1977: The beginning of the blind date with the daughter of the king

Chapter 667 King Ginseng!

"President Zhou, what exactly did I do wrong that I have to be transferred to the construction site in Sudan?"

Chen Kaiwen was completely dumbfounded. Why was he being transferred to Sudan, that godforsaken place, for no reason?

"why?"

"I also want to know why. What the hell did you do? You idiot."

"If it weren't for the fact that you couldn't control what was going on in your pants, and the mainland authorities reported it directly to Mr. Bao, would I have had my bonus deducted this year?"

"How am I supposed to know who you offended, you bastard, that you've dragged me into this mess?"

At this moment, Zhou Yuanhua, the person in charge of the Shanghai project at Kinmen Construction, started yelling at Chen Kaiwen.

"I"

Chen Kaiwen was completely stunned at this moment. Was he being retaliated against because he flirted with women?
But who is it?
Chen Kaiwen recalled the scene in his mind, and then a figure slowly emerged.

He hadn't run into any problems with the women he'd been with before, so if we're talking about women he'd recently offended, it's only Gong Xue.

I heard that Gong Xue was just transferred from Beijing on the mainland, and then I thought about her cold and scolding attitude towards me that day.

Chen Kaiwen hesitated for a moment. Could it be that Gong Xue was the private possession of some important person?

So I offended her?
"President Zhou, I don't want to go to Sudan. I'd rather resign!"

At this moment, Chen Kaiwen spoke decisively.

He would never want to go to a chaotic place like Sudan.

Zhou Yuanhua adjusted his glasses, then a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

“Kevin, you can certainly choose to resign, but the company will also involve its legal department in this matter, and I can’t predict what the consequences will be.”

Upon hearing his superior's words, Chen Kaiwen's expression changed. This old man was actually threatening him.

But Chen Kaiwen didn't dare to gamble. He didn't know if his actions had violated the laws on the mainland. What he knew even more was that lawyers on Hong Kong Island, given the opportunity, could take a bite out of anyone!
He alone cannot fight against the entire company.

“Kevin, I know this is very unfair to you, but the problem is, you have to go.”

"Whether it's for the company or for the mainland, we need to show a certain attitude."

"If you resign without hesitation, you'll be relieved, but how will the company explain this to Mr. Bao, and how will it explain this to the mainland?"

"Therefore, for the sake of the bigger picture, you have no choice but to go to Sudan."

“Kevin, I can assure you that you won’t stay there for long, and I can also help you apply for company subsidies. At least your income there will be much higher than it is here in Shanghai.”

Zhou Yuanhua used both soft and hard tactics at this moment.

Upon hearing this, Chen Kaiwen fell silent.

What's the use of having a lot of money? You need to be alive to enjoy it!
Sudan is a place with so many extremist groups, especially those anti-British ones. Otherwise, why didn't Jardine Matheson terminate its contract with Kinmen Construction? To put it bluntly, most companies simply wouldn't want to go there.

"Alright, go back and pack your things, and set off as soon as possible."

"Kevin, this is just a temporary setback. Once this is over, you can come back."

“Mr. Bao and the mainland are paying attention to this matter. I advise you not to confront it head-on unless you really think you are completely innocent and have no fault at all.”

"This is my final advice to you."

"Just accept your fate!"

Zhou Yuanhua said meaningfully at this moment.

Chen Kaiwen suddenly lost all his energy and spirit.

Is it really possible for him to stand against the entire company, or rather, against Mr. Bao, who stands on the entire island of Hong Kong, all by himself?

He simply didn't have the courage.

"I'll go back and pack my things first."

Chen Kaiwen said dejectedly at this moment.

On the other side, Li Changhe simply had Ah Hu relay his instructions from the island of Macau. He didn't pay much attention to Chen Kaiwen's fate, after all, to him, it was just an insignificant little bug that was only helping Xiaoxue solve her troubles.

Gong Xue and Li Changhe spent two whole days together, until her leave expired, at which point she went back to work at the Shanghai Film Studio looking radiant.

Li Changhe received a call from Lin Yuan and then waited for Lin Yuan to come to visit him.

Soon, Lin Yuan also arrived at Li Changhe's house in a car.

"My older sister has already arrived in the US and we've helped her with her school enrollment. Next up is your brother-in-law."

“I’ll wait a few days and see if I can bring him to Hong Kong Island under the guise of hiring him, then transfer him to the United States. I’ll complete these formalities first, and then let him take the child to the United States.”

Lin Yuan first told Li Changhe about Li Xiaojun's arrangements, and then continued, "Changhe, about that Middle East thing you told me about last time, the higher-ups discussed it in a meeting and think it's feasible."

