Chapter 131: Cousin and Eldest Cousin

The young man frowned, momentarily stunned, and instinctively reached out to tug at his collar, only to realize he was wearing a Zhongshan Suit, not his usual Western suit, and there was no tie.

He switched to using his hands to unfasten the top hook of the Zhongshan Suit and confirmed, "You mean... he looked at the house across the way and didn't like it?"

An Ning felt a strange sense of satisfaction in her heart seeing his peculiar expression.

Although they were cousins, they hadn't been in contact for over twenty years, so there was no real affection between them; coming here this time was no different than meeting a stranger.

More importantly, the status of both parties had reversed.

Originally, An Ning's branch of the family was the main branch of the An Family, the eldest branch.

The branch of the An Family that went to Hong Kong back then was only the second branch.

But now, this cousin named An Zhiyuan appeared before An Ning with his nose in the air.

When they first went to Hong Kong, although they encountered some problems and more than half of the family's assets were devoured by local Hong Kong tycoons and the British,

they still managed to retain some capital by paying these "tribute" offerings.

To this day, they could be considered a third-rate family in Hong Kong; while they certainly couldn't compare to the glory the An Family once had in Beijing, in terms of their standard of living, they were significantly better off than An Ning, the eldest daughter of the main branch.

Upon seeing this cousin who had stayed in the country to suffer, An Zhiyuan naturally displayed a superior attitude.

An Ning disliked this very much, but she was someone who knew how to bend and stretch, so she didn't show it.

Seeing An Zhiyuan's deflated expression now, she felt delighted and said indifferently, "What? Is it hard to understand? You must realize this is the Mainland; it has its own circumstances here. Throwing money can solve many problems, but it cannot solve all problems."

An Zhiyuan frowned and said, "Are you saying Ning Weidong doesn't like money?"

An Ning said, "Of course not. Money is a good thing; no one dislikes it. But some money cannot be taken; taking it will burn your hands, or even cost you your life."

As she spoke, she smiled meaningfully: "If it were me, I wouldn't dare accept this house of yours either."

An Zhiyuan pursed his lips and asked, "Then what do you suggest I do?"

An Ning said, "If you trust me, find an opportunity to talk face-to-face. Lay your cards on the table and speak clearly; don't hold onto that superior attitude of yours. You need to know, this is Beijing, not Hong Kong! Capitalists are not welcomed here."

On the other side, Ning Weidong emerged from the Overseas Chinese Apartment and pedaled his bicycle against the cool night breeze.

He raised his hand to check his watch; Ning Weidong didn't go straight home but headed directly to the new home of Ning Weiguo and Wang Yuzhen.

In the Mechanical Bureau's cadre residential compound, Ning Weidong parked his bicycle and trotted upstairs to knock on the door.

"Weidong, it's so late, what happened?" Ning Weiguo opened the door and asked in surprise. If it weren't for something urgent, Ning Weidong wouldn't have come at this hour.

Wang Yuzhen also came out from the bedroom, along with that mischievous kid Ning Lei, who was holding a pencil, likely doing his homework; he also stretched his neck, revealed a big head, and giggled as he called out "Third Uncle."

Ning Weidong responded, then turned to tell Ning Weiguo and Wang Yuzhen about the situation he had just encountered at An Ning's place.

Previously, Ning Weiguo and Wang Yuzhen didn't know much about An Ning, and their expressions turned serious after listening.

Anything involving Overseas Relations was relatively sensitive.

Ning Weiguo pondered and said, "Weidong, what do you think the other party is after?"

Ning Weidong said, "Big Brother, Sister-in-law, these Hong Kong Capitalists never do anything without profit. Since he found me and wants to use me to connect with the Zhao Family, it's very thought-provoking."

As he spoke, he looked at Wang Yuzhen: "Logically speaking, in terms of background and power, your side, Sister-in-law, is stronger than the Zhao Family, and the connection is closer, after all, Zhao Ruyi and I aren't married yet~"

Ning Weidong paused here: "But why would he bypass the near to seek the far? There must be something the Zhao Family has that we don't."

Ning Weiguo's eyes narrowed slightly, and he suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "You mean the Zhao Family's second uncle?"

Wang Yuzhen frowned: "The Zhao Family's second uncle? I remember he seems to be in Handong Province, in what department was it?"

Ning Weidong said, "The Handong Province Maritime Police!"

Ever since he started courting Zhao Ruyi, Ning Weidong had put a lot of effort into understanding the Zhao Family's situation.

In Zhao Ruyi's generation, there were five siblings in the Zhao Family; the eldest was Zhao Lichun, then Zhao Yushui, then Zhao Ruyi's father, who was also the core of the entire family.

Aside from a younger sister who died in infancy and a younger brother who sacrificed himself before the Liberation, there were two others, both in Handong Province.

Wang Yuzhen's reaction was quick; once prompted by Ning Weidong, her heart suddenly tightened: "What are they trying to do!"

