OBS Chapter 1592 Having an Elderly Person in the Family is Like Having a Treasure
Chapter 1592 Having an Elderly Person in the Family is Like Having a Treasure
It was completely dark when we left the South China Sea Hotel.
Han Ling stood in the hotel lobby, looking at the flashing neon lights across the street, feeling an emptiness in her heart, as if a piece of her soul had been ripped out. After all, it was impossible to remain indifferent to the end of a relationship spanning several years. She wanted to find someone to talk to, but realized that she only had a few classmates in Shenzhen with whom she could truly connect. After much deliberation, she decided to call Sun Yumei.
The phone rang twice before being answered.
"Hello?" Sun Yumei's voice came through the receiver, tinged with surprise: "Han Ling? It's so late, is something wrong?"
"...Do you have time to have a drink with me?"
Sun Yumei paused, then keenly sensed something was amiss: "What's wrong? Something doesn't sound right to your tone."
"If you're busy, just pretend I didn't say anything." Han Ling gave a wry smile and prepared to hang up.
"Hey!" Sun Yumei's voice rose a few decibels, tinged with a hint of reproach, "You're asking me to drink with you and I can't even ask why? Come to my place, I have plenty of alcohol."
"At your place?" Han Ling asked, somewhat surprised. "Qin Hao didn't come to your place today?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.
"Him..." Sun Yumei's voice held a hint of something unreadable, "He hasn't come for half a month."
Han Ling was stunned.
"Come on, I'll be waiting for you." Sun Yumei said and then hung up the phone.
A strange feeling welled up inside Han Ling. She changed her destination and told the driver to head towards Nanshan District.
Sun Yumei now lives in a three-story villa in Nanshan District, surrounded by lush greenery, a very quiet and peaceful environment. When Han Ling arrived, Sun Yumei was already waiting at the door.
"Let's go inside and talk."
Seeing Han Ling get out of the car, Sun Yumei immediately pulled her inside.
Han Ling followed her into the house.
The living room on the first floor was tastefully decorated, with genuine leather sofas, a solid wood coffee table, oil paintings on the walls, and a floor-standing wine cabinet in the corner, neatly stacked with dozens of bottles of red wine. Han Ling glanced at it and recognized from the labels alone that several of the bottles were not cheap.
"Have a seat." Sun Yumei spread the takeout on the coffee table, then took a bottle of red wine from the wine cabinet, skillfully opened it, and decanted it. "It's been a long time since we've had a drink alone together, hasn't it?"
Han Ling gave a wry smile and sat down on the sofa: "When have we ever had a drink alone together?"
Sun Yumei paused for a moment, then burst into laughter: "That's true!"
She poured Han Ling a glass of red wine, then poured one for herself, and raised her glasses to clink them together.
"Come on, I've prepared the wine. Tell me your story."
Han Ling also raised her glass, clinked it with hers, and took a sip.
“You…” Sun Yumei looked her over, then suddenly sighed, “You seem gentle and weak on the surface, but you’re actually very stubborn. And men all seem to fall for that.”
Han Ling glared at her: "You talk as if men don't fall for your act."
"Which one?" Sun Yumei scoffed and poured herself another glass.
"Didn't you have him completely under your thumb?" Han Ling asked, somewhat surprised.
Sun Yumei's expression changed slightly, then she smiled again: "Eat to death? I'd like to. Too bad, they never intended for me to eat in the first place."
She picked up the wine glass and swirled it, leaving streaks of red wine on the glass.
"Let's not talk about this." Sun Yumei waved her hand and looked at Han Ling: "Tell me, what happened to you today? Did you argue with Xiao Ran?"
Han Ling remained silent for a moment, then looked down at the dark red liquid in her glass.
"We broke up."
Sun Yumei paused for a moment, her face showing little surprise, only letting out a soft sigh.
"I knew this day would come sooner or later." She poured some wine into Han Ling's glass, her tone tinged with regret. "With Xiao Ran's personality, expecting him to change is harder than climbing to heaven."
Han Ling recounted the events of the day at the Nanhai Hotel in detail.
Sun Yumei became increasingly angry as she listened.
"See? I told you so!" She slapped her thigh. "Someone like Xiao Ran, if he ever becomes successful, he'll want to get back everything he lost, tenfold or a hundredfold!"
