20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 884 The National Inkstone Takes Center Stage
The railway network outside the Great Wall was well-developed and crisscrossed. Although it was built by Japanese people, it made it convenient for the people to travel.

Zhao Guoyan received news from the Jiang family while he was away from home. At noon, he asked someone to buy him a standing ticket and set off from Daliaonan. He returned to Fengtian smoothly that evening.

However, the message in the telegram was extremely brief, only instructing him to return to Fengtian as soon as possible, without explaining why.

When they arrived at Fengtian Station, Nanfeng led a group of people to pick them up. After the two met, Zhao Guoyan sat in the car, and Wang Zhengnan explained the whole story in detail.

Upon hearing that his master had been assassinated, Zhao Guoyan was shocked and instinctively questioned, "What are Yang Lazi and his gang doing?"

Wang Zhengnan said, "Old Zhao, are you confused? Yang Lazi and the others died last month. What does this have to do with them?"

Zhao Guoyan was stunned for a moment before he realized what had happened. He quickly slapped his forehead and said, "Right, right, they're all gone. I guess I wasn't used to it yet. For a moment, I was distracted and thought they were in charge of the boss's security!"

Then, they asked who was in charge of providing the employer's bodyguards today.

Nanfeng named a few people, all of whom were brothers from the Jiang family, but none of them were as brave and capable as Yang Lazi and the others.

Qin Huaimeng took advantage of the chaos to rebel, resulting in the deaths and injuries of the Jiang family's most elite and loyal henchmen, who were still recovering from the loss.

The remaining thugs and bodyguards, while not exactly incompetent, lacked experience, and it seems unlikely they will be up to the task in the short term.

Qin Huaimeng's influence on the Jiang family has also changed from tangible to intangible.

Finally, Wang Zhengnan mentioned Xifeng again, saying earnestly, "Old Zhao, your sister-in-law has already instructed that the bodyguards should not be held responsible, for fear that the brothers will panic out of fear of punishment. Also, Xifeng, he is already feeling very guilty and has been staying at the hospital all day. When you see him, don't say anything too harsh."

Knowing Xifeng's temperament, Zhao Guoyan nodded and asked, "How is the master now?"

"He's still unconscious, and we don't know when he'll wake up."

"Shall we go to the hospital now?"

"No, let's go home. Your sister-in-law is waiting for you there!"

"Didn't you say your sister-in-law was sick too?"

Wang Zhengnan sighed, waved his hand, and said, "Don't you know your sister-in-law's personality? She's been stubborn all her life! The doctor said she has acute gastroenteritis, vomiting and diarrhea, and is completely dehydrated. He advised her to be hospitalized for observation for two days. She disagreed and insisted on coming back. Actually, going home is fine. We can just spend some money to have the doctor come to our house. But I know what my sister-in-law means. With something like this happening at home, she won't be able to focus on recovering unless she explains the situation clearly."

After listening, Zhao Guoyan pondered for a long time, then suddenly muttered to himself, "In my whole life, apart from my sister-in-law, I have never been subservient to any other woman."

Wang Zhengnan glanced at him and sighed softly, "When you get married, you'll have to admire one of them. You'll have no choice but to admire him!"

The night outside the window was dark and gloomy. After traveling for a short while, we arrived at the Chinese border.

As the year draws to a close, there are hardly any pedestrians on the streets, but many old men patrol with guns.

Zhao Guoyan then asked, "Have you caught the assassin?"

Wang Zhengnan shook his head and said, "Xifeng sent two brothers to chase after them, but the scene was too chaotic, and they lost them when they got to the vicinity of Bagua Street."

"What a bunch of useless trash!" Zhao Guoyan rarely spoke so harshly.

“Sigh, what can we do?” Wang Zhengnan asked rhetorically. “People aren’t like leeks in a field, where a new crop can grow every few days. Truly capable brothers are hard to find, and you can’t just hire them with a little money. Can you really rely on people you hire?”

As they spoke, they arrived at the Jiang family mansion.

Because it was uncertain whether the assassin had other accomplices or any follow-up actions, the entire mansion was on high alert. Almost all the brothers who could be called came, while the rest went to the hospital to assist Xifeng in protecting Jiang Lianheng's personal safety.

On both sides of the alley, Hu Xiaoyan's and Xue Yingqing's cars were parked sideways, completely blocking the intersections on both sides.

It wasn't until Nanfeng returned that the driver moved the car to clear the intersection. Once Nanfeng had driven into the alley, the driver quickly returned the car to its original position.

Upon entering the courtyard, I saw the brothers gathered densely on both sides, and the entire mansion was brightly lit, indicating that it was destined to be a sleepless night.

Xue Yingqing and Zhang Zhengdong led the Jiang family's wives and relatives to sit in the living room. Everyone was wearing overcoats, as if they were about to go on a long trip, and they showed no signs of sleepiness.

