Chapter 7: Sister, Do Try to Be More Reserved

Dare? What is there to be afraid of?

With the memory of every crime the Tang Group has committed and will commit branded into my brain, is it really that hard to swallow it whole?

It is difficult. But it must be done.

The size of one’s ambition determines the scale of one’s harvest. Having been reborn, although I was unlucky enough to miss the World Cup, I absolutely refuse to follow in the footsteps of those hackneyed novel protagonists who start out selling skewers or running milk tea shops—it’s just too beneath me.

With a good comrade like Tang Wan on my side, I have a moral justification for dismantling the Tang Group. That is enough.

Xia An is a businessman; when it comes to making deals, he is not averse to any means. The Tang Group is a family enterprise, and Tang Tianxing practices nepotism—a bad habit of the older generation. In companies of this nature, relatives harbor their own secret agendas, filled with petty schemes, yet the moment they face an external enemy, they become unprecedentedly united.

Therefore, one cannot attack from the outside. Dismantling it requires working from within.

Zhao Zhijing is one of the few old friends of Tang Tianxing, and many of his scientific research projects were secretly funded by Tang Tianxing. Various analysis reports from my past life indicate that Tang Tianxing always harbored a dream of owning a pharmaceutical factory.

Pharmaceuticals are a source of exorbitant profit. Yet, the barrier to entry is immense; the Tang family never managed to step into that field before their demise. However, Zhao Zhijing was indeed personally promoted by him, and the two share an incredibly close relationship—otherwise, the job of sabotaging Tang Wan would never have fallen to him.

This current hospice care project is, in all likelihood, a face-saving vanity project for Zhao Zhijing as his promotion draws near. It is a golden opportunity—a perfect chance to drive a wedge into Tang Tianxing’s inner circle. If executed well, I could kill several birds with one stone.

Blocking the slap that almost landed on his face, Xia An explained his "sudden stroke of inspiration" to Lin Jiajia in simple, accessible terms.

The hospice project must be pursued. It is not just an achievement for Zhao Zhijing alone; everyone involved can get a piece of the pie. Lin Jiajia is a low-level manager who got her position through connections; if she wants to get ahead in the hospital system, this move is nothing but beneficial.

It isn't just about doing it; one must find a way to seize a portion of the control. For example...

"We need a website. Not for selling bracelets, but for hospice care."

Lin Jiajia didn't quite understand. She sat there honestly clutching her bag, waiting for Xia An to explain in detail.

Xia An said he would find someone to build the site. Once the hospice project is launched, he told Lin Jiajia to go to her superiors and claim she has an available web domain that can be used to support the hospital’s official site—handling project promotion and the profitable side that the official site cannot touch: taking orders.

In this era, a website is still seen as a novelty in the eyes of old-school academics; it carries a certain technical mystique. With profits to be made and achievements to be logged, there is no reason they would refuse. Once Lin Jiajia takes over the online operations, she gains a voice and, more importantly, an opportunity for deep engagement with Zhao Zhijing.

As for the rest... that is Xia An’s business. He has his own plans, ones he didn't share with Lin Jiajia.

But hearing this, Lin Jiajia understood. Having worked in the hospital for years, she knows the rules of this system well. After careful consideration, she couldn't find a single flaw in Xia An’s plan.

Is the model difficult? No, it’s not. On the contrary, it’s very simple. It merely exploits the leadership’s penchant for vanity and grandiosity. Yet, the speed of Xia An’s thinking still left her astonished.

Just how smart does a person have to be, and how well must they understand human nature, to come up with such a model in an instant? Through their two interactions today, Lin Jiajia suddenly realized that the young man before her had changed drastically from the person she once knew.

"But, making a website must be expensive, right? Who are you going to get to do it?" That was all Lin Jiajia asked.

Xia An sighed deeply and leaned back on the sofa. "You are my dearest aunt; of course, I will do everything in my power to help you... I’ll cover the money. Just name your price."

...

After Lin Jiajia left, Xia An was overjoyed.

Mutual benefit is the essence of social interaction. Solving my own problems while helping her get rich—why wouldn't I do it? He knew clearly that in the four years of university to come and the decades that follow, he is not here to struggle, but to enjoy life.

The world is just a makeshift stage; its operating rules are not complex at all—they are, in fact, simple and brutal. In this second chance at life, the little butterfly must fly toward the sky. Otherwise... why bother breaking out of the cocoon? Why not just be another soul crawling in the mud, dreaming like the masses?

The inexplicable trust shown by Tang Wan and Lin Jiajia wiped away the last traces of his hesitation. From this moment on, he would spare no effort to place himself in the same dangerous position as Tang Wan.

If I’m going to do it, I’ll do it big. Returning to the gambling table, his rule is no longer "winner takes all," but "he who takes all is the winner!"

Xia An stretched out his hand, waving it in the sunset of the living room, as if mimicking a butterfly, fanning a gentle breeze.

On the evening of July 11, 2006, this breath of wind flew out of Xia An’s window, brushing past the hair of Lin Jiajia as she drove on the elevated highway. It then swept across the city, followed the railway tracks, and caught up to a green-skinned train. It slipped through a window and scattered the steam rising from the bowl of braised beef noodles in front of Tang Wan.

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Master Kong instant noodles, three yuan and five mao. Added a Jinluo sausage.

Tang Wan felt deeply wronged. She had been an excellent student of high character since childhood; she had never fought or cursed anyone. Why, as someone who was kind to others and beautiful to boot, did she have such a tragic life?

