Chapter 133: Delivered to the Doorstep

Ning Weidong had never met this Li Jie, but he could tell from Zhao Ruyi's implication that if he wanted to do this, he would have to partner with her.

Ning Weidong had no objections to this; it wasn't something one person could do alone anyway.

In the coming years, everyone would be doing it; it would just be a matter of whose methods were more clever, whose connections were stronger, and who had the reach to touch the heavens.

Although the Zhao Family was decent, to be honest, their influence was still a bit weak; it would be better if he could pull in the childhood friend Zhao Ruyi had known since she was little.

As the two talked, they had already arrived at Qianmen Street.

Because they had decided in the afternoon, they were going to eat duck that evening.

Ning Weidong had called ahead to reserve the duck, using the name of the Red Star Factory, which was more effective than running over to pay a deposit.

By the time Ning Weidong and Zhao Ruyi arrived, their duck was already roasting in the oven.

The two didn't order any other dishes at the restaurant; they had come today specifically to eat duck.

Although it was the peak of the dinner rush, in this era, there were still too few people who could afford to eat roast duck.

Ning Weidong walked in, explained directly to the waiter that it was the duck reserved by the Red Star Factory in the afternoon, and then sat down with Zhao Ruyi at a table by the window.

Zhao Ruyi took off her trench coat and draped it over the back of the chair; underneath, she wore a form-fitting sweater that highlighted her proud bust.

Ning Weidong couldn't help but think to himself, no wonder she developed so well; this girl can really eat!

Because it had been roasting for a while, the duck was served shortly after they sat down.

Since there was no process of selecting and marking the duck beforehand, they started eating as soon as it was brought out: lotus leaf pancakes, white scallions, cucumber strips...

The two dug in with their hands, their mouths covered in grease.

Zhao Ruyi didn't put on airs either, competing with Ning Weidong to see who could eat more; it was a good thing she didn't like to drink, otherwise, with the two of them eating and drinking, they might have ended up becoming sworn siblings if they got too drunk.

It was past seven o'clock when they came out of the roast duck restaurant.

After May, the days were getting longer, and it had only just turned dark.

After retrieving their bicycles, Zhao Ruyi said, still unsatisfied, "Next time we come, we have to order two dishes; you can eat too much! One duck isn't enough for the two of us."

Ning Weidong said speechlessly, "As if you ate any less." As he spoke, he looked at Zhao Ruyi's stomach, which surprisingly didn't look bloated at all: "Where did all that food go?"

Zhao Ruyi glared back: "You have the nerve to talk about me!"

The two bickered back and forth, not in a hurry to ride their bikes, pushing them along the road to help digest their meal.

After leaving Qianmen Street, the ordinary streets weren't as lively, so Ning Weidong found a topic to ask: "By the way, that Li Jie you mentioned, what's her family situation?"

Zhao Ruyi straightened up slightly and said with composure, "Her family~ her father and my father, as well as Yuzhen's father, were all in the same military unit back in the day. Uncle Li was exceptionally good at fighting, and his rank was higher than my father's and Uncle Wang's. After the Liberation, my father and Uncle Wang transferred to local work, while Uncle Li continued to develop in the military..."

Listening to this, Ning Weidong found the situation with the Li Family to be about what he had guessed.

He asked again: "How many children do they have?"

Zhao Ruyi said: "Their family is quite prosperous, six children in total, four boys and two girls. If you count them all, Li Jie is the fifth, and there's a younger brother below her named Li Yuanchao, who is a year older than me..."

"Li Yuanchao?" Ning Weidong felt the name sounded a bit familiar, but he couldn't recall it when he thought carefully.

Moreover, Zhao Ruyi specifically mentioned this Li Yuanchao and didn't mention the others, which likely meant she intended to bring him along.

Zhao Ruyi said: "Do you know him?"

Ning Weidong shook his head: "No, it just sounds familiar. By the way, you arrange a time for us to meet them."

Zhao Ruyi agreed and said: "Then let's make it Sunday; we can discuss the specific time and place later."

Ning Weidong figured the time and place would have to cater to them; after all, based on the current situation and conditions, the Li siblings had a higher status and naturally held more initiative.

Ning Weidong didn't care about these details, though.

After sending Zhao Ruyi back to her compound, Ning Weidong didn't enter the main gate; he watched her walk away before turning his handlebars to head home.

All the way back, he was still calculating the possible scenarios for when he would meet the Li siblings on Sunday.

Before he knew it, he had returned to Fuchengmen Street.

Ning Weidong steered his bike into the alley and soon returned to the Dazayuan where he lived.

Because it wasn't too late, every household in the courtyard had their lights on.

As the weather grew warmer, there were more people moving about in the courtyard; as he entered the main gate, he ran into two people heading out.

After exchanging greetings, Ning Weidong pushed his bike back to the side courtyard; just as he finished parking it, he saw the door to the Bai family's home open, and Bai Fengqin poked half her body out, her small face expressionless as she said: "Brother Weidong, someone is looking for you."

