Jiang Tian remembered that in his previous life, Huang Ling’er had always been obedient and compliant with him. The only thing she ever tried to stop him from doing was smoking.
It seemed that even though Huang Ling’er probably hated him to the core, she still harbored those unrealistic hopes and expectations. That was why she had instinctively reached out to stop him from lighting up.
It really did prove that old saying true: between men and women who once loved deeply, there’s always a heart prone to blind self-torment.
“Ling’er, when I approached Professor Huang, it had nothing to do with you. Before this, I had absolutely no idea you were his daughter!”
Jiang Tian placed his cigarette pack on the coffee table and spoke in a deep, measured tone. “I read your father’s thesis. I genuinely believe he possesses real talent and knowledge, and his expertise aligns with PharmaKing Group’s future research needs. I’m confident he will achieve something significant. This has absolutely nothing to do with the arrangement you and I made back then…”
Perhaps it was this praise of her father that caused the frost on Huang Ling’er’s beautiful face to thaw considerably.
A young girl always harbors a natural admiration for her father.
Even though Huang Zhihui’s appearance might not immediately suggest he was exceptional, and even though she had often been ridiculed because of his research, Jiang Tian’s affirmation of her father’s work was enough to ease her antagonism.
Seeing Huang Ling’er’s expression soften, Jiang Tian knew his words had some effect, though inwardly he sighed, thinking how easily young girls could be pacified.
“In reality, there was never any ‘transaction’ between us. I was the one who wronged you. I had deceived you intentionally…”
Jiang Tian would rather Huang Ling’er continue to hate him than see her spirit twist into leading a warped life.
He said calmly, “When your father returns, I’ll tell him you already apologized—even though I’m the one who should be apologizing to you. I’ll also act as if we never knew each other…”
“Why won’t you just keep lying to me? Or is this just another one of your fabrications?”
Huang Ling’er’s face drained of all color, turning deathly pale. She bit down on her lip almost hard enough to draw blood, a silent, anguished cry echoing within her heart.
She couldn’t tell which of Jiang Tian’s words were true and which were false. Perhaps every single sentence was a lie.
“I’m already married. My relationship with my wife is very good. I will think of you as my own younger sister. If there is any bond left between us, then just consider me an older brother…”
Jiang Tian let out a soft sigh, forcing these difficult words out.
He was about to say more when he heard the click of heels on the staircase. Ye Ziwei and Huang Zhihui were coming back down, chatting amiably.
——-
One day, while Jiang Tian was at the villa studying the blueprints for a reaction vessel, Zhen Shuai suddenly showed up unannounced.
Jiang Tian had seen Zhen Shuai and Tan Guangxu, his two childhood friends, once last year during his first trip back to Qixia County.
Back then, it was Tan Guangxu and Zhen Shuai who had told him about the dire straits of the Qixia Pharmaceutical Factory. Jiang Tian had also casually dealt with Sun Hao, the man who had once slapped Zhen Shuai.
But in the six months since, Jiang Tian hadn’t contacted him again, nor did he feel any pressing need to.
In his previous life, Zhen Shuai hadn’t become fabulously wealthy or powerful, but he’d lived a peaceful, uneventful life. Jiang Tian saw no reason to drag him into his own world of bloodshed and storms.
“Jiang Tian, man, you’ve gotten way too full of yourself! How long have you been back in Jinling, and you’re impossible to pin down? If I hadn’t asked your mom, I wouldn’t have even known you were hiding out here!”
Zhen Shuai plopped down onto the sofa, puffing away on a cigarette with an air of mock grievance directed at Jiang Tian.
Before Jiang Tian could even reply, Zhen Shuai shot him a sidelong glance and chuckled, “What, you just hole up at home all day, every day? You don’t even come out to hang with me! What are you even doing? Cultivating immortality or something?”
Jiang Tian’s face darkened. He actually hit the nail on the head. I really am cultivating immortality. But all he said aloud was, “I’ve got a ton of things going on. I’m setting up a laboratory over at PharmaKing Group right now…”
Zhen Shuai, being anything but a serious person, had zero interest in such proper business matters. He just grinned and said, “Come on, don’t coop yourself up here all day. Let’s go out and have some fun. There’s a gathering tonight for us Qixia compound kids…”
As it turned out, quite a few people who grew up in the Qixia County government and party committee residential compound were now working and building careers in Jinling. They had formed a “Qixia Fellows Association.”
