Lin Yao's uncle, Lin Hongqi, with a doting smile, freed one hand, bent down, and picked up Nannan, letting the two little ones squeeze against his chest and laugh.
"Sister Nannan, you have to call him Grandpa like I do, not Uncle." Little Guli was the first to be picked up, and he unusually lectured Nannan with a sense of superiority.
“You call him Grandpa, and I call him Uncle. Uncle is of the same generation as Dad, so I can’t call him Grandpa.” Nannan’s voice was loud and shrill, making Lin Hongqi turn his head to avoid it, and his smile widened.
Ge Yong blushed slightly. After becoming sworn brothers with Lin Yao, the generational order was messed up. He felt awkward greeting Luo Jimin and Lin Hongmei, who were not much older than him. He had finally gotten used to the relationship between his elder brother and sister-in-law, but now there was another uncle who looked to be only in his forties. He couldn't really let his daughter call him grandfather, could he?
"Call each of you yourselves. Come down and let Grandpa and Uncle rest for a bit." Lin Yao helped Ge Yong out of the predicament, and then affectionately called out, "Uncle."
"Yao'er, not bad, you look much better. Your grandma will be so happy she'll cry." Lin Hongqi put the two little ones down, walked over, and held Lin Yao's shoulders with both hands, looking him over with eyes full of satisfaction. Then he hugged Lin Yao tightly and patted his back gently.
Lin Yao felt the man's broad chest, which was warm and comfortable. It was this chest that had given him great warmth since he was a child, like the warmth of a father. After not seeing him for several years, his uncle had aged.
After a long while, Ge Yong, having put away his luggage, interrupted the affection between uncle and nephew, saying, "Let's go home."
Lin Hongqi released Lin Yao, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. He sensed Ge Yong's military identity, as well as the several disabled soldiers beside him. Their fiery aura surprised and warmed him.
In the seven-seater van, Lin Hongqi didn't talk about work, but only inquired about the recent situation of Lin Yao's family, occasionally teasing the two little ones who were clinging to him.
"Uncle, the house is full, you'll have to stay in a hotel." Lin Yao's expression was apologetic. Even his parents' room was occupied, which was really not a normal situation.
"It's alright, as long as there's a place to stay. Otherwise, I'll stay at the military reception station; there's a place to sleep there," Lin Hongqi said nonchalantly. "But let's not rush to arrange accommodations. Let's go to your house and see the living conditions your mother always boasts about."
"The hotel is already booked. It's okay to go later. Let Uncle see our tiny place first." Lin Yao smiled. "It's not that we don't want to arrange a room for you. My parents don't even have a room. My dad sleeps on the floor at the pharmaceutical factory, and my mom lives in a guesthouse or works overtime in the office."
"Oh?" Lin Hongqi was somewhat surprised. There wasn't even a master bedroom in the house; he couldn't imagine such a situation.
Upon arriving at the royal residence and entering, they realized the situation had changed; the house had become a shelter, also functioning as a hospital. A newly reunited family, a seemingly quiet and shy nanny with a bandage on her left hand, and a patient lying in bed with their eyes closed—this home clearly had no place for the master couple.
The increasing number of disabled veterans coming and going in the room surprised Lin Hongqi, and even aroused his suspicion. His sister's home had been designated as a reception center for disabled veterans by the organization. He looked at Lin Hongmei and Lin Yao with a questioning gaze.
The veterans coming and going sometimes forget that they have already retired from the military. When they see a senior colonel, they will stand at attention and salute, and then immediately come to their senses and go about their own business.
Tiger's condition improved significantly. One day, an old soldier, reminiscing about his military life, forgot Lin Yao's instructions and began to recount painful memories from his time in the army, weeping uncontrollably. When he came to his senses, he was astonished to see tears streaming from Tiger's eyes, which overjoyed everyone. Tiger had regained consciousness! This incredible news quickly spread to all the veterans, who took turns encouraging him, further boosting his morale. The veterans looked at Lin Yao with increasing gratitude and respect.
After exchanging pleasantries in the living room for a short while, Lin Yao and Lin Hongmei were pulled into the bedroom by Lin Hongqi to start discussing serious matters.
