that?” Wang Anguo asked eagerly.

“Just do good deeds; don’t worry about the future!”

Hearing this, Wang Anguo immediately fell into deep thought.

Huang Lixing and Li Gang also looked deep in thought, while only Jiang Longcheng, the carefree one, showed no reaction at all.

………

Beijing. Northern Suburbs!

At the main entrance to the city, Li Yi sat in a brand-new sedan, glancing out the window from time to time.

In the passenger seat beside him, Jiang Longcheng held a cigarette in one hand and a cup of tea infused with goji berries in the other.

Seeing this guy looking like an old man, Li Yi couldn’t help but recall a saying: “When you reach middle age, you have no choice but to steep goji berries in your thermos!”

“Brother-in-law, it’s been over half an hour. When is the person you’re waiting for going to show up?” Jiang Longcheng said, sounding a bit frustrated.

He was supposed to be off today, taking the rare opportunity to help his wife tidy up their newly purchased courtyard house.

After all, with the wedding just around the corner, they couldn’t very well use a dilapidated place as their wedding home; they had to spruce it up at the very least.

But after working for just a short while, Li Yi called him out, saying a friend from out of town was coming to Beijing and asking him to come along to pick the person up.

Jiang Longcheng was usually happy to help with things like this; he was a sociable guy at heart.

But he never expected that the pickup location would be on the outskirts of the city, and that they’d end up waiting for over half an hour.

“What’s the rush? They’re coming from North Sai Province—isn’t it normal for them to be a little late?” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Brother-in-law, who on earth is this VIP that you’re personally coming out to the suburbs to greet?” Jiang Longcheng asked curiously.

He knew his brother-in-law’s temperament well—he was quite proud.

And the fact that this person had prompted him to drive all the way out to the suburbs to greet them meant their status was certainly no ordinary affair.

“Haha, I wouldn’t go so far as to call them a ‘divine being,’ but they certainly qualify as a major player in the financial world!”

“Capital? Is this person really that rich?”

“Drop the ‘ma’—he’s incredibly, incredibly wealthy, the kind with assets exceeding 100 million!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“How… how much?” Jiang Longcheng asked, looking utterly stunned.

These days, even being a “ten-thousand-yuan household” is a new concept; not even the joss paper money burned for one’s ancestors reaches such astronomical figures.

“My friend’s surname is Huang—Huang Lixing. He’s from Hong Kong, and he’s definitely a capital tycoon with assets exceeding 100 million!”

Li Yi had received a call from Huang Lixing yesterday. Huang had told him he’d wrapped up his business in North Province and planned to visit him in Beijing tomorrow before heading back to Hong Kong!

That was why Li Yi had come here early to wait for them!

“What does this guy do? How did he make so much money? That’s incredible!” Jiang Longcheng asked curiously.

“He runs casinos and dabbles in smuggling appliances on the side. Oh, and he’s also part of the Hong Kong underworld!”

Hearing this, Jiang Longcheng was a bit taken aback. Running casinos, smuggling, and hanging out with the underworld—what kind of decent person could that be?

“Bro-in-law,” he said, a hint of surprise in his voice, “how did you end up hanging out with someone like that?”

“Heh, Old Huang’s business is a bit shady, but he’s actually a decent guy. Plus, his personality is quite similar to yours!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Me?”

“Right. You’re both the type who’ll do anything, and you’re both incredibly loyal.”

Li Yi continued, “The main reason I asked you to come with me to pick him up today is so I can introduce you two.”

“Why would I want to meet him?”

“Do you want to make some money?”

“I do!” Jiang Longcheng said decisively.

With the wedding approaching and the yard in need of sprucing up, Jiang Longcheng could clearly feel that his earnings just weren’t enough to cover his expenses.

Even though he’d already taken a six-month advance on his wages from the factory, he was still barely making ends meet. Because of this, Zhang Xinyao had even contributed the few hundred yuan she’d saved by scrimping and saving.

Yet, the couple still felt their home paled in comparison to Li Yi’s.

At that moment, Jiang Longcheng realized once again how important it was to make money. He even felt that his job as factory director was somewhat pathetic—nowhere near as comfortable as that of his brother-in-law, Li Yi, the so-called “idle bum.”

“Heh, if you want to make money, get to know Old Huang better!” Li Yi said.

“You mean this Mr. Huang can help us make money?”

“No, Old Huang’s way of making money isn’t right for us, but his status as a Hong Kong businessman can help us avoid a lot of policy risks!”

Compared to the capital Old Huang had at his disposal, Li Yi valued his status as a Hong Kong businessman even more.

These days, although the government allows for the existence of individual businesses, it still hasn’t relaxed its stance on the private sector, making it nearly impossible for ordinary Chinese citizens to set up a factory.

However, the country had already opened its doors to foreign investment.

As early as July 1, 1979, the Law on Sino-Foreign Joint Ventures was passed, becoming the country’s first law regarding foreign investment, thereby providing legal safeguards for foreign investment.

Although the current model for utilizing foreign capital was the relatively rudimentary “three-comes-one-compensation” economy—namely, processing with supplied materials, assembly with supplied materials, processing to supplied samples, and compensation trade—as exemplified by the renowned Dongguan model.

But for Li Yi right now, no matter what the model is, as long as he’s allowed to build a factory and run a business, he can make money no matter how he does it.

Upon hearing Li Yi’s words, Jiang Longcheng immediately took an interest and asked, “Brother-in-law, I’m broke right now and can’t get away. What can I do when the time comes?”

“We’ll talk about that later…”

Just as he was speaking, Li Yi suddenly spotted a convoy of three vehicles coming into view.

Seeing that the lead vehicle bore a license plate from North Sai Province, and given the size of the convoy, Li Yi realized it must be Old Huang arriving.

He immediately stopped chatting, called out to Jiang Longcheng, and got out of the car.

Since the two parties had agreed to meet at the entrance to the city, the car slowed down as it approached that spot.

At the same time, Huang Lixing and the others looked around.

As soon as Li Yi got out of the car, Huang Lixing, Li Gang, Wang Anguo, and the others spotted him.

Shortly after, several cars pulled up in front of Li Yi!

After the convoy came to a stop, several bodyguards got out of the cars first, followed by Huang Lixing, Wang Anguo, and the others.

“Hahaha, Brother Li Yi, thank you so much for coming out to the city gates to welcome us!”

“Old Huang, you’re too kind. Welcome to the capital!”

Li Yi then turned to Wang Anguo and Li Gang and asked, “Brother Wang, Captain Li, why did you two come along too?”

Wang Anguo replied with a smile, “It was an order from above—we were instructed to ensure Old Huang and his family arrived safely in the capital!”

“I’m just tagging along for the ride!” Li Gang said with a laugh.

Li Yi pointed to Jiang Longcheng standing nearby and said, “Old Huang, Brother Wang, let me introduce you. This is my third older brother, Jiang Longcheng, the director of the Second State Cotton Mill in the capital!”

Huang Lixing immediately spoke in his broken Mandarin: “Hello, Director Jiang. I’m Huang Lixing. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

Wang Anguo, meanwhile, stepped forward and extended his hand. “Director Jiang, I’m Wang Anguo. This is my wife, An Hong. I’ve long admired your reputation!”

An Hong had returned home for the New Year and had specifically told Wang Anguo about this eccentric factory director, Jiang Longcheng, so Wang Anguo had a very vivid impression of him.

“Comrade Wang Anguo, you’re the captain of the Ning City Criminal Investigation Division, right? My brother-in-law has mentioned you to me!”

Jiang Longcheng then added cheerfully, “Since you’re all my brother-in-law’s friends, you’re all like family to me. Now that you’re in Beijing, you’re on my turf—I’ll be happy to host you all…”

After a round of pleasantries, seeing that it was getting late, Li Yi promptly had everyone get back in the car.

He then got behind the wheel, leading the way as the group headed straight for the city center!

……..

As he left the district government office, Li Yi was holding a thick stack of documents—profiles of the district’s underperforming enterprises.

Li Yi skimmed through them briefly and noticed there were accessory factories, breweries, woolen mills, small hardware factories, television factories, and so on.

Li Yi had heard of some of the brands, but most were obscure small enterprises.

According to Jiang Longyin, these enterprises were all “troubled cases” under the jurisdiction of the district government. He wanted Li Yi to help him select a few of them to serve as pilot projects for reform.

At the same time, Jiang Longyin also hoped Li Yi could help these enterprises formulate a suitable reform plan, similar to what had been done at State Cotton Mill No. 2.

Normally, Li Yi wasn’t particularly interested in this sort of thing.

For one thing, it had absolutely nothing to do with him. Poor corporate performance, employees unable to receive their wages, and heavy financial pressure on the government—what did any of that have to do with an outsider like him? He certainly didn’t want to get involved in such a troublesome affair.

On the other hand, the stakes were high—one misstep could ruin his reputation.

After all, enterprise reform affects the livelihoods of hundreds or even thousands of workers. If the reform succeeded, everyone would be happy, and Li Yi would be hailed as a savior.

But if it failed, he would become a villain in the eyes of those employees.

For a venture with such high risks, minimal rewards, and no direct personal stake, Li Yi would have to be out of his mind to take it on.

So, at first, Li Yi was firmly against it!

But unable to resist Jiang Longyin’s repeated pleas, Li Yi eventually agreed to do him this favor!

Of course, he’d never admit it was because Jiang Longyin offered too many perks—he simply couldn’t resist the temptation.

A 10% profit share over three years—that offer was indeed very tempting.

That’s right—that was the deal Jiang Longyin offered Li Yi.

If Li Yi could revive these struggling companies, he would receive a 10% share of the factory’s net profits for the next three years.