After all, they were all strangers in the big city. Getting together regularly to connect and maintain those bonds meant they could look out for each other if anything came up.
“Jiang Tian, I know PharmaKing Group isn’t doing so hot right now.”
Zhen Shuai became uncharacteristically serious, his expression grave as he spoke earnestly. “This group of ours—we’ve got people working in all sorts of industries. And sometimes, we bring along good friends from outside. Who knows? You might make a connection that helps you, or helps PharmaKing.”
Jiang Tian smiled wryly to himself. What kind of help could a group at this level possibly offer me?
Still, seeing Zhen Shuai actually being thoughtful and considerate for once, he readily agreed to go.
——-
The Qixia Fellows Club was located on a quiet, secluded lane in Yuhua District.
Under the shroud of night, the small courtyard featured a gently babbling spring and a dense thicket of bamboo. The lighting was soft and dreamlike, creating an atmosphere of refined, understated elegance.
“Not bad. This place suits the vibe around here perfectly…” Jiang Tian commented with a faint smile of approval as they walked into the courtyard.
“It’s not mine! It belongs to Ouyang Bin!”
Zhen Shuai gave an embarrassed chuckle. “That guy’s really made it big. He started a construction company here in Jinling with top-notch qualifications—they can handle major projects. He’s built up assets worth tens of millions. How could I possibly compare?”
“Ouyang Bin has a net worth of tens of millions now, huh…” A faint sneer of contempt flickered across Jiang Tian’s face, his eyes filled with disdain.
A mere few tens of millions might seem like a massive fortune to others, but to Jiang Tian, it was a drop in the bucket.
“Jiang Tian, I know you looked down on him when we were kids, always pushing him around. But things are different now!”
Seeing Jiang Tian’s expression, Zhen Shuai grew anxious. “His dad is now the Deputy Chief with real authority at the Jinling Yuhua District Public Security Bureau. He’s not the kid he used to be. Plus, Uncle Jiang and Auntie have lost their clout, both within the Jiang family and at PharmaKing. If you don’t make some friends, find some people to help you out, you’re gonna get the short end of the stick in the Jiang family!”
Since the old master’s birthday celebration before the Spring Festival, the Jiang family had undergone a series of internal changes.
However, these matters were kept strictly confidential. Only a few appointment notices were posted on PharmaKing Group’s official website. And Zhen Shuai, always more interested in having fun, hadn’t paid any attention.
“Yeah, I know. Don’t worry about it!”
Jiang Tian patted him on the shoulder and started walking towards the main hall.
But as he walked, Jiang Tian’s expression suddenly froze. His brow furrowed as he turned his head sharply to look towards one of the private rooms.
“What is she doing here?”
He had left a trace of his divine sense on the protective jade talisman, and this one was unmistakably worn by Huang Ling’er.
In the next instant, he extended his divine sense outward. Sure enough, there was Huang Ling’er, sitting on the sofa in one of the private rooms, seemingly waiting for someone.
Her elegant brows were tightly knit, her face full of worry, looking restless and deeply uneasy.
“Jiang Tian, what are you spacing out for? Let’s go!” Zhen Shuai tugged at him.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Coming!”
A sharp, fierce glint of killing intent flashed in Jiang Tian’s eyes. A thought stirred within him. “It’s already March. Could that incident be about to happen…”
Jiang Tian recalled that in his previous life, it was actually Huang Zhihui who had first taken out a loan from Nie Feng’s loan shark operation and was unable to repay it. It was to help her father settle that debt that Huang Ling’er had been forced to give herself to him.
According to what Ding Jiabi had later told him, it was precisely in March of this year that Nie Feng had lured Huang Ling’er to a private club under the pretext of discussing the debt repayment and then assaulted her.
Huang Ling’er, so obedient and considerate, had been terrified her father would try to fight them and end up dead, and even more worried that her mother, whose spirit was already on the verge of collapse, couldn’t handle the shock. So she kept the whole thing a secret from her family.