"Besides," Sun Yumei curled her lip, her tone tinged with disdain, "I'm not saying Xiao Ran is petty, but with the little money he earns, he has the nerve to brag to you? To put it bluntly, all the bosses you met while working as Lao Qin's assistant are worth tens of millions. What makes him, a small business owner with a few hundred thousand, act so high and mighty in front of you?"
Han Ling looked at Sun Yumei's sullen face and suddenly smiled. Sun Yumei's words filled some of the emptiness she felt.
"Forget it, let's not talk about him anymore." Han Ling picked up her wine glass and took a small sip. "Tell me about yourself. What's really going on between you and Lao Qin?"
Upon hearing this question, Sun Yumei's smile froze on her face.
The living room was quiet for a few seconds.
"Don't even mention it." Sun Yumei gave a bitter laugh, put her wine glass on the coffee table, leaned back on the sofa, and looked up at the ceiling. "To be honest, I never expected Qin Hao to give me a formal title."
Han Ling was utterly shocked: "What do you mean? So all these years with Lao Qin have been...?"
"What else could it be for?" Sun Yumei's voice carried a hint of bitterness, but more so a calm acceptance born of understanding: "Each gets what they need."
"He needs a caring woman by his side, and I need a man who can provide me with a stable life. Neither of us will lose out."
Han Ling opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know what to say.
“But I’m content.” Sun Yumei sat up straight and looked at Han Ling earnestly, saying, “What Qin Hao has given me over the years is enough for me to live a glamorous and respectable life for the rest of my days. This house, this car, and the money he gives me every month—I couldn’t earn that much in ten lifetimes if I were working myself.”
She paused, her tone tinged with a hint of感慨 (gan3kai3, a complex emotion encompassing regret, regret, and a sense of awe), "And you know, Lao Qin makes money incredibly fast. In just last year, his assets multiplied many times over. And it'll probably increase even more in the future. If we get married, I'll have to share half of his assets. Anyone would probably be unhappy about that."
Han Ling understood the meaning behind her words and felt a pang of heartache: "It's just that you've been wronged."
"What's there to complain about?" Sun Yumei waved her hand, a carefree smile on her face. "I can't live a better life than this. I can sleep in as late as I want, go shopping whenever I want, and get beauty treatments whenever I want. No nagging mother-in-law, no annoying kids, and I have plenty of money to spend every month. So many people would envy this kind of life."
She spoke casually, but Han Ling still caught a fleeting glimpse of melancholy in her eyes.
"Come on, let's drink!" Sun Yumei raised her glass, abruptly changing the subject: "Let's not talk about these discouraging things. Tonight, let's have a good drink, until we're both drunk!"
Han Ling also raised her glass and clinked it with hers.
The two of them drank one glass after another, getting happier and happier with each drink. After a few rounds of drinks, they opened up completely, chatting about everything from the night they first registered for university to the trivialities of daily life.
"Do you remember that night during our freshman year?" Sun Yumei pointed at Han Ling, her eyes blurry with drunkenness, and hiccuped. "You were wearing a floral dress, dragging a suitcase, standing at the dormitory entrance looking around like an idiot!"
"You're the one who looks like an idiot!" Han Ling's face flushed red, and she pointed at Sun Yumei defiantly, "Back then, you were wearing heavy makeup and high heels, and you stunned everyone in the dorm the moment you walked in! I thought you were a senior from some department!"
"That's called style!" Sun Yumei proudly raised her chin. "Who among the girls in our year dressed better than me?"
"Yes, there is." Han Ling deliberately argued with her: "Isn't that girl from the next class better at dressing than you?"
"That vixen?" Sun Yumei curled her lip in disdain. "That's not dressing up, that's just posing!"
The two of them bantered back and forth, getting happier and happier as they argued, until finally they looked at each other and laughed so hard they were doubled over.
"To be honest..." Sun Yumei leaned back on the sofa, her eyes slightly narrowed, and said somewhat drunkenly, "We women really understand women. Men? They know nothing."
“That’s right!” Han Ling nodded emphatically, raising her glass. “They don’t know anything!”
“Come on, let’s toast to us women!” Sun Yumei also raised her glass.
The two wine glasses clinked together in mid-air, making a crisp sound.
That night, the two drank until after 2 a.m. Han Ling was so drunk that she slept in Sun Yumei's guest room all night.
……
The next morning, Han Ling was awakened by a headache.
She groggily opened her eyes and found herself lying on an unfamiliar bed, the room filled with a faint scent of incense. She rubbed her temples, then remembered that she had been at Sun Yumei's place last night.
