Chapter 88 Understanding Numerology and Face Reading
With the family of three having fun and enjoying themselves, the afternoon passed by in a blink of an eye.
Before they even got home, the little girl fell asleep in the car. It has been a long time since she indulged herself this way.
In the rented house, Che Yinuo coaxed the half-asleep Ye Youyou, who was muttering to herself, back to sleep.
After she did that, Ye Chen said, "Yinuo, I'm going out later, so I won't be home for dinner!"
"Hmm? Where are you going?" asked Chen Yinuo with a surprised tone.
"The old secretary Zhang Weimin invited me to his house for dinner!" Ye Chen said with a bitter smile.
"What? The old secretary Zhang Weimin invited you to dinner? Are you kidding?" exclaimed a surprised Chen Yinuo.
Why would the old secretary, a man of such importance, invite Ye Chen to his house for dinner?
"I'm not kidding! Do you remember that string of Buddhist beads I picked up in the Antique City back then? Zhang Jingshan said that the old secretary had been looking all over for it, so he probably wanted to thank me for finding it." said Ye Chen smoothly.
Well, he was not intentionally hiding the actual reason from Chen Yinuo, but he did not know how to explain it all to her.
Although she felt that Ye Chen's statement was a bit far-fetched, Chen Yinuo did not put too much thought into it.
With an excited look on her face, Chen Yinuo said, "If that's the case, then you definitely should go! Knowing General Manager Zhang and knowing the old secretary are two different things that will benefit you greatly in the future! But be careful when you meet the old secretary. Even though he is kind and easy-going, I heard that he is also a perfectionist and a very serious person. What to say, what not to say, you have to think carefully before you open your mouth! Don't speak without thinking!"
"Don't worry, I know what to do!" said Ye Chen with a smile.
"Mmhmm, go on then!" responded Chen Yinuo.
"Then how do you plan to settle dinner?" asked Ye Chen.
"I'm not hungry yet right now, so I'll just cook some noodles for dinner when Youyou wakes up!"
Shaking her head with a smile, Chen Yinuo then said, "Hurry up and go, don't need to worry about us!"
"Okay, then I'll head out now!"
The days are long and the nights are short in Jiang Zhou during the summer.
It was six o'clock and the sun was still shining brightly.
Under the clouds that were in shades of orange and yellow, the Mercedes-Benz Big G sped in the direction of the Zhang family's mansion.
At that same moment, in the Zhang family courtyard under the grapevines, Zhang Weimin was flipping through "Selected Works of Mao Tse-Tung", a book which he had read many times.
Suddenly, he raised his head and called out to the nanny in the house, "Xiao Pan, give Xingguo a call and ask if he's coming back!"
"Alright, old secretary, I will call him now!" responded the middle-aged nanny.
"Grandpa, I don't think you should let him come back. He just dawdles around acting like a busy man. Thinking about him makes me sick!" complained Zhang Jingshan. He was sitting beside Zhang Weimin under the grapevines.
"No matter what it is, he's still your father. So cut it out." rebuked Zhang Weimin in a good-natured way.
"After he abused my mother and left, I don't recognize him as my father anymore!" said Zhang Jingshan with a raised eyebrow.
Zhang Weimin, who was already accustomed to it, did not bother to continue.
Soon, they heard the sound of a car engine roaring from outside, and then it went out.
Ye Chen walked in with a fruit basket.
"Old secretary!" Ye Chen called out with a smile when he saw Zhang Weimin under the grapevines.
"Brother Ye!" Zhang Jingshan immediately greeted him with a smile on his face.
"My young friend Ye! You even brought a gift with you? You shouldn't have! Haha!" responded Zhang Weimin with a smile. He shook his head as he closed the book in his hand.
"I have to! After all, I am here for a meal. It would be rude of me if I don't bring something!" said Ye Chen.
"Thankfully, you brought a fruit basket. If you brought a more valuable gift, I have to get you to leave it outside before you come in, haha!" Zhang Weimin said cheerfully.
Even though he was quite old, he was in high spirit. He had a very good posture and spoke with a clear voice. No doubt the results of his self-cultivation and the positive attitude he maintained after his retirement.
This made Ye Chen sigh.
In Ye Chen's past life, this spirited old man flew into a rage one time, and he eventually passed away in a sad and shriveled state. In a sense, Zhang Jingshan's rape incident was the trigger that caused the old secretary's death.
Although the rape incident of Zhang Jingshan in his previous life had in a sense become the trigger for the old secretary's death, it was not enough to kill the old secretary outright at that time. After all, Zhang Weimin was familiar with his grandson and believed that the grandson was not capable of such an unconscionable act. However, when it rained, it poured. That incident was followed by Zhang Xingguo's construction company being exposed for cutting corners and sloppy workmanship, and subsequent fatal accidents at the construction site.
That became the straw that broke the camel's back. Zhang Weimin, in a fit of rage, started coughing blood and eventually fell to the ground. The old secretary passed away soon after.