That bone-deep pain, the towering rage, the endless injustice and fear—with no outlet, no release—festered and grew inside her fragile frame day by day. The weight grew heavier, eventually consuming her entire mind and utterly crushing her delicate body.
Later on, she suffered from severe depression, even schizophrenia. The treatments failed again and again. She was tormented relentlessly. Finally, on Christmas Day of 2012, she took that fatal leap. A beautiful life was extinguished, ending a chapter of sorrow and lament.
Lost in these chaotic thoughts, Jiang Tian entered an elegantly appointed private room. Inside, a group of compound kids were clustered around Ouyang Bin, who sat in the center, chatting and laughing.
Unlike the Jiang family scions, whose conversations always revolved around sports cars, women, and hedonism, their topics were relatively high-level. They touched on urban planning, policy trends, and corporate operations—things far beyond the imagination of the average person on the street.
“Don’t think the financial tsunami in the US is going to cripple the Chinese real estate market. No need to worry. The government will definitely use real estate to stimulate the economy! Housing prices are about to enter a boom period. Now’s the time to acquire land!”
Li Xingchen clearly had an international perspective.
“I just had my dad find ways to buy a few more properties here in Jinling. I guarantee you, sell them in a year and you’ll make at least twenty percent profit. Anyone with spare cash lying around, you’re welcome to join me!”
Zhang Yulin was a man of action. His father had already been transferred to the Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. Over the years, they’d easily made tens of millions just by flipping properties.
“I’ve been quietly accumulating select real estate stocks. I’m up thirty percent in just three months. Already cashed out a portion!” Liu Daolin offered his perspective from another angle.
“That Fulong Mountain land plot—Nie Changhai is determined to win it. He’s already reorganized the Qingyun Society, sweeping away the slump they fell into after Sun Hao vanished. They’ve regrouped and are back in full force!”
“Lately, the Chen family has been investigating Chen Bo’s death out in Hubei Province. They seem to have gotten a lead. They’re preparing some bloody retaliation…”
Ouyang Bin didn’t speak often, but whenever he did, it was a bombshell piece of information, setting things straight and cutting to the heart of the matter.
He was currently subcontracting construction projects from Jinling real estate tycoon Nie Changhai. His contacts were all high-ranking officials and ultra-wealthy tycoons, giving him access to firsthand information.
In this kind of setting, even Zhen Shuai, who used to strut around Qixia County like he owned the place, felt a bit out of his depth and timid. He pulled Jiang Tian to sit at the far end of the table and whispered:
“Jiang Tian, take it easy. Just listen carefully to what they’re talking about. It’ll be a huge help for our future development!”
Watching Zhen Shuai perk up his ears and listen with rapt attention, Jiang Tian found it both amusing and somewhat heartening. At least now Zhen Shuai was thinking about working hard and making something of himself.
Finally, seizing a moment of pause in the conversation, Zhen Shuai tugged Jiang Tian over, bowing and scraping a little as he said, “Ouyang, brothers, sisters, I brought an old friend today—Jiang Tian!”
“Oh, Jiang Tian’s here! Come, have a seat, have a seat!”
Ouyang Bin’s face registered a flicker of surprise as he glanced at Jiang Tian. Then he rose and pulled Jiang Tian to a seat, smiling, “Man, I haven’t seen you in years!”
The two of them put their arms around each other’s shoulders as if they were the closest of brothers. But anyone with a discerning eye knew that Ouyang Bin had harbored a deep resentment towards Jiang Tian all these years.
Ouyang Bin’s father had started out merely as a deputy chief in the county bureau, which couldn’t compare at all to Jiang Zhixing, who had been appointed Deputy County Mayor early on.
People say a father’s status is elevated by his son’s achievements, but for us kids, it was often the opposite—we leaned on our fathers’ authority. Back in the county compound, Ouyang Bin had frequently been on the receiving end of Jiang Tian’s fists. Years later, Ouyang Bin still spoke of it with deep resentment, still furious with Jiang Tian.
It looked very much like today would be the day Ouyang Bin took Jiang Tian down a peg, delivering some long-awaited and vicious payback.
The others exchanged knowing glances, all wearing expressions that said they were ready to enjoy a good show.