Although the prerequisite was reviving these companies from the brink of collapse, the 10% share of net profits still tempted Li Yi.

Of course, what Li Yi was after wasn’t just this 10% profit share; more importantly, he wanted to rebuild his public image.

In the eyes of Jiang Longcheng, Jiang Longyin, Wang Anguo, Li Gang, Huang Lixing, and others, Li Yi had only one image: that of a charlatan.

He made bold, definitive predictions, and his words were treated as law…

It was a bit mysterious, but this sort of reputation was a double-edged sword; it could easily backfire at any moment. After all, since the founding of the nation, animals were not allowed to become spirits!

Besides, this wasn’t what Li Yi wanted. He was a businessman; walking around every day with the reputation of a charlatan wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

Plus, the current business climate was indeed tough. Since he couldn’t make his mark on his own just yet, using these struggling state-owned enterprises to gain some experience wasn’t a bad idea.

Not only would he make money, but he could also use this opportunity to earn himself the title of “economic guru”—killing two birds with one stone!

As for whether he could actually revive these companies on the brink of bankruptcy, Li Yi hadn’t given it much thought.

Based on his understanding of these enterprises, the vast majority of state-owned enterprises don’t go under because of poor product quality; rather, the problems usually stem from management issues and misalignment with market demands.

In such cases, as long as the right solutions are applied, there’s a high probability the factories can be pulled out of their predicament.

Of course, the reality might be far more complicated than his analysis suggests.

But that didn’t matter; when it came to business management and entrepreneurship, Li Yi had never been afraid of anyone.

………

By the time he got home, it was already past 3:00 p.m.

As soon as he reached the entrance of the alley, Li Yi noticed a brand-new Hucheng sedan parked there.

It was so shiny and gleaming that Li Yi couldn’t help but take a second look.

These days, only organizations with significant resources could afford such a vehicle.

The reason I say “organizations” rather than “individuals” is that, aside from specific personnel, ordinary people aren’t allowed to own cars these days.

When he reached his front gate, he pulled out his keys and was about to unlock the door when he realized it wasn’t locked.

He pushed the door open and, even from a distance, could hear the sounds of young women chatting and laughing inside.

Once inside, Li Yi noticed that Jiang Longcheng was sitting in the living room, while the sounds of Jiang Xue and Zhang Xinyao whispering to each other drifted from the room.

“Third Brother, you’re here?”

Jiang Longcheng smiled and said, “I heard from my sister that you went to see the Second Brother?”

“Yeah, to ask about that piece of land!”

“How did it go?”

“It’s just the same—still in the works!”

“Haha, those guys at the district office sure take their sweet time. By the time they get things done, the opportunity will have long passed!”

Although Li Yi agreed with Jiang Longcheng, he didn’t dwell on the topic. Instead, he smiled and said, “You’ll get used to it. By the way, what brings you here today?”

“We just went and bought the house, so we thought we’d swing by and see you!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“Where did you buy it?”

“Not far from your other courtyard!”

“How many courtyards does it have? How much did it cost?”

“Just a small, single-courtyard house, about the same size as the one you’re living in now. It cost us thirteen thousand!”

At this point, Jiang Longcheng looked a bit glum and added, “I remember you only paid about 11,000 for this place when you bought it. How come I ended up paying nearly 2,000 more?”

“Didn’t you try to haggle with the seller?”

“I did, but they wouldn’t budge on the price. Take it or leave it!” Jiang Longcheng said with a sigh.

“Come on, you’ve already bought it—why dwell on it?”

Li Yi knew full well that a courtyard like the one they were living in now, once spruced up, could easily fetch over 100 million in the future.

Compared to that, what’s there to fuss over about 2,000 yuan now?

“You’re right. It’s just a shame for my parents. I’d already taken ten thousand from you, which I thought was plenty. Now that I’ve spent an extra two thousand, I’ll have to make them cover the difference!” Jiang Longcheng grinned.

“If you didn’t have enough money, you should’ve just told me. Why dip into your uncle and aunt’s savings? It’s only two thousand yuan, after all!” Li Yi said helplessly.

“Let’s not talk about that!”

Then Jiang Longcheng suddenly pulled a large key out of his pocket and tossed it to Li Yi.

“What’s this for?”

“Car keys. You can drive this car from now on!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“That new car at the end of the alley?”

“Yeah, I specifically requested this for you from higher-ups!”

“You requested it for me?”

“Right. After all, you’re a partner and business consultant for our factory—it’s only fair you get a car!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“You’re driving an old Jeep while I drive a new car—that doesn’t seem quite right, does it?”

“Who says I’m still driving that old Jeep? I requested five cars at once from the higher-ups this time—I’ve even upgraded my own car!” Jiang Longcheng said smugly.

“Five cars? How did the State-owned Assets Department agree to such an unreasonable request?” Li Yi asked curiously.

“Why wouldn’t it be reasonable? How can the marketing department go out and negotiate business deals without cars? Besides, just in the past few months, the profits we’ve turned over to the State-owned Assets Department have exceeded 5 million. What’s the big deal if they provide a few cars?” Jiang Longcheng said with confidence.

“You’re right. In that case, I’ll keep the car!” Li Yi said cheerfully.

Although he didn’t know if the car had actually been approved for him, Li Yi knew that this was Jiang Longcheng returning the favor.

Given this guy’s personality, now that the car has been delivered, there’s no way he’d send it back.

Besides, for Li Yi, not having a car was genuinely inconvenient.

Since Jiang Longcheng had gone out of his way to bring the car over for him, Li Yi saw no reason to be polite. At worst, he’d just give them a few more tips to boost their sales and profits even higher.

Just as they were talking, the curtain shifted slightly, and Jiang Xue and Zhang Xinyao emerged from the inner room, each holding a baby.

Upon seeing Li Yi, Jiang Xue smiled and said, “Can you watch the kids at home this afternoon? Xinyao and I need to run an errand!”

“Watching the kids is no problem, but what are you two going out for?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“We’re going to pick out some things for the wedding with Xinyao!”

“Sure…”

……..

When Li Yi arrived at the district government office, Jiang Longyin had just returned to his office after a meeting.

Hearing the knock, he immediately motioned for the visitor to come in!

When he saw it was Li Yi, Jiang Longyin’s eyes lit up, and he said cheerfully, “It’s my brother-in-law! Come in and sit down!”

Just then, his secretary tried to come in to serve tea, but Jiang Longyin sent her away—he would do it himself!

At the moment, Jiang Longyin was utterly in awe of Li Yi, his cousin’s husband. Half a month ago, when facing pressure from the Ministry of State-Owned Assets, Jiang Longyin had been sweating bullets for him.

After all, that was a ministerial-level agency—crushing an ordinary person would have been child’s play for them.

But Jiang Longyin clearly remembered Li Yi’s reaction upon learning of the matter—he remained completely unfazed, not giving it a second thought.

At the time, Jiang Longyin thought Li Yi might have finally met his match.

But the outcome was completely unexpected: in just a few days, the Ministry of State-Owned Assets reversed its previous stance.

Not only did they recognize the legal validity of the agreement his brother-in-law had signed with the Second State-Owned Cotton Mill, but they also commended the factory leadership—including his third brother, Jiang Longcheng—and their stance spoke for itself.

It could be said that his brother-in-law had single-handedly taken on the entire Ministry of State-Owned Assets.

At first, Jiang Longyin couldn’t understand how the State-owned Assets Department—such a massive government agency—could have made such a sudden 180-degree shift in its stance, especially since the turn of events occurred the day after the Old Master’s 80th birthday.

Consequently, he assumed the Old Master had intervened and even went out of his way to ask his grandfather about it.

The answer he received was that the old man had never interfered in the matter from the very beginning, nor had he put in a good word for Li Yi to anyone.

It wasn’t until recently that he finally pieced together the full story. Over the past ten days or so, Uncle San, Jiang Shiying, had suddenly published a series of editorials in a range of Party-affiliated media outlets, including the *People’s Daily*, *Workers’ Daily*, and *Internal Reference*. These editorials covered extensive topics in political science and economics, and each one generated a massive response.

Those in the dark naturally assumed these were Uncle Jiang’s reflections and insights following his promotion to head of the Guangdong Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, but only Jiang Longyin knew that they were all the work of his brother-in-law, Li Yi.

He had heard his cousin’s husband mention similar views during their previous conversations.

Furthermore, during their last meeting, Li Yi had asked him to help contact some media outlets to publish some articles.

In the end, nothing came of it; apparently, Uncle San had taken over the matter.

“Second Brother, am I interrupting you?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“Not at all. I just finished a meeting and happen to have a little free time!” Jiang Longyin said as he poured tea for Li Yi.

“Good to hear. I came over specifically to ask about that plot of land. I was wondering how things are progressing?” Li Yi asked straight to the point.

“It’s moving forward. Our staff is currently working daily to relocate the residents of Beiguan Village. 154 households have already signed the agreements, but there are still 12 households that seem a bit reluctant. I’m having my people work on persuading them,” Jiang Longyin said.

“How long do you estimate it will take to finish?”

“Just a few more days. What’s the matter? You seem rather anxious,” Jiang Longyin said.

“I am a bit anxious, actually. After all, it’s almost May, and we need to put the construction of the cold storage facility on the agenda. But if the relocation isn’t finished, everything else will have to be postponed!” Li Yi said.

“I’ll give my team another push and have them speed things up!”

“Alright!”

Just then, Jiang Longyin suddenly said, “Brother-in-law, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Second Brother, you’re being too polite. There’s nothing between us that’s off-limits!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Well, do you know that the April revenue and profit figures for State Cotton Mill No. 2 have already been tallied?”

