"Watch your words, bro," I reminded him. "This is my wedding, it's not bad news!"
"Stop talking nonsense!" Aze said irritably, "If you're so capable, why don't you send the wedding invitation to Qiaoqiao yourself? Let's see if Miss Qiao will tear you apart!" After a pause, Aze asked in a serious tone, "It's only been a short time since you said goodbye at the hospital, and you've already decided to marry Yandi in such a short time? Have you thought about the consequences? Have you thought about what will happen to the others? Have you thought about Qiaoqiao? Have you thought about Fang Nan?"
I held the phone, silent for a moment. I stood in the VIP waiting area of the airport. Suddenly, I felt a surge of irritation. I walked aside, took out a cigarette, and said in a low voice into the phone, "Aze, believe me. Making this decision was incredibly difficult for me! Really, it was a really tough decision!"
"So what prompted this decision?" Aze sighed.
“It’s about perspective,” I replied. “I understand, I’ll have to make a decision sooner or later… I have to marry one of these women!! This is a choice I’ll have to face sooner or later. Before this, I’ve only considered things from my own perspective. I’ve been thinking about who I love and who I don’t… um, no, no… it should be who I love more, or rather, I’ve always wanted to figure out who I love the most. Only then can I make a choice… but that’s just too difficult. Love isn’t like buying cabbage, where you can weigh it. It’s something that…” There are different degrees of intensity! I can't distinguish them! Love is love, and not loving is not loving. There's no such thing as loving more or less. So, I've always felt helpless, or rather, confused; I didn't know how to choose. But today, just before, I suddenly realized I was wrong… All along, my thinking has been too selfish! I've always considered who I love most, how I should choose, who I most want to be with… and so on. It seems I've only cared about what 'I' think, only considered 'my' situation, but ignored other people's feelings and situations. That's just too selfish.”
"Yes, continue."
"I suddenly thought today, if I were to put myself in their shoes, who should be with me? Or rather, who needs me the most?" I grabbed my hair hard, then stubbed out the cigarette I'd just taken two puffs of, and said helplessly, "Look, Qiao Qiao, Fang Nan... um, I also know a girl in America surnamed Yang... sigh, they're different from Yan Di. Even without me, Fang Nan is still a powerful businesswoman, with her own career and a strong family background. As for Yang Wei, even without me, she still has an exceptionally intelligent mind and talent; her abilities are enough for her to achieve great things, and in fact, she's already a powerful figure... As for Qiao Qiao, even without me, she still has you and Mu Tou as friends. She can still be her strong and invincible Miss Qiao, she can still live such a bold and unconventional life. She also has a super-rich father; no matter what trouble she gets into, her father can always smooth things over for her..."
I finished speaking in one breath, then suddenly slapped myself hard across the face, and said to myself: Chen Yang, you can even come up with this kind of excuse, you are a fucking bastard!
Then, I continued slowly into the phone, "But Yan Di is different... She doesn't just love me and like me; she places all her hopes for life on me. She has no family background, no rich father, no exceptionally intelligent mind... and without me, she has nothing!" I took a deep breath again: "Aze, do you understand now?"
“…I understand.” Aze sighed on the other end of the line.
"So, since I can't tell which one I love the most, I have to figure out which one needs me the most." I laughed bitterly: "Making this choice is like cutting your heart into several pieces and forcing yourself to keep one while throwing away the others."
"Okay," Aze told me on the other end of the phone. "As your friend, I listened carefully to what you were saying. But I can't help you solve these problems... Also, I'll pretend I don't know about this news. I won't tell Fang Nan or Qiao Qiao about it. You can tell them yourself when you have the chance."
"Okay, thank you for listening to me." I hadn't originally planned to let Aze say anything to Fang Nan or Qiao Qiao on my behalf. These kinds of things are better handled personally; I can't let others do the work. It's just that I was really frustrated just now and needed to confide in a friend. And Aze, who was closest to me and was the one who caused the breakthrough in my relationship with Fang Nan, was the best person for me to confide in.
"Oh, right, before you leave, I have a surprise for you." Aze suddenly raised his voice a few decibels on the phone: "Maybe seeing this surprise will make you feel a little better right now."
"What surprise?"
“When I went to your hotel today, I brought a manila envelope and gave it to Attorney Zhou. I asked him to give it to you. You’ll know once you open it.” Aze’s voice was somewhat mysterious, then he smiled at me and said, “Alright, have a safe trip! Live well in Vancouver! All your friends and those who care about you wish you well.”
