Chapter 156
Finding Lu Lingxi made the rest feel easier.
The group was going to go back to the village first and then return to the rainforest tomorrow to look for the body of the drug dealer dragged away by the python. Out of caution, both Yan Yue and Wu Jiang had to see the body with their own eyes.
The reason why Yan Yue was willing to show the police the way was that the drug dealers had already set their sights on him and Xiao Xi, and he didn't want to have to worry about the drug dealers appearing in front of them during their days in Kunnan. Now the other drug dealers were either dead or caught, leaving the only one unaccounted for. With Lu Lingxi completely offending this drug dealer, Yan Yue wanted to make sure that the man was really dead, not leaving a hidden danger that would suddenly explode at some point.
After some discussion, in order to avoid getting lost in the rainforest, the group decided to return the way they came. Although they might encounter a giant python this way, their group had a lot of weapons and was not afraid of the existence of giant pythons.
Speaking of weapons, Lu Lingxi handed the gun he was holding to Fang Lei, who took it and realised that the safety was on, fortunately, so despite Lu Lingxi's running and jumping all the way, nothing happened. When he said this, Lu Lingxi didn't feel anything but Yan Yue was the first to be shocked into a cold sweat. He resisted the idea of holding Lu Lingxi in his arms and touching him all over again, and just held Lu Lingxi's hand tightly, refusing to let go.
Lu Lingxi sensed Yan Yue's nervousness and whispered, "Big Brother Yan, I'm fine, I knew you'd definitely come and find me."
His tone was so sure that Yan Yue's heart was soft and confused, and he wished he could kiss Lu Lingxi right now, rub him into his heart, connect their blood from now on, never to be separated again. Unfortunately, the circumstances were not right, and there was a disruptive third party – the little monkey.
"Zi-zi."
The little monkey clung to Lu Lingxi's neck, its attitude towards Yan Yue very hostile. It still remembered that this was the one who had just snatched Lu Lingxi away from it.
Yan Yue helplessly smiled bitterly, his attitude towards the little monkey unusually indulgent. It was not only because Lu Lingxi liked the little monkey, but also because the little monkey had saved Lu Lingxi's life. He had already heard about their escape from Lu Lingxi and was immensely grateful to the little monkey. He reached out his hand as gently as he could to pet the little monkey, but the little monkey didn't hesitate to knock it away.
Yan Yue: "…"
Lu Lingxi curved his eyes and smiled, rubbing the little monkey's fluffy head soothingly. Even though he was still in the rainforest and his surroundings looked dark and shadowy, indescribably eerie in the light of flashlights, but walking beside Yan Yue, with the little monkey in his arms, Lu LIngxi was completely free of his previous fears and was in a very relaxed mood.
"Stop for a moment." Wu Jiang's voice sounded in the front, "Something doesn't seem right."
Yan Yue and Lu Lingxi looked at each other, took a few steps forward, stood next to Wu Jiang and asked, "What's wrong?"
Wu Jiang was about to speak when Fang Lei shone his flashlight on the grass to his left and suddenly paused. The people followed the light and saw that in the grass, the black python lay like an ancient beast, its huge body coiled, its head held high as it looked at them coldly.
Everyone took out their weapons almost instinctively. The python didn't move, but glanced at everyone indifferently, turned its head and slithered to the depths of the rainforest. As the python left, everyone realised that there was another, smaller python in the grass. The python seemed to be dead, lying stiff and motionless in the grass. The body of a human was placed next to it, and the situation looked indescribably bizarre.
Fang Lei and the others had heard Lu Lingxi talk about their previous escape experience, and they faintly guessed something.
"It's the drug dealer." Lu Lingxi affirmed their guess.
Wu Jiang sent someone forward to take a look. The big python in the grass was indeed dead, killed by a gunshot. As for the drug dealer beside it, it seemed that he had been strangled.
"Animals like snakes have an evil streak, this one obviously came for revenge."
A policeman behind them whispered, but Wu Jiang waved his hand to stop him from saying more. The python's revenge had nothing to do with them; what mattered was that this drug dealer was dead, the operation was a huge success and they saved themselves the trouble tomorrow. (Remember the phyton the drug dealer killed in the beginning when he took Lu Lingxi and Wang Chaoliang hostage? So, the black phyton came specifically for him, to take revenge for the killed phyron. – Translator's note)
"Come on, let's go back."
After this episode, the rest of the trip was without any accidents and the group soon walked to the edge of the rainforest.
"Zi-zi."
A monkey's call came from the tree overhead, and the little monkey in Lu Lingxi's arms squeaked. Lu Lingxi knew it was the big monkey coming to pick up the little monkey, so he reluctantly squeezed the little monkey's paw and said softly, "Little monkey, we are going to see each other again."
The little monkey squeaked twice and clung to Lu Lingxi's neck with its other paw. Lu Lingxi's heart felt soft; he didn't want to part with the little monkey either. It was just that the little monkey belonged to this rainforest, there were the little monkey's fellows living here. It lived freely here; he couldn't selfishly take the little monkey away from here.
"Go back." Lu Lingxi whispered.
The squeaking in the trees got louder and the lead monkey seemed very anxious, calling urgently to the little monkey. The little monkey looked up and then looked at Lu Lingxi, and slowly jumped from Lu Lingxi's arms to the tree, squatting on the branch and watching Lu Lingxi quietly. A few monkeys jumped to its side and the leading monkey stroked the little monkey's head. A group of monkeys crouched there watching Lu Lingxi and his group leave the rainforest and return to the village.
Wang Chaoliang's colleagues, two staff members from the botanical garden's workstation, had stayed awake, holding on to wait for Wang Chaoliang and Xiao Xi to be rescued. Hearing the news of their return to the village, the staff members came to greet them excitedly. At first glance, they almost cried when they saw Wang Chaoliang's swollen nose and bruised face.
They didn't notice it in the rainforest before, but when they came back to the bright light, the bruises on Wang Chaoliang's face appeared shocking. Although Lu Lingxi didn't look as horribly as Wang Chaoliang did, the corner of his mouth was also a bit bruised. Yan Yue hurriedly said goodbye to Wu Jiang and Fang Lei, saying that if they wanted to talk about anything, it would have to wait until tomorrow and that he had to take Lu Lingxi back to rest first.
With no more outsiders, Yan Yue stripped Lu Lingxi naked in a few motions, touched his whole body, checking him all over, making sure that Lu Lingxi was fine except for some bruises on his cheeks and arms.
Wrapped in a blanket, Lu Lingxi looked at Yan Yue with a bit of a blush and said softly, "Big Brother Yan, I'm fine, it was Uncle Wang who was beaten up all the time."
Although it was a bit too much to think so, Yan Yue was really glad that it was Wang Chaoliang who had been beaten up. He couldn't imagine Lu Lingxi's face being bruised and swollen like Wang Chaoliang's if he'd been beaten like that. If that was the case, even if the drug dealer was dead, he wouldn't be able to resist putting a few more bullets into the corpse.
