Love and Desire in the Sea [Complete] - Chapter 31 (End)

Love and Desire (195)

Chapter 193

Ten days later, after the employee housing was completed, Ouyang Yiming submitted his resignation as chairman to the board of directors. The board of directors approved Ouyang Yiming's resignation. Xie Liang succeeded him as chairman of Kunpeng Group. Ouyang Yiming then remained at the research institute as a director of the group and director of the research institute. In fact, Ouyang Yiming's voluntary resignation was exactly what Xie Liang and Mayor Xia wanted.

On the morning of May 2, 2002, Xie Liang convened a board meeting. He proposed to transfer 26% of Kunpeng Group's shares to Shanghai Panlong Company. Except for Ouyang Yiming, who was surprised and did not vote, all the other directors agreed, and the board of directors passed the resolution smoothly.

On the afternoon of June 12, Xie Liang suddenly convened another board meeting and announced that the 26% of Kunpeng Group's shares held by Shanghai Panlong Company had been transferred to Beijing Changlong Development Co., Ltd.

He also announced that he, along with several other directors and two mid-level managers holding significant stakes in the research institute, had transferred all their shares in the institute to Beijing Changlong Development Co., Ltd. Combined, Beijing Changlong Development Co., Ltd. now owns 43.16% of Kunpeng Group's equity. At this point, the state-owned equity in the research institute and Kunpeng Group's total equity were only 39.97%, with the remaining less than 20% held by Kunpeng Group employees, the largest of whom was Ouyang Yiming. Xie Liang further announced that Beijing Changlong Development Co., Ltd. would continue to acquire shares held by employees at a price of 9.90 yuan per share, and required the group's office to post a public notice. With its 43.16% stake in Kunpeng Group, Beijing Changlong had already become the largest controlling shareholder of Kunpeng Group, even without further acquisitions of employee shares.

As predicted by Ouyang Yiming and some employees, after Xie Liang succeeded as chairman of Kunpeng Group, the company, under the behind-the-scenes manipulation of Mayor Xia and the specific operations of Xie Liang, quickly transferred the raised funds off the books to Shanghai Panlong for management and control. Kunpeng Group's CFO oversaw the operation, using Shanghai Panlong to invest in securities and futures, buying and selling stocks and related futures contracts. In the first few months, profits were less than two million yuan. Then, the stock market slumped, and they suffered repeated losses. By April 2002, their approximately 220 million yuan invested in the securities market had been completely wiped out. Xie Liang, Mayor Xia, and others, having suffered heavy losses in the stock market, were anxious after realizing they couldn't explain their stock and futures trading activities. They secretly persuaded several directors, and Xie Liang proposed at the group's board meeting that 26% of Kunpeng Group's shares be transferred to Shanghai Panlong. Shanghai Panlong then transferred the 26% stake in Kunpeng Group, which it had acquired just over a month prior, to Beijing Changlong Development Co., Ltd. The reason for transferring Kunpeng Group's shares to Shanghai Panlong Company first was that Shanghai Panlong Company was an independent entity from its inception, and its legal representative had the right to transfer shares to external parties without board approval. This was, of course, a carefully planned conspiracy by Xie Liang and Mayor Xia to transfer equity. The transfer of shares and agreements from Shanghai Panlong to Beijing Changlong were also handled covertly. Before the announcement, Mayor Xia had already quietly arranged for Xie Liang to become the deputy director of the Science and Technology Commission in Baiyun District, Panzhou City, awaiting the handover and his appointment.

After hearing Xie Liang's announcement, Ouyang Yiming was stunned for a full two minutes. He knew that Kunpeng Group and the Research Institute had now changed hands, and Beijing Changlong Development Co., Ltd. would control the future of Kunpeng Group and the Research Institute. He had lost the Research Institute and Kunpeng Group, which he had painstakingly built up over nearly twenty years. At this moment, he remained silent; in fact, it was a fait accompli, and any words would be useless. This surprised Xie Liang and the others, who had expected Ouyang Yiming to be furious. He had prepared his response, but was somewhat disappointed that he didn't need to use it.

Ouyang Yiming walked heavily out of the conference room. When he reached his office, he couldn't help but shed tears… That afternoon, two mid-level managers from the research institute came to Ouyang Yiming's office, looking at him with tears in their eyes, saying that the research institute had truly been defeated by Xie Liang and his group.

Ouyang Yiming, his heart heavy, suppressed his own sorrow and still comforted them, saying, "There's no point in saying anything now. Perhaps Changlong Company will bring better development. Don't worry, the group restructuring won't have a significant impact on managers below the middle level; there will only be major changes at the top." One of them then mentioned Changlong Company's acquisition of employee stock. Ouyang Yiming said, "Actually, Beijing Changlong is already the largest shareholder of Kunpeng Group. Whether you sell your shares to them or not, it won't affect their control of Kunpeng Group. My personal opinion is to transfer them. Changlong Company's offer is not low. From a personal perspective, I suggest selling to them. In the future..." They knew that Ouyang Yiming's unfinished sentence implied that they didn't know what Changlong Company would do to the group in the future. They felt helpless.

Before leaving work, Wu Yingying came to Ouyang Yiming's office, sat silently for a while, and then asked Ouyang Yiming if he planned to transfer to another unit. Ouyang Yiming shook his head, but then suddenly remembered his family's ancestral vinegar-making secret recipe. His heart skipped a beat. He thought it best not to bring it up now, and said, "I haven't decided yet, but I do have plans to do something on my own. I'll think about it later." Wu Yingying immediately became excited and asked, "What are you planning to do?" Ouyang Yiming shook his head and said, "Yingying, I'll tell you in detail in a couple of days after I've thought it through."

Wu Yingying said, "Yiming, whatever you do, my husband and I will follow you. I think many people will follow you after they find out." Ouyang Yiming said, "Thank you. If I really decide to do something on my own, I really hope you and some people from the research institute can help me." Wu Yingying said, "As long as you do it, many people will definitely follow you." Ouyang Yiming said, "This..." "Don't talk about this now. Tomorrow I plan to transfer all my shares to Changlong Company. I didn't expect Changlong to pay such a high price for the employee shares this time, and I don't understand their purpose in spending so much money to take over Kunpeng. You should sell yours too. I feel that Changlong Company has ill intentions; consider your own interests first." Wu Yingying nodded and said, "We didn't buy many shares. My husband and I only have a little over 30,000 shares in total. That's enough to exchange for over 300,000 yuan. We've discussed it and are preparing to sell."

As she spoke, she wanted to ask Ouyang Yiming how many shares he held, but after thinking about it, she didn't ask. She knew that Ouyang Yiming held many more shares than they did, but she never imagined that he would own more than six million shares. In fact, Ouyang Yiming personally owned the most shares in the entire Kunpeng Group.

When the employee shares were issued in 1995, the group's purpose was for everyone to participate in the shareholding to promote employees' sense of responsibility, increase the group's construction funds, and allow employees to share in the group's profits. However, many employees didn't understand at the time, and their enthusiasm for buying shares was low. Ouyang Yiming, however, based on the regulations established when the research institute was founded, realized that the profits from over ten years of R&D projects and various bonuses had reached over five million yuan, and this money had been deposited in the research institute's finance department, essentially a loan to the institute. Therefore, when issuing employee shares, he used 80% of his funds to purchase shares in the group. In June 1997, the third shareholders' meeting of Kunpeng Group Co., Ltd. decided that the High-Tech Research Institute would transfer 2% of its 6% stake in the group to Ouyang Yiming, and 1% to several other vice presidents. Ouyang Yiming thus owned over six million yuan worth of shares in Kunpeng Group. For him, the millions of yuan in profits from the research institute's performance bonuses and various bonuses over the years was an astronomical figure; he considered it a great blessing from God. Ouyang Yiming never imagined that one day he would have to transfer his shares to another unit, nor did he expect to one day use these shares to obtain such a large profit. He never imagined that transferring these shares to Changlong Company would give him a huge sum of money he could never have dreamed of.

After Wu Yingying left, Ouyang Yiming turned off his phone, left his office, went downstairs, and drove to Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. He parked his car and, with heavy steps, slowly climbed the steps, his mind filled with scenes of his graduation, entering the research institute, and the institute's time in Panzhou and its relocation to Nanjing. He felt waves of excruciating pain.

In the blink of an eye, eighteen years had passed since he arrived at this research institute. Eighteen years—the institute, slowly growing stronger, was like a child he had watched grow up. At this moment, a fleeting feeling washed over him: this child still belonged to him; then another wave of realization washed over him—it was lost, no longer his. The moment he felt he had lost the institute, a spasm of pain shot through his heart.

The child he had lovingly nurtured was gone. Sold. Perhaps never to be found again. And those who had sold his child were also family members of this family, with the head of this family manipulating things behind the scenes. Heartache! How could he not be heartbroken!

In the June weather, he felt a chill; his legs weakened as he slowly climbed the steps, and his body trembled.

As he climbed, darkness fell, and tourists descending the steps looked at him curiously. He paid them no heed. At the top of the steps, it was completely dark. He sat down on a step, looking down at the hazy staircase below. Suddenly, a thought struck him: he had painstakingly climbed these steps to find treasure at the top. He climbed up with hope, dreams, and passion, found the gem, and reaped the reward. He held it in his palm, admiring it, and smiled with pride, dreaming of polishing it to make it even more brilliant and dazzling. But suddenly, someone kicked him from behind, and he tumbled down from the top. The gem was gone, and his hope was shattered. At that moment, a chill ran down his spine, as if the person who had plotted against him was standing right behind him, making his scalp tingle. He instinctively turned around, but there was no shadow.

He stood up and slowly walked down the steps... He had climbed up with all his might, but he still had to walk down, back to the starting point... He sat down in the car but didn't start it, his eyes staring blankly ahead. His mind kept repeating: the research institute and the group belong to someone else, they belong to someone else... Suddenly, he thought of his family's ancestral business, and the secret recipe for making vinegar. A sudden jolt ran through him. He thought, "Yes, only by owning your own business can you truly own it, and only then can you avoid losing it so easily..." It was already past eight when he decided to go home. Entering the city, he inexplicably turned onto the road leading to the research institute. He parked in the shadows not far from the institute, looking through the car window at the institute's gate, at that familiar office building where he had spent so many years. A wave of sadness washed over him, and tears streamed down his face...

A young couple, each holding a little girl's hand, stopped in front of his car, talking as they looked at it. Ouyang Yiming felt a jolt, suddenly thinking of his home, of Liu Yan and the children. In the past, whenever he had social engagements and couldn't go home immediately, he would always call Liu Yan to let her know. Or sometimes, if he didn't have time to call home, Liu Yan would always call his cell phone to ask. Why hadn't Liu Yan called him today? Thinking this, he took out his phone, only to realize that he had turned it off when he left the office. He hurriedly turned on his phone and called home. Liu Yan answered, her voice trembling with tears, "Yiming, where did you go? Why didn't you call to tell me? Your phone was always off, I was so worried! Li Xuan and Wu Yingying called several times too. Where are you now?" Ouyang Yiming felt a surge of guilt and said, "Don't worry, I'm fine, I'll be home soon." He started the car. As he

entered the house, Liu Yan looked at him with tears in her eyes. Ouyang Yiming felt a pang of sadness. Ouyang Ruxue ran out of her room, calling out to Ouyang Yiming, "Dad, where did you go? Mom and I were so worried!" Ouyang Yiming reached out and patted his daughter's head, saying, "Dad had something to do." Liu Yan then told Ouyang Ruxue, "Go back to your room and do your homework." Ouyang Ruxue glanced at Ouyang Yiming and turned to go to her room. Liu Yan waited for Ouyang Yiming to sit down on the sofa, stood in front of him for a moment, then sat down beside him and asked, "Yiming, where did you go?" Ouyang Yiming said,

"Something came up." Liu Yan looked straight at him, and after a moment asked, "Have you eaten?" Ouyang Yiming said, "Yes." Liu Yan stared at him and asked, "Where did you eat?" Ouyang Yiming looked at her but didn't speak. Liu Yan said, "I know everything, Yiming, try to think positively." Ouyang Yiming turned to look at him but didn't speak. Liu Yan sighed softly and said, "Li Xuan and Wu Yingying called several times and told me about what happened at your workplace. Yiming, they're very worried about you. Ru Xue and I waited for you at the entrance of the complex until 8:30. Yiming, I was so anxious!" Tears streamed down her face as she spoke. Ouyang Yiming looked at her, feeling a pang of guilt, and said, "I'm sorry." Liu Yan wiped away her tears and asked, "Who did you eat with?" Ouyang Yiming didn't answer. Liu Yan said, "You probably haven't eaten anything, I'll go make you something." Ouyang Yiming said, "I'm really not hungry, I just want a drink." Liu Yan looked at him and said, "I'll get it for you, there are some vegetables at home." She stood up as she spoke, took a few steps, then stopped, poured a glass of water, and handed it to Ouyang Yiming, saying, "Have a sip of water first, it'll be ready soon." Ouyang Yiming nodded.

