Courtyard houses: Those who are capable are rewarded, and many children bring many blessings.

Upon hearing Niu Dazhuang's words, Bai Hongjun cursed, "You're just bragging! You don't have to pay taxes anyway. How could you possibly conjure up airplanes and cannons by plundering the wealth of a medium-sized country?!"

"I can't explain this to you in just a few words. Please pass on a message for me; I need to see that person again. I need the country's backing right now. Otherwise, I'll really miss out on this feast of fleecing the Japanese."

"What kind of earth-shattering thing are you planning to do, meeting that person and having the country back you up?"

After thinking for a moment, Niu Dazhuang carefully considered his words: "To put it this way, the big shots and those old European financiers want to plunder the wealth of the Japanese family. I also want to get involved and make some foreign exchange for the country and myself. But my body is too frail; I'm afraid I might earn it but not live to spend it."

Niu Dazhuang, fearing that his brother-in-law might not understand the seriousness of the matter, added, "This time, they'll suck away a large portion of the wealth the Japanese accumulated after World War II, and their economy will likely stagnate for twenty or thirty years..."

Seeing how serious Niu Dazhuang was, Bai Hongjun judged that it was probably not fake. This matter was too big for him to make a decision on his own, and even the person in charge himself would not dare to make a decision. It would definitely take a few elders sitting down for a small meeting to confirm it.

Bai Hongjun analyzed that the relationship with the US is still in a honeymoon period, and the cooperation with the Japanese is also going very well. They are counting on exchanging market access for technology from the Japanese...

If we act rashly domestically, we might earn foreign exchange in the short term, but what about the long term...? National development cannot be based solely on immediate gains...

"Okay, go home and wait. Stay home for the next couple of days. Don't call and we won't be able to reach you."

Others might not understand, but Old Master Chen was knowledgeable in economics and finance, and he couldn't remain calm after hearing Bai Hongjun's report.

I picked up the phone and called several big shots...

This time, Niu Dazhuang responded quickly, and I received a reply the next day.

Yes, you can go, as an ordinary domestic businessman!

Hearing this reply, Niu Dazhuang initially felt aggrieved, but he was no longer the passionate young man he was twenty years ago.

Think about this sentence carefully. The first three words are affirmative, and the rest means...

Niu Dazhuang recalled Mr. Xu from his previous life, the gentleman who bought the Varyag. On the surface, it was this gentleman who bought it, but the government subsequently provided substantial support…

Having figured this out, Niu Dazhuang felt a sense of relief.

For ordinary businesspeople in China, this is a recognition of their own identity. Even as ordinary citizens of the country, they are not people who can be bullied by outsiders.

I received a call in the morning, and by noon two jeeps were parked at the entrance of the alley.

A middle-aged man led the way, followed by a young man who appeared to be his secretary, and five young men with buzz cuts followed behind. Their imposing presence clearly indicated they were no ordinary people.

After meeting, he showed Niu Dazhuang a document and asked Niu Dazhuang to sign it.

"Comrade Niu Dazhuang, these five will be accompanying you abroad as your personal bodyguards. They are all reliable comrades. You can get to know them first." He was efficient and didn't waste any more words before leaving with his secretary.

"Everyone, please come inside and sit down. For the next six months, or even longer, my life will be in your hands. I have to take good care of you all."

"Boss, that's a bit too much of a joke." The one who spoke first was probably their boss.

Niu Dazhuang realized that simply chatting wouldn't be enough to get to know them quickly. He looked at the five of them and suddenly had a brilliant idea.

"Which of you is bad at close combat?"

The five of them looked at each other, none of them admitting they couldn't do it.

"Boss, we don't have any obvious weaknesses."

Niu Dazhuang pointed to someone who looked relatively thin: "You're the one, let's spar a bit." As he spoke, he took off his trench coat.

He rolled up his sleeves, bent his knees, lowered his shoulders, and shifted his weight downwards...

"Old Dao, play along with the boss, but be careful not to go too far."

This guy, nicknamed Dark Blade, initially looked down on Niu Dazhuang. He believed that fists fear the young and strong, while sticks fear the old and strong.

Even if you practiced martial arts when you were young, that was when you were young. Besides, even if you practiced when you were young, it was all unorthodox and you didn't participate in much actual combat.

The two stared into each other's eyes, shifting their positions back and forth...

Niu Dazhuang wasn't in a hurry to make a move...

The other four onlookers couldn't stay calm any longer. "Old Knife, go for it!"

"Old Dao, I bet you can't take down the boss in three moves..."

The four of them were making a ruckus together. Old Dao didn't think much of Niu Dazhuang, not because he looked down on anything else, but because he didn't think much of his skills.

He suddenly took a step forward, rushed in front of Niu Dazhuang, and reached out to grab Niu Dazhuang's arm, intending to pull him down.

Little did he know that Niu Dazhuang was just as strong as him; with a single, forceful pull, Niu Dazhuang didn't budge an inch.

Startled, I was about to pull my hand away when Niu Dazhuang leaned against my shoulder, and I felt as if a yellow ox had heavily nudged my chest.

Then Old Knife's body flew out.

"Cough cough..." The man called Lao Dao coughed a few times before he could catch his breath.

The five men who came were all very arrogant; ordinary people couldn't even get close to them, even in groups of three or five. Today, they were all taken down by one of the people they were protecting.

Old Dao blushed, too embarrassed to retaliate further.

Niu Dazhuang reached out and pulled the man up: "This is all I know how to do, hit and run. By the way, I'm not some leader, just an ordinary citizen. I was thinking of having you call me Brother Niu, but after thinking about it, I'm afraid my sons won't be happy."

"It's not that I'm deliberately taking advantage of you. My eldest son is probably about the same age as you."

The person who could command a small team to protect them is no ordinary person.

The brothers still didn't dare to let loose, and they didn't know how to respond to Niu Dazhuang's words.

Niu Dazhuang could only speak to himself: "At home, you call me Lao Niu or Uncle Niu. When we're abroad, you call me Boss."

Niu Dazhuang also had his own agenda. He didn't have anyone around him who he could trust. He wanted to get this person over there so he could have more confidence in his safety when he went out.

"Uncle Niu, my surname is Tie, but they all call me Lao Tie. I'm 25 this year."

"Uncle Niu, my nickname is Old Gun. I'm 26 this year."

"Uncle Niu, my nickname is Lao Feng, and I'm 25 this year."

The last one, who was the tallest among them, awkwardly said before he could even speak: "Uncle Niu, I... my nickname is Old Niu."

"Hahaha... Well, now there's another old ox in the house. You wouldn't happen to have the surname 'Ox' too, would you?"

"My surname is Niu (牛)."

"It's good that you're surnamed Niu. We were family five hundred years ago." Niu Dazhuang patted Lao Dao's shoulder, whom he had just knocked down. "I know your nickname, Lao Dao!"

"Hehe, Uncle Niu, my nickname is Old Knife. That move you just made, was it a 'Backing Mountain' move from traditional martial arts?"

"No matter what kind of back technique it is, if it can take someone down, it's a good move."