Chapter 4: Enduring Temptation

  Qian Lao has passed away, and Jiao Rongsen has also entered the earth. However, the decades-long feud between these two elderly individuals seems to have not been settled with their departure. Jiao Rongsen was scolded to death by Long Bao, so in the eyes of Jiao Rongsen's daughter, Jiao Siwei, Long Bao is undoubtedly her father's killer.

  There is a saying that the hatred of killing one's father cannot be shared under the same sky. Jiao Rongsen only had one precious daughter, Jiao Siwei. Jiao Rongsen knew well that he had made many enemies throughout his life, so he secretly raised Jiao Siwei in someone else's home and visited her quietly a few times a year. When Jiao Siwei turned ten, he sent her to Europe. In 2003, when she was twenty-two years old, Jiao Siwei graduated from university. After learning of her father's death, the grief-stricken Jiao Siwei decided to take revenge on Long Bao and the Li Heng Group.

  Jiao Siwei compared to his father Jiao Rongsen, the biggest difference is that he doesn't use such vicious and unscrupulous means to get things done. Instead, he is more covert, better at analyzing his opponents, guarding against them, paralyzing them, and luring them in.

  Delighting in revenge is a rhythm that every person with blood and breath follows, Jiao Siyu is no exception. She also yearns for and awaits the day of delightful revenge, but she has forgotten that although she harbors deep-seated hatred, she grew up in an environment far away from the battlefield, and she is a woman, a very beautiful and elegant young woman.

  Her IQ is also quite high, she has collected all the information materials, studied Longbiao and Liheng Group with great effort, and thought deeply about it, and also came up with a revenge plan. This revenge plan of hers is not like Focused Forest's sniper sabotage plan, it can be said that it has a unique flavor, just like Chongqing hot pot.

  Her first move was to seize the opportunity of Qian Lao's death, the turmoil in the Qian family over the will, and the chaos among the senior management of Li Heng Group, with the group's stock price plummeting. She announced the acquisition of the group's shares at a price 5% higher than the market price.

  At this time, the group had not yet convened a board of directors and a high-level meeting. Long Bao thought repeatedly, considering that the investment company had consumed a large amount of funds in resisting Jiao Sen's attack some time ago, and could not afford to spend precious funds on a war of attrition against Jiao Siyue again. He did not order the investment company to make a counter-takeover bid, but instead gradually released the scattered shares absorbed by the investment company earlier, leaving Jiao Siyue to manipulate the market at will.

  Due to the unclear management of Liheng Group, many retail investors lost confidence in the group. Focused on buying up a large number of shares, one small director even transferred his shares at a high price to Focused, and Longbiao did not stop him. As a result, Focused became eligible to become a director of the group, which was formally approved by the board of directors meeting.

  When Qian Yu Hui and others thought that Jiao Si Wei's appearance would increase the unstable factors in the group's operation and challenge Long Bao, Long Bao explained to them: "Li Heng is experiencing a decision-making black hole during this special period. The stockholders and clients of the group do not have confidence in the future of the group. What is most needed now is to stabilize the management layer as soon as possible. Qian Lao said two days before his death that it's better to resolve grievances than to create them, he hoped to end the feud with Jiao Rong Sen and not continue it. Li Heng needs a stable external environment for its development, don't let the group waste all its energy on endless struggles and feuds."

  "Even if Jiao Siwei has a grudge, it can only be against me, Long Bao. If she really wants to continue this vendetta, she could have just hired an international assassin to kill me off quietly. Now that she's gone to such great lengths to infiltrate the group and cause trouble, I can only see her as an investor in Li Heng Group. It's better that she's entering the group as an investor. If she's seeking revenge, this avenger will be under our noses at all times, and we'll be able to detect any signs of trouble early on. If she's trying to seize power or disrupt the group's management, as long as we keep a tight grip on enterprise production and operations, the group will continue to develop in a positive direction. As long as Lao Qian's shares aren't diluted, ultimate control will remain in our hands."

  Long Wan continued to analyze and reason that Jiao Siwei's acquisition of shares this time caused the originally sluggish group stock to start rising, and he believed that Jiao Siwei's entry into the group would not temporarily harm the group's future development.

  When Zeng Haichang questioned this again, Long Bao pointed to the two powerful "Li Heng" characters written in Qian Lao's own handwriting, and said with a hint of sadness in his deep eyes: "The nature of businessmen is to pursue profits, the purpose of investment is to return profits. Between human hatred and material interests, there must be a balance point. If we find this balance point, we should turn enemies into friends."

