Chapter 29: A Sweet Gift

Xia An had realized several days ago that the wealth of information he had acquired through his years of investing was a rare and immense treasure for someone who had been reborn.

On a macro level, Xia An had a crystal-clear understanding of the leadership structures for the upcoming terms in Dongshan City and even Donghai Province. He was even more familiar with the governing philosophies at the national level.

On a micro level, he was well-versed in the rise and fall of leading enterprises—whether global, regional, or local. In particular, for the projects he had once been involved in, he had personally seen the incredibly detailed background reports. It was true that Jintang Real Estate’s "Five Certificates" were not only incomplete but also involved forgery, and that they had repeatedly resorted to flattery and bribery during the land acquisition process.

Xia An understood Zhang Chunmin. Zhang was a scapegoat; he had been wronged. Back when he was thrown into prison, he had been filled with fury and resentment, leading him to bite back and expose three major crimes committed by Tang Tianxing.

Xia An had bet correctly again. After Tang Tiande’s death, the once high-spirited Zhang Chunmin had become disillusioned as the arrogant and overbearing Tang Tianxing rose to power. Now, he only wanted to support his family and raise his children; he had no grand ambitions.

Over the past decade, Zhang Chunmin had watched as Tang Tianxing gradually tempered his edge and hid his claws. On the surface, the former hooligan had become a celebrated entrepreneur in the province. Yet, in the shadows, he remained filthy. It had to be said that through his unscrupulous plundering, he had become a force that would crush anyone in his path. The group was like an inflated balloon, expanding rapidly. While competitors suffered and the public envied them, the inbred management team inside reveled in luxury, painting a picture of prosperity.

But only an outsider and a cool-headed observer like Zhang Chunmin understood that no matter how large the balloon grew, it was filled only with hollow, waste gas, and it was but a needle-prick away from bursting.

Now, that needle had arrived. Who was this harmless-looking young man before him? How could he speak of these secrets without a shred of hesitation? Speaking too freely to an acquaintance was a major social taboo. Zhang Chunmin did not believe that someone with Xia An’s background, a youth so sophisticated and calculating despite his gentle appearance, would reveal these things just because of a woman like Tang Wan. Perhaps that played a part, but Tang Wan was certainly not the primary reason.

*That’s it,* he realized. *It’s because of me! Because Xia An realized early on that my relationship with Tang Tianxing was merely a facade, making me the perfect…*

A needle! Good heavens, was the state finally going to move against Tang Tianxing?

Fifty-one-year-old Zhang Chunmin’s mind raced with frantic conjecture, yet his face remained unchanged, his heart trembling without a trace. Twenty-five-year-old Tang Wan just lowered her head, slurping up her large dumpling soup. Nineteen-and-a-half-year-old Xia An muttered to himself: *Damn, this guy is tough. Why is there no reaction? Does he not believe me? I guess a beardless youth lacks credibility. Time to keep pushing.*

Xia An emptied the cold tea from Zhang Chunmin’s cup and refilled it. "Following Xiao Wan’s lead, I’ll call you Uncle. Uncle Zhang, you don't have any ties to the Haokeduo supermarket chain, do you?"

Haokeduo was the largest supermarket chain in the provincial capital and surrounding cities, with its brand and supply chain entirely owned by Sheng Tang Trading—the company Tang Wan had previously held shares in. This was why Xia An hadn't stopped her from giving up those shares; once he couldn't take down the Tang Group, Tang Wan might not even survive Tang Tianxing’s hands.

Zhang Chunmin’s heart skipped another beat. He pulled out a cigarette, lit it, took a drag, and slowly shook his head.

Xia An continued, "That’s good. I heard they’ve monopolized a huge number of livestock farmers around Yang County, exploiting and squeezing them. Oh right, and they’ve been selling rotten goods from their cold chain, haven't they?"

By harvesting the farmers, controlling the transportation, cold chains, and warehouses, and using the supermarkets as the final terminal, they had achieved complete vertical integration. Sheng Tang Trading and Lulutong Logistics were the only two high-quality assets in the entire Tang Group that Xia An actually valued. The other projects, such as media and real estate, were either debt-ridden or filthy—Xia An couldn't be bothered to touch them. They were also the very reason why Tang Tianxing would rather harm his own niece than lose control of the trading company.

The sweat on Zhang Chunmin’s forehead betrayed his outward calm. Seeing this, Xia An knew he had taken the bait. He smiled and pointed casually at the bowl in front of Zhang. "Uncle, it’s cold. Don't eat it if it’s cold; it’ll upset your stomach."

After a moment of reflection, Zhang Chunmin snapped back to reality and downed the tea in one gulp. That was it. He was certain: the Tang Group was going to collapse.

At this moment, Xia An delivered his closing statement. He tilted his head, blinked with feigned curiosity, and acted surprised. "Why does your expression look so... wait, is this a secret? I thought everyone on the inside knew."