"Yao'er, I heard from your mother that the prescription is yours? Not bad, not bad, my Yao'er is quite capable. I heard you're even willing to hand the prescription over to the government. Give it to me now, I took a day off to come and get it." Lin Hongqi got straight to the point, very decisively. He didn't have many reservations when dealing with his own nephew.
Lin Yao felt a headache coming on. He realized that his strategy of having Lin Hongmei play the good guy and the bad guy was wrong. He was under a lot of pressure and secretly regretted it. "Uncle, let's talk about this later. It's rare for you to come to Sichuan. We'll show you around for the next few days and let you see the sights of Sichuan."
“We’ll see about that later. My leave to visit my family is only two days long, and today is already over. I’m going back to Shenyang tomorrow. Yao’er, give me the prescription now.” Lin Hongqi decisively rejected Lin Yao’s suggestion and spoke in the tone of an elder.
A family visit leave? So you're here to visit relatives instead of on official business? You're not trying to get this prescription for free, are you? Lin Yao muttered to himself, feeling both amused and exasperated. Did his uncle's superior think that sending a relative meant he could get something for nothing?
"Hmm, this..." Lin Yao swallowed hard, organizing his thoughts in his mind. "Uncle, it's perfect that you're on leave. Our family can get together. Why don't you take a few more days off and we can bring Grandma and Grandpa over, and my cousin too. I haven't seen her in so long. I wonder if she's gotten any prettier."
"What are you playing around for? Your uncle is busy with work. We can get together again when he's on vacation." Lin Hongqi lightly tapped Lin Yao's head. "Hurry up and give it to me. I still have to go to the liaison office to take care of things."
"Well, this..." Lin Yao gritted his teeth and decided to get straight to the point, as this matter could not be delayed any longer. "Uncle, I haven't thought about it yet. My mom must have misunderstood me. She must have not seen you in a long time, so she's trying to curry favor and find an excuse to have you come and meet her."
"Huh?" Lin Hongqi was dumbfounded. Recalling the task assigned by the army commander, he realized he was in trouble. "What? You haven't thought of it yet? Think of it now, and take the prescription with you when you've figured it out."
Lin Hongmei glared at Lin Yao from the side. This kid had actually dragged her into this mess without even giving her a heads-up. Seeing that Lin Hongqi was getting a little impatient, she pretended to get up and open the window, deciding not to get involved and letting the two men fight it out.
Seeing Lin Hongmei's behavior, Lin Yao knew he had no choice but to bear it himself. He continued to grit his teeth and insist, "Uncle, this recipe is something I painstakingly obtained, through hard work, sleepless nights, and near-death experiences. I can't just give it to you like this. You didn't ask for it yourself. If you had, I would have just given you drinks and let you take a few cases."
Speaking of this, Lin Yao suddenly realized that he had forgotten to send a few cases of drinks to his grandparents. He thought to himself, "What a heartless grandson!" "Hmm, I'll send a few cases to my grandpa tomorrow so they can have some too. Uncle, how many cases do you want?"
"How can this be?!" Lin Hongqi stood up, somewhat agitated. "You promised to hand the prescription over to the state, how come you've changed your mind as soon as I arrived?"
"Why not?" Lin Yao also stood up. Now he was in a dilemma and could only resist, even if it meant offending the relative who had been the best to him since childhood. "If you don't give me the formula, my family will be in a monopoly. If you hand over the formula, there will be competition. Besides, even if you give me the formula, you can't mass-produce it. The requirements are very strict."
Lin Hongqi stared seriously at his little nephew in front of him, as if he were getting to know him all over again. This little guy, who had always liked to snuggle in his arms since he was a child, had really grown up and started to have his own opinions. What was particularly outrageous was that he actually disobeyed him and directly refused to do what they had agreed on.
"Speak up, what are your conditions?" Lin Hongqi said bluntly, his voice loud and his mood somewhat agitated. At this moment, for the first time, he regarded Lin Yao as an adult of equal standing. Although he felt somewhat uncomfortable, he still wanted to continue the discussion.
"Well... I haven't thought about it yet, Uncle." Lin Yao affectionately pulled on Lin Hongqi's arm, acting coquettishly. Lin Hongqi had always spoiled him since he was little, and this action was very effective. He was also worried that Lin Hongqi would get angry. "How about giving him two hundred million?"