“Actually, I didn’t know that. As you know, Second Brother, I’ve been staying home lately to take care of Xiao Xue and the baby. I rarely go out and haven’t been paying much attention to other matters!” Li Yi replied.

“State Cotton Mill No. 2’s April revenue reached 5.34 million, with a profit of 4.28 million—breaking another record!”

Li Yi nodded and said, “That’s really impressive!”

“It’s more than just good. Starting in February, in just three short months, they’ve earned over 8 million in net profit. Even at the peak of State Cotton Mill No. 2’s glory days, things weren’t as impressive as they are now!”

Jiang Longyin continued, “Right now, State Cotton Mill No. 2 is like a barometer for enterprises across the capital. With their constant stream of good news, other mills are starting to get restless.”

“How so?” Li Yi asked instinctively.

“Right now, aside from large state-owned enterprises like the Beijing Iron and Steel Plant, the rest of the enterprises and institutions are actually struggling. Everyone is having to tighten their belts.”

Jiang Longyin continued, “Many factories have seen their profits steadily decline since last year; some have even had to rely on bank loans and government bailouts just to stay afloat, placing a massive financial burden on the district government and even the municipal government!”

“Since the start of this spring, the situation has gotten even worse. Many enterprises are performing worse than they did last year. At this very moment, State Cotton Mill No. 2 has bucked the trend and risen to prominence. Consequently, quite a few people have gotten ideas and want to emulate their reforms. Now the district is in an uproar over this!”

“That’s a good thing—what’s there to argue about?” Li Yi asked, puzzled.

“Isn’t it better for enterprises to find their own way out rather than constantly relying on public funds?”

Jiang Longyin paused briefly before saying, “The main issue is that the district government is truly unsure about this. The results at State Cotton Mill No. 2 are indeed astonishing, but the problem is that it’s an isolated case. Currently, there are no other enterprises like it in the entire capital!”

“What we’re worried about is this: if everyone starts copying what they’re doing, could it cause chaos? Could it undermine our economic system?”

Li Yi frowned and said, “Second Brother, I understand your concerns, but I don’t agree with them!”

“Tell me your thoughts,” Jiang Longyin said.

“Some minor chaos is naturally unavoidable, but major chaos shouldn’t occur. As for your concern about an impact on the economic system—isn’t that exactly what the higher-ups want to see? After all, isn’t the whole point of ‘reform’ to seek breakthroughs through change?” Li Yi said.

“But won’t that undermine the status of our public ownership system?”

“No. Our public ownership system is built on the foundation of state-owned land. As long as that remains unchanged, there’s no problem!”

Li Yi continued, “More importantly, if we don’t seek change on our own now, we’ll eventually be forced to change. The consequences then could be far worse than they are now!”

Li Yi had lived through that era. Just a few years later, major enterprises across the country, in an effort to lighten their burdens, encouraged employees to take unpaid leave and go into business for themselves.

Some enterprises, in an effort to offload their burdens, simply released their surplus or redundant personnel into society, leaving them to fend for themselves.

Back then, the country was exploring new paths, and people were feeling their way forward—no one knew what the future held, so they had no choice but to forge ahead despite the risks.

Some were favored by history; braving all manner of pressures, they carved out a path with their youth and wisdom.

But many more became guinea pigs of reform, gradually weeded out by history.

“So you’re saying we should allow struggling enterprises to carry out their own reforms?” Jiang Longyin asked in a subdued tone.

Li Yi didn’t answer the question directly. Instead, he looked at Jiang Longyin and asked, “Second Brother, what’s your stance on this matter?”

“I… I…”

Seeing his expression, Li Yi knew the answer.

“Second Brother, you must be against it. After all, as the top official in the district, you need to prioritize stability, right?”

“Right!”

“Second Brother, stability is certainly important, but if you only seek stability, you won’t achieve any breakthroughs. This applies to businesses, as well as to governments and individuals!”

Li Yi continued, “I believe this current situation presents a great opportunity—both for the district government and for you personally, Second Brother.”

Hearing this, Jiang Longyin’s eyes lit up, and he asked, “Can we really give it a try?”

“Yes, the district could certainly select a factory that’s struggling the most—one that’s even on the verge of bankruptcy—and use it as a pilot project!” Li Yi suggested.

Jiang Longyin immediately grasped Li Yi’s meaning: using a factory on the brink of bankruptcy as a pilot for reform meant that even if it failed, there would be no real consequences—it was going under anyway.

But if it succeeded, it would be a surefire political achievement!

At this thought, Jiang Longyin was sold on the idea!

Before we knew it, it was already the end of April!

With the temperature having fully rebounded, the earlier spring chill was long gone.

The capital now enjoyed pleasant weather, with flowers in full bloom, a riot of colors.

In the courtyard, Li Yi was helping Jiang Xue plant trees and flowers.

A couple of days ago, the young lady had accompanied her mother-in-law on a visit to the campus of Beijing University. Seeing the magnolias, peach blossoms, crabapples, and other flowers blooming one after another, she instantly fell in love with the vibrant, blooming scenery.

Upon returning, she discussed with Li Yi her desire to fill their small courtyard with flowers and plants, and even plant some of her favorite trees within the grounds.

Naturally, Li Yi had no objections; after all, the space was so small that she could do whatever she pleased with it.

So, the young couple set about reorganizing the courtyard.

After planting the last packet of flower seeds, Li Yi stretched his aching back and glanced at Jiang Xue, who was beaming with joy.

“I didn’t realize planting flowers would be so tiring. Looks like I’m just not cut out for farm work!”

Jiang Xue smiled and said, “Don’t even mention farm work. Even though you’re from the village, when it comes to working the fields, you’re no match for me—a city girl!”

Li Yi chuckled and said, “My city girl, let’s just think about what we’re having for lunch!”

“How about we have zhajiang noodles? I had them once with Mom at her workplace, and they were so delicious!”

“Zha Jiang Mian, huh? It’s a deal!”

With that, Li Yi gathered up the tools in the yard, then headed to the kitchen and got to work.

Watching her husband take on the role of a stay-at-home dad, a smile couldn’t help but spread across Jiang Xue’s face.

Ever since the old man’s 80th birthday, Li Yi had been holed up at home, living the “dream life” of a cozy home with his wife and child.

Apart from the occasional trip to the shop, he basically stayed at home all the time.

Every morning, Li Yi would get up early to prepare breakfast for the family, either cooking it himself or buying it from outside.

During the day, while Jiang Xue studied, he took care of entertaining the child and running errands for groceries, and he also handled all the household chores.

In the evenings, after Juanzi came home from school, Li Yi would have her watch the child while he took Jiang Xue for a walk in the nearby Imperial City or the park.

Although their days are relatively uneventful, they are warm and happy!

They had just finished lunch and were about to take a nap when they suddenly heard a knock at the door.

Li Yi immediately slipped on his slippers and headed for the door.

“Who is it?”

“Master, it’s me, Old Zhao!”

Hearing Master Zhao’s voice, Li Yi opened the door right away.

Master Zhao was the master craftsman who had renovated this courtyard for him. Last year, Master Zhao, along with his apprentice and several other workers, had helped Li Yi renovate the interior of the courtyard.

However, since the weather was quite cold, many outdoor jobs couldn’t be done, so once the weather warmed up, Li Yi had him come back for another round.

As Master Zhao stepped through the door, Li Yi asked right away, “Have you finished the job over there?”

A couple of days ago, when Li Yi had gone to see Master Zhao, he was in the middle of renovating someone else’s home, so Li Yi had asked him to stop by the Li residence once he was finished.

“I just finished this morning. I grabbed a quick bite and came straight over!” Master Zhao said with a smile.

“You know the situation here. The outer walls of this little courtyard need some repairs, and some of the roof tiles are cracked. It even leaked during the rain a couple of days ago. See if you can fix that up for me!”

Li Yi continued, “The main priority is that big house out back—make sure you do a really good job on that one!”

Compared to the courtyard he currently lived in, Li Yi had even higher expectations for that one.

Moreover, that courtyard was much larger; once the three-courtyard compound was fully renovated, it would be a family heirloom.

“Alright, I’ve got plenty of experience renovating old estates, Old Zhao here. But that compound in the back is in such a state of disrepair—once we break ground, it won’t be a small job. I’d estimate it’ll take at least half a year, and it’ll cost a pretty penny!”

Li Yi immediately replied, “I don’t mind if it takes a while, but you must ensure the quality of the work. As for the money, don’t worry about that!”

“Alright, then let’s discuss the specifics of the renovation. Once the client finalizes the plan, we can get started!”

“Alright!”

The two chatted as they walked and soon arrived at the living room of the main house.

Jiang Xue hadn’t met Master Zhao before, but she’d heard Li Yi mention him.

When she learned that Master Zhao had come to discuss the renovation plan for the large mansion out back, she became interested.

She had been to that large estate before; though it was a bit run-down, it was certainly spacious.

Moreover, it was said to have once belonged to a wealthy family, so if it were spruced up, it would certainly be a lovely place to live.

Consequently, Jiang Xue decided to skip her afternoon nap and joined Li Yi and Master Zhao in discussing the renovation plans.

Renovating a house is inherently a tedious and time-consuming task. The three of them discussed the plans in the living room for over two hours before finally settling on a preliminary design.

Afterward, Li Yi paid a 200-yuan deposit, and the deal was sealed!

………..

After seeing Master Zhao off, neither of them felt like taking a nap anymore!

While Jiang Xue was busy reading and reviewing her notes, Li Yi left the house and headed straight for the nearby district government office.

He wanted to talk to Jiang Longyin about that piece of land!

In fact, although Li Yi had been focusing on his family life lately, he hadn’t completely let go of his business affairs.

