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

Chapter 717 Debts of Favor!
"Linlin, come here, give me the baby, you go take a bath."

Inside the house, Shen Yuxiu put the mop aside and then took the child from Zhu Lin's arms.

It's getting cold, so they've moved out of the courtyard house and back to the Overseas Chinese Apartments.

The main reason is that it's safer here, unlike the old villas. Although they are detached houses, the two women with a child were still a little worried.

"Okay, Mom, Zhengzheng just finished eating and is asleep now. Just put him in the cradle and watch him. I'm going to wash myself."

Today she went to the countryside with the station's work group, and even though it was freezing cold, she was covered in dirt.

After returning home, she fed her son first, and then prepared to take a shower.

I had just gotten up when I heard the sound of a key turning in the lock by the door.

"It's so late, could it be your mother who's here?"

Hearing the sound of a key turning at the door, Shen Yuxiu was a little puzzled. It was so late, who could be coming?

At that moment, the door opened, and Li Changhe yawned and rubbed his hands as he quickly walked in.

He wasn't tired, he was just cold.

It was already getting cold in Beijing as November approached. He had returned in a hurry this time and hadn't had time to put away his winter clothes on the plane. He was wearing a simple tracksuit, which wasn't very warm.

"Changhe, why are you back so late at night?"

Seeing Li Changhe walk in, Zhu Lin, who was about to take a shower, asked in surprise.

"I came back because of an urgent matter, and I have to leave tomorrow."

"Mom, please make me something to eat first. I haven't eaten yet!"

As soon as he got off the plane, he was picked up from the airport to discuss serious business. It's likely that Old Lu and the others didn't have time to ask him anything afterward, and Li Changhe didn't even mention that he was hungry, so he just endured it until now.

"There's some mutton cooking in the pot. I'll heat it up for you and cook some noodles while I'm at it. You can make do with this."

Shen Yuxiu immediately spoke up.

"Yellow sheep meat? Where did that come from?"

Upon hearing this, Li Changhe immediately asked curiously.

“Your sister’s sister-in-law brought it. She came a few days ago with her child. I don’t know how she figured it out, but she knew we had a new baby and brought a lot of things.”

"They don't know that your sister's family has already gone abroad. We have to entertain them when they come."

"Linlin took two days off, took them sightseeing in Beijing, bought some things from the Friendship Store, and then sent them off."

"You know what, I think that Aiguo's sister-in-law has a really nice voice, and she's warm and generous. She seems like a very easy person to get along with."

"That's now!"

“My sister used to live with the Chen family. She was hard to get along with. To be precise, she didn’t associate with them at all. She lived in the city and never went back to that village.”

"Now, they're coming at me with great enthusiasm."

"Think about it, before my sister and her husband went back to their hometown to show off, he, as their elder brother and sister-in-law, never sent anything to our house."

"Mom, it's just that there are some things I've been too embarrassed to say. Do you know what that sister-in-law said to me in a roundabout way those two days? She wanted us to help her husband get a job transfer."

"At first they tentatively suggested coming to Beijing, then they changed their minds and said the provincial capital would be fine too. Finally, when they saw that I wasn't agreeing, they said that there was a promotion opportunity for cadres at their farm and they wanted us to put in a good word for them."

Zhu Lin then spoke up and recounted what had happened in those few days.

"So what did you say?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuxiu hurriedly asked.

Zhu Lin glanced at Li Changhe: "I didn't say anything. I just said I'd ask around when Changhe comes back, since I don't have the ability to help her."

"Anyway, we just got away with it like that."

After listening, Li Changhe sighed, "This woman is quite shrewd."

She has thoroughly figured out the principle that "he who eats another's food is bound to him, and he who takes another's money is bound to him."

"I reckon he's here to pull strings."

"Then what should we do, Changhe? Are you going to handle this for her?"

Zhu Lin asked curiously at this moment.

"let me see!"

"I'll think about it and then decide."

Li Changhe really hadn't figured it out yet.

"Alright, you watch over our son, I'm going to take a shower now."

Afterwards, Zhu Lin took her clothes and went to the bathroom.

Li Changhe stood in front of the cradle, watching his son's sleeping face, and gently rocked the crib.

A short while later, Shen Yuxiu came out.

"I'll watch over it. You go eat."

"Ok!"