After Aze hung up the phone, I put away my phone and, recalling the "surprise" he mentioned, I immediately ran to find Zhou with buck teeth.
Buck-toothed Zhou paused for a moment, then remembered something: "Ah, right, there was an envelope here with me. Sigh. He didn't explain anything at the time, and I thought it was just a minor personal item, so I figured I could bring it to you later. But then I got busy and almost forgot about it."
He rummaged through his briefcase and, sure enough, found a small brown paper envelope and handed it to me.
While boarding, we ran into an acquaintance. It was Gao Wenzhan, the Hong Kong tycoon I had rescued; he was also on this flight leaving Lijiang. Quite a coincidence.
He saw me and was very excited. He talked to me for a long time, and then Yan Di simply adjusted his seat and went to sit in the back row with the little girl. I sat with Gao Wenzhan.
"Sigh. I was in a hurry to get back. I flew from Lijiang to Kunming, and then transferred to another plane to go back to Hong Kong. This trip was practically a brush with death. When I get back, I must find a fortune teller and have a ritual performed to get rid of the bad luck!" Gao Wenzhan sighed.
I understand his longing to go home. After going through such a life-or-death ordeal, he must desperately want to go home.
I offered him a few words of comfort, and then I opened the manila envelope.
The envelope contained only a small promotional brochure, about the size of a palm. It was a fourbooklet with color pictures on both sides and some simple text descriptions.
The overall color scheme is dark blue. The homepage features an image of a villa development in Lijiang City, artistically rendered to make it appear as if the development is nestled amidst the mountains and rivers of Lijiang…
In the background, faintly visible is a woman dressed in blue, standing beside a waterwheel in front of an old-fashioned town...
It is clearly stated below: Media promotion: Deep Blue Entertainment.
I suddenly realized that this was probably the advertisement that Fang Nan's company filmed in Lijiang.
It seems to be an agent for a vacation villa development.
Is this the surprise Aze was talking about?
With this question in mind, I turned to the second page... and then, after just one glance at me, I couldn't help but slap my thigh!
"Damn it! This kid, why didn't he tell me sooner!"
On the second page is a stunningly beautiful woman!
Her features and facial contours were exquisitely refined. Of course, makeup and photography techniques played a part. But her stunning beauty would still be unforgettable for most men!
Her slender eyebrows, slightly upturned eyes, captivating peach blossom eyes, and blue pupils... her appearance, a blend of Eastern and Western styles, clearly showed mixed-race features... and she possessed an alluring, almost otherworldly figure.
Ice-blue eyeshadow, ice-blue lip gloss, ice-blue long dress and scarf, and the surrounding blue atmosphere... the beauty in the picture is almost portrayed as a stunning "blue enchantress"!
Without a doubt, just looking at this blue rose in the picture, she is a beauty that can make countless men's hearts flutter!
What surprised me even more was not her appearance, but her identity!
She was none other than the beautiful mixed-race woman from the nightclub I took with me during my trip to Vietnam! I entrusted her and her sister to my friends to take back to China. But unexpectedly, she became an advertising model for Deep Blue Entertainment Company…?
I immediately flipped to the back, and the third page also featured her in a different pose.
Turning to the last page brought me a sense of relief.
The person on the last page isn't the mixed-race beauty anymore, but her younger sister, YOYO. This girl with a leg disability wears an innocent smile in the picture, exuding undeniable charm! Her stunning looks are in no way inferior to her sister's, and coupled with that infectious smile, if she had wings on her back, some might truly mistake her for an angel. Of course, what comforts me most is seeing her running lightly, holding up her skirt with both hands…
Seeing this, I understood what Aze meant by "surprise"...
As I entrusted, YoYo's leg has healed! Seeing me staring at the brochure for a long time without speaking, Gao Wenzhan beside me looked a little strange. Then his gaze swept over the brochure in my hand: "Oh? Mr. Chen, are you also interested in this vacation villa in Lijiang? Hmm, it's a beautiful city. Buying a house here and coming here for vacation for a period of time every year would be a good choice."
I casually replied, "It's alright."
Gao Wenzhan glanced at the brochure a couple more times, then couldn't help but chuckle: "Huh? Jenny is the spokesperson for this property development."
"Jenny?" I paused for a moment, pointing to the mixed-race beauty on the cover: "You mean her?"
"Yes. That's right. The female celebrity's name is Jenny, isn't it?"
