People in America: My Uncle Don Quixote

Chapter 167 I'm Doing Great (Seeking Monthly Tickets at the End of the Month)

For the Italian Gambino family, who are always keeping a close eye on Levi's activities, and the Russian mafia in Brighton Beach, this is a very clear signal.

This was only the fifth day since Chen Haisheng officially took the steering wheel of the Escalade.

Inside the Fujian Chamber of Commerce in Manhattan's Chinatown.

A tall, deep-set-eyed white Russian man sat upright in the guest seat, toying with a pair of smooth, rounded walnuts in his hands.

If it weren't for his typical Slavic features, one might mistake him for a true northerner just by listening to his voice.

"President Lin, let's not beat around the bush," the Russian said with a smile, speaking fluent Mandarin with a hint of Beijing accent. He looked at Lin Daoxing, who was sitting in a mahogany armchair. "We really had no choice before because we had to bear the risks of cross-regional transportation and being targeted by the New York City Police Department. So we added a 2% risk premium, which made the price quite high. But I know you can understand that the Vietnamese and Koreans pay the same price."

Lin Daoxing took a sip of the now-cold Tieguanyin tea and glanced at the Russian in front of him.

"Old Vivi, from what you're saying," he said, "that the situation has changed?"

"Well, you tell me, we tried a new approach last month," Old Wei slapped his thigh, "and it's all sorted out. Starting next month, considering our friendship, I'll give you a 1% discount. What do you say?"

"I'm truly flattered that Brighton Beach has made such a big concession," Lin Daoxing said with a smile. "Thank you for your kindness, Old Wei."

"President Lin," Old Wei stood up and said meaningfully, "I hope we can keep in touch. If there is an opportunity in the future, I hope you can put in a good word for us."

Lin Daoxing escorted Ivan all the way to the gate of the gang. Only after watching the bulletproof Mercedes-Benz G-Class disappear around the street corner did the polite smile on his face slowly fade.

He turned around and went back to the second floor. A man emerged from the shadows, dressed in a suit and carrying several thick reports.

"Did you hear that?" Lin Daoxing shook his head and sighed, "I never thought that the old Russians in Brighton Beach would think so highly of us."

"They used to give us, the Vietnamese, and the Koreans a 2% premium, but only Italians and local gangsters a 1% premium," he snorted. "Now they're proactively raising our status to a higher level."

"It's not just the Russians, Chairman Lin," Supervisor Rong said in a low voice, standing behind him with reports in hand.

The Italians also sent people.

"What are they doing here again?"

"The Gambino family, one of the five major families, sent an intermediary to invite you to dinner in Lesser Italy. They also revealed that they've already spoken to the dock supervisor about the several fresh produce smuggling channels they previously blocked..."

'

"Oh?" Lin Daoxing's eyes lit up, and he continued, "Did they mention those containers they've been holding onto?"

"Yes, it's been approved," Manager Rong said, his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement. "I received the customs clearance notification today, and I just did a rough calculation..."

"The savings from Italians opening up fresh produce routes, reducing customs fees and spoilage rates, plus the exemption from arms distribution premiums for Russians, translates to at least $10 in savings for the Chamber of Commerce every month! That's $120 million in net profit per year!"

Lin Daoxing gasped.

For the Fujian Chamber of Commerce, US$120 million is not a crippling sum, but it is certainly not a small amount either.

But it's only been 5 days!

Hai Sheng only worked as Li Wei's sister's driver for five days, and their Chinatown gained such tangible benefits.

Even before Levi himself had spoken, the group of mafia members had already filled in the blanks and given up the profits they had previously taken from bullying Chinatown, just to give Levi a silent face.

"Go," Lin Daoxing suddenly stood up, "pack up that pair of bear paws we got last month, and the fish maw from the East China Sea. I'm going to visit Mr. Li Wei in person."

That evening, just as darkness fell in New York, Lin Daoxing arrived at Battery City Park, in front of Li Wei's house, carrying two incubators.

Press the doorbell, and a few seconds later, the heavy armored door opens inward.

It wasn't Li Wei who opened the door, but Lily, who was wearing light gray loungewear.

"Uncle Lin?" Lily had met Lin Daoxing a few times before and greeted him politely. "Are you here to see my brother or my father?"

"Miss Lily," Lin Daoxing greeted her, "I'm here to deliver fresh ingredients to Mr. Li Wei. Isn't he here?"

"My brother went to New Haven," Lily shook her head. "My dad is upstairs; you can talk to him if you need anything."

"Then I won't disturb Mr. Don Quixote's rest any longer. I'll put the things down and leave now," Lin Daoxing said, placing the ingredients on the cabinet in the front hall. "Also, Miss Lily, has Haisheng been causing you any trouble lately? Where is he now? If he's here, I can remind him of a few rules while I'm at it."

"Brother Chen didn't cause me any trouble," Lily said. "After he brought me back... well... if he didn't leave, he should still be in the basement now." She pointed towards the elevator, looked at Lin Daoxing, and said in a displeased tone, "Also, if possible, please let him rest. He was injured before but still insisted on taking me to school. Isn't that a bit too much for him?"

Lin Daoxing looked at Lily's serious face, paused for a moment, and then could only smile wryly and agree.

"Yes, Miss Lily, thank you for your trouble. I'll go down and talk to him in a bit." He nodded repeatedly, respectfully took his leave, and departed.

Take the elevator down to the apartment's private parking garage on the third basement level.

The spacious VIP parking area was brightly lit, with two full-size Escalades and a Porsche 911 parked in their exclusive spaces.

Lin Daoxing walked along the driveway, and just as he rounded a load-bearing pillar, the scene before him made him involuntarily stop.