He refilled the tea again and chuckled sheepishly. "Don't mind me, Uncle. Just pretend I said nothing. I’m young, and I just happened to hear some adult chatter... bah, never mind, let’s not talk about it."

Zhang Chunmin forced a smile and gave Xia An a long, deep look. Then, checking the time, he stood up. "Let’s have a family dinner another day and share a few drinks."

Zhang Chunmin left. Tang Wan asked Xia An why Uncle Zhang had left without saying anything.

"Because he’s not sure yet, and he needs to investigate."
"Oh."
"What if he finds out I don't really have any background..."
"Don't worry, you have me," Tang Xiao Wan said with a smile, patting her chest.

From start to finish, she hadn't asked about his motives for lying, silently cooperating with him the entire time. But now, she wanted to know, and asked him why. Xia An could guess the context of her "why."

"Because I promised you, remember? To help you take down the bad guys."

Tang Wan smiled at him enchantingly and moved from the opposite seat to sit beside him. Her happiness was genuine, and so was her curiosity. She asked where he had heard these secrets.

"Remember Lin Jiajia? Her husband, Old Zhou, is my dad’s junior high classmate. He’s been in the agriculture business, and that kind of work requires dealing with the government every day. I heard them chatting about it while they were drinking once."

Aside from telling her he had been reborn, this was the only excuse Xia An could come up with. Tang Wan rested her chin on her hand, smiling sweetly, and simply said "Mm," no longer bothering with those troublesome matters. The look in her eyes was filled with warmth. *Dad, Mom, look—did you see that from up there? He’s the one who saved me by sheer coincidence. He’s the one who made me feel that life was interesting again. Look how outstanding he is. He’s the one I chose.*

The sudden rush of happiness made Tang Wan excitedly nudge her head against Xia An’s arm, rubbing against him. She could barely stop herself from squealing with joy. Breathing in the fragrance of her hair, Xia An ruffled her hair with one hand while picking up a call from Xia Kangning with the other.

His father’s tone was uncharacteristically flustered because the computer was quite expensive. "It just shows a black screen when I turn it on, and I can't get it to start no matter what. What do I do, son?"

"It’s probably a virus. Dad, stop visiting those unhealthy websites."
"Go to hell, you brat."

Xia An suppressed a laugh and told him it was fine, that he would fix it when he got back, or he’d find a computer expert he knew.

"It’ll be fine in a few days."

After hanging up, Xia An asked Tang Wan the question she had been holding back. He asked what kind of job she had found and where she was going. Tang Wan smiled, her eyes forming two little crescent moons as she gazed at him tenderly.

"I thought you were never going to ask, that you’d never care about me."

Xia An was speechless. She was the one who had said he wasn't allowed to ask earlier.

"I’m going for further studies, working while I study. As for where... I’m not telling you yet."

Using Tang Tianxing’s connections to get into a doctoral program—Xia An was shocked. But upon second thought, he felt it was a great idea. He, too, believed that the university environment was the most suitable place for her.

They didn't stay in the cafe long. Tang Wan excitedly insisted on buying gifts for Xia An’s parents and dragged him along. On the way, she held his arm and asked if he was satisfied with her performance today. Xia An said everything was perfect, only a pity she hadn't gotten to eat that box of mangoes. Tang Wan laughed until she doubled over in the mall’s revolving door, and when he wasn't looking, she stood on her tiptoes and gave his cheek a quick kiss. It was the first time she had taken the initiative to kiss a boy.

...

Buying the gifts was a headache for Xia An. How was he supposed to bring them home? What would he say? A student giving gifts to a teacher, and then the teacher giving gifts back? What parent would believe that? But he had no choice; he didn't want to dampen Tang Wan’s spirits, so he helped her pick.

Xia An had experience; Tang Wan did not. He suggested buying a scarf for Wei Xiaofang and a razor or a belt for Xia Kangning. After much deliberation, Tang Wan didn't buy any of those. In the end, she bought a fountain pen and a scarf.

Tang Wan dropped Xia An off at the entrance to the Happy Homes neighborhood but didn't drive in further. In the car, she handed him the two small gift bags. Smoothing her hair, she looked at him and said, "Go back and tell your aunt and uncle that these are souvenirs from a teacher to a student."

The pen could be for Xia Kangning, and the scarf for Wei Xiaofang. But in the end, they would likely end up back in Xia An’s hands. As it turned out, Tang Wan knew everything.

Xia An didn't speak; he just watched with a smile as she leaned in and kissed his other cheek. "The one at the mall and this one are both rewards. Just pretend I ate the mango."

Before the car drove off, she told him, "I want to sleep in tomorrow. I’ll tell you when I wake up, and then you can come over. Don't you dare disturb me."

Xia An said, "Okay."
Tang Wan said, "See you tomorrow."

Tomorrow, they would research how to use the sports lottery website. Under the sunset, the taillights gradually faded into the distance until they were no longer visible. Xia An truly felt that the best farewell in the world was simply "See you tomorrow."