Yan Yue thought this and opened his arms to gently hug Lu Lingxi. Because of Lu Lingxi's injuries, he didn't dare to exert too much force and was as careful as if he was holding an expensive porcelain. Lu Lingxi obediently leaned into Yan Yue's arms, his soft hair pressed against Yan Yue's neck, and Yan Yue slightly lowered his head, sniffing the unique fragrance of the rainforest on Lu Lingxi's body.
Lu Lingxi tilted his face up, his gaze dependent and trusting. He moved up and took the initiative to kiss Yan Yue, whispering, "I love you, Big Brother Yan."
These words were like a fuse, and the suppressed volcano in Yan Yue's body exploded with a bang. He fiercely squeezed Lu Lingxi in his arms and couldn't wait to overtake the young man's lips, kissing him hard and lingering.
The blanket on Lu Lingxi's body slipped off, revealing his white skin, his healthy and supple body full of a thrilling beauty. Yan Yue pinned him down, pouring out all his feelings for Lu Lingxi through the union of their bodies.
The anger he felt when he first heard that Lu Lingxi was being held hostage, the anxiety he felt during his search for Lu Lingxi, the ecstasy he felt when he heard Lu Lingxi's voice, and the reassurance he felt when he finally held Lu Lingxi in his arms, after the dust had settled, the previous ordeals were like a dream, and he only wanted to be with Lu Lingxi for a long time and never be apart again.
"Xiao Xi."
Yan Yue tenderly called Lu Lingxi's name and rubbed his lips. The corners of Lu Lingxi's mouth curled up and he comfortably wriggled in Yan Yue's arms, whispering, "Big Brother Yan, I'm sleepy."
Yan Yue smiled and kissed him, softly saying, "Then go to sleep, I'll stay with you."
Lu Lingxi closed his eyes with a muffled sound, then he thought of something and opened his eyes to look at Yan Yue seriously, "Big Brother Yan, don't tell Mom about today, otherwise she will worry."
"I know." Yan Yue whispered, lovingly kissing Lu Lingxi's forehead.
Lu Lingxi was now completely relieved and fell into a deep sleep in Yan Yue's arms. By the time he woke up again it was already noon the next day. Although Lu Lingxi had told Yan Yue not to tell Wang Shuxiu about the incident, Yan Yue briefly spoke to Xiao Feng and also said hello to Elder Zhang and Elder Zhao in Kunnan.
The orchid exhibition at the Botanical Garden was opening today, and Lu Lingxi had originally agreed with Elder Zhang to return this morning at the latest. Now that he had missed his appointment, an explanation needed to be given. When Elder Zhang and Elder Zhao heard that Lu Lingxi had been held hostage by drug dealers and almost had an accident, Elder Zhang and Elder Zhao were so anxious that they didn't even want to see the orchid show and had to come to the border to see Lu Lingxi. Yan Yue had to tell them that when Lu Lingxi woke up, he would take him back to Kunnan, so there was no need for the two old men to toss and turn.
After the matter with the two old men was settled, Wang Chaoliang came over. Looking at the oil-like substance that Wang Chaoliang placed in front of him, Yan Yue looked puzzled, "What is this?"
Even with his swollen face, Wang Chaoliang couldn't hide his excitement, "This is what the little monkey found on a tree last night. According to the little monkey's reaction, this thing can be ignited. I took the workstation instrument to test it in the morning, do you know what it is?"
"What?"
Wang Chaoliang said loudly with a look of disbelief, "This is oil. This stuff burns exactly the same as diesel fuel. It doesn't need any processing and can be used as diesel fuel completely straight away. Can you believe it?"
Yan Yue reacted, " Are you saying that this came out of a certain tree?"
"Yes, yes." Wang Chaohuo nodded, "This discovery is simply amazing, Yan Yue, you should know what this means."
"Of course."
It was like Zhugang instead of steel. If it was as Wang Chaoliang said, then this tree that could produce oil would be an even more incredible existence than Zhugang; it was simply an oil mine laid out in front of them.
Chapter 157
An oil-producing tree was a discovery that made Yan Yue decide to postpone his return to Kunnan.
With the development of China's economy over the years, the importance of fossil energy (non-renewable resources that formed when prehistoric plants and animals died) had become more and more prominent. People's material standards were rising and the corresponding demand for fossil energy was growing. The problem was that there were not unlimited reserves of fossil energy, be it oil, coal or natural gas. At current levels of extraction, for example, the world's oil reserves would be depleted in another 40 years, not to mention China's own oil reserves.
To ameliorate the energy crisis, China had been exploring the development of renewable energy sources. This included wind, water and solar energy. There were also efforts in the direction of green plant energy, but this was the first time that a plant energy like the one discovered by the little monkey could be used directly in machines without any processing.
After making this decision, Yan Yue quickly called Elder Zhang to explain why he couldn't return to Kunnan for the time being. Originally, Elder Zhang was still a little upset that he couldn't see Lu Lingxi, but after listening to Yan Yue's explanation, he was instantly interested in this tree.
"Yan Yue, how did you get this energy fuel you're talking about? Like peanut and soybean oil extraction?" Elder Zhang asked over the phone.
"It's not that complicated, it doesn't need to be processed at all." Yan Yue patiently explained, "After collecting the oil, it can be used directly."
"Used directly?" Elder Zhang was dubious.
"This is the current situation, but we still need to collect some samples and do some tests to see."
The samples brought back by Wang Chaoliang last night were too small, and a trip to the rainforest would be necessary for further analysis. Yan Yue was already discussing with Wang Chaoliang about entering the rainforest again. Without the drug dealers, the two of them were able to deal with all the dangers except for the large python, which was a bit scary.
When Lu Lingxi woke up, Yan Yue had just hung up the phone. Lu Lingxi was confused when he heard Yan Yue say something about a tree that could produce oil.
"Xiao Xi is awake?" When Yan Yue turned around and saw Lu Lingxi, the corners of his lips raised up unconsciously. He quickly walked over to the bed and brought a change of clothes for Lu Lingxi.
Lu Lingxi used Yan Yue's help to get into his T-shirt and casually asked, "What's the oil-producing tree?"
Yan Yue smiled, "Get up and eat something first, I'll tell you slowly."
When Lu Lingxi finished washing up, Yan Yue had already asked the neighbour to cook a large bowl of rice noodles. He fed the peeled quail eggs to Lu Lingxi and began to talk about Wang Chaoliang's discovery.
"That's a first-class copaiba balsam tree." Although it sounded a little incredible, Lu Lingxi still corrected the name of the tree seriously.
Yan Yue realised something, "Is that the prompt from the panel?"
Lu Lingxi put down his chopsticks and nodded.
Yan Yue looked at Lu Lingxi dotingly, pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth, and said softly, "Good, it's the copaiba balsam tree then." Although he thought the name was a bit awkward, Yan Yue still obediently called it the new name. When he spoke of re-entering the rainforest with Wang Chaoliang to look for some samples, Lu Lingxi blinked and said, "I'm coming along too."
"No, the rainforest is extremely dangerous, Xiao Xi, have you forgotten the big snake?"
