The world is in trouble

Chapter 269 A Grand Spectacle! The Pinnacle! Time
Xiao Wanli and Li Fangfang's family were in a very difficult position regarding Lin Yao and Lucas's wedding.

According to their previous relationship, the couple would definitely have to attend, since they are in-laws.

But are they still in-laws now? A few months ago, Xiao Momo's uncle had already returned the betrothal gifts.

Attending this wedding would be incredibly shameless. But not attending would further damage the relationship.

The result was on the 7th!
Xiao Wanli's family received an uninvited guest, Lian Zheng.

"Mayor Lian, what brings you here?" Xiao Wanli asked in surprise.

Lian Zheng said gently, "Director Xiao, shall we have a chat?"

Xiao Wanli: "Good, good."

Then, the two of them went out and wanted to find a teahouse to sit down, but there weren't many teahouses in this small county, so they could only find an ordinary small restaurant.

Finally, after much searching, they found a restaurant with a decent atmosphere. The two of them casually ordered some dishes and a little wine.

"Mayor Lian, I heard online that he owes a huge debt of one billion US dollars?" Xiao Wanli finally asked.

Lian Zheng: "More or less, and at this rate, it might not be enough."

Xiao Wanli was astonished, never expecting it to be true.

"Why do we owe so much?" Xiao Wanli asked, his voice trembling slightly.

In this day and age, a billion dollars is an astronomical figure.

Lian Zheng: "Because he wants to create a completely new industry from scratch."

Xiao Wanli: "What industry?"

Lian Zheng: "Mobile Internet, smartphones."

Xiao Wanli couldn't understand it at all.

Lian Zheng: "Currently, Apple in the United States is doing it, as is mobile phone giant Nokia. Microsoft is doing it, and Google is doing it; they are all top global giants."

Xiao Wanli suddenly understood a little.

This is a very, very big thing.

Lian Zheng: "I heard that your medical retirement procedures were almost completed, but then it was stopped again. You're not retiring due to illness? You're going to stay in this position again? Why aren't you taking that position at the charity foundation?"

Xiao Wanli: "Yes, that's true."

Lian Zheng: "Why?"

Xiao Wanli: "The current relationship is somewhat awkward."

Lian Zheng was silent for a moment: "Am I embarrassed?"

Xiao Wanli was speechless.

Lian Zheng's expression turned serious: "Director Xiao, don't let personal feelings interfere with public duty. The reason we chose you is not so much because of your special relationship with Lin Xiao, but more because of your personal qualities."

"Do you know how many elderly people committed suicide or died in accidents in Linshan County and even Kecheng last year alone?"

“The government’s current resources are insufficient to fully address this issue. The Lightning Group has a fixed annual expenditure on this area, which is to continuously expand nursing homes so that many elderly people living alone can have support in their old age and spend their final days with relative dignity.”

"Respect the elderly as you would your own parents! This is a great thing, and it can help and save countless lives."

"If you're not good at or interested in this job, that's fine, but you happen to be good at it and also yearn to shine in this position."

"In the end, I didn't do it because of some personal feelings."

Is this spread of emotion right or wrong?

Even now, Lian Zheng has always been very calm in front of Xiao Wanli, without any superior-subordinate attitude.

But tonight, his words were slightly harsher.

..............................

That night, Xiao Wanli stared blankly at the ceiling, unable to sleep.

"What's wrong?" Li Fangfang asked.

Hsiao Wan-li: "Is there a big difference between my abilities and those of Mayor Lien Cheng?"

Li Fangfang: "Of course, otherwise, he's younger than you and he's already a full-fledged department head, while you're still just a section chief."

"However, personality is innate, and there's nothing wrong with being a regular student."

With great power comes great responsibility.

The next morning, Li Hu rushed straight to Xiao Wanli's house.

"Director Xiao, aren't we leaving yet? What are you dawdling about?"

"Come on, come on, come on! Don't drive, ride in my car!"

Then, without saying a word, Li Hu and the other young men pushed Xiao Wanli into the car and headed towards Lin Xiao's hometown.

This convoy has about seven vehicles.

Behind them were Zhang Qizhao, Li Mingchao, Li Zhongtian's parents, and Li Shuang's parents.

