money player

After comforting Long Xuemei, Xian Yaowen continued writing his investment proposal. Long Xuemei took out a Canon IV, pointed it at the stage below, and snapped away, capturing a series of wonderful moments.

Her work is busy. She not only has to manage Prince Enterprises, but also take care of the Sin family's businesses around the world. Although she only needs to supervise and handle some daily business, important decisions are made by Sin Yiu-man. The work is tedious but not too stressful. However, she is very tired every day and needs some hobbies to relieve the pressure and emotions that have piled up.

Photography is one of her chosen hobbies; she wants to record every wonderful moment of life.

After shooting half a roll of film, she gently placed the camera on the table, picked up her teacup, and looked tenderly at Xian Yaowen's forehead. In her mind, another "what if" thought came to mind—what would her life be like now if her husband hadn't chosen her?
She thought she might become a secondary school teacher, or she might pass the government exam and become an ordinary clerk, or she might become an ordinary secretary in a foreign firm, earning around HK$300 a month, and having to endure the boss's wanton insults, or even harassment and molestation.

In any case, it is absolutely impossible for things to be better than the current situation.

She has a high salary, stock dividends, and property gifted to her by her husband. Even if she stops working now, her assets are enough to ensure she lives a comfortable life.

Of course, these were just her sources of confidence. She didn't have to worry about making a living. Her pursuit was to follow her husband to conquer one mountain after another—economic mountains, political mountains—and to wield the power to overthrow the country.

Her gaze sharpened, her fists clenched tightly, and she silently encouraged herself. Her husband controlled a considerable armed force with numerous deployments in Africa and the Middle East, but she knew very little about it. She didn't believe that her husband didn't trust her and was keeping it from her; he clearly felt that she wasn't qualified to know.

I will work even harder!

Xian Yaowen, engrossed in his thick book, was unaware of Long Xuemei's inner thoughts. He encountered some difficult technical terms but had no professional dictionary to consult, so he had to write them down in his notebook to deal with them when he got home.

Because of this obstacle, he couldn't continue writing the investment proposal. He packed his things into his briefcase, picked up a pumpkin seed from the dried fruit plate, cracked the shell with his front teeth, raised his left hand, and glanced at his watch.

"Sikong Mingqiu should be here soon. I'm going next door. Do you want to grab a late-night snack later?"

Long Xuemei waved her hand, "Sir, you don't need to worry about me."

Sin Yiu-man nodded, clapped his hands to brush away the sunflower seed crumbs, and got up to go to the private room next door.

After sitting in the private room for five or six minutes, the tea server brought tea and snacks, and then Sikong Mingqiu arrived. She was dressed up carefully, with her hair styled in a low bun in the style of a socialite. Her long, black hair was tied into a full and neat round bun at the back of her head, with smooth and neat strands without a single mess.

She wore a bright red, modernized cheongsam with delicate subtle patterns. The heavy silk fabric shimmered softly in the light, giving it an elegant yet understated look.

The dress is fitted at the waist, hugs the body's curves, and features a hem that falls below the knee with a moderate slit, showcasing both feminine grace and the dignified elegance of a well-bred lady.

The shoulders and sleeves feature large areas of beige-gold embroidery with intricate and gorgeous patterns resembling intertwined flowers, extending from the shoulders to the cuffs to create a visual focal point; the buttons are also adorned with delicate embroidery, echoing the overall pattern and demonstrating meticulous attention to detail.

Looking at Sikong Mingqiu's attire, Xian Yaowen gently tapped his fingers on the table.

The low bun hairstyle is generally only worn by married socialites, but it's not absolute; unmarried socialites also wear it for social reasons.

A bright red cheongsam is a bit special; it's usually worn by young women for weddings, festivals, sacrificial rites, or very important occasions.

Sikong Mingqiu wore a low bun and a bright red cheongsam, with ruby ​​earrings on both ears, seemingly implying that she was ready to sacrifice herself.

After entering the private room, Sikong Mingqiu stopped, turned around, closed the door, and latched it shut. The door was now locked, and a red mark indicating "Do Not Disturb" was visible on the outside handle.

Having done all this, Sikong Mingqiu stood there and exhaled a few breaths, as if encouraging herself. Then, she turned around, faced Xian Yaowen, her gaze unfocused, and walked straight over to sit down in the chair next to her.

"Mr. Xian, I've arrived." As he spoke, Sikong Mingqiu lowered his head and looked down, not daring to look Xian Yaowen in the eye.

"Hmm." Xian Yaowen chuckled. "Miss Sikong, I'm a little disappointed. I didn't expect you to use your body as a trump card, and I didn't expect you to play it so quickly."

Sikong Mingqiu's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly raised her head, her misty eyes meeting Xian Yaowen's gaze. "Does Mr. Xian not like this card?"