Thinking of the big snake, Lu Lingxi frowned slightly, but still refused to change his mind. He insisted, and Yan Yue had no choice but to go to Fang Lei to see if he had time to go along, or if he should pay to hire a few locals. Before he could suggest a second option, Fang Lei had readily agreed to follow them on their journey. The group of four got ready and re-entered the rainforest.
It was late at night when they returned to the village last night, and they only had a rough idea of the direction they were heading. Luckily, Xiaohei and Xiaohui knew the way, with Xiaohei leading the way and Xiaohui responsible for guarding. The two cooperated tacitly, and everyone walked smoothly in the rainforest. Because of the clear goal of entering the rainforest this time, they didn't delay on the road. Even Wang Chaoliang tried his best to restrain the idea of studying plants along the way, and kept urging everyone to go faster.
When they passed the place where the python had appeared last night, both the drug dealer and the smaller python's body were gone. It seemed that the python had returned after they had left, and considering the python's fierceness that was hardly possible to control, they almost trotted away from the place.
"Zi-zi."
Just as they were about to return to the copaiba balsam tree, a familiar squeaking reached them. Lu Lingxi followed the sound and looked up, and on the branch above his head, the little monkey was squatting, calling out excitedly to him.
"Little monkey." Lu Lingxi said in surprise.
When the little monkey heard Lu Lingxi call it, it dangled from the branch and jumped directly into Lu Lingxi's arms. "Zi-zi." It happily wrapped its two front paws around Lu Lingxi's neck and rubbed its furry head against his face, looking very satisfied.
"How come the little monkey and Xiao Xi are so close?" Fang Lei was a little curious.
Yan Yue vaguely guessed it was the attraction of the panel on Lu Lingxi's body, just as in Fengcheng small animals all liked Lu Lingxi.
"You're the only one here, little monkey, where are the other monkeys?" Lu Lingxi asked as he hugged the little monkey.
The little monkey seemed to understand, pointing ahead and squeaking.
"Here it is."
Wang Chaoliang's voice interrupted Lu Lingxi's words, and the others hurried to follow him, not paying attention to the little monkey anymore.
It was too dark to see clearly last night, but at this time, at midday, the light was just right. The tree, after being saved by the power of nature, didn't look like it was dying at all. The tree's trunk towered, reaching the clouds, its branches and leaves flourished, and a huge amount of vitality overflowed from its body, condensing into a milky white mist, so refreshing that all the fatigue of the journey had disappeared.
Wang Chaoliang went to the trunk of the tree and quickly found the presence of oil. From the hole in the tree trunk made by some bugs, oil continued to flow out, solidifying into a gelatinous substance on the bark. Wang Chaoliang carefully took the knife and pulled the gelatinous substance off without hurting the trunk of the tree. The oil from the small hole flowed out again, and Wang Qingliang hurriedly pressed the prepared bottle to the hole.
Along the way, Fang Lei heard them talk a lot about the magic of this kind of tree. Now that he watched the oil flow out with his own eyes, he remembered another thing in amazement.
"This kind of tree is magical, but it looks like it is the only one around. It will take several years to raise the seedlings and plant trees when we go back."
The issues he considered were practical, but with the help of the white panel, Yan Yue was not worried about the growth of trees. Besides, from the perspective of a businessman, it was impossible for any business to make money as soon as it got started. As long as the late return rate was high, it didn't matter if the investment took longer. It was imperative to determine the output and composition of the oil from the copaiba balsam tree. If everything was appropriate, they could start working on the seedling planting.
The trunk of the tree was so huge that several people wouldn't be able to hug it, gathering around it in a circle. The four of them each chose a side, looked for a hole, took a bottle and collected the oily substance from inside.
"Zi-zi."
The little monkey had been observing Lu Lingxi's movements, and seeing that he was curious about the oily substance inside the tree, the little monkey couldn't help but jump and call out, pointing in the direction on the left and chirping excitedly.
"To the left? What's over there?" Lu Lingxi asked the little monkey seriously as if he was talking to Dahei.
The little monkey's two front paws stretched out and gestured a long distance. Lu Lingxi pondered for a long time and said tentatively, "Are there trees over there too?"
There was no telling whether the little monkey understood or not, so it wrapped its arms around Lu Lingxi's neck and squeaked.
The people around them could hear their conversation clearly, and Wang Chaoliang was the most anxious, "Why don't we go and have a look?"
Lu Lingxi asked Yan Yue's opinion, who thought about it and nodded, "Okay, let the little monkey lead the way and we'll go and have a look."
Following the direction indicated by the little monkey, they walked for another half an hour to the left. A small valley soon appeared in front of them, with countless lush copaiba balsam trees filling the valley, and a four or five metre wide river winding through the valley.
"This…"
Everyone was speechless for a while, and the little monkey happily jumped to the river, scooped the water and drank two sips. The group of monkeys they had seen last night appeared on the opposite side of the river and squaked at the people across the river.
The discovery of the valley of copaiba balsam trees made the people happy. Considering the lack of time, they didn't enter the valley, but just remembered the direction of the valley and returned to the village by the same route. To Lu Lingxi's surprise, Elder Zhang and Elder Zhao were waiting for him in the village, and along with the two old men was another old man with white hair, surnamed Min.
"Grandpa Zhang, Grandpa Zhao." Lu Lingxi was taken aback as he saw them.
Elder Zhang nervously took his hand, "Let me see, where are you hurt?"
Lu Lingxi was a little embarrassed, "Grandpa Zhang, I'm fine, I just scraped the skin a little."
"That's good, Xiao Xi. This is your Grandpa Min." Elder Zhang enthusiastically introduced Lu Lingxi and turned his head to add, "Lao Min, this is Xiao Xi I told you about."
Lu Lingxi meekly called out, "Hello, Grandpa Min."
Elder Min looked at Lu Lingxi and smiled, nodding gently. After everyone had greeted each other, Yan Yue continued to look at Elder MIn. He had not expected that Elder Min was actually a friend of Elder Zhang and Elder Zhao. If he was not mistaken… what lay before him and Xiao Xi was a huge opportunity.
As Elder Zhang spoke, Lu Lingxi realised that Elder Min, Elder Zhang and Elder Zhao had been friends for many years, but all three used to be busy with work, not having much time to get together. Now that they were retired and had free time, they would find time to get together from time to time. This time, it coincided with the Kunnan Orchid Exhibition, and since the old men were all flower lovers, they simply agreed to come to Kunnan together.
Lu Lingxi felt sorry that Elder Zhang didn't go to the orchid show because of him, but the old man laughed and said, "The orchid show is going to be open for half a month, so we can go back and see it when we have time. If I didn't come to see Xiao Xi, your Grandpa Zhao and I wouldn't be able to relax. As for your Grandpa Min, he was attracted by the copaiba balsam tree and other trees that you have mentioned. Your Grandpa Min has been involved in energy research all his life, but this is the first time he has heard of this kind of tree that can produce oil, so he couldn't sit still." Here Elder Zhang paused and asked, "Xiao Xi, tell me what is going on with this tree?"
Lu Lingxi told about the results of Wang Chaoliang's tests and what they had found today. As soon as he finished, Elder Min spoke eagerly, "Xiao Xi, you said you found a whole valley full of these trees."