Oh… I nodded. Jenny, that's probably her new name. I casually asked, “Is this Jenny quite famous now?”
I asked casually. Unexpectedly, Gao Wenzhan glanced at me and laughed, "Mr. Chen is abroad, so he probably doesn't know. Right now, in mainland China and Hong Kong, she's incredibly popular. It seems like several of her songs have gone viral for downloads online. Well, while I don't know the specifics, my daughter and almost all her classmates have Jenny's posters plastered all over their rooms. Last month, I heard she went to Hong Kong for a concert, and it was completely sold out. It even caused a three-hour traffic jam."
I:"……"
We parted ways with Gao Wenzhan at Kunming Airport. He flew directly to Hong Kong from there. Before he left, I made an appointment with him, asking him to make sure to visit Vancouver soon so that we could have some business cooperation. Clearly, he was very sincere.
After another ten-plus hours of turbulent flight, our group finally returned to Vancouver.
After clearing customs, my brothers from home were already waiting to pick me up at the airport.
Bucktooth Zhou went straight back to rest. I sent a car to take Lei Xiaohu back to his senior brother's place. This guy came back to China with us this time, and he ate, drank, and had fun almost the entire way, with me, his senior uncle, paying for everything. It was so great! But this kid is already very affectionate towards me now, and my importance in his heart has greatly increased.
I took Yan Di and the little girl with me back with me, and Xi Luo also came with me.
I forgot to mention that after I bought that luxury house by the sea, I later bought another one for Ciro near me, so we could all live together and look out for each other.
However, after observing for a long time, I discovered that in such a big house as Xiluo, he was the only one living there. This guy still doesn't know how to find himself a woman... Sigh.
Back home, everyone was exhausted. Plus, there was a time difference between Asia and North America, so we didn't care about that and slept for over ten hours straight, not getting up until the afternoon of the next day.
I was woken up by a phone call from Zhou with protruding teeth.
As expected of a top-notch lawyer, Bucktooth Zhou quickly helped the little girl obtain a temporary student visa.
As for the little girl's future... taking her on as an apprentice is out of the question, and I have no interest in teaching a little girl martial arts. It's better for a proper girl to go to school.
Although this girl has a wild nature, after traveling all the way to Canada with me, she also showed some unease, as if she were new to the place, and her eyes held a hint of timidity. After all, she's only a twelve-year-old girl.
After I got up, I realized that Yan Di was no longer beside me. I got dressed and went downstairs, only to see Yan Di holding the little girl by the swimming pool in the back, looking at the sea view.
"Cough! Cough cough!" I coughed twice, and Yan Di turned around and saw me. She immediately smiled and said, "You're up? I'll get you something to eat."
Since our long talk in Lijiang, Yandi has completely shaken off her dejected state. She looks radiant, exuding a sweet and happy aura. Only occasionally, a hint of unease and doubt still flashes in her eyes… I think these will disappear after we get married.
"Girl. When did you get up?" I walked over and gently kicked her from behind. She sat cross-legged on the edge of the swimming pool.
"I got up a long time ago." She glanced back at me and shrank back.
I noticed she seemed a little reserved, and I knew why.
"Don't worry, I know it's a new place and I'm not used to it yet, but I'll get used to it soon." I looked at her and smiled, "I told you, you and I are a lot like that. We're like weeds! We can go anywhere, and as long as we take root, we can live very well!"
Then I patted her on the shoulder and said, "Okay, I've got your student visa sorted out. We'll figure out how to get you the immigration process later. But you can't just go straight to school here now. You don't have any language skills at all... I found you a language school. Go to the language school to learn English tomorrow."
"Sir, are you really that rich?" She blinked at me. "Are you really going to adopt me?"
"Live well." I looked at her. "You're very lucky. So you should cherish your luck even more, understand?" I paused for a moment, then thought for a second. "From now on, don't call me 'Mr.' Call me 'Fifth Brother.' You see, that's what everyone else calls me."
Seeing that she still seemed a little restrained and uneasy, I went over and gently put my arm around her shoulder. Then I tapped her on the head: "What's wrong? Are you stunned?"
"No...it feels like I'm dreaming," the little girl murmured.
I nodded and sat down next to her. "Do you see this house? This swimming pool... and in the garage at the back, there are several very expensive luxury cars! Everything here is worth at least tens of millions of dollars, or at least 200 million RMB..."
The little girl gasped and looked at me in surprise.
