Chapter 18: Does My Father Also Have Financial Issues?

"Are you studying these all day long?"

"It's not that I'm studying them. Beautiful women are an eternal topic for men. If a group of guys gets together to chat and the subject of women doesn't come up within a minute, that’s definitely not normal. Don't girls talk about guys when they're together?"

Su Wanqing thought for a moment. "We do, but rarely!"

Liang Jiyong felt a slight chill in his heart when he saw the prices of the two sets of lingerie. One was 128, the other 136! 264 for two sets—if this were thirty years later, it would definitely be considered a bargain. But given the current purchasing power, thirty years from now, prices would have multiplied at least thirty times. In other words, thirty years later, those two sets would cost over eight thousand. Yet, Su Wanqing seemed completely oblivious to this.

It wasn't that Liang Jiyong judged Su Wanqing for the price; rather, through her perspective on money, he could see that Su Kui’s financial troubles were likely quite serious. Their piano, color TV, refrigerator, air conditioner, and all the various furnishings probably cost no less than a hundred thousand. Su Kui’s legitimate income couldn't be much higher than his own father's.

Liang Jiyong felt he really needed to have a serious talk with Su Kui. He didn't have much animosity toward the man. Although his father spoke ill of Su Kui, and Su Kui certainly had his flaws, he was just a regular person—a bit selfish and slightly lecherous, which was normal. But because Su Kui was Su Wanqing’s father, Liang Jiyong didn't want him to end up in prison one day as he had in the previous life. If Su Kui were imprisoned, it would be a devastating blow to Su Wanqing. In his past life, Liang Jiyong never knew how Su Wanqing survived after her father was jailed; she had simply vanished without a trace.

Because Su Wanqing hadn't been wearing a bra when she came out, she put them on immediately in the fitting room. Afterward, they continued shopping. Su Wanqing insisted on buying Liang Jiyong a gift, and after some hesitation, he chose a lighter. She picked out the most expensive Zippo for him, which cost a full 288 yuan!

Before leaving, Su Wanqing checked her bank card balance at an ATM in the mall. Even she was stunned. There was over 168,000 left, when there should have been 170,000! In this era, 170,000 was enough to buy three apartments in Yunzhou. Back at the hotel, Su Wanqing was still dazed; she had always assumed she had at most ten or eight thousand in the account, never imagining it would be over a hundred thousand.

"Jiyong, do you think my father has financial problems? The people in charge of sales at the Red Star Factory and the State Cotton Factory were all investigated and punished!" Su Wanqing had been avoiding these questions, but seeing the six-figure sum on her card left her stunned.

"Wanqing, I hadn't planned on telling you this yet; I wanted to find an opportunity to talk to Uncle Kui. Our Red Flag Factory isn't doing well right now, and if this continues, trouble is only a matter of time. To say nothing else, the money on the card you're holding far exceeds Uncle Kui’s normal income. Whether it’s 'black' or 'gray' money is hard to define. I can't say for sure how serious the financial issues at the Red Flag Factory are, and there are certainly people with worse problems than Uncle Kui. But if the factory stops production, Uncle Kui will be the first one held accountable."

"Why my father?" Su Wanqing felt it was hard to accept. At the very least, she felt her father had done a lot for the Red Flag Factory and hadn't been blatantly corrupt.

"Wanqing, this isn't black and white, and the Red Flag Factory isn't a utopia. The key point is that Uncle Kui has issues with both finances and his personal conduct. These might be manageable under normal circumstances, but if production stops and wages can't be paid, the workers will revolt. They will need someone of sufficient stature to take the fall, and since Uncle Kui is in charge of sales, he’s the primary target."

Su Wanqing’s face turned pale instantly. Liang Jiyong held her cold hands. "Wanqing, the situation is definitely more complex than Uncle Kui realizes, but for now, the conflict hasn't peaked, and there is still room to maneuver."

"Then what should he do?" Su Wanqing asked.