  They did not know that Long Bao had a deeper understanding of the meaning of "Li Heng" than before. All things in the world are seeking their own balance, and any state of balance cannot be separated from interests and cannot maintain absolute stability. Black and white, yin and yang, good and bad, beneficial and harmless, gain and loss, light and darkness have always been closely combined and interdependent as a whole.

  Long Bao knew that Jiao Si Wei's ultimate goal was to find him for revenge as soon as he appeared. He didn't want to continue that hatred, yet he felt a certain guilt in his heart. He speculated that Jiao Si Wei entering the Li Heng Group was her first move, so he decided to turn the tables and at least keep this hidden enemy within his sight. At least by doing so, he could tie the rise and fall of the group with Jiao Si Wei's personal interests, which would allow him to get a closer look at everything about Jiao Si Wei.

  But even Long Bao himself didn't know that, although he kept telling himself that he didn't want friends, lovers or enemies, he had a peculiar excitement to have a good match with Jiao Siwei, the avenger.

  The board of directors meeting will be held at 9:00 am on July 28, 2003.

  Seven o'clock in the morning.

  Long Bao worked in the chairman's office that Qian Lao used to occupy all night, only resting for two hours. When Kang Ding Zhuang brought breakfast and walked in, Long Bao was still looking at documents. He handed the breakfast to Long Bao and said with concern: "Director Long, don't look at those for now, have some breakfast first. Today is busy, who knows if we'll even have time for lunch? Zhou Qing got you an extra serving, there's pickled vegetables here, finish off these milk buns, flower rolls, and all that."

  Long Wanxiang raised his head in gratitude and said, "Thank you!" After speaking, he put down the documents in his hand and started eating.

  Kang Dingzhuang sat on the opposite sofa, looking at Long Bao with an elder brother-like gaze. After a while, he said: "Director Long, I've calculated it for you these days. You basically only sleep for two hours every day. Your energy is even stronger than that of our first-class guards in the Central Guard Corps back then! However, you haven't received that kind of special training, and without sufficient sleep and rest, eating simple food without a reasonable nutritional balance... this long-term overexertion isn't good for your body!"

  Long Bao swallowed the food in his mouth, chuckled and said: "Hehe, eating so much every day, isn't nutrition rich? Look at me, I'm as strong as an ox, can withstand it, no problem!"

  Kang Ding Zhuang shook his head, not acknowledging Long Bao's words, saying: "You, no one is in charge of you! I'm also a single person and your subordinate, can't take care of you or manage you! But you're like this every day, it won't do!"

  Long Wan drained the milk in one gulp, took out a paper towel from the table to wipe his mouth, and then pulled out a cigarette to hand to Kang Ding Zhuang. He also lit up a cigarette himself and spoke slowly: "Kang Ge, you know how heavy the burden is that Qian Lao has given me! To make Li Heng survive well in the ever-changing business world, we must follow the trend and restructure the group. For me, although becoming the chairman of the board and CEO is a matter of course, I won't be able to gain everyone's trust in the short term. In the eyes of most people, I'm just an overnight sensation, they can't truly see me as the core leader of the group. My business decisions will greatly affect their vested interests, and may not be able to be implemented if I don't handle it well, then the group will inevitably become more chaotic. You say, isn't that right?"

  Kang Dingzhuang nodded and replied, "You're right. I remember Old Qian telling me that you should be bold and take charge in the future, as long as you remember his words. Don't worry too much about these enterprise leaders. If you're always worrying about this and that, you won't get anything done. Unfortunately, Zhou Jing and I are just bodyguards and don't understand business operations, so we can't help you."

  "Kang, you've helped me too much already! If it weren't for Master Qian's will, I would have gone off on my own long ago. I'm really afraid that the mysterious evil within me will bring harm to everyone. You and Zhou Jing should keep your distance from me!"

  Kangding Zhuang stared deeply at Long Bao, suddenly feeling a sense of high mountains in front of him, vague and towering, like a precipice pine that had withstood the baptism of wind, knife, and snow sword. At the same time, he felt an even stronger sense of grandeur and remoteness on this big boy's emotional chest, a bit of sentimental sadness unknowingly surging up his heart. He solemnly said: "Dragon General, I have received professional training, and I only hold a skeptical attitude towards the mystery on you. You are the commander-in-chief of Li Heng, executing personal protection is my duty! I also bear the entrustment of Qian Lao, not just that, in my heart, I have long regarded you as a friend willing to pay with life and death! Zhou Qing and others are the same as me, don't mention those words again!"

