Chapter 135: A Scholar Dies for One Who Understands Him

Ning Weidong knew very well what was on An Ning's mind, and at a time like this, he certainly wouldn't be stingy about satisfying her.

However, providing psychological satisfaction and making things happen are two different matters; the two do not conflict.

Ning Weidong said, "I understand your feelings and thoughts, but as for the matter itself..."

At these words, An Zhiyuan's heart suddenly jumped; he was not without pressure having come all the way from Hong Kong this time.

Don't let his big talk from just a moment ago fool you—all that talk of Hong Kong and Nanyang—in reality, the An Family's situation was not good.

In Hong Kong and Nanyang, they were both considered outsiders; it was impossible for them to get their hands on rigid industries that guaranteed profit without risk.

As for industries outside of those, they were either scraps that didn't make money or emerging industries with extreme risks.

Over these years, the An Family, like the big northern capitalists who fled from the Mainland back then, had lost their original foundation and had been in a situation of being oppressed and suppressed.

A large portion of them had long since vanished into thin air, and the An Family, being able to barely maintain themselves, was considered relatively better off among them.

Even so, there was still a feeling of being precarious.

Otherwise, the An Family wouldn't have come in such a rush just as the country was beginning to show signs of change, before the situation had even become clear.

Because they truly could not afford to wait any longer.

Although Ning Weidong did not know the specific circumstances of the An Family, from the fact that the other party appeared in Beijing at this point in time, as well as the An Family's background, he could make a rough guess.

Ning Weidong said, "Mr. An, regarding this matter of yours, I can only say I will help you pass on the word; as for the result, it is hard to guarantee."

An Zhiyuan hurriedly said, "That is enough, that is enough, many thanks to you, Comrade Ning."

As he spoke, he stood up and picked up a leather-wrapped square briefcase from the chair beside him: "A small token of my appreciation, please do not refuse."

With a "Bang," he placed it on the table in front of Ning Weidong; from the sound it made, it wasn't hard to tell that the contents were quite heavy.

An Zhiyuan wore a smile as he pushed the latches of the briefcase, which made a "Click" sound as the two locks sprang open, and he slowly lifted the lid.

Under the light, a flash of yellow reflection shone out.

Inside this briefcase were neatly arranged gold bars! Ning Weidong narrowed his eyes and couldn't help but take a deep look at An Zhiyuan; this guy was really direct—if a house didn't work, he'd go with gold bars.

Looking inside the case, a single glance showed there were more than twenty, and judging by the size and specifications, they should be five hundred grams each.

At current gold prices, a gold bar of this specification was worth over six thousand yuan each; twenty bars converted to cash would be over one hundred thousand.

Sure enough, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse.

Although the An Family's situation in Hong Kong wasn't too good, they weren't stingy when it came to a critical moment.

After laying out these gold bars, An Zhiyuan was also watching Ning Weidong's reaction.

The so-called "wealth moves the heart"—to see through a person, the most direct way is to look at their reaction when facing money.

Unfortunately, his Ruyi plan was wrong this time.

Ning Weidong was not someone who hadn't seen money; he just swept a glance at the gold bars in the case and then withdrew his gaze without any particularly intense reaction. He didn't even reach out to touch them, just looked at An Ning and said indifferently, "Since it is Mr. An's kind intention, I shall not decline; An Ning, take it."

An Ning was stunned for a moment, not expecting Ning Weidong to actually let her take the money.

An Zhiyuan also hadn't expected this, and a strange look couldn't help but appear in his eyes; he felt he had seemingly underestimated the relationship between Ning Weidong and An Ning.

This wasn't one or two hundred, but a whole case of gold bars worth over one hundred thousand!

Ning Weidong actually felt at ease letting An Ning keep it directly.

An Ning couldn't help but feel her heart race; although she was born a young lady of a prominent family, by the time she was truly sensible, her family had already fallen.

Although there was still some foundation, it had all been hidden away and would not be easily shown to others.

So, this was also the first time An Ning had seen so many gold bars.

But she also had some composure; she was excited for only a moment before suppressing her inner thoughts, responded with a word, reached out to close the case, and lifted it with some effort to place it by her feet.

An Ning was not a woman who was frail; she had also been sent to the countryside and done farm work. Although she had lived a life of luxury in the two years since returning to Beijing, the foundation was still there, and a case weighing over twenty jin was not difficult to lift.

As for why Ning Weidong felt at ease leaving a case of gold in An Ning's hands, besides not wanting to receive items directly from An Zhiyuan, it was also because he was certain An Ning wouldn't dare to embezzle his money.

Not only would she not dare to embezzle it, she would have to carefully help him keep it safe.

At the same time, it was also telling An Zhiyuan: don't look at the fact that you both share the surname An, An Ning is my person.

Meeting for the first time, Ning Weidong did not fully trust the An Family; let alone a case of gold bars, even if it were ten times more, he couldn't accept it.