Lu Lingxi nodded, but quickly said seriously, "The valley of the copaiba balsam trees we found is located in the Kunnan rainforest, deep in the rainforest. In order to protect the environment of the rainforest, it is best if the valley is not developed and destroyed."
He said it in a serious manner, as if he was afraid that Elder Min would secretly go and destroy the valley. Elder Min smiled all of a sudden, the wrinkles on his face stretching, and one could see that he was in a very good mood. "Yes, yes, Xiao Xi is right, we need to protect the environment of the rainforest. Then, Xiao Xi, what are your plans?"
Lu Lingxi glanced at Yan Yue and said after a moment's thought, "Uncle Wang has basically determined through testing that the oil from the copaiba balsam tree can be used completely in place of diesel, so Big Brother Yan and I want to try to see if we can transplant the trees successfully in Fengcheng."
"Fengcheng?"
Lu Lingxi nodded; he already considered Fengcheng as his home and wanted to plant anything good in Fengcheng. Although the copaiba balsam tree was native to the rainforest region and the climate of Fengcheng was quite different, considering the effect of Fengcheng's environmental purification, it might not be impossible to transplant the trees.
Elder Min laughed at his reasoning and said, "It would be good if it could be transplanted to Fengcheng, so that Fengcheng wouldn't have to dig coal in the future, and would instead mine this kind of tree oil. It's environmentally friendly and economically beneficial, killing two birds with one stone."
The group chatted for a while longer, with Elder Min's conversation revolving around the copaiba balsam tree. Yan Yue looked at Elder Min thoughtfully for a few moments, and waited until the others had left to rest before telling Lu Lingxi, "Elder Min was the previous Minister of Energy in China."
Lu Lingxi didn't watch much news and didn't know anything about how big a position the Minister of Energy was. Yan Yue smiled at his bewildered expression, hugged Lu Lingxi and gave him a kiss, "It doesn't matter if you don't understand these things. Xiao Xi just needs to know that this is an opportunity."
Chapter 158
Because of the discovery of the copaiba balsam tree, Lu Lingxi and his party stayed in Kunnan for more than half a month. By the time they finished watching the orchid exhibition, packed up and prepared to return to Fengcheng, it was already the end of May and the beginning of June. In addition to the four people who originally came to Kunnan, there were also Wang Chaoliang and Elder Min.
In the past half a month, Wang Chaoliang had repeatedly studied and experimented with the "tree oil" found in the rainforest. He had finally determined that the sap from the tree Lu Lingxi called a copaiba balsam tree could be completely used as a substitute for diesel oil, did not require any processing and was easy to produce. In addition, the sap did not contain sulphur and combustion wouldn't form acid rain to pollute the atmosphere. Moreover, it was also very safe, didn't explode and didn't cause major ecological damage if it leaked. Even more importantly, the trees could be planted to restore the ecological environment and at the same time, the oil could be continuously extracted, creating a rare renewable resource.
Wang Chaoliang put the report together and it was taken seriously by the Botanical Garden even before it was published. Before they left Kunnan, the Botanical Garden had sent someone to the workstation at the edge of the rainforest with the intention of transplanting a copaiba balsam tree to the botanical garden for further research.
Lu Lingxi had left all these follow-ups to Yan Yue and Wang Chaoliang, and his whole mind was now on his return home. Before coming to Kunnan, Lu Lingxi had been looking forward to his first time out, but after spending so much time outside, he missed Wang Shuxiu and Dahei more than anything else, and missed the familiarity of Tiny Garden.
On the plane, Elder Min sighed to Elder Zhang in a low voice, "Originally, I came to Kunnan just to see my old friends, but I never thought I would get so much out of it. With this new type of energy, if the things in Fengcheng are well planned, it will slowly reduce its dependence on coal and steel, and the environment will be greatly changed after the economic structure is adjusted."
Hearing Elder Min's sigh, Elder Zhang smiled. Fengcheng's economic structure needed to be adjusted, but the environment… he laughed, "Lao Min, you haven't been back to Fengcheng for a few years, right?"
Elder Min wasn't happy, "What a few years, I haven't been back just for two years!"
"Then that's it." Thinking about the changes in Fengcheng this year, Elder Zhang smiled and said, "Then you'll have to take a good look at it later, the environment in Fengcheng isn't what you think it is anymore."
"What?"
Elder Zhang smiled and stopped talking, deliberately trying to keep listeners in suspense.
Elder Min glared at him bitterly, but his curiosity was aroused.
Soon after they took a nap they arrived in Fengcheng. When he first got off the plane, Elder Min didn't notice anything, but as soon as he left the airport hall, he was stunned. As far as the eye could see, apart from the parking lot in the middle and the surrounding clearly planned traffic lanes, all the other areas were covered with green grass, like a carpet covering the entire periphery of the airport. He glanced behind him at the glass facade, the surrounding street lamp posts, the railings separating the coming and leaving vehicles… Everywhere he could see, green vines were crawling over the railings, covered in small purple flowers, and the breeze made the flowers smell delicious.
"What's going on here?" Elder Min looked at everyone in surprise.
Elder Zhang was also a little surprised; the surroundings were obviously different again from before he left. But he quickly reacted and said smugly, "That's what you can see. How is it? Not worse than Kunnan, right?"
Elder Min was a little incredulous and deliberately looked up overhead. The blue sky was clear and crisp, with white clouds drifting by. Surprisingly, a sunny day in Fengcheng was rare, as far as he remembered.
Before Elder Min finished wondering, An Jie had already driven the car in front of them. Yan Yue mentioned to Elder Zhang in advance that he would arrange for someone to pick them up. They would send Elder Zhang back first, and he and Xiao Xi would be the last to return. Sitting in the car, Elder Min was still thinking about the changes in Fengcheng. At first, he thought that everything he saw was the layout made by the airport staff, but when he got out of the airport, he realised that it was not just the airport, but the entire Fengcheng seemed to be different from what he remembered.
As far as he could remember, the stretch of road from the airport to the city was dotted with various small mechanical processing plants. Whenever he passed this stretch of the road in the past, all he could see when he looked up was smog and all he could smell was the pungent smell of tar. When a car passed on the road, because of the dust in the air the car window couldn't be opened, otherwise the car would have to be washed. But in just two years, not only had the smog disappeared, but all kinds of green plants had grown on both sides of the road. Through the greenery one could still see a mechanical processing plant, but what used to be an iron gate had turned into a sea of vines, full of the small purple flowers Elder Min had seen at the airport.
Yan Yue opened the car window, and there was no trace of dust on the road. The faint fragrance of flowers floated, calming people's mood unconsciously. Elder Min had the illusion that the entire Fengcheng seemed to be wrapped in green floral fragrance, and the closer he got to the city, the more obvious this feeling became.
He was amazed all the way, and everyone looked at him and smiled slightly.
Yan Yue asked Lu Lingxi in a low voice when no one was paying attention, "The purification of the soil is already this extensive?"
Lu Lingxi nodded and also whispered, "The weather is warmer and it seems that the soil is purifying faster than it did in winter. And now that there are green plants everywhere, it also speeds up the purification accordingly."