“I like it.” Sin Yiu-man nodded. “I don’t like it either. The fact that you played this card so early means you don’t have many cards left, or maybe you’re overthinking it. I don’t want to play guessing games, you tell me yourself.”

Sikong Mingqiu blinked twice, and murmured, "I want to have your son."

Xian Yaowen tapped the table lightly a few times. "Have you thought through the pros and cons?"

Sikong Mingqiu said with a firm gaze, "I've thought it through."

Sin Yiu-man turned to look at the stage downstairs, "Do you love Qianwanli?"

Sikong Mingqiu glanced at Xian Yaowen's profile, thought carefully, and replied, "It's probably not to the point of love yet."

"Are you prepared to accept this arranged marriage?"

"If necessary, yes."

Xian Yaowen turned around, poured a cup of tea for Sikong Mingqiu, took a sip himself, put down the cup, and said slowly, "Tell me what you need me to do."

Sikong Mingqiu picked up his teacup and held it in mid-air. After thinking for a while, he said, "My mother was implicated in the Lü Heruo case last year and was sentenced to seven years in prison for crimes such as aiding and abetting spies. She was imprisoned in the North Detention Center of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, and her family's property, the Takasago Iron Factory, was confiscated. I have asked around and found out that as long as you find the right person, you can get her released in one or two months."

Sin Yiu-man nodded. "I've had your mother's case file reviewed by the lawyer, and I've also studied it myself. There is indeed room for maneuver."

Sikong Mingqiu asked excitedly, "What should I do?"

Do you have money?

"I can still scrape together three or four hundred thousand."

"Prepare 300,000 yuan and give it to me in the next couple of days."

Sikong Mingqiu nodded. "What else do I need to do?"

How much land do you own?

"More than a thousand jia."

Do you have the authority to dispose of it?

Sikong Mingqiu hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yes."

“If you want to save your mother, you need to make a gesture. You need to donate at least 1,000 jia of land. 300,000 plus 1,000 jia of land, you can think about whether it’s worth it.” Xian Yaowen paused, then continued, “If it’s just to make your mother’s life a little better inside, the price you have to pay isn’t too high.”

Sikong Mingqiu said without hesitation, "No, my mother has never suffered in her life. She must be living a life of misery inside. I am willing to give anything to get her out as soon as possible."

Sin Yiu-man said quietly, "Those who aspire to great things can even kill their closest relatives."

“My father passed away early, and I was raised by my mother alone.”

“You have an older brother and a younger sister. Think carefully about how you will handle things after your mother gets out.” Xian Yaowen picked up his teacup again and turned to look at the stage downstairs.

At this moment, a crosstalk performance is taking place on stage. The performers are Wu Zhaonan and Wei Longhao, both of whom are from Beiping (Beijing). They speak with a pure Beijing accent and their jokes are very clean. They rely on their skills, voice, singing ability, and literary talent, rather than dirty tricks.

However, being clean means being boring. There are only a few jokes, and you can't come up with anything new no matter how many times you try to tell them. To listen to crosstalk, you still have to go to the dilapidated teahouses and overpasses at the bottom of society. One after another, they are all raunchy, and there is not a single vegetarian dish.

After listening to a few passages, Xian Yaowen withdrew his gaze and focused on Sikong Mingqiu's slender fingers. Her fingers were beautiful, but they did not stir Xian Yaowen's heart. However, looking at her bare ring finger, he thought of the ring that he had deliberately ignored.

He owed several rings but was unable to pay them back. Rings should be in pairs, and he couldn't afford to have too many men's rings.

Ignoring it means we have no choice but to continue.

While he was lost in thought, Sikong Mingqiu said, "I live in the dormitory, and I can't go back if it's late."

Xian Yaowen glanced at his watch. "I'll take you home."

Sikong Mingqiu paused for a moment, then said, "Okay."

Sin Yiu-man escorted Si-kong Ming-chiu to the entrance of National Taiwan University and then left, without any ambiguous behavior.

After leaving National Taiwan University, he went to the spot on the Tamsui River where he had fished before.

We gathered some dry grass and twigs, lit a campfire, and sat cross-legged in a corner where the firelight couldn't reach us.

Xie Zhanran took two Bouncing Betty toys and buried them at two points near the campfire.

Sin Yiu-man held a guitar in his hands, tuned it, took out a 20-shot pistol and attached it to the hidden buckle on the back of the guitar, then took a Canadian pistol, unsafed it, and put it in the outer pocket of his suit jacket.

He tried several times to draw and cock the gun without making a single mistake, and then he plucked the strings.

March has passed, willow catkins have fallen, and lovers have gone by in a hurry; my love remains unmoved by the wind, and the memories of yesterday still have warmth; my dusty thoughts are hazy and indistinct, as if they were from another world.