But An Ning taking it was completely fine; they were all people of the An Family anyway, what did that have to do with me, Ning Weidong?

As for An Ning, this woman was very ambitious, which could be seen from her trying every possible way to find Ning Weidong, even going so far as to offer herself to gain an endorsement of connections.

Her schemes were grand; she would absolutely not take the opportunity to embezzle this case of gold.

If that were the case, it could only be said that Ning Weidong had misjudged her.

Ning Weidong stood up and said, "Mr. An, thank you for the generous hospitality today. Regarding your matter, I will do it as soon as possible, but this kind of thing cannot be rushed, and I also need to find an opportunity."

An Zhiyuan hurriedly said, "I understand, I understand."

Ning Weidong wiped his hands and said, "Alright, that's it for today, I'll be heading back first."

An Zhiyuan hurriedly said, "Let me see you out~"

After some polite exchanges and seeing Ning Weidong out, An Zhiyuan and An Ning returned to the private room.

With An Zhiyuan's entourage guarding the door, he wasn't afraid of losing anything.

An Zhiyuan looked at the black briefcase containing the gold bars, his expression somewhat complex as he glanced at An Ning: "Seventh Sister, what does this Ning Weidong mean?"

An Ning said, "Didn't he agree? What else could he mean? Let's just wait for news first~"

An Zhiyuan pursed his lips; it seemed that was all he could do.

But looking at that briefcase, he always had a feeling that this matter would not go smoothly.

He couldn't help but feel some regret, thinking the items he prepared were perhaps not substantial enough.

Originally, he thought that the last time he tried to use a house to sway Ning Weidong, it didn't work because the visual impact wasn't enough.

Just like one million; if it's just a light string of numbers on a phone or a bank card, but if it's replaced with a large bag of cash, the impact it brings to people is different.

It's just that looking at the effect today, it seems the gold didn't move Ning Weidong too much either.

At least it didn't reach the point of losing composure.

If the box were opened today and Ning Weidong were to be momentarily stunned and lose his composure, then the matter would certainly be settled; that would be beyond doubt.

But he was so calm and collected, not even touching it from beginning to end, and simply letting An Ning take it away on his behalf.

This calmness made An Zhiyuan feel increasingly uneasy.

On the contrary, An Ning was secretly delighted; Ning Weidong's performance today completely matched her expectations, especially the indifferent attitude he struck the moment he saw the gold—it was simply perfect.

She hadn't even expected Ning Weidong to be so good at putting on an act.

On the other hand, Ning Weidong was riding his bicycle home, his mind still reviewing the process of meeting An Zhiyuan that evening.

It was clear that after the probing regarding the house last time, An Zhiyuan had adjusted his mindset; at least on the surface, he was courteous, and both the dinner and that box of gold showed he had put in effort.

Unfortunately, this could not change anything.

However, having said that, although Ning Weidong held the initiative today, whether the An Family's request would ultimately succeed or not did not depend on Ning Weidong, but on the attitude of the Zhao Family. If the Zhao Family wanted to take the opportunity to get a slice of the pie, Ning Weidong certainly would not be able to stop them.

But if that were the case, Ning Weidong would have to give more consideration to the future.

Although it is said that from ancient times to the present, everyone has engaged in the business of Smuggling, it is just that the forms and appearances differ in different periods.

But from Ning Weidong's experience before he transmigrated, this business was indeed effective in the early and middle stages, capable of quickly accumulating capital and opening up the situation.

Yet the side effects in the later stages were not small; the first was the issue of one's background and identity.

Once one touched Smuggling, one would inevitably become entangled with foreigners, and at that time, it would be highly likely to be labeled a comprador.

Once this label was attached, it would be difficult to remove it later.

Therefore, this matter was also an opportunity for Ning Weidong, allowing him to see clearly what kind of character that person in the Zhao Family truly was.

……

The next day, as soon as Ning Weidong arrived at the Office, Zhao Ruyi came over.

She closed the door behind her and asked, "Hey, what was said last night?"

Ning Weidong said, "Nothing much was said, but the food was truly excellent, there was even Braised Bear Paw; it's a pity you didn't go."

Zhao Ruyi curled her lips: "As if I haven't eaten it before." But she turned and asked, "Was that bear paw delicious?"

Ning Weidong couldn't help but laugh: "And you said you weren't greedy."

Zhao Ruyi gave a "humph": "If you don't act properly, I'm leaving."

Only then did Ning Weidong stop teasing her and recounted the situation from last night, though he omitted the box of gold bars.

After listening, Zhao Ruyi couldn't help but fall into thought.

Ning Weidong didn't ask much either; in any case, this wasn't a matter Zhao Ruyi could decide, and the final say still had to come from her father.

A moment later, Ning Weidong said, "That is the situation now. You go back tonight and talk about it, see what our father thinks. If he has no intention of doing this at all, I don't need to continue playing along with them."