Soon, Liu Yan brought over a plate of spiced beef and a plate of cucumber salad, placed them on the table, and said, "Yiming, have some beer." Ouyang Yiming looked at her and said, "I want a sip of baijiu (Chinese liquor)."

Liu Yan looked at him without saying anything, turned around and took the half-bottle of Ouyang's family's aged liquor, sat down at the table, took a glass of liquor, poured some in front of Ouyang Yiming, and said, "Yiming, promise me you'll drink less." Ouyang Yiming nodded.

After taking a sip of wine and eating some food, Liu Yan asked, "Where did you go?" Ouyang Yiming's heart trembled, and he said, "I felt so suffocated, I went to the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum." Liu Yan stared at him and asked, "You've been there the whole time?" Ouyang Yiming took a deep breath, exhaled heavily, took a sip of wine, and said, "I went to climb the steps. I felt so suffocated, so incredibly suffocated." Liu Yan felt a pang of sadness looking at his expression and said, "Yiming, try to think more positively. Let's not talk about this now. Eat first, we'll talk after we eat, okay?" Ouyang Yiming nodded. Liu Yan stood up and said, "I'll make you a bowl of noodles."

Ouyang Yiming said, "No need." Liu Yan said, "How can you not eat? Even if the sky falls, you still need to eat." Ouyang Yiming looked up at her and said, "Even if you make it, I can't eat it. Sit down." Liu Yan looked at him and sat down. Ouyang Yiming asked, "Did Li Xuan and Wu Yingying call?" Liu Yan nodded and said, "They called several times. Two other people from your workplace also called." Ouyang Yiming said, "I don't want to answer anyone's calls right now. If anyone calls again, just say I've already gone home to sleep." Liu Yan nodded.

Ouyang Yiming took a sip of his drink, holding his chopsticks, his heart aching. He said sadly, "The group and the research institute are both being manipulated by others. Xie Liang and Mayor Xia have ruined them for me..."

Tears streamed down his face as he spoke. Liu Yan felt a pang of sadness and said, "I know everything." As she spoke, she handed a tissue to Ouyang Yiming, adding, "Yiming, I know you're upset, but it's already like this. You have to try to think positively." Ouyang Yiming said, "How can I think positively! This research institute, this group, is the culmination of nearly eighteen years of my hard work. I just watched as Xie Liang and his cronies sold it off. You should know how much I care about the research institute. It's like my home, like my child, just like my own child, and now it's gone, just like that..." Tears

streamed down his face. Liu Yan then wept as well, reaching out to take Ouyang Yiming's hand, saying, "Yiming, I understand, I understand. Yiming, you have to try to think positively..." Ouyang Yiming rested one elbow on the table, his hand holding chopsticks pressed against his forehead, his eyes half-closed, tears streaming down his face. Liu Yan felt his hand, which was in her grasp, grow cold and tremble. Liu Yan felt a pang of panic and said, "Yiming, you must calm down, you must... Yiming, no matter what your feelings are for the research institute, it's not our family's after all. Yiming, you have to think more positively..." Ouyang Yiming suddenly raised his head, looked at Liu Yan and said, "Yes, you're right, it's not our family's no matter what." Liu Yan was startled and hurriedly said, "Yiming, I, I'm not..." Ouyang Yiming said, "Liu Yan, you're right, you're right. I want to do it myself, to do something that belongs to our family, something that belongs only to our family!" Liu Yan was startled again, stared at him and asked, "Yiming, you want to..." Ouyang Yiming said, "I want to do it myself, do it myself..." Just as he was about to reveal the ancestral secret recipe, he suddenly remembered the Ouyang family rules and his grandfather's instructions, and quickly stopped talking. Liu Yan asked,

"What do you want to do? Start your own research institute?" Ouyang Yiming said, "I'll think about it first." After saying that, he picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and thought to himself, "I want to do it myself, to run my own business, and not be subject to the control and management of government officials anymore, just for the Ouyang family."

Overwhelmed with emotion, he said, "Liu Yan, go make me a bowl of noodles, I want to eat." Liu Yan looked at him with a hint of panic, then got up and went to the kitchen. Ouyang Yiming picked up a piece of beef rice and chewed it vigorously, thinking to himself, "Be yourself, be what belongs to you..."

After a while, Liu Yan brought out a bowl of vegetable noodles and placed it on the table. Seeing that the half-empty bottle of wine was almost gone, she said, "Yiming, don't drink anymore, eat your food." Ouyang Yiming nodded. At this moment, Wu Yingying called. Liu Yan answered the phone and told Wu Yingying that Ouyang Yiming had already gone home to sleep. After hanging up, she dialed Li Xuan's number and said the same thing. She returned to the table and sat down, watching Ouyang Yiming eat his noodles without saying a word... That night, Ouyang Yiming lay in bed thinking about the research institute, feeling a pang of sadness; thinking about his family's vinegar business, he was also filled with anticipation. Liu Yan knew she couldn't say much to him, nor did she know how to comfort him. She couldn't fall asleep and silently stayed with him... Love and Desire (196) Chapter 194 On the third day after the board meeting, Beijing Changlong Development Co., Ltd. sent personnel to Kunpeng Group. In addition to four senior executives and some staff, the president of Beijing Changlong Company also came. Ouyang Yiming noticed that the Japanese Honda luxury car he was riding in had a military license plate. That afternoon, the senior executives and president of Beijing Changlong Company met with the former senior executives of Kunpeng Group. Xie Liang and several directors of the former Kunpeng Group resigned. When Ouyang Yiming resigned, the president of Beijing Changlong Group smiled and looked at him, saying, "Dean Ouyang, please wait a while before resigning." Ouyang Yiming looked at him but didn't say anything.

Early the next morning, the bulletin board in the institute published the list of senior executives of Kunpeng Group. The senior executives announced were mostly from Beijing. Ouyang Yiming's position was still the dean of the research institute. That morning, Beijing Changlong also began acquiring employee shares, and Ouyang Yiming transferred all of his more than six million shares. Afterwards, he returned to the finance department and transferred over two million yuan in commissions and bonuses from there into his own account. Having just finished the formalities and sat down in his office, the president of Beijing Changlong Development Co., Ltd. came to Ouyang Yiming's office. Ouyang Yiming greeted him warmly.

After the president sat down, he smiled broadly and said, "Dean Ouyang, Chairman Ouyang, we've long admired your reputation." Ouyang Yiming smiled and shook his head, saying, "President Liu, I, Ouyang Yiming, am just a name without substance. Otherwise, how could I have lost the research institute I've painstakingly built up over nearly twenty years?" President Liu smiled and said, "This isn't your fault. I know everything. You were helpless."

Ouyang Yiming smiled wryly, composed himself, and asked, "President Liu, I only have one question. Why did your Changlong Company spend over 300 million yuan to acquire Kunpeng? As far as I know, your Changlong Company is mainly engaged in domestic and international trade. Scientific research and manufacturing aren't your core businesses. Do you have some clever ideas for the development of Kunpeng Group? Or do you see Kunpeng Group as a lucrative opportunity?"

President Liu laughed heartily a few times and said, "Of course, we carefully considered the huge sums spent on acquiring Kunpeng Group." Yes, we've considered it. We conducted thorough research before taking over Kunpeng. As you know, the stock market has been declining for two consecutive years, and according to our analysis, it will rebound soon. We are confident that we can recoup the losses incurred by Kunpeng Group by issuing new shares when the stock price is high, raising funds to cover the losses lost by the previous owner. In terms of industry, Kunpeng Group has only been listed for two years, so it won't suffer significant losses. These are just some of our plans. Of course, we also want to revitalize Kunpeng through these and the existing advantages of the research institute, naturally so that we can obtain greater profits. I might as well tell you that our Changlong Company not only engages in domestic and international trade, but also in capital operations. Capital operations require a grand strategic vision, boldness and foresight, as well as decision-makers and operators with rich professional knowledge, wisdom, and courage. "It requires pioneering spirit and a willingness to forge ahead. It also requires a certain degree of risk-taking. To put it bluntly, capital operation can be seen as gambling, but we gamble with wisdom. It's also an art. I don't know if you know this, but regarding capital operation, we acquired that listed company in Inner Mongolia two years ago. We spent over 100 million yuan in capital and in just over a year, we got over 300 million yuan in profit. That should be considered a successful operation, so of course we are very confident after acquiring Kunpeng Group." When Mr. Liu said these words, his tone and expression were full of pride, the elation of a victor.

Ouyang Yiming wasn't very familiar with capital operation, but he had heard some things. Regardless, he disagreed. He believed that capital operation was not the right path, but rather speculation. He was even less supportive of Mr. Liu's "gambling," but he couldn't refute it. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I'm not an expert in what you're talking about. But I sincerely hope you can revitalize Kunpeng Group. The research institute hasn't come this far. I also hope you can respect the research talents and ordinary employees here; they are the true heroes of the institute." General Manager Liu smiled and said, "Don't worry, we will. To be honest, I admire your character and your talent. We're not good at research, so I think it would be better if you could stay and develop together." Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "You haven't had much contact with me, and your understanding of me might not be deep. I think it would be better if you kept Xie Liang and the others." General Manager Liu asked, "Has Dean Ouyang already found a place?" Ouyang Yiming said, "I'm still considering it." "

General Manager Liu said, 'We won't use any of Xie Liang or those others. I won't hide my opinion; they can be used to some extent, but we won't employ people like them in our company. To put it bluntly, they're a bunch of spendthrifts with no value. Dean Ouyang, I've come to see you personally to invite you to stay on.' Seeing Ouyang Yiming frown, General Manager Liu said, 'We intend to hire you as the group's vice chairman, with an annual salary of 500,000 yuan and additional shares. If you're not satisfied, we can discuss it. We can also buy you a villa in Jinling. Of course, you can also tell us your conditions.' Ouyang Yiming..." Startled, Ouyang Yiming shook his head slightly after a moment and said, "I don't understand. You're paying such a high price to hire me... I don't seem to be worth that much." General Manager Liu said, "When we were preparing to take over Kunpeng, we also investigated Kunpeng's senior management. You are no stranger to us, and you are someone we greatly admire and respect. Given your character and your achievements in scientific research, we sincerely hope to hire and give you important responsibilities. We hope the research institute can regain its former glory, and only you can achieve that."

Hearing General Manager Liu mention the hope to restore the research institute's former glory and the promised position and benefits, Ouyang Yiming was somewhat tempted. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Let me think about it." President Liu said confidently, "We'll wait for you." Ouyang Yiming thought for a moment and said, "There's something I'm not sure if I should ask." President Liu said, "Go ahead and ask." Ouyang Yiming asked, "When you restructured Kunpeng Group, did you consider auditing the previous administration and the flow of raised funds?" President Liu looked at him and said, "Dean Ouyang, I know you're kept in the dark about many things, but actually, there are some things you're fully aware of. It's inconvenient for me to discuss this with you; I hope you understand." Ouyang Yiming nodded.

In fact, shortly after the establishment of Shanghai Panlong Company, Mayor Xia and Xie Liang had already established contact with the Shanghai office of Beijing Changlong Company through their connections. During Xie Liang's transfer of his research institute shares, Beijing Changlong Company signed a confirmation letter regarding the operating status of Shanghai Panlong Company, and Shanghai Panlong Company unilaterally transferred the relevant securities assets to Beijing Changlong Company. At this point, Beijing Changlong Company had already effectively occupied the assets. Furthermore, Kunpeng Group repeatedly provided illegal guarantees for Beijing Changlong Company to obtain bank loans, and Beijing Changlong Company used a large portion of these loans to acquire Kunpeng Group's shares. Using loans guaranteed by Kunpeng to acquire Kunpeng was Beijing Changlong's clever tactic, and also Kunpeng Group's tragedy!