Regret is unspeakable, a sudden realization clenched my heart, and I clutched tightly the blue-and-white porcelain keepsake, a promise I'd kept…

The singing stopped abruptly, and two people appeared opposite Sin Yiu-man.

"President."

"How's it going?"

"President, everyone who might know the burial site has been silenced."

Was it done cleanly?

"The body cannot be disposed of, and the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics has launched an investigation."

"Baka!" Xian Yaowen's face turned cold. "What tools did you use?"

“Wabi”.

After a moment of silence, Xian Yaowen asked, "Have you found the entrance to the burial site on Nanchang Road?"

“The building was occupied by government agencies and was guarded at night, so we didn’t find an opportunity to sneak in.”

"Investigate the original owner's information as soon as possible."

"Hay."

"Walk."

The two figures, as if granted a pardon, bowed and then disappeared into the night.

"Pack up."

Upon hearing this, Xie Zhanran extinguished the campfire, took out a flashlight, crawled on the ground to a bouncing beetle, secured the tripwire with a branch, then shone the flashlight into the safety hole, inserted the safety pin he was holding in his mouth into the safety hole, turned the fuse counterclockwise to remove the propellant.

The other one was made in the same way.

After cleaning up, throw the two bouncy betty balls into the river.

Xian Yaowen went to the car to get a string of firecrackers, attached a two-meter-long fuse, placed the firecrackers in front of the campfire, lit the fuse, and quickly went to a high place. He and Xie Tingyun, who was standing on another high place, looked around.

A moment later, the campfire crackled, but all around was completely silent.

When the firecrackers stopped, Sin Yiu-man walked back to the campfire and sniffed the air.

Xie Tingyun took a pair of candles, stuck them in the ground, lit them, then took out three incense sticks, lit them over the candle flames, and stuck them in the ground. Then, he took out a strip of yellow paper, lit it, and placed it on the ground to burn slowly.

When the yellow paper burned out, Sin Yiu-man sniffed around again to make sure the mixed smells masked the smell of landmines and gunpowder that the specially trained bomb-sniffing dogs could detect. He then carefully observed the campfire from several different angles to check if it was a cover-up.

After leaving, the two cars drove for more than 200 meters, dropped off Xie Tingyun, and quietly turned back. After driving for a kilometer, the cars turned around and quickly returned, with Xian Yaowen and Xie Zhanran each observing one side.

When the car had driven back a mile, Xie Zhanran slowed down, and Xian Yaowen opened the car door, rolled over and jumped to the side of the road, knelt on one knee, and raised his binoculars to observe several locations "suspected of being Tibetans".

After a lot of trouble and getting nowhere, the group returned to normal and slowly drove towards the Xian residence.

Sin Yiu-man sat in the car, closed his eyes, and recalled what he had just done, considering whether there were any oversights and what the impact would be if his actions were seen by someone with ulterior motives.

Fortunately, he had served as cannon fodder, so it's normal for him to have some caution that is not typical of ordinary people.

Back in the courtyard of the Xian residence, he didn't get out of the car immediately. Instead, he rested his fingers on his thigh and tapped them lightly, pondering why a wakizashi was used.

During World War II, the capabilities of Japanese intelligence agents ranked in the second tier in the world, only slightly behind Britain and the Soviet Union, and comparable to Germany. However, in terms of their operational capabilities in Asia, Japanese intelligence agents were undoubtedly the pinnacle.

The agency is incapable of establishing its own training camp, and the people they recruit are all veteran agents from the past. Those who survived the war are all seasoned veterans. They assassinated a few people in Taipei, yet they used a wakizashi (a type of Japanese cavalry) and couldn't even dispose of the bodies. What the hell are they trying to fool? Who are they trying to ruin?
"Send a message to Mosquito and try to find out exactly how many groups of Japanese devils have come to Taipei."

Xie Tingyun turned his head and asked, "Does the gentleman suspect that someone is secretly plotting something?"

"Ah."

"We probably can't detect mosquitoes."

“I know,” Sin Yiu-man nodded slightly. “Let’s try our luck.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Xian Yaowen rubbed his temples. "I might have to go to Tokyo in the next couple of days. When there's profit involved, there will always be people with ulterior motives. They eat my food and still dare to try to undermine me. I can't just be a figurehead chairman anymore."

Send a message to the deputy police dog, requesting a team to be dispatched to Tokyo.

"clear."

After a quick wash and a change of clothes, Sin Yiu-man went out again and went to Tsing Tin Street.

The house bought for Li Lizhen is here. It's a detached house with a floor area of ​​600 square meters, a front yard and a backyard, and a cypress wood structure.

After knocking on the gate, less than a minute later, footsteps came from inside, followed by a question, "Who is it?"