The door to the guest room was pushed open, and Sun Yumei walked in carrying a glass of honey water, a mischievous smile on her face.
"Awake? Here, have some honey water, it'll help you sober up."
Han Ling took the cup and gulped it down, finally feeling a little better. She looked out the window; the sun was already high in the sky.
"What time is it?"
"It's past ten o'clock." Sun Yumei sat down by the bed and looked her over. "Does your head still hurt?"
"A little." Han Ling rubbed her forehead, then suddenly remembered something and quickly asked, "I didn't go to work today, will Lao Qin scold me?"
"Don't worry," Sun Yumei waved her hand. "I already asked for leave for him this morning, saying you weren't feeling well and needed to rest at home for the day."
……
The next morning, Han Ling returned to the company. She had barely sat down when the phone on her desk rang.
"Han Ling, come to my office."
It's Qin Hao.
Han Ling's heart skipped a beat. She quickly stood up, straightened her clothes, and headed towards Qin Hao's office.
I knocked on the door, and a voice inside said, "Come in."
Han Ling pushed open the door and went in, and saw Qin Hao standing in front of the French window, looking at the scenery outside with his back to her.
"Mr. Qin, you wanted to see me?"
Qin Hao turned around and looked at Han Ling. His gaze was calm, but beneath that calmness lay a hint of concern.
"Are you alright?"
Han Ling was stunned for a moment, then met Qin Hao's concerned gaze and realized that Sun Yumei, that big mouth, had indeed told everyone everything.
"She told you everything?" Han Ling gave a wry smile.
Qin Hao nodded: "If you're feeling down, take some time off and get away to clear your head. Don't worry about work, I'll have someone cover for you."
Han Ling pursed her lips, looking into Qin Hao's earnest eyes, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.
"Thanks." Han Ling took a deep breath and gave a faint smile. "But I feel that only work can help me forget everything right now."
Qin Hao looked at her, his gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny.
A moment later, he suddenly laughed.
“Alright.” Qin Hao walked back to his desk, took a document from the drawer, and handed it to Han Ling. “Since you’re so understanding, then I won’t stand on ceremony. This project will be entrusted to you and Liu Yuan to push forward.”
Han Ling took the document, opened it, and was immediately surprised.
"An industrial park covering 1,000 acres?"
She looked up at Qin Hao, her face full of confusion: "How much did this cost? And where did you get such a large plot of land?"
Qin Hao did not answer directly, but pointed to the calendar on the wall.
Han Ling followed his finger and saw a circle drawn in red on the calendar.
She paused for a few seconds, then suddenly realized.
"You mean... Liu Yuan's father-in-law?"
Qin Hao smiled knowingly and nodded.
"Huang Renfa holds a large amount of land in Lanyuan Village. With Shenzhen's rapid development in recent years, the land in their village has become increasingly valuable. Liu Yuan is his son-in-law; there's no harm in using that connection."
He walked back to his desk and sat down, continuing, "Although Great Wall Power Plant agreed to the acquisition offer, we still have a production shortfall. Moreover, our current factory area is too scattered, which is neither conducive to management nor can we reduce various expenses. The construction of a new factory area must be put on the agenda as soon as possible."
Han Ling stared at the document in her hand, her mind racing.
The construction of an industrial park on 1,000 acres of land is a massive undertaking. The land alone costs a fortune, not to mention the factory construction, equipment procurement, and staffing…
"President Qin, does President Liu know about this?" Han Ling asked.
"I don't know yet," Qin Hao said. "He and Huang Yunyun went on their honeymoon. After he gets back, you can discuss with him how to proceed, and I'll oversee things."
Han Ling nodded and put the document away.
"Understood."
"There's one more thing," Qin Hao said, looking at Han Ling with a serious tone. "This project involves a large amount of capital and requires dealing with banks. In the next few days, prepare the necessary documents, including the company's financial statements, balance sheet, and cash flow statements."
"it is good."
Han Ling was about to leave when she suddenly remembered something and turned back to look at Qin Hao.
"President Qin, Sun Yumei said..."
She stopped halfway through her sentence.
"What did you say?" Qin Hao looked at her.
Han Ling shook her head: "It's nothing."
She pushed open the door and went out.
……
A week later, Liu Yuan returned from his honeymoon.
