Chapter 44: Going with the Flow

In Xia An's memory, this Uncle Zhou was a down-to-earth and amiable elder.
He ran a very large business, but everything was related to agriculture, and he was hands-on with all of it.
Working the soil, exposed to wind and sun, old Zhou looked much more weathered than his peers.
It was the same now.
After greeting "little Xia An" affectionately and sitting down, old Zhou had distinct traces of scorching sun and wind on his face, like a plateau blush.
The collar of his shirt was faded, and he wore a simple pair of gray suit trousers.
No watch, no ring, he didn't look like a rich man by any measure.
Old Zhou's hands were rough and chapped. He placed the two bottles of Moutai from the plastic bag onto the dining table and took the initiative to open one.
"Good lad, you've been admitted to a prestigious university. Today, uncle will have a drink with you."
Wrinkles spread across the corners of old Zhou's eyes as he smiled, his teeth very yellow, and he took it upon himself to pour a drink for Xia An.
He mentioned that he had prepared a gift for Xia An, which Lin Jiajia would give him before the semester started.
After expressing his gratitude, Xia An said he had heard about it from Aunt Lin.
The hand holding the bottle trembled slightly.
From entering the room until now, the name "Lin Jiajia" had been mentioned for the first time.
An adult wouldn't have asked.
Xia An did it on purpose.
That way, his parents would naturally follow up with questions; not asking would have seemed stranger.
Sure enough, bringing the last hot soup to the table, Wei Xiaofang wiped her hands on her apron, smiled first and remarked that old Zhou looked older again, and then asked, "Is Jiajia working overtime again?"
Old Zhou smiled and said, "Taking her grandmother back to the countryside."
With that single remark bypassed, the subject was never brought up again for the rest of the meal.
Glasses were clinked, and laughter filled the air.
Xia An noticed that old Zhou could keep up with every single topic brought up by his parents.
He offered simple opinions, his hearty tone and expressions tinged with subtlety and tact.
Nothing was discussed deeply, yet he always managed to make Xia Kangning and his wife feel highly respected and at ease.
He even coaxed Wei Xiaofang into drinking nearly half a glass, a rare occurrence.
Xia Kangning smiled and sighed, "I'd only ever get to taste Moutai by borrowing your light."
Old Zhou pointed at Xia An and said, "In the future, your son will buy it for you every day."
There was no need to urge anyone to drink; instead, he urged the host to drink back.
This was an exceptional ordinary friend, a superb companion at the dining table.
Xia An knew that old Zhou's demeanor was cultivated from frequently banqueting officials.
Making friends in all directions, worldly-wise and accommodating.
Xia An didn't think this was a good thing, but it certainly wasn't a bad thing either.
One could only say there were many such people, most of whom achieved some level of success.
Yet their achievements were limited.
His once reckless and young self had crossed this social stratum quickly only because he had followed the right person, made a firm resolution, and gotten his hands dirty.
Otherwise, he would end up like old Zhou, spinning in circles within a low-efficiency social circle for the rest of his life.
In front of the wealthy, low-key, and approachable old Zhou, Xia An's parents inevitably felt a notch lower.
Xia An could see it: in his parents' hearts, aside from a son who had been admitted to university, there was truly nothing else they could bring up to converse with confidence.
Wei Xiaofang kept repeating to old Zhou that these were just home-cooked dishes, and since he was used to grand occasions, he should just treat them as a novelty to try.
Old Zhou smiled warmly as he picked up a piece of smashed cucumber and said, "Home-cooked dishes are the best, and home is the best. A plain and simple life is best; I'm old and can't toss and turn anymore. Let me tell you, out in the Northwest, you can't get any of this..."
Xia An's body had not yet adapted to Moutai, and he only felt that the sauce aroma was very spicy.
Having accompanied them in drinking less than three liang, he already felt a bit dizzy.
Taking advantage of his sobriety, he continuously brought up stocks in a subtle manner to plant psychological suggestions in his parents.
Sure enough, in the second half of the meal, Xia Kangning finally couldn't hold it in and began to recount his abstract operations as a "stock god" to show off.
Old Zhou gave a thumbs up to express his shock and asked what they planned to do with the money since neither husband nor wife was retired yet.
It was coming.
Xia An secretly curved the corners of his lips.
