"Hello, Grandpa Hong!" Lin Yao snapped out of his daze and immediately greeted him warmly, "Grandpa Hong, my older brother admires you the most. He's finally meeting you today. I'll treat you to a meal."
"Haha." General Hong laughed heartily. This little fellow was quite amusing; he had been somewhat panicked just moments before, but now he was so relaxed. "Excellent! I think every soldier would be willing to eat at Minhong Pharmaceuticals. I heard you're going to take in my soldiers; thank you in advance!"
Lin Yao hadn't really thought before he spoke. He'd mentioned inviting the general to dinner earlier in the ambulance, and in his current state of confusion, he'd blurted it out again. Just as he was starting to regret it, the general's reply made him very happy, and he immediately felt a fondness for General Hong.
“Grandpa Hong, I’m young and don’t know any better. It’s all the older brothers who have been taking care of me.” Lin Yao was very grateful for General Hong’s arrival. With such a clear stance and support, Kang Dikai’s matter could be handled well. “Those older brothers weren’t taken in by us. They came to help us start a business together.”
At this point, Lin Yao looked sincerely into General Hong's eyes and said, "Grandpa Hong, rest assured, Minhong Pharmaceutical will definitely not mistreat these heroic brothers. My parents are both from military backgrounds, so we will definitely get along well."
"Oh? So you're from a military family." General Hong seemed to be hearing this for the first time, his face showing surprise. "Have you ever thought about joining the army? I heard from Qingying that you have a lot of potential."
"Ah! This..." Lin Yao hesitated to speak, inwardly cursing Qingying beside him. He had already said he couldn't go, but he had even reported it to the general. "Grandpa Hong, I'm not in good health, so I'm afraid I can't learn those skills. Besides, my parents' factory has a lot of things that need my help with."
“Oh, then I won’t force you. It would be a great service for you to help me mentor these veterans in the local area.” General Hong’s expression turned serious. “I heard you have some special skills? Those skills…”
Lin Yao immediately understood General Hong's words. He had also reported on the drugs that Qingying had been eyeing. General Hong must have deliberately wanted him to join the army, and then made this request as a second choice. He was a master of psychological tactics.
“No problem, Grandpa Hong, I’ll only charge the cost price.” Lin Yao replied immediately after he had figured it out. “However, these things are hard to come by. I’ll try to get some after I’m done with this busy period. I’ll have my older brother contact Brother Qingying.”
"Not bad, young man," General Hong praised, but inwardly wondered why Lin Yao insisted on using the term "cost price." Did he think he could rip him off? "I bet many people are eyeing your drought-resistant beverage formula. Now, with the help of the Hawks, you'll be much safer. I heard that the Wise Eagles have also come to Chengdu?" The last sentence was addressed to Ge Yong.
"Yes, General. Zhiying has arrived, making a total of thirty-two people including me." Ge Yong stood at attention reflexively and replied crisply.
"That's good. Xiao Lin, your family's safety is now guaranteed. If you encounter any problems in the future, just come to me," General Hong said decisively, his tone extremely domineering.
"Zhiying?" Lin Yao thought to himself. He figured that Zhiying must be Shen Ruohua. He could tell from his behavior and the attitude of the veterans towards him.
"Grandpa Hong, the formula matter is almost settled. Our family will hand it over to the government," Lin Yao added, deciding to start spreading the word now to prevent any more petty people from trying to take advantage of it.
"Good lad." General Hong slapped Lin Yao's shoulder hard, making him feel like his bones were about to break. "No wonder it's Minhong Pharmaceutical!"
Lin Yao rolled his eyes speechlessly, adding in his mind, "It's a paid donation; you have to pay."
...
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Chapter Ninety-Eight: Launch
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"Xiao Lin, why don't you want to go to the Xinhua Hotel? What are you worried about?" General Hong asked affectionately, like an old man comforting his grandson.
Lin Yao wasn't fooled by appearances at all. Whenever he saw the occasional glint of shrewdness in the general's eyes, he felt uneasy. He liked and admired tough soldiers, but he still felt very uncomfortable dealing with them in person. What if these decisive soldiers made a request? Would you refuse or not? Refusing required guts; those with weak constitutions would cower in their presence. Not refusing? Did these tough soldiers not eat meat? Just thinking about his uncle's upcoming business trip to Chengdu in a few days gave him an idea; his family's savings wouldn't last long.
"Grandpa Hong, there are too many soldiers standing guard there. I get scared when I see them. I've been frightened before." Lin Yao quickly came up with a lame excuse. He couldn't find any other excuse at the moment, so he could only use his cowardice as a cover. Was he supposed to say that there was a furious old man living there?
