Chapter 148: An Ning's Ambition

An Ning was calculating in her heart, her gaze fixed on Ning Weidong's eyes, wanting to discern something from his expression.

Unfortunately, Ning Weidong's cultivation was not something she could see through.

The two were silent for a moment, and An Ning simply gave up on probing and spoke her mind directly.

Sometimes, one must bring out some sincerity.

An Ning sat comfortably, crossed her legs, and said, "Of course I am not resigned. Back then, it was by relying on my father's venture into the city that the An Family grew large. The wealth they have now all comes from my father; why should I have to be subservient to them?"

Ning Weidong smiled; he was not interested in the internal family feuds of the An Family. All he wanted was an attitude from An Ning.

Ning Weidong said, "One cannot always live in the past. What you are talking about is all old history from before the Liberation."

An Ning frowned.

Ning Weidong continued, "Since your father could succeed back then, why can't you, An Ning, do it again and build a career that belongs entirely to yourself?"

An Ning pursed her lips, wariness rising in her heart.

Ning Weidong saw her caution and chuckled, "So guarded against me? If that's the case, why come looking for me?"

An Ning choked, replying with silence.

Ning Weidong said, "You should be clear in your heart about what you want, and you also know that relying only on yourself, or the limited help of the An Family, you simply cannot realize your ambition. That is why you set your sights on me."

An Ning tacitly agreed.

Ning Weidong then said playfully, "But isn't this contradictory? You want to use me, yet you are guarding against me... or do you think I am a fool who can be played in the palm of your hand?"

An Ning's complexion turned ugly, and she hurriedly denied, "I didn't mean that."

Ning Weidong was not in a hurry; training a hawk requires the most patience.

Moreover, in the relationship between him and An Ning, he already held all the advantages.

Ning Weidong said indifferently, "Whether you meant it or not, you know in your heart. But it doesn't matter. Cooperation, after all, isn't dating; it doesn't require true feelings. Cooperation requires mutual benefit! As long as we can bring benefits to each other, the foundation for cooperation exists..."

An Ning's expression was serious. She had not expected that coming here today—originally just because she was annoyed by An Zhiyuan and came to Ning Weidong's place to go through the motions—

Who knew Ning Weidong would suddenly throw out such a big matter.

An Ning took a deep breath and said, "Can I know how you want to cooperate?"

Ning Weidong said, "It's very simple: you run the factory, and I am responsible for providing you with all the necessary convenient conditions."

An Ning frowned and said, "It's that simple?"

Ning Weidong said, "It's that simple. What else did you think?"

An Ning still dared not relax and asked again, "How do I run a factory? Private factories are not allowed right now."

Ning Weidong said, "Don't worry. It won't be many years before it opens up. At the beginning, we can use the name of a collective and affiliate with other units. You don't need to worry about this..."

An Ning listened to Ning Weidong's rambling explanation and finally figured it out: "You want to start an enterprise, control it in reality, but have it have nothing to do with you in name. Choosing me is to help you watch over this factory, isn't it?"

Ning Weidong did not deny it, nodded, and said, "You can understand it that way too."

An Ning frowned tightly and said, "Then what am I? A passing god of wealth?"

Ning Weidong smiled, stood up, walked behind An Ning, and pressed his hands on her shoulders: "Ms. An, it seems necessary for me to clarify some common knowledge for you. Do you know how big our China is and how many people there are?"

An Ning was confused: "Who doesn't know that?"

Ning Weidong said, "Yes, everyone knows we have one billion people and 9.6 million square kilometers. But in most people's minds, this is just a number. They have no concept of one billion people and nearly ten million square kilometers."

An Ning said, "Don't speak in riddles with me."

Ning Weidong said unhurriedly, "In the future, we will spend a long time focusing our energy on economic construction. Based on the current situation and our relationship with America, in order to achieve the goal of economic development, we must inevitably use a large amount of investment from the West. To stabilize public sentiment and also to stabilize capital, we will definitely have adjustments in policy..."

An Ning reacted quickly, coupled with the information Ning Weidong had just revealed: "You mean... the authorities will open up..."

"This is inevitable," Ning Weidong said. "It is also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As long as you can grasp it, you can soar into the sky and develop a factory from nothing to a level you yourself could hardly imagine."

An Ning could not help but breathe more heavily.

She was not stirred to boiling blood by Ning Weidong's simple words, but rather, there was a premise to what Ning Weidong was saying.

This premise was Ning Weidong's connection with the Wang Family and the Zhao Family.