Xia Kangning said he had no grand concept, but he was indeed prepared to wait until the daily limit surges ended, find a high point to pull out the principal to start some small business, and leave the profits behind to continue watching them rise.
Old Zhou praised him for being as steady as ever.
Wei Xiaofang quietly tugged at her husband's sleeve, signaling that this was a rare opportunity—why didn't he ask the expert for some pointers?
So, she took the initiative, picked up her cup, and said:
"You know us husband and wife, we have no special skills. This time we struck great fortune, picking up money like a pie falling from the sky, and it's not even that much.
"We don't aspire to the kind of grand wealth you have, but we don't want to sit around eating through our savings either.
"We just thought about starting a small mom-and-pop business to get some extra income outside of our salaries, and save up money for little Xia An to take a wife.
"Old Zhou, I'm just a housewife and don't know how to speak well. You and old Xia have been friends for many years, for his sake, think of a way out for us.
"I'll drink a big gulp."
With that, she finished half a glass in one go, fanned her mouth with her hand because of the spiciness, frantically grabbed food, and muttered that no matter how expensive this damn stuff was, it didn't taste very good anyway.
Xia Kangning raised his glass without a word, clinked it against old Zhou's on the table, and the two of them drank together.
Xia An lowered his head, his palms trembling slightly, and also picked up his glass to join in.
He didn't like seeing his parents acting like this.
He wanted to say there was no need; their son was rich now.
Starting today, even if they lay flat and did nothing, they would still enjoy great wealth.
But he couldn't just take out a bank card and tell them they already had a net worth of millions.
This money came from sports lottery betting; if he told them, it would just be confiscated.
Besides, he had other uses for it.
It would also easily frighten his parents.
Ah, he would just guide them slowly.
Old Zhou pondered earnestly for a long time, then asked Xia Kangning why he hadn't thought about leaving the funds in the stock market to ride the wave of the upward trend.
He said his friends who played the stock market all claimed this wave could last for a while.
Xia Kangning said he didn't dare, "I know my own limits."
Old Zhou was genuinely troubled.
He knew in his heart that Xia Kangning could at most scrape together eighty or a hundred thousand, and what could that possibly accomplish?
It wasn't the first or second time he had wanted to help him chip in to start a venture, but this couple was extremely stubborn and refused.
Silence fell for a minute.
Xia An spoke up: "Open a supermarket."
His parents told him not to butt in.
Old Zhou frowned and looked at Xia An, who was supporting his knees with his head lowered; the kid was clearly already half-drunk and dazed.
Xia An spoke again: "Fresh produce, a express delivery pickup point, a small supermarket..."
Having said that, he stood up, squinted and smiled at the three elders, saying he felt dizzy, couldn't sit still anymore, and would leave the table first.
Xia An was truly dizzy, truly unable to sit still, and even less willing to watch his parents tread so carefully while talking to others.
He wobbled back to his room and lay down on the bed, watching the little pomelo sticker on the ceiling spin.
Outside the room came the sound of his parents dismissing his words as a child talking nonsense.
Then came the sound of old Zhou clapping his hands in admiration.
Followed by old Zhou explaining that express delivery was all the rage right now, growing at a rapid pace with great potential.
Old Zhou was in the business of regional product logistics, so he knew about this.
He added that delivery services penetrating residential compounds was a matter of sooner rather than later.
He also said that both fresh produce and department supermarkets served the convenience of the residents, so even with the rise of online shopping, having a community-based store was safe.
Moreover, since he was in the agricultural business himself, he could be of great help.
Xia An's parents listened in a daze, mentioning that both of them had jobs...
Old Zhou asked how much it cost to hire someone.
Xia An's parents asked if tens of thousands of yuan could run a supermarket, and where they would open it.
Old Zhou said, isn't that Pomelo Restaurant downstairs?
"Remodel it, form a partnership—aren't you planning to become in-laws anyway?
"Redecorate it; I'm familiar with the fire department and food safety authorities. I'll supply the goods for you, and the payment terms can be on my account...
"How much could it possibly cost?"
Once the right path was found, as long as it had a beginning, one could keep walking down it.
Xia An's parents looked at each other, speechless.
How come... this venture felt as if it had been tailor-made specifically for their family?
Hearing this, Xia An knew that those seventy thousand yuan had finally found the most rightful place to go.
