The relations.h.i.+p between Jiang Li and his not really cheaply gained billionaire G.o.dfather was more like that of businessmen or partners than father and son. It was an exchange. It was hard to tell if the exchange had been of equal value but the two did not talk much about it.In summary though, while Jiang Li managed to gain the backing of this global personality, he had to deal with the Northerners who tried to manipulate election results and a small research firm from the central continent who managed to steal and misappropriate the data of more than a hundred million active users of Facebrick.
By that time, both crises already happened, causing this person to be roasted by the world. The man arranged for a press conference where he would answer every query and defend himself. When Jiang Li extended help, he was only given a couple of hours to prove himself and do something about it, which he couldn"t do even if he could qualify to be called a super hacker. So how did he still get the status of being Facebrick"s CEO"s son? How else? But cheat "honestly"?
The honest part had to be emphasized because his side mission was to live honestly. Anyway, the cheating mentioned was the use of the system, a dubious existence which he only planned to use if forced into a corner or if there was absolutely no choice. He said James Zuckerberg was not really a cheaply gained plot armor because he had to painfully pay some points to tamper with all the pieces of evidence convicting the CEO with the crimes.
Only through performing that miracle which helped the person evade losing his whole userbase"s trust did he accept Jiang Li. And even then, it was probably not about what he did, but his potential which truly convinced this person to adopt him.
After all, the journey of a billion-dollar company would be long and troubles would always be in the way. The CEO must have considered that if there was one more skilled person, no, G.o.dly skilled person, by his side when those troubled times come, then the company he founded wouldn"t suddenly die.
So as said above, the two, for the last five years were not really like father and son, but partners, or maybe, boss and subordinate, with Jiang Li being the lower party.
Yet it was a surprise that the magnate suddenly flew over to this country to meet him just because of the drama that was revealed about his past.
Jiang Li heartily laughed when James, no, Jiang Liuxian told him using the Western states" language, "The stupidest and funniest family I have and will most likely ever come across in my entire life is the family which let go of a superbly useful and dependable kid like you. You"re practically a secret ace. I feel bad for them. But it"s their loss. And my win."
Who would have thought a man of this standing would make time to cross the oceans just to comfort him? Was this a ploy? So he would be attached or more emotionally invested in this person?
Lame attempt then. Jiang Li felt funny deep within as he replied, "Indeed, they are the stupidest family."
Nodding, the other man then asked, "How long are you going to stay here?"
Ye Xinya kept her silence and chewed on her food. However, she had also perked her ears to listen to Jiang Li"s response. Their initial agreement was only for two weeks since the plan was only to sightsee and visit the grandfather of the villainess who kept pestering them with emails, text messages, and calls to come back. After that, they would go back to the western estates again to further their studies and qualifications.
Jiang Li answered, "I"ll follow Xinya"s arrangement."
She raised her head at him in surprise. A moment later, her eyes turned a bit panicky, the look she was giving the man was discreetly accusing, "You know all I want is to be a quiet flower vase in this meeting. Why did you pa.s.s your Dad"s question to me!?"
The gaze she received was quite annoying, one which was seemingly replying, "You can do it, I"m giving you this precious opportunity to deepen your bond with your future father-in-law."
"It"s you who should spend more time and exchange more words with your Dad!" She wanted to tell to his face. However, seeing the eyes of the tyc.o.o.n directed at her, she could only put on a perfect and practiced smile then told him what they planned.
Jiang Li asked, "How about you join us in sightseeing, Dad?"
It was an invitation said in a whim, for formality per se. But he didn"t expect the older man to really accept it. For a while he was surprised, but not long after he smiled wryly since he saw the villainess lowered her head, looking so sad.
"So I just dug my own grave and would have to think of ways to avoid getting buried earlier than expected?"
The muted system"s translation: Host made the villainess" sad because it was supposed to be a trip for only the two of them but now there would be a third wheel, somebody she would have to be mindful of. Now he would have to think of ways to make up with her.
Jiang Li stared at the man while guessing what air got into his brain to agree to something he obviously knew he should decline. When the other maintained a neutral expression, he felt irritated. As a result, when they got to the car, he immediately pulled up his phone and typed a few things there. Not long after, James Zuckerberg received a phone call from one of his secretaries who told him that there was an urgent matter in the company that the CEO must immediately deal with.
At that time, the young man saw the CEO glared at him. Clearly, it was not easy to fool the man since he immediately guessed it was Jiang Li playing a trick on him. "Young man, if there is something you want to say, don"t be shy and say it. I won"t be unreasonable."
Jiang Li"s face darkened. "...""I"m lectured by somebody younger than me in age..."
System: Who asked you to feel like it"s okay to act your body"s age when mentally you should be more than three hundred years old? He he.
The system was brave in retorting since the host wouldn"t hear him.
