Ji Jiang Yuan confirmed again that Harold truly had little familial affection for George.
He wanted to shake off George, using Ji Jiang Yuan as a convenient cover. With him accompanying Harold, George and his mother wouldn’t interfere, naturally assuming they were hunting somewhere in the north!
Ji Jiang Yuan felt somewhat sorry for George.
Unable to control the family company, having to please an uncle eleven years younger, and not even being liked by Uncle Harold.
Ji Jiang Yuan then laughed at himself – he had no right to sympathize with George, considering George was paying him 100 USD per day. At Ji Jiang Yuan’s age, he could legally drink even in America. He raised his glass to Harold:
“China’s northern and southern cultures are vastly different. I was planning a graduation trip after university – sir, thank you for giving me this opportunity early!”
“Ji, you’re truly an intelligent and insightful young man.”
Harold’s words carried a double meaning.
Ji Jiang Yuan’s response guaranteed he wouldn’t tell George their true destination.
It wasn’t that Ji Jiang Yuan lacked professional ethics, but to gain Harold’s trust, he couldn’t be George’s ‘spy’. Ji Jiang Yuan’s job was to be Harold’s companion, and that was his primary objective.
If Harold left him behind, Ji Jiang Yuan would lose both his high-paying part-time job and his chance to understand this billionaire.
Harold only told him about tomorrow’s flight tickets, leaving him little choice.
The next day, Harold took Ji Jiang Yuan on the plane.
When George and Ji Ya arrived at the Great Wall Hotel, they only found Butler Allen.
“Has Uncle Harold already left?”
George was unhappy, “I thought he’d wait for me! Allen, my shooting skills are good too, right?”
Allen nodded, “That’s just how Harold is. When he gets excited about something, he leaves immediately. You can still catch up.”
George mumbled, “Of course, I’ll catch up!”
If the capital was this backward, other places must be worse.
For George, going to some small county near the Greater Khingan Mountains was extremely unappealing.
He might even encounter wild men there!
Shit!
Backward China!
The hunting location was arranged by Ji Lin’s junior schoolmate, which George and Ji Ya knew very well.
George and Ji Ya shared common views – George thought northern small counties were backward, and Ji Ya had zero interest in mountain hunting. The snakes, insects, rats, and ants in the forests would make Ji Ya scream. The worst environment she’d ever experienced was visiting Tang Hong En in the cattle pen during his exile in South Yu – hay leftover from cattle chewing, messily piled in corners, mixed with cow dung and urine. She couldn’t believe Tang Hong En could clean such a filthy mixture with a shovel without complaint.
At that moment, Ji Ya knew she and Tang Hong En weren’t compatible.
Returning from the cattle pen, Ji Ya is determined to divorce!
Her resistance to the northern trip reminded her of past events… Ji Ya composed herself:
“Harold seems to like Jiang Yuan quite a bit. He’s already gone with Harold, we can follow later.”
How could Mr. Harold be anything like Tang Hong En?
Harold was born with a silver spoon – hunting in remote forests was just recreation for him. But Tang Hong En, even as Pengcheng’s mayor, couldn’t wash away his inherent rusticity, actually using power to restrict her from going abroad. She had so many suitors back then, why did she choose the worst one?
George agreed with Ji Ya.
“Dear, I told you, mother-son conflicts are temporary. You and Jiang Yuan should have reconciled long ago!”
Ji Ya’s expression was unnatural: “Hope he can seize this opportunity to impress Mr. Harold. Let’s go prepare and head north too.”
“Your studio-“
George raised concerns, but Ji Ya interrupted, “What’s important now isn’t my studio, but your opportunity… George, I know you’re not satisfied just living off the trust fund. You’ve been trying to do business these years, you should have greater development.”
If they weren’t on a Chinese street, George would have kissed Ji Ya frantically.
This woman he was infatuated with understood him so well.
He and Harold shared the same blood. Harold was George’s grandfather’s late-born son, and his grandfather adored this youngest son so much that he bypassed his older children to give Harold control of the company.
George’s father was dissatisfied, as were George’s uncles and aunts, but they were all too old now to fight Harold.
Harold had managed the company for nearly ten years. Previously, others waited for Harold to make major mistakes, but in recent years, they’d mostly accepted their fate. George didn’t think he had the strength to compete with Harold now unless he could move from being an idle trust fund recipient to working in the family company… Shit, that required Harold’s approval! Over the years, Harold had kicked almost all relatives out of the company, preferring to hire professional managers rather than let relatives hold positions.
George contained his excitement and kissed Ji Ya’s cheek:
“Darling, no one dislikes having more money. I’ll work harder – you deserve a better life!”
If he had Harold’s wealth and status, Ji Ya, as his partner, wouldn’t be casually troubled.
…
Harold and Ji Jiang Yuan entered Pengcheng as tourists.
For foreign guests like Harold, entry permits were easily arranged. When the Special Zone was established for reform and opening up, besides becoming an export processing zone, another task was to build an attraction zone for Hong Kong and Macau compatriots. From the beginning, tourism was placed at a “strategic importance” level, and the Pengcheng Tourism Bureau was established in 1979.
Hong Kong and Macau compatriots were attracted, Americans came too and naturally got the green light all the way.
This was Ji Jiang Yuan’s first visit to Pengcheng.
For Harold, Pengcheng in ’85 wasn’t a modern metropolis, but compared to China’s capital, this city under construction was indeed full of vitality. After reform and opening up, Beijing changed – old brands resumed business, private restaurants opened, street vendors suddenly increased, and new hotels were built – these changes were only noticeable to local Beijingers.
Foreigners would only see backwardness!
Pengcheng was different. From a small fishing village to its current state took only six years, the contrast was stark, and Harold was clearly more interested in Pengcheng.
Ji Jiang Yuan had special feelings about Pengcheng – it was where Tang Hong En held office.
Pengcheng had no historic sites or famous mountains and rivers – what could attract tourists? The Xiangmi Lake Resort emerged opportunely. This year, the “China Entertainment City” opened in the resort area, making Xiangmi Lake Resort crowded with visitors.
Harold wasn’t interested in water roller coasters or pirate ships – he was interested in the land at Xiangmi Lake Resort.
“Ji, we’ll go here tomorrow.”