"I."

The courtyard gate creaked open, revealing Li Lizhen's small face.

When Li Lizhen saw Xian Yaowen's face clearly, her pretty face flushed, and she stammered, "You, you've come?"

"Yes, I'm here." Sin Yiu-man took a step forward and reached out to stroke Lee Lai-chun's cheek. "Your complexion has improved. Have you been eating well these past few days?"

Li Lizhen shivered, suppressing her instinctive urge to hide, and said timidly, "Very, very good."

Xian Yaowen withdrew his hand, stepped into the courtyard, and said with a faint smile, "Don't be nervous. I'm not a man-eating tiger. What you're afraid of won't happen tonight."

After saying that, he walked straight to the entrance.

Li Lizhen's heart finally settled. She stood there frozen for a moment, then closed the courtyard gate and turned to walk into the house.

Sin Yiu-man came to the dining table, picked up the English textbook that was lying on the table, flipped through it briefly, put it back on the table, and turned to look at Lee Lai-chun who had followed him, "What time does school end tomorrow?"

"3:30...4:00, there's a nursing practice session tomorrow."

"Mmm." Sin Yiu-man took Lee Lai-chun's delicate hand with its distinct knuckles and gently stroked the back of her hand. "Come back after school tomorrow, and I'll take you out to play."

Li Lizhen's eyes lit up, and she put her index finger to her lips, asking, "Where are we going to play?"

"Go wherever you want." Sin Yiu-man's left arm encircled Lee Lai-chun's slender waist, while his right hand pinched her cheek. "Do you still want to study?"

"Yes, I will." Li Lizhen nodded gently. "My English isn't very good, so I need to work harder."

"Okay." Sin Yiu-man gently patted Lee Lai-chun's cheek. "Keep studying hard, and ask me if you don't understand anything."

"Ah."

Li Lizhen sat back down, picked up her English book, and read, "The Value of Time, Honesty is the Best Policy, The Fight for Freedom."

Sin Yiu-man left the dining room and wandered around the house, checking which places needed repair and noting them down. He then went into the front yard to look at the trees and the well near the entrance. After that, he went to the back garden to look at the flowerbeds, the rockery, and the greenery.

After looking at it, I went back to the living room, sat on the sofa, spread out a map of Taipei, and studied the location of the house.

The house is not registered under Li Lizhen's name; the property rights are held by the Sin family. It will be vacated for rent after Li Lizhen graduates from high school.

As for Li Lizhen, he will send her to study abroad in any case, the destination to be determined, either the United States or Japan, depending on her intelligence and interests.

Providing a house, household expenses, and pocket money is too much of a waste to just support her body. It's more worthwhile to support her mind. Even if she's hopeless, she can still serve as a model to spread the word. Supporting a scholar requires a fortune to buy a horse's bones, doesn't it?

No matter what, this deal absolutely cannot be a loss.

Sin Yiu-man analyzed the location and estimated that its future appreciation potential would be considerable. He put down the map, turned to look at the dining room, and happened to meet the gaze of Lee Lai-chun.

He chuckled softly, shifted his gaze, and looked around the dining room to see what he needed to add.

Yang Lihua handled all of Li Lizhen's affairs, showing her some pity. Li Lizhen was allowed to find a nanny herself. The young girl found a relative named Li Goumei, who was only twenty-eight years old. However, her appearance had been worn down by the years and hardships, making her qualified to be Fei Baoqi's mother. She had no experience as a nanny and had never experienced a comfortable life, so she could not do her job very well.

After noting down what was missing from the dining room, Sin Yiu-man got up and went into the kitchen. He glanced at the stove, then opened the cupboard and looked inside. He saw two bowls of leftovers: one with taro skin that hadn't been properly peeled, and the other with large chunks of fatty and lean meat. There was a lot of broth, which had solidified into a white-tinged, dark red jelly.

I picked up a piece of meat, glanced at it, poked at the frozen part with my finger, picked up a bit and put it in my mouth to taste. It wasn't very oily, but it was quite watery.

I looked up slightly at the top shelf of the cupboard, pulled out a Japanese enamel jar, opened the lid and peeked inside. It was about three-tenths full of lard. A closer look at the lard residue on the jar wall suggested that the enamel jar had been filled before.

Considering the time Li Lizhen moved in, the abnormally high fat content of the pork, and the unreasonable amount of lard used, it's likely that Li Goumei is dishonest and not very bright; otherwise, she wouldn't have targeted the lard, and her theft was rather clumsy.

He wouldn't bring this up himself. The amount of money he gave for household expenses was limited. If too much was stolen, it would only harm Li Lizhen's quality of life. He was just waiting to see when the little girl would find out and what she would do.

If even a distant relative like a nanny can't be managed, then the training value is limited. (End of Chapter)