Where were the dumplings? How did they become a bowl of noodles? They tasted terrible.

And why wouldn't they let her change seats? That man's feet were just too stinky!

After slurping down a few mouthfuls, she couldn't eat anymore. Clutching her bag, she gazed longingly out the window. The train could never catch the sunset. After the last ray of light vanished, the carriage lights flickered on.

Tang Wan didn't want to go back to the sleeper, but she couldn't resist the exhaustion. She hadn't slept well in a long time; at Xia An’s place that afternoon was the first time she had fallen asleep quickly since her parents passed away. Now, listening to the rhythmic clatter of the train tracks, her eyelids grew heavy. She nodded off, nearly falling over. Finally, she stuffed two tissues into her nostrils, retreated to her compartment, and fell into a deep sleep amidst the chatter of a married couple.

The midsummer capital was like a giant steamer, and Tang Wan didn't like the climate here. She didn't plan to stay long; after getting off the train in the morning, she went straight to the hospital. It was a Grade A-level facility, but in Beijing, it didn't hold the top-tier prestige of places like Tiantan or the General Hospital.

Over two thousand yuan for a full-body checkup. She paid extra for an expedited result that required an overnight wait.

The results came at four in the afternoon. During this time, Tang Wan sat quietly in the parking lot, watching the sky, not eating a bite. The sky here wasn't that deep blue of Dongshan; it looked like a diluted, pale blue—not very pretty. The sun was intense, leaving her feeling hot on the outside but cold within. The stone bench under her was particularly scorching, and she imagined herself as a roast duck with crispy skin. As she thought about it, she giggled foolishly.

*Tang Wan, oh Tang Wan, how can you still laugh? You have no home left.*

A text message notified her: the results were ready. A thick stack of lab reports. Heaven have mercy, she never liked sweets, so how did she end up with two cavities?

The doctor looked at her report and told her: "There is a major problem."

Tang Wan’s heart skipped a beat. The doctor looked at her, then back at the report, and the implication was clear: *How can someone as young as you be so malnourished?*

Stubborn and sour. Tang Wan disliked Beijing even more. This year had been exhausting; she couldn't eat or sleep well, so malnutrition was only natural. She asked the doctor to look closely at the CT scan. The doctor looked again and again, telling her that her brain was healthy and that any further checks would require a psychiatrist.

Leaving the hospital, Tang Wan looked at the sky again. "Mom, Dad, I might be late to see you."

She happily visited a shopping mall and had a wonderful sleep at a hotel. The next morning, she took a hot shower, changed into brand-new clothes from head to toe, and took a car to the Yonghe Temple.

When she was eight, her parents had brought her here and spent a fortune on a necklace. Wearing this white jade Tara, she didn't need an appointment this time. In the bustling crowd, Tang Wan was led to the backyard and finally stopped outside the Master’s room.

Glazed yellow tiles and red brick walls—a sanctuary for the soul. In the morning sun, Tang Wan knelt devoutly on the bluestone slabs, waiting.

Less than two minutes later, a young monk came out and handed her a slip of paper. He said, "The Master is away today, but he knew you were coming and wrote this for you in advance."

Tang Wan pressed her palms together in silence and watched him leave. She checked out early, didn't return to the hotel, and took the green-skinned train back again. She came and went in a hurry, like a playful little white horse. She was homeless; the world was vast, and she could hide anywhere. Yet, she chose to return to Dongshan, the place where she least should have stayed.

Lying on the sleeper berth, Tang Wan rested her chin on her hands, staring blankly out the window. Her snow-white socks-clad feet swayed back and forth. The jade pendant, warmed by her body, swayed against her chest as well. She was still sleepy, but she couldn't sleep.

She couldn't unravel the two Zen riddles the Master had given her:

*Coming from where one came, seeking where one goes; the Buddha has no form, saving those with affinity.*
*Reaching the end of the water, watching where the clouds arise.*

She didn't know who the "one with affinity" was. But she couldn't shake Xia An’s face from her mind.

She was the only one in the sleeper compartment on the return trip—no stinky feet, and it was much more comfortable. She held the jade pendant on her chest. The White Tara is a manifestation of Guanyin, who saves all living beings. Tang Wan whispered to herself, "May the Buddha have mercy, may the Buddha have mercy..."

As she chanted, it turned into: "I am not inferior, I am not inferior..."

She didn't sleep the whole way. When she knocked on Xia An’s door again, she found him with massive dark circles under his eyes. Seeing her, Xia An only looked startled for less than a second before stepping aside.

Tang Wan kicked off her new travel shoes and dashed into the bathroom, then tried to drown out the sound of the running water by speaking loudly. "Did you stay up all night playing on the computer?"

Xia An poured himself another cup of instant coffee and replied, "I was mining for gold online, not playing."

Frustrated, with the water still running, Tang Wan asked from the bathroom, "How much money did you mine?"

"35 million. US dollars," Xia An replied casually.

After flushing the toilet, Tang Wan didn't take it to heart. "Playing Monopoly is boring. I can win 35 million in fun-coins in one night."

Xia An said, "Mine can be cashed out next year."

Tang Wan remained unimpressed. She walked up to Xia An and said sincerely, "I want to live here."

Xia An yawned and looked at the calendar. Adhering to the principle of high risk, high reward, he said, "My parents will be back in four days. For these four days, Miss Tang, please try to be a little more reserved."