Chapter 74: Who Did Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang Rely On to Conquer the Realm?

Perhaps because he was back home and feeling at ease, Yan Li slept soundly.

His parents had already gone to the shop; Yan Li shuffled to the bathroom in his cotton slippers, and on his way back, he paused briefly before the dog he’d cleaned up yesterday.

The dog glanced at Yan Li, whimpered a few times, and tucked its tail back into its nest.

“Not much of a piss, either.”

Yan Li was disappointed—he’d thought it was some tough, fearless guard dog, but it turned out to be a cowardly waste of a mutt.

Back inside, breakfast was already laid out on the table; Yan Li reheated it in the kitchen, eating while reviewing today’s intelligence.

【Daily Intelligence 1: Yan Jiang is immensely proud of his son Yan Li’s success abroad; last night, after boasting for a long time at the Bai Lou Village convenience store, he went to visit his older brother Yan Hai…】

Well, well!

So that’s why Old Yan came home so late yesterday—he’d gone visiting.

【Daily Intelligence 2: Zhang Hong has been anxious about her son Yan Li’s marriage, so she’s intensely curious about the woman who called him yesterday, determined to pry the truth out of Yan Li…】

He’s only twenty-two—does his mom really need to be this desperate?

Still, thinking of his eldest cousin, who married in his early twenties, and a cousin who became a father at nineteen, Zhang Hong’s concern isn’t unreasonable.

But Zhang Hong’s been anxious about this for years; Yan Li has no intention of marrying.

He’s in the prime of his life, with countless sights ahead—he won’t stand idly by.

【Daily Intelligence 3: Chen Jianjun, deputy director of Zao City Television, favors crime-themed TV dramas and has a moderate chance of purchasing Yan Li’s TV series “Conquest.”】

This system has clearly been honed by him—no matter where he goes, it triggers intelligence related to “Conquest.”

Yan Li never expected that returning home for the New Year would bring business opportunities.

He’ll see if there’s a chance to close a deal—if he signs a contract right after the holiday, it’ll be a brilliant start to the year.

“…”

The remaining two pieces of intelligence were useless; Yan Li skimmed them, tidied up the house, and went out to meet friends.

He still had good standing among his hometown folks.

Childhood friends, relatives, schoolmates, and martial arts school buddies—he could call out once and gather a whole crowd.

When Yan Li met these old friends, it wasn’t just for nostalgia—he also wanted to see if any capable people could be brought to Beijing to help him.

With “Conquest” concluded, Yan Li’s funds had significantly increased, and his business would inevitably expand.

Bigger business means needing more people.

Some could be hired through standard channels, but Yan Li preferred those he knew well and could trust.

At the dawn of the new century, though not as chaotic as before, remnants of rough-and-tumble spirit still lingered.

For instance, the internet cafe Yan Li always wanted to open—even after securing connections, hiring two admins wouldn’t be enough.

Later, he planned to invest in film and television, but film crews were full of all kinds of people; seasoned veterans often formed cliques and pulled all sorts of underhanded tricks.

Without sufficient reputation or influence in the industry, even a wealthy investor could easily be fooled and manipulated.

So in such situations, no matter how eloquent Yan Li was, how sharp his mind, or how well-informed he was, nothing was as direct or effective as having a dozen strong, fiery young men standing by.

One hero needs three helpers!

Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang built their empires with bands of fellow villagers; even Xiang Yu and Cao Cao relied on hometown men as their core.

Yan Li, struggling alone in Beijing like a rootless floating weed, would gain threefold courage if he brought some hometown relatives and friends with him.

Still, bringing people is one thing—selecting the right ones requires careful vetting.

Many have relied on hometown ties to build empires; more have been betrayed by them.

Fortunately, Yan Li had long known these friends well, and now, with the system’s help, he understood them even deeper.

Double insurance—more secure than ever!

After two days of visiting old friends, Yan Li had gathered a preliminary list of candidates.

But these were only initial picks—he’d need to screen them again.

Besides, his business hadn’t yet expanded, and he hadn’t yet clarified his plans; talking too soon would be pointless, so he kept conversations light, mainly strengthening ties.

To be honest, among these friends, given their ages, backgrounds, and experiences, very few had truly done well.

