Li Mu had always been grateful and believed in repaying kindness, regardless of who the benefactor was. As long as no unconscionable act was committed, repayment was only natural.
Li Feng had initially planned to simply return the money later, but it seemed that wouldn't be enough now. He was a filial son; his mother was the only one in this world who truly cared for him, and he didn't want to disappoint her.
Zhao Yunhai hadn't expected Li Feng to seek him out so quickly. Zhao Yunhai had stayed at the "Fishing in Troubled Waters" Hotel for two days, avoiding home. His aging mother's nagging wasn't about marriage, but felt like a death knell. Thus, Zhao Yunhai decided to leave Yan Jing for Gan Zhou that day, as it was his territory.
Si Jinyan eyed Li Feng with curiosity and couldn't help but ask, "If you had accepted Young Master Yun's kind offer back then, you probably wouldn't have ended up like this."
"With the Zhao Corporation backing you, your family wouldn't have gone bankrupt, your father wouldn't have jumped to his death, and your mother wouldn't be critically ill."
"Do you regret it now?"
Li Feng gave a wry smile and replied, "I've regretted it, but there's no medicine for regret in this world." If life could be relived, he would never have chosen to refuse. Had he accepted Zhao Yunhai's goodwill then, those people would have, out of respect for Zhao Yunhai, refrained from ruining his family.
"Heh, but Young Master Yun is willing to give you a chance," Si Jinyan said with a hint of self-satisfaction, his tone condescending.
Li Feng remained silent, following Si Jinyan into the elevator. This was Zhao Yunhai's second time seeing Li Feng. The Li Feng of the past was arrogant and untamed; the current Li Feng seemed to have learned to temper his edge, having changed considerably. The experiences Li Feng had endured were enough to crush anyone into the dirt.
"What brings you to me?" Zhao Yunhai asked directly, "If you're here to repay the money, I doubt you can afford it."
Li Feng stood before Zhao Yunhai and said, "My mother said to thank you for your help and asked me to work for you." Li Feng had decided to work for Zhao Yunhai to repay the debt; he had spent two full nights considering this decision.
First, he wanted to repay the debt, but he wondered when that day would come. Working for Zhao Yunhai was the fastest way to repay it.
Second, Zhao Yunhai, as a young master of wealth, likely bullied innocent people. If Li Feng witnessed such acts, he might be able to help and intervene.
Third, he had lost his job and, if he were to find work, it would likely be something like security.
"Work for me?" Zhao Yunhai seemed somewhat surprised, pointing to himself. To be honest, he hadn't thought someone like Li Feng would want to work for him. But then, his thoughts turned to Li Feng's mother, and he smiled with understanding. "I didn't realize he was such a filial son."
"What can you do for me? You know I'm not short of people around me," Zhao Yunhai said with a smile, spreading his hands towards Li Feng.
"You know my capabilities. If you didn't want to keep me, you wouldn't have seen me," Li Feng said, confident in his assessment.
Zhao Yunhai was silent for a moment, then praised, "You're quite clever. How about this: stay by my side and do three things for me."
"After these three things, our debt of gratitude will be settled."
Li Feng was silent for a long while, then asked, "Are you serious?"
Zhao Yunhai smiled wordlessly, gazing at Li Feng. Three tasks would be enough to keep Li Feng by his side; perhaps a protagonist would simply walk into his grasp. Seeing that Zhao Yunhai wasn't joking, Li Feng nodded gravely. "Three tasks. If any violate my conscience, I can refuse."
"Naturally," Zhao Yunhai's laughter carried a hint of ill intent that Li Feng could detect. That same day, Li Feng followed Zhao Yunhai back to Gan Zhou.
Li Feng, while sitting on a private jet, complained about the extravagant lifestyle of capitalists, all while watching the couple in front of him chatting and laughing. The young monk Wu Chen had also arrived in Yan Jing early from Hai Zhou and hitched a ride on this flight.
"Little monk, you're so young, why are you with Zhao Yunhai?" Li Feng asked the young monk, full of curiosity.
The young monk Wu Chen replied, "Ambition is not determined by age. Amitabha. It was thanks to the Boss that my master was properly buried. Since then, I've been working for the Boss."
"Has he done any evil deeds?" Li Feng asked in a low voice.
"What is evil, and what is good? This benefactor Li, focusing too much on good and evil will only mislead yourself in the end," the young monk Wu Chen replied with a smile.
Li Feng looked deeply at the young monk. He hadn't expected someone so young to utter such profound words. Indeed, anyone who could stay by Zhao Yunhai's side couldn't be simple.
"When we return to Gan Zhou this time, my home is ready, and we can move in directly," Zhao Yunhai said to Yang Hui. "Do you have any friends? You can invite them to stay for a few days when the house is all settled."
Yang Hui smiled gently, "Just a few close friends. Let's invite them after everything is in order at home."
Upon arriving in Gan Zhou, Zhao Yunhai sent Yang Hui home first and then proceeded to the Heavenly Palace Group. Li Feng was surprised that Zhao Yunhai owned such a large group in Gan Zhou.
"Chairman, everything is developing in an orderly fashion. You didn't pick the wrong person; Wang Fan's methods are flawless," Yu Man Lou reported to Zhao Yunhai about the situation in the apocalypse world. The apocalypse gate had never closed; it remained in the basement of the Heavenly Palace Group. The transportation of large quantities of weapons, ammunition, and supplies was but a drop in the bucket for the Heavenly Palace Group. Under Yu Man Lou's operations, the products of the companies under the Heavenly Palace Group had spread throughout Gan Zhou. It could be said that with about a year of consolidation, Gan Zhou would become the true base of operations for the Heavenly Palace.
"Let everything proceed as usual," Zhao Yunhai said slowly after listening to the report.
"Understood," Yu Man Lou replied with a nod. Li Feng didn't know what they were discussing, nor was he overly curious. He only needed to complete three tasks, and then he could leave Zhao Yunhai.
"Oh, and regardless of the cost, Gan Zhou's infrastructure must keep pace with Yun Zhou and other major continents."
"The newly appointed high-level officials in Gan Zhou are our people, you can rest assured," Zhao Yunhai stated. He didn't want Gan Zhou to lag behind under his watch.
"Understood," Yu Man Lou silently noted.
"Also, the An family in South City has been quite lively recently," Yu Man Lou suddenly remarked.
"What happened?" Zhao Yunhai asked, very curious.
Yu Man Lou chuckled gleefully, "The An family in South City was a prominent clan, but unfortunately, the patriarch has an illegitimate son."
"And this illegitimate son actually showed up. This illegitimate son is no ordinary person."
"An Fengyi, despite being an illegitimate son, is extremely outstanding. The An family patriarch dotes on him, unfortunately neglecting An family's eldest son, An Fengcheng."
"An Fengcheng is ruthless and good at managing subordinates, but he couldn't withstand An Fengyi's arrival. In just a few days, An Fengyi has won over many people with his charisma."
"Seven percent of the An family's shares have already fallen into An Fengyi's hands, given by the An family patriarch."
"And An Fengyi's ability to achieve such results in such a short time is also due to the help of Guang Yuanyuan, the eldest daughter of the Guang family in Yun Zhou." Yu Man Lou shared this news to alleviate the chairman's boredom, treating it as idle gossip.
Zhao Yunhai was quite intrigued by this illegitimate son of the An family, who was stirring up trouble. An illegitimate son with such capabilities might have the makings of a protagonist.
"Have An Fengcheng brought to see me. Ask him if he wants to be the patriarch of the An family."
"Yes, Chairman."