In addition, Xie Liang and his group signed a secret agreement with Beijing Changlong Company, stipulating that after restructuring Kunpeng Group, Beijing Changlong Company would not audit the previous management or hold the previous operators accountable. After receiving the huge transfer fee and the above promises, Xie Liang and his group withdrew confidently. Of course, President Liu would not reveal any of this to Ouyang Yiming.

Ouyang Yiming knew that even if he pressed for details, President Liu wouldn't reveal any secrets. So he said, "President Liu, please give me three days to consider. I will give you an answer in three days as to whether I accept your offer." President Liu readily agreed, saying, "Please feel free to make any specific requests you may have. You can also consider it for a few more days; this isn't a matter to rush." Ouyang Yiming thanked him. After seeing President Liu off, he sat in his office for a while. Then, Ouyang Yiming received several calls from mid-level leaders of the research institute. Some inquired about the specifics of the share transfer, while others directly stated that they couldn't let Xie Liang and the others off so easily. Ouyang Yiming exchanged a few words with them and hung up. He knew that saying anything more now would be useless, so he stood up and prepared to go home.

As he drove out of the gate, he saw Xie Liang's car parked outside the tightly closed gate, and the head of security was talking to Xie Liang standing beside the car. The gatekeeper hurriedly opened the gate when he saw Ouyang Yiming's car approaching.

As Ouyang Yiming slowly drove his car out of the gate, the head of security gestured for him to stop, and the gate closed immediately. Ouyang Yiming stopped the car and glanced at Xie Liang, whose face was flushed, through the window. Disgusted, he turned back to the head of security and asked, "What's wrong?" The head of security said angrily, "Director, this guy wants to enter our compound. I told him to park outside according to regulations and register before he could come in, but he refused. Director, I'm just following the rules." Ouyang Yiming knew he was doing it on purpose. He looked at Xie Liang, then turned back and said softly, "Let him in." The head of security said, "No, I have to follow the rules. There was a spendthrift named Xie who used to be subject to those rules. This guy looks a bit like that spendthrift, but I don't know him. Who knows what he does? There are too many thieves these days; we have to be careful. Don't you think so, Director?" Xie Liang, his face red, said, "You, who are you calling a thief? I, I came to get something..." The head of security said, "You don't have anything written on your forehead, how am I supposed to know? What are you taking? It's robbery! Some people look like decent human beings, but they don't do decent things..." Ouyang Yiming said:

“Forget it,” the security chief said. “That won’t do. Dean, I’ll listen to whatever you say, but we can’t let this thing that looks like a person but isn’t.” Xie Liang’s face flushed red, and his lips trembled as he said, “You, how dare you swear at me…” The security chief glared at him and whispered, “If you dare to argue with me again, I’ll kill you. People like you deserve to die a horrible death…”

Ouyang Yiming quickly reached out and pulled him back. The security chief turned to Ouyang Yiming and said, “Dean, if he doesn’t register today, I won’t let him in. I still have the final say at the gate.

Dean, you go ahead and do your work, don’t worry about this.” Ouyang Yiming knew that this security chief, a retired soldier, was straightforward. He looked at Xie Liang and felt disgusted, but said nothing, stepped on the gas, and drove away.

On the way, he thought that Xie Liang’s current predicament was his own fault. Thinking about how he had brought the research institute to this state, he felt hatred and pain in his heart. How could such a person not be hated to the bone by the staff who were full of affection for the research institute? Just then, his phone rang. It was Wu Yingying calling, saying that a few people wanted to have dinner with him that evening. Ouyang Yiming said, "I have some things to do today. Tell them I'll meet up with them another day. I'm not in a good mood today; I just want to rest." Wu Yingying agreed and told him not to think too much about it.

After answering Wu Yingying's call, Ouyang Yiming turned off his phone. After sitting at home for a while, Liu Yan returned home. Ouyang Yiming then told Liu Yan not to say he was home if anyone called. After dinner, Ouyang Yiming called Liu Yan to his study and told her that he had sold his shares in the group and that Changlong Company had offered him the position of vice chairman. Liu Yan already knew last night that Ouyang Yiming's shares could be exchanged for a huge sum of money. Now, hearing about the offer of a vice chairmanship and generous compensation, she asked, "Are you planning to stay?"

Ouyang Yiming replied, "I haven't decided yet, but honestly, although I'm attached to the research institute, I really don't want to work for the company that acquired it."

Liu Yan nodded and said, "Yiming, let's not worry about money now. We can afford to support Ruhan and Ruxue's education, no matter where they go. If you don't want to stay, I think we should just find..." "Just let me stay at my current job. Let's use our connections to get you a job in a government agency or research institute. I'm a little worried about you wanting to do something on your own. To be precise, I don't want you to worry about me. We don't need to worry about you like this anymore. Look at you, you've been working at the research institute for so many years, you've never had a moment of leisure. If you want to do something on your own, you'll be even busier." Ouyang Yiming said, "I'm used to being busy all these years. I won't be used to being idle. Liu Yan, even if I don't stay at the group, I won't be idle. I'll think about it some more." Liu Yan glanced at him but didn't say anything more.

Ouyang Yiming knew he still couldn't talk to Liu Yan about making vinegar. His grandfather had given instructions, and it was a rule passed down from Ouyang Jia's ancestors. Even though Liu Yan was his beloved wife, he couldn't talk to her about it without his elders' permission. He couldn't break the rule. He decided to go back to his hometown first to discuss it with his grandfather and Ouyang Anping before telling Liu Yan about it, so he said, "Let's talk about it in a few days." He paused and said, "I want to go back to my hometown and talk to the elders in our family about these things." Liu Yan nodded and said, "That's fine. But Yiming, I really don't want you to be too tired. I won't stop you if you want to do it yourself, but that will make you worry even more." Ouyang Yiming said, "We'll talk about it later." As he spoke, he stood up and said, "Come on, let's go out and talk to our daughter." After saying that, he thought of the villa that Changlong Company had promised and looked at Liu Yan, saying, "By the way, there's something else I wanted to tell you."

The two sat down again. Ouyang Yiming said, "I have a rewarded apartment in Panzhou that's been unoccupied. We also have an apartment at the research institute here, which is also vacant. I'm thinking of selling that one too and buying a villa. Ruhan and Ruxue are still living together now; they've both grown up." Liu Yan smiled and said, "Ruhan is currently boarding at school. He'll be taking the college entrance exam the year after next, so he won't be living at home anymore. Living

in a villa wouldn't be so conspicuous."

Liu Yan learned about the elite boarding school during a casual conversation with a colleague. Ouyang Ruhan had excellent grades in junior high. After graduating from junior high, Liu Yan saw that Ouyang Yiming was too busy with work to manage Ouyang Ruhan's affairs, and she herself wasn't capable of tutoring him. Considering that the three years of high school were crucial, she discussed sending him to an elite boarding school with Ouyang Yiming. Although Ouyang Yiming wasn't entirely in favor, he went with Liu Yan to "investigate" an elite boarding school in Jinling. There, they learned that the school employed only outstanding retired teachers from key schools and university professors, with a faculty almost identical to, or even slightly higher than, those of a provincial key high school. They were very satisfied with the teaching staff. During their visit to the school, they also noticed that the accommodation and dining conditions were excellent. Although the tuition fees were expensive each semester, considering the teaching staff, learning environment, and accommodation, the couple ultimately chose to send Ouyang Ruhan to the prestigious school.

Ouyang Yiming said, "What's there to be afraid of? Our money is all earned honestly. What's wrong with living more spaciously?" As he said this, he was thinking of Xie Liang and his gang, and he thought angrily,

"From now on, I'll run my own business. I'll show you guys that even after leaving the research institute, I, Ouyang Yiming, can still achieve something. My own business will no longer be manipulated by you bunch of rabble." Looking at Liu Yan, he added, "Both sets of parents are retired. If they come over, they can stay with us for a while. Also, I'm thinking of hiring a caregiver. You're quite busy with work and housework." Liu Yan said, "My work isn't that busy, so a caregiver isn't a problem. But you really need to consider the elderly. Selling these three houses and buying a villa wouldn't make much difference. Fine, I'd be happy to live more spaciously!"

The next morning, Ouyang Yiming drove back to Panzhou. After a while, he entered the house and, finding Mao Yuqin not home, asked why. Ouyang Anping said Mao Yuqin had gone to the street to buy a T-shirt for the old man. Ouyang Yiming then went to the main room and told the old man and Ouyang Anping about what had happened at Kunpeng Group and Changlong Company's decision to retain him. The two elders sighed about the change of ownership of the group, and then discussed whether Ouyang Yiming should stay with the company. Ouyang Anping said, "Since they value you so much, I think staying there is fine; the benefits are quite good." The old man agreed.

Ouyang Yiming looked at Ouyang Anping and then at the old man, saying, "Actually, the main reason I came back this time was to discuss our family's heirloom with you two." Ouyang Anping quickly understood and asked:

"Yiming, are you thinking of developing our family's vinegar business?" The old man suddenly perked up. Ouyang Yiming nodded and said, "Grandpa, Dad, I think now is the perfect time. Ouyang Dongdong went to France for further studies, and he probably isn't interested in this. Ruhan is still too young; even if he graduates from university, he won't be able to do much. I've worked as a manager at the research institute for so many years, and I have some experience in managing businesses. Actually, we're not doing this for the money; the key is to fulfill our ancestors' wishes. If you agree, I'm ready to do it. Funding isn't a problem at all; we don't need the gold left by our ancestors. I have enough money on hand now." After hearing this, the old man was moved to tears and said, "Yiming, I knew it! This family craft should be put to good use in your hands; otherwise, how would you have found the secret recipe? Good, now I can go to see our ancestors in peace." Ouyang Anping said:

“Since you want to do it, then go ahead. It’s not about the money anyway; it’s about passing down our family’s skills. But you’ve never made vinegar before, so I’m a little worried…” Ouyang Yiming said, “The recipe has detailed ingredients and a clear workflow; it won’t be difficult for me. Also, I plan to start small and expand gradually. I don’t want to get rich overnight.” The old man and Ouyang Anping nodded. The old man said, “I believe Xiaoming can do it well; he’s the only one in our family with this kind of skill. Alright, it’s settled then.” Ouyang Anping asked, “Where would you like to do it? Liu Yan and the children are in Jinling…” "

Ouyang Yiming said, "I was just about to discuss this with you. My idea is to start in Jinling first, and then open a branch factory here once the scale expands. Running a business isn't a one-person job; I still want to utilize some of the research institute's staff. Grandpa, Dad, to be honest, I've thought a lot about these people while running this vinegar factory. I always feel that Kunpeng Group will have a hard time sustaining itself in the future. Although I can take care of them as the vice chairman of the group, I still can't figure out how Changlong Company will ultimately manage Kunpeng Group. After all, the group now belongs to someone else; whatever I do in the group is just being an employee. They've followed me for so many years, and I'm worried that one day they'll lose their jobs. These people are basically..." "They are very dedicated to their work and are also very capable researchers. I really can't bear to leave them behind. Building this vinegar factory may not completely solve their worries, but it can take care of a large part of them. Besides, they have followed me for so many years, and they will be very diligent in our own business. But their families are all in Nanjing, and it's not convenient to ask them all to come back here. I wonder what you all think?"

The old man thought for a moment and said, "That's good. Your consideration is correct. Starting anything is never easy. With your original people helping you, it will be much better. It doesn't matter where the factory is located, as long as our family's craft can be passed down." Ouyang Yiming said, "If we're going to do it, we must do it well. I also want to sell our family's vinegar abroad." Ouyang Anping nodded. At this moment, Mao Yuqin entered the room. Ouyang Anping looked at the old man and said, "Since this decision has been made, there's no need to hide it from Yuqin." The old man agreed.

After entering, Mao Yuqin asked Ouyang Yiming when he had returned. After a few words, Ouyang Yiming told Mao Yuqin that the research institute and the group had changed hands. Mao Yuqin became anxious, repeatedly saying what to do. Ouyang Anping then explained the vinegar-making process and the ancestral rules to Mao Yuqin, saying that the reason he hadn't told her about this before was due to ancestral rules.