However, Ye Chen's rebirth in this life gave him another chance to change the old secretary's fate.
Leaving aside the relationship he had built up with Zhang Jingshan in the present, the warmth and friendliness showed to him by the old secretary made it hard for him to stand by and watch such a kind and respectable old man experience the same tragic fall from grace as his previous life.
"Come, come, show our young friend Ye into the house, Jingshan!" beckoned the energetic old secretary as he walked into the house.
After washing their hands, they went towards the dining table.
On the table, there was no huge feast waiting for them. Instead, Zhang Weimin only asked the nanny to cook a few light, home-cooked dishes.
"My young friend Ye, I am sorry for not having a huge feast for you. I hope you don't mind!" Zhang Weimin said with a snort after he took his seat.
"Don't say that, old secretary. It is already an honor to be able to have a meal with you. Even if it was a bowl of white porridge and a plate of pickles, I would still feel honored for this chance!" Ye Chen said with a smile.
"Come on now! Don't give me that nonsense, I've heard those sweet words for most of my life. I've had enough of it! It's rare for me to meet a young man who is to my liking, don't make me disappointed!" said Zhang Weimin with a bitter smile as he waved his hand.
"Okay, then let me rephrase. This vegetable isn't too hard, why not make some spicy fish or meat, so that we can have a good time while drinking and feasting?" said Ye Chen with a laugh.
"Haha, that's interesting! But I don't think I can eat fish or meat. I'm too old to eat those dishes. I can only eat some light home-cooked food now. Come, let's talk while we eat. No need to wait for Jingshan's father!" Zhang Weimin smiled happily as he lifted his chopsticks.
Ye Chen also dropped his polite and pretentious facade. His calm and composed manner showed no hint of restraint at all.
"My young friend Ye, I heard from that kid Jingshan that you spent all the money you made from the stock market on Jinzhong Village in the outer suburbs. What were you thinking? Isn't that a bit risky? That place is so far in the countryside that no one cares about it. Are you not afraid of losing all your money?" asked Zhang Weimin as he broached the subject.
"I heard through the grapevine that there's a possibility that the Hengda Group will construct a football stadium in that area. With the consistent actions of the Hengda Group, if they really end up building a football stadium there, then they will also go all the way to develop that area to create more business opportunities! When that time comes, the area of Jinzhong Village will be worth a lot!" answered Ye Chen bluntly with a smile.
"Hmm? You're willing to bet everything you have on it based on what you heard through the grapevine?" asked Zhang Weiming curiously.
"As the saying goes, 'an empty hole invites the wind'! Although it was just a rumour that was spread through the grapevine, the particularity of the countryside in this rumour lends it credence. After all, according to common sense, the last thing that most of us would think of was to put the Hengda Group with the countryside together side-by-side. On top of that, based on the way the Hengda Group has always acted, the more unreliable the rumour, the more likely it is to be true!" said Ye Chen.
He paused and continued, "In particular, Xu Jia, the chairman of Hengda Group. He had pulled off a series of classic maneuvers in his rise to power and all of those maneuvers were often described as unexpected and crazy. Based on his track records, I'm more willing to gamble on the countryside as the chosen site for the football stadium than the other candidates that everyone else out there believed to be suitable locations."
However, when all was said and done, Ye Chen did not think that what he said would hold up under the old secretary's scrutiny. After all, what he said was a bit far-fetched.
Unsurprisingly, Zhang Weimin raised his eyebrows and said, "That doesn't really make sense, does it? The countryside currently has poor transportation infrastructures, the population is sparse, and it is barren and desolate. Why would the Hengda Group choose that land as the site for their football stadium?"
Zhang Weimin knew that the government may extend Metro Line 10 into the countryside to open up a new round of investment for Jiang Zhou.
But he really had no idea whether the Hengda Group would make any moves there.
Normally, it wouldn't make sense! But after hearing through the grapevine that the Hengda Group might construct the football stadium in the countryside, I became interested in that area. After digging around for a bit, I found out that the land stood between several surrounding cities, making it an ideal intersection point for the cities. In addition, according to the underground metro map and the government's planning for the underground routes over the years, I found that that land fits all the conditions and has the potential for the development of an extension line for the metro." said Ye Chen as he paused for a bit.
He continued, "Of course, the reason why I have been pondering and analyzing all this is because of the rumours about Hengda Group's plans to build the football stadium in the countryside. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered to think about all of this! In summary, against the backdrop of the rumours that seemed credible, I'm betting on the possibility that the Hengda Group will likely build the stadium there than anywhere else!"
"In addition, given the Hengda Group's network of contacts, they would have been able to get some official information on whether the city was going to incorporate the countryside into the metro extension. If that's the case, then the Hengda Group would be 100% committed to that piece of land! So, to sum it all up, the countryside is eligible and is likely considered for the Metro extension, it is also situated at the intersection of several surrounding cities. Furthermore, the Hengda Group's network may have access to official information, and there is a faint whisper of a possible Hengda Group's site in the countryside!"