He was a bit darker and thinner, but he was in great spirits, and his smile was even brighter than before he got married. Huang Yunyun came back with him, and the two walked into the company hand in hand, their eyes full of smiles when they looked at each other.
Han Ling looked at them, feeling a little envious, but mostly offering her blessings.
As soon as Liu Yuan entered the company, Qin Hao called him to his office, where he stayed for nearly two hours. When he came out, his expression was somewhat serious, but mostly excited.
"Han Ling!" Liu Yuan saw her and quickly walked over. "Old Qin sent me to find you."
Han Ling nodded: "I'll cooperate with you on the 1,000-acre industrial park."
"Come on, let's find a place to have a proper talk."
The two went to the coffee shop downstairs from the company and found a quiet corner to sit down.
After reviewing the documents Han Ling handed him, Liu Yuan couldn't help but exclaim, "This industrial park isn't just about a factory area; it's crucial for the company's future development. Lenovo's orders are increasing rapidly, and our current production capacity is almost insufficient. If we don't expand quickly, we'll be eliminated by the market sooner or later."
Han Ling listened attentively, nodding occasionally.
“But…” she frowned, “A thousand-acre industrial park requires far too much capital. Can our company's cash flow support that?”
“That’s the problem.” Liu Yuan looked at her, his expression grave. “Old Qin means taking out a bank loan. But loans require collateral, and our company’s existing fixed assets…”
He shook his head and didn't continue.
Han Ling understood what he meant.
"Therefore, the land is the key."
“Yes.” Liu Yuan nodded. “Once we can secure the land, everything else will be much easier.”
He paused, then continued, "I'll talk to Huang Renfa. He's my father-in-law; he should be able to give me that kind of face."
……
In the days that followed, Liu Yuan began to focus all his efforts on persuading his father-in-law.
He would go to the Huang family home almost every day after get off work to drink tea, chat, and play chess with Huang Renfa, always finding ways to steer the conversation toward the topic of land.
Huang Renfa was a smart man, and he had seen through Liu Yuan's little scheme long ago. But he didn't expose him; he simply played chess with Liu Yuan while listening to him talk.
"Dad, you said our Lanyuan Village has developed so fast in recent years, will it be incorporated into the city in the future?" Liu Yuan asked casually as he placed a piece.
Huang Renfa glanced at him and said slowly, "So what if it's designated as part of the city? Our land is still there, our houses are still there, what's there to be afraid of?"
“It’s not that I’m afraid of that,” Liu Yuan said. “I think it’s better to be proactive than to wait to be included. Look, Shenzhen is developing so fast now, factories and buildings are being built everywhere. If we can make use of our village’s land, it’ll be a treasure trove.”
Huang Renfa didn't reply, but just quietly looked at the chessboard.
"Think about it, if someone is willing to invest in building a factory in our village, we can get land rent, create jobs for the villagers, and boost the economy of the surrounding area. Isn't that killing three birds with one stone?"
Huang Renfa finally raised his head and looked at Liu Yuan: "Little Liu, do you have something on your mind?"
Liu Yuan smiled and didn't hide anything: "Dad, to tell you the truth, our company is planning to build a new factory, which requires a thousand acres of land. I was thinking, doesn't our village have a lot of land? What do you think…"
Huang Renfa interrupted him: "A thousand mu?"
"right."
Huang Renfa put down the chess piece in his hand, leaned back in his chair, and looked at Liu Yuan.
"Xiao Liu, do you know what a thousand acres of land means?"
"I roughly know," Liu Yuan said.
"Do you know how many households are involved in this thousand acres of land?" Huang Renfa asked again.
Liu Yuan paused for a moment, then shook his head.
“Four hundred and thirty-two households,” Huang Renfa said. “Each of these four hundred and thirty-two households has its own agenda. Some are willing to sell, some are not. Some think the money is too little, some are afraid of losing money if the land price rises later. If you want these thousand acres of land, you'll have to appease all these people.”
He paused, then continued, "Do you think you can handle this?"
Liu Yuan was silent for a moment, then raised his head and looked at Huang Renfa seriously.
“Dad, I’m not sure I can handle this. But I know you can.”
Huang Ren was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"You little rascal, you were planning this all along!"
After laughing, he looked at Liu Yuan with a hint of admiration in his eyes.
"Okay, I'll try to figure something out for you."
Liu Yuan was overjoyed: "Thank you, Dad!"