"Is that so?" General Hong clearly didn't believe Lin Yao's explanation. "Soldiers protect their country. You haven't done anything wrong, so what's there to be afraid of? Do you think we'd eat you?"
"Hehe." Lin Yao chuckled dryly, "The people in there always look at you like you're a bad guy. You feel uncomfortable there and are often questioned."
"Reporting to the General." Ge Yong stood at attention again. "Lin Yao's appearance and physique have been disguised. This outfit is a Korean-style gangster look. I think it's quite possible that he's been mistaken for someone else."
Lin Yao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that his elder brother was the best, always stepping forward to help cover up the lie at crucial moments. Little did he know that Ge Yong was merely helping him find a reason, an action based on complete trust in Lin Yao. If Ge Yong knew that Lin Yao was deceiving the general, he would definitely be the first to be punished.
"Oh? I see." General Hong suddenly realized. "I knew it. He looks like a scoundrel, and his appearance doesn't match Qingying's high regard for him."
Lin Yao curled his lip and didn't say anything. He thought to himself that even the general judged people by their appearance. It wasn't a beauty pageant, so what did it have to do with looks? He then imagined his own appearance in the mirror and vaguely agreed with the general's words. This hoodlum outfit was really too embarrassing.
"Reporting to the General, how should we handle the matter of Kang Dikai?" Ge Yong reported again, wanting to know the general's intended tone so he could discuss countermeasures with Shen Ruohua later.
"Ignore that little bastard. I've heard about his bad deeds before. I never thought that after a lifetime of military service, General Kang would end up with such a good-for-nothing in his family." General Hong's face turned stern, and his murderous aura burst forth, making Lin Yao, who was standing close by, feel quite pressured.
“I’ve already contacted General Xia. This time the timing is perfect. Angry Lion won’t show up. If General Kang comes, I’ll take his place.” General Hong waved his hand, startling Lin Yao. “I’m not even afraid of Kang Weicheng, so why would I be afraid of a retired general like him? If he dares to beat my men to death, he’ll have to bear the consequences of being beaten back. Let’s see who dares to mess with my men again.”
Lin Yao felt a warmth in his heart, feeling very honored to be included among General Hong's own people. At this moment, he was not so afraid, and the pressure emanating from General Hong was no longer so unbearable.
"Even if you retire, you'll still be my men. My men can't suffer losses when they go out." General Hong concluded, his resounding voice making Ge Yong tremble with excitement.
"Xiao Lin, help these brothers more in the future, and take good care of these veterans for Grandpa. They have suffered too much." General Hong's tone changed, making Ge Yong and Lin Yao feel their blood boil. "Also, pay more attention to what Qingying said. With special medicine, their missions will be easier to carry out, and their chances of survival will even increase a lot."
"Here he comes," Lin Yao thought to himself. The general had just defined his identity as one of their own and immediately made a request; it was certainly difficult to refuse. Who said soldiers were only impulsive and lacked strategy? He was quite adept at using military tactics.
Thinking about this, Lin Yao felt no aversion whatsoever. The general was seizing opportunities for his subordinates' survival, and Lin Yao certainly wouldn't refuse. Lin Yao greatly admired the general who could train someone like Ge Yong, and was willing to work for him.
"Grandpa Hong, don't worry, I will definitely take this matter to heart," Lin Yao solemnly promised.
"Thank you in advance, Grandpa." General Hong was very happy and smiled. He was growing to like this young man more and more. Someone who could be accepted by all his subordinates must be to his liking. He would pay more attention to him in the future.
"Alright, you guys go back first. Qingying told me that I'll put in a good word with the National Security Bureau. Yaoying, you should go and report to them another day and get the paperwork done." General Hong ended the meeting. "It's already very late, get some rest so you'll have the energy to argue with Old Man Kang tomorrow. Xiao Fu, see them off."
"Yes, General." A major who had been standing at attention without saying a word immediately put his legs together to receive the order.
Lin Yao then remembered that General Hong had set off for Chengdu immediately after hearing the news, without delay, even reacting faster than the seriously injured Kang Dikai's grandfather. He was even more moved. It was a miracle that General Hong would protect his own people to such an extent. No wonder Ge Yong and the others admired the general so much.
It was late at night when Lin Yao and Ge Yong arrived home. Alina had finally found a guesthouse nearby to settle the veterans. After a long day, she was exhausted and took her daughter to rest. Only Ruan Lingling, with her equally energetic little Guli, was waiting for Lin Yao's return. The little guy had rarely seen Lin Yao these past few days, and fearing the loss of his father, he refused to go to sleep first.
After putting the little guy to sleep, Lin Yao treated Hu Zi again, changing the IV bag and catheter bag, before returning to his room to begin his daily cultivation.