Xiao Wanli: "Congratulations, Director Li."

Li Hu: "I never expected that I would be promoted."

Li Hu initially thought he was doomed after this investigation, since his superiors had all been arrested and he himself wasn't entirely clean either.

But the entire working group kept trying to get him to reveal Lin Xiao and Lian Zheng's improper dealings, so he stubbornly refused to utter a word.

Unexpectedly, after the storm ended, Lian Zheng was implicated, while Li Hu was promoted to the position.

However, he later realized that his level was too low to be affected. Moreover, since he had performed well this time, Ke Cheng was going to retaliate.

So, he was promoted to the official position.

“But now that I’m here, don’t blame me. I’m definitely going to do something.” Li Hu said, “I’m fearless now, and I’m truly righteous.”

“What do I have to worry about now? She’s my only precious daughter. Although Hangzhou University of Electronic Science and Technology isn’t a particularly good school, she got into Lightning Group right after graduation. As long as she’s capable enough, she can reach any level.”

"I have absolutely no worries about the future, and I no longer care about money."

"Director Xiao, just you wait and see. I, Li Hu, am no ordinary person either."

"You're going to take over that foundation, right? The Lightning Group will be coming to Linshan soon, and there will be a lot of industries and funds flowing into Kecheng. President Lin is also going to do something big."

"When your foundation needs me, just say the word, and I'll be there to fight for you."

Speaking of this, Xiao Wanli understood the intricacies involved. Don't think that doing good deeds is easy; you never know how many people's interests are involved, just like the flesh of Tang Sanzang, many people want to take a bite.

At this time, the support of the armed forces is indeed very necessary.

"Director Xiao, let me tell you this: don't underestimate me just because I'm a low-ranking official. In Linshan, I don't care about anyone's face. Let alone the county, even if someone from the city tries to interfere with us, they can forget about it!"

"Listen to me, you should take early retirement as soon as possible and go manage that foundation. That would be much more meaningful."

At that moment, Li Hu's wife's phone rang.

"Yes, we're going to Daye Village."

"Wenwen, she left a long time ago, she's going to be a bridesmaid."

"The rest of the county? Not many people, at most just Secretary Zhou."

"In the city? There seem to be only two people there, the two kings."

"Okay, okay, I will definitely pass it on."

Li Hu's wife was extremely proud. She had received countless such calls already. After hanging up, she even said to Li Hu, "It's Deputy County Chief Zhang's wife calling, asking me about the situation."

Li Hu said, "For this wave of celebrations, no more than ten people in the county received invitations. A few teachers from Linshan No. 1 Middle School, as well as Secretary Zhou and County Chief Lu."

"Several deputy county heads have called me."

Xiao Wanli was slightly taken aback. Was it really that popular?
Li Hu hesitated, but ultimately did not speak.

....................................

Li Zhongtian, Zhu Hongbin, and Wang Lei were directing dozens of young people, who were working enthusiastically.

Not only them, but also Lin Xiao's cousins ​​and other relatives.

In addition to the public relations department of the Lightning Group, there are more than a dozen young people helping to manage everything here.

There were so many things to do: taking care of the firecrackers, the seating, parking, serving tea, and receiving guests.

The wedding sent out very few invitations, but there were still sixty or seventy tables.

"Sister Xiaolin, Sister Xiaolin, so many children have come asking for wedding candy seven or eight times, what should we do? Should we give them some?"

"Sister Xiaolin, the fruits and snacks in the screening room have all been taken and eaten..."

Xiao Lin, as the head housekeeper, was completely overwhelmed.

She really wanted to complain, "Why do you have to ask me about everything?" The fruits and snacks were all gone, so we just replenished them; we prepared so many.

She started off strong; she became the general assistant of the Lightning Group right after graduation.

Ding Yuanzhi stood blankly in the crowd, wanting to go forward and help, but he couldn't find a way to approach the situation.

Moreover, her hair has grown quite a bit longer. Before, it was a completely boyish hairstyle, but now it's a short bob that reaches her ears, making her look dashing and heroic.

At least... she already has some feminine charm.

She walked up to Li Zhongtian and said, "What should I do? I'm so embarrassed."

