Xia Xiaolan dragged Zhou Cheng to buy bread.

Her steps felt somewhat heavy.

Now that Jiang Yan had met Pan Baohua, Zhou Cheng’s vacation was also drawing to a close.

If Jiang Yan returned to the academy, wouldn’t Zhou Cheng be traveling back with her?

Knowing they could meet at the academy was one thing, but out of sight meant out of mind. Having it happen right under her nose made Xia Xiaolan very unhappy.

“Don’t go back with Jiang Yan, it’ll look like you’re traveling together.”

“All right, I won’t go with her.”

Xia Xiaolan muttered to herself, “Going together is fine, but take me along. It’s settled – I’ll send you back to the academy.”

Just like when she and Zhou Cheng toured Shijiazhuang – if Jiang Yan wanted to follow them step by step, Xia Xiaolan guaranteed she could make her jealous enough to die.

“Don’t you have business to attend to in Pengcheng?”

“Of course I do, but you don’t know about my new business venture… Making money can wait, spending time with you is important too.”

Xia Xiaolan spoke matter-of-factly, leaving Zhou Cheng deeply moved.

Even a stone heart would have warmed up after two years of cultivation. How precious – he ranked above making money in Xiaolan’s heart! He held Xia Xiaolan’s hand as they went upstairs, and not far away, a foreign gentleman rubbed his eyes:

“Allen, is that Miss Xia?”

“Sir, you know my eyesight has deteriorated with age… but it looks like her, after all, Miss Xia is quite beautiful.”

Chinese people’s flat facial features made it difficult for Allen to remember them – they all looked similar to him.

Xia Xiaolan was memorable only because of her beauty.

So Miss Xia, who hadn’t contacted Harold for half a month after their chance meeting at the Western restaurant and had completely vanished in Pengcheng, was just now heading upstairs holding hands with a Chinese man?

Tsk tsk tsk.

Mr. Harold, being ignored so thoroughly must be a first.

Allen’s inner thoughts were rich, but outwardly he maintained a butler’s proper etiquette.

Harold withdrew his gaze and glanced at his butler:

“I know you want to laugh, Allen. Go ahead, I don’t mind.”

“You’re mistaken, sir. I suspect Miss Xia might have lost your contact information. Since you’ve run into her again, perhaps you should go say hello.”

“No need.”

He had found Xia Xiaolan interesting and wouldn’t have minded a romance during his stay in China.

But who was he?

Harold Wilson!

Not some fool like George who couldn’t live without women.

“George bought a Hong Kong decoration company and seems determined to stay in Pengcheng. He even wants me to let him manage the golf course. He must have stayed in China too long and been brainwashed by Chinese culture.”

“Yes, Chinese people place great importance on family relationships.”

In America, children move away from their parents after becoming adults, and if they live in different states, they might not see each other for a year.

In China, even after an adult marries and has children, they still live with their parents.

Besides parents, there were uncles and aunts all living very close by.

The complex web of relationships between dozens of relatives frightened even Allen as a butler.

Parents must look after grandchildren, uncles must help their nephews… How terrifying!

Mr. Harold was right – George had been brainwashed by Chinese culture, naively thinking Harold’s investment in Pengcheng was his opportunity.

Managing the golf course project?

Allen kept his mouth tightly shut – he had no right to comment, but he desperately wanted to mock George’s naivety.

What benefits could George create?

He even tried to make things difficult for the Special Zone’s mayor.

In China’s broader environment, such foolish behavior meant shutting the door on money-making opportunities.

After criticizing his foolish nephew briefly, Harold turned his attention back to business.

The half-month after submitting the letter of intent to the Pengcheng government had been a tug of war, but now he was finally about to achieve a staged victory. Harold was very optimistic about the more than 2,500 mu of land around Xiangmi Lake.

“Let’s go, we have an appointment with Peng today.”

Peng was the mayor’s secretary, the mayor’s “butler,” just like Allen was to him, wielding considerable external authority.

The mayor had more to deal with than just the golf course project, and Harold knew Peng was the person specifically in charge of his investment.

Secretary Peng had always been very friendly to him, just as Harold knew – if you waved enough dollars around, you could practically do anything you wanted in China.

Of course, Secretary Peng’s exceptional enthusiasm was also related to Ji Jiangyuan.

Harold hadn’t driven away George and Ji Ya, also because of Ji Jiangyuan.

After accepting Harold’s true purpose in keeping him close, Ji Jiangyuan actively offered to help. The young man wasn’t stupid – the tasks Harold gave him were all completed well.

A young man well-versed in American culture with connections in China was quite suitable for helping oversee Harold’s business interests here.

If Ji Jiangyuan were a few years older, he would be even more suitable.

In the car to city hall, Harold asked Ji Jiangyuan:

“Would you accept this part-time position I’m offering? Weekly salary of 500 dollars, requiring you to travel between Pengcheng and Beijing on weekends. I know the academic pressure during university is significant, so consider it yourself.”

Weekly salary of 500 dollars.

That’s 26,000 dollars a year.

And it’s only two workdays per week.

Even in America, Ji Jiangyuan couldn’t find such a good part-time job before graduating from university.

“What would I need to do?”

Ji Jiangyuan suspected this money was Harold’s way of buying his father’s influence – a clever form of bribery.

“Just like what you’re doing now – we need someone to communicate with the local government for us. You’re Chinese, you have this ability.”

The investment wasn’t a one-time deal – twenty thousand dollars a year was nothing as a bribe.

But with Ji Jiangyuan as a lubricant, Harold’s money was well spent.

“Nothing that violates Chinese laws and regulations – can you accept that, Mr. Harold?”

“Ji, I’m a legitimate businessman who just wants to ensure I make money in China. You shouldn’t suspect me just because your friend is a mafia lady.”

Ji Jiangyuan choked.

He wanted to say Xia Xiaolan wasn’t mafia, but thinking about it, Harold was potentially his future boss – no need to argue about it.

“I accept.”

Working part-time on Harold’s investment project offered more training than being a high-end companion.

Of course, his daily rate had increased too.

Working only two days a week at 250 dollars per day, at the official exchange rate, meant a monthly salary of 6,000 Chinese yuan.

After deducting Beijing-Yangcheng round-trip airfare and weekend food and lodging expenses, Ji Jiangyuan’s monthly income was over 4,000 yuan – and that was just at the official exchange rate!

Thinking of his debts, Ji Jiangyuan particularly emphasized when getting out of the car:

“Mr. Harold, I want my salary paid in dollars.”

As an economics student, how could Ji Jiangyuan ignore the huge difference between official and private exchange rates?

Thanks to Harold Wilson’s generosity, working this part-time job until university graduation would allow him to fully repay his mother’s money.