Chapter Fifteen

  Qian Tonghua was filled with infinite regret, that bloody battle on the gambling ship had become a nightmare that made it difficult for him to eat and sleep!

  He knew the severity of the matter, he knew what it meant if he couldn't come up with that sum by then. He now wished he could use his thirty years of life to turn back time so he wouldn't have gone to that gamble! He suspected something fishy and secretly hired a high-level private detective to investigate!

  Qian Tonghua's move was too simple, the other party had been prepared, and the private detective not only failed to investigate but also got bought off by the other side, making some false situations.

  On December 10th, he was politely invited to the Presidential Suite of the Victoria Hotel in Hong Kong. The opposing side was very powerful, with not only two senior lawyers but also underworld figures present. Qian Tonghua had no choice but to hand over his group's shareholding certificates and other documents to a certain law firm for safekeeping under the witness of the two big lawyers, and sign a funding agreement!

  Qian Tonghua is done.

  With great fanfare and high spirits, nearly half of the funds were mobilized to invest in crude oil futures, dreaming of reaping huge returns.

  Jing'er was once again enchanted by Long Bao's song, and she couldn't eat or sleep all night. She yearned to see his handsome face and his wise eyes even more. She felt strongly that every word in the song was like a meteor from the nine heavens, illuminating her soul's dark sky, making her whole being dependent on it. She completely believed that her life was meant for Long Bao, and she had a strange illusion: she had been together with Long Bao all her life, connected by flesh and blood, and no one could separate them!

  Chang Cheng suddenly received a call from his father, who was very stern and urged him to return home immediately, never to have any contact with Zheng Xue's family again. Chang Cheng packed his bags and left quietly, without telling anyone, including Liao Ye. When Liao Ye found out that Chang Cheng had slipped back home, he was naturally furious.

  Zheng Xue's bag was bulging, although his body was a bit thin, but beautiful women had never been scarce, Zheng Xue felt that life was extremely beautiful!

  Jin Ge opened five underground casinos in the city at an incredible speed and successfully controlled the sale of drugs in four nightclubs, with many small-time drug dealers sourcing their goods from his associates. Jin Ge's gang rose rapidly with the help of the Zheng family background and relied on corrupt police forces, expanding their territory and disrupting the original balance of power in the underworld, greatly infringing on the interests of various groups and causing strong dissatisfaction among the original black and white societies.

  Is it the wind or rain that shrouded its emotions, causing me to lock myself in an inescapable worldly prison with a lingering heart? In the frosty morning when geese honk, I still breathe the free air, and the only comfort is that I am temporarily far away from the dungeon; on a cold cloudy night, the lonely figure reads the heaven and earth with heart, and the remaining bit of luck is just the flickering light reminding me that it's not all darkness in the dark night.

  Can fate really escape? Who gave me life? What accompanied me through the years? What will be the road ahead?

  Fate is inescapable, and ultimately there is nowhere to hide.

  Long Bao sat on the rooftop of the villa, smoking a cigarette, gazing at the sky and thinking about things.

  Zhou Jing hurriedly ran up and called out in a low voice: "Assistant Ao, Director Xue has arrived, he wants you to come down!"

  They were still vigilantly observing the surroundings of the villa, Long Bao and Hong Kong's two traders Ali and Fei Zai, as well as Ah Hui, who had been transferred from the headquarters' investment department a few days ago, sat in this secret room, listening to Xue's speech.

  Xue Zong couldn't contain his inner excitement, and it was evident from his tone: "Great! You've done an excellent job! The chairman asked me to extend his greetings to you all! Our current profits are already quite impressive. Has everyone reached a consensus on the outlook for the next phase?"

  On this issue, the four have basically reached a consensus. Ali, a man in his 40s, spoke up: "Vice President Xue, we must thank Brother Qiao Cheng for his decisive action this time! When we were at $29, we were preparing to sell, but Brother Qiao stopped us firmly, insisting that the upward trend had not yet ended. Later, when the price reached $31, he strongly advocated selling. Look, it's really amazing, the highest point was exactly $31.25, and now it has pulled back to $30! He has a bit more market intuition than me and Fei Zai! Let's let Brother Qiao say something about our forecast for the next phase of the market!"

  Long Wan smiled and said a few humble words under the encouragement of A Li and the tacit consent of Xue Zong: "The uncertainty of the outbreak of the US-Iraq war has become a dark cloud hanging over the world economy, and at the center of this dark cloud is the global crude oil market. The trend of international oil prices in the next week or several weeks will remain strong, and market funds will take advantage of the situation to skyrocket.

  Currently, there are three main supports for international oil prices: apart from the US-Iran conflict, there is also the development of Venezuela's large-scale strike and changes in US crude oil inventory. International oil prices will continue to be strongly supported by the shadow of a US-Iran war. In fact, even if the US and Iran do not go to war, just the decline in US inventories and the oil shortage caused by Venezuela's large-scale strike can lead to an increase in international oil prices to $35 per barrel. Additionally, driven by China's rapid growth in oil demand and the relatively cold climate in Asia and North America, global oil demand will continue to rise. Therefore, international oil prices will remain strong and continue to fluctuate at high levels. We predict that by the end of January next year, international oil prices will test the highs of $34-35 per barrel.

  Xue Zong swept his inquiring gaze over the other three people and said, "Is this your unanimous view?"

  Everyone nodded in agreement.

  Xue Zong thought for a moment and asked: "So how do you view the US's current words and actions? How do you understand those big speculators' strategies?"

