The plot of land approved by the authorities was beside a village west of Beidu. To its left was the village, to its right, hills, There was a section of the Great Wall meandering in the hills. It was a nice environment, but quite remote, but since they were not buying real estate properties, its remoteness was acceptable. It was quite suitable for conducting surrept.i.tious business.

The construction contractor had just arrived and construction had not yet started. A contractor in charge wanted to see Ning Tao, but Ning Tao was not keen to see him. He got Jia Yinhong to meet him, while he and Jiang Tao roamed around the plot still covered in weeds. Jiang Hao made him pose and took a few photos just for show.

After discussing with the contractor, Jia Yinhong came to Ning Tao and Jiang Hao.

“Doctor Ning, the contractor asked if you would like a groundbreaking ceremony. If not, he will start laying the foundations.” Jia Yinhong came straight to the point.

Ning Tao said, “What groundbreaking ceremony? I don't believe in that. Just get him to start work. It's hard on you all this while. You have to purchase lab equipment and supervise the construction.”

Jia Yinhong smiled. “Why are you so polite, Doctor Ning? I'm honored to be part of your team. I don't feel tired but down-to-earth.”

Ning Tao shook Jia Yinhong's hand. He said, “Don't worry. Once this project of ancestor seeking succeeds, I will recommend you for the most meritorious award.”

Jia Yinhong waved his hand. “That won't do. The most meritorious workers are you and Comrade Jiang Hao.”

After getting out of the construction site, Jiang Hao said with a smile, “You're acting more and more like a leader. You spoke the bureaucratic language so well.”

Ning Tao turned his head back to glance at her. He only spoke when he found her no longer smiling. “Do you like me this way?”

Jiang Hao nodded very seriously. “Yes. Unfortunately, you can't do it. Otherwise, I will reward you well.”

Ning Tao was speechless.

It was no longer possible for them to chat.

“Alright, I'll stop teasing you. I need to visit the Bureau. I can drive myself there, so there's no need for you to drive,” Jiang Hao said.

Ning Tao said, “Drive carefully. Go by the direct route.”

He had wanted to visit Shu Province and see Qing Zhui and Bai Jing's disaster relief efforts. But had he said that, Jiang Hao would surely be jealous. So he thought better of it and kept mum.

Jiang Hao drove away in the car.

Ning Tao pulled out his cell phone and started dialing Yin Molan, but the latter's phone was turned off. Ning Tao began to worry. He couldn't have encountered a problem, could he? He had wanted to visit Shu Province to see Qing Zhui and Bai Jing and help the victims of the flood. But right now, he would have preferred to visit the Genesis Biotech Company and check that place out.

Ning Tao kept his cell phone and walked to his electric motorbike, G.o.d's Will. Soon, he saw a crowd walking in his direction from the village.

There were about a dozen of them. Some were wearing thick gold chains, others still in vests in this late autumn, trying to show off their tattooed arms. They did not look like decent people at all.

Ning Tao summoned the state of looking in his eyes. There was evil energy lingering about this crowd. From his experience, he would liken these men to loan sharks. They were all bullies of the weak and the kindhearted, hooligans who commit minor acts of evil. These men would have acc.u.mulated many sin of evil intention demerit points. But he felt somewhat baffled too. What were they doing here?

“Hey, who's the man in charge here?” A youth with a crew cut and tattooed arms asked fiercely.

Ning Tao knew he was asking him, but pretended to look around.

“I'm asking you, you moron.” The youth with the tattoo snickered and said. “Where the f*ck are you looking?”

Ning Tao also smiled. “I thought you were asking someone else.”

“This lad is quite an idiot,” a fat man with a knife scar on his face remarked.

One of the men, in his 40s and wearing a black Western suit, raised his hand.

The crowd immediately quietened down.

The man in the Western suit spoke, “Don't scare him. What did I say to you? We must pay attention to image and conduct ourselves like a corporate enterprise. Are you treating my words as hot air? Always remember, we're decent businessmen!”

“Yes, Brother Biao,” a bald man said ingratiatingly.

The man in the suit slapped the back of the bald man's head. “Call me CEO Li!”

“Yes, CEO Li!” The bald man corrected his address.

LI Biao gave Ning Tao a glance. Then he started to lecture his subordinates. “When will you fellows ever learn? A mere lad riding an electric motorbike. One look and you can tell he's a construction worker. He may not even know who his superior is. Should you have asked him? A waste of time and facial expressions.”

Ning Tao did not react at all, merely watching him quietly.

The youth with the tattooed arm glared at Ning Tao. “Why are you still standing here? Scram.”

Ning Tao did not move, nor did he lose his temper.

“Hey, don't you understand human speech?” The youth with the tattooed arm took Ning Tao's silence as a provocation. He clenched his fist and walked up to Ning Tao.

Li Biao reprimanded him. “Spotty, what are you doing? Come back! What did I say before we left?”

The youth with the tattooed arm called Spotty retreated to Li Biao's front.

Li Biao slapped Spotty's face directly. “What the f*ck, we're a legitimate company now, serious businessmen! Why can't you get it?”

“I get it now, Brother Biao.” Spotty bowed his head and apologized.

The scene made Ning Tao feel like giggling. This Brother Biao had the strongest evil energy among the men. He must have acc.u.mulated a lot of sin of evil intention demerit points. But he was trying strenuously to act like a decent businessman. His decision to whitewash his ident.i.ty had become a resolution. If he knew how everything would end up, why had he joined the underworld in the first place?

But just when Ning Tao was thinking this, Li Biao suddenly s.h.i.+fted his eyes to him. He said coldly, “Why the f*ck are you still standing here? Scram!”