The barbecue and hot pot restaurant was as bustling as ever!

With no real competition and the support of Jiang Longcheng, Jiang Longyin, Ye Jianhua, Lin Yi, and others, daily revenue was steadily increasing.

If the timing hadn’t been a bit off, Li Yi would have considered opening a few more branches in Beijing.

Actually, Long Zhanjun had brought this up with him before, and he’d even said that as long as Li Yi agreed, he could call in the guys from Yong County to help at any time—manpower wouldn’t be an issue.

However, Li Yi turned down Long Zhanjun’s proposal. The reason was simple: he didn’t want to be the one to stick his neck out!

Don’t think that just because he has the Jiang family’s backing now, he isn’t afraid of being investigated.

But Li Yi was the type who feared fame like a pig fears getting fat. Just think of Mr. Nian from Shaguaguazi—three stints in prison and four marriages. He’d rather leave that kind of attention-seeking to others!

Besides, now wasn’t the best time to break into the restaurant business. With all the restrictions on permits and licenses, launching a large-scale restaurant operation would come with far too many obstacles.

On the other hand, land hoarding had reached a point where it was absolutely imperative; it had to be put on the agenda as soon as possible.

But this isn’t as simple as it seems. After all, it’s no easy feat for a private individual to acquire land these days, let alone in the capital, right under the emperor’s nose.

He’s already made several trips to the district government office for this, but progress has been rather slow.

It wasn’t that the district government was unwilling; in fact, most of the district officials, including Jiang Longyin, were quite supportive of the project.

After all, this plot of over 300 mu of land involved more than 2.5 million yuan. Aside from the high compensation of 2,000 yuan per mu paid to the villagers of Beiguan Village, the remaining 1.9 million yuan would all go to the district government.

For the district government, which is facing financial strain, this is quite a tempting prospect.

However, relocation is no small matter; after all, it affects far too many ordinary people, and it is indeed difficult to properly coordinate the interests of so many residents.

It was already nearly May, and if the process dragged on any longer, the villagers would likely start planting crops on the land again. By then, carrying out the relocation would become even more difficult.

Therefore, Li Yi decided to visit the district office again to speak with Jiang Longyin and urge them to act!

Cotton Mill. The Director’s Office!

Seeing Jiang Longcheng taking advantage of the situation, Li Yi couldn’t help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation.

“I was just making a gesture, but you’re really taking me up on it!”

“Hahaha, you’re my brother-in-law—why would I hold back with you?” Jiang Longcheng grinned widely.

“What’s this about? You’re a big factory director, after all. What on earth would you need a little nobody like me for?” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“Borrow some money!”

“Borrow money?”

Li Yi considered all sorts of possibilities, but this was the last thing he’d expected—after all, Jiang Longcheng had never been short on cash.

It wasn’t about how much he earned—it was because he was the factory director!

Whether it was dining out or daily expenses, whatever he spent could be reimbursed by the company—which was way better than getting a monthly salary of three or five hundred.

Don’t even ask if it’s by the book—that’s just how things are these days.

“Right. I’m getting married, you know. I can’t exactly marry a wife and still live with my parents, can I? That’d be so inconvenient!”

“So you’re looking to borrow money to buy a house?”

“Yeah. The factory does offer housing benefits, but they’re all old, run-down places. So I’m planning to buy an apartment in the city as our wedding home!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“Borrowing money is no problem, but I suggest you don’t buy a high-rise!” Li Yi said.

“Why?”

“First of all, apartments are generally small—sixty or seventy square meters is considered large—and living in such a cramped space is uncomfortable!”

Li Yi continued, “Also, apartment buildings all have stairs—going up and down is a hassle!”

“You’re not suggesting I buy one of those run-down courtyard houses like you, are you?”

“How did a traditional courtyard house turn into a run-down shack in your mouth? Don’t you think my place is nice and livable once it’s been spruced up?” Li Yi said.

“It’s not bad, but I just feel like living in a single-story house is a bit old-fashioned—it’s not as stylish as an apartment building!”

“Just because you live in a high-rise doesn’t make you sophisticated. What kind of taste is that? Think about it—who with real status and standing lives in a high-rise? Don’t they all have a nice mansion?”

Li Yi continued, “The Jiang family is a prominent clan. When relatives come to visit, with only one or two bedrooms, where are they supposed to stay?”

Li Yi understood the value of a traditional courtyard house. These days, a courtyard house costs significantly less than an apartment, so buying a courtyard house is a much better deal than buying an apartment.

“You’re right. If it doesn’t work out, let’s just buy a courtyard house!”

Seeing that he had convinced Jiang Longcheng, Li Yi returned to the main topic and asked, “How much do you plan to borrow?”

Jiang Longcheng said somewhat sheepishly, “That smaller courtyard of yours cost about ten thousand yuan, so just lend me ten thousand!”

“Ten thousand? So you haven’t saved a single penny for a house?” Li Yi teased.

“Um… well, I just never thought about saving money before!” Jiang Longcheng said, a touch of embarrassment in his voice.

“Alright, I’ll have the store get the money ready for you. Pick it up after work!”

“Alright!”

“Also, I think you need to pick up a side hustle. Your income and your spending habits just don’t match up at all!” Li Yi said.

Li Yi knew Jiang Longcheng well—to call him a big spender would be an understatement; he was the very definition of someone who spent money like water.

Although he was “supported” by the state-owned cotton mill, that arrangement was, after all, risky.

If the government’s policies were lenient, it wouldn’t be a problem, but if they tightened up, things would get complicated.

Money—it’s always more reassuring to spend your own!

“What kind of side business? What are your thoughts, brother-in-law?”

Before he’d even thought about getting married, Jiang Longcheng didn’t think making money was all that important.

But now that he was getting married—and everything required money—he felt too embarrassed to ask his parents for help, which made him quickly realize the importance of earning his own money.

At the same time, he couldn’t help but envy Li Yi, who owned his own business and raked in a fortune every day.

Unlike him, stuck with a measly fixed salary of a hundred or eighty bucks a month.

“I haven’t figured it out yet, but once I do, I’ll bring you along!”

Taking advantage of the fact that the government hadn’t yet rolled out all those strict regulations targeting government and corporate officials, Li Yi decided to take Jiang Longcheng on a wild ride.

“Alright, I’ll be waiting for your good news!”

“Alright!”

With that, Li Yi turned and left Jiang Longcheng’s office!

………

The Grill and Hot Pot Restaurant!

By the time he arrived at the restaurant, it was already 11:30.

Third Sister Li Na was busy at the condiment station, while Long Zhanjun was reconciling accounts with Li Yeqiao nearby, and everyone else was busy with their own tasks.

Seeing Li Yi push open the door and walk in, they all immediately stopped what they were doing and came over to greet him.

“How’s business been these past few days?”

Long Zhanjun replied immediately, “Not bad—we’ve been making at least a thousand yuan a day!”

“How much cash is in the store right now?”

“A little over 11,000 yuan. I just finished the handover with Old Li and was about to have him deposit it!” Long Zhanjun replied.

“Don’t deposit it. Keep the money here. Jiang Longcheng will come to pick it up in a day or two—just hand it over to him!” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

Then, Long Zhanjun turned to Li Yeqiao and said, “Old Li, why don’t you go over the books again?”

“Sure!”

Just then, Long Zhanjun remembered something and turned to Li Yi: “Someone called you earlier. They had a local accent from your area. Nana said the caller was Comrade An Hong’s husband. Should you call him back?”

Hearing that it was Wang Anguo who had called, Li Yi knew it must be important, so he nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll call him right back!”

“Well, we’ll get back to work then!”

“Mm-hmm!”

Walking over to the counter, Li Yi picked up the phone and immediately dialed a number!

After a few rings, the call was answered.

“This is Wang Anguo. Who’s this?”

“Brother Wang, it’s Li Yi!”

“Hahaha, it’s Brother Li Yi! It’s really hard to get a hold of a busy guy like you!” Wang Anguo said with a laugh.

“I’ve been a bit busy these past few days. What’s up? Missing my sister-in-law?” Li Yi asked with a laugh.

“She’s in Shanghai. We just spoke on the phone a couple of days ago!”

Then Wang Anguo continued, “I mainly called to tell you that Old Huang is here!”

“Old Huang’s here? When did that happen?” Li Yi asked in surprise.

“He arrived in Qingcheng the day before yesterday and in Ning City this morning. I just got them settled and came back to the office!”

“Did he come alone, or did his whole family come with him?”

“He came with his whole family, and he brought five or six bodyguards!”

“Why did he come to Ning City at this time? Is there something going on?” Li Yi asked again.

“I heard from Director Feng of the Provincial Investment Promotion Bureau, who accompanied him, that he’s here to follow through on his pledge to build schools!”

Wang Anguo continued, “Construction started late last year, so most of the projects are just at the foundation stage. He plans to complete all 38 of the schools that have been approved this year.”

“That’s great news!”

“Exactly. That’s why leaders at both the provincial and municipal levels have asked us to give our full cooperation and make sure Old Huang is well taken care of. Now even I, the captain of the Criminal Investigation Division, have been made his head of security—hahaha!”

Hearing this, Li Yi laughed along with him.

After the laughter died down, Li Yi said, “Listen, Brother Wang, could you pass a message to Old Huang for me?”

“What message?”

“Just tell him I’ve been a bit busy lately and can’t make it back. If he finishes up his business over there and has some free time, he should come visit Beijing!” Li Yi said.

He had promised Old Huang that if he really managed to build those hundred schools, he’d give him a big break.

It seemed Old Huang was serious about building the schools, so Li Yi had to keep his promise.