Li Zhongtian said, "How about you take charge of the music and video?"

Ding Yuanzhi nodded and said, "Okay, okay, I'll go."

Suddenly, Li Zhongtian asked, "Senior sister, would you like to be a bridesmaid?"

Ding Yuanzhi: "I...I can't do it, can I?"

This year's bridesmaids were truly glamorous, featuring three popular actresses—Qu Feifei, Jiang Lier, and Li Duanduan—along with the youthful Li Wenwen.

Li Zhongtian: "So, do you want to?"

Ding Yuanzhi: "A little."

....................................

This was quite a magical wedding.

As one of the major shareholders of Jiayuan.com, Lin Yao is worth tens of millions of US dollars.

As the boss of Facebook in East Asia, Lucas's net worth is currently over $200 million.

The wedding was held in such a small village, which displeased Lucas's mother, Anna Wu.

She felt that since her son had finally become successful, he should hold a grand celebration in a luxury hotel in Hong Kong, either the Peninsula or the Four Seasons, and invite all the neighbors to see how glamorous she, Wu Anna, was now.

As it turned out, the wedding was held in this godforsaken rural area.

Since there was no hotel available, they simply set up tables in the village's main hall.

And look at the guests—most of them are farmers from the surrounding villages.

Anna Wu invited about ten of her neighbors and friends from Hong Kong to the wedding banquet, and upon seeing this scene, she couldn't help but complain.

"What was Lucas thinking? A master's graduate from a prestigious American university, he actually married a girl from the countryside in mainland China."

"She is pretty good-looking, but in Hong Kong, there are plenty of girls who are prettier and better off than her."

"Anna, is Lucas under some kind of spell? My niece, a PhD from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, who works at HSBC, he rejected all the girls I introduced to him and chose a country girl instead."

"I just checked. There are so many guests, but there are hardly any cars. The cars that came are mostly Toyotas and Volkswagens, not even Mercedes-Benz."

A dozen or so Hong Kong people were giving their comments in Cantonese.

Since the people around him couldn't understand him, his words became increasingly harsh.

Wow, this girl is so pretty!

"What a beautiful baby!"

Lucas's confidante, Ms. Liang Meiyi, entered with Xiao Momo and the baby.

"Mei-yi, when are you coming back to Hong Kong? Keep me company, I don't know anyone here," Wu Anna complained. "Where's Lucas?"

Leung Mei-yee is from Hong Kong. She was Lucas's high school classmate and holds a master's degree from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

I followed Lucas from Hong Kong to Ko Shing a long time ago, and now I've gone to East Asia Facebook. I'm just not very good-looking.

“Lucas is in a meeting,” Liang Meiyi said. “Aunt Wu, this is Ms. Xiao, Mr. Lin’s wife.”

Xiao Momo was a little embarrassed, and said gently, "Hello Aunt Wu, hello uncles and aunts, I apologize for not being a good host."

After a brief greeting, Xiao Momo took the baby and went back.

"Anna, who is this girl? She's pretty."

Anna Wu: "It seems to be Lucas's wife's brother's wife? I'm not sure."

"It's a pity that such a beautiful girl is married to someone from the countryside. If she were in Hong Kong, she would have countless suitors. Lawyers and doctors would all be willing to marry her."

Lin Xiao's father, Lin Huaili, finished greeting the other guests and then came to Wu Anna's side again.

He would come and greet us every now and then.

Since Lucas only has so many relatives and friends, he was placed in the most prestigious spot.

“My dear in-laws, I’m so sorry, but this place isn’t like Hong Kong, and there aren’t any big hotels, so the conditions are a bit tough.” Lin Huaili said, “You should also persuade your son-in-law that we should still hold the event in Hong Kong. We should also take this opportunity to go to Hong Kong for a visit and broaden our horizons.”

Anna Wu: "It's great, it's great. The air here is fresh and the scenery is beautiful."

“Brother Lin is right. We still need to hold a banquet in Hong Kong. We have many relatives and friends there, many of whom are prominent figures. I’ve already chosen the Peninsula Hotel.”

"Moreover, Brother Lin, your family doesn't need to stay in a hotel. Our house in Hong Kong is very large, a full two or three thousand square feet, which is more than enough for us."