If it were just this person, Ning Weidong, talking to her eloquently and gesturing grandly,

An Ning wouldn't even spare him a glance; giving him an extra look would be considered polite.

Ning Weidong had just said he could provide convenient conditions, but the capital and management needed to build the factory would have to be figured out by An Ning herself.

But with these two layers of connections, Ning Weidong was the greatest capital.

This meant Ning Weidong could truly solve all the problems she encountered.

Now, another question arose in An Ning's heart: "Why choose me?"

Ning Weidong was very frank: "You know my situation. Half a year ago, I was still a gatekeeper at the Red Star Factory. Do you think I could know anyone?"

An Ning nodded, understanding Ning Weidong's meaning. Choosing her was not because she was so outstanding, but simply because there were no other choices.

This made An Ning feel a moment of depression.

But she also discovered another motive behind Ning Weidong's actions: Ning Weidong did not want to introduce people from the Wang Family or the Zhao Family into their plan.

From this perspective, she was indeed the most suitable person.

Ten-plus minutes later, Ning Weidong sent An Ning outside the Dazayuan.

Regarding his proposal, An Ning neither agreed nor refused, saying she would consider it.

Ning Weidong did not force her; this matter was not urgent.

Although many things had opened up in the last two years, especially in the south, where they turned a blind eye, in the north, especially in Beijing, some things were still quite sensitive.

Moreover, Ning Weidong's planning did not depend on one moment or one person.

No matter what An Ning said, his plan would proceed step by step; if An Ning was gone, naturally others would step up.

However, based on Ning Weidong's understanding of An Ning, this woman would not easily give up this opportunity.

Her ambition was like a fire.

Moreover, just as An Ning said herself, it was not easy for her to have the chance to latch onto Ning Weidong's thigh.

Given her background, she could barely come into contact with the likes of Zhao Ruyi or Li Yuanchao, those children of the high-ranking compounds.

Even if she relied on her beauty and charm to catch someone's eye, she would only be a plaything, and they would never give her an opportunity like this.

Therefore, what Ning Weidong gave her was already the limit of what she could reach.

By this time, it was already dark.

An Ning was somewhat absent-minded while riding her bicycle, heading in the direction of the Overseas Chinese Apartment.

Her mind was filled with the words Ning Weidong had just said to her; she had wanted to calm herself down and weigh things carefully, but she just couldn't help it, and all sorts of thoughts kept popping up.

She even thought about the future, if there really came a day when he achieved success and fame, what kind of faces those Overseas An Family members would have.

Thinking of this, her thoughts became even more uncontrollable.

Without realizing it, she returned home and stopped at the entrance of the residential complex before An Ning came back to her senses.

She didn't even know how she had gotten back.

She raised her hand to check her watch; she had actually been riding for over half an hour. An Ning pushed her bicycle through the gate.

"Young lady, back so late?" the old man at the gate asked.

An Ning responded with a smile, and once inside, she didn't ride the bicycle again, just pushing it while still thinking about Ning Weidong.

"This guy is really a devil," An Ning complained to herself, shaking her head.

Yet, those words of Ning Weidong were like magic sounds piercing her ears, constantly popping up in her mind.

An Ning could even foresee that she probably wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

While thinking, she pushed the bicycle downstairs.

Every household here had a semi-basement downstairs that could be used as a storage room or for parking bicycles.

If one didn't want to take it down, there was also a shared bike shed in the courtyard.

An Ning parked the bicycle and returned home.

But just as she opened the door, the door across the hall opened, and An Zhiyuan came out from inside.

This apartment was originally intended to be given to Ning Weidong, but now An Zhiyuan sometimes came over to stay for a couple of days.

He had come to find An Ning this afternoon and told her to go find Ning Weidong, and he had waited until now for An Ning to return.

It wasn't that An Zhiyuan lacked patience, but rather that he was under his own pressures.

Although the An Family had declined compared to before, besides An Ning's branch, there were several other branches, and the internal competition was very fierce.

Nowadays, An Zhiyuan was not as glorious as he appeared on the surface.

The An Family's situation in recent years had not been good; otherwise, they wouldn't have rushed to the mainland like headless flies, looking for ways to engage in Smuggling.

Just as An Ning took out her keys, she turned her head, a flash of impatience in her eyes.

An Zhiyuan hurriedly asked, "How was it? What did he say?"

An Ning opened the door, lifted her leg to undo the buckles of her high heels, took them off, stretched her feet, and changed into a pair of loose slippers.

An Zhiyuan followed behind, and just as he was about to walk inside, An Ning barked, "Change your shoes!"