Besides, there were a few things Li Yi wanted to discuss with Old Huang as well.

“I’ll be sure to pass on the message!”

“Alright!”

……

Beiguan Village. Cotton Mill!

By the time Li Yi drove to the cotton mill, it was already 10:30 a.m.

As soon as he reached the second floor of the factory office, he heard Jiang Longcheng’s slightly maniacal laughter.

Clearly, this guy was in a great mood today—just like Li Yi himself!

When he reached Jiang Longcheng’s office, he found the door wide open. Without knocking, Li Yi walked right in.

Once inside, Li Yi noticed that Jiang Longcheng’s office was quite crowded. Aside from Jiang himself, several key executives—including Deputy Plant Managers He Tianming and Chen Rui—were all present.

When they saw Li Yi enter, everyone stood up to greet him.

Just a few months ago, their opinion of Li Yi hadn’t been favorable; they’d viewed him as nothing more than a smooth-talking con artist who’d risen to prominence through nepotism.

However, following the meteoric rise of Feixue Apparel, everyone had gained a completely new appreciation for Li Yi’s business acumen, recognizing him as a true business genius. Consequently, their attitude toward him had undergone a complete 180-degree shift.

After greeting everyone, Li Yi walked up to Jiang Longcheng and asked, “I could hear your laughter from a mile away. What’s got you so happy?”

“Brother-in-law, why’d you take so long to show up? You missed the show!” Jiang Longcheng said with a hint of excitement.

“What kind of show could get you this worked up?” Li Yi asked curiously.

“Someone from the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission just showed up!”

“Is that all?”

“Yeah, they sent a division director over to deliver a document!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“What document?”

Jiang Longcheng didn’t answer, but instead pushed an official document with a red header across the desk toward Li Yi.

Li Yi didn’t shy away from it or make a fuss; he simply picked up the document and began reading it.

As soon as he saw the title, Li Yi knew exactly what was going on—*Decision on Commending the Second State-Owned Cotton Mill for Deepening Reforms and Improving Efficiency*.

No wonder Jiang Longcheng, He Tianming, and the others were so delighted—the State-owned Assets Department had actually commended the cotton mill!

Of course, a mere commendation wouldn’t have made them this excited; it was the significance behind the commendation that mattered far more.

After all, just a few days ago, the higher-ups had expressed doubts about the State Cotton Mill No. 2’s previous decision. They’d even held meetings to discuss how to resolve the matter and whether to revoke the cooperation agreement they’d signed with Li Yi.

If it had been revoked, it would have meant that higher-ups had rejected all their previous efforts, and the entire leadership team—including Jiang Longcheng—would have faced disciplinary action.

But now the situation is different—the higher-ups have commended them.

This indicates that the State-owned Assets Department has recognized their previous efforts and that they were in the right.

Sure enough, after Li Yi read through the entire document, it did indeed affirm their previous efforts and commended everyone involved, including Jiang Longcheng, He Tianming, and Chen Rui.

More importantly, the State-owned Assets Department also explicitly affirmed the legal validity of the cooperation agreement they had signed.

In other words, the State-owned Assets Department had backed down!

Thinking back to how his father-in-law had gone to “catch up” with Wang Tianrong yesterday afternoon, carrying the editorials Li Yi had written on reform and opening-up, deepening reforms, and the market economy, it was clear that today’s document was directly related to that incident.

But upon reflection, it all made sense. The editorials he had written contained views that were both ahead of their time and highly targeted.

Once published, they would directly challenge the very actions the Ministry of State-Owned Assets is currently undertaking.

If people were to notice the connection between the two, the Ministry’s actions would be seen as going against the development policies set by the top leadership—a major issue concerning political correctness.

At such a critical juncture, heads might very well roll!

With that in mind, Li Yi handed the documents back to Jiang Longcheng and said, “Alright, stop gloating. Since it’s all over now, let’s just get back to work!”

“Hahaha, I’m just happy. Our factory has finally made a name for itself this time—it feels great!”

“Stop gloating. I’ve reviewed your performance from last month. Overall, it’s decent, but it still falls short of my expectations!” Li Yi said.

“Still falling short?”

No sooner had Jiang Longcheng finished speaking than He Tianming chimed in from the side, “Revenue of 4.78 million and a net profit of 3.62 million have already broken our factory’s 25-year record—that’s not bad at all!”

“Yeah, that’s really impressive. Just think about last year—our factory was still in the red…”

……

Li Yi raised his hand to quiet the commotion, then said, “Compared to previous years, it’s certainly not bad—it’s a huge improvement. But you must understand that you are now the number one fashion brand operator in the country. With no competitors, this level of performance is absolutely unworthy of your status!”

“Besides, the goal I set for you was an annual profit of 100 million. With a monthly profit of just over 3 million, who knows when we’ll ever reach 100 million!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone whispered, “Wasn’t it twenty million?”

“Hmph, twenty million is just the baseline—one hundred million is the target!”

Li Yi then looked around at the group and continued, “Even though I’m merely a partner of the cotton mill, I must warn you: don’t let a little success go to your heads. You’re not qualified for that yet!”

“Moving forward, you must continue following the plan I laid out earlier: keep increasing production, and keep refining and expanding your sales channels. Once we hit the goal of annual profits exceeding 100 million, every single one of you here will become a key talent for the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission to cultivate. Soaring to great heights and rising through the ranks will no longer be a dream!”

Hearing Li Yi’s words, everyone present became incredibly excited!

Seeing this, Jiang Longcheng immediately addressed the crowd: “Alright, don’t just stand around here. Go back now!”

After everyone had left, Jiang Longcheng looked at Li Yi and said, “Brother-in-law, it’s a waste of your talent not to become a political commissar!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re a natural at stirring people up. With just a few words, you’ve got the common folk all fired up—you’re born to be a political commissar!”

“Haha, cut the flattery!”

With that, Li Yi pulled his car keys out of his pocket and placed them on Jiang Longcheng’s desk.

“What’s the matter? Don’t you need them anymore?”

“I don’t need them anymore. Xiaoxue said driving the cotton mill’s car every day gives off a bad impression!” Li Yi explained.

“What’s so bad about that?” Jiang Longcheng frowned.

“Women are just like that—we’d better just listen to them!”

Jiang Longcheng was about to argue, but then he remembered something and held his tongue.

“Alright then. It’s an old car anyway—it’s over a decade old. I’ll get you a better one to drive later!”

Then Jiang Longcheng added, “By the way, Old Tan was looking for me earlier. He said their workshop is a bit too small and they want to move to a bigger one. What do you think?”

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “Instead of moving to a new workshop, we should spin off the garment workshop and set up a dedicated garment factory. That would be much more effective!”

“A garment factory?”

“Exactly. In the future, the fabric mill will be the fabric mill, the garment factory will be the garment factory, and marketing will handle marketing. Only by operating independently can we grow and expand rapidly!”

“Will that really work?”

“It’ll definitely work!”

“All right, I’ll discuss this with them in detail later,” said Jiang Longcheng.

“Alright!”

“Alright then, I won’t keep you any longer. I’m heading back to the store…”

“Wait a minute, I’ve got something else to tell you!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“What is it? Spit it out so I can get out of here,” Li Yi said.

“I’m getting married!”

“G-getting… married? To Zhang Xinyao?”

“Is that really the look you’re giving me? Who else would I marry besides her?” Jiang Longcheng said, somewhat exasperated.

“Have you set a date yet?”

“It’s set for the 25th of next month—the 22nd day of the fourth lunar month!”

“Why so sudden? You didn’t mention anything yesterday,” Li Yi said.

“We decided last night. Xinyao said she wanted to bring her mother to Beijing for medical treatment and thought we should take advantage of her mother’s visit to get the matter settled. She asked if that was okay with me!”

Then Jiang Longcheng grinned and said, “How could I possibly refuse? So we set the date!”

Li Yi shook his head and said, “You guys, you’re so spontaneous about everything!”

“Never mind, I won’t bother with you guys. If you need any help, just ask!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Jiang Longcheng chimed in with a grin, “Um… actually, there is something I need your help with right now!”

Li Yi: …%￥#@#￥

………

Beijing. The Li Family Courtyard!

“Ding!”

As the clock in the bedroom chimed, Li Yi slowly opened his eyes.

He felt a tingling sensation in his arm. Upon closer inspection, he realized Jiang Xue’s head was resting on his arm.

His right hand was wrapped around her neck, resting on his son’s “food bag,” while his left hand lay on Jiang Xue’s stomach.

They say “the land of love is a hero’s grave,” and with a wife, children, and a warm bed, even someone like Li Yi felt his fighting spirit waning.

Reluctantly, he crawled out from under the covers, put on the clothes scattered all over the place, and prepared to face the new day.

Seeing quite a few of their clothes still scattered on the floor—all the result of last night’s “accident”—Li Yi got out of bed to gather them up.

However, the moment his feet touched the floor, he realized his thighs were aching—as if he’d just finished a marathon. The sensation was damn exhausting.

Li Yi instinctively glanced at Jiang Xue, who was fast asleep. Her face was etched with exhaustion, looking as though she’d been pushed to her limits.

Although he felt a twinge of tenderness, what dominated his heart was still that barbaric pride!

He sat on the edge of the kang to catch his breath, then finally got up and set to work.

As soon as he entered the main room, Li Yi saw that Juanzi was already up, cleaning the house.

Upon seeing Li Yi, Juanzi hurriedly said, “Brother Yi, breakfast is in the pot, and I’ve finished cleaning up. I’m off to school!”

“Wait a minute, Juanzi!” Li Yi said.

“What’s wrong, Brother Yi?”