After giving a warm greeting, Lin Huaili left to greet other guests.

"Anna, your in-laws have a pretty good attitude. They know they're climbing the social ladder, so they're being quite humble."

"However, this tea is not very good. It's far inferior to the tea I gave you before, which was TWG Earl Grey tea from Singapore."

At this moment, the group of people were slightly taken aback, because it looked like they had spotted a celebrity.
Am I seeing things? Or do they just look alike?

Upon closer inspection, I realized I hadn't misread it.

That's Ng Man-tat.

Next up is Zhen Zhidan.

Finally, there's Zhou Xingchi.

When the group saw Lin Huaili, they all treated him with the utmost respect, extending both hands to shake his.

"Uncle Lin, congratulations, congratulations..."

This isn't just any ordinary celebrity; he's a Hong Kong superstar.

Next, Gao Changhe led the three people to Wu Anna: "This is the groom's mother, Ms. Wu Anna, and her relatives and friends."

The group of people were stunned, staring at everything in disbelief.

I felt a sense of magic, an unreal feeling.

When the banquet began, Wu Anna and her Hong Kong neighbors and friends might still be confused about the ranks of the officials who came to greet them. However, they could see the videos playing on the LCD TV very clearly.

"Lucas, Miss Lin, congratulations on your marriage! May you live a long and happy life together!" This was a video message from Li Ka-shing's son, Li Ka-shing, and his father, Li Ka-shing, the richest man in China.

"Mr. Wu, Ms. Lin, congratulations on your marriage." This was the head of the Xinawa Group, which had just invested in Facebook. He also had another identity: the former prime minister of Thailand.

"Mr. Wu, Ms. Lin, congratulations on your marriage." This was Masayoshi Son of SoftBank Group.

“Lucas, Miss Lin, Happy newlywed life.” This is the CEO of Sony Columbia.

Anna Wu and her Hong Kong neighbors and friends looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Anna, who is your daughter-in-law? She's amazing!"

"Is this a very wealthy and powerful family?"

"Even the wealthiest families in Hong Kong can't pull off this kind of extravagance, can they?"

At this moment, Lucas and Lin Yao finally appeared and came to offer a toast.

According to local custom, the wedding banquet lasts for two and a half days, with the first banquet taking place in the evening.

Anna Wu quickly grabbed her son's hand and asked, "Lucas, tell me, what's your wife's family background?"

Lucas rarely talks to his mother about his career or his love life. He just informs her when he's getting married and then invites her to the wedding.

Lucas: "I told you before, you're a shareholder of Jiayuan.com."

Anna Wu: "What do I know about Jiayuan.com? What does her family do?"

Lucas: "Her brother is my boss's boss."

A neighbor quickly asked, "Lucas, how much does his house cost?"

Lucas suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and gently patted his wife's shoulder. Liang Meiyi, who was standing next to him, whispered, "Mr. Lin's family manages assets worth several hundred billion Hong Kong dollars."

Immediately, these people became somewhat uneasy.

I started to work on my demeanor and began to reflect on whether my previous attitude was not humble or polite enough.

Suddenly, everything around me seemed inexplicably sophisticated and high-class.

Now I can brag about this when I get back to Hong Kong. This is what high-end is all about.

Why hold banquets or weddings at the Peninsula Hotel or the Four Seasons Hotel? Those are things for ordinary, moderately wealthy people.

Look at them, such understated luxury!

We can be considered people who have truly seen the world.

..............................

"Wow... um..."

The baby's little ears are perked up, and its chubby little hands are pointing outside.

It's crowded, lively, and fun outside.

My baby is almost three months old and looks amazing.

It doesn't like to sleep, is full of curiosity, and will turn around immediately at the slightest sound.

I like to laugh.

Other people's babies usually don't laugh until they are about four months old.

This little baby smiles frequently even though he's not three months old.

"Seeing so many people, you're bound to get a fever," Li Fangfang said.

Xiao Momo: "It's nothing serious, it's just a growth fever, and during breastfeeding, you might not get a fever."

"Lin Yiyi, let's focus on breastfeeding, okay?"