  Long Bo and Ali looked at each other and smiled, Long Bo said: "In order to find an excuse for war, the United States will certainly go all out to create international public opinion, play tricks, now it's just a usual trick of the United States; those big speculators will also be shrouded in suspicion, numb those short-term followers who follow the wind and profit. In general, it's just using various factors to enhance one's own prestige, its ultimate goal is to control the Gulf oil or make a profit from the price difference of oil. At present, it should be a necessary scene in the game."

  ……

  Xue Zong is very satisfied with their answer, and Qian Lao will also recognize this conclusion. However, in recent days, the group's stock has followed the Hong Kong market trend and slid down, showing signs of acceleration, which has become a heart disease for the group. We must listen to their explanation!

  Ali expressed concern, but Longbiao had a different view. He said: "Although the continued high rise in global crude oil prices has a significant negative indirect impact on the group, especially Liheng Chemical and Liheng Apparel, forming a constantly rising cost pressure, as well as impacting exports to the US. However, it will not be sustained for a long time. The development of the US economy is constrained by oil prices. If the global crude oil price rises by $5 per barrel, the US GDP will decrease by 0.5 percentage points. The US government will not ignore the severe economic impact brought about by high oil prices and will not allow the economy to decline sharply. Saudi Arabia and other major oil-producing countries must increase oil production. Currently, we are mainly grasping this time difference. As long as our reaction is swift, we can achieve our expected goals! The gains we make from crude oil futures will be several times higher than the losses caused by rising oil prices!"

  After a pause, Long Bao said: "But I really think we need to adjust the group's business strategy!"

  Today, a joint meeting of the senior management and board of directors of Liheng Group will be held. The weather today seems exceptionally good, with the warm winter sun in the south making people feel extremely cozy. The sky is a brilliant blue, with only a few white clouds drifting lazily at the distant horizon. The gentle breeze seems to match the peaceful mood.

  Kexue's mood was not relaxed! He vaguely sensed that today would be an unusual day in the history of Liheng Group, and he reminded Qianlao to be careful. Qianlao smiled and said: "What is destined to come will eventually come, why not take a look at its approach?"

  Although this is a year-end routine meeting, it has become somewhat special due to the participation of some directors from the board of directors. The conclusion of this joint meeting will determine the content of the group's annual report, directly related to the evaluation of the group's operating results by the board of directors for the past year and the approval or disapproval of the group's business plan for next year.

  As each company's report went on, the relaxed atmosphere at the beginning disappeared, replaced by a heavy and solemn air.

  When Li Heng's shoe industry report was halfway through, Mo, the vice chairman's son, interrupted Qian Yu Hui, who was reporting, and said: "Vice President Qian, I'd like to interrupt you for a moment. I have some doubts that I want to express. As the general manager, why does the shoe company have such big financial problems? Did you really not notice anything at all? Or were you afraid of certain factors and chose not to report them, leading to personnel turmoil in the shoe company? I'd like to ask you to explain."

  Deputy Director Mo hastily stopped him and apologetically said, "I'm sorry, everyone. I've already decided to transfer all my shares in Liheng Group to my son A Yuan. I didn't explain it to you, making you feel abrupt!"

  Qian Lao's heart skipped a beat.

  Qian Yuhui was unable to give himself a good reason for this problem, and his expression was quite embarrassing. Ye Ziheng timely spoke out: "This is all done by those employees hiding from Vice President Qian, as the deputy general manager of the group, I also have an inescapable responsibility, I am willing to ask for punishment! However, Vice President Qian closely cooperated with the business investigation team and quickly cleared up the problem," he intentionally looked at Qian Tonghua, who was trying his best to keep a calm expression, and continued, "Through these days of rectification, the shoe industry has completely reversed its operating trend and is now on the right track."

  Qian Yuhui was already pregnant with Ma Jianqing's child, and at this moment a strong urge to vomit suddenly surged up, she really couldn't bear it and turned around to go to the bathroom, looking very rude.

  Ye Zi Hen glanced at Qian Lao, but Qian Lao's knife-carved wrinkles didn't show the slightest change in expression.

  ……

  After the meeting, Vice Chairman Mo, Vice Chairman He, Vice Chairman Zeng and Mo's son A Yuan gathered in Qian Lao's office again.

  Mo Dong and He Dong exchanged a glance, and He Dong asked Qian Lao with profound meaning: "Zheng Sheng, do you still remember the calligraphy I gave you on your birthday?"

  Qian Lao immediately understood He Dong's meaning, and he said in a heavy tone: "Yongji, how could I forget? 'Advance and retreat are always thought of, wisdom and foolishness are just a moment away', you wrote it well!"

  He Dong said: "Zheng Sheng, we are all old, the sun has set, and many things cannot be held in our hands forever! I am also like Gui Shan, planning to retire after this year and hand over the company to Ah Xian for management. The shares of Li Heng will also be transferred to him. After all, young people can keep up with the times, we old guys are already out of date."

  Qian Lao glanced at them with the corner of his eye, thoughtfully saying: "Yes, what you said makes sense. It seems I have no choice but to pass it on to him. Only he can give me some confidence."

  "A Yuan said hastily: "Director Qian, have you already decided to pass it on to Vice President Ye? You really can't let Qian Tonghua do whatever he wants! This time he caused such a big disaster and still acts as if nothing happened! Luckily my dad and He Shu managed to suppress it, otherwise those people would have made a big fuss and the consequences would be unthinkable!"