An Zhiyuan stiffened, helplessly changed into slippers, and followed closely behind, saying, "Xiao Ning, hurry up and tell me!"

An Ning plopped down on the sofa, stopped playing coy, and replied, "Nothing else, but Ning Weidong went to the Zhao Family today to see that person from the Zhao Family."

An Zhiyuan's eyes lit up: "Really?"

An Ning said: "He said it himself, and they even ate lunch together."

An Zhiyuan rubbed his hands together, unable to help but let out a sigh of relief.

Although not a word was mentioned about Smuggling, the fact that Ning Weidong could solidify his status as the Zhao Family's son-in-law was also good news for him.

Even if it didn't work out this time, being able to get to know Ning Weidong through An Ning was an important gain; he could go home and report back.

Doing business was always a long-term endeavor; there were no one-off deals.

As long as they knew each other, if this cooperation didn't work out, there would be a next time; there would always be a chance.

The only fear was not even having the chance to get to know him.

An Ning could guess his thoughts; she sneered inwardly, but her face remained calm.

An Zhiyuan steadied himself and immediately became greedy for more: "Then about that matter of ours... what did he say?"

An Ning curled her lips and said: "What 'that matter of ours'? It has nothing to do with me. I don't do things that are illegal or criminal."

An Zhiyuan didn't take it to heart: "Xiao Ning, we are family, no need to speak in two voices. Once the matter is truly accomplished, could you possibly be left out?"

An Ning didn't argue with him and shook her head: "He didn't say. If you really can't wait, find another time to make an appointment and go talk to him yourself; don't always go through me."

An Zhiyuan's eyes rolled, his mind spinning several times in an instant: "That works too."

He calculated in his heart what to give Ning Weidong for their second meeting.

Since the apartment across the hall hadn't swayed Ning Weidong last time, he was thinking about how to make up for it later.

Wine, women, wealth, and temper—he didn't believe Ning Weidong was truly impervious to everything.

An Ning glanced at him, opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but swallowed the words back.

Better to avoid extra trouble.

Actually, from the things Ning Weidong said to her today, as well as his proposal to start a factory, she could see the signs: Ning Weidong was not interested in that Smuggling business at all.

It wasn't an act; he was truly not interested.

Before, An Ning hadn't quite believed it, thinking Ning Weidong was putting on airs and acting like a big shot.

But today, An Ning changed that opinion; she felt that Ning Weidong truly looked down on Smuggling, or rather, he didn't want to get on the An Family's pirate ship.

It was just that at this moment, even if she said it, An Zhiyuan probably wouldn't believe her and would only end up asking for a snub for no reason.

An Zhiyuan didn't know An Ning's psychological activity at this moment, and even if he did, he would scoff at it.

In his view, this bumpkin Ning Weidong had never seen the massive profits of Smuggling; if he ever did, he would immediately pounce on it like a fly seeing rotten fish.

And what he had to do was find a way to let Ning Weidong and the Zhao Family behind him taste the sweetness.

Some things, once started, cannot be stopped.

……

The next day, early in the morning, Ning Weidong arrived at the Office.

As the Correspondence Education exam approached, he had been busy reviewing recently.

The things he learned before transmigrating had long been returned to his teachers; taking the exam now was equivalent to relearning everything from scratch.

Fortunately, after transmigrating, besides his physical fitness, Ning Weidong could clearly feel that his memory had also strengthened significantly.

Just at this moment, the telephone on the desk rang.

"Hello~" Ning Weidong reached out and picked it up.

An Ning's voice immediately came from the receiver: "Do you have time this morning?"

Ning Weidong asked in return: "Have you thought it over?"

An Ning was silent for two seconds; she really hadn't slept all night, thinking only about the things Ning Weidong had told her, and didn't drift off until after four in the morning.

Yet she woke up after sleeping for only four-plus hours, and after thinking it over and over, she simply called Ning Weidong.

An Ning said: "I want to hear your plan first. With your shrewdness, since you told me, you must already have a concrete plan; it can't just be a rough idea."

Ning Weidong smiled and said indifferently: "Fine, go to the west side of our factory, there is a Limin Restaurant by the road in the family residential area; go there and wait for me."

Hanging up the phone, Ning Weidong glanced at the time.

It was twenty minutes to nine.

It would take An Ning about forty minutes to ride her bicycle from home, so Ning Weidong was not in a hurry.

He reviewed in the Office for nearly another hour, and didn't head out unhurriedly until past nine-thirty.

As for An Ning, just let her wait.

(End of this chapter)