Upon seeing Guo Yan arrive, Jiang Ya immediately jumped up from the sofa and went to greet him, saying, "Uncle Zhao, my mother is waiting for you inside!"

Seeing this, Zhao Guoyan asked, "Did you just come back from the hospital?"

Jiang Ya nodded and said, "Yes, I want to stay there with my dad, but my mom won't let me, saying that the hospital isn't as safe as home."

That makes sense. After all, Shi Hospital is a public place with a constant flow of people, a mixed bag of characters. It's not convenient to hold meetings with so many people there.

Now that Jiang Lianheng is temporarily out of danger, having his whole family by his side would not only be of no use, but would also easily distract the bodyguards. Moreover, the family is large and there are many things that need to be explained. If the whole family ignores him and just stays by his bedside, chaos will surely break out in the family.

Zhao Guoyan didn't dare to delay. He greeted everyone and then immediately rushed to the bedroom on the second floor.

I knocked lightly on the door twice, and Sister Hua's voice came from inside.

"Wait a mininute!"

A short while later, the door opened, and Sister Hua, panting heavily, carried a basin of hot water with several pieces of underwear soaking in it. Upon seeing Guo Yan, she quickly stepped aside and said, "Come in quickly! I'll go wash the clothes, you two can chat!"

Zhao Guoyan entered the room upon hearing the call, and after glancing at the bed, his brows immediately furrowed.

Hu Xiaoyan lay in the bedding, her face pale, her lips dry, and her forehead covered in fine beads of sweat. She looked as if she had just been pulled out of the water. Although only half a day had passed since she fell ill, she seemed to have lost weight.

Her body was already at its limit, and she had only managed to stay upright and not faint by sheer willpower.

Only now did Zhao Guoyan understand the old saying: "Illness comes like a landslide, but recovery is like pulling silk from a cocoon."
"Sister-in-law, I'm back."

Zhao Guoyan walked to the bedside, stood with his hands at his sides, and waited quietly for instructions.

Hu Xiaoyan tilted her head slightly, blinked, and said softly, "It's good that you're back. Now we can only rely on you." Seeing how weak she was, Zhao Guoyan couldn't help but ask, "Sister-in-law, how are you feeling now? What medicine did the hospital prescribe?"

Hu Xiaoyan glanced at the pillow, where there was a box of Western pills, and said, "It didn't work. I kept vomiting and having diarrhea all afternoon."

Then he added, "You're back. I have a few tasks for you. Do them carefully and don't be careless."

Zhao Guoyan said respectfully, "Don't worry, sister-in-law. Just tell me what you need, and I will do my best to take care of it!"

“Lian Heng was shot and we don’t know when he will wake up. Even if he does wake up, given his current condition, he probably won’t be able to take charge for the next three to five months. The family can’t be without someone in charge. For the time being, I’ll leave the affairs of the Jiang family to you.”

"Sister-in-law, is it appropriate for me to step in...?"

Zhao Guoyan was very surprised, because he knew that although he was the head of the Jiang family, in terms of his relationship with Jiang and Hu, he could only rank after Sifengkou.

After all, Sifengkou had been with Jiang and Hu since childhood; they weren't blood relatives, but their bond was stronger than blood ties.

Zhang Zhengdong and others could directly address Jiang Lianheng as their elder brother, while Zhao Guoyan still had to respectfully call Jiang Lianheng "Master".

This single point alone reveals the difference between them.

However, Hu Xiaoyan said, "There's no one else. If I say it's you, then it's you. If anyone disagrees, let them come and talk to me in person."

After considering it for a moment, Zhao Guoyan suggested, "If all else fails, we can discuss it together and then I'll take charge once we've decided on a plan. That would be better."

"Discuss?" Hu Xiaoyan closed her eyes and shook her head. "Don't be fooled by how harmonious things are at home now. When it comes to actually discussing things, we're bound to start arguing. Take Nanfeng and Xifeng, for example. Don't they argue all the time? No matter how much we discuss things, someone has to make the final decision. Otherwise, in the end, we'll just have to split up!"

"No way, you and the owner are still here, how could you possibly separate?"

“Guoyan, I don’t have the energy to argue with you, so please don’t refuse. This is my decision. If the Jiang family collapses after I hand it over to you, it’s my fault, not yours. Dongfeng is too dull and can’t shoulder the responsibility; Nanfeng is thoughtful, but his businessman’s style won’t win the brothers’ respect; Xifeng has too much of a temper and doesn’t manage his subordinates well. If he were in charge, who knows how many parasites he would attract. Manager Xue is an old hand, but unfortunately she’s a woman. She’ll definitely be hampered online and unable to make her move. Besides, she’s already considering leaving Fengtian. After thinking it over, I think you’re the only one who can take on this important responsibility.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Guoyan had no choice but to nod.