  Qian Lao had already learned about Qian Tonghua's situation from Mo Dong the day before, and now he was filled with sorrow and seemed to nod his head in gratitude towards them, but didn't say a word to affirm or deny Ah Yuan's words.

  Long Bao was still confused about all this, he and Ali were stuck in this villa, repeatedly speculating on the market trend, continuing to deal with matters of life and death, Long Bao also followed the work requirements, without making any contact with the outside world through the internet or phone. Xue Zong had not revealed anything about the Zheng family to Long Bao either.

  Shi Wei and Hai Tao gritted their teeth at the thought of cutting off all contact with Long Bao, they were so eager to tell him the good news, but Long Bao had vanished into thin air like a disappearing radio wave, leaving no trace!

  After learning that the two leaders of the Zheng family were under investigation, Qiu Ya decided to return home. At this time, Chang Cheng was also somewhat tired of this feeling and was not as urgent towards Qiu Ya as before. In Vancouver, Qiu Ya coincidentally met De Lao, who was visiting friends and having fun. De Lao had always been thinking about Long Bao, and when Qiu Ya told him about the things that had happened to Long Bao in the past year or two, De Lao suddenly felt a strong desire to return home and take a look.

  Then De Lao and Qiu Ya flew back to the country on Christmas Eve in 2002. Qiu Ya and De Lao arrived in this city this afternoon. Jing Er, Hai Tao, Shi Wei, and Du Ci came to the airport to pick them up.

  The omnipresent and all-pervading wind symbolizes the power of the heavens, while the ever-changing clouds that stretch out in every direction represent the mood of the heavens. Qian Lao deeply understood this principle, and observing the wind and recognizing the clouds was a pastime for this old man. The old man often used this to calm his emotions.

  This is the afternoon of January 1, 2003 New Year's Day. The sky is still sunny and bright, with a few shapes and layers of clouds floating in the entire sky, and there is wind.

  The wind is blowing from the northwest, and provinces north of Guangdong have already entered the depths of winter due to the influence of cold air from Siberia. In the next few days, the temperature in Guangdong will also continue to drop. However, today is still relatively good, without much biting chill.

  Qian Lao walked along the gravel path of the villa community, slightly hunching his back and holding his hands behind him. Bodyguard Kang Dingzhuang still followed Qian Lao from behind, keeping a slight distance.

  The clouds are light and dark, thick and thin, and are blown by the high winds without purpose, abstractly looking at them, I always feel that they can be associated with some objects in the world visually, but when I look closely, they still appear to be just clusters of water vapor. The wind is naturally an artist, but it doesn't care whether its artwork should be preserved in a sacred art hall, nor does it care about the existence time of its work, what it emphasizes is its unique creativity and dynamic creation process.

  Money is gazing at the clouds, feeling the wind, and using his soul and spirit to resonate with the endless performance of the wind and clouds. He seems to be saying to Kangding Village, or perhaps to himself: "When sounds are the same, they respond to each other; when energies are the same, they seek each other out. Water flows and becomes wet, fire is dry; clouds follow the dragon, winds follow the tiger. Sages create and all things see; those who are born of heaven are close to what is above, those who are born of earth are close to what is below, and so each follows its own kind."

  Kangding Village knew the old man's habits, and he wouldn't make a sound to disturb him unless the old man called out to him. He followed Qian Lao's line of sight, gazing at the wind and clouds in the sky.

  Qian Lao's hands, clasped behind his back, gently slapped each other as he said after a long while: "Ding Zhuang, this phrase has profound meaning! Animals with the same cry will respond to each other, creatures with similar breaths will pursue and interact with each other. Water, being soft and gentle, naturally flows towards low-lying and humid places. Fire, being strong and fierce, will burn when it encounters dry things. Clouds change according to the dragon's roar, wind is generated according to the tiger's howl. The yang energy that originally belongs to heaven rises upwards, while the yin energy that originally belongs to earth naturally sinks downwards. When did all things not gather together according to their respective natures and categories?"

  ……

  After turning this bend, we arrived at a pavilion, which was an ancient-style building. Mr. Qian walked to the front of the pavilion's steps and stopped, but turned his head back towards Kangding Village: "Dingzhuang, do you guys dance dragons during Chinese New Year in your hometown?"

  Kangding Village didn't know the meaning of Lao Qian's question, so he said: "Dancing dragons and dancing lions are similar, but not as intense as in Guangdong or Hong Kong. Moreover, most of them are just some rustic farmers who wildly perform without any strict routines."

  Qian Lao smiled slightly and said, "Dragon, is there a routine? If there's a rigid routine, can it still be called a dragon? Hehe, a true dragon either soars to great heights or retreats to the depths of the ocean. It advances or defends, moves or remains still. It rides the winds and clouds, thunders and flashes, brings warmth in spring, and bursts forth like a mountain torrent! Through self-examination and careful consideration, it acts before heaven's will is revealed, and heaven won't abandon it. If it operates after heaven's will is revealed, it can also follow heaven's changing laws. Hehe, how could there be a mundane routine when heaven has created the dragon?"

  Qian Lao let out a long sigh with some depression, saying: "It can only be said that those rustic villagers do not know the habits of dragons! It can only be said that they have no fate to see the true body of a real dragon!" Qian Lao turned his head towards Kangding Village and said, "What do you say?"