I smiled and said, "But do you know what? Just two years ago, I landed in Vancouver. At that time, I was an illegal immigrant. I only had a backpack with a few old clothes inside, and I only had a thousand dollars in my pocket."
Her eyes widened and stared intently at me, shining brightly!
"Sir, oh no, Fifth Brother." She looked at me, still gritting her teeth, and said, "I've made up my mind, I still want to become your disciple!"
"You still want to learn martial arts?" I frowned.
Oh well, everyone has their own ambitions, whatever. If she really likes learning martial arts that much, I'll take her to see my senior brother tomorrow.
"How about this, tomorrow I'll take you to meet a true martial arts master! If you want to learn, for my sake, ask him to take you as his disciple."
"No, I don't necessarily want to learn martial arts." The little girl quickly shook her head, looking at me: "I don't want to learn from others, I only want to learn from you!"
What should we learn?
"I want to learn everything!" The little girl's eyes shone with unprecedented eagerness: "I want to learn everything you can do!"
Many years later, I never imagined that this little girl, whom I adopted on a whim, would achieve a miraculous success that was in no way inferior to mine!
“Well, first of all, neither of you are Christians, so you don’t need to have a wedding in a church. And you’re not Muslims, not Jews, not Greeks… basically, you don’t follow any religion, so you don’t need any religious ceremony.” Buck-toothed Zhou sighed. “I’ve been thinking about it, and it seems your wedding can be quite simplified. If you want it to be simple, then I suggest you hold the wedding in your current house. Your villa has a big enough yard and lawn; we just need to hire some waiters, prepare some food, and hire a band, and that should be about it. The venue setup can be handled by a company that does that… anyway, my boss, you have plenty of money.”
"What about the guest list?" I frowned.
"This is the real headache," Zhou with buck teeth said with a wry smile. "This is the most troublesome thing for me! God! Why is even getting married so difficult for you!"
He counted on his fingers as he looked at me: “Look, the guests we need to invite include: the president of the Women and Children Protection Foundation, the president of the Vancouver Business Association, the mayor, the chief of municipal business affairs, the tax commissioner, the editor-in-chief of XX newspaper, and of course, the police department—the new police chief and Officer Jeff, who is now a senior officer in the district. In addition, Mr. Doug is your close ally, so he definitely needs to be invited. Also, there are two regional senators, and two opposition party leaders. The customs commissioner… and customs anti-smuggling officials… And remember, these are just the officials; these are all prominent figures in high society, gentlemen of status! The crucial point is… we have to invite more than just them! We need to invite the bosses and bigwigs of over a dozen Vancouver gangs! In addition, several maritime smuggling groups will send representatives. In Toronto, Thorin will definitely send something… and the Yang family will certainly send a representative…”
Buck-toothed Zhou looked at me helplessly, his face somewhat grim: "My dear boss, think about it... Among your guests are the biggest smuggling boss on the West Coast, customs inspectors! All the heads of gangs in Vancouver! All the drug dealers, arms dealers, pimps, gambling syndicate bosses... These people will be attending alongside several high-ranking city officials and police officers... Can you imagine a cat and mouse toasting each other and dancing? Or can you imagine the biggest gangster in the city's red-light district standing next to the president of the Women's Protection Association...?"
Before he could finish speaking, I couldn't help but curse out in frustration, "Damn it!"
However, my troubles go far beyond that.
Just as I was discussing this with Bucktooth Zhou, I received a phone call from Yang Wei.
When I saw that it was Yang Wei calling, I felt a little guilty. After all, I'm about to marry Yan Di, and Yang Wei, who clearly has a more than friendly relationship with me, is calling me at this time... I wonder what she means!
Fortunately, her tone on the phone seemed quite calm; she probably hadn't received the news of my upcoming wedding yet. Yang Wei spoke in a businesslike tone, saying, "Remember that company you got from Old Suolin in exchange for shares in Huaxing Company? The preliminary work is basically done, and we're facing an opportunity. If we seize it, we could all make a small fortune… Are you interested?"
"Hmm, tell me, what's the situation?" I breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't mention my marriage.
"Alright, that company has already undergone restructuring. They weren't doing well to begin with. Without new capital injection, they'd probably file for bankruptcy in less than two months. And your current shares only represent a portion of that company, so I suggest you immediately invest more in that company! And while you're at it, buy the shares from the others... Now that they're facing bankruptcy, the others will definitely be happy to sell to you! Of course, you'll need to do this personally. If possible, you must come to the United States as soon as possible."