Ning Weidong turned his head, slightly surprised.

He kicked down the bicycle stand, turned around, and said: "Looking for me? Are they at your place?"

Bai Fengqin gave an "um" and retreated back inside.

Filled with curiosity, Ning Weidong followed her in; upon entering, he saw that it was An Ning in the room, who stood up from her chair, while Bai Fengyu, who was sitting nearby, did not rise due to her leg injury.

Seeing Ning Weidong enter, Bai Fengyu said: "Weidong, this Comrade An came to look for you just now; since you weren't back, I asked her to sit in my room for a while."

Ning Weidong smiled and thanked her, asked if her leg was feeling any better, and then looked at An Ning.

An Ning wasn't dressed as ostentatiously as she was at home; she wore a gray women's suit jacket and trousers, small leather shoes with medium heels, and her hair was held back with a clip, making her look like a female Cadre working in a factory or mining agency.

"Comrade Weidong, I've visited you abruptly and disturbed your rest." An Ning smiled, appearing very poised.

Although in terms of looks and figure alone, An Ning's foundation couldn't compare to the Bai sisters, that sense of nobility and the way she carried herself were things Bai Fengyu and Bai Fengqin couldn't match.

This was a temperament nurtured by wealth since childhood.

Even in the previous ten years, when the An Family had already fallen in the country, An Ning's material life was still much better than the Bai sisters' during her most difficult and destitute times.

Ning Weidong guessed the purpose of her visit and said with a smile: "Sister An, you are too polite; I had something to do this evening and came back late. That..." He then turned to the Bai sisters: "Sister Fengyu, Fengqin has an exam coming up, so I won't disturb you any longer."

An Ning also showed a surprised expression, turned to Bai Fengqin, and apologized repeatedly.

After Ning Weidong led An Ning out, Bai Fengqin muttered in a low voice: "Hmph, always attracting bees and butterflies!"

Bai Fengyu glared at her: "You're a big girl now, what kind of nonsense are you spouting~"

Just now, seeing An Ning come to look for Ning Weidong, Bai Fengyu had felt a sense of crisis in her heart.

She knew that given her situation, although she had climbed into Ning Weidong's bed, it was impossible for the two of them to be a proper married couple.

At most, she could only be a mistress who couldn't be brought out into the light.

Fortunately, Ning Weidong still looked after her somewhat, helping her get a job at the Neighborhood Committee; regardless of the salary, it was a proper livelihood, and she could barely be considered a government worker, which gave her a different status among the neighbors.

And the appearance of An Ning suddenly struck a chord in Bai Fengyu's heart.

She took one look and could tell that this woman was not a decent person, and that her family background was quite affluent.

Although An Ning had dressed specifically to look plain, she was wearing the best Shanghai Brand watch on her wrist, and the leather shoes on her feet were not of a common style.

There were also holes in her ears, which meant she wore earrings often; otherwise, they would have long since grown over.

Coupled with that extraordinary temperament, it made Bai Fengyu feel an even greater sense of crisis.

Bai Fengqin pursed her lips and said nothing more.

Bai Fengyu, however, looked at that injured leg, calculating in her heart how many days were left until the cast could be removed.

Then she thought of An Ning's attire and dress, wondering if she should also make some changes, otherwise Ning Weidong would sooner or later be seduced away by those flashy, cheap women outside...

Returning to Ning Weidong's home.

Once inside, he turned on the light, told An Ning to sit wherever she liked, and asked if she wanted water.

An Ning said, "I just drank some, I'm not thirsty."

Ning Weidong did not stand on ceremony, simply taking the thermos and pouring himself a cup.

The water in the thermos had been filled that morning and was already cold by now.

Ning Weidong drank it in one gulp and asked, "Why did you come in person?"

An Ning smiled charmingly: "Not welcome?"

Ning Weidong said, "That's not it, it's just that you are so beautiful, I'm afraid it will cause quite a bit of gossip in the courtyard."

An Ning curled her lip and said, "If we're talking about beauty, that Comrade Bai Fengyu and her sister just now were both beauties."

Ning Weidong didn't take the bait and asked directly, "What does that cousin of yours have to say?"

An Ning stopped making small talk and said with a slightly serious expression, "He wants to meet with you."

Ning Weidong chuckled: "A meeting is unnecessary, right? With that attitude of his, it's better not to meet; after being a lackey for foreigners in Hong Kong for a few years, he's actually developed a sense of superiority."

An Ning smiled along; although it was her cousin she was talking about, she felt that what he said was correct.

However, she still had to say what needed to be said.

If she wanted to secure greater influence in the An Family, she had to demonstrate her own value.

The line the An Family had left in the country had long since collapsed, and with An Ning left as an orphan, she had no value.