"No matter what, it's true that those people in the Middle East are rich, so my father asked me to be a pioneer. I'm counting on you."

Lin Yuan has no connections in the Middle East. He did make some deals with Tarak last time, but those were done by California arms dealer Barkleyville and his associates. Lin Yuan could only say he got a taste of the benefits.

"I'm planning to go to the United States in a few days, and I'll talk to Tarak about this then."

"You take care of things at the company first, and I'll see how to get Tarak to come to you!"

"Row!"

Lin Yuan nodded; he knew that Li Changhe would definitely be able to handle this matter.

"By the way, I have some friends in Shanghai. Would you like me to introduce you?"

Lin Yuan thought for a moment, then asked Li Changhe.

Li Changhe shook his head: "No rush. We'll talk about this after I've settled into my Hong Kong identity and can come to the mainland openly."

"Alright, there's one more thing. Have you bought a lot of old-style houses in Shanghai?"

Lin Yuan then asked Li Changhe.

Li Changhe nodded: "That's right, what's wrong?"

"I'd like to ask you for a set, you can sell it to me or rent it to me, it's fine. I heard about your club's idea last time, and I found it very interesting."

"I wouldn't dare to do it in Beijing, but I think we could set one up here in Shanghai first, bring some people in, and make things easier for us. What do you think?"

Lin Yuan looked at Li Changhe and asked seriously.

Upon hearing this, Li Changhe's lips twitched involuntarily.

"Goodness, you're trying to create a clique among the second generation. This thing can easily turn into a hierarchy of interests if you're not careful."

Hearing Li Changhe's words, Lin Yuan curled his lip.

"It's not as serious as you think. Do you think I won't have any cliques just because I don't deal with them?"

"In Beijing, from the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Field Armies to the later General Political Department compound, Air Force compound, General Staff compound, and so on, which one wasn't divided into circles?"

"Furthermore, if you want to develop your career in China in the future, these people are an unavoidable group. Although you have connections with your old comrades, you can't rely on them for everything."

“Often, these people can handle small matters faster than the older comrades at the top, because the older comrades have to balance the interests of those below them, while these people often do not.”

“I think that if you come in under Bao Zeyang’s identity, having a place like this will make it easier for you to get to know them and also prevent you from appearing in public. It’s a win-win solution.”

"However, this requires a venue, preferably a private one. You have this old villa in Shanghai, which is just right."

“I also have a courtyard house in Beijing, a four-courtyard house, which is also suitable for this.” “You can set it up then, just one thing: this club can be a legitimate gathering place, but don’t do any messy or illegal things.”

"What kind of dance party is this, with all that flirting and chasing girls? We can't do that!"

Li Changhe didn't resist too much. Some things are inevitable trends that emerge in line with the development of the times, and they are not something he alone can control.

What Li Changhe can do is guide some people, rather than completely shutting them out.

And unsurprisingly, Lin Yuan's friends are definitely among the first to get rich in China, and they are the best targets to sell the antiques he owns.

"Don't worry, I know better than you. This is just a simplified version, a temporary base for everyone to gather."

"Okay, then take a look and see which one you want, I'll give you the key!"

Li Changhe then took out a catalog and showed Lin Yuan the villas he had bought. Lin Yuan then chose a relatively secluded old villa and took the key from Li Changhe.

Li Changhe then stayed in Shanghai for two more days before flying back to Beijing.

He needs to tell his family about Li Xiaojun's condition.

And after saying that, he had to set off again for Hong Kong Island.

“Be careful while you’re at home these next few months. If anything happens, just tell Mom. I’m going there for a short trip and I’ll get him back quickly.”

At home, Li Changhe gave Zhu Lin some instructions.

Now that the Lunar New Year is over, he should at least make an appearance on Hong Kong Island.

Logically speaking, someone of Li Changhe's status should hold multiple positions in Hong Kong, such as a member of the Hong Kong British government, a Justice of the Peace, or the president of a certain chamber of commerce.

For now, however, Bao Yugang is temporarily taking care of these things for him.

After all, nominally, Li Changhe is a junior member of the Bao family, with Bao Yugang holding various positions in Hong Kong, so he doesn't need to participate in so many social activities for the time being.

Only after Lao Bao retired did the Hong Kong British government and many organizations enthusiastically attach these social positions to him.

Even though he wasn't officially killed, Li Changhe still had to make public appearances to handle some matters and meet with certain people, including those in the United States.

For example, Li He sent him an invitation to the New Year's Day party this year as usual, but Li Changhe declined it, citing that he was too busy.

But now that the New Year is over, he has to find an opportunity to go and visit the front of the village to show how much he values ​​it.

"Okay, don't worry, I'm not as careless as you think. Go on your business trip with peace of mind, I'll be waiting for you at home!"