Apparently, Jiang Li"s attempt to make the tyc.o.o.n come back to his own country failed. But thankfully, the person finally stopped his humorless teasing. Instead of tagging along with the couple, he asked to be driven the Ye mansion where he would meet Grandfather Ye.
When they dropped the person off there, Ye Xinya worriedly asked Jiang Li, " Did your Dad bring an interpreter with him?"
When the person walked towards the gate where the Ye Cheng and some of the Ye family housekeepers and maids were lining up, only the bodyguards in charge of James Zuckerberg"s safety were with him, following faithfully behind his back. Was one of those people proficient in Huaxia"s language and would act as the CEO"s translator?
"Don"t worry about that," Jiang answered. "That person won"t be able to build Facebrick is he is not a genius himself. Learning a language or two shouldn"t be a challenge for him. Since he didn"t ask for my help to get him a decent translator, it means he learned the language himself and is confident of his skills."
Ye Xinya thought about it for a couple of moments and felt like he had a point. She then chose not to worry about it anymore.
After dealing with James, they had more talk about random things as they drove to the next destination. Two days ago, the girl did a little research on places they could visit in the country and made a plan for them. Since the night sky had just risen up, the girl reckoned it was still early and urged him to drive the car in a famous night park slash night market. In order to not feel out of place there, they changed into normal clothing and parked the car in a nearby mall while they went on foot to the location which they only reached after asking around a few times.
The site was full of brightly lit tents and stalls. And of course, people. Even though they were not near a river and the type of people loitering around was wearing modern clothing and taking pictures of every moment they found memorable or beautiful, the sight reminded Jiang Li of the time he went with Jiang Ying Yue to a lantern lighting event hosted near a river.
After looking around, the girl pulled him into a fortune-telling booth, meeting his questioning eyes with her bright ones as she happily said, "This is only for fun. Come on!"
"Welcome and fifty credits per session. The rules are on the wall to your right. Ask only what is not there," said the veiled woman seated in the middle of the booth.
This person whose only visible parts of her body were her hands and hazel-green eyes looked so bored as she propped her face up with one hand. There was no prop on her table. No tarot cards, or marbles, or crystal ball. How would she divine her booth"s customer? This was a night market so it was obvious the fortune teller was a fake, but even so, shouldn"t she put more effort into playing her part?
On his side, the villainess enthusiastically explained to him. "Ah Li, I have done a bit of research about this place and the lady fortune teller is one of the best attractions here because whatever she says will always come true."
He wandered his gaze around and nodded. But inwardly he was thinking, "Yeah, famous attraction indeed. Coz there is no queue outside."
The woman whose age couldn"t be discerned due to most body parts being wrapped in clothes spoke, "I have no problem divining the future of you two in this current lifetime. I can also divine what happened to the two of you in the previous lifetime. But no asking what would happen in your next life because I have no way of knowing."
Mentioning lifetimes, Jiang Li became intrigued. As they sat on the stools in front of the woman, he confirmed, "What"s with the divining of the future of the current lifetime and the past of the previous lifetime?"
Ye Xinya discreetly whispered to him, "Aren"t fortune tellers, people who can tell fate? Perhaps they have ways to glimpse into the different lifetimes."
"Sir, I"m an honest businesswoman. Ask what you want to know. But of course, pay first? Or sign this stub so before you leave, I know how much to collect from you two."
"Hmmm." After pulling up a number of paper bills exchanged in the money-changers from the mall, he asked, "Can you divine what happened to us in the previous life?"
"Of course." Glancing at the money placed down on the box on the left side of the table, she answered.
"So what did you see?"
"I can"t tell." Indifferently replied by the woman. Jiang Li did not truly become stunned since it was a rule written on the wall. But since he felt like testing the person, he continued, "It"s not said in your rules that we can"t make a guess while you will answer if it"s correct or not. So just out of curiosity, is it perhaps me wearing a general"s costume while this girl looks like an aristocrat?"
Without a change in the fortune teller"s tone, the words came out of her mouth, "Well, if you know. Why ask?"
Her eyes momentarily lingered on Ye Xinya"s face and he didn"t miss the slight change in them. Why did he see wariness in them?
And her way of speaking... It was hinting that she was extraordinary, so extraordinary that if she really knew what he was, she was not in awe of his ident.i.ty. However, there was something in his harmless villainess that made her guarded? Why? Could he be simply thinking too much?
He looked at Ye Xinya and noticed the confusion in her expression.
"I"m riding along with her rules and set up." He explained with a shrug. The look she gave him said he was lying again, and he laughed because while he phrased it in a way easy to misunderstand, like he always does, he was actually speaking the truth.
"Miss, can you tell us now our future in this lifetime?" The girl asked. To which the fortune teller flatly replied, "Sure. The usual small dramas with those disgustingly lucky people. But no more large dramas because you two are basically free from the main plot."
Ye Xinya didn"t know what was with that extremely weird and cryptic divination, but when she was lamenting finding a fake fortune teller, Jiang Li smiled so widely before making her go out.