If An Ning wanted to obtain the resources of the Overseas An Family, she had to demonstrate value.

An Ning said, "Meeting doesn't cost anything, besides, there are some things that are better to have than not; why should we go against money?"

As she spoke, she shifted her weight and moved from the side onto Ning Weidong's bench, sitting right next to him, almost pressing against him.

Ning Weidong's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't dodge, naturally reaching out to rest his hand on An Ning's waist: "This won't work either; things will remain as they are."

An Ning smiled, unbothered, and leaned further into him: "Look at you, couldn't it be that I have taken a liking to you as a person?"

Ning Weidong said with a half-smile: "Is that so? You should know, I am the son-in-law of the Zhao Family."

An Ning said, "So what? It's common for a great man to have three wives and four concubines; back then, my father had more than just my mother."

Ning Weidong said, "You certainly are open-minded."

An Ning said wistfully, "What else can I do if I'm not? In my current state, do I even have a choice?"

Ning Weidong was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "You want to make him suffer?"

An Ning nodded without hiding it: "Yes, I want him to return in defeat, I want to make their plans in Beijing difficult at every turn."

Ning Weidong's eyes narrowed, and he said slowly, "And then you will come out to turn the tide?"

An Ning said, "Exactly! They are too arrogant; they won't understand whose territory this is unless they pay a price."

Ning Weidong's hand stroked An Ning's waist a few times, his eyes meeting her gaze, somewhat meaningfully.

It was clear that An Ning's previous interactions with her cousin had not been pleasant.

This was to be expected.

On one side was the fallen main branch, and on the other was the branch that still held the wealth; how the two sides redefined their status would inevitably require a process of maneuvering.

An Ning's situation was inevitably at a disadvantage.

Ning Weidong said, "What do I get out of it?"

Although he didn't think much of An Ning's cousin, from Ning Weidong's perspective, there was no need to offend the man to death.

An Ning's eyes were seductive as she said in a soft, gentle voice, "I am all yours, isn't that enough?"

As she spoke, her hands wrapped around Ning Weidong's neck.

Ning Weidong did not stand on ceremony, one hand holding her waist while the other landed on An Ning's chest, grabbing through her clothes.

He had long known that An Ning had significant assets, but this was his first time trying them out personally.

An Ning let out a soft moan and did not dodge.

Ning Weidong, however, remained firm in both word and heart: "Not enough!"

An Ning stiffened, her seductive eyes instantly clearing: "Then what do you want?"

Ning Weidong said indifferently, "That depends on what chips you can bring to the table; just you alone... is not enough. You should know Zhao Ruyi, and you saw the Bai sisters just now... I am not lacking for women."

An Ning felt a chill in her heart.

Just now, when she saw Bai Fengyu and Bai Fengqin, she had thought that the relationship between these two sisters and Ning Weidong would not be ordinary.

She just hadn't expected Ning Weidong to admit it without any avoidance.

An Ning couldn't help but bite her lower lip, feeling resentful inside.

Although she had long anticipated that it would be difficult to hook Ning Weidong just by selling her looks, having her beauty directly dismissed right from the start still left her feeling stifled.

Yet, objectively speaking, the Bai sisters, Bai Fengyu and Bai Fengqin, were indeed more beautiful than her, and more importantly, they were sisters.

She didn't know that Ning Weidong's words were half-exaggerated; although Bai Fengyu was his woman, he hadn't even touched Bai Fengqin's hand.

But that did not prevent Ning Weidong from using the two women to suppress her.

An Ning let go of her hands wrapped around Ning Weidong's neck; at this point, physical contact was meaningless, and she had to bring out real bargaining chips.

An Ning returned to where she had sat at the beginning, put some distance between herself and Ning Weidong, straightened her clothes, and said bitterly, "You really are heartless; how can you say such heart-piercing words right after touching me?"

Ning Weidong said dismissively, "One thing is one thing, another is another; if I lost my head just from touching your breasts a few times, what would you think of me?"

An Ning was silent.

Indeed, if Ning Weidong were the type who couldn't tell right from wrong, she wouldn't even spare him a glance.

An Ning pursed her lips, thought for a moment, and said, "After my parents died back then, they left me a sum of money; I... will give you half, how about that?"

Ning Weidong raised an eyebrow, staring fixedly at An Ning to judge the truth of her words.

Theoretically, given the foundation of the Ning Family, even if they were liquidated, it was not impossible for them to have hidden a portion of their wealth in secret.

But it was hard to say how much truth there was in what An Ning said.

Even if it were true, the amount of this wealth was also a question.

For Ning Weidong, money had never been particularly important.

While it is true that money can be converted into power once it reaches a certain scale, the conversion rate of this method is very low, and the ceiling for such conversion is also very limited.

After all, this is not America.

It is just that in the future, during the first twenty years of the Reform and Opening-up, because the country lacked capital, the importance of money was elevated for a short period of time.

(End of this chapter)