In fact, when they left Fengcheng at the end of April, the surroundings hadn't changed that much. By the time spring bloomed in May, which was supposed to be the season for plants to grow, along with the effect of the purified soil, it was as if the greenery throughout Fengcheng had been given a collective growth stimulant.
Half an hour later, An Jie pulled up in front of the community where Elder Zhang lived. Today happened to be Saturday, and quite a few people had gathered at the entrance of the community. It seemed the property management was organising a collective weeding by the owners from the community. Elder Min had already seen quite a few similar scenes along the way and didn't even bother to be surprised. "What are you doing with all this grass?" Elder Min asked casually.
Elder Zhang smiled and said, "Send it to the cattle farms in the western suburbs. They'll drive over here to collect it. A cart of grass only sells for ten or so yuan, much cheaper than if they bought feed."
Elder Min: "…"
The three of them got out of the car and in no time at all Lu Lingxi saw the outer walls of the Hongfu Community through the car window. Just like what they had seen in the city, the outer walls of the community were covered with small purple flowers, with long vines stretching from the outer wall to the closest building, forming a purple corridor of flowers at the entrance. Lu Lingxi had already heard Wang Shuxiu talk about it on the phone, and it seemed that this flower corridor had become a famous "scenic spot" nearby, with many newlyweds coming to the entrance of the community to take wedding photos just to use this flower corridor as a backdrop. Wang Shuxiu and Xiao Feng also took a few photos to catch up with the trend and said that they would take Lu Lingxi along for a family photo when he returned.
After Lu Lingxi finished looking at the flower gallery, he turned around and heard Yan Yue say, "Take a shower and sleep when you get home, I'll come to see you tonight."
Because he didn't know Wang Shuxiu's attitude towards him, Yan Yue was worried that he wouldn't be able to see Lu Lingxi when he returned, so he took the time to instruct him. Although Wang Shuxiu looked like she had agreed before they left, Yan Yue couldn't help but feel his heart pounding.
Lu Lingxi nodded seriously and reminded in a small voice, "Don't forget to bring the gift you bought for Mom when you come over."
Yan Yue chuckled and lowered his head to give Lu Lingxi a kiss on the cheek, "I know."
Lu Lingxi was a little embarrassed to be seen by An Jie and pushed Yan Yue away and was about to say something when a dog's barking reached him from outside. Dahei had excitedly run out of the building and put his two front paws on the car window. Behind Dahei, Xiao Baiwan followed suit and also put his paws on the car window.
"Dahei, Xiao Baiwan."
Lu Lingxi was so happy that he pushed the door open and got out of the car, hugging Dahei tightly and refusing to let go. Xiao Baiwan excitedly rubbed over him, his chubby body squeezing hard as he tried to squeeze into Lu Lingxi's arms just like Dahei. Lu Lingxi was amused by Xiao Baiwan's actions and stretched out his arms to hug him as well. "Dahei, I missed you." He looked at Dahei and whispered.
Dahei leaned forward and licked Lu Lingxi's face, his black eyes looking at Lu Lingxi tenderly as he gave a low bark.
The corner of Lu Lingxi's mouth curled up, "I know."
He and Dahei seemed to have endless words when meeting again after a long time. Wang Shuxiu heard the commotion and came out, glaring at Lu Lingxi, "You're at the door and still don't go home."
"Mom." Lu Lingxi ingratiatingly went over and took Wang Shuxiu's arm. Wang Shuxiu smiled. She took Lu Lingxi and turned around to go back to the house, but after thinking of something, she turned back and said after a pause, "Yan Yue, why don't you also come along, Xiao Xi's uncle is also here, so we can have a meal together."
Yan Yue: "…"
The happiness came so suddenly that even Yan Yue was stunned for a moment. Lu Lingxi's reaction was even more direct as he immediately looked at Wang Shuxiu. Wang Shuxiu casually slapped him, "Don't recognise your mom or what?"
Lu Lingxi hurriedly shook his head and curved his eyes in a smile.
Yan Yue was about to follow him when he thought of An Jie who was still there and who was already prepared to leave sensibly. An Jie waved his hand at Yan Yue through the car window and lowered his voice, "Go for it, boss, I'll go first, remember to make the red envelope thicker at the end of the year."
Yan Yue: "…"
As Wang Shuxiu said, this meal was the first time Yan Yue was eating as part of Lu Lingxi's family. When they saw him come in, everyone reacted as usual. Yan Yue was relieved; it meant that Xiao Xi's family had accepted his presence.
"Go wash your hands and get ready to eat." Wang Shuxiu urged.
Lu Lingxi obediently went to wash his hands and called Yan Yue to come along. The two of them were crammed into the small bathroom, and Lu Lingxi rubbed hand sanitizer onto Yan Yue's hands, and Yan Yue watched it with the corners of his lips slowly rising up. Lu Lingxi washed his hands clean, and while Yan Yue was washing his hands, he stood on tiptoe and kissed him. Yan Yue's eyes lit up, as if a flame had ignited. As soon as he wanted to kiss Lu Lingxi back, Wang Shuxiu coughed at the door. Lu Lingxi's body suddenly froze, and the tips of his ears reddened at the thought that Wang Shuxiu had just seen him kiss Yan Yue. Yan Yue laughed soundlessly.
After the two of them washed their hands, the dinner was on the table. Lu Lingxi chatted about the interesting events on his trip to Kunnan, with emphasis on the copaiba balsam tree. Yan Yue occasionally added a few words, and the two of them cooperated very well. Xiao Hong was very interested to hear about trees that could produce oil. He had just finished taking care of all his business in his hometown in the northwest and had nothing to do, so it seemed that planting trees would be a good way out. Of course, it was up to Lu Lingxi and Yan Yue to decide on this matter, but that was what Xiao Hong had in mind.
When he mentioned it, Yan Yue and Lu Lingxi looked at each other and readily agreed. There were more and more things to do with Tiny Garden, and he and Xiao Xi were simply too busy. With Xiao Hong's help, it would be easier for them.
"Good." Xiao Hong slapped Yan Yue's shoulder vigorously and laughed, "Let's plant trees well from now on. Regardless of whether we can make money or not, just think of it as improving the environment." Xiao Hong felt that he had more or less destroyed the environment with his coal mine in the past, and now planting trees was a way to make up for it, at least bringing him peace of mind.
Xiao Hong slapped hard, and Yan Yue endured it silently. Although Xiao Hong looked genuinely happy, there was no guarantee that applying such force was not intentional. Perhaps it was a little warning on behalf of Xiao Feng but Yan Yue acted as if nothing had happened, and Xiao Hong's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, while Xiao Feng looked at them and laughed helplessly.
The family finished their meal happily. Zhou Xiaoman and Xiao Hong took the initiative to clean up the dishes. When Lu Lingxi wanted to help, Wang Shuxiu stopped him, "Xiao Xi, your dad and I have something to say to you."