All Yan Li needed to do was offer decent pay, plus his own excellent reputation, and recruiting them would take just a few words…

————

This year had no New Year’s Eve; the 29th day of the 12th lunar month was the Lunar New Year’s Day.

Yan Jiang and his wife, having shut down their restaurant, didn’t rise early like other families to prepare for the holiday; they didn’t get up until nearly noon, lounging on the sofa watching TV.

This was also Yan Li’s family tradition!

They were too busy during the year, so they counted on the New Year for just two days of rest—they had no energy for unnecessary fuss.

Though they had a professional chef at home, the New Year’s dinner was just dumplings, maybe with a few cold appetizers.

First, they were too lazy to cook on such a rare day off; second, since they ran a restaurant, they didn’t lack for festive delicacies.

In past years, Yan Li had done the same, but this year he took the initiative to shoulder the responsibility of preparing the New Year’s feast.

He wanted to show Old Yan a real display of skill!

Earlier, Yan Li had asked his mother—he’d sent her the braised meat recipe and menu, yet Old Yan had never tried it once.

He hadn’t even really looked at it—just glanced over it once and tossed it aside.

Too dismissive of his own son’s words; Yan Li planned to show Old Yan what “a scholar’s progress in three days warrants a new appraisal” and “the pupil surpasses the master” truly meant.

He took out the seasonings he’d bought these past two days; the meat at home was already ready. Yan Li tidied up and began braising the meat.

While the meat simmered, Yan Li prepared the other dishes—washing, chopping, marinating, mixing, never stopping.

“My son is truly capable.”

Zhang Hong was deeply pleased; this time, her son had grown more mature and responsible—if only he’d find a girlfriend, it’d be perfect.

Old Yan, belly protruding, hands behind his back, came out to inspect Yan Li’s cooking, occasionally offering commentary.

“Your knife skills are rusty—out of practice.”

“Oh, right, add some cornstarch to tenderize it.”

“You didn’t use enough soy sauce—though a lighter taste is fine too.”

“…”

But as Yan Li’s preliminary preparations neared completion—even the cold dishes were done—Old Yan’s comments grew fewer and fewer.

No matter their skill level, veteran chefs always had sharp eyes.

Especially Old Yan, who was self-taught, never formally apprenticed—half his skills came from observation, half from trial and error; his perception and insight were sharper.

Had he ever taken his son’s words seriously, studied the recipe and formula carefully, he wouldn’t have been outmaneuvered today.

Now, seeing Yan Li’s preparation steps and dipping sauces, Old Yan began to sense something.

Damn—it looks like this kid really got his hands on something good!

If Yan Li’s cooking merely impressed Old Yan, who still believed his own signature dishes weren’t bad and could find excuses to save face,

then when the pot of braised meat slowly matured, its rich aroma spreading, making the dogs in the yard restless, Old Yan finally lost all composure.

He sniffed repeatedly, his eyes darting toward the pot, but since Yan Li was standing nearby, he felt too embarrassed to go over and open it—so he paced anxiously around the kitchen.

At that moment, neighbors, drawn by the smell, began arriving in small groups; spotting Yan Jiang, they called out loudly.

“Uncle Er, what are you cooking? It smells so good!”

“Not me—Yan Li made it.”

Yan Jiang muttered, though slightly embarrassed, he wouldn’t steal his son’s credit.

One neighbor teased: “Yan Li’s good—his cooking’s better than your dad’s.”

Hearing the commotion, Yan Li came out and smiled: “My skills? I learned them from my dad. I just picked up a new recipe outside and wasn’t sure about it, so I came home for Dad’s advice. When it’s done, everyone taste it—if it’s good, we’ll add it to the restaurant’s New Year menu.”

It was fine to joke around at home, but in front of outsiders, they had to preserve Old Yan’s dignity.

Hearing his son’s words, Old Yan’s round face flushed slightly; he mumbled a few replies to the neighbors, then pulled out cigarettes and offered them around.

Yan Li took one too; just as he reached for his lighter, Old Yan reached out and lit it for him. Yan Li tried to dodge but couldn’t escape—he lit the cigarette, and Old Yan patted his son’s shoulder, then began helping with the fire and chores.

Everything was understood without words!

(End of Chapter)