  Long Bao shifted his gaze from Kangding Zhuang's face, scanning the bookshelf opposite him, and smiled slightly to conceal the intense activity in his mind. In a calm tone, he said: "Then let us work together to shoulder the heavy burden of Li Heng!"

  At 9:00 sharp, in the headquarters office of Liheng Group, the board meeting of directors officially began. The CEOs of the group's first-level subsidiaries attended the meeting as non-voting representatives.

  All the directors have arrived, including Jiao Siwei, the daughter of the newly appointed director Jiao Rongsen. She is lightly made up and dressed in a stylish outfit, with a classic face and long hair that falls to her shoulders. A beautiful mole on her cheek adds to her beauty, and her bright eyes are full of charm. Her eyebrows exude a classic modern elegance, and at the age of 22 or 23, she has an air of a British noblewoman about her, captivating the attention of all the men present.

  The meeting was presided over by Zeng Haichang, who first read out the relevant part of Qian Lao's will regarding the arrangement of his group shares after his death, and then solemnly introduced Long Bao to everyone, followed by an introduction to Jiao Siwei. Finally, he asked Long Bao to make a report on the production and operation of the group.

  In the southern morning, although the sun had not yet reached its peak, the earth was already scorching hot. Through the window that wasn't fully covered by curtains, everything outside looked dazzlingly white and piercingly bright. The central air conditioning in the high-rise building kept the conference room at a constant 22 degrees Celsius, which was supposedly the temperature at which humans felt most comfortable. However, Long Bao thought this conclusion might just be a common standard, as he personally didn't like this neither-hot-nor-cold feeling. He always thought that it would be more pleasant to sweat all over on a hot day, or to be in icy snow, or to be in the midst of a raging storm.

  Long Bao steadily picked up the teacup, took a light sip of water, put aside his distracting thoughts, stood up, and with a calm expression and gentle tone, said: "Respected directors, esteemed CEOs, good day. The Li Heng Group was built by Chairman Qian through countless hardships before his passing, it is the crystallization of his life's work. Now, facing his last will, standing in front of you all, I am extremely terrified."

  His waist was straight, calm and composed, with sincere eyes scanning each person, finally fixing on the portrait of Qian Lao hanging on the wall in front of the conference hall. He spoke slowly and heavily: "The legal procedures for Qian Lao's will have been completed, and the controversy surrounding the will has long since subsided. Although I am not the owner of this wealth, I actually have absolute control over it. In the eyes of ordinary people, I have obtained a huge fortune from heaven, and normally I should be overjoyed, but why am I terrified instead?

  Long Bao observed that Qian Suxue, Xue Bingying, who was representing her father, and two other people all had disdainful expressions on their faces. Jiao Siwei was staring at him, Long Bao took a deep breath and continued: "Actually, if it wasn't for the wheel of fate bringing me to Liheng, I guarantee that you would never have recognized me, never known that there is someone like me, Long Bao, in this world. This is fact. I am just an ordinary person from a remote mountain village in Hunan Province, China, who was orphaned at the age of one and raised by an elderly person. Last August, I came to Liheng Group and got acquainted with Chairman Qian, General Manager Jin Kuangning, and all the colleagues."

  Long paused for a moment, then continued: "I just turned 18 this year and haven't even graduated from college. I am deeply aware of my own weight and position in everyone's mind. It is because of Mr. Qian's appreciation and trust that I can stand here today to speak to all of you."

  Long Bao's tone changed suddenly, and he said loudly: "Although I'm just a working-class man and have only been at the Li Heng Group for a year, which doesn't count as anything, but from start to finish, I participated in the Long'an Plan to defend against external aggression with Chairman Qian, General Manager Jin, and Vice President Xue. Moreover, I led the group's financial operations, bringing in huge funds from the international financial market, and worked closely with all colleagues to repel that extremely dangerous wave of attacks not long ago!"

  Long Bao's eyes suddenly became stern, mercilessly sweeping across everyone, his entire body instantly radiating an aura of dominance that seemed to look down on the world: "That was when the entire group was dancing and walking on steel wires! One misstep in the turbulent waves would result in complete defeat! You can't have forgotten this period of time."