Chen Haisheng was kneeling on the ground, holding a towel in his hand, wiping the metal door sills under the Cadillac Escalade.

Today he took Lily to her riding lesson, and when he came back, perhaps his shoes were covered in mud, so he made the treadmill muddy as well.

Chen Haisheng was wiping very carefully and attentively, so much so that he didn't even hear the footsteps behind him.

Lin Daoxing stood behind the pillar, silently watching the young man he regarded as his successor and godson, who was originally at the most vigorous age, now kneeling on the ground wiping the welcoming steps.

He didn't say a word.

"Hiss..." Chen Haisheng grimaced from the pulling pain in his muscles. He rubbed his shoulders, and as his clothes were pulled, bruises on his waist were revealed. "It should be better now."

He struggled to his feet and suddenly felt something behind him.

He looked back but found nothing there.

"Crazy," he cursed himself, "That's a wrap."

Even after 10 p.m., Chinatown was still brightly lit. Chen Haisheng parked his secondhand Ford in the alley behind the Chamber of Commerce, stretched his still sore shoulders, and went up to the second floor via the back stairs.

As soon as he pushed open the corridor door, he bumped into the accounting supervisor, who was carrying a stack of new account books and had a radiant face.

"Haisheng! You're back!" The accounting supervisor saw him as if he were the God of Wealth and grabbed his arm.

"Ouch!" Chen Haisheng frowned instinctively and pulled his arm back. "Uncle Rong, it hurts—"

""

"Oh, oh, sorry, sorry," Manager Rong said in a low voice, barely able to contain his excitement, "Great news! Fantastic news! Your work driving Mr. Li's sister has really paid off!"

Chen Haisheng was taken aback. "What divine power?"

Manager Rong quickly recounted the afternoon's events—the Russians and Italians' attempts to curry favor, offer profits, and share smuggling channels—and concluded by patting him on the shoulder, "An extra $10 in net profit every month! You've really done a great service to our Chamber of Commerce this time!"

Chen Haisheng stood still, digesting this massive amount of information.

He looked down at the bit of dirt left under his fingernails—it was from when he was wiping the Cadillac earlier.

The lingering sense of humiliation from having to lower oneself to serve others instantly turned into a bitter pill in the face of such substantial and tangible benefits.

He looked at the dirt on his fingernails, clenched his fist, and then relaxed it.

Since it can bring real money and a space for survival to the chamber of commerce and our compatriots, then it is worth it to bend down our knees.

A sense of relief welled up inside him, even with a hint of barely suppressed joy, as he strode toward Lin Daoxing's office at the end of the corridor.

Pushing open the heavy, soundproof wooden door, I found the room dark, with only a desk lamp casting a dim, yellowish light.

Lin Daoxing sat alone in a large chair, a half-empty bottle of aged Moutai in front of him, a decanter in his hand, tilting his head back and chugging down one glass after another, the strong smell of alcohol filling the entire room.

Chen Haisheng stepped forward, looking at Lin Daoxing's slightly flushed face, and joked with a smile, "Uncle Lin, what good news did you hear today? You're having so much fun drinking? The supervisor told me, why didn't you call the brothers to celebrate together?"

Upon hearing Chen Haisheng's voice, Lin Daoxing's hand, which was holding a wine glass, suddenly stopped in mid-air.

He watched this child, who had been struggling on the streets since childhood and would rather be stabbed than cry out in pain, grow up little by little into a strong and upright young man.

"If Levi can become an American hero through football, so can I!"

"I want to be the second Bruce Lee. I want white politicians to come and shake my hand, black thugs to avoid me, and you... will never have to grovel before a kid like Levi again!" (Chapter 134)

Chen Haisheng said this a few months ago.

At that time, he was radiant, and his eyes were like knives.

But what lingered in my mind was the image of him kneeling humbly on the cement floor in the parking garage two hours earlier, painstakingly scrubbing the mud off the car's treads with his fingers, and the scene of him looking at me with despair, while I half-forced him to kneel and kowtow to Li Wei.

It's strange, why do these two figures look the same, but he just can't match them up?

"Happy...?" he asked, his voice trembling. "Did something...happy happen today?"

Chen Haisheng didn't notice anything amiss. He nonchalantly pulled out a chair and sat down opposite Lin Daoxing.

He casually picked up a clean wine glass, poured himself a glass of baijiu, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, the spicy liquid burning down his esophagus.

"Yes, of course there are happy things," Chen Haisheng put down his glass, his tone carrying a sense of relief and composure. "The Russians are making concessions, the Italians are letting us through, and our Chinatown's situation is finally a little better. Isn't that good news?"

"Indeed," Lin Daoxing carefully considered Chen Haisheng's words. "By the way, how's your work with Mr. Li going? Have you been mistreated?"

He had an impulse, an impulse that if Chen Haisheng uttered even half a "bad" word, he would let Chen Haisheng come back.

Lin Daoxing isn't dead yet; he can still fight. At worst, he'll just have to endure a little more humiliation and beg for help from a few more people.

Upon hearing this, Chen Haisheng paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "I'm doing very well."

"Mr. Li often comes to the boxing gym to give me pointers," he said, tilting his head back and emptying the decanter in one gulp. "I feel like I've improved a lot, and even driving isn't a big deal anymore; it's quite relaxing. His whole family are good people."

Lin Daoxing stared at Chen Haisheng, who looked relaxed, his eyes instantly turning red and his lips trembling.

"Really..." He held the empty glass, his voice choked with emotion, tears welling up in his eyes without warning. "That's good...that's a good thing."

He poured himself glass of wine as he cried, tears streaming down his face.

>