A stone in his heart landed, and letting out a long sigh of relief, tears slipped from the corners of his eyes as he drifted off to sleep without realizing it.
Was all of this planned by Xia An?
Not entirely.
In his previous life, Tang Wan wouldn't have dragged him to the hospital, and he wouldn't have asked Lin Jiajia to help get an expedited CT scan.
Thus, there would have been no late-night chat about starting a business with Lin Jiajia... and naturally, she wouldn't have subsequently made up her mind to ask old Zhou for money to buy stocks.
And old Zhou, having given Lin Jiajia a sum of money, finally put down a giant stone in his heart just like Xia An, calmly accepting that ethnic minority girl he had met in the Northwest—going to bed, sleeping, and cohabiting.
Consequently, he decided to return early to have a showdown with Lin Jiajia.
Ultimately, leading to this dinner party.
Xia An had only utilized the 70,000 yuan—upon realizing he might meet old Zhou, and配合 [coordinating] with his ongoing "Anti-Tang Plan"—to casually resolve a series of future troubles such as the restaurant explosion and his parents' livelihood.
As for old Zhou proactively offering to help Xia Kangning and his wife solve the supply chain problem, that was something Xia An hadn't expected.
This worked out perfectly, as it was safer to temporarily avoid getting entangled with Shengtang Trade.
This would also prevent Zhang Chunmin from investigating his background too early.
Human nature was just like that: to accomplish things, guiding things along their natural tendency was always more useful than stern lecturing.
Unless necessary, minimize showdowns and flipping tables.
Xia An dreamed he was amidst exploding fireworks.
Cluster after cluster of fireworks rose into the sky like giant dominoes, stretching to the horizon where the eyes could no longer reach, forming a giant...
Fruit basket??
……
……
Dreams are vast and indistinct; when he woke up, it was already late.
Little Xia An was propped up high.
Its master desperately wanted to make a phone call to Tang Wan for some trending phone sex.
Yet he deeply knew that his limited energy in this life had to be evenly divided among three different girls, and since he was currently at an age to conserve his strength, he had better exercise some self-control and moderation.
Good liquor does not cause a hangover; Xia An only felt somewhat thirsty, with his head not feeling too uncomfortable.
Just as he wanted to get up for a glass of water, he turned his head and found that a cup had already been left out for him to cool by his mother earlier.
The sound of talking outside proved that the drinking party was not yet over.
In high spirits, Xia An wanted to go back out for another drink; today called for complete enjoyment!
However, the moment he sat up, he heard old Zhou—who was clearly thoroughly drunk—let out a series of sighs outside.
"She's sick, she's sick, and I'm sick too. I worshiped her like a deity.
"I... I... ugh, I'm sick.
"It's my fault, it has nothing to do with her.
"Old Xia, I envy this kind of life you guys have."
Then came Xia Kangning's voice: "Alright, alright, let's not talk about this, let's not talk about this."
Followed by Wei Xiaofang's voice: "There's nothing we can say about this, but listen here, all men are cut from the same cloth—they like young ones! Tsk, what are you glaring at me for? Xia Kangning, you better remember this too; if you dare to in the future when times are good..."
They were all drunk.
Xia An gave a bitter smile and sat dazed at his desk.
Without turning on the desk lamp, the summer night starry river rotated, and moths and small insects crawled on the screen window.
Xia An pulled that "plan" notebook out from the bottom of the bookshelf, hesitated, and tapped his pen a few times in the dark.
Doing the math, in another three years, Lin Jiajia's grandmother would pass away from cancer.
In his past life at that time, he was already an orphan, and Lin Jiajia had only old Zhou left.
Turns out, that too was just an illusion.
Since that was the case, letting her gain her freedom a little earlier wasn't a bad thing; why drag her down further to take risks in starting some big business?
Carrying the respect for Aunt Lin from another spacetime, Xia An crossed out the names of her and Zhao Zhijing.
At ten o'clock that night, a thoroughly drunk old Zhou was carried away by the driver who had been waiting downstairs in the Benz.
-----------------
The next morning, Xia An first went to see Zhang Tiancheng and Liu Youwei.
This time they weren't in the basement, but met in a coffee shop.
Having money now, Xia An naturally wouldn't be stingy and treat them only to sparkling water.
This was a proper high-end coffee shop with its storefront facing Central Avenue, and Xia An chose a window seat.