  Long Bao has a natural talent for public speaking, and he is extremely good at grasping the atmosphere of the scene. He walked to the portrait of Qian Lao and looked back at everyone, his tone turning calm and self-deprecating: "Now that Qian Lao has given me this heavy responsibility, some people may think that perhaps Chairman Qian was influenced by ancient culture and is rewarding me for my military achievements, so I can be enfeoffed as a noble; or perhaps Qian Lao thinks I'm a talented person in the field of enterprise management and finance, so he's taking a gamble and putting me in this position; or perhaps Qian Lao is playing a dark humor joke on me with a $10 million bill, who knows if Qian Lao has any other backup plans in store for the future."

  There were a few people sitting in their seats, looking uneasy. Long Bing's expression turned serious and he said sternly: "Anyone who thinks this way is wrong, absolutely wrong! This kind of thinking can only show that they don't understand Qian Lao at all! Qian Lao is a truly virtuous and wise elder, the reason why he chose me is not because of anything else, but because of two words——”

  "Loyalty——!"

  ……

  The cold air blowing from the ceiling made those few pieces of bright red ribbons flutter ceaselessly, the whole scene was silent and still, faintly audible were a few heavy breaths, as well as the distant sound of car horns coming from the road outside. The portrait of Old Qian forever wore a benevolent smile, forever gazing at these people, in those deep pupils seeming to hold boundless tolerance.

  After Long Bao finished this opening remark, he began to report on the production and operation of the group. Long Bao gave a speech without reading from a script, occasionally inserting some views and examples of the group's enterprises. His words were particularly heavy, weighing heavily on the minds of those present, conveying his subtle hints to everyone that they were not ignorant lucky kids, hinting that he had the ability to take control, hinting that it was best for them to obey him, hinting that everyone should be aware of the presence of Jiao Siwei, this bombshell in the group, and hinting that Jiao Siwei should not make any rash moves.

  Finally, Longpo began to talk about the draft of the company's three-year plan.

  Long Wan knew that now that he had taken over, many of the hidden contradictions in the board of directors and senior management would inevitably become apparent, even intensify, at the beginning of his tenure. They could be roughly divided into three camps: one was the camp that definitely supported him, one was the camp that was waiting and watching, and the other was the camp that held hostile intentions towards him. With Li Heng Group's vast scope and his own lack of foundation, how to deal with this situation would become the most severe test for him.

  "The life of an enterprise is not much more secure than that of a person, its existence is just as fragile as human life, and it can be said that it is even more fragile than the life of an individual. Small enterprises are like this, large enterprises are like this, and even giant multinational corporations are no exception. In order to survive and develop in the cracks of competition, enterprises need unity, they need everyone to work together as a whole, eliminate contradictions and misunderstandings, and work together to achieve development, only then will they have the ability to resist external threats."

  "Now we are in a new economic era, where production, distribution, exchange and consumption have undergone unprecedented changes. With the advancement of technology, new markets continue to emerge, and competition among enterprises will become more intense, invisible, internationalized and diversified. The life cycle of enterprises is generally shortening. In the face of such external environmental conditions, I think the top priority for our group is to form core competitiveness by reshaping product image, brand image, innovation image, personnel image and financial image."

  ……

  Long Wan felt he should shut up and smiled at everyone in a friendly manner, saying: "I guess this will be my future policy, please forgive me."

  Long Bao slightly bowed to everyone.

  Zeng Hai Chang led the applause, followed by Li Heng Pharmaceutical Company's CEO Duan Ping Chun and Li Heng Building Materials, Li Heng Electronics, and Li Heng Mechanical Engineering. Then came Jiao Si Wei and a few other board members with lukewarm applause. Finally, Qian Su Xue also clapped twice, but Xue Bing Ying showed no reaction at all.

  In the subsequent election of the chairman of the board, Xue Bingying ridiculed this election, everyone knows that it is just a procedure, a formality. Long Po controls so many shares alone, if he doesn't take this position, who will?

  Long Bao then sat very smoothly on the chair symbolizing the highest power of the group, and he naturally became the president of Li Heng Group. From now on, Long Bao finally officially held the entire Li Heng Group, Qian Lao's posthumous affairs were closed, and Qian Lao got what he wanted.