Yan Yue knew what Wang Shuxiu was going to say as soon as he heard it. He gave Lu Lingxi a worried look and sat beside him silently. Although he felt that Wang Shuxiu didn't necessarily want him to be present at this time, he knew more than Wang Shuxiu and knew that the news Wang Shuxiu was going to say was not just a simple matter of his origin to Lu Lingxi. He was afraid that…
Yan Yue reached under the cover of the dining table and held Lu Lingxi's hand. Lu Lingxi faintly felt that something was wrong. He looked at Wang Shuxiu and then at Yan Yue, and whispered, "What happened?"
Wang Shuxiu noticed Yan Yue's small movements but didn't stop him, just settled down and slowly said, "Lu Yishui… your father's relatives are looking for you and want you to recognise your ancestors and return to the family. Of course your mom certainly doesn't agree."
She said it directly, making her attitude clear. Xiao Feng looked at her helplessly; everything the two of them had discussed before was in vain.
Yan Yue also didn't expect Wang Shuxiu to be so straightforward and was quite a bit surprised. On the contrary, Lu Lingxi didn't feel anything strange, he just subconsciously asked, "Who are they?"
Wang Shuxiu said reluctantly, "Lu Hengchuan, the man from the Lu family in Zhongjing, is your grandfather."
A few simple words were said, but it was tantamount to a thunderbolt in the clear sky, and Lu Lingxi's face turned white in an instant.
Chapter 159
Lu Hengchuan, the head of the Lu family in Zhongjing, was also Lu Lingxi's grandfather in his previous life.
Wang Shuxiu didn't know too much about the past events of the previous generation. She only knew that Lu Yishui's mother was a maid for the Lu family back then, and then somehow Lu Yishui was born. At that time, Lu Hengchuan had already married and had children, and Wang Shuxiu's mother-in-law left the Lu family in disgrace and went back to Fengcheng alone. Xiao Feng and Yan Yue already knew everything Wang Shuxiu said but it was the first time Lu Lingxi heard about it.
He looked at Wang Shuxiu in bewilderment. He thought he could get rid of his past life but he never expected that he would still be involved with the Lu family after all. Lu Lingxi couldn't tell what he felt, so he pursed his lips and didn't speak.
Yan Yue noticed his expression; his heart ached. Not caring what Wang Shuxiu would think, he reached out and put his arms around Lu Lingxi, whispering, "Xiao Xi, I'm with you."
Lu Lingxi returned to his senses and nodded gently.
Wang Shuxiu could see that Lu Lingxi's reaction was a bit off and asked nervously, "Xiao Xi?"
Lu Lingxi smiled reluctantly, "Mom, I'm fine, what happened later?"
"Later?" When talking about this, Wang Shuxiu got angry and slapped the table hard, "Later, one of the children in the Lu family got leukaemia, and I don't know what your grandmother thought. There are so many people in the Lu family but none of them was willing to come out to test for a match. But your grandmother had to carry you to save someone's life. Lu Hengchuan, that old bastard…" She hadn't finished. Xiao Feng helplessly poked her gently, reminding her to pay attention to her tone.
Wang Shuxiu was a bit unhappy, but continued after a pause: "Lu Hengchuan, who usually ignored your grandmother, actually had the cheek to agree at the time. I chased you all the way to Zhongjing before I managed to snatch you back. Let me tell you, there is no one good in the Lu family, they are all a bunch of selfish bastards. Your mom strongly disagrees with the idea of recognising the ancestors. Lu Hengchuan, that old bastard… Lu Hengchuan wants to be your grandfather, I say no way! It's either him, or me!"
Xiao Feng: "…"
He knew that according to Xiaohua's temper she wouldn't be able to hold back her anger. When Xiao Xi was still in Kunnan, Xiaohua was so worried that she couldn't sleep at night, afraid that Lu Lingxi would be fooled by the Lu family in Zhongjing to go there. After all, they were just ordinary people; the Lu family and they were really two worlds apart. To put it bluntly, there were not many ordinary people who wouldn't be impressed when a large consortium like the Lu family suddenly came out one day and said they were your relatives and wanted to take you back, compensating you with money, fame and fortune for everything. Even if Xiao Xi was obedient and sensible and didn't care about money, there was no guarantee that once the Lu family played the emotional card, Xiao Xi wouldn't become soft-hearted.
Wang Shuxiu was worried about it and swore to Xiao Feng that if the Lu family played the emotional card, so would she. It was not easy for her to raise Xiao Xi for so many years; when the time came, she would hug him and cry and Xiao Xi would definitely not let her feel sad. As a result, Xiaohua's tears were nowhere to be seen but her temper was seen clearly.
Xiao Feng's heart felt relieved. Wang Shuxiu also felt a little too impulsive when she regained her senses. But as soon as she saw Lu Lingxi, she thought of the child she had worked so hard to give birth to and raise. The Lu family shamelessly snatched him once and tried to snatch him a second time, so she couldn't bear it.
"Either him, or me." She repeated it again bitterly, "Little bastard, do you understand?"
Although Wang Shuxiu's words were brief and rude, Lu Lingxi was just simple but not stupid. He could imagine how difficult it was for Wang Shuxiu back then and how angry she was now. He looked at Wang Shuxiu and nodded with pursed lips, and after thinking about it, he whispered his assurance, "Don't worry, Mom, I won't recognise the Lu family. My family is only you and Dad, Big Brother Yan, Uncle, Aunt, Dahei and Xiaohei."
Hearing his name, Dahei, who had been squatting at Lu Lingxi's feet, immediately straightened up and rubbed against Lu Lingxi's leg affectionately.
Lu Lingxi stroked Dahei's head, and his heart instantly relaxed. It seemed as if after he had said this, all ties with the Lu family had been severed. Not just physically, but more so mentally, Lu Lingxi's involvement with them in his past life was over.
From last June to now, it had been almost a year since Lu Lingxi had woken up. Although he tried not to think about his past life, he still occasionally saw news of the Lu family online. Every time he would think about the life of the Lu family, his parents in his past life, and… his elder brother. When he was alive, all he could feel was fatigue, not just physical, but mental boundless exhaustion. He knew that his life was abnormal, but he acquiesced to this abnormality. The education of his parents and the expectations of his elder brother made him accustomed to that kind of life, and he never knew how to resist… until he died.
Since his rebirth, his life was completely different from the past. He was ignorant, figuring out bit by bit how to live and learn. He was lucky to have Wang Shuxiu, Yan Yue, Dahei and Xiao Feng by his side. They showed him what family was, what parents were, and what it was like to love someone. Although the relationship between this body and the Lu family once again made him feel a little complicated, this time he was not alone. He had his parents, Yan Yue and Dahei by his side. He was Lu Lingxi, but he was no longer the Lu Lingxi of the past. He learned and had the courage to say "no" to the Lu family and to his past life.
These thoughts were only fleeting; Wang Shuxiu was already smiling with satisfaction, "I knew I didn't raise you for nothing."
"…" Xiao Feng, "All right, Xiao Xi came back right in time to eat and didn't have time to rest. Now everything is okay, Xiao Xi, Yan Yue, go to sleep. We can talk later tonight."
