t

  Having invested in Hucheng, Old Jin was still considering other areas of investment.

  The news spread……

  It was as if their bank cards had ‘manifested’ in real life, coming out to take a walk with a string of ‘zeroes’ trailing off behind it which brightly emitted light, visible to all.

  First and foremost, Huang Yaming and Tan Yao were immediately unable to sit still.

  Bright Brilliance was really doing very well. Yet, it was limited by its size, having no way of doing better and profiting more in that sense.

  Therefore, the two had constantly been thinking about how to replicate Bright Brilliance’s success. Maybe not a franchise, but opening a few branches in Shenghai City and Xihu City, at least, was a very real concern for them.

  Huang Yaming had mentioned this to Xu Tingsheng, but the latter had no money to spare. As for Tan Yao, he had been exceptionally sensitive and cautious on the topic of money with Ye Qing ever since having hooked up with her.

  And from the heavens doth Old Jin descendeth.

  After remaining at Bright Brilliance for a few days, Old Jin felt pretty interested in it as well.

  And so, the two wheedled Old Jin over to Xihu City with the intention of also going to Shenghai afterwards. As he had to go for tuition, Little Jinshan was dumped in Yanzhou by Old Jin, dumped in the bar. Apparently, he had simply handed him over to Tongtong on an afterthought……Little Jinshan seemed only 7 years old.

  Xu Tingsheng only learnt about this the next day when Tongtong called him at night, asking him if he could come to the bar for a bit.

  Xu Tingsheng asked her what was up.

  She said that she was unable to manage Little Jinshan.

  When Xu Tingsheng arrived, he found Little Jinshan sitting at the bar counter on the first floor, playing with the spinning chair as he said to a woman who had just sat down, “Beautiful lady, mind if I treat you to a drink?”


  The barista at the counter looked at Xu Tingsheng, saying helplessly, “This is the twelfth one already.”


  Xu Tingsheng grabbed the kid, exchanged a few words with Tongtong and left.

  Half an hour later.

  “Uncle Xu, I can’t stay here. Your place is too boring. Right, do you really live like this? Time wasting is equivalent to murder. Time is the most valuable substance. If one does not live flamboyant in youth, they have wasted their lives. Things that can be settled with money basically shouldn’t require you to use time……”


  Little Jinshan rested against the door of the study, ranting unhappily to Xu Tingsheng.

  “You talking to women in a bar-isn’t that a waste of time?” Xu Tingsheng asked him.

  “That’s all for enrichment. You gain experience by interacting with other people,” Little Jinshan said, “My Dad says so. He even gets me to check in and out and handle the luggage when at international airports. Back home, I’ve even followed them going to transport goods out of the province. He says that all that is gaining experience……how is hanging at a bar not enrichment? Different religions, different social stratas……”


  “You’re only seven,” Xu Tingsheng said.

  “What you see at three, what will be when old. My uncles all say that I’m destined for the grand marshes of the heroic fraternity,” Little Jinshan said in a deep, faraway tone.

  Seeing no way of winning the argument, Xu Tingsheng could only resort to threats, “Get lost! Go watch television, read, whatever. Just stay here……if you dare run, I’ll truss you up and hang you there like a chicken.”


  Looking at him, Little Jinshan mimicked the movements as he said, “It’s no use, Uncle Xu. It’s not like I haven’t been hung before. With my two hands tied up like this, upside-down by my feet……Old Jin’s done them all before long ago. These can’t frighten me.”


  Xu Tingsheng smiled, “Well then, I will truss you up by your little jj and hang you up there……”


  Little Jinshan pictured it in his mind, and spoke no longer……

  The next day was a Wednesday. Xu Tingsheng took a leave of absence for two lessons and stayed at home, communicating with Hu Chen and He Yutan in his study via video conference.

  A grumpy-looking Little Jinshan sat in the living room, watching television and eating snacks.

  “Those people from the ministry came to talk to us. They should also have talked with Tencent’s side,” Hu Chen told Xu Tingsheng, the two being more experienced at handling such matters than he was.

  “From their words……it seems like our lawsuits, that malignant competition one and the anti-monopoly one, will probably both fail,” He Yutan said rather helplessly.

  Xu Tingsheng did not hesitate at all as he replied, “I know! We’ll definitely lose. It’s okay, though. We can still appeal. We’ll just go on with it till they have no choice but to acknowledge our existence.”