"Don't thank me yet," Huang Renfa waved his hand. "This isn't so easy; we have to take it one step at a time. You go back first, let me think about it some more."
……
In the days that followed, Huang Renfa began to push this matter forward.
He first convened a village committee meeting to report on the industrial park project and solicit opinions. The atmosphere at the meeting was lively, with some supporting it, some opposing it, and some observing.
Supporters see it as a good opportunity to both make money and drive development; opponents worry that the compensation is too small and they will regret it when land prices rise later; those who are watching are neither side and waiting to see what others do.
Huang Renfa had anticipated this situation, so he wasn't in a hurry. He simply recorded everyone's opinions and requests and then worked with them one by one in private.
He started with the villagers he was close to. These people were usually on good terms with him and would give him some face. He treated them to meals and drinks, analyzed the pros and cons with them, and told them that this was a rare opportunity that would not come again if they missed it.
"Think about it, Shenzhen is developing so fast, our land will be expropriated sooner or later. Instead of waiting to be expropriated, we might as well take the initiative now. The compensation standards in industrial parks are definitely higher than those for government expropriation. This is real money!"
His words made these people waver. Coupled with Huang Renfa's prestige accumulated over the years in the village, they finally nodded in agreement.
Next were the villagers who were taking a wait-and-see approach. These people hadn't explicitly expressed their support or opposition; they just wanted to gauge the situation. Huang Renfa's strategy was to show them the benefits. He first had the villagers who had already agreed sign letters of intent, and then took those letters to the undecided ones.
"Look, the Zhang family signed, and the Li family signed too. They all think this is a good deal. If you don't sign soon, you'll regret it once all the good positions are taken."
Those who were still observing started to waver after hearing this. They inquired among themselves and found that many people had indeed signed, so they also signed letters of intent.
The most difficult people to deal with are those who are vehemently opposed.
These people either had a lot of land and felt the compensation was insufficient; or they were elderly people who refused to move because they wanted to stay in their ancestral homes; or they simply distrusted Huang Renfa and thought he was profiting from the situation.
Huang Renfa dealt with these people differently.
He first sent people to find out the specific situation of each household, to know where their weaknesses were, and then he addressed the problems accordingly.
There was a family whose elderly relative refused to move from their ancestral home, saying it was left to them by their grandfather and wouldn't budge. Upon learning this, Huang Renfa personally visited them, bringing gifts and spending the entire afternoon chatting and drinking tea with the elderly man. Finally, moved by his sincerity, the old man agreed to relocate.
There was another family whose son had lost money in business and was heavily in debt, struggling to repay it. Upon hearing this, Huang Renfa proactively asked someone to introduce the son to a business opportunity that allowed him to earn money. The family was extremely grateful and signed a letter of intent without hesitation.
Of course, there are also people who are unyielding to both soft and hard approaches.
There was a family surnamed Chen whose land was located in the very center of the industrial park. Without their land, the entire project couldn't proceed. Taking advantage of this, the family made exorbitant demands, asking for three times the price of others.
Huang Renfa sent people to talk to them several times, but to no avail. Finally, he decided to take a hard line.
He first publicly exposed the family's exorbitant demands at the village committee meeting, letting everyone know that they were taking advantage of the situation. Then he threatened that if they refused to sign, the industrial park's planning would bypass their land, leaving their land sandwiched between factories, making it impossible for them to sell.
This tactic worked. The family panicked upon hearing this. They discussed it all night and came to Huang Renfa the next day, expressing their willingness to sign an agreement according to normal standards.
Thus, through Huang Renfa's combination of persuasion and coercion, all 432 households in Lanyuan Village finally signed the demolition compensation agreement.
When Liu Yuan heard the news, he was so excited he almost jumped up.
"Dad, you're amazing!"
Huang Ren rolled his eyes at him: "Come on, this is all the help I can give you, you old bones!"
"By the way, did you tell your boss about this?" Huang Ren asked.
"Not yet," Liu Yuan said. "I just wanted to give him a surprise."
"Go tell them quickly," Huang Renfa waved his hand, "Don't delay important matters."
Liu Yuan nodded repeatedly, then turned and ran outside.
Huang Renfa watched his retreating figure, a slight smile playing on his lips.
He had long ago instructed his sons to acquire land around the industrial zone, which would be highly profitable whether used for building private houses for rent or for commercial development. This was why he was so actively helping Liu Yuan. (End of Chapter)