Li Changhe then got up, went to the dining table, and ate noodles with the hot mutton soup.

After finishing a bowl of noodles, my stomach felt warm.

At this moment, Zhu Lin also finished showering and came out drying her hair.

"Alright, Zhengzheng will sleep with me tonight. I'll just make him some formula if he gets hungry."

Shen Yuxiu then picked up her grandson and walked towards her bedroom.

Generally speaking, Xiao Lizheng sleeps with Zhu Lin at night, which makes it convenient for him to nurse in the middle of the night.

However, since her son is back today, it's fine for Li Zheng to sleep with her for one night, and it's also okay for him to drink some milk powder.

People in this era don't particularly value breastfeeding; instead, they think formula is a good thing.

Because many people have average nutritional levels, their breast milk is not particularly nutritious and is not as good as formula milk. Moreover, the formula milk that Li Zheng drinks is all imported top-quality formula milk.

Li Changhe then took a shower and returned to the master bedroom feeling refreshed.

"Hey, what are your plans for the Northeast? Are you going to process it for him?"

After Li Changhe lay down, Zhu Lin nestled into his arms and then asked curiously.

What do you think of his sister-in-law?

Li Changhe, while playing with the white jade, asked softly.

"How should I put it? He looks like the kind of person who's calculating, with a kind of fake enthusiasm."

"The words were full of flattery, and to be honest, I didn't really like them."

Zhu Lin slapped away Li Changhe's mischievous hand. There was no other way; things were different now than before, and it was easy to waste her son's food.

What did you buy for her before she left?

Li Changhe stopped his mischievous hand gestures and casually continued to ask.

"I bought over a thousand yuan worth of things, including a mink coat that cost over nine hundred, and some other trinkets, as well as some imported stationery for his son."

"That's settled then. That woman took all of this stuff, which shows she's quite greedy."

"It's not a good thing to promote people like this to cadre positions."

"I can't be bothered with this."

Li Changhe said casually.

He already had a so-so impression of the other people in Chen Aiguo's family, let alone this woman who was so greedy.

Putting everything else aside, he knew that Li Xiaojun had given him gifts in return before, each worth over a thousand yuan. Now Zhu Lin had given him another thousand yuan. The total return was already quite substantial. Actually, this matter wasn't difficult for Li Changhe.

Some of his classmates from Peking University were assigned to the State Forestry Administration. I believe that these cadres in Beijing definitely had connections with people in the forestry bureaus in Northeast China.

This was something that could easily be done casually, but Li Changhe didn't want to do this favor.

The main reason is that he doesn't trust this family.

If it were a hardworking family, given the opportunity, they might help.

But he couldn't be bothered to create opportunities for such opportunistic couples.

“I also think I shouldn’t interfere, but I’ve eaten quite a lot of their food, including the Chinese medicine I drank later, which they helped me buy a lot of.”

"This is a small favor, and they are, after all, relatives on our sister's side. Are you really not going to do anything about it?"

Zhu Lin thought about it and still felt it wasn't quite right.

Li Changhe smiled and then said, "Okay, give her a call back later."

"Just tell him that you helped him find someone at the Forestry Bureau to do him a favor, but this favor can only be used once."

"Ask her if she wants me to use it for her this time?"

"I bet you, once she hears about such a significant connection, she definitely won't be willing to use it like that!"

"Putting everything else aside, just look at the benefits we've given them over the years; it must amount to several thousand yuan."

“If she goes back and is willing to spend a few hundred yuan, this matter can be handled there without us having to intervene.”

"Haven told me that it's a huge society based on personal connections. People there are very concerned about face. As long as you show the proper etiquette, they'll get things done for you."

"She came over and asked for a favor just to see if she could take advantage of us. If we do it for her, she'll make a fortune."

"So, if you give her some bait to lure her in, she'll become greedy and want more."

"She would never bother you with trivial matters again."

Li Changhe said confidently to Zhu Lin.

Given that woman's scheming and greedy nature, even knowing about this relationship, and that it was a favor that could only be used once, she would definitely not be willing to use it immediately. Instead, she would always think about maximizing her benefits and wait for the right opportunity.

"What about later? If you say that, what if she really comes looking for you later? Wouldn't that cause a huge problem?"

Zhu Lin said to Li Changhe, somewhat speechless.

Li Changhe smiled and then said softly, "In the future, it may not be this woman who has the final say."