Outside the window, willow branches swayed and dragonflies fluttered gracefully, blending ancient architecture with the CBD, making for a very nice view.
Coffee and desserts were fully stocked.
The two of them, Zhang and Liu, felt the full weight of importance Boss Xia placed on them.
This time they met, Xia An was here to settle the accounts.
The initial framework draft was finished, and Xia An was very satisfied, paying them the second batch of commission amounting to ten thousand yuan along with five thousand yuan for quarterly server rental fees.
Two envelopes, one very thick, and the other even thicker.
Both Zhang and Liu had worked odd jobs before, but this was their first time encountering a client who settled accounts so readily.
With their pure and kind hearts, they were deeply moved, immediately patting their chests to guarantee that the "Micro-Blog" would definitely officially launch before September, and the other video website would absolutely not be dragged past October.
Xia An smiled gently as he put down the cell phone he was using to edit a text message to Lin Jiajia, and raised his head to look at them.
"For real?"
"Definitely!"
Xia An nodded, fished another envelope out of his schoolbag, placed it on the table, and pushed it across.
Zhang Tiancheng waved his hands in a panic, saying he had professional ethics and couldn't accept it; at least before the case concluded, he shouldn't let Boss Xia spend extra money carelessly.
Xia An tapped his fingers lightly on the table, finding this pair of brothers more interesting the more he looked at them.
"Take it. There's two thousand in there for you to help me contact an agency to register two tech companies, and the remaining three thousand is for running errands. How about that?"
As Xia An spoke, he picked up his lemon tea and took a sip.
At present, commercial registration agencies offered fair prices, nine hundred yuan per file.
The market economy was booming, and they were everywhere on the streets.
His purpose in having them run errands was to cultivate them, and also...
"Don't stay cooped up in the basement all day. Come out and get some movement; it's the middle of summer, isn't it nice to look at black silk and pretty legs on the street?"
Zhang and Liu chuckled and scratched their heads simultaneously, their embarrassed movements completely in sync.
Xia An almost burst out laughing.
He continued, "If you're free these next few days, help me rent a venue—a storefront works, or a public building works too. I might use it as a warehouse. If you don't mind, clean it up and move in to keep watch for me, how's that?"
During this morning tea, the two of them, Zhang and Liu, wished they could fight to pay the bill.
Unfortunately, Xia An had no intention of leaving yet, saying he still had someone to meet here and they would settle everything together then, telling them to just scram quickly.
Afterwards, Xia An sat alone in the gentle breeze, shaking his head slightly while listening to music.
The light music inside the coffee shop had long been drowned out by the stage singing on the commercial street.
With talent shows booming over the past two years, various regional television stations were scrambling to imitate them, launching all sorts of amateur talent shows.
The Dongshan division finals of the 06 Super Girl had just concluded last week, and taking advantage of the ready-made stage framework so it wouldn't go to waste, the provincial station smoothly rebranded and repurposed its self-produced show "Singing Aloud".
A group of hip girls with non-mainstream hairstyles, bearing round contestant number tags pinned to their chests, took the stage one after another to sing.
Currently, this song "Smiling Eyes" was not bad, and Xia An tilted his head slightly to gaze into the distance.
Their looks... too far, couldn't see clearly.
His phone vibrated once, and Lin Jiajia finally replied to his text message from half an hour ago.
At that time, listening to music and remembering that Lin Jiajia was a little mic queen, Xia An had asked:
[Free to go karaoke sometime?]
[Busy, another day.]
[Okay.]
As "Smiling Eyes" successfully passed the audition, Zhang Chunmin walked in with a bitter expression.
No small talk, no buildup, his very first sentence upon opening his mouth was:
"I plan to resign from all positions in the Tang Group. For the sake of Xiao Wan, please tell me the truth—will I still get implicated?"
You? [Using the polite form of address]
Xia An understood.
Zhang Chunmin should have verified the dark sides of Shengtang Trade and Jintang Real Estate over the past few days.
Yet he was still somewhat curious about how Tang Wan had fabricated his identity.
He hadn't said anything when asked before; how mischievous.
Xia An smiled faintly and raised a hand to order a set of green tea for Zhang Chunmin.
"Don't rush, cool your temper first.
"Uncle Zhang, I actually have a better suggestion. Would you like to hear it?"