However, shouldering the heavy responsibility of the Jiang family alone is too great, especially at such a critical juncture, where no mistakes can be tolerated.

Although Zhao Guoyan is not afraid to take responsibility, he still needs his sister-in-law's approval on matters of direction before he can act freely and make a difference.

Hu Xiaoyan said, "Before you came, I had already spoken to Manager Xue. She is willing to stay in Fengtian for a while longer to help with the family business. She will leave once things have improved for me and Lianhe. So you don't need to worry too much about the business."

"Manager Xue is particular!"

Zhao Guoyan thought for a moment, then asked, "Sister-in-law, how do we handle online relationships?"

Undoubtedly, the Jianghu of Fengtian has just experienced a period of turmoil, and now Jiang Lianheng is seriously injured and the whereabouts of the assassin are unknown. It would be hard to believe that the Daoist Hezi has no thoughts at all.

The same is true.

Tang Wenbiao and Zeng Shouyi secretly met, and Lai Zi and others from the fan gang harbored evil intentions. The government was dissatisfied with Jiang Lianheng, and the Hengshe Society suffered a major setback. Naturally, the trust of the major merchants and gentry in the Jiang family also decreased.

Not to mention, the attitude of the Japanese concession was also unclear.

If Takeda Shin and others were to once again rally the gang forces, the Jiang family's leading position would naturally be in jeopardy.

However, Hu Xiaoyan was not one of those women who only knew how to apply makeup.

A sky full of stars can inspire plans; a capable person is one who can manage a household and establish a career!
Whether it was the martial arts world or the imperial court, she had already anticipated the schemes of all parties and immediately explained various countermeasures to Zhao Guoyan.

"The most important thing is to keep things in order. Tomorrow, you need to gather all the gang leaders in the city and tell them face to face that the assassination of our boss has nothing to do with them. No one is allowed to start a war under the guise of avenging our boss. Anyone who starts a war will be considered a rebel. In particular, you need to appease Tang Wenbiao and Zeng Shouyi. They surrendered and are most afraid of losing our trust, so you should spend more time with them and dispel their concerns. Even if they really did do it, you should pretend that you know nothing about it for now."

"understood!"

"This shooting in the city center right before the end of the year means Director Chen is probably out of a job. The Jiang family promised there wouldn't be any more serious crimes in the city within three months, but they've broken their promise. Director Chen has lost his job and will definitely hold a grudge against the Jiang family. He might even turn around and bite them before he resigns. You need to find a way to contact the Marshal's people, whether it's the butler or the driver, anyone who can speak to the Marshal should be bribed with a large sum of money. As for the Marshal's wives and concubines, I'll leave that to Shu Ning to handle."

"understand!"

"With Lian Heng assassinated in the street, the trust that the major merchants and gentry have in the Jiang family will likely be diminished. However, the establishment of the Heng Society is already underway, and what needs to be done must continue. Having set such a high bar, we must see it through to the end. If we give up halfway, it will damage the Jiang family's reputation. If outsiders find out, they might think we've backed down. In the online world, the worst thing isn't that you back down, but that others think you have. Once this idea spreads, everyone will dare to challenge the Jiang family, and it will be incredibly difficult to gain their trust then."

"Alright! Don't worry, sister-in-law, Guoyan will definitely get the Hengshe Society up and running!"

“Last time there was a big commotion in the border area, many of the brothers who could handle things were lost. We need to hurry up and train the new ones. Jiang Ya and Cheng Ye are too young and can't help much right now. Hai Xinnian will be nineteen soon. That kid is good. You take him under your wing and train him properly.”

Zhao Guoyan nodded emphatically: "Understood!"

After saying all that, Hu Xiaoyan's pillow was soaked with sweat. She was panting heavily and almost exhausted, but her eyes were still fixed on the ceiling, blinking as she muttered to herself, "Is that all? Is there anything else? Sit down for a while, I'll think about it some more."

Zhao Guoyan quickly said, "Sister-in-law, I've moved in these past few days. If anything comes up, just let me know. No rush, you should rest first!"

Hu Xiaoyan nodded somewhat blankly and said, "Okay, I'm a little tired too... Go and call Xiaohua for me."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Guoyan dared not delay and immediately turned around to call Sister Hua.

But just as he reached the door, he heard his sister-in-law call out behind him again.

"Guo Yan——"

Hu Xiaoyan supported herself with her elbows and turned around with difficulty, saying weakly, "I'm entrusting the Jiang family to you for now. Don't let me down..."

Zhao Guoyan stood solemnly by the door and replied, "Sister-in-law, just focus on recovering. If I, Guoyan, have any disloyal intentions, I'll bring you my head!"

(End of this chapter)