"I don't know what Uncle Kui is planning—perhaps he’s still holding out hope. But I think Uncle Kui should retreat now while he can. If he insists on staying on this crooked tree that is the Red Flag Factory, trouble will come sooner or later!"

"You... you mean you want my father to resign?" At this time, giving up a position as deputy director of a large state-owned enterprise was absolutely unthinkable.

"It’s not that simple. Uncle Kui’s problems won't just go away with a resignation letter!"

***

Su Wanqing was even more worried. "Is even resignation not enough?"

"Resigning at this moment would be too suspicious. The best way is to apply for medical retirement. Uncle Kui’s blood pressure hasn't been stable, right? He could start by being hospitalized. Then, he should handle the problematic income and step away from that position. When the time comes for them to make an example of someone, they won't target Uncle Kui. Also, settle things with that 'Black Peony' properly; you cannot let that woman come back to bite Uncle Kui. Finally, regarding your parents' marriage, resolve it as soon as possible. Otherwise, it won't be good for either of them!"

Su Wanqing felt deeply pained. Why did it have to be this way?

"Wanqing, what's done is done. Right or wrong, they are your parents. Let's just get through this hurdle first. Society is developing rapidly, and the model of our non-strategic large state-owned factories has reached a dead end. Uncle Kui is only fifty this year; he has ability and connections. Leaving the Red Flag Factory to join another company or start his own business is fine. The assets he worked so hard to earn at the Red Flag Factory could be made back in two or three years on the outside. It’s hard for me to say these things, but you should find an opportunity to have an open conversation with Uncle Kui. And Aunt Lin—once everyone has calmed down, have a good talk. Actually, if you look at it differently, it’s really not that big of a deal."

Su Wanqing nodded without a word. They sat on the bed while *Tokyo Love Story*, an old TV drama, played. Su Wanqing was drawn into the plot, temporarily forgetting her worries. Liang Jiyong had no interest in the drama; he leaned into her ear, kissing her earlobe and neck. Su Wanqing didn't reciprocate, but she didn't push him away either, just gripped his hand tightly.

On TV, the voices of the leads echoed, while the couple on the bed had once again bared themselves to each other. Su Wanqing wrapped her arms around Liang Jiyong’s neck, forgetting all her troubles as she kissed him. Liang Jiyong kissed his way down from her neck into her hair, her fingers gripping tightly. Driven by desire, he reached to part her legs, and this time, Su Wanqing only resisted slightly before yielding. Liang Jiyong’s heart began to race. He looked up at her. Su Wanqing’s eyes were misty. "Kiss me!"

...

As the car drove onto the highway, Liang Jiyong recalled last night with a bitter smile, but looking at Su Wanqing resting in the passenger seat, he smiled sweetly. Last night, at the crucial moment, Su Wanqing had gotten cold feet again. To comfort his shattered, fragile heart, she had, under his guidance, used her slender, supple fingers to play him a tune...

Pressing down on her slender fingers, Liang Jiyong’s mind wandered again. He reached out to hold her left hand. Su Wanqing opened her eyes, glanced at him, and closed them again to rest. This trip to Pingzhou had brought her so many unexpected things.

Coming off the highway into Yunzhou, Su Wanqing opened her eyes and looked at him. "Your temporary contract has expired!"

Liang Jiyong silently pulled the car over, leaned over, and pulled her head toward him. They shared a long, passionate kiss, as if they wanted to steal each other's warmth. They only pulled apart when they were breathless. Liang Jiyong gasped, looking at the flushed Su Wanqing.

"In the coming year, I will become the person you expect me to be!" Liang Jiyong promised solemnly.

Su Wanqing leaned over and hugged his waist, her face against his chest. "And me? What do you want me to become?"

"Just be yourself. No matter what you're like, I'll love you!"

"You're annoying!" she said, still unwilling to leave his embrace. "Actually, you're already my Prince Charming. I like you just the way you are. Just be yourself. But this year, we have more important things to do!"

Liang Jiyong smiled happily. This summer was truly wonderful.

...