The baby continued to clench his little fists, trying his best to nurse.

As soon as she heard footsteps outside, she stopped immediately and turned her head away.

Upon seeing her father enter, the baby immediately began to move, making whimpering sounds.

Before Lin Xiao could even take it, the baby grinned at him, giving him a sweet smile.

"How about Daddy takes us out to play?"

Bubble grumbled softly, "You're only thinking about going out to play, you're not even drinking your milk properly."

Ten minutes later.

Taking advantage of the bright sunshine, Lin Xiao carried the baby out the door.

He led Lian Zheng up the mountain behind the house.

Li Hu led a few people and followed at a distance, while Bai Xiaoping and Yu Tingting followed behind with the baby's necessities.

“Your boyfriend isn’t honest,” Bai Xiaoping said.

Yu Tingting: "What can we do? That's just how he is."

Bai Xiaoping: "If he doesn't behave, you should divorce him. Anyway, you're working for Boss Li now."

Yu Tingting: "I don't know how many times we've tried to break up, but we just can't seem to break up."

Strangely enough, Yu Tingting was quite restless in high school, trying every means to attract boys' attention, and she would often bend over and expose her cleavage.

But now he's unusually well-behaved.

On the contrary, Wang Lei was constantly philandering.

You wouldn't say he actually cheated, but he doesn't seem capable of it. He just flirts around online, on Facebook, and on QQ.

Most of them were unsuccessful, and even when they were successful, he was afraid of what might happen if something actually happened.

I was caught by Yu Tingting twice, and we broke up twice.

But... every time, they shamelessly try to make up.

Bai Xiaoping looked at Lin Xiao, who was holding a baby a few dozen meters ahead. He and Lian Zheng had climbed the highest and were walking at the front.

The baby's voice drifted on the wind, babbling and cooing, so sweet and innocent that it melted anyone's heart.

Babies at this age are really curious about everything.

She had never seen anything like it on the mountain before; it was truly overwhelming.

The sun was shining brightly, so under its light, Lin Xiao and Lian Zheng's figures seemed to be reduced to mere silhouettes.

"What do you feel? Looking at Lin Xiao's back?" Bai Xiaoping suddenly asked.

Yu Tingting: "Far away."

Bai Xiaoping: "Isn't it like a towering tree, and we are the little flowers and grass under this tree, completely protected from being destroyed by the storms?"

Yu Tingting thought for a while, then nodded vigorously.

"But wouldn't we be considered to be abusing our power for personal gain?" Yu Tingting asked. "Everyone connected to him is crowding around him, it feels like when one person attains enlightenment, all their relatives and friends benefit, it's a very derogatory term."

Bai Xiaoping: "Foolish, many things are the same no matter who you give them to. Many people have similar abilities. It's better to keep them with your own people than to give them to outsiders."

"However, don't be complacent or careless. Only take on jobs that match your abilities."

"The group has already started to set up an oversight department. President Xia is ruthless and doesn't care about family ties."

Yu Tingting: "I just joined the company, I'm just an insignificant nobody."

Bai Xiaoping: "You need to keep a close eye on your man. Although he's of low rank, he still has some power. Don't let a small thing cause you to lose the big picture. Learn from Li Zhongtian and be conscientious and diligent."

Yu Tingting: "Okay, I'll keep an eye on him all the time."

........................

Lin Xiao and Lian Zheng were both in good physical condition and climbed to the top in almost one breath.

"Oh, I thought this was the top, but who knew there was another top on top!" Lian Zheng: "What's the highest point of this mountain range?"

Lin Xiao: "1,100 meters, our current altitude is about 400 meters."

Lian Zheng: "So high? Have you ever climbed to the top?"

Lin Xiao: "I climbed it once. I was about thirteen years old at the time. I just wanted to try looking at the village and my house from the top of the mountain. But I found that after climbing one mountain, there was an even higher mountain. So I kept climbing and climbing until there was no more path."

"Finally, we reached the highest mountaintop."

"Then, they discovered that the village was almost out of sight."

Lian Zheng: "Does it give you a feeling of looking down on all the mountains?"

