Chapter Seventy-Nine: Uncle

For several days in a row, Gao Ning spent his time moving from one meeting to another. He’d encountered all sorts of people before, yet even after these recent days, he still felt as though his horizons had been broadened. The saying goes, “The bigger the forest, the stranger the birds,” and it certainly rang true.

With money in hand, Gao Ning was treated like a patron saint—everyone showered him with flattery so excessive it left him almost floating on air. Of course, he’d met his share of eccentrics as well: two oddballs showed up in suits and glasses, boldly demanding two million with empty promises. Gao Ning didn’t even bother to speak to them, simply had them shown out.

Luckily, most people in the cultural and entertainment circles understood the basic rules. The truly bizarre-minded were rare exceptions. After two weeks of contracts signed and funds transferred, Gao Ning finally remembered his own affairs.

His parents were nothing to worry about; adventurous as ever, they’d always been fond of wandering about, and now they simply expanded their range to the globe. Gao Ning made a point of having someone check up on them, purchased fifty million in insurance coverage for each, covering every conceivable scenario—if there was a risk, it was protected. He also arranged, through the bank, for a twenty-four-hour personal assistant to handle all their daily needs and check on their safety every forty-eight hours.

The details were meticulous, but Gao Ning hardly fussed over them—he just wanted peace of mind. Should anything really happen, he wasn’t helpless; after all, the power of time and money was nothing short of miraculous.

With matters settled, Gao Ning boarded a plane bound for the northeast.

There was no need to worry about Lu Yingying; the company was flourishing under his guidance. After much searching by the headhunting firm, they finally found a suitable research director. The research department’s framework was coming together; as new staff joined, research equipment was arriving. Experts had begun a preliminary analysis of Gao Ning’s discoveries and were deeply intrigued, working day and night to refine their experiments, hoping to extract something more effective from the mysterious adhesive substance.

At Shengjing Airport, Gao Ning and Liu Shanshan sat in a black Mercedes van racing toward the city center. With everything done and two days left to spare, Gao Ning decided not to waste the time. He would visit the northeast, see his grandmother and grandfather.

Grandfather was an intellectual, persecuted in his younger years but later reinstated as a mid-level manager at the steel factory. Unfortunately, he’d been too deeply taken in by Marxist ideals, steadfastly holding to revolutionary proletarian beliefs. Over the years, his old colleagues prospered, but his own family remained as modest as it had been thirty years ago—a working-class household with little to spare.

Grandmother had a son and a daughter; Gao Ning’s mother was the eldest, followed by a brother more than ten years her junior. On his father’s side, the elders had passed away early, so Gao Ning grew up by his grandmother’s side and felt a particularly deep affection for her.

When Gao Ning was born, his uncle was still a teenager. They played together often, forging a close bond. Later, Gao Ning’s family moved to another city and contact faded, but the invisible ties of blood continued to connect them.

This visit, then, was both to see his grandparents and to show his gratitude, but also to see if there was any way he could help. After all, his uncle’s family was the closest kin to Gao Ning’s, and whatever the reason, now that he’d made his way, lending a hand was only right.

Inside the car, Gao Ning leaned back against the comfortable leather seat, watching the scenery pass by. He said, “Assistant Liu, our business negotiations are done. You’ve worked hard these past days. I’ll give you a week’s vacation—enjoy yourself in Shengjing and the surrounding areas. You have a twenty thousand yuan reimbursement limit; consider it a welcome bonus for officially joining the team!”

Liu Shanshan tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled warmly. “That’s very generous, Mr. Gao. It’s an honor to work with you.”

“We’ve known each other long enough, no need for formalities! If you need anything, just contact Director Lu—she’ll take care of it. Starting next week, you’ll handle all my assistant duties.”

“Rest assured, Mr. Gao, I’ll manage everything well.”

Just then, the driver slowed the car and parked at the curb. “Mr. Gao, we’ve arrived.”

“Really? Where are we?” Gao Ning lowered the window, scanning the storefronts, when suddenly, a heated argument reached his ears.

“Don’t take it away! I have several tables of guests tonight waiting for fresh lamb. How can you just take the sheep now?”

“It’s simple: debts must be paid! Boss Jin, we’ve worked together for a while. I’m not unreasonable—usually, a delay of a few days isn’t a big deal. But you haven’t paid me in two months. How’s my family supposed to survive?”

From the alley to the right, a man in a leather jacket dragged a half-grown Mongolian mountain goat by a rope. The rope was tight around the goat’s neck, its throat red and sore as it bleated and struggled, hooves slipping as it dug in with all its strength, leaving four white gouges in the ground—yet the man’s strength prevailed and the goat was dragged forward.

Beside him, a man in chef’s attire with a white apron clung miserably to the strongman’s arm.

“I know I owe you, but you’ve raised prices three times in two months. My business was good, but with constant price hikes, my customers can’t take it. Several regulars have slammed their fists on the table. Business has only gotten worse lately. My lamb restaurant only just got off the ground and needs money for everything. How about this: give me another two weeks, and I promise I’ll pay you back!”

“Two weeks? Fine, but I’m taking the sheep! Your place is a bottomless pit—I can’t afford it!”

With that, the strongman tugged at the rope again.

The chef hurried to stop him. “Don’t! If you take the sheep, what am I supposed to cook tonight?”

“That’s not my problem!”

The two started arguing again.

Gao Ning pressed his hand to his forehead, shook his head, and stepped out of the car. He turned and said, “Assistant Liu, you go ahead. If anything comes up, call me!”

Liu Shanshan handed him his briefcase. “Be safe, Mr. Gao. My phone’s on twenty-four hours; if you need anything, just call.”

Gao Ning nodded and waved to the driver. The Mercedes slipped into the flow of traffic and disappeared.

Turning around, Gao Ning strode toward the chef, calling out loudly, “Jin Damao, let go of him!”