Back in Yunzhou, the two seemed to have returned to their previous dynamic; aside from the occasional lingering glance, no other changes were visible. Di Yutong was very interested in Liang Jiyong’s get-rich-quick scheme, but Su Wanqing had no heart for it.

After a deep talk with her father, Su Kui, she began to focus on her studies. Her mother, Lin Xiaoyu, returned to Yunzhou two days later. The family of three had one last meal together as a family before Su Kui and Lin Xiaoyu finalized their divorce. Their assets had been separated three years prior, and since Su Wanqing was already eighteen, there was no need for custody arrangements.

Afterward, Su Kui stayed at the Yunzhou Medical College for two days, then applied for medical leave and headed to Shanghai for treatment. Before leaving, he submitted a statement to the Red Flag Factory’s Party Committee, declaring that he accepted responsibility for the poor sales performance and admitting to certain errors, such as accepting kickbacks. He surrendered over 200,000 in illicit income and expressed his willingness to accept disciplinary action.

A few days later, an internal notice was issued: Deputy Director Su Kui had retired due to illness. The assessment of his work was mixed, and he was exempted from further punishment! With that, Su Kui exited the historical stage of the Red Flag Factory. His safe departure made Liang Jiyong breathe a sigh of relief.

While Su Kui was leading his "great escape," Liang Jiyong hadn't been idle. On the day he returned to Yunzhou, he completed a promotional brochure for the "Extraordinary Ecological Landscape Base" at Peng Yuan’s aunt’s house. Designing on a 286 computer was incredibly difficult, but since he was familiar with the landscaping industry, he managed to create something decent after three days of work, using photos taken in Hualin County.

Then, he printed business cards and contacted Zhang Ning to pay a visit. Initially, Zhang Ning’s father, Zhang Yuanhe, hadn't paid much attention to this young man. Although his son had brought back useful information about Ji Yun, he assumed Liang Jiyong had just heard it from someone else. However, after Liang Jiyong appeared as the business manager of Extraordinary Ecological Landscape and Zhang Yuanhe saw the brochure and heard his insights on landscaping, he felt the kid was more professional than the experts at the Landscaping Bureau. Many of his concepts were refreshing—for example, that landscaping could not only beautify the environment but also highlight cultural atmosphere, balance commercial value, and reflect governance philosophy through composition.

Though it was still just "talking on paper," how many people in all of Yunzhou could even do that? Liang Jiyong only needed a letter of intent; they would only pay once the greenery was delivered and inspected. In return, this business would grant his son, Zhang Ning, a 30% equity stake. How could Zhang Yuanhe refuse such a cost-free benefit?

After Liang Jiyong left, Zhang Yuanhe told his son to stay on good terms with him, noting that the kid was not simple. He then spent the afternoon in his study writing a groundbreaking report for the newly appointed Mayor Ji, incorporating many of Liang Jiyong’s ideas. Of course, no one would mention the source—these ideas now belonged to Zhang Yuanhe. Being a professional himself, he had an epiphany: so this is how landscaping could be done!

A week later, Zhang Yuanhe was promoted to his full position, and the next day, Liang Jiyong received his first payment. Although it was only 20,000, his investment had been minimal. Lin Chao and Peng Yuan had eventually contributed some cash to pay for labor in Hualin County, but it was less than 2,000. The greenery was dug up from the mountains in Hualin, where they could lease an entire mountain for just 1,000 a year. It was incredibly easy money.

Liang Jiyong knew that once this door was opened, others would follow suit. But he was confident that Extraordinary Ecological Landscape would always be imitated but never surpassed. With his first income, he began allocating funds. After costs, the verified profit was 15,000. As agreed, he gave Zhang Ning his 4,500 share without missing a cent. The rest went to the others as small bonuses, and the remaining 8,000-plus was reinvested into the base.

First, he signed a ten-year lease with the village, promising to prioritize hiring local labor. Second, he hired two professional horticulturists. Finally, he sought out experienced landscapers to build his own engineering team. If he only sold greenery, he would soon be outpaced by powerful companies.