Lin Wanying said to her mentor: “Mentor, let’s make a bet. He Jinzhi started planning the moment she heard you’d been rehabilitated, whether it’d be useful or not, she’d plan ahead regardless. Among your good friends, one of them must be someone she’s befriended within this past year. Soon enough, a friend will arrange a blind date for you, and when you show up, you’ll find it’s this very woman you hit it off with on the train, turning what was a one-in-ten chance into a five-in-ten chance.”
Ji Huaien laughed: “Ah Ying, you have too much imagination. There aren’t that many coincidences in this world.”
Lin Wanying said, “That’s exactly why it’s a bet. After we get off the train, Mentor should strike first, list out everyone you think might have befriended He Jinzhi, and call each one to test the waters. Mentor, I’m too curious, let’s just make this bet.”
Ji Huaien spread his hands: “I have no money, no status, in my forties, what’s there for anyone to covet?”
“Mentor’s wisdom. Xu Youcheng and I are your students, and we’re both accomplished, which only proves how impressive our mentor is. You may have nothing right now, but if you wanted to have something, wouldn’t that be simple enough? I managed to build up a whole market with just my fists, with all your connections and skills, achieving success and fame would be even easier. What He Jinzhi is really after is your hidden wealth of potential.”
…
When they got off the train, it was crowded. He Jinzhi was hurrying to get off with Ji Huaien and reach the sleeper car together, but a pickpocket snatched her bag and ran. He Jinzhi cried out loudly for help, the pickpocket was caught and hauled off to the station police, and by then she had completely lost any chance of finding Ji Huaien.
…
Lin Wanying accompanied her mentor to a public phone booth. Going down the list he’d drawn up, by the third call, something turned up.
The person on the other end was especially warm: “Huaien, so glad you’re back! Let’s have dinner together tomorrow evening, my treat. I have a friend who’s especially compatible with you, she’s single too, in a situation just like yours. If you two hit it off, why not give it a try? Been alone long enough, time to settle down.”
Ji Huaien’s heart sank. His young student really had guessed it. Clinging to a last thread of hope, he asked, “Sure, what’s your friend’s name?”
“He Jinzhi. Sent down for five years, her daughter’s already married. Same age as you. I really think you two would be a great match, wanted to bring you two together.”
…
The call ended, and Lin Wanying laughed proudly: “Mentor, I win. Your student’s pretty impressive now, huh?”
Ji Huaien smiled helplessly: “Your mentor’s been outdone by you. I never imagined He Jinzhi was such a deeply scheming person, and just from what she learned through Youcheng about my situation, she started planning ahead, whether it worked or not, she’d lose nothing. With a mother-in-law like that, I’m worried for Youcheng.”
Lin Wanying felt a flash of envy: “Mentor, as long as Xu Youcheng keeps treating Li Qiuzhen well, He Jinzhi’s scheming just becomes an asset for her daughter and son-in-law, nothing to worry about.”
But what if Xu Youcheng had a change of heart and regretted his choice one day? Those who never waver are the minority, most people can’t withstand the test. That’s just human nature, and Ji Huaien was genuinely worried about it.
“Ah Ying, whether Xu Youcheng ends up well or not in the future, does it not matter to you at all, don’t you care?”
Lin Wanying felt hurt: “Mentor, you’re being unfair. He’s the one who wronged me first, why should I care whether he lives or dies? Not actively wishing bad luck on him is already me being generous. Why would you ask me this?”
Ji Huaien’s deeper concern, that Xu Youcheng might someday regret it and come back to disturb Ah Ying, was something he’d only shared with Gu Liansheng. A little warning for this young couple couldn’t hurt.
Ji Huaien laughed: “You’re a bit worked up today. All right, your mentor won’t bring him up anymore.”
…
Lin Wanying was worried her mentor might be deceived by He Jinzhi. He’d been single for so long, suddenly, a gentle, refined, beautiful woman coming along, one who could talk to him like a true confidante, might make his heart waver.
But with her disruption on the train, that kind of preconceived favorable impression wouldn’t have a chance to form, should be fine now.
Sure enough, her mentor found an excuse to decline even the dinner invitation from that third friend on the phone, refusing to go or meet up at all.
Her mentor was a proud man too, who hated being schemed against, the first of her little plots had succeeded.
…
Over the following days, she accompanied her mentor to several economic meetings, watching from the side as he discussed with Pengcheng’s leaders the specific direction for the pilot economic reform city going forward.
Acting in an advisory role, her mentor offered many suggestions. The higher-ups wanted to appoint him to an important leadership position in the development zone, but he declined.
Lin Wanying felt a little regretful about this, in her past life, her mentor had declined too, afraid the reforms might just be a passing gust of wind that would soon die down.
Word got out about her mentor discussing with the leaders and being offered the appointment, but outsiders didn’t believe he’d actually turned it down. So a few ruthless local thugs kidnapped and threatened her mentor, demanding he withdraw from taking up the development zone leadership post, or else they wouldn’t go easy on him.
Whoever had sent these men, the police would investigate. Lin Wanying gave the group a brutal beatdown first and asked questions later.
Ji Huaien was alarmed, not understanding why his student had suddenly turned so ruthless, and hurried to call the police.
…
Lin Wanying was temporarily held at the police station, because the men she’d beaten were local heavyweights with backing, and she and her mentor were both outsiders, so pulling any strings would take time.
Before Ji Huaien went looking for connections, he asked Lin Wanying why she’d acted so impulsively.
Her mentor was even a little angry: “You’re in unfamiliar territory, haven’t got a clear picture of the situation, and you should be keeping a low profile. A couple of words that rubbed you wrong and you start throwing punches, and then claim they tried to assault you, if this gets back to the capital, aren’t you worried what Gu Liansheng will think?”
