Chapter 375 - 372: Consummation

Chapter 375: Chapter 372: Consummation

In this life, ever since he opened his eyes, everything had gone smoothly. His rise had been meteoric. He married the woman he could never win over in his past life, and they had a beloved son and daughter. His beautiful wife had slowly warmed up to him, falling in love. Later, his identity was even exposed, but through it all, he won his one true love. He thought this was what a perfect, complete life was!

Afterward, one thing led to another. He met Wang Dongfang, Wei Guo, and Liu Qiang. They made money together, started a company, and now that company had grown into a group, their business thriving. His younger brother, Li Bao, who had always respected him, was now well-trained and could stand on his own two feet.

Through his daughter Bao’er’s classmate’s best friend, he met an old acquaintance of his master. This led to him becoming acquainted with several of the old sirs at the apex of power within the Imperial Palace. An unforeseeable meeting changed the original life trajectory of almost everyone involved. The once arrogant and flighty young master of the Ping Family was now a high-ranking official who commanded an entire region. The disheartened elder young master of the Ping Family had also come out of seclusion and was working hard to help his younger brother reach the top.

Then there were the silk-pants scions from the Imperial Palace who used to run rampant in the Capital City. He had, one way or another, tossed most of them into the military. While not every one of them was a dragon among men, they were all elites. Openly and secretly, they were all changing this country, this world!

But when he knelt to serve tea and acknowledge his parents last night... Li Xiu had always believed he had no regrets. Only at that moment did he realize it wasn’t that he had no regrets, but that he had simply given up on them, abandoning all expectations. There were still things that he found hard to let go of. ’But now...’ Li Xiu felt his heart pounding fiercely. ’I still want it. I still have hope!’

A shrill ring from the phone cut through the darkness, startling Li Xiu from his reverie. Seeing Zhou Lian just bury her head deeper into the blankets to continue sleeping, Li Xiu quickly grabbed the phone from the bedside table. "Who is this?" he asked in a low voice.

"Jin Chen, we succeeded! We succeeded!"

On the other end of the line, Secretary Sun’s excitement was so palpable it felt like it could burst through the phone. Li Xiu paused for a moment, then asked softly, "We succeeded? Which projects?"

"HAHAHAHAHA! The ones that fly in the sky, run on the ground, and sail in the sea! Eighty percent of the blueprints have been completed!"

"Where are you?"

"At the Imperial Palace. Everyone’s here right now—all the old sirs and the leadership. We’re discussing this morning’s military exercise. Elder Ping and several of the other old sirs specifically told me to call you. They want you at the Imperial Palace right away!"

After hanging up, Li Xiu suppressed his overwhelming excitement and carefully changed his clothes. He went to the study to leave a note for Zhou Lian, then hurried to the front courtyard. The bodyguards on night watch saw him emerge and, at his signal, quickly started a car to drive him and three other guards toward the Imperial Palace.

The grand hall was packed. Li Xiu scanned the crowd and spotted Secretary Sun, inconspicuously making his way to his side. But before he could even speak, the sharp-eyed old sir of the Lan Family noticed him and boomed a greeting, instantly making Li Xiu the center of attention.

Suppressing the curse that almost escaped his lips, Li Xiu put on a smile and walked toward the table of dignitaries. He politely greeted each of them. At the insistence of Elder Ping and everyone else at the table, Li Xiu took a seat right next to Elder Ping.

Knowing Li Xiu only had a general idea of the situation, Secretary Sun handed him a stack of documents and gestured for him to take his time reading through them.

But there was no time to read slowly. Li Xiu took the thick stack of files, placed it before him, and began flipping through the pages with incredible speed. The smile on his face vanished as he reached the final document, his brow knitting tightly. The oppressive aura emanating from him was so palpable that even the dignitaries at the table, men who had clawed their way through battlefields, could feel it.

"Jin Chen, what’s wrong?" Elder Ping asked, his voice still gentle as he watched Li Xiu’s expression darken.

Picking up the last file, Li Xiu gently pushed it in front of Elder Ping, suppressing his anger as he said, "Elder Ping, please take a look at this!"

"What is it?" Elder Ping read through the document with a frown, then looked up at Li Xiu, clearly confused.

Taking a deep breath, Li Xiu’s gaze swept across half the hall. He spoke in a low voice, "Back then, I gave specific instructions regarding the blueprints in this file. I said they had to be secured, no matter what. ’If you need people, find them. If you need money, allocate it. As long as the technology is viable, this project gets a green light all the way.’ But look at this! It’s been shelved over funding issues!"

"Is it that important?" Old Sir Sun, sitting beside them, asked immediately.

Li Xiu looked at the grim-faced old sirs at the table, took a steadying breath, and said, "It is the most important of all. With this, we can control the oceans. Land-based resources are finite; we can’t leave our descendants a depleted, barren continent. So, if we want to access those resources, we either have to import them at exorbitant prices or control the oceans. What’s more, its power as a deterrent is second only to nuclear energy, yet it’s the safest and most cost-effective option!"

Secretary Sun, who was standing behind Elder Ping, heard this and quickly summoned the project leader.

The project leader looked at the table full of dignitaries and the oppressive aura radiating from Li Xiu. He spoke cautiously, "The technology is mature, and all the necessary specialists are in place. As soon as the funds are available, the project can be launched immediately. If things go smoothly, we can present it to the motherland as a gift for the New Year!"

"You said the project can start as soon as the funding is available. Is the amount required the one listed here?" Li Xiu asked, handing the document to the project leader and gently reining in his anger.

After a quick glance, the project leader looked up at Li Xiu and answered seriously, "Yes, that’s for the current phase. We’ll likely need additional funds later, but not as much. About a third of this initial amount."

The project leader was actually quite familiar with Li Xiu. In the beginning, to ensure there was no confusion regarding the blueprints and technical jargon, Li Xiu had personally followed the project for a month. The leader didn’t know Li Xiu’s exact identity, but having reached his current position, he knew enough not to ask.

Looking at Secretary Sun, Li Xiu asked softly, "Can we get the funds? Would it be difficult?"

Secretary Sun gave a long nod, then shook his head. Li Xiu instantly understood. Turning to the old sirs at the table, he said softly, "I’ll donate half of the initial funds. My apologies, but that’s the most I can pull together."

The old sirs, along with Secretary Sun and the project leader, were all stunned. Li Xiu said half, but that half was an astronomical figure!

"Jin Chen!"

Seeing the stunned expressions on Elder Ping and everyone else, Li Xiu said gently, "After pooling everything from my corporate group, that’s the most I can scrape together. You don’t need to look at me like that. Honestly, this project is critically important. As a citizen of this country, I’m just doing my part. Besides, when money reaches a certain level, it’s just a number. Once the country is back on its feet, you can just pay me back!"

"Jin Chen, a true patriot!" Old Sir Sun exclaimed without a second thought, giving him a thumbs-up.

Hearing this, Li Xiu gave a modest smile. "It’s not as dramatic as all that. I just happen to have the ability to help. After all, you can’t have a home without a country."