Chapter 97: Just Wait for the Dividends!

The second day of the Lunar New Year.

Tang Ye carried New Year gifts to the Municipal Party Committee residential compound to pay a New Year call on Hong Ruilin.

Hong Ruilin accepted the gifts and took out cigarettes and liquor from the room, telling Tang Ye to take them when he left.

Tang Ye smiled and said, "How could I be so bold?"

Hong Ruilin gave Tang Ye an annoyed look, "Why are you being so polite with me? Stop with the chatter, don't come over anymore if you're going to be like this."

Tang Ye scratched his head and gave a wry smile, "Then I will accept them."

It was the old man's kind intention; if he refused, it would only make him feel uncomfortable.

At his age, he knew his fate; he had low requirements for material things and needed emotional value more.

Song Jin and Hong Yu, the couple, invited Hong Ruilin to spend the New Year with them, but he refused.

Hong Ruilin still could not get past the knot in his heart regarding his son going astray.

The large house seemed very desolate.

The nanny pushed the door open and said with a smile, "Dinner is ready."

Hong Ruilin gave a heads-up in advance: "There is no big fish or meat at home to treat you."

Tang Ye shrugged, "Fish causes internal heat, meat produces phlegm, radishes and cabbage keep you safe. There's too much grease during the New Year; eating some vegetables is just right to cleanse the gut."

The two walked to the dining table and sat down, each holding a bowl to eat their meal, and afterwards, they sat in the courtyard and began to play chess.

Tang Ye had not played chess for a long time and his technique was rusty; he didn't win a single game in the first two rounds.

By the third round, he had recovered his state slightly, and as they fought to the mid-game, it was clear he had gained the upper hand.

At this moment, Hong Ruilin began to play dirty, throwing the chess pieces away, "You play really poorly; it's no fun playing chess with you."

Tang Ye was left speechless, "I just finished warming up and found my feel? Are you afraid I'd turn the tables?"

Hong Ruilin said disdainfully, "When you encounter a deadly enemy, they won't give you a chance to warm up. They will take your life while you are sick."

Tang Ye conceded, "You won today; next time might be different."

Hong Ruilin laughed happily, "After the New Year, your position will be adjusted; you can plan ahead now and make preparations early."

Tang Ye smiled, "Next step, I will focus my attention on economic work."

Hong Ruilin tapped his knees lightly with his hand, "Put political achievements first. If you dare to act recklessly again, no one will be there to clean up your mess."

Tang Ye felt warmed, knowing that the Wei Jian incident had actually caused quite a stir.

There was someone behind the scenes shielding him from the wind and rain, protecting him very well.

Gu Laotou from next door came over to find Hong Ruilin for a game of chess.

Tang Ye watched two games, and Hong Ruilin lost both.

Hong Ruilin waved at Tang Ye impatiently, "You are affecting my performance by standing there; go get busy if you have things to do."

Tang Ye then smiled and said goodbye, just stepping out of the courtyard.

Hong Ruilin stood up and chased after him, patting his shoulder hard, "Work hard; if you encounter difficulties, call me anytime."

Once Tang Ye was far away.

Gu Yong pinched a chess piece, smiling yet not smiling, "This kid is even more capable of stirring things up than we were when we were young!"

Seeing that this game had fallen into a disadvantage again, Hong Ruilin frowned and said, "You often boast that he is half your student, yet I don't see you helping him."

Gu Yong firmly placed a key chess piece and laughed dumbly, "A good sapling only needs to be given soil. It cannot be overprotected; appropriate tempering and setbacks are only good for him, not bad!"

Song Residence.

Song Jin opened the door and looked behind him, "Nini, look who's here!"

Nini was wearing brown Mickey Mouse children's clothes and ran over, saying in a sweet, childish voice, "Uncle, Happy New Year," then looked with burning eyes at the large toy gift box Tang Ye was carrying.

Tang Ye handed the toy over.

Nini squatted down, examined it carefully, clapped her little hands excitedly, and cheered: "Lovely Barbie!"

Gu Wenqin heard the commotion and walked out of the kitchen.