Mao Yuqin nodded, saying she understood, and then asked Ouyang Yiming, "Are you really sure?" Ouyang Yiming nodded and said, "I hadn't made up my mind when I came, but now I have. But there's one thing. This secret recipe was passed down from the older generation, and both Meizi and Dongdong have a share. I've thought about it briefly. It's not easy to contact Dongdong right now, so I'm thinking of going to Meizi's place in a couple of days to talk to her about it. Neither of them would do this. I think I'll just give them some shares, and they can take the profits. I don't need any capital for setting up the factory or anything related to production." "They'll take care of it." Mao Yuqin said, "Actually, your younger siblings won't have any complaints. They know how you treat them. You supported Dongdong's schooling. You bought Meizi a house as soon as she got married. You, as the older brother, have already done more than enough." Ouyang Yiming said, "Running a vinegar factory is different. It might be a matter for future generations." The old man said, "That's right. Even close brothers should keep clear accounts. It's better to talk to them." Ouyang Anping said, "You can handle it yourself. Make sure you explain things clearly to them." Ouyang Yiming agreed.

Love and Desire (197)

Chapter 195

At lunchtime, Liu Yan called Ouyang Yiming and said, "Vice President Wang from Panzhou tried to call your cell phone but couldn't get through. He said it was off. He called your home. I didn't tell him you went back to your hometown. He asked you to call him when you have time." Ouyang Yiming knew that Vice President Wang must have asked about the change of ownership of Kunpeng Group. He thought, what's the use of telling him this? After resting for a while after dinner, and thinking it over, since he was in Panzhou, he decided he should talk to Vice President Wang, so he called him. Upon hearing that Ouyang Yiming had returned to Panzhou,

Vice President Wang said he would come to see him immediately. Half an hour later, Vice President Wang arrived at the Ouyang family's old house. The old man and Ouyang Anping greeted him and then left. Vice President Wang frowned and asked, "Yiming, what exactly happened?

How could our research institute suddenly change hands? This is our hard work!" Ouyang Yiming's heart tightened, and he said, "I hadn't heard a word about this beforehand. A few days ago, at the board meeting, Xie Liang announced that the shares of Panlong Company and the shares held by several of them had been transferred to Changlong Company. I knew that the board meeting was just to let me know. Of course, they also wanted to officially announce this to the group. In reality, they had already completed the share transfer." Vice President Wang blushed and said, "So you're saying everything was done behind your back?" Ouyang Yiming smiled bitterly. He said, "You know I'm no longer the chairman. For the past year or so, I've only been in charge of the research institute. Do you think they can discuss any major moves the group makes with me?

They'd rather avoid me than discuss them." Vice President Wang said, "This is a conspiracy. Where did they put the money from the IPO? What's their purpose? Did these people divide up all that money? Hasn't there been any explanation of where the money went?" Ouyang Yiming said, "Even now, I don't know everything. But they must have lost a lot of money investing in stocks. As for whether they benefited, I dare not say, but the president of Changlong Company, who has now taken over Kunpeng Group, has told me that some things are perfectly clear to everyone." "I think there's definitely something fishy going on here.

But we have no evidence," Vice Dean Wang shouted. "There's definitely something fishy going on here. Xie Liang and his cronies must have pocketed a lot of money, otherwise, how could they have sold the group so easily?" Ouyang Yiming said, "They might have lost a lot in the stock market, and seeing that things couldn't be salvaged, they had no choice but to take this measure. Mayor Xia is the mastermind behind this! I know that he might have initially participated in the group's listing for political achievements, and later, seeing that things were out of control, he had to cover up their actions, sell the shares, and let Changlong Group take charge. As long as Changlong Group doesn't pursue the responsibility of the previous administration, or rather, they also have..." "If they're trying to cover up their predecessor's actions, who can find out anything? If Beijing Changlong can truly manage the group well, Xie Liang and his group will never get away with it.

When Beijing Changlong can no longer sustain itself, the group will collapse, and then someone will naturally take charge." He sighed and said, "Although I also hope to uncover the whole truth, from the bottom of my heart, I still hope that Kunpeng Group and the Research Institute can develop better under Beijing Changlong's management. Otherwise, even if they bring down these few people, the Research Institute has hundreds of employees, and the result is that they can't recover the losses, but they've caused so much suffering to so many employees. I really don't want to see the day when the Research Institute and Kunpeng Group collapse. I hope that day won't come, I just hope so!"

Vice President Wang said indignantly, "How could Xie Liang and his ilk not consider the lives of so many employees? They're a bunch of scoundrels! Our promising institution, which we worked so hard to build, has been handed over to someone else. What kind of person is this Xia? He ruined such a good institution for so-called political achievements. Who can say that Xia didn't benefit greatly from this? This is a crime, a crime! I was blind to trust Xie Liang and appoint him to such a position! The research institute is in this state; I'd rather be dead. We built it up bit by bit; it's our child!" Ouyang Yiming felt a pang of sadness and said, "President Wang, regarding the research institute..." "It's not just the two of us who feel this way; all the veteran employees are heartbroken. You know my situation these past two years. With Mayor Xia pulling the strings behind the scenes, there's nothing I can do to change anything. What can we do now? He's the mayor, a government official; what can we do?" Vice President Wang shouted, "I refuse to believe this! I'm going to report this to the municipal government, to the provincial party committee! I want the higher-ups to investigate how these people sold out our research institute, and how much they benefited!"

Ouyang Yiming said, "President Wang, calm down. Think about it, since they orchestrated this, how could they not have done it flawlessly? Beijing Changlong Company has considerable influence; even the car that General Manager Liu was driving had military license plates. I think even if we report it to higher authorities, it won't make a difference." "What effect did it have?" Vice President Wang said, "Are we just going to let it go like this? Are we just going to let these scoundrels run rampant?" Ouyang Yiming thought to himself, "What can we do? I've tried to fight back, but in the end, I still lost to them." He said aloud, "President Wang, I understand your feelings, but if Beijing Changlong doesn't request an audit of the previous administration, no one has the right to interfere in these matters. Shareholder transfers are normal. Besides, Mayor Xia is also involved. I think Mayor Xia and this Beijing Changlong company have more than just a normal relationship; Xie Liang wouldn't have that much power." Vice President Wang said, "The research institute was sold off without my knowledge; I can't just stand by and do nothing and not ask about it." "What am I, a retired old man, afraid of?" He paused, then added, "If Mayor Tang were here, I wouldn't be in this situation now."

Ouyang Yiming felt a pang of sadness and said, "Sometimes I really want to talk to Mayor Tang, but his condition is already very serious. I spoke to him on the phone a while ago, and he knew that his lung cancer was in its late stages. We can't tell him about it; he might not be able to handle the shock. Fortunately, he won't know about this in Changsha. Let him spend his last days in peace. Besides, even if he knew, what could he do? What can a retired patient do? Dean Wang, I'm heartbroken, but I don't want to tell anyone." Tears welled up in his eyes as he spoke.

Vice Dean Wang also wept. After sitting silently for a while, Vice Dean Wang asked, "Yiming, what are your plans now?" Ouyang Yiming said, "The president of the company I just took over wants me to stay as vice chairman, but I don't plan to stay. It's not really my own company anymore, and I don't feel comfortable there." Vice Dean Wang said, "You still need to have a plan." Ouyang Yiming thought for a moment and said, "I'll think about it later."

Vice Dean Wang nodded, remained silent for a while, then stood up and said, "I'm going back. I definitely need to report Mayor Xia and Xie Liang's matter to higher authorities." Ouyang Yiming knew he couldn't persuade him otherwise, so he offered to take him back. Vice Dean Wang said, "No need, I have other things to do."

That evening after dinner, Mao Yuqin asked Ouyang Yiming, "You know about Dongdong's girlfriend, right?" Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "Yes, Dongdong called me a while ago and told me."

Mao Yuqin sighed and said, "Your grandfather isn't happy, and neither are your father and me. How can a Chinese man marry a French girl? Don't just say your grandfather can't accept it; I find it very difficult to accept too." Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "Mom, actually it's a matter of perspective. As long as they love each other, nationality doesn't matter." Mao Yuqin said:

“I’ve thought about that too. If he really found a Chinese girl, we wouldn’t say anything no matter what she was like. But deep down, we still can’t accept a girl of a different race. What if they had a mixed-race child… Sigh, Dongdong is almost thirty. I wonder if he was anxious about finding a partner. If I knew, I would… Oh well, as long as they’re happy.”

Ouyang Yiming said, “That’s right. As long as they’re happy, we’re happy. My grandfather will gradually accept it too.” Mao Yuqin said, “Maybe it’s because we’re all getting old, and we can’t accept these things so easily. Your grandfather is over eighty years old, so he can’t accept it even more. After he heard about it that time, he said…” "Dongdong shouldn't have chosen a 'Russian guy,' I've been angry about it for days. The older generation still finds it hard to accept a foreign girl as a daughter-in-law. Your grandfather only mentioned it twice, and I know he's unhappy about it,"

Ouyang Yiming said. "There's no need to keep bringing this up in front of my grandfather; Dongdong has his own thoughts." Mao Yuqin said, "I know."

After graduating from Peking University, Ouyang Dongdong went to the University of Strasbourg in France to continue his studies in mathematics. He met and fell in love with his French girlfriend while pursuing his master's degree; they were both majoring in mathematics. After obtaining their doctorates, they were both invited to work at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in Paris. Ouyang Dongdong had discussed returning to China with Ouyang Yiming on the phone. He meant that the CNRS, which gathers world-renowned mathematicians, was where he planned to learn more before returning home.

After exchanging words with Mao Yuqin, Ouyang Yiming thought of Xu Hui again and said, "Mom, give me the key to the west wing; I want to go see it." Mao Yuqin glanced at him, turned around, took the key to the west wing, and handed it to Ouyang Yiming. For many years, although no one lived in the west wing, Mao Yuqin tidied it every few days. In the hearts of the Ouyang family, Xu Hui had never faded from their memories.

Ouyang Yiming opened the door and entered the west wing. He looked around the inner and outer rooms for a while. Everything here was exactly the same as when Xu Hui left this room. Standing in front of Xu Hui's portrait, he lit incense and said, "Xu Hui, you probably know what happened to me. I have to choose a new career path now. From now on, I will expand our family's vinegar business. I have no experience in this industry, and although I am a little apprehensive, I am very confident. This is another starting point for my career. Do you think I can do it? Xu Hui, if you think I can't, please appear in my dreams. If you think I can, please bless me...

" The next day at noon, Ouyang Yiming returned to Jinling. During lunch, he told Liu Yan about starting the vinegar factory, and of course, he explained why he hadn't told her the day before. Liu Yan remained silent for a long time after listening. Ouyang Yiming said, "Liu Yan, our mother only found out about our family's secret vinegar recipe yesterday. It's a tradition passed down from our ancestors." Liu Yan said, "Yiming, I'm not thinking about that. I'm thinking that we really don't need to work so hard anymore. We have no worries about making a living, and you can easily find a very comfortable job. I don't want you to worry too much."

Ouyang Yiming said, "At my age, it's impossible for me not to keep working hard. Of course, it's also to fulfill the wishes of our ancestors." Liu Yan said, "Running your own business will be even more stressful. I'm worried about you." Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "It's okay. I'm used to being busy with my career over the years. If I really take a break, I might get sick." Liu Yan said, "But I don't know anything about it, and I can't help you. You know, I can't help you with running your own business..." Ouyang Yiming said, "Don't worry, many people in the research institute will be willing to start a business with me. They are all my long-time employees and will do their best for me." Liu Yan thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "Alright, I know that once you've made up your mind, it's not easy to change it." Ouyang Yiming said, "Of course I should tell you about our family matters. Since you don't object, I'll still do it." Liu Yan shook her head and said, "I'm just worried about you. Even if I objected, would I change your mind?"

Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "Alright, I haven't had a proper vacation in so many years. When the two kids are on vacation, we'll travel all over the country. Once the vinegar factory is up and running, we might not have the chance again."

Liu Yan said, "That's fine too."