  Du Cui tightly hugged Autumn Ya and shouted and jumped, and fiercely kissed Autumn Ya's rosy face!

  Shi Wei deliberately swallowed his saliva, and with a flirtatious gaze, walked up to Qiu Ya. He let out a series of admiring "tsks" as he said: "Wow, Qiu Ya! How did you become so captivating after just one trip around Canada? Look at you, even your temperament has changed dramatically from before! Mmm, it's really too beautiful... what a pity, I'm not Du Cui, nor am I a woman. If I were, haha, I'd also want to treat you like she does! Haha!"

  Du Ci made a move to kick, Shi Wei hurriedly dodged and avoided it, his mouth not stopping as he loudly said: "Hmm, however, heh heh, is it that there are some traces of fatigue between your eyebrows? Are you thinking about Lao Liu?"

  Qiu Ya smiled and scolded him, saying: "Shi Wu San, how come you still have that unscrupulous look on your face?"

  Du Cui stared at Shi Wei with wide eyes, and Shi Wei took over Autumn Ya's bag with one hand, saying in a strange tone: "Du Cui, when are you going to go to Canada for me to take a stroll around? Let this old husband of mine save some face! How about it?"

  Hai Tao has already carried De Lao's luggage over here, Shi Wei hurriedly and respectfully greeted De Lao.

  Qiu Ya smiled and shook hands with Jing Er, Jing Er also smiled and looked into Qiu Ya's eyes, her originally slightly uneasy mind calmed down, and at this moment she felt a kind of tranquility from the soul.

  The two people gazed at each other quietly, as if there was something similar between them that was blending together. The same beautiful and bright eyes pierced through the distance of space, understanding each other's hearts. There was a bit of challenge, a bit of comparison, a bit of resistance, and a bit of fusion. There was a bit of tolerance, and a bit of jealousy. There was a bit of understanding, and a bit of confusion.

  The two of them suddenly said in unison: "Hello!"

  In that single "hello", Autumn Ya suddenly felt a kind of inner anxiety and sorrow, a painful and unbearable feeling that had been suppressed, completely forgetting that Jing Er was her potential love rival, and she just wanted to vent her repressed emotions in front of someone who understood her inner heart, and couldn't help but throw herself into Jing Er's arms, sobbing uncontrollably!

  Shi Wei stuck out his tongue at Du Ci, Hai Tao and De Lao Da, expressing surprise.

  Considering the stability and prosperity of society and politics, considering the upcoming National People's Congress meeting, high-level leaders and special case groups found some people involved in the case to talk, explaining the seriousness of the matter. They repented for their past **degenerate behavior**, voluntarily surrendered bribes, and promised to make efforts to study the spirit of "Three Represents", reform themselves, and use it to guide their work and life. The party and government absolutely cannot tolerate any **elements** being above the law.

  The two top leaders of the Zheng family still fantasize that the task force's actions will be cautious and lenient, and maybe there will be a way out. However, as the situation evolves, they choose to take their own lives due to various considerations. The two party member leaders who have always touted themselves as clean and honest, diligent in governance, and moral exemplars, jumped off the building with resentment, helplessness, and injustice, fearing punishment.

  Following the Ministry of Public Security's investigation into Brother Jin's gang, after a period of secret surveillance, the Ministry of Public Security and the Provincial Public Security Department's special investigation team came to the conclusion that: Brother Jin's gang is an organized criminal group, using a small number of corrupt police officers and two leaders who have been placed under dual rules as a protective umbrella, selling drugs, operating underground casinos, and having deep connections with a certain drug trafficking group in Guangdong Province, which is a relatively typical evil force in the new socialist era!

  At this time, the Zheng family leader had already taken his own life. The leader immediately made a directive: For the safety of people's lives and property, it is necessary to eradicate them immediately! Absolutely no leniency!

  Jin Ge's gang was heavily armed, not only with handguns but also with miniature submachine guns. The capture team encountered fierce resistance from them during the arrest process, and in the end, Jin Ge's gang was completely wiped out.

  On January 13, 2003, Qian Lao decided to personally tell Long Bao some news. After a dinner party to comfort the hardworking staff at the financial base, Qian Lao, Xue Zong and Long Bao went to the second floor reception room. Qian Lao nodded to Xue Zong to speak first.

  Xue Zong gazed into Long Bao's eyes and said, "Long Bao, originally these few things were going to be told to you after the financial action was over, but the chairman thinks you have a good psychological quality to know how to look at and deal with these messages, know how to weigh the pros and cons of things, and firmly believes that you will not be affected by this and influence your work mood, you must be psychologically prepared."

  Long Bao shifted his gaze from Xue's face to Qian Lao's eyes, and Qian Lao slightly nodded at him. Long Bao responded in a low voice: "No problem, please go ahead. As the ancients said, 'To be free from worries when facing death, one must take everything lightly during life; To remain calm when encountering changes, one must always keep their mind steady.' I've let go of everything, so please rest assured!"

  Xue Zong nodded in approval and said, "That's right. The first thing is that Zheng Xue's father and uncle were investigated by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection for corruption and bribery, and they killed themselves two days ago out of fear of punishment. The second thing is that a black society figure nicknamed Jin Ge was captured by the police and was shot dead in a gun battle."

  Really? Really?! Long Bao's first reaction in his mind was to doubt the authenticity of these two pieces of news, and immediately he gave a positive response, and immediately recalled some implicit hints he had said to Xue Zong before. Could it be that Xue Zong, could it be that Qian Lao really took that kind of means to protect the safety of this wage earner, manipulating the director to create this killing game? If so, wouldn't that mean that he was in an extremely important position in the hearts of these two elders?!