  When Long Bao sat in this position again and looked at everyone present, his mentality changed instantly. This change was subtle yet significant. He transformed from an unknown fugitive with an uncertain fate to a prominent figure who held the livelihoods of tens of thousands of employees in his hands, influencing the destiny of others with every move he made, becoming the chairman and president of a conglomerate board. From being a college student worried about daily meals to becoming a billionaire controlling over 10 billion assets, this mental shift was natural yet somewhat bewildering - was this real?

  At the meeting, Jiao Siwei also announced that she and several other small shareholders of the group had reached a share transfer agreement, owning 16% of the group's shares, and would formally sign after the meeting, and would also hold a celebration banquet, inviting everyone to attend.

  Jiao Siwei will become the second largest shareholder of the group, and logically she should be the vice chairman of the board of directors. This is somewhat unexpected for Long Bao, who did not expect those small shareholders to have so little confidence in him that they chose to withdraw from the group.

  Jiao Siwei's actions were swift, and on the same afternoon, he formally signed an agreement to transfer shares with those small directors. A small wine party was held immediately after, attended by Long Bao, Zeng Haichang and most of the group's senior management personnel.

  Jiao Siwei dressed herself up nobly yet elegantly, chatting with the people present in a dignified manner, fully displaying her good social etiquette. At this moment, she was happily chatting and laughing with Zeng Haichang, with a smile of an upper-class lady on her face.

  Kang Dingzhuang and Zhou Jing were sitting in the corner of the banquet hall, with Kang Tie sitting next to Long Bao. Zhou Jing stared at Jiao Siwei with a fierce gaze, muttering under his breath: "Damn it! The more I look at her, the more she looks like a woman with ulterior motives! She's everywhere, soliciting customers, can't sell herself?"

  Kang Tie didn't dare speak rashly like Zhou Jing, and quietly pushed Zhou Jing with his hand, hinting that he should be careful with his words.

  Kangding Zhuang accompanied Qian Lao to many high-end banquets, saw a lot of the world, stared at Jiao Siwei for a while and then whispered to Long Bao: "Chairman Long, this woman is very capable, may have received systematic social training."

  Long Bao hummed and said in a low voice, "This person is more difficult to deal with than her father. She's starting to buy people's hearts now!" He paused for a moment, then turned his head to smile at Kang Dingzhuang, saying, "Do you think she's a touchstone, Old Kang?"

  Long Bao finished speaking and stood up, walking towards Jiao Siwei. He stretched out his thick right hand in front of her and said, "Congratulations, Director Jiao!"

  Si Yu's elegant voice replied: "Thank you, thank you Chairman Long! If it weren't for your kindness, I wouldn't have been able to get the shares I've always dreamed of at such a low price! Come," she turned her slender waist, took a glass of champagne from the tray held by the waiter and handed it to Long Bao, saying, "Cheers to our pleasant cooperation! Cheers!"

  Long Wan handed over the cup, and after lightly touching it with her, he was about to bring it to his lips when Zhou Jing suddenly stretched out his hand to block Long Wan's hand, saying somewhat urgently: "Chairman Long, you're not in good health, the doctor has ordered you not to drink! Moreover, this is wine given by a person of unknown origin, and you can't drink it!"

  Zhou Jing's words were quite out of place in this setting, and Jiao Si caught the flaw in his statement right away. With a playful smile, he said: "Haha, I really didn't expect President Long's bodyguard to be so vigilant! It seems that even though I'm the second-largest shareholder of the group, in President Long's eyes, I'm just an outsider with unknown origins! Isn't that right, President Long?"

  Before Long Bao could speak to explain, she immediately said: "I think Chairman Long is majestic and mighty, with a dignified air, doesn't seem sick at all?! How can he not even drink a little champagne?"

  Long Bao knew that Jiao Si Wei was just short of directly asking "Are you guilty of killing my father and afraid I'll poison your wine?" In the face of her teasing, Long Bao couldn't find a better retort and didn't think it necessary to argue over trivialities, so he went along with the conversation and said: "Director Jiao, this is their duty, please be magnanimous and consider their difficulties."

  Standing beside him, Zeng Haichang also made a round of apologies. Jiao Si listened with a faint smile and then burst out laughing, saying: "Chairman Long, Vice Chairman Zeng, look at you two being so tense! I saw that the atmosphere at this wine party was too dull, and Chairman Long always has a long face, so I just made a small joke to add some fun. A young woman doesn't know how to speak properly, please don't take it to heart!"