In fact, all three people in the room already had the answer in their hearts.

Ning Weiguo frowned, paced around the room, and said in a low voice, "The An Family wants to engage in Smuggling!"

Ning Weidong remained silent; he had already thought of this the moment he left An Ning's place.

Otherwise, An Ning's cousin wouldn't have contacted the Zhao Family through him.

But then again, through this incident, one could also see from the side that the An Family wasn't doing very well in Hong Kong.

If they had managed to make something of themselves, they wouldn't have come all the way from Hong Kong to Handong in the north to find a way out.

There was only one possibility for this situation: the An Family was struggling to make ends meet in the south, completely squeezed out of the circle, and seeing others making money made them jealous, so they sought a new path.

Moreover, this visit was very rushed, completely a last-minute effort with no groundwork laid at all.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have had to go through An Ning to find Ning Weidong, and then through Ning Weidong's relationship with Zhao Ruyi to connect with the Zhao Family.

This kind of roundabout relationship was very prone to errors.

As for the An Family reaching this point, it was no injustice; one could tell from the fact that the person handling this matter directly tried to smash their way through with the Overseas Chinese Apartment house that they carried a sense of arrogance from the bottom of their hearts.

They simply thought that as long as they offered some benefits, a "country bumpkin" like Ning Weidong who hadn't seen the world would have to be eternally grateful to them.

Ning Weidong was speechless; to what extent had the An Family declined to send such a person out?

As for An Ning, through past contact, Ning Weidong knew this woman was definitely capable of more than this.

Most likely, this woman was also harboring malice and had no intention of letting this matter succeed.

This was also easy to understand; only if the matter failed would her value be greater, and she would be able to obtain more benefits.

If An Ning really wanted to get things done, there were definitely more suitable ways to present that Overseas Chinese Apartment house to Ning Weidong without causing him to feel repulsed.

Ning Weiguo looked at Ning Weidong, then glanced at Wang Yuzhen beside him, and continued: "According to the current situation, in some places in the south, especially Guangdong and Fujian, the situation is... quite serious."

Ning Weiguo didn't continue, but the meaning was very clear.

Wang Yuzhen frowned; she taught at a school and didn't know much about this situation.

On the contrary, Ning Weidong was clearer about the current situation and said indifferently, "Big Brother, this is unavoidable. As we engage in economic transformation and connect with external resources, we must go through this step."

Ning Weiguo frowned, not quite in agreement.

Ning Weidong explained, "Big Brother, we cannot view this matter with emotion. Smuggling is just a method. In fact, from the end of the Ming Dynasty, to the end of the Qing Dynasty, to the Republic of China, it has never stopped in the southeast. This is one of the most effective ways to quickly concentrate resources and mobilize them..."

Ning Weiguo clicked his tongue. Ning Weidong continued, "Now that our economy is transforming, to undertake the capital and technology coming from America, Japan, and Europe, we must mobilize the corresponding resources. But this kind of action cannot be placed in the open; it conflicts with our propaganda and violates fairness. It must be kept in the shadows; if it were in the open, it would inevitably lead to chaos..."

Ning Weiguo sighed, his heart filled with complex emotions.

Ning Weidong felt equally complex; he had dabbled in this period of history before he transmigrated, and there were many things he did not understand.

But now, putting himself in that position, he was suddenly enlightened; some things are simply done out of necessity.

It was just unexpected that he might be involved so quickly.

Ning Weiguo thought for a moment and said, "Do you think it can be done?"

Ning Weidong understood what he was referring to, pursed his lips, and shook his head, saying, "It can be done, but I don't recommend it. This is not the right path. Although the money comes quickly in the beginning, for one, it won't last, and for another, the later side effects are great; it is very difficult to land safely."

Ning Weiguo nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "Don't move on this matter yet, wait for me to go ask tomorrow."

Ning Weidong gave an affirmative response, then turned to mention the situation of meeting with Chu Zhongxin in the evening before leaving.

Coming down from upstairs, Ning Weidong held onto the cold handlebars of his bicycle.

The middle of the night in early May was still a bit chilly.

Ning Weidong took a deep breath and rode his bicycle home quickly.

It was almost ten o'clock when he returned to the Dazayuan.

The courtyard was quiet, and most people had already turned off their lights to sleep.

Ning Weidong followed the Moon Gate to the East Cross Courtyard, and just as he finished putting the bicycle away, someone came from behind: "Brother Weidong~"

Ning Weidong turned his head, and Wang Zipeng came jogging over from behind.

"Brother Wang!" Ning Weidong smiled and greeted him; coming over at this time was clearly to wait for him specifically.

The two entered the room, and Ning Weidong pulled the light cord to turn it on, saying, "Sit down first, I'll pour you a glass of water."

Wang Zipeng hurriedly waved his hand and said, "No need, no need, I'll just say a few words and leave. It's almost ten o'clock, I won't delay your rest."