  Long Bao suppressed his excitement and looked at Director Xue, then at Old Qian. The eyes of Old Qian and Director Xue responded with a definite answer.

  Long Bao's heart suddenly surged with a thousand waves of madness: Heaven will not abandon me! Heaven will not abandon me! My Chang'an plan is about to succeed! He struggled to calm the inner turmoil, and couldn't help but exclaim excitedly: "Chairman, Director Xue, since you treat me as a national scholar, I must repay you as a national scholar!"

  Xue Zong also smiled, Qian Lao nodded and smiled, thinking to himself: After all, he's still a child. No matter how mature and meticulous his thinking is, his innocent heart can't help but reveal itself in his words! But this is good! This is the true nature of a man!

  Xue continued to change his tone, and his voice became a bit heavy: "There are still a few things that may not be so optimistic. The first thing is that more than half a month ago, the real Jiangxi farmer Ao Cheng killed his wife Hong Yan and her lover after she had an affair, and then escaped. The police issued a nationwide wanted notice, and the Chang'an police found that the murderer Ao Cheng was in Liheng Group!"

  Long Bao was taken aback!

  Xue Zong smiled wryly and continued, "The second thing is that the police have released a simulated portrait of you, which has been confirmed through a joint investigation notice. It's been confirmed that you're hiding in the Li Heng Group under an assumed identity as Ao Cheng. You arrived at the group at the end of last year to catch you." Xue Zong actually chuckled, "Long Bao, now look, whether you're Ao Cheng or Long Bao, both identities are wanted by the police, both are fugitives. What do you say you should do?"

  Qian Lao also laughed and said: "Yes, how could this be? Spending money to buy an ID card, Xue Zong spent a lot of thought to get you a real ID card, but now it's good that the substitute has become a murderer on the run! Xiao Long, what do you think you should do? Speak up!"

  Long Bo was speechless at the two elders' humor! What could he say? He could only admit that he was out of luck!

  But Long Bao thought again: looking at how easily they were joking, it should be either that they had already handled the situation properly, or that the situation after handling wouldn't cause much harm to themselves!

  Long Fan let out a sigh of relief and said, "As long as the Zheng family's backing is gone, I will no longer have to worry about my life being threatened in prison. Since I've committed a crime, I've already prepared myself for legal punishment. What makes me resentful is that I haven't had a chance to repay your kindness to me, and I haven't fulfilled my own wishes. Once this financial operation is over, I will surrender to the police and spend a few years in prison to atone for my reckless behavior."

  Xue and Qian looked at each other and smiled. Xue said with a grin, "The third thing is that Zheng Xue got addicted to drugs and ran away. Since he's suspected of joining the underworld, he's also become a fugitive. Hehe, you say, without a plaintiff, how do you think your mainland court will sentence him?"

  Yes, will anyone speak for a former addict with no power or influence? Can the court be fair? Can the judge be fair?

  Long Bao scratched his head with a silly expression, and smiled. He didn't show any extreme reactions of surprise or sadness, and his moderate expression pleased Lao Qian very much.

  After the laughter subsided, Qian Lao's face turned pale and his voice was filled with sadness and low tone. His eyes seemed to be shrouded in a thick fog, overflowing with sorrow. He said with difficulty: "Qian Tonghua owes a huge amount of gambling debt, and the shares have been controlled by the other party. My grandson Qian Yu Fan was diagnosed with AIDS during his hospital check-up a few days ago. Qian Yu Hui is pregnant with Ma Jianqing's illegitimate child and has completely lost interest in work. Two daughters-in-law are having affairs outside... How did I, Qian Zhengsheng, raise such stupid pigs?"

  Qian Tonghua and Qian Yufan's matter was not even known to Xue Zong, who was startled and said: "How much did Tonghua owe? This is a big deal related to Li Heng! Can't we pay some price to buy back the shares? How could Yufan get infected with this disease? Old Qian?"

  Qian Lao's eyes were fixed, staring at Long Bao who was also shocked by this, and slowly said: "Little dragon, it seems that your initial speculation has come true. Jiao Rongsen really made a move against my family! According to Mo Dong and others, Qian Tonghua owed over 900 million Hong Kong dollars in foreign debt. He issued a large number of blank checks to the other party, which was an intentional trap set by someone. My son is finished."

  Long Bao knew the severity of the situation and concentrated his mind, saying: "I didn't expect him to make a move so quickly! If this matter is known to the outside world, Li Heng will definitely trigger a selling frenzy! Maybe this is the opportunity that Jiao Rong Sen has been waiting for! If spending money can redeem the shares, then it's easy to handle, 900 million is not a problem. In this financial operation, I initially estimate that we can make a profit of $250 million from crude oil futures, and the profit in the chairman's personal account will be over $120 million!"

  "Is Yu Fan's brother's illness caused by Jiao Rong Sen's arrangement? If so, it means that he wants to use this to further attack your spirit and faith, undermine your will to fight, make you lose the calmness you should have, and thus make wrong decisions! Yu Fan is your only grandson, could he be so vicious as to want you to die without an heir?"

  "How did Mo Dong and others find out about Qian's vice president's gambling debt equity? Does this mean that Jiao Rongsen has already started to take action against you through your acquaintances? Does Ye Vice President also know about this? What is his attitude?"