Tang Ye smiled slightly, took a red envelope out of his pocket, and stuffed it into Gu Wenqin's hand, "New Year money for Nini."

Gu Wenqin passed it to Mother Hong.

A smile bloomed on Mother Hong's face, "Please, come in!"

Tang Ye sat on the sofa, chatting idly with Song Jin.

A moment later, Hong Yu hurried home and said to Tang Ye with a smile, "Town Mayor Tang, welcome!"

"I heard you were just playing mahjong, how was your luck?"

"Playing with friends, the stakes weren't high, just for fun. Heard you were coming, so I stopped."

"Wouldn't that affect your fortune?"

Hong Yu smiled and said, "You can't make a big fortune playing mahjong; if you want to make a big fortune, I still have to ask for your help."

Song Jin thought to himself that Hong Yu was too impatient.

But, the words were already out, so he could only go with the flow.

He explained to Tang Ye with a smile:

"Hong Yu plans to send the child abroad. To be honest, based on our family income, bearing the costs is still very strenuous. So Hong Yu wants to ask you to help come up with an idea."

Tang Ye said softly, "I wonder if you have any interest in aquaculture?"

Hong Yu frowned, "Aquaculture? Can it make money?"

Tang Ye smiled and said conservatively: "Pinghu will focus on supporting the aquaculture industry next year; if you invest now, there will be good returns in three to five years."

Hong Yu couldn't wrap her head around it for a moment and felt dissatisfied, probing, "Are there no bigger projects? Like a hotel, restaurant, or leisure center?"

"Those projects require a lot of capital, and participating in such projects carries high risks; if you are willing to try investing in aquaculture, you only need to buy shares, no need to manage it, just wait for the dividends."

Song Jin glanced at Hong Yu, only to see her eyes filled with a look of disappointment.

He smiled slightly, "I will discuss it properly with Hong Yu later and then give you an answer."

Tang Ye beckoned to Nini and changed the subject, "Come here, let Uncle see if you've grown taller."

Clutching her freshly minted Barbie doll, Nini ran over with a smile on her face, bouncing as she went.

She sat on Tang Ye's lap, nudging his chin with her head and swaying back and forth, looking extremely adorable.

Seeing Tang Ye getting along so well with her daughter, Gu Wenqin felt a flash of loneliness amidst her joy.

Dinner ended.

Tang Ye said his goodbyes and left.

Song Jin and Hong Yu discussed the way to make money proposed by Tang Ye in the bedroom.

"Aquaculture—neither of us knows the first thing about it; won't we just be throwing our money into the water?"

Song Jin had confidence in Tang Ye, "If you were asked to invest in a garment factory, would you know how to run it?"

Hong Yu was stunned by the question and muttered, "At least I have some understanding of it."

Song Jin stroked his chin and suggested, "We could take out a portion of the money to buy a stake; no matter the outcome, it leaves us a way out."

Hong Yu took a deep breath, "Then let's put in 100,000 for a stake. If we lose everything, we'll just treat it as if we hadn't escaped in time when we invested in the inn and lost it all."

The couple deliberated for a long time and finally reached an agreement.

Following Tang Ye's suggestion, they took out a sum of money and, with the worst-case scenario in mind, bought a stake in the Aquaculture project.

Song Jin finished sending a message to Tang Ye.

Tang Ye replied quickly: He would notify him immediately once the project started.

Hong Yu sat in front of the vanity mirror applying face cream, patting her cheeks, when she suddenly asked, "Does Tang Ye have a crush on Wenqin?"

Song Jin laughed in spite of himself, "Stop letting your imagination run wild."

Hong Yu sneered, "That's true. Tang Ye is still a young man, how could he possibly look at Gu Wenqin? In my opinion, it's Gu Wenqin who is interested in Tang Ye. Mom has also lost her mind, actually telling Wenqin that she wouldn't mind if she remarried, and even hinting that she should get along well with Tang Ye."

The more Hong Yu spoke, the more outrageous she became.

Song Jin rolled his eyes.

He picked up a book and began flipping through it with a rustle.