  This was the first verbal confrontation between Long Bao and Jiao Siwei, in which Long Bao took a lower stance, but he didn't mind at all.

  God will destroy whom he pleases, but first makes them mad. When people go mad, they become neglectful and loopholes appear in their defense and offense. This principle Long Po considers himself most familiar with.

  To meet the needs of confidentiality and security, Kangding Village spent a lot of money to secretly hire a foreign company to renovate the original confidential conference room in the group's headquarters at the fastest speed. The latest technology was applied to prevent intrusion, eavesdropping, fire, toxic gas, and bullets. Currently, only Long Bao and Kangding Village can open the steel door outside. Inside, a bedroom is specially arranged for Long Bao. Kangding Village calls it "Command Center", while Zhou Qing jokingly calls it "Dragon's Lair". Long Bao has been living here for several days.

  "President Long, Director Kang, I think Jiao Siwei has ulterior motives, we need to be extra cautious! This woman is simply a prostitute-like appearance!"

  Long Bao furrowed his brow and spoke in a low voice: "Zhou Qing, who are you talking about?"

  Zhou Jing said unknowingly and thoughtlessly: "Oh, I'm talking about Jiao Siwei this bitch..."

  Long Bao's tone turned cold, interrupting him, saying: "Who is Jiao Siwei?"

  Zhou Ding was quite surprised that Long Bao asked him such a question, and he casually replied: "Who else could she be? Isn't she just Jiao Rongsen's daughter?"

  Long Bao hummed from his nose and said, "What else?"

  Zhou Jing noticed that Long Bao was not feeling well and realized that he had misspoken, so he didn't dare to respond and drove with his head down.

  Kang Ding Zhuang glanced at Long Bao, saw that his face looked very unsightly, and shouted at Zhou Qing: "Zhou Qing, drive your car properly! Don't talk nonsense!"

  Zhou Jing secretly stuck out her tongue and didn't dare respond anymore.

  Long Bao sat still, deep in thought. He knew that Zhou Jing, Kang Ding Zhuang, Kang Tie and other colleagues had long considered him a friend in their hearts. To be honest, if he wasn't carrying this terrible curse on his body, he truly hoped to build the group into a warm and harmonious family, breaking down the huge gap between employees and management, allowing all employees to become friends with each other, and hoping that all employees would consider him as their friend, mutually integrating and experiencing warmth. However, the reality of being cursed made it impossible for him to have such extravagant hopes. He could only keep his distance from everyone, protecting those he could, and thoroughly eliminating any thoughts of others trying to get close to him.

  Long Bao pressed the car window switch, and the whistling wind immediately rushed into the speeding sedan, bringing a wave of scorching heat. Long Bao lit a cigarette, but his eyes were fixed on the rearview mirror in front of the driver's seat, observing Zhou Ying's expression. Then, he said coldly: "Zhou Ying, I'm telling you again, Jiao Siwei is the largest shareholder of the group and will soon become the vice chairman of the board of directors. I am the chairman of the board of directors and the president of the group. You are an employee of the group, a special employee who follows me, with a special identity. Don't speak carelessly, don't talk nonsense, beware of trouble coming from your mouth."

  Zhou Jing's face was extremely ugly, stiffly grasping the steering wheel, and responded in a low voice: "Yes."

  Long Bao looked at Zhou Jing, his heart filled with a sense of helplessness and discomfort. He knew that Zhou Jing was indeed a loyal and vigilant person, but had the flaw of being too talkative. If he were a normal person, they would have become good brothers by now. But what about the consequences? Long Bao still spoke in an icy tone: "You are just an employee of the group, you need to correct your position. Today I give you one chance to correct yourself, and I won't say it again."

  The atmosphere in the car suddenly became extremely oppressive!

  Long Bao's face was gloomy, looking out the window at the rapidly changing scenery of near and far streets outside. He saw that Liheng Industrial Park was just ahead, and after turning another corner, he would arrive. He called out to stop the car, opened the door and got out. He suddenly wanted to go for a walk, walking along this road, walking along this road he used to take often.

  Kang Dingzhuang and Kang Tie hastily got off the bus and followed up.

  Groups of three or five people stroll on the street, walking and laughing as they go. The vast majority of these people are migrant workers who have left their hometowns to sell their intellectual and physical labor in this land of Chang'an. Their simple yet arduous working lives have not deprived them of their right to happiness and laughter.