  Qian Lao gradually relaxed his eyebrows, clenched his fists secretly, and then released them again...

  Three people talked for a long time, and Qian Lao's spirit was clearly greatly discouraged. Facing so many blows, he could only swallow his teeth and blood into his stomach. Although his will was strong, his spirit was ultimately severely damaged. Long Bao did his best to comfort the old man.

  The conversation ended and the three of them went downstairs. Qian Lao and Xue Zong shook hands with everyone to bid farewell. When Qian Lao held Long Bao's thick and sturdy hand, Long Bao clearly felt that the old man seemed to express something through his hand!

  The Zheng family will not fall, and Longbiao will never have the opportunity to whitewash his crimes; Saddam will not fall, Iraq will not become a battlefield, and the United States will not be able to satisfy its political and economic needs for this war; perhaps this is a case of killing one person to warn another.

  However, no one had expected that a game of "Lee's Substitute" directed by the heavens had already begun, a war that would affect all of China. The heavens used its heavy humor and helpless games to mock these spirits of all things, exposing everything about human nature in front of it!

  On November 16, 2002, the first case of atypical pneumonia appeared in Guangdong Province, mainland China. The symptoms were similar to those of influenza, upper respiratory tract infection, bacterial or fungal pneumonia, AIDS complicated with pulmonary infection, and Legionnaires' disease. The onset was sudden, with fever, chills, headache, joint and muscle pain, fatigue, and cough. At the time, doctors thought it might be severe influenza or a respiratory organ disease, leading to a series of misdiagnoses. Influenza or respiratory organ diseases became scapegoats. The virus took advantage of the scapegoat to completely paralyze human psychology, posing a direct threat to humanity with its high contagiousness. However, high-ranking officials in the Ministry of Health were seriously derelict in their duties.

  From "nothing" comes "something", this is a kind of wisdom that runs through the world, a logic that is widely applied, it is the way the heavens show their existence and also the way living things act with purpose. It's hard to describe accurately, but thinking carefully, isn't the current world evolved from "nothing", from the chaos of heaven and earth to the current "something"?

  I didn't expect the Zheng family to end up like this! Even more unexpected is that Brother Jin also died! What's even more ridiculous is that Zheng Xue, that coward, was so scared that he hid who-knows-where!

  Hmph, it turns out that this old six actually has some use in providing intelligence on corrupt officials! I really don't know if it's because the old six wrote a heart-wrenching letter of accusation to the General Secretary, State President, Premier, and ministers, moving heaven and earth, that the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection sent an investigation team to crack down on corrupt officials! God, the old six is truly divine!

  But then I thought, can Lao Liu be that amazing? How come I, Shi Wuguan, see him as a complete idiot?

  ……

  Shi Wei sat on the sofa in De Lao's home, giggling slyly and laughing to himself.

  Du Cui, wearing an apron, walked out of the kitchen and gave Shi Wei a loud slap on the head, saying: "Still smiling? Everyone is busy while you're slacking off! Hurry up and go buy drinks and beer!"

  Shi Wei dodged too late and got hit, only then remembering that today was the day they came to De Lao's house as guests. They said it was a visit, but in fact, it was a celebration, and today was definitely worth celebrating! Of course, Shi Wei and the others had other purposes. Shi Wei didn't dare make a sound, gave De Lao and Hai Tao a silly smile, then turned around and went downstairs.

  Grandpa really likes these classmates who added friends, it can be seen that they are all kind and gentle children. Especially in recent days, they are afraid of being lonely and sad, often accompanying themselves to chat, which has indeed passed the painful time.

  Shi Wei waited for everyone to sit down, stood up, and with a heroic tone, raised his cup and said: "Come on, let's have a toast! For the corrupt elements who met Marx, for the social dregs who met Yan Wang, and for De Lao and Long Bao to reunite as grandfather and grandson soon, cheers!"

  De Lao's emotions were stirred up, his hand holding the cup couldn't help but tremble. Ah, who would have thought that Long Biao was actually his own grandson?

  Shi Wei carefully served De Lao a dish, and said with a flattering tone: "De Lao, Hai Tao and I are both sworn brothers of your grandson Long Bao. You're Long Bao's grandfather, which makes you our grandfather too! Isn't it strange that fate has brought Long Bao to this school, giving us the opportunity for you and Long Bao to meet? Am I right, Grandpa De?"

  Haitao didn't know what kind of medicine Shitou was selling, so he followed Shiwei's tone and explained: "However, from another perspective, De Lao, Longbiao is actually very filial. He doesn't recognize you because he doesn't want to go against the instructions of his ancestors and his mother. What do you think?"

  Shi Wei, Bao Bei Fen, Du Ci and Qiu Ya all nodded in agreement, Jing Er smiled sweetly, while Qiu Ya stood up with a drink in hand, solemnly acting as Long Biao's spokesperson, saying to De Lao: "Grandfather, I'll apologize on his behalf, please don't blame him, okay?"

  De Lao had already learned from Shi Wei's mouth that Long Bao and Qiu Ya, as well as Jing Er, were related. He chuckled and clinked his cup with hers, saying: "Qiu Ya, why would I blame him? Out of thin air, I've gained a grandson - I'm overjoyed!"