Upon hearing this, Ning Weidong stopped his hand, turned to sit down with Wang Zipeng, and asked, "Brother Wang, do you have some urgent matter?"

Wang Zipeng smiled and said, "Brother, how should I put this~"

Ning Weidong said, "Just say what you have to say; we've been neighbors for so many years, what is there that's hard to say."

Wang Zipeng said, "That~ I have a big cousin, I don't know if you still remember her; she lived in our courtyard for several years when we were young."

Ning Weidong thought carefully, searching the original owner's memories, and there really was such a person.

In the original owner's memory, this big cousin of Wang Zipeng was about twenty-something at the time, and now, ten-plus years later, she should be nearly forty.

Ning Weidong signaled for him to continue.

Wang Zipeng laughed dryly: "It's like this~ my big cousin has a son, who is my nephew, eighteen this year, just returned from the countryside, a big lad sitting at home unemployed..."

Ning Weidong understood as soon as he heard it; Wang Zipeng wanted to find him to help with placement.

He wasn't very happy about it in his heart; this matter didn't mean much to Ning Weidong, but he feared opening such a precedent.

They all lived in the same courtyard; if he helped Wang Zipeng this time, would he have to help others when they had matters next time?

If he helped, he would never have peace in the future; if he didn't help, people would poke him in the back.

Ning Weidong frowned; logically, with Wang Zipeng's shrewdness, he shouldn't have given him this difficult problem.

Ning Weidong smiled: "You have eyes and ears everywhere in the Manager, why do you need to find me for such a small matter?"

Wang Zipeng heard the evasion and hurriedly said, "Weidong, brother, I would definitely prioritize our brothers for things with benefits."

Ning Weidong was stunned; hearing this, it wasn't a request for help, but rather bringing him benefits.

He raised his eyebrows and said, "How so?"

Wang Zipeng said, "Weidong, you don't know the background of my big cousin's husband."

Speaking of this, Wang Zipeng deliberately leaned closer and lowered his voice: "The father of this big cousin's husband was, in his early years, the Adopted Son of a great Eunuch in the Qing Dynasty palace..."

Ning Weidong understood what he meant as soon as he heard it.

Regardless of whether this Adopted Son of the great Eunuch was real or fake, since this was mentioned, it meant they had goods in hand and were prepared to spend a lot of money.

Ning Weidong said with a half-smile: "Listening to you, they are prepared to spend a fortune?"

Wang Zipeng nodded hurriedly and chuckled: "If it were just peanuts, I wouldn't have come to you~"

Ning Weidong clicked his tongue: "Brother Wang, it's the same thing I said just now; you can handle this yourself, why do you need to go through me? Is it embarrassing to open your mouth to your big cousin?"

Wang Zipeng slapped his thigh: "Sigh~ that's really not it. Brother, I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, don't look at me blustering in the Manager every day, that's all for show. When it comes to actually getting things done, who gives me face! They say nice things, but drag the matter out and don't do it; every one of them is acting like a grandson."

Ning Weidong listened, knowing that Wang Zipeng must have been fooled before, which was why he was full of resentment.

However, Ning Weidong did not expose him to his face.

Wang Zipeng added: "Besides, this time my big cousin's family is determined to get a State-owned position. If it were a Big Collective, I might have some hope if I put in the effort, but this State-owned..."

Ning Weidong understood; Wang Zipeng was speaking the truth.

Although the Red Star Factory had over ten thousand workers, State-owned Worker positions were all one radish for one hole; it was truly hard to arrange.

Even now, Ning Weidong himself was not yet a proper State-owned establishment; he had to wait for his Secondary Specialized School Diploma to come down before he could transfer to become a Cadre.

Ning Weidong said with difficulty: "You also know that State-owned positions are hard to get~"

To tell the truth, Ning Weidong didn't really want to manage this, but he didn't refuse outright either.

For one, Wang Zipeng was well-informed in the Manager and could be considered adept at social maneuvering; plus, they lived in the same courtyard, so the relationship had to be maintained.

For another, Ning Weidong finding it troublesome didn't mean others would; as long as the other side was truly willing to spend a fortune, he could easily transfer it to Li Peihang.

If Li Peihang received the benefits, he would naturally owe Ning Weidong a favor.

Wang Zipeng hurriedly said: "A pair of vases made by the Qianlong Emperor, this high..." He gestured with both hands, nearly a meter: "They definitely came out of the palace."

Ning Weidong shook his head: "What do I want that stuff for? Look at my room, where is there a place to put those vases?"

Wang Zipeng choked, his gaze scanning the room; it really would be awkward wherever they were placed.

He couldn't help but let out a dry laugh and scratch the back of his head: "This... how about we swap?"

Although Ning Weidong didn't take a fancy to this pair of vases, he could see that Wang Zipeng's eldest cousin indeed had some assets; it just depended on how much blood the other party was willing to shed.

(End of this chapter)