"His older brother is now no different from a live-in son-in-law. Why is he so insecure? To put it bluntly, it's because the woman's family is powerful."

"But think about it, once he gets promoted and gradually gains power, and then with the bait we've provided, will he still live that kind of life as a son-in-law?"

"Besides, let's talk about it when that time comes. Maybe Chen Aiguo will be back by then and he'll help us fend for ourselves."

Li Changhe said nonchalantly.

Humans are inherently greedy. When they know they have powerful connections that they can use, they will treat it as a trump card, especially a one-time trump card. They will not use it unless absolutely necessary.

"You really do have something on your mind!"

"Okay, I'll call them back in a couple of days."

"By the way, what if she's not as farsighted as you say, and insists on our help?"

“Then tell him to wait until after the New Year to get things done, and we’ll talk about it when I get back. At worst, we can give him a promotion, but put him on the sidelines, and then say we’ve done our best.”

Li Changhe said casually.

"Okay, I understand then."

Zhu Lin nodded, and then Li Changhe pulled her into his arms, and they began their business.

The next morning, Li Changhe and Zhu Lin ate breakfast together.

"You really don't need me to take you to work?"

"No need, it's not on the way. You can just go to the airport."

"Oh, right, take that suitcase. I've packed all your winter clothes inside so you can change easily on the plane."

"You can go now, I'll take the bus, it's very convenient."

Before leaving, Zhu Lin gave Li Changhe some more instructions.

Li Changhe nodded: "Okay, I understand."

He has to rush back to Australia early this morning.

It's not suitable for him to stay here for too long during this sensitive time of year.

Later that afternoon, Li Changhe quietly returned to Macau and went to his villa there.

"You're back. Are you tired?"

Seeing Li Changhe walk in looking exhausted, Gong Xue immediately went up to him and asked with concern.

"It's alright. I'll lie down on the sofa for a bit. Call me when you're here at six o'clock, and we'll go to the Lisboa again."

Li Changhe still had to make an appearance there; this was something he had arranged before leaving—he had met with a few people at the Lisboa Casino to play cards.

That evening, Li Changhe brought Gong Xue to the VIP room at the Lisboa Casino again, where a group of people were already waiting.

"Ah Yang, you've finally arrived."

“I’ve already talked to my family. This time, my dad approved a $100 million fund for me to manage.”

"When exactly to enter the stock market is up to you, just waiting for your order."

As soon as Guo Ling saw Li Changhe walk in, he immediately stepped forward and said excitedly.

Although he is the heir of the Guo family, this is the first time he has handled such a large investment.

"One hundred million dollars? Your dad's that generous?"

Li Changhe was somewhat shocked upon hearing Guo Ling's words.

The Kuok family's Hong Leong Group is indeed a behemoth, but one hundred million US dollars is still a very large investment for them.

"It's not that he's generous, it's that you're too amazing."

“When I first told him, he hesitated, but now that your prediction is so accurate, of course he believes you.”

"This $100 million is just a trial run. I estimate that if we make a profit, he will continue to invest more."

Guo Ling said with a smile.

Of course, he wouldn't tell Li Changhe that his father wanted him to be more closely tied to Li Changhe.

“Ah Yang, we’re pretty much the same. Although we don’t have as much money as Guo Ling, we have a lot more funds on hand.”

"Now we're just waiting for your command to decide when we're ready to leave the field."

Several other wealthy young men from Southeast Asia chimed in at this point.

During this period, wealthy Chinese in Southeast Asia were generally wealthier than those in Hong Kong. A key reason for this was that these wealthy Chinese in Southeast Asia often combined political and business interests, monopolizing many local businesses and thus accumulating substantial assets.

"Don't rush. The Hang Seng Index has only fallen to 860. I don't think it has bottomed out yet. I think this time it will fall by at least 50%."

"In this way, when the Hang Seng Index falls to 750, you can start to enter the market in batches, choose your own targets and buy in yourself."

"Everyone should set their own goals and eat as much as they can. Don't be too greedy and overeat."

At this moment, Li Changhe smiled and said to Guo Ling and the others.

"Don't worry, we discussed this before you came. Everyone has set their own goals, so there won't be any conflicts."

"By the way, A-Yang, which companies are you planning to acquire shares in?"

(End of this chapter)