  Shi Weisheng was afraid that Qiu Ya would drag the conversation too far and make it difficult for him to carry out his underground activities, so he clapped his hands and said: "De Grandfather, to be honest, if you hadn't come back this time through connections to find those police officers to understand the situation, we really wouldn't have known that your grandson Longbiao had such an important letter in the hands of the police! However, I'm a bit puzzled, why didn't those police officers make a fuss about being his grandfather and not call you to verify the situation?"

  The old man smiled slightly and said, "It's not that there wasn't any. According to the person who told me, they were just about to investigate with the school leaders when they were stopped. Plus, I was abroad at the time, so they thought it wasn't necessary. Of course, the key is that the Zheng family leadership instructed them not to let me know in order to avoid unnecessary interference. Hehe, they're being cautious."

  Shi Wei exclaimed exaggeratedly: "So that's how it is, they knew you had so many student friends involved in politics as leaders, of course they would consider your influence! How sinister, if not for the fact that you used up precious personnel resources this time, if not for these two losers being double-regulated at the time, you would never have known that Long Bao was actually your flesh and blood!"

  He glanced at the green bean eyes, observing De Lao's changing expression, and then said sideways: "De Grandpa, now that Zheng's family has no power left, it's all over. You must take good care of Long Bao, this little rascal. You are both old people, what else do you want in this life? Just like my grandfather said, 'Isn't it just for the peace and happiness of one's children and grandchildren, without illness or disaster, and no lawsuits?' What I'm saying, is my grandfather right?"

  Everyone held their breath, gazing intently at De Lao's face, anxiously waiting for and expecting the old man to respond.

  The old man knew the child's mind and understood the meaning of his words, but he didn't want to answer this question. If he wasn't careful, he would be forced into a corner by the clever child, where morality, family affection, and law would be in conflict. The social ethics of fairness that he had always adhered to would fall into a passive state. He had thought about it a lot recently, and for Longbiao's sake, he was almost exhausted. Indeed, with his influence, if he could directly find those powerful people now, he should be able to make the big things small and the small things disappear, and Longbiao would also be lightly punished by the court. However, if he did that, it would completely violate his personal principles! But if he didn't do it, Longbiao would definitely be sentenced for intentional injury causing serious harm!

  His son and daughter-in-law are in the United States, his partner has passed away, he worked hard to find his daughter and son-in-law for decades, but unexpectedly they also left, heaven has eyes and left him with a grandson, and let him find it unintentionally in his lifetime, but who would have thought that now he is fleeing outside!

  Being a grandfather is really hard, really hard.

  ……

  De Lao did not evade the children's questions, but only smiled slightly and said: "Now that the case is not closed, I am not a party involved, so let's not make it difficult for the police comrades. Shi Wei, your grandfather is right, but this is just the wish of the elderly after all. In the end, it still depends on the younger generation to grasp their own future."

  Shi Wei didn't expect the old man to dissolve his attack with a single sentence, and he was about to retort when he found himself unable to come up with a counterargument. He chuckled dryly twice and said, "Grandpa De is right, it's a pity that Long Bao isn't here, otherwise he could have personally heard Grandpa's teachings! It would be good for him to change his reckless attitude. Hehe, haha."

  The old man knew that he had not convinced Shi Wei and the others, and now these young people, who were influenced by the prevailing social trend of ignoring social fairness, could not be easily persuaded by his words. In fact, when it came to himself, his own moral integrity was also hard to convince himself in front of reason. The old man sighed silently and shook his head slightly.

  Qiu Ya's heart was burning with anxiety, she wished she could kneel down and beg De Lao to help Long Bao escape his suffering. As long as it would ensure Long Bao's safety and freedom, she wouldn't mind sacrificing her own life. It had been over 20 days since she returned from Canada to school, but there was no news of Long Bao at all. His phone was unreachable, and emails were left unanswered. According to Shi Wei, Long Bao had lost contact for over 40 days! What on earth happened? Had something unexpected happened to Long Bao? Would nothing bad happen to him?

  Qiu Ya heard that De Lao's intention was to have a completely transcendent and detached attitude as a grandfather, but now it is the peak of anti-corruption construction, and there is no key way to plead for mercy or send gifts. The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became, her heart ached, and she couldn't help but burst into tears!

  Jing'er has become extremely good friends with Qiuya over the past few days. The two of them even sleep on the same bed, sharing a pillow, and talk endlessly about everything under the sun. Of course, their conversations always revolve around Longbiao. Perhaps because they haven't received any news from him, when discussing Longbiao, neither of them feels any jealousy. When Qiuya starts crying again, Jing'er quickly hands her some tissues and softly comforts her: "Qiuya, it's okay, my grandfather told me that Longbiao is fine. He just got his tail wet while crossing the river like a fox, that's all."

  Shi Weida: "Huh? I've never heard you mention this before. Your grandfather was a fortune-telling god? And there's such an idiom?"

  "This is not what Grandfather Jing calculated! This is purely Jing'er's own anxious heart, imitating her grandfather's use of divination to get a conclusion. She herself doesn't have any confidence in it, but at this moment, her goal is to comfort Qiu Ya, so she might as well pretend to the end. After all, Grandfather didn't say that Long Bao would be in danger... Jing'er said with a serious expression: 'My grandfather is extremely accomplished in the field of Yi Jing Xuan Xue, just like De Lao in the field of literature and philosophy. He is someone who can determine life and death with one word! What he says is basically always accurate!'"

  Shi Wei shouted "What a pity!" with an extremely serious expression, saying: "Alas, why didn't I ask him to read my fortune when I went to your house last time? Even if he didn't read mine, at least he should have read the fortune of this belly of mine, to see whether it will give birth to a little boy or a little girl! Jing Er! Why didn't you tell me earlier!"