"I know." Zhao Ruyi nodded, then asked, "Weidong, do you think this can work? This is breaking the law."

Ning Weidong smiled lightly: "Before the Liberation, which of the things our father did didn't break the law?"

Zhao Ruyi blinked her eyes; it seemed to make sense.

……

After Zhao Ruyi left, Ning Wei came over shortly after.

"Third Brother~" There was no one in the room, so Ning Wei called out.

Ning Weidong looked up and said, "Did Wang Zipeng take people there just now?"

Ning Wei nodded.

Ning Weidong said, "What was your impression?"

Ning Wei pursed his lips and thought for a moment: "It felt average."

Ning Weidong frowned: "How is it average?"

This evaluation from Ning Wei was considered quite low; the implication was that he couldn't find any merits.

Ning Weidong said, "He is... very frivolous, not steady."

Ning Weidong wasn't too surprised; in order to secure this job, Wang Zipeng's eldest cousin not only brought out a pair of Qianlong Doucai Vases but also gave Ning Weidong a jade seal of the Cian Empress Dowager.

It was evident that the family had some inventory, and they were very doting on this son.

One could imagine what kind of character a son raised in such a family would have.

Having said that, if he were any good, he wouldn't have paid such a high price to get a job.

Ning Weidong gave an "um" and said, "Be careful, don't cause trouble at the Manager."

Ning Wei responded, then added, "By the way, Third Brother, I have another matter..."

"Speak~" Ning Weidong had already picked up his pen, ready to continue studying, but he looked up and put the pen down again.

Ning Wei blushed and said, "That, two days ago, Auntie Wang from the Logistics Department introduced me to a potential partner."

Upon hearing this, Ning Weidong immediately smiled: "That's a good thing~ Where is the girl from, and what is her family situation?"

Ning Wei said, "She is from our Factory Hospital, she was just assigned there last year, she is nineteen this year, one year older than me. She has an older brother and a younger sister at home. After her father passed away from illness, her brother took over his position and works on the railway, and her younger sister is in school."

Ning Weidong listened; these conditions were decent, at the very least, there was no burden on the family.

Ning Weidong asked, "That, is she State-owned or Big Collective?"

Mentioning this, Ning Wei was a bit hesitant: "She is State-owned, I feel like I'm not quite good enough for her."

In this day and age, there was a huge gap between 'State-owned' and 'Big Collective'. Generally, when matchmaking, if there was no special reason, State-owned sought State-owned, and Big Collective sought Big Collective.

Ning Weidong smiled and said, "Be more confident, why wouldn't you be good enough? Big Sister Wang from the Logistics Department is a famous matchmaker in the factory. Since she introduced her to you, it means she thinks you two are a good match. Xiao Wei, you are my younger brother, can you be in a Big Collective for your whole life?"

Ning Wei was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up.

He was quite smart and naturally understood what Ning Weidong meant, so he couldn't help but call out "Third Brother."

Ning Weidong patted him again: "Go ahead and date with confidence, have more backbone."

Ning Wei nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Ning Weidong added, "If you feel it's going well, you can tell the woman's side that as long as you two can make it work, you will be allocated housing the following year; I said it."

Ning Wei did not know what to say; in his heart, he felt incredibly fortunate that he had followed Ning Weidong back then. Now, not only did he have a job, but he was also about to have a wife, and the Manager might even allocate him housing.

Although his family had a house, could that one-and-a-half-room dilapidated shack in the Dazayuan, which was older than his grandmother, compare to the staff housing at the factory? Even if they weren't apartment buildings, the conditions of the bungalows built around the factory area in recent years were far better than the Dazayuan.

In this instant, Ning Wei truly had the urge to die for one who appreciates him.

Ning Weidong continued, "Right, when you go to the woman's house later, don't go empty-handed." As he spoke, he opened a drawer and took out a handful of coupons: cigarette coupons, liquor coupons, Cloth Coupons... there was everything.

Although Ning Weidong was only a Deputy Section Chief, he was effectively the second-in-command of the Security Division, second only to Li Peihang.

He was not lacking in these coupons at all.

Ning Wei did not stand on ceremony either; anyway, he had already sold his life to Ning Weidong, so there was no need to quibble over other things.

After Ning Wei left, Ning Weidong's smile faded.

He hadn't expected that someone would be introducing a partner to Ning Wei at such a young age.

This was not quite normal; the current marriage age was 22 for men and 20 for women.

Although there were many places that didn't care at all, especially in rural areas where many married at seventeen or eighteen.

But the Red Star Factory was not a rural area after all; workers in the factory certainly had to abide by the law and discipline, otherwise, if they ran into someone serious, receiving criticism would be minor, but losing their job would be major.

Old Sister Wang from the Logistics Department had not been introducing partners for just one day; it was impossible that she didn't understand this principle.

(End of this chapter)