The matter on Wang Shuxiu's mind was solved, and with it, Yan Yue also looked more favourable to her eyes, so she took the initiative to say, "Yan Yue, you take Xiao Xi next door to rest, and remember to come over for dinner tonight." She guessed that there were some things that Xiao Xi would prefer to talk to Yan Yue about. Never mind how Xiao Xi looked now, he must have had some thoughts once he found out such big news. Anyway, she had already talked to Yan Yue, so she could have Yan Yue's help in settling everything and be completely at ease.
After Wang Shuxiu and Xiao Feng had said that, Yan Yue obediently pulled Lu Lingxi to his feet, "Then I'll go back next door with Xiao Xi first."
"Go ahead." Wang Shuxiu said with unusual enthusiasm.
Yan Yue smiled as Dahei already ran over and used his paws to open the balcony door.
Lu Lingxi didn't say anything and followed Yan Yue back next door. After showering and changing his clothes, he was not sleepy for a while, so he hugged Dahei and huddled on the sofa, reading a book. Soon after Yan Yue came out of the bathroom and also tried to squeeze onto the sofa.
Dahei and Yan Yue stared at each other for a long time; then Dahei vacated his position, aggrieved, and plopped down on the carpet under the sofa, resting his head on Lu Lingxi's feet.
Lu Lingxi smiled, holding the book, and reached out soothingly to scratch Dahei's chin. Yan Yue stretched out his arms and hugged Lu Lingxi, kissing his damp hair and his face again as he softly said, "Xiao Xi, do you have anything you want to say to Big Brother Yan?"
Lu Lingxi was subconsciously about to shake his head, but a sudden impulse came up from the bottom of his heart. He hesitated for a few seconds, looked at Yan Yue with his clear eyes and hesitantly said, "Big Brother Yan, I have a secret I want to tell you."
Yan Yue's heart stirred and he tried to sound as calm as possible, "What?"
Lu Lingxi took a deep breath and said seriously, "I am actually Lu Lingxi, the Lu Lingxi of the Zhongjing Lu Family."
He had heard Ye Kang and Yan Yue talk about the Lu family in the past, and knew that Yan Yue was well aware of the Lu family's affairs. He had been hesitant to tell Yan Yue of his origin. Before he used to avoid it, but now he had the courage to face it openly. He thought that Yan Yue would find it strange and ask him what he meant by this statement. Who knew that Yan Yue would lower his head and kiss him, saying just as seriously, "I know."
Lu Lingxi's eyes widened suddenly; did Yan Yue's "I know" mean what he thought it meant?
When Yan Yue saw Lu Lingxi's reaction, his heart softened and he smiled tenderly, "Xiao Xi, do you remember the time you got drunk?"
"The time of Mom's wedding?"
Yan Yue nodded, "That time you told me you were going to tell me a secret, so I already knew all about it." Of course, the private investigation didn't count.
Lu Lingxi blinked, unable to respond for a long time. Originally he was the one who was going to tell Yan Yue a secret, but now it was a bit like the other way around. "Then don't you think it's strange, Big Brother Yan? Dead and alive again…" Lu Lingxi asked slowly.
Before he could finish, Yan Yue had already interrupted him, "If Xiao Xi hadn't come back to life, how would Big Brother Yan have met you? No matter what the reason is, Big Brother Yan can only be happy."
"Then I don't want to go back to the Lu family, I…"
"I know." Yan Yue kissed Lu Lingxi's eyes and said in a deep voice, "Even if you wanted to acknowledge the Lu family, Xiao Xi, Big Brother Yan would stop you. Xiao Xi, don't think too much, you have nothing to do with the Lu family now, you have your own brand new life. Everything in the Lu family is in the past, understand?"
"En." Lu Lingxi nodded forcefully, completely letting go of his worries.
For the time being Lu Hengchuan didn't know about Lu Lingxi's attitude. He was now busy dealing with the follow-up of Sun Li's bribery scandal that had broken out at the beginning of the month. Although the Lu family didn't hesitate to sacrifice Lu Wei'an and put the blame for Hopewell's bribery of Sun Li on Lu Wei'an's head, the public was not stupid after all, and the reputation of the Lu family was still affected. The incident became more and more intense, directly leading to the suspension of several drugs newly developed by the Lu family in the past year or two, pending a new investigation by the Food and Drug Administration. This alone had resulted in incalculable losses for the Lu family, not to mention the fact that the Lu family's stock had been plummeting for a month in a row, with the Lu family's market value evaporating by nearly 20% in the short term.
"What did Yan Shihui say?"
In the chairman's office of Lu Group, Lu Hengchuan stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back, asking his eldest son, Lu Chengwen, who stood behind him.
Lu Chengwen frowned and said, "Yan Shihui said he knew about it and that he would deal with this matter."
"Deal with it?" Lu Hengchuan sneered, "Yan Shihui had a smooth ride for half his life, but he flopped hard with Yan Yue. He thought he had everything under control, but he didn't even know what Yan Yue had been doing for the past year. Now that Yan Yue bit back and our Lu family was implicated, he wants to take it lightly, saying he would deal with it."
The incident of Sun Li's bribery broke out too strangely, and afterwards, the news couldn't be suppressed, and Lu Hengchuan suspected that someone was behind it. He followed the clues for nearly a month, and found a lot of participants behind the scheme. There were competitors of the Lu family and the handwriting of the old man Ye of the Ye family but what surprised Lu Hengchuan most was that there were Yan Yue's calculations in it, and Yan Yue was the first to make a move.
While Lu Hengchuan was shocked, he immediately thought of Yan Shihui. Everyone in Yan Shihui's inner circle could see clearly that he was simply caught by the woman next to him, thinking that if all his property would be left to Yan Yue, he would wrong his later children, trying to strike a balance between them. Didn't he see that Yan Hai wasn't the right material either? He just suppressed Yan Yue blindly, forcing Yan Yue to make way for Yan Hai. Now Yan Yue daring to act like this meant that he was going to tear his relationship with Yan Shihui. Yan Shihui thought he could control Yan Yue? Deal with it; he would like to see how Yan Shihui would deal with it.
Lu Hengchuan didn't take Yan Shihui's words seriously. His Lu family's losses were all Hopewell's fault, and Yan Shihui had to give him an explanation anyway. What Lu Hengchuan was thinking about now was something else: how did Yan Yue get involved with Lu Lingxi?
Chapter 160
The problems encountered by the Lu family were also encountered by Hopewell, and even more serious than those of the Lu family. After all, the origin of the storm came from Hopewell.
Starting from Yan Hai's accident abroad and Yan Shihui hurriedly rushing abroad, to Yin Ya taking advantage of Yan Shihui's absence to apply for the listing of the donglingcao new drug, to Sun Li being reported for bribery by Hopewell's own people, and finally to Hopewell being affected by the failure of the investment; a series of things developed, interlocking and seamless. Yan Shihui had to applaud someone who calculated all of this. Especially since this person was his own son, and he had always thought that Yan Yue was recuperating abroad.
Inside the new biotech complex of Hopewell, Yan Shihui looked at the investigation data in his hands, his face as gloomy as a stormy sky.