  Qiu Ya burst out laughing, and everyone else laughed too!

  ……

  A few days later, Shi Weihai learned that Long Bao had been in Liheng Group before. He and Qiu Ya decided to go to Guangdong with Qiu Ya to investigate the truth.

  Zheng Xue had completely lost his nerve, all of this was an unreal dream to him, everything must be, could only be an unreal, absolutely never happened before dream, out of thin air, it was the gods, God, Shakyamuni, Jade Emperor, Muhammad and other deities playing a joke on him, teasing him with a nightmare that came out of nowhere! It was Satan, Ben Laden, **, Asahara Shoko, Carlos and others who created this illusory terrorist incident!

  How is it possible?

  Suddenly the whole world turned upside down, black and white reversed, heaven and earth reversed, the two poles of the earth reversed, how is this possible?

  How dare you imagine that Brother Chao was beaten into a human punching bag by those special police? How dare you imagine that I would also become a fugitive?

  If my uncle and father were still in their positions, they would be just as stable and secure as those comrades who take bribes, receive red envelopes, run relationships, and make reports. Who would dare to touch a single hair on their heads?

  I didn't expect it, I didn't expect it, I really didn't expect it!!!!!!!!!!

  ……

  Forget it, let's just drop it and have another drink. Once we're drunk, we'll forget about it, once we're drunk, nothing matters, once we're drunk, we'll be safe, right?

  ……

  Suddenly, Zheng Xue hated the white powder to death! It's all because of it! All of it! If it weren't for it, he wouldn't have been manipulated by Jin Ge at will! If it weren't for it, he wouldn't have committed a crime! If it weren't for it, how would he have fled everywhere!

  Zheng Xue went crazy, using all his might to sweep the few bags of powder off the table with a wave of his hand! He jumped up and stomped his feet wildly, venting the extreme resentment in his heart!

  Dongdong, who was indulging in his own world, was startled by Zheng Xue's crazy behavior. After coming to his senses, he found that Zheng Xue was messing with his food and immediately rushed over. With his pale hands, he swept the powder on the ground from under Zheng Xue's feet, wailing like a mourner: "You're crazy! Are you not going to eat anymore? How can we eat now?"

  Zheng Xue glared at the woman with bloodshot, crimson eyes, his gaze filled with malice. "Damn it, yes, it's this stinking bitch who tricked me into taking drugs, it's this stinking bitch who got me hooked! Everything is this stinking bitch's fault!"

  Zheng Xue was completely consumed by extreme hatred, and with a swift kick, he struck Dongdong's chin, causing her to let out a blood-curdling scream as she fell to the ground. Zheng Xue jumped on top of her, grabbing her hair and slapping her ears with all his might, once, twice, three times, four times, five times, six times... As he slapped her, he cursed at the top of his lungs: "You stinking bitch! It's all your fault! I'll make you scream! I'll make you beg for mercy! Beg for mercy, you stinking bitch!"

  Zheng Xue's hand, adorned with a platinum diamond ring, ruthlessly slapped Winter's face, causing her mouth, nose, and eyes to bleed profusely. Winter weakly and intermittently begged for mercy in a sorrowful voice.

  Zheng Xue was tired, but suddenly felt a strong sense of pleasure. He didn't expect that the woman's miserable cries and tortured body would give him great excitement. He immediately had an urge to release himself. He dragged Dongdong to the sofa, tore off her pants with three or two pulls, without caring whether she was wet or not. He took out his thing that hadn't been cleaned for days, spat some saliva on it, aimed at Dongdong's lewd hole, slid back and forth a few times, and then thrust in!

  One hand was doing something while the other hand was scratching and pinching, leaving crimson marks on the snow-white skin with sharp fingernails!

  ……

  Zheng Xue fell into a deep sleep. This time he smoked a bit more, but it was indeed comfortable and he completely forgot his troubles. He slept really soundly!

  Winter quietly got up, took out the key from under Zheng's pants, opened the drawer and box, searched for all the cash, deposit slips, cards, jewelry and documents, stuffed them into this bag, thought for a moment, put 500 yuan on the table, cleaned up a few good-looking clothes, quietly locked the door with the key, and left!

  Before leaving, I took a last look at this man. He's a despicable devil, a heartless and ruthless man, a seemingly clever but actually stupid and disgusting man! Why do I, such a beautiful girl, always encounter men who are devoid of emotions and conscience?

  ……

  Zheng Xueyuan woke up feeling refreshed and comfortable, opened his eyes to look at the clock, it was already 1 o'clock on January 17th. He hadn't slept so well in a long time!

  Look around, Winter is not here, has he gone to buy snacks again?

  Forget it, don't bother with this cheap woman, take two puffs and talk later! Zheng Xue got up to look for goods, but felt something was off!

  ……

  My god! This son of a bitch stole all the money and even took the card, she knew the password! Only left a deposit slip! Even my ID was taken away!

  Zheng Xue sat on the bed with a thud, for a while, desperately pounding his own head with his hands, and then slapped his own ears, biting his hand in extreme pain!

  He mechanically puffed on the cigarette that had no more than half a point of flavor, staring blankly like an idiot. After a while, he again pressed the red-hot cigarette butt against his wrist, his face contorted in horror as he struggled to endure the piercing pain with sheer willpower!