Li Yi immediately pulled a stack of bills from his pocket, handed them to Juanzi, and said, “Here’s 36 yuan—that’s your wages for the past two months. Take it!”

But when Juanzi saw the money, she instinctively took two steps back and said, “Brother Yi, I’m already so grateful that you’ve taken me in and let me go to school—how could I possibly take your money?”

“You’ve been taking care of my wife and our two kids. It’s only fair that I pay you for your work. Besides, it’s not much—just take it!”

“I don’t want it!”

“Take it. You need to buy school supplies and things like that at school—you’ll find it useful!”

Hearing this, Juanzi hesitated briefly, then stepped forward to take a 10-yuan note and put it in her pocket, but she still refused to accept the rest of the money!

Seeing that the girl was absolutely determined not to accept it, Li Yi didn’t press the matter further. Instead, he said, “From now on, I’ll give you 15 yuan a month as wages. If you don’t want it, I’ll save it for you. Go back to school!”

“Okay!”

After watching Juanzi leave, Li Yi quickly washed up and headed to the kitchen.

He saw that there was some cooked millet porridge in the pot and a few large steamed buns in the steamer—these were what his mother-in-law had given them yesterday when they returned from the Jiang family’s old house.

Just as Li Yi had finished serving the porridge, he suddenly heard a child crying from inside the house.

He immediately put down the bowl and ran toward the bedroom.

The baby’s cries also woke Jiang Xue from her deep sleep. She sat up instinctively from the kang, picked up her crying son, and brought the bag of grain to the little one’s mouth.

Seeing this, Li Yi couldn’t help but swallow hard.

But before he could dwell on it, little Yunjin on the other side began to whimper as well.

The two little ones seemed to be in perfect sync; whenever one started something, the other would quickly follow suit.

Li Yi hurried over and picked up the little girl.

Feeling Li Yi’s warm, strong arms, the little girl’s furrowed brows quickly smoothed out, and she stopped whimpering.

After a moment, Jiang Xue said with half-closed eyes, “Give me the girl. You go change the boy’s diaper—that little stinker seems to have pooped just now!”

“Alright!”

By the time Li Yi had changed his son’s diaper and wiped his little bottom clean with warm water, Jiang Xue had finished feeding their daughter and had her dressed as well.

Jiang Xue had intended to get up and wash up, but just like Li Yi, the moment her feet touched the floor, her legs gave way, and she nearly fell.

More importantly, she felt not only weak and achy all over, but also a dull ache in several places, as if she’d been run over by a truck.

Having experienced something similar before, she immediately knew what was going on. Her face flushed red, and she couldn’t help but silently curse Li Yi for not knowing how to treat a lady with tenderness.

As it happened, Li Yi had just witnessed Jiang Xue nearly falling!

Seeing this, he hurried over and asked, “What happened? Did you hurt yourself?”

Jiang Xue’s face flushed, and she hurriedly replied, “I’m fine—I just wasn’t paying attention!”

It was too embarrassing; how could she possibly explain?

“Okay, go wash up and eat. I’ll pop over to Third Brother’s place in a bit. Once I return the car to the cotton mill, I’ll come back and keep you company!” Li Yi said.

Hearing this, Jiang Xue was taken aback for a moment. Her expression changed slightly, and she hurriedly said, “No need. You go take care of your business first. With Mom here, I can handle things on my own!”

Yesterday, when Li Yi told her he’d be staying home every day to spend time with her and the baby, she’d been overjoyed.

But now, she regretted it!

Thinking about this guy’s animal-like stamina, Jiang Xue was genuinely a little scared.

If he stayed home every day, would she eventually find it hard to even get out of bed? The thought sent a shiver down Jiang Xue’s spine.

Li Yi didn’t notice anything amiss and continued, “Mom isn’t in the best of health either. We can’t keep bothering them all the time. I’ll take care of you two instead!”

“No, I can take care of Yunrui and Yunjin just fine without Mom!”

Seeing how strongly Jiang Xue was refusing, Li Yi immediately sensed something was off and stared at her intently.

“Huh, you don’t look right. Why do I get the feeling you don’t really want me to stay home and take care of you and the kids?” Li Yi frowned.

Jiang Xue’s face flushed red. She glared at Li Yi and said, “Are you sure you’re coming home to take care of me and the kids, and not to torment me?”

“How exactly would I be giving you a hard time…”

At that moment, Li Yi suddenly understood.

Seeing his wife’s flushed face, he burst out laughing. “I was wondering what was wrong—so that’s it!”

“How dare you laugh! You have no regard for a lady at all—aren’t you afraid of hurting me?”

“I was in a hurry last night. I apologize. I’ll be more careful from now on!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Well, we’ll see how you behave. Also, you can’t get me pregnant again before I graduate from college. I don’t want to go to college with a big belly—that would be so embarrassing!” Jiang Xue said.

“Fine, fine, whatever you say. If you don’t want it, I’m not going to force you!” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“I’m not going to argue with you. Anyway, you don’t have to stay home all the time—a man should be out in the world!”

“I’ll do as you say!”

With that, Li Yi suddenly took a step forward, picked Jiang Xue right up, and headed toward the dining room…

………

………

? The Jiang Family Ancestral Home. Main Hall!

Jiang Shiying stood there reading everything Li Yi had written, then asked in shock, “You wrote all of this?”

“Yes, these are my assessments and views on the current economic situation, as well as some reflections on the problems and shortcomings of state-owned enterprises in our country!” Li Yi replied.

“Hahaha, I knew it! I was wondering why you were so confident—turns out you’d already figured out a plan of action!”

After that, Jiang Shiying glanced at the manuscript in his hand and asked, “How do you plan to use this manuscript?”

“Dad, I’ve written a total of eight editorials like this. My original plan was to hand them over to my second older brother so he could publish them in the state media under his own name—I just don’t know if he has the guts to do it,” Li Yi said.

“Eight?”

“Mm-hmm!”

Jiang Shiying thought for a moment and said, “Long Yin’s position is still too low for his words to carry much weight. I’ll handle this myself!”

“You?”

“Yes. Since our region serves as a showcase for reform and opening-up, and the economic landscape is changing rapidly, it would be more appropriate for me to speak on these matters,” Jiang Shiying said.

“Alright then! I’ll hand over the rest of the materials to you tomorrow!”

“Alright. I didn’t expect you to have such a deep understanding of economic matters. It’s truly a waste of your talent that you aren’t serving at the Economic and Trade Commission!” Jiang Shiying said.

As soon as Li Yi heard this, he knew his father-in-law hadn’t given up yet and was trying to talk him into pursuing a political career again.

He hurriedly replied, “Dad, it would be a huge waste if I went. Please don’t try to get me into government again—that’s really not my calling!”

“I’m not asking you to be an official—as if the country is so desperate for you!” Jiang Shiying glared at Li Yi.

At that moment, Ye Lingyun, who was standing nearby, asked, “What about Brother Rong’s situation from the other day?”

“Heh, I’ll treat him to a drink tonight and share these humble thoughts of mine with him!”

As he spoke, Jiang Shiying waved the manuscripts in his hand, a look of pride on his face.

“What on earth is in these manuscripts of Yi’s? Look how precious they are to you!” Yang said curiously.

“It’s the real deal. With this, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission won’t just be unable to take action against Little Yi—they’ll have to give him their full support!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Is it really that powerful?”

“Mm-hmm!”

Just then, Jiang Shiying suddenly remembered something and fixed his gaze on Li Yi. “By the way, I heard you spent 200,000 on a bunch of worthless calligraphy and paintings. Is that true?”

“It’s true!”

“Not ancient paintings?”

“No, they’re all works by modern artists!” Li Yi replied honestly.

“What were you thinking, wasting 200,000 yuan like that?” Jiang Shiying frowned.

Li Yi smiled and said, “It’s not a waste—I just wanted to leave something nice for Yun Rui and Yun Jin!”

“Those calligraphy and paintings? You call them good stuff?”

“Father, you’ve surely heard the saying: ‘Antiques in times of prosperity, gold in times of turmoil.’ If this were a few decades ago, I certainly wouldn’t have bought these calligraphy and paintings even if I had the money, but now I don’t think I’ve lost out by buying them!”

“Are you saying we’re already in a golden age, and these calligraphy and paintings will appreciate in value?” Jiang Shiying frowned.

“No, we’re still far from a golden age, but there are already signs of one on the horizon!”

“That’s true, but isn’t betting 200,000 on this a bit too risky?” Jiang Shiying said.

Li Yi shook his head and said, “There’s no need to bet on this!”

“Oh, so this isn’t a bet?”

“Not knowing the outcome is gambling; knowing the outcome is an investment!”

Li Yi continued, “Although those calligraphy and paintings aren’t ancient works and aren’t as valuable as ancient paintings, they were created by renowned modern and contemporary masters—artists like Qi Baishi, Zhang Daqian, and Li Keran! Right now, their works may only be moderately well-known and not worth much, but at an average price of twenty per piece, it’s not a loss.”

“And as the national economy develops and people’s living standards continue to rise, these famous artists’ calligraphy and paintings are bound to increase in value significantly. Trading a sure thing for unlimited potential—what do you think?”

Jiang Shiying shook his head and said, “I don’t really understand this business you’re talking about, but you’ve always been a steady and reliable young man, so I won’t say much more!”

“Thanks, Dad!”

“By the way, I heard from Long Yin that you’re looking to acquire a plot of land near Beiguan Village?”

“Yeah, since I have some spare cash on hand, I’d like to build up some assets here in the capital!” Li Yi said.

“Can you really make money with a cold storage facility?” Jiang Shiying frowned.

“It can!”

Li Yi wasn’t sure if building a cold storage facility would be profitable, but securing that piece of land would definitely make him a fortune!