  If even QQ wasn’t a monopoly and Tencent’s practices were not malignant, these two things basically did not exist as concepts in the market.

  Still, Xingchen would definitely lose. Xu Tingsheng had long been prepared for that, because this was what was dictated by ‘convention’.

  Meanwhile, as the victor, Tencent would actually not have it that easy too. The ministry would still exert the necessary pressure on it.

  This was the tried and tested method of conflict resolution in the many millennia of Chinese history. How many important officials of the historical annals are not ‘Taiji experts’? You cannot pronounce an absolute right or wrong, because sometimes, it is true that most important is still the overall picture, always.

  Meanwhile, what Xu Tingsheng sought to achieve was mainly Weixin’s continued existence and not mere victory as was thought by the outside world……

  Little Xiang Ning unlocked the door with her key.

  Little Jinshan had her snacks in his clutches.

  “Who are you?”


  “Who are you?”


  “This is my Uncle Xu’s house. I’m called Little Jinshan. What about you, beautiful young miss?”


  “Me? I don’t see a need to tell you. But just so you know, all the snacks that you’ve eaten are mine. Hey, you ate so many……”


  “Oh! Never mind, I’ll buy some more for you later. My Uncle Xu is rich, and my family has lots of money too. Right, do you have a boyfriend, beautiful young miss? ……Ah……hey, what’re you doing, Uncle Xu? What did I do wrong?”


  Xu Tingsheng had just emerged from the study upon hearing the disturbance outside. Hearing Little Jinshan ask Xiang Ning if she had a boyfriend, he did not know whether to laugh or to cry as he grabbed him right by the ear.

  “She has a boyfriend,” Xu Tingsheng said.

  Little Xiang Ning came over and linked her arm in Xu Tingsheng’s, asking, “Who is he, Xu Tingsheng?”


  “Just some little rascal,” Xu Tingsheng smiled, “Hurry up and call Aunt, Little Jinshan……”


  Little Jinshan responded, “Huh? Uncle Xu, you……no, stop pulling……hello, Little Aunt.”


  “Hi,” Being addressed like this for the first time, Xiang Ning responded happily to it due to the association with Xu Tingsheng therein as she adopted the bearing of a senior, saying genially, “You can eat the snacks. There’s more in the cabinet……kid.”


  Xu Tingsheng let Little Jinshan go and led Little Xiang Ning to the balcony.

  “Don’t you have lessons? It’s not the weekend yet, but why are you back?” Xu Tingsheng asked rather anxiously, “Are you not feeling well? Or were you bullied in school?”


  Little Xiang Ning shook her head before looking up at him with a downcast expression on her face, “It’s not that. I was worried about you! I saw a teacher using the internet in the staffroom. There was a picture of your back there, and it said that you were chased away by your original company and are facing a lot of difficulties at Weixin now……”


  Next, Little Xiang Ning reached out and hugged Xu Tingsheng, asking, “Are you finding it very tough? You didn’t tell me anything at all.”


  “Wow……they’re hugging. Kiss, kiss, kiss……” Resounded Little Jinshan’s voice.

  Xu Tingsheng glanced at Little Jinshan who was peeking over from the corner, chastising and laughing both at once, “You scram back inside……right now.”


  After getting rid of Little Jinshan, Xu Tingsheng began coaxing Little Xiang Ning. In truth, what she had said was true. He virtually never told him anything about his work-related affairs at all, because he felt that there was no need to……it was just that he had not thought she might worry……

  Xu Tingsheng had no choice but to explain the current situation and his complete take on it to her, telling her that he was actually in a very good situation.

  Regardless of how much of that she had understood, Little Xiang Ning was finally able to rest assured.

  When the two returned to the living room, they found Little Jinshan in the study, wearing Xu Tingsheng’s headset and conversing good-humouredly with Hu Chen and He Yutan.

  “Something like money-why not just tell me about it? Things that can be settled with money really amount to nothing……if you lack money, why not get my Dad to invest? Really, don’t be bullied but fearful and silent. Do you know how many mines my family has in Shanxi? How many bros there are on our mines? Do you know that my Dad and Uncles added together……”


  Xu Tingsheng dragged him off his seat by the scruff of his neck.