  Long Bao's tall, handsome and elegant demeanor, as well as his carefree and leisurely pace, caught the attention of some of them, especially some girls who cast fiery or shy glances at him, whispering to each other.

  Long Bao's eyes were scanning the surroundings, his mind preoccupied. Kang Dingzhuang and Kang Tie were following closely behind him, two or three steps away. Zhou Xing was driving the empty car, controlling its speed as it moved along the road.

  They had already reached the boundary of Liheng Industrial Park, when Longbiao suddenly stopped in his tracks, pointing at the various graffiti and advertisements plastered on the outer wall of the park. He turned to Kangdingzhuang and said: "Director Kang, please notify the office immediately to arrange for staff to clean up the outer wall of the park. I don't want to see any of these things after 9 o'clock tomorrow morning."

  Kangding Zhuang hurriedly answered, immediately taking out his mobile phone and dialing the office director An Yi's phone number.

  Long Bao walked just as calmly, and the more he approached the garden gate, the more migrant workers were chatting outside. A few of them who brushed shoulders with him had sharp eyes and recognized Long Bao under the streetlight, unable to help but exclaim in a low voice: "Isn't this Long Bao?" Instantly, a murmur of whispers responded.

  "What?! You're saying that this person is the Long Bao we were just talking about? The legendary figure of Li Heng Group, Long Bao? I heard he's already the Chairman and President of Li Heng Group?"

  "Impossible? He's walking? Are you kidding me! If he were rich, he would have been driving a Rolls-Royce or Mercedes by now! Would he still be walking?"

  "You don't know squat! I've seen him!"

  "Have you seen it? You're all wearing Moschino now. The old Lee Hung clothing doesn't exist anymore, do you still remember what you saw? Stop bragging!"

  Long Bao's heart suddenly moved!

  More and more migrant workers who know Long Bao are gathering, all of whom are employees of the Li Heng Group. They just happen to be discussing the group's affairs, with the most talked-about being Qian Lao and Long Bao. No one expected to see their idol, Long Bao, here. It is unknown who started teasing first, but in an instant, dozens of people swarmed around, all coming to catch a glimpse of Long Bao's demeanor, and speaking out their own opinions seven or eight at a time.

  Kang Dingzhuang and Kang Tie were shocked, immediately using their arms to separate everyone, with Kang Tie shouting "Make way! Make way! Don't block the path!"

  Some people thought that something exciting was happening and rushed to gather outside, quickly gathering over a hundred people in the outer layers. No one paid attention to Kang Tie's scolding.

  Kang Dingzhuang saw the situation was urgent, and immediately used his internal energy to shout: "Get out of here!" Then he used his iron arm to push through the crowd, and together with Kang Tie, they forced their way through the people, creating a gap, and quickly got into Zhou Jing's car which had stopped by the side of the road, seeing that things were not going well. They slammed the door shut and sped away.

  Long Wan sat in the car, looking at them who had broken out in a cold sweat, couldn't help but find it amusing, and said: "Is it necessary to be so nervous? I'm not an official or a celebrity, nor am I a big shot or a star chaser. They're not class enemies or fans, what's the big deal about chatting and laughing together? Director Kang?"

  Kang Dingzhuang knew that Long Bao didn't understand the real situation of himself in the minds of the group's employees, and he was a bit confused, so he said with a tone of blame: "Chairman Long, do you know or not that recently the most discussed topic among the group's employees is you? Can't the things that happened to you in this year make you legendary? Do you think they surround you just to chat and laugh with you? You're wrong! They want to take a closer look at this legendary figure!"

  Long Bao's heart skipped another beat.

  Kang Dingzhuang felt that Long Bao still didn't fully understand his own position and even had a bit of a childish personality, so he took it upon himself to remind him: "You're not a movie star, but you are the star in the eyes of the employees of Li Heng Group! You've achieved what every single one of them dreams of, your status in their hearts is far higher than those movie stars! And you must be clear, on your shoulders rests the burden of tens of billions of assets of the group, and in your hands lies the fate of tens of thousands of employees' livelihoods. If you were to make any mistakes, who could bear the responsibility?"

  Long Bao knocked on his own forehead, understood the meaning of Kangding Village, and laughed: "Good good, correct opinion! I will definitely correct it!"