"Based on all those points, I was confident in placing my bets there. If If I'm right, then I would be making eightfold or even tenfold of profit easily. But even if I'm wrong in my deduction, I won't be losing much, simply because of the strategic importance of the land as the intersection between the surrounding cities and Jiang Zhou. That land may formerly be a mass grave but with how saturated urban development is right now, it will be a matter of time before the government starts eyeing the countryside. I believe that day is not far off."
In the end, Ye Chen explained his reasonings with a clear voice.
Hearing all that, Zhang Weimin secretly was aghast.
"Is this kid a human? His power of deduction, detailed analysis, and the ability to notice patterns... He's insane!" thought Zhang Weimin.
"It's a pity you didn't go into politics!" Zhang Weimin said as he looked at Ye Chen. The corner of his lips was quivering.
"Our institutional system has always pursued a stable and steady development. A radical like me would not be able to survive in it, much less space to maneuver!" said Ye Chen as he shook his head and laughed.
"Er..." Zhang Weimin froze, and he laughed bitterly. It was because what Ye Chen said was true.
Just like the past five thousand years of evolution of human civilization, the descendants of the Yanhuang tribe were mostly moderate, low-key, and reserved individuals.
That was the key to surviving in politics!
Throughout his years in the political arena, how many radicals has Zhang Weimin seen? Even if there were, those radicals were not able to climb up the political ladder.
Shaking his head, Zhang Weimin got rid of those irrelevant thoughts he had.
Then he said, "Since you weren't sure either, why did you tell Jingshan that this was a short-term investment?"
"Just my intuition!" said Ye Chen with a smile. He used the word "intuition". After all that he had said before, it would not be odd to bring up intuition.
"Intuition?" said Zhang Weimin as he narrowed his eyes.
"Yes, old secretary, I'll not lie to you. After I picked up the string of Buddhist beads belonging to the Monk Hong Yi in the antique city, I found that my intuition became incomparably accurate. Maybe because I was empowered by the magic power of the Monk Hong Yi! haha!" Ye Chen said with a snort.
"Then again, I also learned a little bit of Feng Shui and fortune-telling. If what that teacher taught me back then was the real thing, then according to the Feng Shui of the countryside from my previous visits, it's about time for my destiny to take off, and it should be happening soon too!"
"Huh, You've also studied Feng Shui and fortune-telling? asked Zhang Weimin with his eyes widened.
Why did he feel that he was being ripped off by Ye Chen's ridiculous stories?
If Ye Chen's image hadn't already been established in his mind, he would really think that Ye Chen was spouting nonsense. But looking at Ye Chen's serious look, he could not tell what was true and what was not.
"I don't know if I can say that I've formally learned it or not, but when I was a junior in high school, I lived in a bungalow that had been unoccupied for years. Living beside me was a teacher who was known for his knowledge of Feng Shui and face reading. I often visit him when I was bored, so over time, I picked up a bit of his knowledge. Sadly, the teacher disappeared in the year when I took my college entrance exams. I never knew where he went. said Ye Chen with a bitter laugh.
All of that sounded like nonsense, but at the same time, it sounded genuine. Apart from the part where he picked up some of the teacher's knowledge, he did experience everything else he said.
Ye Chen always treated that teacher like a charlatan. Of course, he might have indeed been a charlatan. But the only thing that made Ye Chen feel that his fortune-telling was accurate was when he read Ye Chen's fortunes and told him he would become very rich and powerful in the future...
"Ye Chen had that kind of experience before? At your age back then, it probably wasn't easy to even learn a little bit about fortune-telling!" said Zhang Weimin with a sigh.
Before Ye Chen could continue prattling away, they heard the sound of footsteps.
Zhang Xingguo, Zhang Jingshan's father, walked in with a middle-aged man behind him. The man had a sneer on his face and a scroll in his hand.
When Ye Chen saw the middle-aged man behind Zhang Xingguo, his eyes twitched violently!
Based on his memories from his previous life and the photos he had seen on the Internet, this was Zhang Xingguo's prized confidant. He was also the person in charge of many projects under Yong An Construction Company. Out of trust, Zhang Xingguo had left many matters to him.
But unbeknown to Zhang Xingguo, his confidant appeared loyal on the outside, but behind him, this man had pulled off many con jobs and he cut corners at work, producing sloppy constructions. All to enjoy kickbacks. He even worked on numerous municipal projects.
His actions were the reason Zhang Xingguo was jailed and the Zhang family was utterly destroyed after the Dong Chuang incident.
In other words, the Zhang family was destroyed by him. It was him who caused the old secretary to be so furious that he vomited blood and died after suffering for a few months.
He never expected to meet this man in such a circumstance. It was an unbelievable coincidence.
To set the stage to rescue the Zhang family from destruction, he had just brought up the subject of fortune-telling and face reading.
Now, he could use it seamlessly without arousing suspicion..!