"Two hundred million?!" Lin Hongqi's body trembled, his voice suddenly rising, his eyes widening as he thought to himself, "Has this kid lost his mind? He actually said two hundred million right off the bat."
Lin Yao was shocked by Lin Hongqi and quickly moved away. He said weakly, "Uncle, I'm not making this up. Think about it, the drought-resistant beverage that our family developed is worth 2,000 yuan a bottle. The plan is to sell 100 million bottles for 200 billion yuan. Even if I calculate it at one-thousandth of the value, it's still worth at least 200 million yuan, not to mention the application of the formula in other fields."
After hearing these words, Lin Hongqi calmed his excitement. Lin Yao was right; this information had already spread online, and they knew it before they came. But how were they going to complete this mission? Before they set off, the leader had jokingly said he'd found a phoenix that could lay golden eggs, but now that phoenix cost money. With the leader's influence, he probably couldn't get those two hundred million.
After thinking for a long time without any clue, Lin Hongqi had no choice but to look to Lin Hongmei for help. However, she avoided his gaze and pretended to continue admiring the scenery outside the window. He knew in his heart that this was the decision of Lin Hongmei's family, or rather, the decision was in the hands of the little guy in front of him.
With a sigh, Lin Hongqi's tone softened, "Yao'er, your calculation formula is correct, but you didn't sell it. Even at 2,000 yuan a bottle, you only sell 10 bottles a day. You can't just rip off your uncle like this, can you? You didn't make any money on those drinks either; I heard you even lost money."
“Yes, that’s why we have to make up for the losses in other ways,” Lin Yao immediately chimed in, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone. “Uncle, you don’t know, my family is so broke we’re almost starving. My mom has a headache about money every day, and look how much hair she’s lost.”
"You brat, don't talk nonsense. I haven't lost any hair!" Lin Hongmei laughed and scolded, then turned to comfort Lin Hongqi, "Brother, Yao'er is right. The money we lose every day is not a small amount. Now we are losing tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands a day. If it weren't for someone helping us, we would have been unable to continue."
"But you can't make up for it from the army!" Lin Hongqi said anxiously. "The army is already short of funds. It's already struggling with training and equipment upgrades. There's no way they can give you any extra money. Don't try to take advantage of the army. You have to be careful who you're going to take advantage of."
"Who's taking advantage of the big spenders? That's such a rude way of putting it." Lin Yao's tone was full of grievance. "If we were taking advantage of the big spenders, we would have sold the formula to large domestic and foreign corporations long ago. Let alone two hundred million, someone would want it for a billion."
"Then what do you suggest? You can't let me go back and not be able to explain myself." Lin Hongqi was a bit overwhelmed. He hadn't thought things through before coming, and his idea of getting the prescription for free was indeed a bit naive. "Yao'er, your uncle really likes you. You can't just leave your uncle hanging."
"Of course, of course, my uncle is the best to me." Lin Yao smiled broadly and walked over to continue holding Lin Hongqi's arm. "We'll discuss it slowly and try to find a better solution. The main problem is that my mother is short of money, and there will be a big funding gap for building the factory in the future. It's not that we necessarily have to sell this formula to make money. Uncle, you can stay here for now. I'll take you around for the next few days. My mother is busy, so I'll keep you company."
"Oh, okay then, I'll call and ask for leave right away." Seeing that there was still room for maneuver, Lin Hongqi felt relieved. He needed to quickly report the latest situation to his superior.
“Brother, why don’t you stay in Chengdu for a few days? I’ll make time to keep you company. It’s been so long since we siblings have gotten together,” Lin Hongmei said softly, her voice full of longing. “You even praised Er for looking so good. He was wearing makeup, and you recognized him right away. I didn’t even recognize him at first.”
"Makeup? Yao'er is wearing makeup?" Lin Hongqi was very surprised and stared at Lin Yao carefully. "It is a bit different. The skin tone on his face is designed very well. The original outline is distorted by visual effects. If you don't look carefully, you really can't tell his original face."
"Then how did you recognize him?" Lin Hongmei asked, somewhat puzzled. She hadn't even recognized her son when she first saw him, so how could Lin Hongqi have done it better than her?