Ning Tao was still not enraged. In his eyes, these men were all “wallets.” They were carrying treatment fees in them. They might be arrogant and overbearing, but they would weep in the clinic.

At this moment, Jia Yinhong walked towards him from the construction site.

Jia Yinhong in a Western suit and leather shoes instantly attracted the attention of Li Biao. He retracted his ferocious expression and tidied his clothes. Then he moved towards Jia Yinhong, his face wreathed with amiable smiles. “Excuse me, are you the man in charge here?”

Jia Yinhong replied, “No, I'm just a manager. Who are you? Anything the matter?”

Li Biao asked, “Could you make decisions?”

Jia Yinhong looked at Ning Tao standing by the side. He said, “The man who can is standing right next to you. You can talk to him if you like. He is my superior.”

Li Biao and his gang converged their eyes instantaneously at Ning Tao, all agape with astonished eyes. They had called him moron and idiot just now, but had not expected this lad riding an electric motorbike to be the boss here.

This joke was not cracked in the spirit of science.

“Oh dear, really…” Li Biao had wanted to apologize, but could find no way to explain his rudeness. He could only walked towards Ning Tao embarra.s.sedly, extending his hand from a distance. “Can I know what your surname is, sir?”

Ning Tao did not give him his hand. He said blandly, “My name is Moron.”

Li Biao's hands froze on the spot. After a second, he suddenly waved and smacked Spotty's face.

A crisp slap.

Spotty covered his face, but said nothing.

Li Biao cursed, “D*mn it, you were the stink-mouthed one!”

He had forgotten that he had also called Ning Tao a moron. He had also asked him to scram.

Li Biao chided. “Apologize to this boss at once!”

Spotty came before Ning Tao and bowed. “Sorry, Boss.”

Ning Tao remarked blandly, “Forget apologies. Um, Brother Biao, just tell me straight what you want. Don't try this on me. I won't fall for it.”

“Haha!” Li Biao chuckled drily. “Boss is so forthright. Alright then, I'll be direct. This is our village's land. We welcome you since you want to develop it, but our folks would like to earn some money. Let us be your sandstone and cement contractor. Don't worry, I will go by the market rate. I won't take a single cent more.”

Ning Tao said, “Only sandstone and cement?”

Li Biao smiled. “Of course, earth evacuation and moving as well. I wanted to talk to you about this later, but since you brought it up, I'm letting you know.”

Ning Tao said blandly, “That's not right, is it?”

The smile on Li Biao's face instantly vanished. His voice turned cold. “Then there will be problems. Let me tell you upfront, if you won't subcontract the sandstone, cement and earth moving projects to us, you won't be able to start construction here.”

Jia Yinhong was so enraged that he scoffed. “You ruffians, you know who you're threatening? Do you know this project is… ”

Ning Tao interrupted his words. “Professor Jia, our building construction is a ma.s.sive project. Our shareholders have invested a few billions, so why is the security here so lax? How can I account to our shareholders about these men who dared to make trouble here?”

Jia Yinhong was immediately startled. He knew full well that Ning Tao was lying, but did not know the reason why. Because if Jia Yinhong were to disclose this project as under the Academy of Sciences, these rogues would have run away with their tails between their legs. Yet Ning Tao had claimed this was a real estate project worth billions. Was he deliberately trying to stimulate these fellows and lure them to create trouble?

But Jia Yinhong was after all an intelligent man. Although he could not quite get it, he soon corrected himself. “Yes, yes, it's my fault. I will contact a security company and get them to oversee the security.”

But Li Biao's eyes were already s.h.i.+ning. He cried harshly, “It won't help even if you get the U.S. Marines here. Ask around and see who's boss here. Let me tell you straight today, if you won't subcontract the sandstone, cement and earthmoving jobs to us, don't even dream about starting construction.”

Ning Tao said, “Alright, let me go back and consider. Give me your phone number. I will call you up when I have made up my mind.”

“Okay.” Li Biao immediately gave Ning Tao his cell phone number. He asked for Ning Tao's and was given it.

Ning Tao pulled Jia Yinhong to one side and whispered into his ear. “Don't get involved in this business. And don't report this to Zhang Zeshan. Leave it completely to me.”

Jia Yinhong was quite perplexed. “I still don't quite get it. Just one phone call and the matter will be settled. Why handle it yourself?”

Ning Tao said, “Since I'm in charge, let me deal with it my way, okay?”

Jia Yinhong could read between the lines. Since Ning Tao said that he would be responsible, and since Ning Tao would decide whether he remained in this project, he gave in. “Okay then, fine, I won't tell anyone. Just do it your way.”

Ning Tao smiled. “Then get busy elsewhere.”

“Okay.” Jia Yinhong acquiesced, turned and left.

Ning Tao mounted his electric motorbike, G.o.d's Will. “Um, CEO Li, I have some matter at hand and need to make a move. Wait for my phone call.”

Li Biao walked quickly to Ning Tao's side and spoke in a low voice, “Brother, I'm not an ingrate. Such a ma.s.sive project! If you let me share in its profits, my brothers and I will repay you.”

Ning Tao smiled. “We'll talk some other time. Wait for my call.”

After saying this, Ning Tao revved his engine, and rode his electric motorbike slowly away.

“Brother Biao, is this guy the boss? He doesn't look like it,” Spotty said.

Li Biao said, “Give him a call tonight and get him to meet us. Let him see our men and test him. If he's a fraudster who is swindling us, we'll break his legs!”

Spotty stared at Ning Tao's departing figure, a ferocious expression flitting across his eyes.