Lin Xiao: "No, I was just a little panicked. I felt so far from home and was afraid I wouldn't be able to get home before dark. And there were mountains all around, stretching as far as the eye could see. At an altitude of 300 meters, I could still see my home and the village. But after I got to over 1,000 meters, all I could see were mountain peaks, because the village was hidden in a valley and was blocked by other mountains."

Lian Zheng: "Don't panic. Although it looks far, it's not as far as you imagine. In the end, you still made it home before dark, didn't you?"

Lin Xiao: "Yes, it was faster to get down the mountain than I expected."

Lian Zheng looked down at the village below the mountain, but couldn't see a single person; even the houses looked very small.

He repeated once again: "Don't panic. Countless people are relying on your protection, and countless others are watching your every move. And many more are perhaps counting on the path you've paved to follow."

"Don't panic."

After Lian Zheng finished speaking, he noticed that the baby was staring at him with bright, dark eyes.

"Let Grandpa hold you." Lian Zheng reached out his hand to the baby.

The baby wasn't shy at all, opening its arms like a little bird.

Lian Zheng carefully took the baby in his arms, his heart filled with complex emotions.

Ugh!
How he longed to hold his granddaughter in his arms one day!

I thought this day would come soon.

As it turns out, fate has played a cruel trick on us.

It's also the fault of this young man in front of me; he's such a jerk when it comes to relationships.

But he couldn't bring himself to say anything blaming. Because he was making amends for his mistake in yet another unbelievable way.

Even if no one asks him to make amends.

Who is the happiest?

Lian Zheng suddenly remembered this question, and he couldn't help but look down at the crowd dozens of meters below.

Perhaps they are the happiest.

These people, under the protection of Lin Xiao and even Lian Zheng, are shining brightly in their respective positions and achieving more success than their peers.

Lin Xiao was ahead, undertaking the most difficult pioneering work.

Under immense and unparalleled pressure.

Fortunately, he wasn't alone; at least I was there for him through thick and thin.

And there's Xia Xi, Wu Lingxi, and Lucas—the most outstanding people in the world.

At that moment, he felt his hand go limp.

Looking down, I saw the baby playing with his hands.

Her fair, delicate hand was holding one of his fingers.

Such tiny hands, such adorable hands.

In an instant, even Lian Zheng felt his heart melting.

"Woooo..."

The baby carefully studied the adult's hand, and casually blew a bubble from its cute little mouth.

Immediately afterwards, there was a commotion in the nearby bushes.

Li Hu, who was not far away, instinctively became alert and almost reached behind his back, where a pistol was tucked.

In an instant, a deer-like animal ran out.

It's a small muntjac, which looks a lot like a fawn.

After rushing out of the bushes, it spotted people and immediately ran away, but after running a dozen meters, it turned back and looked at the group of people curiously.

The baby immediately became excited, his eyes lit up, and he let out a giggle.

The muntjac let out a soft cry, then leaped away and disappeared into the bushes once more.

………………

It was evening in the newly built ancestral hall.

The lively wedding ceremony officially began.

"The first bow is to Heaven and Earth."

"The second bow is to the parents."

"The third bow is a bow between husband and wife."

As expected, baby Lin Yiyi had a fever, with a fever-reducing patch on her forehead.

But he was in very good spirits and very excited.

A typical example of a growing-up style.

Nestled in her father's arms, she stared wide-eyed at the wedding ceremony, craning her neck to see more than she could reach.

After the wedding ceremony, the crowd cheered.

Even though Lin Xiao had gently covered the baby's ears, she still jumped, though not exactly startled.

She looked around as if trying to find out where the loud noise came from, and then she grinned at Lin Xiao.

There were two doctors nearby, dressed in ordinary clothes, watching the baby closely at all times.

In this world, some people are born with nothing but tears.

Some people are born with countless people caring for every inch of their body.

Immediately afterwards, a hundred meters away!
"Bang bang bang..."

Countless fireworks shot into the sky.

Dazzling and magnificent, ablaze with lights.

Amidst dazzling fireworks and joyous music.

Time is like water, years are like a shuttle.

Six months have passed...

........................

Note: This is so hard to write! It's almost the end of the month. My benefactor, do you have any monthly passes? Thank you so much!

(End of this chapter)