In the afternoon, Ouyang Yiming went to the research institute and found General Manager Liu of Changlong Company, explaining that he had no intention of taking the job. General Manager Liu was clearly disappointed and asked, "Is it because of the salary?" Ouyang Yiming replied, "No, it's been many years since I've taken my wife and children on a trip. Now that I've finally relieved myself of some burdens, I want to relax for a while." General Manager Liu smiled and said, "It can't be that simple. I imagine there are better options." Ouyang Yiming said, "I don't have a specific place yet. Let's wait and see." General Manager Liu said, "If you really want to rest, you can take the job. We'll give you time to rest; these aren't problems. If you really don't want to settle for this, I can only feel sorry for you." Ouyang Yiming smiled and said,

"I'm not as capable as you all imagine. In fact, I'm probably quite incompetent." His words were tinged with sadness. "I understand how you feel," said General Manager Liu. "It must be upsetting to see the research institute you built all fall into your lap like this. I would feel the same way." Ouyang Yiming suppressed his emotions and said, "I hope you can manage Kunpeng Group even better. That's all for now. I'll handle the handover procedures for you in the next two days." After saying goodbye, he returned to his office, closed the door, and stood in the center of the room for a long time. His eyes swept over the familiar office, and a deep sadness filled his heart. This departure meant he would probably never return. He felt as if he were about to lose a loved one, and tears welled up in his eyes. He sat down at the desk, his eyes blankly surveying everything around him… Just then, Director Ma entered his office and approached Ouyang Yiming, asking, “Dean, I heard Changlong wanted to hire you as the group’s vice chairman?” Ouyang Yiming replied, “That’s true, but I didn’t accept. I also resigned from my position as dean.” Director Ma stared at him wide-eyed and asked, “Why? Dean, are you going to take a position in another unit?” Ouyang Yiming said, “No, I haven’t considered that yet.” Director Ma said, “Many of us were overjoyed to hear you were going to take this position. If you leave, we don’t know what will become of us.”

Ouyang Yiming said, “I imagine none of you will move. They need you to work for them. Even if I were here, things wouldn’t be the same as before. Wouldn’t I still be working for them? I probably wouldn’t have much power to protect anyone. Alright, if they didn’t persuade you, just keep going. Things aren’t the same now…” As he spoke, a wave of bitterness washed over him. Director Ma sighed and said, “I never imagined this day would come…” His eyes reddened as he spoke. Ouyang Yiming looked at him and said, "Don't think about it so much. It's no use saying anything now that things are like this." He paused and said, "Director Ma, I should be able to finish the handover by tomorrow morning. Could you please send someone to find two cardboard boxes tomorrow afternoon so I can pack my things?" Director Ma nodded in agreement. Ouyang Yiming stood up, patted his shoulder, and without saying a word, tears streamed down his face... Director Ma sighed heavily and left the office... The next afternoon, Director Ma came to Ouyang Yiming's office first. Seeing Ouyang Yiming packing his things, he hurriedly said, "Dean, I've already arranged someone for you. Let him pack for you." Ouyang Yiming said, "Just let him help me pack." Director Ma agreed and left. A while later, a young man came in carrying two empty cardboard boxes. Ouyang Yiming had him put his things into the boxes one by one. After he finished packing, he told the young man that the car door wasn't locked and asked him to carry the boxes to his car first. He then stood in the office for a full fifteen minutes before sighing heavily and leaving the office.

As he descended the stairs, he felt his steps were so heavy, so weak, as if they were trembling slightly. He froze when he reached the lobby, stopping in his tracks. Through the two sensor-activated glass doors, he saw many employees standing in the courtyard outside, and some hurrying towards him. Ouyang Yiming's heart pounded. He rushed out the door, stopped on the steps, and stood speechless, facing the pairs of eyes watching him. The courtyard remained eerily silent. Ouyang Yiming wept, and so did the crowd watching him. A woman's sobs rose from the crowd, then grew louder and louder, and Ouyang Yiming felt a knife twisting in his heart. Finally, a woman's voice, choked with tears, cried out, "Director, you're leaving like this! What are we going to do?" Ouyang Yiming's heart ached as if stabbed.

The weeping grew louder, interspersed with cries of "Director!" Ouyang Yiming felt he couldn't control himself anymore. He wanted to cry his heart out. Tears streaming down his face, he bowed three times to the crowd, then looked up, tears still flowing, and said in a trembling voice, "Thank you everyone, thank you..." He bowed again, hurried to his car, opened the door, got in, slumped over the steering wheel for a moment, then started the car, silently praying, "Research Institute, take care, brothers and sisters, take care. Ouyang Yiming wishes you all well from the bottom of his heart..." The crowd automatically parted to make way for him. Ouyang Yiming honked his horn in thanks and slowly drove out of the research institute's gate... Mr. Liu, the general manager of Beijing Changlong Company, and several other senior executives watched silently from their upstairs windows, sighing with emotion. Mr. Liu murmured, "Such a leader is truly rare. With such a senior executive, what kind of organization wouldn't have cohesion?! What a pity, what a pity... what a pity we couldn't keep him..." Once home, Ouyang Yiming

sat on the sofa, burying his face in his hands and weeping bitterly. Although he knew a few days ago that the research institute and the group had changed hands, deep down he still felt, in a hazy sense, that the research institute was still under his control. Although his heart was heavy every time he came to the research institute, he still managed to sit in his office within the group. Only now did he fully understand that the research institute he had painstakingly built no longer belonged to him, and that he, Ouyang Yiming, would no longer exist there. He would never again work at the institute he considered his child, his home. A vague sense of abandonment washed over him, and he felt an excruciating pain… After that, he barely spoke for three days. His phone was off. When his subordinates at the research institute called home, Liu Yan only told them that Ouyang Yiming wasn't home. Wu Yingying and her husband, Li Xuan, came to Ouyang Yiming's house, but seeing his demeanor, they didn't say much, sat silently for a while, and then went home. On the afternoon of the fifth day, Wu Yingying called, and Ouyang Yiming answered.

Wu Yingying only said, "Yiming, you need to take care of yourself," before bursting into tears. After a while, Ouyang Yiming said, "Yingying, I'm much better now. Let's have a get-together tonight with your family and Li Xuan's family." Wu Yingying quickly agreed.

Love and Desire in the Sea (198)

Chapter 196

That evening, the three families had dinner at a restaurant not far from Ouyang Yiming's house. Li Xuan and Wu Yingying first comforted Ouyang Yiming, and then talked about the research institute. Ouyang Yiming then told her about his plan to start a vinegar factory. Upon hearing this, Wu Yingying immediately said, "Ouyang, if you've really decided, my husband and I will go with you. I dare say, many people from our research institute will come with you." Li Xuan said, "Zhong Zhigang will go with you too." Ouyang Yiming said, "Thank you, but I still don't know the prospects for development, but I'm confident." Wu Yingying said, "We believe in you. To be honest, we're also uneasy about the research institute right now. Who dares to say what the institute will become in the future? The other day, people in the institute were saying that you could even run a research institute yourself; with your work ethic, there's nothing you can't do well." Ouyang Yiming said, "I really hope to get your help, but Yingying, I don't want you two to come right now. The research institute is still doing quite well, no matter what. What if something happens to me here…?" Wu Yingying said, "Don't think so much. Just based on your refusal to accept the position of vice chairman of Changlong Company and the annual salary of 500,000, we all know that you must be confident and will definitely do a good job." Li Xuan said:
“Yiming’s consideration is correct, after all, it’s the startup phase. Your situation is different from ours, Zhigang and I are not in the same unit. I think one of you should go out and work with Ouyang first.”

Wu Yingying said, “Then I’ll go out first.” Li Xuan said, “You two go back and discuss it before deciding.”

Ouyang Yiming said, "Li Xuan, right now I still need you to ask your help as the director of the Urban Construction Bureau to help me buy about 200 mu of land. I'm considering land near the highway, in the suburbs is fine, but not too far away. This kind of industry can't be done in the city." Li Xuan said, "No problem, I'll handle that. I can coordinate the rest." Ouyang Yiming said, "With you guys backing me up, I have even more confidence." Li Xuan said, "Don't say that, this is our own business." She paused and said, "Buying land can't be rushed. I'll help you choose as soon as possible, and..." "I hope it suits your taste," Ouyang Yiming said. "It's not in a rush. Our family wants to travel this summer. It's rare to have this much free time; we might not have time again in the future." Li Xuan said, "Okay, then leave these things to me."

Ouyang Yiming said, "I also want to hire a vinegar brewing master, preferably retired. My family's vinegar recipe has the ingredients and all the production procedures written in great detail, but we've never done it before. I think if we're going to do it, it needs to be on a larger scale. The kind of workshop-style production my ancestors did is absolutely not viable now." Wu Yingying said, "What kind of talent don't we have in our research institute? We're all researchers, after all, and besides, we have the materials passed down in your family. We can tackle the technical challenges together; there won't be any problems." Ouyang Yiming said, "I'm confident about that too. We're only looking for brewing masters to utilize their experience in specific production operations. My plan is to build a laboratory after acquiring the land to tackle the challenges; we're not in a rush to start production. We also plan to visit a few vinegar factories. If we're going to do it, we should do it well, and we should do it on a large scale. However, it would be best if we could hire one or a few brewing masters when we first build the factory." Li Xuan thought for a moment and said, "I'll inquire with the relevant departments for you. You're right." Ouyang Yiming said, "It's not too urgent. We'll go out and prepare for about a month.

Zhigang and Yingying, you should seriously consider resigning before you do." Wu Yingying said, "Ouyang, you gave me this job. Even if Kunpeng Group were in a good state now, we wouldn't say anything if you needed us." Liu Yan said, "Yiming still needs your help to make this happen. Yiming also said that the salary will not be worse than what you received at the research institute; it will only be better." "That's good." Wu Yingying hurriedly said, "Sister Liu, we can't say things like that. This is our own business. We can't talk about these things when we're starting a business!" Ouyang Yiming said, "Even the closest people have families. I know that."

As they were leaving after dinner, Ouyang Yiming called out to Li Xuan, "Could you help me find out where there are villas for sale? I'm planning to buy one. The kids are all grown up, and both sets of parents are retired. We'll have a place to live when we come here." Li Xuan asked, "Are you planning to buy a high-end or a regular one? Well, some of the more upscale residential areas in the city are building villas. Of course, there are also..." "The villa areas outside the city are nice and upscale," Ouyang Yiming thought for a moment and said, "It's best to buy one in the city. Liu Yan has to go to work, and the children have to go to school. I won't have time to pick them up and drop them off every day. Let's buy one in the city, preferably close to Liu Yan's workplace. The environment outside the city is certainly nice, but it's too inconvenient. It wouldn't be good to buy another car and hire a driver to take them to work and school. That would be too conspicuous, and Liu Yan wouldn't agree anyway. She's not the kind of person who likes to show off." Li Xuan said, "Okay, I understand."

On the day Ouyang Ruhan had his vacation, Ouyang Yiming drove Liu Yan and Ouyang Ruxue to school. After waiting for a while at the school gate, Ouyang Ruhan walked over chatting and laughing with a group of classmates. When Ouyang Ruxue saw him, she broke free from Ouyang Yiming's hand and ran over calling out, "Brother, brother..." Ouyang Ruhan also ran over to greet her. Upon meeting, the brother and sister held hands. Ouyang Ruhan smiled and asked her, "Did you miss your brother?" Ouyang Ruxue turned her head away and said, "No." Then she giggled. Ouyang Ruhan laughed and said, "Didn't you want to come so quickly?" Ouyang Ruxue smiled, opened his hand, moved behind Ouyang Ruhan, tugged at his clothes, and said, "I'm tired, I can't walk anymore." Ouyang Ruhan laughed and said, "You're a third-grade student now, aren't you afraid people will laugh at you?" Ouyang Ruxue pouted and said, "I'm tired! I'm not walking anymore." As she spoke, she squatted down. Ouyang Ruhan smiled and squatted down, and Ouyang Ruxue giggled and climbed onto his back.

Ouyang Ruhan carried her on his back, and the brother and sister talked and laughed as they walked towards Ouyang Yiming and Liu Yan.