“Hmm, in that case, go talk to Long Yin!”

“Alright!”

………

By the time they left the Jiang family’s old mansion, it was already past eight o’clock in the evening.

The two little ones had woken up earlier but were now fast asleep again, lying quietly in Jiang Xue and Juanzi’s arms.

Watching Li Yi skillfully maneuver the car, Jiang Xue couldn’t help but ask, “You’ve had this car for so long now—why haven’t you thought about returning it to Third Brother?”

“If I give it back to them, what are we supposed to drive?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“We managed just fine without a car before. Why do we need one now? Besides, you’re not the type to be into showing off, are you?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Before we had the kids, it was easy enough to get around. But now that we have these two, it’s really inconvenient to go out without a car!”

“But we can’t keep borrowing other people’s cars. If that’s the case, let’s just buy one ourselves!” Jiang Xue said.

Li Yi smiled and said, “Buying a car isn’t as simple as you think. Even if we had the money, we couldn’t buy one—unless we were foreigners!”

Li Yi had already looked into this; current policies simply didn’t allow private citizens to buy cars.

The main issue was that people’s incomes were generally quite low at the time. Never mind buying a car—even buying a bicycle required several months’ wages. Saving up for a car was practically out of the question.

In fact, it wasn’t until 1984 that the government issued the “Provisions on Individual Farmers or Joint Households Purchasing Motor Vehicles, Boats, and Tractors for Transportation Operations,” which explicitly legalized private car ownership.

That was precisely why Li Yi had been holding onto the cotton mill’s vehicle and refusing to return it.

As for whether people would gossip about it, Li Yi didn’t care and felt no guilt whatsoever.

After all, it belonged to the cotton mill. He had handed over Feixue Apparel and the vast majority of the profits to the mill; a single month’s net profit alone could buy dozens of these beat-up little cars.

Did Li Yi really need to feel guilty about borrowing the factory’s car for a while?

“But… since it’s not our own, I just don’t feel at ease!” Jiang Xue said.

“What’s there to feel uneasy about? Fine, I’ll just return the car tomorrow!”

Anyway, aside from running to the store, the car really wasn’t doing much good right now. If they had to return it, so be it!

“If you don’t want to return it…”

“It’s not a matter of wanting to or not. I don’t plan on going out for the next little while anyway, so keeping the car is pointless!”

“Why aren’t you going out? Is it because…”

“Don’t jump to conclusions. It’s already mid-April, and there are less than three months left until the college entrance exams. For the next little while, I’ll try to stay home to take care of the kids and cook, so you can focus on studying!” Li Yi said.

“Really?” Jiang Xue asked, her face lighting up with delight.

In fact, ever since they returned from Qin Province last October—and especially after Li Yi moved to Beijing for work—Jiang Xue had felt that he simply didn’t spend enough time with her.

Although she understood that Li Yi was genuinely busy, deep down she longed for her husband to spend as much time as possible with her and their child!

“Of course it’s true. From now on, I’ll cook for you every day and stay home to look after the baby. Don’t go calling me a loser!”

“I wouldn’t dream of it—I’d be over the moon!”

What Jiang Xue hadn’t anticipated, however, was that she would regret it the very next day…

The old man’s birthday banquet was a grand affair, starting at noon and continuing in full swing until 2:30 in the afternoon.

The liveliness was secondary; what mattered most were the guests attending the banquet.

Apart from the Jiang family’s direct and collateral relatives, as well as in-laws, the majority were military and government officials affiliated with the Jiang faction.

Most of these people were either the Old Master’s former subordinates or individuals he had personally promoted.

Although no one openly formed factions, that’s just how the political world works: whoever promotes you is considered your faction.

Jiang Shirong, Jiang Shiming, and even Li Yi’s father-in-law, Jiang Shiying, insisted on throwing the Old Master an 80th birthday celebration. On the one hand, this was certainly out of filial piety.

But on the other hand, it was certainly also an opportunity to consolidate the cohesion of the Jiang faction and let the brothers in their camp know that the Old Master was in robust health and could hold on for a few more years!

It may sound a bit absurd, but that’s the reality.

Although the old man has retired, his status and standing remain undisputed. As long as he is alive, he is the stabilizing force of the entire Jiang family and the greatest source of support for the officials in this faction.

Also in attendance at the birthday banquet were some of the Old Man’s old friends.

Each of these individuals is a renowned and influential figure, including several top-tier leaders who frequently appear on the News Broadcast.

Their presence also serves as a showcase of strength for the second generation of the Jiang family!

It was a way of telling everyone: the Jiang family isn’t just represented by the Old Master—we also have his brothers-in-arms!

Of course, none of this had much to do with Li Yi.

In the presence of these figures, even Jiang Longyin—who had already risen to the rank of department-level official—could only sit in the courtyard, lacking even the privilege of entering the main hall.

As for Li Yi, Jiang Longcheng, Ye Jianhua, and the others, they were completely insignificant—like mere shrimp, utterly unremarkable.

Fortunately, everyone was already used to this.

After they’d eaten and drunk their fill, Jiang Longcheng and Ye Jianhua slipped away with their wives, neither of them foolish enough to try to make a show of themselves at a time like this.

The stage is too high and too big; acting recklessly won’t necessarily earn you praise!

Li Yi wanted to leave too, but Jiang Xue wouldn’t agree.

There was nothing to be done—her father had been away from home for over two months and hadn’t returned yet, and she wanted to wait for him.

Since his wife wanted to stay, Li Yi—being a good husband who listens to his wife and follows the Party’s lead—naturally had no objection.

And so, Li Yi stayed as well!

By 3:30 p.m., most of the guests at the Jiang family’s old mansion had left.

Even the old man had gone to rest after having a few drinks!

Just then, the front gate creaked open, and Li Yi saw his father-in-law return, looking thoroughly worn out from his journey.

Seeing that Jiang Shiying was carrying quite a few bags and seemed to be struggling a bit, Li Yi immediately went out to help.

“Dad, you’re back!”

“Hmm, is the old man’s birthday banquet over?”

“It ended nearly an hour ago. Why are you just getting back now?” Li Yi asked, puzzled.

The old man’s birthday banquet wasn’t exactly a massive event, but it was still no small matter—how could his father-in-law have been late?

“My flight was about to take off when I got a notice that the provincial leader was suddenly coming to Beijing too. They had to delay the departure, so I had to wait at the airport—and that wait ended up being three hours!”

Jiang Shiying didn’t say what came next, but Li Yi had already guessed the outcome.

Weren’t those three hours of waiting exactly the same three hours the old man’s birthday banquet had been going on?

Jiang Shiying first walked into the west wing, looked around, and didn’t see the person he was looking for.

He then set his briefcase on the coffee table and headed straight for the main hall where Jiang Xue was.

As soon as she entered, she saw her wife chatting with their daughter, but the two little ones were nowhere to be seen.

“Where are Yunrui and Yunjin?”

Hearing this, Ye Lingyun replied with a hint of displeasure, “Why are you only thinking about your two grandsons? Don’t we two living, breathing people even register on your radar?”

Jiang Shiying smiled and said, “That’s different!”

With that, he headed toward the inner room!

Sure enough, on the kang in the inner room, the two little ones were fast asleep, while Juanzi sat beside them reading a book.

Jiang Shiying hurried over to the bed and looked closely at the two little ones.

After watching them for a while, he couldn’t help but say, “It’s been two months since I last saw them, and they’ve grown so much—so plump and rosy-cheeked, it’s truly a joy to see!”

He hadn’t been back since attending Yunrui and Yunjin’s full-moon banquet last time.

With no video calls available these days, and being a grandfather for the first time, he naturally missed the two little ones terribly.

“Dad, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? Should I go to the kitchen and make you something?” Jiang Xue asked.

“No need. I had a light meal on the plane, so I’m not really hungry!”

He then took the cloth bags from Li Yi’s hands and pulled out a large pile of children’s clothes.

“These are all the latest styles from Hong Kong. Put them on the kids later!”

“Dad, please don’t waste your money on this in the future!”

“What do you mean, ‘wasted money’? What’s wrong with spending a little money on the kids?” Jiang Shiying said.

“Dad, kids grow fast. These clothes will be too small to wear in just a few months at most. Spending so much money on clothes that won’t last long—isn’t that a waste of money?”

“Heh, if they can look good for a few days, it’s worth it!”

Hearing this, Li Yi couldn’t help but shake his head. Seeing his father-in-law’s demeanor, he was reminded of how his own mother had doted on him back in the day.

And it wasn’t just his father-in-law; his mother-in-law was the same—she couldn’t bear to see Yun Rui or Yun Jin cry.

The moment the children cried, her heart would ache terribly.

He’d have to keep a close eye on these two little ones from now on—make sure his in-laws didn’t spoil them too much and turn them into good-for-nothing rich kids.

After chatting with his wife and daughter for a while, Jiang Shiying finally remembered Li Yi, her son-in-law, and asked him, “Did you run into Wang Tianrong?”

“I did, and we chatted for a bit!”

“So, did that guy give you a hard time?” Jiang Shiying asked.

“He tried, but he didn’t succeed!”

“Hahaha, that’s good. Don’t hold back with that old guy…”

Before he could finish, his mother-in-law, Ye Lingyun, glared at him and said, “Don’t talk nonsense. Yi, don’t listen to him—Brother Tianrong doesn’t have any bad intentions!”

“Haha, ‘no bad intentions’? Sure, he doesn’t intend to kill Xiao Yi, but who’s to say that old guy doesn’t have any ulterior motives!” Jiang Shiying said.

“What do you mean? Are you saying Brother Tianrong really plans to go after Xiao Yi?” Ye Lingyun frowned.