Zhu Lin said to Li Changhe with a grin.

"Uncle, don't worry, I'll take good care of Auntie."

At this moment, the little girl also spoke to Li Changhe in a serious tone.

Because Li Xiaojun went to the United States, Nannan temporarily stayed with Shen Yuxiu in the villa, since Chen Aiguo, a grown man, wouldn't take care of his daughter.

Moreover, he also had to work hard to assist Lin Yuan with the tasks he was assigned to.

Fortunately, my daughter will be starting school soon, and I can just send her to kindergarten in the morning.

"Okay, then your uncle will entrust your aunt to you. You can help your uncle take care of your aunt."

Li Changhe picked up Nannan with a smile, and then said seriously.

Zhu Lin shook her head, then looked at Li Changhe and asked, "By the way, Changhe, aren't you going to your graduation ceremony?"

李长河他们是77级，北大的77级大部分是在78年2月份入学的，所以也是在82年的2月份正式毕业。

In other words, Li Changhe would officially graduate from Peking University in just a few days.

Although graduation ceremonies in this era were not as grand as those in later generations, and there were no academic gowns or similar formalities, they undoubtedly held special significance for these contemporary university students.

"Forget it, I'm not going!"

Li Changhe shook his head and said softly.

If he attends the graduation ceremony, there's no doubt he'll be taking graduation photos or lots of group photos, which isn't a good thing for him.

Moreover, many classmates would probably inquire about his whereabouts, or ask him to leave his address and write letters, which would be difficult for Li Changhe to do, so he simply decided not to go.

Moreover, there are probably quite a few people in their class who will miss the graduation ceremony. People like Yi Gang and Hai Wen, who went abroad to study and left early, will definitely be absent.

Therefore, Li Changhe's absence was not too abrupt.

When he has time later, he can take the initiative to contact these classmates privately again.

"I've already asked Shuanglin to tell Lao Tao about my graduation certificate. Lao Tao will keep it for me and then send it to the family compound."

"Let's talk about the rest later!"

"Alright then, you can decide for yourself."

Zhu Lin was just reminding Li Changhe not to forget about this matter. Since Li Changhe had already made arrangements, there was no need for him to say anything more.

After spending another day at home, Li Changhe then quietly returned to Macau by plane, and then, accompanied by Ah Hu and the others, returned to Hong Kong Island.

Upon returning to Hong Kong Island, Li Changhe naturally visited Bao Yugang's home.

During the Spring Festival, Li Changhe came to the Bao family once without making a sound. However, he left after visiting the Bao family. Firstly, he was very busy, and secondly, the atmosphere at the Bao family was not good during those days.

The old man, Bao Zhaolong, is not in good health, and his family is very worried about him.

However, the old man seemed to be in much better spirits this time.

“Uncle, this is something I just collected after I got back. It’s an old ginseng king from Changbai Mountain. I brought it here for the old man to take care of his health.”

At this moment, Li Changhe solemnly took out a wooden box, inside which was a ginseng root as thick as a carrot.

As the saying goes, seven ounces is ginseng and eight ounces is treasure. Ginseng weighing more than one pound is called the King of Ginseng. Its age cannot be determined at a specific time, but it is definitely over a hundred years old.

"Ah Yang, this is too precious."

Seeing such a huge ginseng king, Bao Yugang was also somewhat shocked. This kind of thing is often something that you can't buy even if you have money.

"It was also a stroke of luck. It was just dug out in Changbai Mountain, and it happens to be related to a friend of mine. It ended up in my hands by accident."

“I didn’t dare let this thing show up in mainland China, so I brought it directly to Hong Kong. Its medicinal properties should be quite strong. Uncle, could you find an old Chinese medicine doctor in Hong Kong to see how to administer the medicine to the old man?”

Li Changhe spoke sincerely to Bao Yugang.

Bao Yugang nodded: "Ayang, you're very thoughtful."

"But...sigh!"

Bao Yugang had the words on the tip of his tongue, but then stopped himself from saying them.

Li Changhe knew that Bao Zhaolong was simply aging naturally; to put it bluntly, he had reached the age where there was nothing he could do to reverse it.

Li Changhe remembered that this old man had passed away this year; there was no way to resist it.

The reason he brought this ginseng king was actually for Bao Yugang.

Unsurprisingly, the death of his father brought Bao Yugang a lot of pain, and a few years later, Bao Yugang also developed cancer.

Li Changhe arranged a medical check-up for him, but on the other hand, he also needed to help Lao Bao get some rest.

This ginseng king was actually prepared for Lao Bao, to be gradually used to nourish him later. But we can't say that now, so we're telling the old man first.

Anyway, the old man can't finish such a big ginseng root.

(End of this chapter)