Ouyang Yiming and Liu Yan, who had been watching from afar, had happy smiles on their faces. Ouyang Ruhan walked a short distance in front of them, put down Ouyang Ruxue, grabbed her hand and hurried over, calling out "Mom!" but then hugged Ouyang Yiming, saying, "Dad, I missed you so much." Ouyang Yiming smiled and asked, "Don't you miss your mom?" Ouyang Ruhan said, "I missed Mom even more." Liu Yan then laughed and said, "Then why don't you let Mom hug you?" Ouyang Yiming blushed, turned to look at his classmates behind him and whispered, "People will laugh at me." Liu Yan laughed and said, "You silly child, I'm your mother, what would people laugh at?" Ouyang Ruhan chuckled and remained silent.

Ouyang Ruhan had grown to be 1.7 meters tall and looked very similar to Ouyang Yiming when he was young. Unfortunately, both Ouyang Ruhan and Ouyang Ruxue took after Ouyang Yiming and had been wearing glasses since elementary school.

Ouyang Yiming winked at Liu Yan and said, "Sons are still closer to their fathers." Liu Yan laughed, "Get lost! Children are closest to their mothers." Looking at Ouyang Ruhan and Ouyang Ruxue, she asked, "Don't you two agree?" Ouyang Ruhan and Ouyang Ruxue laughed.

Once in the car, Ouyang Ruxue said, "Brother, Dad and Mom said we're going on a trip during the holidays." Ouyang Ruhan exclaimed in surprise, "Really?" He turned to Liu Yan and asked, "Mom, is it true?" Liu Yan looked at him and laughed, "I don't know, you're closer to your dad, ask him!" Ouyang Ruhan laughed, put his arm around Liu Yan's shoulder, and said, "Mom's stingy." Liu Yan and Ouyang Yiming laughed heartily. Ouyang Yiming said, "It's true, son." Ouyang Ruhan asked, "Where are we going?" Ouyang Yiming said, "This time, we'll go wherever you want, and come back when we're done playing." Ouyang Ruhan and Ouyang Ruxue cheered excitedly. Liu Yan said, "Don't be so happy. Playing is fine, but you both need to bring your homework. Play during the day and do your homework at night." Ouyang Ruxue sighed and said, "I still have to do homework when I go to play?" Liu Yan said, "What? You won't do your summer homework when you go to play? Or you won't go at all." Ouyang Ruxue quickly said, "Okay, okay, I'll bring it, I'll bring it." As she spoke, she glanced at Liu Yan and muttered, "All you do is study, study, homework, homework." Liu Yan didn't hear her clearly and looked at her, asking, "What did you say?" Ouyang Ruxue giggled and said, "I said you and Dad are both good." She

suddenly stood up, hugged Ouyang Yiming's neck, and whispered in his ear, "Dad is the best." Liu Yan quickly pulled her back, saying, "Little girl, your dad is driving." Yang Ruhan chuckled a few times and asked, "Dad, how come you have time to take us out to play this year?" Ouyang Yiming's heart skipped a beat, and he said, "It's time to go out and play." Ouyang Ruxue whispered to Ouyang Ruhan, "Brother, I have to tell you, Dad resigned." Ouyang Ruhan exclaimed in surprise, "Ah!" and hurriedly asked Ouyang Yiming, "Dad, you resigned? You're not the chairman anymore?" Liu Yan hurriedly said, "Ruhan, let's talk about this when we get home." Ouyang Ruhan looked at Liu Yan, then at Ouyang Yiming, and turned back to ask Liu Yan in a low voice, "Why did Dad resign?" Liu Yan said, "Let's talk about it when we get home." She paused and then said, "Ruhan, your father has decided to start his own business. We'll talk about some things slowly when we get home." Ouyang Ruhan nodded.

That evening, Ouyang Yiming called Ouyang Ruhan to his study alone and said, "Ruhan, you're sixteen this year, you're practically an adult now, there are some things you need to know." Ouyang Ruhan looked at Ouyang Yiming with a solemn expression, but remained silent. So Ouyang Yiming explained the details of the group and the research institute to Ouyang Ruhan. After listening, Ouyang Ruhan said:

"Dad, then why don't you sue them?" Ouyang Yiming said, "Ruhan, there are some things you don't understand yet. You need to know that nothing is as simple as you imagine. Since they can do this, they must have designed it very cleverly and covered it up very well. There's a saying, 'It's not that retribution won't come, it's just that the time hasn't arrived yet.' Evil people will get their retribution sooner or later. Don't think too much about the group I told you about now; you'll understand later. Ruhan, when I was little, your great-grandfather and grandparents often told me that you must do everything seriously, and you must never act against your conscience. You must never take what doesn't belong to you. You must think about whether you can do anything and whether it will harm other people's interests. I'm telling you this now, and you should remember it for the rest of your life. There are many more things I will tell you slowly later." Ruhan nodded.

Ouyang Yiming said, "Today, I mainly want to talk to you about our family." Ouyang Ruhan asked, "Our family?" Ouyang Yiming said, "Ruhan, our ancestors were merchants; they made vinegar." Ouyang Ruhan nodded. Ouyang Yiming continued, "Over a hundred years ago, everyone in Panzhou knew about our family's vinegar." He then recounted how his ancestors had come to Panzhou from Qingxu, Shanxi, begging for food, and how they started making vinegar. He concluded, "Ruhan, reviving our Ouyang family business was your great-grandfather's greatest wish. Now I want to establish it, develop it, and make it bigger.

In the future, I plan to hand it over to you. I believe we can live up to our ancestors' expectations and do even better. Your father had no choice but to resign from the group. You may not understand my feelings for the research institute, but you will in the future. Therefore, I now want to pursue our family's own business, even if it's just our family's business, it still contributes to the country. In fact, whatever one does in life, as long as one achieves something, it's a worthwhile life, and everything one does reflects the value of life." Ouyang Ruhan nodded. Ouyang Yiming said, "Your father isn't old yet, so you don't need to worry about him. Your task now is to study hard; only by acquiring knowledge can you do things better." Ouyang Ruhan nodded solemnly.

As they were talking, Liu Yan led Ouyang Ruxue in. Ouyang Yiming joked, "Perfect timing! Let's plan where to go. Everyone can contribute their opinions; our family is democratic."

Ouyang Ruhan asked, "Dad, should we drive? Driving is more convenient." Liu Yan said, "No, your dad will get tired driving all the way. What will he do then?"

Ouyang Yiming shook his head and said, "Actually, driving is quite convenient." Liu Yan said, "No, I'm worried about driving for long periods." Ouyang Yiming laughed and said, "Your mom makes the decisions; we're not in charge."

He chuckled a few times, picked up a map, and the family discussed it for a while before finalizing a detailed travel itinerary... At the end of July, the family visited various scenic spots including Mount Tai, Mount Huang, Beijing, Xi'an, Hainan, and Guilin before returning home. The next day, Ouyang Yiming called Li Xuan. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Li Xuan said, "Yiming, I've looked at several factory sites for you this past month, all along the highway, as you instructed. I've also inquired about the villa purchase. A high-end residential area with over twenty luxury villas has been built on the east side of the south bank of Xuanwu Lake. I've already spoken to them; I'll take you and Liu Yan to see it sometime." Ouyang Yiming thanked her.

He then told Wu Yingying that they had returned from their trip. Wu Yingying said, "Ouyang, many people in our research institute know you're going to set up a factory, and many have told me they want to work there. How about we come to your house tonight to discuss it?" Ouyang Yiming thought for a moment and said, "Yingying, how about you come to my house tonight first?" Wu Yingying agreed.

After dinner, Li Xuan and Wu Yingying went to Ouyang Yiming's house. Li Xuan told Ouyang Yiming and Liu Yan about the land acquisition for the factory and the villas. Ouyang Yiming said he would go take a look the next day. Wu Yingying said, "I heard you're going to set up a factory, and many people in our research institute want to come with you. There's a lot of discussion about it right now, all sorts of opinions. Some people are saying definitively that Changlong Company isn't here to develop Kunpeng at all; they're just here to make money. You've heard about their acquisition of that listed company in Inner Mongolia, right? They ruined that company. They said it was an acquisition and construction, but actually they just used that company's shares as collateral to get loans from banks, using the company's fixed assets as collateral. I heard they made three or four hundred million yuan from that Inner Mongolia deal. People in the research institute are saying that Kunpeng Group will suffer the same fate as that Inner Mongolian company they acquired. They'll take over this..." "In the past month, the group and the research institute have shown no signs of development. They've even stopped funding our research institute, so the researchers are basically doing nothing. I've also heard they're planning layoffs soon. There's a lot of anxiety going on."

Ouyang Yiming's heart pounded. "They're not going to bankrupt Kunpeng so soon, are they?" he asked. Wu Yingying replied, "They haven't invested a single penny. How can a trading company take over a manufacturing group and a research institute? I dare say, Kunpeng Group and the research institute will definitely collapse in two years. They're just here to make money." Ouyang Yiming thought for a moment and murmured, "Then why are they trying to keep me?" Wu Yingying asked. "There's a lot of talk about it among the people at the research institute. Some say they don't understand the institute and are only trying to keep you to make some profit from research projects. If you don't want to stay, they'll probably lose heart. As for the industry, apart from the plastics, sugar, and asparagus companies that are still operating normally, the other workshops that aren't very profitable have all stopped, supposedly for restructuring. The workshop workers have all been given leave, leaving only a few managers. Ouyang, all signs point to them not doing a good job with Kunpeng Group. Now, many people from the research institute and the group are already trying to find ways to transfer people out. Some people hope you can quickly get the vinegar factory up and running, and many still want to come with you. They say..." "Only by following you will we have security."

Ouyang Yiming felt unusually heavy-hearted, and at this moment he felt the burden on his shoulders was even heavier. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Okay, tomorrow Li Xuan and I will go and look at the factory site first, and try to get it up and running as quickly as possible. Right now, I haven't even started here, and even if the people from the research institute and Kunpeng come here, there's nowhere to put them. Let's see what happens tomorrow." Li Xuan said, "Ouyang, I think it's like this: after you see the site tomorrow, you can accept some people to come over. Those who are in charge of infrastructure should come first. A few researchers can also come over first. Although your vinegar has a recipe, we still need to do experiments. These things need to be considered first." Ouyang Yiming nodded. Wu Yingying said, "How about this, I'll go to see the factory site tomorrow too. I'll have to resign from the research institute sooner or later, and I think I'll resign soon. You can't handle all the trivial matters of the experiments by yourself." Li Xuan said, "Zhigang and I have also discussed it. He'll come over when you start here, and he'll come with us tomorrow. After we see it, we'll discuss it in detail." Since we've decided to do this, we need to consider all aspects and have the talent in various areas. For example, testing, procurement, infrastructure, accounting, etc. Of course, we can't have too many people right now; this is your own company, and we need to save on all expenses. Zhigang and I have also discussed it; we won't take your salary, Ouyang Yiming, during the initial setup." Wu Yingying said, "That's what my husband and I said too. Some of the people coming from the research institute also said the same thing: we'll talk about salaries after the factory is built." Ouyang Yiming hurriedly said, "That won't do. I have to pay them a salary as soon as they come. They all have families and need to make a living." "Well,"

Liu Yan, who had been listening quietly, said, "Yiming is right. You all have families, and we're very grateful that you can come and help us. It's the same as you doing your own work, and it will put Yiming at ease. We'll definitely pay your wages; you know Yiming." Ouyang Yiming said, "Here's the arrangement: from the moment you come here, your wages will be the same as at your previous jobs. There won't be a raise for now, but it absolutely won't be less." Li Xuan said, "Then let's do this: once the factory location is confirmed tomorrow, let's make a plan. We'll send whoever we need, and those we don't need right now shouldn't come." Ouyang Yiming nodded.