He knew that Yan Yue had always been unhappy about his attitude, and he was also on guard against Yan Yue playing some small tricks behind his back, but he never expected that Yan Yue's intention was not to inherit Hopewell, but to completely destroy it. Did Yan Yue even know what he was doing? This was the question Yan Shihui wanted to ask Yan Yue the most. The loss of foreign clients, the failure of the donglingcao investment, and nearly hundreds of millions of losses were placed in front of Yan Shihui. What really made Yan Shihui angry was that the loss of the latter meant the failure of Hopewell's transformation and the complete ruin of the biotechnology complex that Hopewell had invested seven to eight hundred million to build.
From the window, it could be seen that the construction site that was still abuzz a month ago was empty. There were half-finished buildings everywhere, scaffolding, cement and sand, all piled up in a mess, accentuating the desolation of the biotech complex even more.
"Work has been halted for half a month," Yan Shihui thought gloomily. With this incident with Sun Li, Hopewell would no longer be able to transform into a biotech company. In that case, the biotech complex would either have to be sold or the current buildings would have to be demolished and rebuilt into something else. In any case, there was no way to recover the money Hopewell had invested.
"Chairman, Madam wants to see you for a moment?" The assistant knocked gently on the open door and said softly.
A hint of disgust flashed in Yan Shihui's eyes and he waved his hand, "Tell her I don't have time."
The assistant was a little embarrassed, but still nodded.
As he listened to the assistant's footsteps go away, Yan Shihui's expression didn't improve in the slightest. He could imagine what Yin Qinglan was looking for him for; it was nothing more than hoping that he could help Yin Ya. Just a week ago, Yin Ya had been taken away from her home. As the head of the donglingcao project, she had been asked to assist the police in their investigation into Sun Li's bribery. Seven whole days had passed and there was no sign of Yin Ya being released, so Yin Qinglan looked desperate and had gone so far as to find him.
In Yan Shihui's opinion, that Yin Ya girl was just like her mother, completely unable to succeed and more than likely to fail. Now that he thought about it carefully, there was something wrong with the donglingcao project from the very beginning. The researcher who reported Sun Li was not a newcomer, but an old man who had been around since the beginning of the project, otherwise he wouldn't have had so much evidence in his hands. It was funny that Yin Ya had been sifting through the personnel but in the end, she missed a spy planted by Yan Yue. It could be said that Hopewell's current troubles all came from this project, as well as the problems of the Lu family.
Thinking of this, Yan Shihui left the half-finished biotech building with a cold face. He didn't care about Yin Ya's life or death, but he was concerned about Yin Yongde's reaction. Especially what would Yin Yongde do when he knew that it was all Yan Yue's scheme? Whether Yan Shihui wanted to admit it or not, he had lost control of Yan Yue. Whether it was the succession to Hopewell or the affection between father and son, Yan Yue didn't seem to care anymore, or perhaps he had never cared at all.
These disturbances in Zhongjing had not affected Yan Yue's life for the time being. After a few days' rest from Kunnan, Lu Lingxi and Yan Yue packed up and prepared for a trip to Lingshui Village. They were accompanied by Ye Kang and Elder Min, who was very interested in Zhugang. Lu Lingxi didn't know when Yan Yue had contacted Elder Min, let alone when Yan Yue had given Elder Min a copy of the introduction to Zhugang. It was only when Elder Min approached him and suggested that he wanted to see the moso bamboo that Lu Lingxi remembered that Yan Yue had once said that Elder Min was an opportunity for them. He thought this opportunity referred to the copaiba balsam tree, but could it actually be Zhugang?
These thoughts only circled in Lu Lingxi's mind for a short while before he stopped paying attention and drifted off to sleep with Dahei in his arms. Yan Yue saw in the rearview mirror that Lu Lingxi had fallen asleep and considerately slowed down the car. They had gone to sleep a little late last night, and Lu Lingxi probably hadn't rested well.
"Are we about to arrive, Big Brother Yan?" Lu Lingxi asked in a daze.
Yan Yue glanced at the time, "There're still a few minutes left."
Since the purification of the soil accelerated, an entire area had been purified from the downtown toll station to the Qiu Tian plant nursery a little further south. The consequence was that the plants on both sides of the road began to grow wildly, completely blocking the sight of the village not far away. If there was a car passing by, it was difficult to tell where they were by just relying on the scenery on the side of the road.
Hearing that there were still a few minutes to go, Lu Lingxi became energetic. He was looking out of the window when he suddenly smiled, "Big Brother Yan, look outside."
Yan Yue followed the direction Lu Lingxi pointed and saw two three to four metre high wooden pillars in the vegetation by the roadside. At the top of the pillars was a large wooden board with the name of the village painted on it, indicating where they were. Both the pillars and the board were covered in the green vines common to Fengcheng, with small purple flowers dotted all over them, looking wild and eye-catching.
"I wonder who came up with that." Lu Lingxi asked with interest.
Yan Yue guessed irresponsibly, "Uncle Li?"
A few metres away, in the other car, Elder Min likewise saw the sign outside. "This is quite interesting."
Ye Kang was a little smug; the sign was his idea. He had run to Lingshui Village a lot during the month Yan Yue was away. After he became familiar with the people in the village, he would help to plan something from time to time.
Not long after the sign, they saw the iconic big willow tree in Lingshui Village. Despite the fact that Elder Min had adapted to this kind of life surrounded by greenery in Fengcheng over the past few days, the environment of Lingshui Village still struck him as somewhat unbelievable. "It's simply a paradise." That was the only thing that came to Elder Min's mind when he got out of the car.
He had been to many places, big and small, over his years of work and had seen many places with beautiful environments. The rainforest he had visited some time ago was very nice. But he could say that there was no place like Lingshui Village, where humans and nature had blended together perfectly. As far as he could see, quite a few homes had green vines crawling all over the eaves, on the roofs and on the gates. Red enkianthus, colourful gazanias, strings of upright lupines… The whole Lingshui Village simply looked like it was located in a sea of flowers.
As they walked into the village, the big willow tree stretched out its branches and leaves, blocking out the harsh sunlight. There was a wind blowing, bringing the moisture of the Lingshui River, mixed with the fragrance of the grass and trees, energising and refreshing.
"Come on, let's climb the hills in one go."
Elder Min said in high spirits, pointing to two small hills not far away. It had only been two months since the moso bamboo was transplanted to the hills in early April, and the two hills that used to be previously barren had already become a sea of bamboo. As far as the eye could see, the hills were covered with seven to eight metre high bamboo, and when the wind blew, the waves of bamboo were like sea waves. From afar, it was as beautiful as a poetic painting, verdant and lush, and close by, it looked like a forest of bamboo flutes.
Lu Lingxi knew that bamboo grew fast, but he didn't expect it to grow so fast. According to Ye Kang, the bamboos were basically ready to be harvested. Only a few days ago Zheng Xinhe had come over and cut down a lot of bamboo and took it to make samples of Zhugang.
"What about the test results of these samples you mentioned?" Elder Min asked with interest.
"One hundred per cent up to standard." Ye Kang was very confident about this.
Elder Min nodded thoughtfully. Ye Kang looked at them and exchanged an extremely quick glance with Yan Yue, guessing that the old man was tempted.