“He wants to use Xiao Yi to establish his authority!”

Jiang Shiying continued, “A while back, he promised he wouldn’t touch Xiao Yi, but then he suddenly told me that Xiao Yi had gone too far and wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine!”

“It’s just that what Xiao Yi did at the cotton mill gave hope to some factories that were on the brink of collapse. Some people are secretly trying to pull off similar stunts, which has the State-owned Assets Department feeling a bit uncertain. So they want to use Xiao Yi as a warning to the rest—to intimidate those who are secretly stirring up trouble!”

“Too bad they miscalculated. My son-in-law, Jiang Shiying, isn’t someone they can easily manipulate. If I hadn’t seen that they were just talking big and not actually taking any real action, I would’ve already taught the State-owned Assets Department a lesson myself!”

Ye Lingyun hurriedly interjected, “Please don’t! After all, Brother Tianrong has done us a favor. Even if something does come up, don’t get personally involved!”

Li Yi also understood what was going on and immediately said with a smile, “Father, please don’t get angry. I can handle this. They can’t touch me!”

“But what if—just in case?”

Li Yi smiled, then took a stack of letters from the shoulder bag he carried with him and handed it to Jiang Shiying!

“What is this?”

With a hint of confusion, Jiang Shiying took the documents Li Yi handed him.

“Hehe, you’d better take a look yourself!” Li Yi said.

Jiang Shiying unfolded the papers and began to read the contents intently.

However, after just a few glances, he jumped up from the sofa, his expression changing completely…

………

Beijing. The Jiang Family Ancestral Home!

The Chinese have a tradition of celebrating birthdays. Although the old man himself didn’t want to throw a big party, his children wouldn’t hear of it.

After all, he hadn’t held a celebration for his 60th birthday, nor for his 70th, so he simply had to have one for his 80th.

With no other choice, the old man had to agree.

When Li Yi and Jiang Longcheng walked into the old mansion, they found the entire courtyard, inside and out, packed with guests.

Fortunately, it was already mid-to-late April; if it had been a month earlier, it wouldn’t have been possible to seat people outside!

After entering, Li Yi looked around for Jiang Xue and soon spotted her and the child in the west wing.

Perhaps because she hadn’t seen her eldest grandson and granddaughter in several days, Li Yi saw his mother-in-law cradling Yunrui and playing with him as soon as he entered, while the little one was dancing with joy at his grandmother’s antics.

Seeing Li Yi enter, Ye Lingyun smiled and asked, “You’re here!”

“Yeah. Where’s Dad? Is he coming back today?”

“He’s on his way, but he might be a little late!”

Then Ye Lingyun suddenly said, “Xiao Yi, there are quite a few of your grandfather’s former superiors there today. Do you want to go and make a good impression?”

Although Li Yi knew his mother-in-law meant well and was trying to help him build connections, he still shook his head.

“Mom, I’d rather not go and join the crowd.”

“Why not? This is a rare opportunity!” Ye Lingyun said.

“I know, but right now, I’m not even a small fish in front of those bigwigs. Even if they remember me, no one will care.”

Li Yi continued, “Besides, the business climate in the country isn’t great right now. My priority isn’t showing off—I just need to keep a low profile and make a fortune…”

Before he could finish, a booming voice rang out: “So that’s your plan—to quietly make a fortune? What a sly little rascal!”

Everyone turned toward the sound and saw a middle-aged man in his forties striding in.

Upon seeing the man, Li Yi’s expression immediately changed.

He recognized this man—Wang Tianrong. He didn’t know what position Wang held at the moment, but in a decade or so, he would become a bona fide high-ranking official with “State” in his title, frequently appearing on the News Broadcast—and when he did, it was always for dozens of seconds at a time.

But he had no idea why this man was here. Could it be that he was also closely connected to the Jiang family?

Ye Lingyun was clearly on familiar terms with him and hurriedly greeted him: “Brother Tianrong, when did you arrive? Why didn’t you let us know in advance?”

“Hehe, if I’d told you in advance, would I have gotten to hear your son-in-law’s remarks?” Wang Tianrong said with a laugh.

“He’s young and doesn’t know any better. Brother Tianrong, please don’t take it to heart!” Ye Lingyun hurriedly said.

“Sister Lingyun, your son-in-law isn’t a child—he’s quite a sly one. Our department just wanted to give him a little warning, but the little rascal actually threw a tantrum!”

Ye Lingyun looked at Li Yi, then at Wang Tianrong, and said in surprise, “Is that so?”

Li Yi finally caught on and immediately asked, “Are you from the State-owned Assets Department (fictional agency—please don’t take this personally)?”

“Let me formally introduce myself: Wang Tianrong, Deputy Minister of the State-owned Assets Department!”

As he spoke, Wang Tianrong extended his hand!

Li Yi didn’t flinch; he reached out directly and said, “Hello, Minister Wang. I’m Li Yi!”

This composed and self-assured demeanor secretly impressed Wang Tianrong. He and Jiang Shiying were brothers-in-arms who had fought side by side; their bond was one of life-and-death loyalty, and Jiang Shiying had confided in him about everything happening at home.

Therefore, Wang Tianrong knew that Jiang Shiying’s son-in-law was just a country bumpkin.

He wasn’t very old, didn’t have much of an education, and aside from being rather bold, there didn’t seem to be much else to commend him for.

But after meeting him today, he realized he’d perhaps underestimated this son-in-law of the Jiang family; his composure alone far surpassed that of his peers.

“Heh, Comrade Li Yi, I hear you want to reclaim the operating rights to Feixue Apparel. Is that true?”

“Yes. Haven’t you heard that the relevant authorities think I’m taking advantage of the cotton mill? I figured we shouldn’t take advantage of the state, so I plan to terminate the agreement with the cotton mill!” Li Yi said.

“But have you considered this: without the Cotton Spinning Mill as a foundation, what value would your Feixue Apparel have?”

Wang Tianrong continued, “On the other hand, the Cotton Spinning Mill could easily rebuild Feixue Apparel from scratch. I don’t think that would be too difficult!”

“I don’t deny what you’re saying. Given the Cotton Mill’s capabilities, rebuilding a new brand would indeed be no trouble at all!”

However, changing the subject, Li Yi added, “But you’re seriously underestimating the power and value of a brand. Do you know how much an ice pop costs in our country?”

“Um… I haven’t bought one in years, but I suppose it’s just a few cents,” Wang Tianrong replied.

“Two cents each, or even one cent in some places. But do you know how much an ice cream costs abroad?”

“I really have no idea!”

Li Yi said calmly, “An ice cream cone abroad costs $1.50. Converted to our currency, that’s 2.55 yuan—a difference of dozens of times!”

“The production costs aren’t that different, but why is there such a huge price gap? It’s all down to the power of the brand!”

This isn’t limited to just a traditional ice pop and ice cream. A Geely QQ costs 30,000 yuan, yet that hasn’t affected BMW’s price tag of over a million. Handbags sold at street stalls for a few dozen yuan haven’t impacted LV’s sales either.

This is the power of a brand—it embodies value and serves as a symbol of status.

You can call the people who buy these luxury goods mindless snobs or accuse them of blindly idolizing foreign brands, but you can’t deny that these brands truly hold immense value.

Wang Tianrong furrowed his brow and said in a low voice, “What does that prove?”

Li Yi replied confidently, “Let me put it this way: the moment I decide to reclaim the brand management rights for Feixue Apparel, hundreds or even thousands of foreign investors will rush to invest in the company. They’re even willing to offer me a 50% profit share while investing millions to build factories!”

“How is that possible?”

“Haha, capital is profit-driven and ruthless. If there’s a 10% profit margin, it’ll be used everywhere; with a 20% margin, it’ll become active;with a 50% profit margin, it’ll take desperate risks; for a 100% profit margin, it’ll dare to trample all human laws; with a 300% profit margin, it’ll dare to commit any crime, even risking the gallows.”

Li Yi then shifted the tone of his voice and looked at Wang Tianrong, saying, “You know the profit margins at Feixue Apparel over the past few months. Think about it: would those foreign investors take desperate risks or trample on every human law for such staggering profits?”

Wang Tianrong froze on the spot!

But Li Yi didn’t stop there. Seizing the moment, he pressed on: “More importantly, once Feixue Apparel is invested in by foreign capital, it becomes a foreign-owned enterprise. Under current regulations, not only would it enjoy various preferential treatments, but it would also create a competitor for our domestic brands!”

“Furthermore, many domestic companies are currently watching Feixue Apparel closely, waiting to see if the reform policies being implemented by the higher-ups are just empty slogans. A single Li Yi or a single Feixue Apparel is insignificant, but the nation’s policies cannot afford to be inconsistent!”

After hearing Li Yi’s words, Wang Tianrong was stunned once again.

He truly hadn’t expected the young man standing before him to possess such vision, strategic acumen, and boldness.

Once the shock subsided, he burst into laughter: “No wonder Brother Shiying holds you in such high regard as his son-in-law—you truly have a broad perspective. It’s no wonder he has complete confidence in the work you’re doing in Beijing. So that’s it… so that’s how it is!”

“Have you been in touch with my father?”

“Hehe, I have. I’d previously promised him I wouldn’t touch you, but now that I’m in the mood to give you a little shake-up, I naturally had to run it by him first!”

Wang Tianrong continued, “What I didn’t expect, though, was that Brother Shiying replied directly: ‘If you can give him a good shake, by all means, go ahead!’”

“I’d actually thought he wasn’t too pleased with you as his son-in-law. It seems my perspective was narrow… very narrow indeed!”

Hearing this, it was Li Yi and Jiang Xue’s turn to be stunned!