Lin Wanying laughed: “Mentor, he’s a policeman, he’ll have that much insight, he’ll know I said ‘assault’ as a bargaining chip in the negotiation. If he minds something like that, then I don’t need to care what he thinks either. We’re just making do together anyway, not much real feeling involved, my heart won’t be hurt.”
Ji Huaien couldn’t help but feel annoyed: “Xiao Gu is a good man. Can’t you take living your life a bit more seriously?”
Lin Wanying flinched, her mentor rarely got angry, and once he did, it meant the matter was serious.
She suddenly stopped smiling, and told her mentor about her rebirth secret, framed a different way.
“Mentor, the day of my divorce, I had a dream. In the dream there was a lot of what happened after the divorce, I followed Xu Youcheng to the capital and discovered he really had gone to marry his first love. And I dreamed the timing of your return too, if I hadn’t been in the capital, Xu Youcheng would’ve seen you first and glossed over the truth of his divorce, and you wouldn’t have blamed him much for it.”
“Then there was coming to Pengcheng, in the dream, Mentor was badly hurt by those thugs, ended up in a wheelchair, and even once the economic situation became clear, Mentor was held back by his injuries and couldn’t pursue his ambitions fully. This time I came with you specifically to prevent those two things from happening in the dream, and now both have been avoided, and I’ve even kept a safety net for myself. If they don’t want to settle, I’ll insist they were trying to assault me, and Mentor, you’ll have to back me up on that.”
Whether the dream was real or not, Ji Huaien no longer wanted to dig deeper into it, this student he’d taken on during his hardest days had a heart utterly devoted to him.
If Ah Ying didn’t respect him like a father, she wouldn’t have gone this far, disregarding her own safety.
And in the same way, a father would do anything for his daughter too!
…
Lin Wanying and the hoodlums she’d beaten were both to be held temporarily. Those men, gritting their teeth in pain, mocked Lin Wanying: “Still want to accuse us of assault? Let’s see whose backing is stronger.”
Let’s see indeed, they had no idea what kind of power her mentor commanded. The network of connections her mentor could tap into was beyond anything these thugs could imagine.
Why did Pengcheng’s leadership want to keep her mentor on for the post? Because her mentor had connections back in the capital! Otherwise, would He Jinzhi have planned so far ahead against him?
These thugs couldn’t possibly think that far, they probably still assumed her mentor was just some weak scholar who only knew economic theory.
…
Lin Wanying didn’t know exactly how her mentor had handled it, but two days later he came to pick her up, with a car, and a driver, who even called him Director Ji.
Her mentor had taken up the post, now serving as director of the Pengcheng development zone, a very important position.
This turned out even better than she’d imagined. Her mentor had pulled strings for his own job, and now that her mentor had become the development zone leader, Lin Wanying’s own matter was no longer even an issue.
Lin Wanying asked in delighted surprise: “Mentor, so you believed what I said?”
Ji Huaien laughed: “Which round of nonsense are you referring to? Would your mentor really hold a grudge against his own student? I don’t even remember whatever nonsense you said.”
Her mentor really was good to her, believing her story about the dream, and even willing to keep it secret, which was exactly why Lin Wanying only dared tell her mentor about it.
She worried about his safety: “Mentor, economic reform makes enemies, why don’t I stay by your side for a while?”
Everyone had their own life to live, how could a young married couple like her and Gu Liansheng bear being apart for long?
Ji Huaien told her not to worry: “My driver doubles as an assistant and bodyguard, he’s very capable. You don’t need to worry about things here. Go find Gu Liansheng. Once your business is done, go back together, and come visit me again when you get the chance.”
Reassured that someone would protect him, she felt at ease. There was still one more thing, and she teased: “Mentor, is your friend still enthusiastic about your marriage prospects? He Jinzhi probably isn’t giving up that easily, is she?”
Ji Huaien told her not to worry about it: “Today’s the day I took up the post, and that friend of mine brought He Jinzhi along to congratulate me and invite me to dinner. I was in a rush to come pick you up, so I didn’t pay them any attention, and I won’t in the future either. A friend this unable to see clearly, this easily used, better off without her. Now can you go back with an easy mind?”
“I can now, Mentor. I’ll head off.”
Having successfully helped her mentor avoid disaster and handled her business, Lin Wanying went to find Gu Liansheng, who was on business in the neighboring city.
…
“You finished your business this quickly?”
“Yeah, went incredibly smoothly. He Jinzhi is really something, met Mentor’s friend a year ago, bought a ticket for the same train Mentor was taking to go visit that friend. Good thing I went along with Mentor, or he’d have been fooled by her first impression. I made a bet with Mentor that his friend would make a call the moment we got off the train, completely off guard, praising He Jinzhi as gentle and refined, wanting to set them up. That woman really has thick skin, followed her friend all the way to Mentor’s new workplace. Mentor said some harsh things, she probably won’t come looking again after that.”
Good thing Wanying had helped her mentor see through He Jinzhi’s scheme in time, otherwise, who could guard against a whole chain of coincidences like that?
Gu Liansheng’s business hadn’t gone as smoothly, a look of exhaustion on his face, and he brought her to rest at the guesthouse where they were staying.
“You rest up first. I’m going to cover Qizong’s shift, that witness with the lead is stubbornly tight-lipped, playing dumb no matter what. I’ll just have to keep tailing him and see if he slips up.”
How long would that take, then? Others had their own ways of doing things, and Lin Wanying had her own.
She wasn’t about to sit idle, based on the personal information she’d gathered on the witness, she’d try her own methods. If it worked out, it’d be good for Gu Liansheng, they were family now, after all, and whichever one of them succeeded, the other would benefit too.