The following morning, Ouyang Yiming drove Liu Yan, Li Xuan, Wu Yingying, and Zhong Zhigang to see three factory sites. They finally settled on a 180-acre abandoned used vehicle trading market in the east of the city. Li Xuan explained, “This used to be a car wash for the district environmental sanitation management office. Later, the district government planned to open a used vehicle trading market here, expanding it by over 100 acres. After opening, very few businesses moved in, and it couldn't continue operating for two years. It's been idle here ever since. A while ago, they planned to sell it, and several companies were interested in buying it. I think this place is suitable; the walls can be repaired, and it's right next to the national highway. Also, this three-story building was the original car wash office building. Although it's dilapidated, the overall structure is good. Repairing it will save a lot of money compared to building it from scratch. We can use it as a laboratory and offices first, which will save a lot of time.” Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, “That's good.” "You've considered everything very thoroughly." Turning to Wu Yingying, Zhong Zhigang, and Liu Yan, he asked, "What do you think?" Wu Yingying nodded and said, "Very good." Liu Yan said, "It's just inconvenient for them to get to work." Ouyang Yiming said, "I've already thought about this. Let's buy a van first and use it for commuting. We can open a simple canteen here, and they won't go back for lunch. What do you think?" Wu Yingying said, "It doesn't matter. It's fine if they live here from the beginning." Ouyang Yiming laughed and said, "That definitely won't work. Your children and husband won't agree either. If Zhigang doesn't come home all day, Li Xuan will ask me for him!" Li Xuan laughed and said, "Come on, I'd agree even if he sold it to you." Everyone laughed. Ouyang Yiming said, "Okay, let's finalize the purchase as soon as possible and prepare to apply for the factory construction permits. When we get back, we plan to hire some people we can continue using now."

Everyone nodded.

After returning to the city, they went to see a villa. It was a two-story duplex, over 300 square meters, with six bedrooms, four living rooms, three bathrooms, one kitchen, and four balconies. Ouyang Yiming and Liu Yan were quite satisfied. Ouyang Yiming said to Liu Yan, "It's good, it's not too far from your workplace. However, things here are your responsibility, I can't help with the renovations." Li Xuan smiled and said, "I'll find you the design and construction team, they won't dare to play tricks on me. Just come and check on things often, Sister Liu." ( Chapter 197 of

"Love and Desire" - Ouyang Yiming named the soon-to-be-produced vinegar "Swan.") People initially thought of many catchy names, and some even considered using the name "Kunpeng" that Ouyang Yiming had given to the Kunpeng Group, saying it was grand. But Ouyang Yiming insisted on using "Swan," and no one understood why he insisted on using "Swan" as the vinegar's trademark. Everyone felt that "Swan" seemed inappropriate for vinegar, only Ouyang Yiming knew the truth. When asked by people, Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "I like the elegance and purity of swans, and I believe the swan will bring me good luck." Shortly afterward, in the clean and tidy factory courtyard, a two-meter-tall white marble swan sculpture stood surrounded by flowers within a white marble stone fence. On June 6, 2003, Ouyang Family Vinegar Industry Co., Ltd.'s "Swan" brand vinegar officially went into production. A few days before the production launch, Wu Yingying and several office staff suggested inviting municipal government officials to cut the ribbon, saying it would definitely have a significant impact. Ouyang Yiming shook his head slightly and said, "I don't mind government officials coming to cut the ribbon." Wu Yingying understood Ouyang Yiming's thoughts and said, "This is our own business, for our own benefit. The products we produce need to be sold. Government officials attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony will have a great impact." Ouyang Yiming naturally understood this as well, but he felt a sense of unease. Therefore, Wu Yingying called Li Xuan to discuss the ribbon-cutting arrangements. Li Xuan said, "The municipal government now stipulates that city and district government officials cannot be invited to ribbon-cutting ceremonies that are not charitable." Turning to Ouyang Yiming, she asked, "Do you have a specific sales plan?" Ouyang Yiming replied, "The sales department has already developed a detailed plan. Advertising has a significant effect; we plan to advertise on provincial and municipal TV stations for a period of time. Our sales staff will also promote our product in major shopping malls." Li Xuan thought for a moment and looked at him, asking, "Why not leverage your former reputation from the research institute?" Ouyang Yiming questioned, "How much does my former reputation relate to my vinegar?" Li Xuan said, "Sometimes it might be more effective than a simple advertisement on television. With your former reputation, leaving Kunpeng Group to build this vinegar factory will attract media interest. You could call it the celebrity effect." Ouyang Yiming thought about it; Li Xuan's words made sense. In the days since leaving Kunpeng Group, some media outlets had tried to interview him. But Ouyang Yiming refused them all. He understood that these reporters simply wanted to delve into the reasons for his departure from Kunpeng. He didn't want to comment on his departure from Kunpeng Group and the research institute at this time. He said, "Even now, I still don't want to publish my departure from the research institute in the newspapers." Li Xuan said, "You don't have to say these things; they'll definitely be interested in your vinegar factory." She paused and said, "Here's what we'll do: I'll use some connections to handle these matters. I'll try to get the Jinling Morning Post and other newspapers, as well as the provincial and municipal TV stations, to report on your vinegar factory. The impact will definitely be significant." Wu Yingying said, "Ouyang, don't think about this so much right now. Reporters can interview you without mentioning your reasons for leaving the research institute. But you need to consider the development of our vinegar factory. Even if you do say it now, what difference will it make? Shouldn't their actions be exposed?!" Ouyang Yiming shook his head and said, "I don't want to talk about it after leaving the research institute. I don't want to worry about these things. What's the point of saying it if it doesn't change anything? Besides, I really don't know their inside story. Their actions will be exposed sooner or later." Li Xuan said, "A research institute director and a listed group chairman starting his own business is news in itself. Okay, listen to me on this. Let's do it this way. If reporters interview you, you can openly..." "To be precise, let's not mention the research institute." Ouyang Yiming thought for a moment and said, "Alright, but I still feel it's a bit inappropriate to use my past reputation at the research institute to promote our vinegar." Li Xuan said, "You didn't counterfeit it; your product is genuine. Even good wine needs advertising these days. As long as it benefits your industry's development, why not? Besides, your past reputation was earned through your own hard work. Here's what we'll do: give me some money first, and I'll handle the details. We'll discuss the invited organizations and individuals; we should invite some who are truly useful." On the day of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, leaders from the district's industry and commerce department, tax department, quality inspection department, and health department, among others, attended. Li Xuan was naturally present. A reporter from the Jinling Morning Post was there to take photos. Deputy General Manager Wu Yingying presided over the ribbon-cutting ceremony. After the ceremony, Ouyang Yiming was interviewed by a reporter from the Jinling Morning Post, and two days later, the newspaper published a report titled "Recreating Glory—A Record of Ouyang Yiming, Former Chairman of Kunpeng Group and Dean of the Provincial High-tech Research Institute, Starting a New Business." The newspapers extensively publicized the Ouyang family's ancestral vinegar, renowned in Panzhou for over a century, and Ouyang Yiming's use of the family's secret recipe to brew vinegar after leaving Kunpeng Group. A few days later, the city television station interviewed Ouyang Yiming, filmed the workshop, and broadcast a special report, also emphasizing that the vinegar was made using a secret recipe passed down for over a hundred years. Ten days later, the provincial television station broadcast a more detailed report on Ouyang Yiming's vinegar factory. Subsequently, numerous newspapers, large and small, conducted interviews, and similar posts appeared online. Ouyang Yiming once again became a news figure in Nanjing and beyond the province. The influence of newspapers and television stations was enormous, even more effective than advertising. Later, Ouyang Yiming printed brief anecdotes about his family's vinegar-making tradition on the bottle labels. After a trial sale in major Nanjing shopping malls, the "Swan" brand vinegar from Ouyang Family Vinegar Co., Ltd. received excellent feedback and quickly became popular in Nanjing and surrounding areas. Within just a few months of its launch, demand exceeded supply. In October, Ouyang Yiming and Deputy General Manager Wu Yingying, among others, took several cases of "Swan" brand vinegar to the Canton Fair. They received positive feedback from attendees both domestically and internationally, securing some export orders. In November, "Swan" brand vinegar was recognized as a trustworthy product by the district's industrial and commercial department. Following this, Ouyang Yiming conducted a trial sale of the vinegar in Panzhou, which received excellent reviews. At a meeting, Ouyang Yiming, Deputy General Manager Wu Yingying, R&D Director Zhong Zhigang, and other senior company executives decided to continue researching and developing new varieties, constructing a second-phase project, and planning to build a branch factory in Panzhou to expand the domestic and international sales channels for "Swan" brand vinegar.

On the morning of November 5th, Ouyang Yiming received a call from Ouyang Mei as soon as he arrived at work. She said Yang Ping had been experiencing severe abdominal pain the previous night and had been hospitalized with a diagnosis of acute appendicitis, requiring surgery. She asked if Ouyang Yiming could come over. Ouyang Yiming immediately called Liu Yan to inform her, and Liu Yan urged him to come quickly. He then called Wu Yingying to tell her the situation. Afterward, he drove to Shanghai.

Ouyang Yiming arrived at the hospital around noon. Yang Ping had already undergone surgery, and Xu Zhenming and Ouyang Mei were both present. Xu Zhenming, seeing Ouyang Yiming, said irritably, "I already told Meizi not to come. An appendectomy isn't a major operation. Why did you come when you're so busy with work?" Turning to Meizi, he said, "You must have told your brother." Ouyang Yiming said, "It's surgery, big or small, how could I not come? It's not that far." Then he looked at Yang Ping and asked, "Mom, how are you feeling now?" Yang Ping said, "I'm fine. Look how busy you are, yet you still came." At this moment, a nurse came over and said, "You can't just sit on the bed all the time. Walk around a bit, and let me know when you need to pass gas." Ouyang Mei and Xu Zhenming agreed. Ouyang Yiming was a little puzzled but didn't dare to ask. Ouyang Mei quietly told him, "Passing gas will make you fine, otherwise, you might develop intestinal adhesions." Ouyang Yiming became a little worried. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he held Yang Ping's hand and asked her when she felt anything, when the surgery was, and so on. A fellow patient in the ward asked Yang Ping with envy, "Is that your son?" Yang Ping replied happily, "That's my son, and that's my daughter."

After lunch, Xu Zhenming and Yang Ping urged Ouyang Yiming to go back, but Ouyang Yiming said, "No rush, I'll look after Mom all day." Ouyang Mei said, "If you're busy at the factory, go back; the two of us can manage." Xu Zhenming said, "With me here, neither of you need to stay; it's alright." Ouyang Yiming insisted on staying, and that night he and Xu Zhenming watched over Yang Ping all night. Yang Ping even farted a few times, which finally put Ouyang Yiming's mind at ease.

The next morning, Xu Zhenming and Yang Ping insisted that Ouyang Yiming go back. Ouyang Yiming took out some money and gave it to Ouyang Mei, instructing her to buy some supplements. He told Yang Ping to rest well and then said goodbye and went home. Arriving in Jinling some time later, Ouyang Yiming had just sat down in his office when Wu Yingying came in. Smiling, she asked, "How is Xu Hui's mother?" Ouyang Yiming replied, "She's fine. She had surgery after I arrived." Wu Yingying said, "Actually, appendectomy is a very common procedure. Hearing how anxious you were on the phone made me a little guilty. It's truly admirable how filial you are to them."

Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "I really treat them like my own parents."

Wu Yingying nodded and said, "The sales manager just called me. Our products simply can't meet the demand. Even after customers send payment, it takes several days before we can ship."

Ouyang Yiming said, "Supply exceeding demand is a good thing, but regardless of the size of the sales unit, we must supply proportionally. We can't neglect smaller sales units." Wu Yingying nodded and said, "That's what I arranged too. The production department is working overtime now. But there's no way around it; the period before the Spring Festival is a sales peak, and we definitely can't meet the demand." Ouyang Yiming nodded and said, "There's nothing we can do about that, but we must tell the sales department not to act like they're above the law just because our products are selling well now. No matter what, the customer is always king. If there's a supply shortage, explain it properly. The second phase of the project won't be operational until at least April or May next year." He paused, chuckled twice, and said, "I didn't expect sales to be this good." Wu Yingying also laughed and said, "Yes, if it continues like this, the future looks bright." She paused again, chuckled a few more times, and said, "Jiang Yuqi called yesterday. He said he wants you to set up a branch factory there." Ouyang Yiming laughed heartily and said, "That Jiang Yuqi, he called me on the way yesterday and said he was fine, but I knew he wouldn't be. He's just trying to gain political achievements." As he spoke, he thought of Mayor Xia, and his heart sank.

