Two days had passed since returning from the magic city, and Li Haochen had successfully passed his fourth subject, though it was a close call, passing just under the wire.
To celebrate, Li Haochen hosted a late-night meal for his brothers, including Chen He.
"Come, come, let's toast to Third Brother passing his exam!"
"Fourth, you must be thirsty."
"Ah, no choice, my wife can't stand this smell."
"Is the due date almost here?"
"September first, hehe!"
Mentioning this, Liang Minfeng's eyes sparkled with happiness. Indeed, he was fortunate, with a successful career and a happy family—a true winner in life.
Chen He and the other two envied him. Perhaps spurred by Liang Minfeng, they had also stopped using protection recently, though there was no visible progress.
"Third Brother, has the house in Yuanshi been sold yet?"
"If you need money, you can sell it. You've made quite a bit recently. If you don't need the money, you can keep it and earn rent, which is also good."
Li Haochen gave a vague answer. He dared not make investment decisions for them; he would only give them a taste of the initial opportunity. As for how much they would earn afterward, that depended on their own foresight.
"Alright, then we'll be landlords."
"Okay, after these two bottles, everyone goes home to their own families. Otherwise, Fourth won't have a bed, hehe!" Li Haochen laughed.
The next day, after setting up the traps, Li Haochen called Wei Dayong. He planned to head to Niuwei Village to start operations; if he didn't go soon, Lu Yingshan might post a missing person notice.
Half an hour later, Wei Dayong arrived in a new Wuling car. Its space and comfort were much better than the old one.
"Not bad, Uncle Wei, you've upgraded to a new car."
"That's all thanks to Boss Li's attention, hehe!" Wei Dayong seemed a bit embarrassed but was very happy inside. He was deeply grateful to Li Haochen; with his frequent care during this period, at least a quarter of this new car was contributed by Li Haochen.
Since getting the new car, his luck had improved. Business wasn't booming, but orders were coming in steadily. And last time he accompanied Li Haochen on a business trip, he managed to buy a secondhand property with his savings. Now, he could collect seven to eight hundred yuan in rent each month, which was quite good.
"By the way, Uncle Wei, do you know anyone who can drive with an A-class license?"
"Boss Li is looking to hire someone?"
"Yes, I opened a factory back in my hometown and need a driver to deliver goods to Binhai."
Li Haochen had already captured half of the market for bamboo chopsticks in Binhai. The daily consumption was astonishing. It wasn't enough to rely solely on Li Rendong, and he couldn't let him work overtime and drive long distances every day; he had to consider his safety. Therefore, he wanted to recruit another driver for rotation.
In fact, Li Haochen didn't want to hire outsiders, but besides Li Rendong, no one else in his hometown knew how to drive, so he had to look elsewhere.
"Boss Li, can you let my boy try?"
"Does he have an A-class license?"
"Yes, he got it a few years ago and has experience driving large vehicles."
"Alright, he can come for a test then."
Li Haochen didn't commit immediately. He wanted to test Wei Dayong's son's driving skills first, but more importantly, he needed to assess his character. If he wasn't suitable, he wouldn't hire him.
"Thank you... thank you, boss!"
Wei Dayong was very excited. This was a great opportunity. Although it was just a test, he had confidence in his son and believed he could definitely get the job. He had witnessed Li Haochen's capabilities and financial strength, and working for him would surely lead to a bright future.
After about two hours of driving, Li Haochen and his companion stopped at the Binhai service station. While Li Haochen was using the restroom, Lu Yingshan called again. "Hey, beautiful Lu, do you miss me that much? This is the third call. Don't worry, I won't stand you up. I'm at the service station now. Want me to video call you?"
"I... I'm just anxious. We'll see each other soon then."
Li Haochen actually understood Lu Yingshan's feelings. This was related to the development of her village, so her anxiety was understandable.
An hour later, Li Haochen and his party arrived at the border of Niuwei Village. Fortunately, Wei Dayong's new car had a high chassis, and its suspension and other aspects were much better than the previous one, saving him from discomfort.
On the other side, Lu Yingshan was anxiously waiting at the base of the large banyan tree at the entrance of the village. As soon as she saw a vehicle approaching, she excitedly ran towards it, her movements causing the ground to tremble.
Seeing Li Haochen get out, Lu Yingshan couldn't wait to embrace him and kiss him a few times. "Boss Li, I've been waiting for you day and night. This way, please!"
"Secretary Lu, can you stop looking at me like that? I'm not going anywhere!"
Li Haochen was quite annoyed by Lu Yingshan clinging to him so tightly.
"Sorry, I'm just a bit nervous, hehe!"
Lu Yingshan stuck out her tongue like a little girl, which was quite cute.
Soon, they arrived at her house. The two black undergarments hanging to dry at the entrance immediately caught Li Haochen's eye.
His peculiar gaze drew Lu Yingshan's attention. She followed Li Haochen's gaze.
"Ah!"
Lu Yingshan screamed, rushed over to collect the underwear, and then dashed inside. A few minutes later, she came out with a red face and lowered head. "Li... Boss Li, please... come in!"
Li Haochen walked in, with Lu Yingshan following. Perhaps her mind was racing with thoughts, and she stumbled on the threshold, bumping into Li Haochen's back.
"Holy crap, a charge with a ball."
Feeling the sudden, intense elasticity against his back, Li Haochen stumbled a few steps before regaining his balance. He was still savoring the "foul play" by Lu Yingshan just now, truly hitting the jackpot.