Wu Yingying said, "Jiang Yuqi didn't hide anything. As the deputy county head, he's in charge of industry and investment attraction. The more companies he attracts, the greater his political achievements will be." Ouyang Yiming said,

"As long as their government departments don't get involved, there's no problem." Wu Yingying said, "We're a private enterprise, what does it have to do with the government? If you set up a factory on their land, the annual tax revenue will be a considerable sum, and it will also solve many of their productivity problems!" Ouyang Yiming nodded and said, "Yes, but Yingying..." "It's not the right time for us to set up a branch factory there. We're still in the initial stages, and our experience in various aspects is still immature. Although our products are currently in high demand, we can't rush things. You see, our second phase of construction here isn't even finished yet. We absolutely must build a branch factory in Panzhou; it's also my family's wish. Besides, this vinegar originally comes from Panzhou, and sales at our branch office are very good. If we were to set up a factory there now, it would be difficult to manage. My suggestion is to wait. What do you think?" Wu Yingying said, "You've always been reliable and down-to-earth; your consideration is naturally correct. I agree." She chuckled and said: “But Jiang Yuqi is very anxious,” Ouyang Yiming said with a smile. “He’s still the same old man, he can’t change. Here, I’ll contact him when I have time.” Wu Yingying said, “He called your cell phone yesterday and heard you went to see Xu Hui’s mother, but he was too embarrassed to tell you about this. Then he called me. He can’t wait to build a factory there. You don’t need to call him, he’ll call again.”

Sure enough, Jiang Yuqi called that afternoon and said, “Ouyang, is Xu Hui’s mother alright? Did Wu Yingying tell you?” Ouyang Yiming laughed and said, “Xu Hui’s mother is fine. County Chief Jiang, would Wu Yingying dare not convey your instructions?” Jiang Yuqi said, “Don’t give me that kind of talk, Ouyang, I’m serious.” Ouyang Yiming said, “Yuqi, since you have this idea, I will definitely do as you say.” Jiang Yuqi laughed a few times and said, “Ouyang, I knew you wouldn’t object. I’ll take care of everything here for you.” "Don't worry. I won't beat around the bush. You make money, I achieve results, and we both benefit." Ouyang Yiming said, "Yuqi, this isn't urgent. Setting up a factory requires a large investment and some management personnel. We're currently building the second phase of the project here, which won't be operational until after the New Year. Land acquisition has already begun in Panzhou, and construction is planned to start after the New Year. I'm afraid we can't set up a factory there for the time being, but I will definitely consider it. Of course, I need to conduct necessary market research to see if our vinegar will sell well in your area. I won't invest if there isn't a good market. Yuqi, we're brothers, so let's be frank. I'm running a private enterprise now, and I won't act blindly without a promising future."

Jiang Yuqi said, "Yes, your considerations are reasonable. Come and investigate as soon as you have time." Ouyang Yiming said, "Yuqi, we're really serious. We're brothers, there's no need for formalities. Now..." "We really don't have the energy or ability to build that many factories, I hope you can understand. I was thinking, when I have time, Yingying and I will come to your place to take a look, and we can discuss this in detail when we meet." Jiang Yuqi said, "No problem. Ouyang, don't I know you? Don't even mention our relationship, you wouldn't play games with ordinary friends. Okay, I'll wait for your arrival. Are your wife and children well?" Ouyang Yiming said, "They're all fine. Your son is quite tall now, isn't he?" Jiang Yuqi said, "That guy has grown so fast, my eleven-year-old son is already 1.6 meters tall. Life is so much better now." Ouyang Yiming laughed twice and said, "Yes, it's a world of difference compared to when we were kids. Hey, Yuqi, you're the only one among us who isn't in Jinling, why don't you take some time to bring your wife and children over for a get-together?" Jiang Yuqi said, "Okay, I'll go home and ask for permission, no, I should tell her and the children to take some time to go." Ouyang Yiming then laughed again. "Let's ask for instructions first," said Ouyang Yiming.

Jiang Yuqi chuckled a few times and said, "Ouyang, to be honest, although Xu Hui didn't marry you, her spirit in heaven is content. You treated her parents as your own. I heard that Xu Hui's parents have been living with your sister since they retired?" Ouyang Yiming said, "You know that my sister considers them her parents, and we truly do treat them as our own. The couple lives between Shanghai and Suzhou, and they're doing quite well." Jiang Yuqi said, "It must have been difficult for you two siblings." Ouyang Yiming said, "You can't say that. They didn't trouble us much, but they helped my sister a lot. They raised my sister's child from a young age, so we should be grateful." Jiang Yuqi said, "I understand, and everyone understands. It's because your family has such deep feelings for Xu Hui. This is also a source of spiritual support for the two elderly people. Without you, they wouldn't have had such a happy old age."

Ouyang Yiming said, "That's only right." The two chatted for a while before hanging up.

That afternoon, two unexpected guests arrived at Ouyang Yiming's office. After introducing themselves, Ouyang Yiming learned that they were cadres from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection. After sitting down, one of the cadres, who identified himself as Zhao, said, "Mayor Xia of Panzhou City has been placed under investigation for suspected economic crimes, and Xie Liang and several others have also been placed under investigation by the Panzhou City Commission for Discipline Inspection. We're here mainly to understand and verify some information about their situation at Kunpeng Group."

Ouyang Yiming felt a sudden pang of unease. Regardless of why these two comrades from the Commission for Discipline Inspection were there, they were still somewhat reluctant to come to his office. He thought to himself,

"Everything I did at the research institute was aboveboard; there's no need for me to feel guilty." He felt a little relieved that Mayor Xia and Xie Liang had finally met their end, and said, "I think since they've been placed under investigation, you should know most of the details. You should also know that there are some things I still don't know." Comrade Zhao smiled and said, "Comrade Ouyang Yiming, don't be nervous or have any concerns. We already know your situation very well. President Liu of Beijing Changlong and some colleagues at the research institute have provided very strong and detailed testimony.

We're here mainly to verify the situation, from the initial listing to your forced resignation. We won't hide it from you; they destroyed a lot of evidence, including some meeting minutes. We learned from the former director of the group's board secretary office that you have a copy of those materials, and we'd like to see them." Ouyang Yiming secretly rejoiced that he had copied those materials, and said, "Yes, I have them here." Comrade Zhao said, "Please let us see them." Ouyang Yiming said, "I keep those materials at home. How about this, if it's convenient for you, come with me to my home to get them." The two discipline inspection officials agreed.

Ouyang Yiming moved into his newly purchased villa in October, and shortly after, Liu Yan's parents came to live with him. At this moment, both he and his wife were home. Two guests were sitting in the living room: a major general in his fifties and a man in civilian clothes who appeared to be a cadre in his fifties. Political Commissar Liu was chatting and laughing with them. The cadre surnamed Zhao entered, his eyes lighting up, and he called out to the civilian-clothed cadre, "Governor Li, you're here too!" Governor Li looked at him and nodded. Political Commissar Liu then called over Ouyang Yiming and introduced him: "This is Deputy Minister Qian of the Military Region Logistics Department, and this is Deputy Governor Li." Ouyang Yiming greeted him, "Uncle Qian..." "Uncle Li," Political Commissar Liu introduced again, "This is my son-in-law, Ouyang Yiming." Ouyang Yiming said, "I've known Uncle Li for several years." Vice Governor Li laughed heartily and said, "I'm familiar with Ouyang Yiming. He's the former president of the Provincial High-Tech Research Institute and chairman of Kunpeng Group. I heard you're running your own business?"

Ouyang Yiming said, "It's the family vinegar business." Minister Qian said, "That's good. Running your own business is good too. Governor Li and I were both your father's old subordinates. We met today and came to visit our old leader."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Political Commissar Liu said to Ouyang Yiming, "You have guests to attend to." Ouyang Yiming then bid farewell to Vice Governor Li and Vice Minister Qian, and left with the disciplinary inspection team... The two comrades went into another living room. The housekeeper came over and poured tea. Ouyang Yiming asked them to wait a moment and went to his study. After a while, he brought out the photocopies and said, "These are the meeting minutes from the initial planning for the listing to Xie Liang and the others proposing the establishment of Panlong Company. If you have any questions, you can ask the former director of the board secretary's office of Kunpeng Group. I asked him to make these copies for me." Comrade Zhao looked through them and said, "Director Ouyang, we want to take these documents back." Ouyang Yiming nodded and said, "Okay, but please give me a receipt." Comrade Zhao and the cadre exchanged glances, then turned back and said, "Okay." After speaking, he opened his bag, wrote a receipt, and handed it to Ouyang Yiming.

Ouyang Yiming accepted it and looked at them, saying, "Ask whatever you want to know, as long as I know it. But to be honest, after Mayor Xia got involved with Kunpeng Group, there were many things I was kept in the dark about." Another cadre surnamed Chen said, "We know about these things, and we understand your situation at the time quite well." Then Comrade Zhao asked some specific questions. Ouyang Yiming told him everything he knew. Before continuing, Ouyang Yiming asked, "There are some things I'm not sure if I should ask. You said Mayor Xia was placed under investigation for economic issues. How much exactly did they embezzle from Kunpeng Group?" Comrade Zhao said, "The specific amount is still under investigation, and we regret that we cannot disclose it. However, what I can tell you is that Xie Liang and a few others are only involved in matters related to Kunpeng Group, while Mayor Xia is involved in many more. Regarding your Kunpeng Group, our Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection has received some letters of complaint and some comrades have come to report you. I would like to ask, as the former chairman of Kunpeng Group and the director of the research institute, why didn't you report anything?"

Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "It's not that I didn't want to report, nor is it that I lack principles, but I genuinely don't understand their inner workings. I can't speak without evidence.

You all know that I am also very helpless. You should also know that I watched the research institute grow from scratch, and I am heartbroken to see it fall to this state. Otherwise, I wouldn't have left Kunpeng Group and the research institute. To be honest, nowadays, state-owned enterprises are mixed with government officials who don't understand business..." "This was bound to happen. I'm extremely disappointed and helpless. So, I had no choice but to start my own business." Comrade Zhao said, "We analyzed your situation and it seems to be the same for you. The president of Beijing Changlong Company provided substantial testimony regarding your situation.

We also learned about the inside story of Panlong Company's operations in Shanghai. Beijing Changlong provided relevant information, proving that you have no connection to these matters. We're here today to learn about what you know, and the meeting minutes you provided should be quite valuable." Ouyang Yiming said, "These contain my attitude towards the listing issue and my views on establishing Shanghai Panlong Company at the meeting. They also contain their statements at the meeting. Unfortunately, the originals were destroyed by them, and I can only provide you with these photocopies now."

Comrade Zhao said, "This is quite valuable, and the handwriting on the photocopies can be verified." Ouyang Yiming nodded. Comrade Chen said, "That's settled then. We'll contact you again if there are any further developments." Ouyang Yiming then presented his business card. Comrade Zhao took the business card and asked in a low voice, "Director Ouyang, what was your father-in-law's original position?" Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "He's retired. Before retirement, he was the political commissar of the General Logistics Department base, with the rank of lieutenant general." The two discipline inspection cadres nodded.

After seeing the two discipline inspection cadres off, Ouyang Yiming sat down in the living room. Vice Governor Li said, "Yiming, you're quite shrewd to resign from your official post and start your own business. Keep up the good work; gold shines wherever it is." Ouyang Yiming smiled wryly and said, "Actually, I've never worked in a government agency. I'm just a technical cadre, so it's not really a matter of resigning. Besides, the government encourages its cadres to work on the front lines of the economy, or to take on new jobs in other places, or to start their own businesses. The report was submitted and approved quickly. I have no experience working in the government, so after thinking about it, I had no choice but to do my own thing." Vice Governor Li said, "That's good. I heard your company is doing very well." Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "It's alright, I'm still researching..." "I've worked at the research institute and Kunpeng Group for many years, accumulating some work experience."

After talking about the vinegar factory for a while, Vice Governor Li asked, "Yiming, you know that Mayor Xia of Panzhou City has been placed under a dual-track system, right?" Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "Well, these two comrades who came in with me just now are cadres from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection." Director Qin became nervous upon hearing this, glaring at Ouyang Yiming and asking, "Why do the comrades from the Commission for Discipline Inspection want to see you?" Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "Mom, don't worry, I haven't done anything wrong at the research institute or Kunpeng Group. They came to ask me about Mayor Xia's actions at Kunpeng Group. Actually, I don't have much to say, because they've already sidelined me at Kunpeng Group since they started planning the IPO. These comrades from the research institute have all witnessed it. I strongly opposed the establishment of Panlong Company in Shanghai, but it was to no avail. After that, I resigned from the chairman position, and I don't know anything about their actions after that." Ouyang Yiming said these words partly to comfort Liu Yan's parents, but more importantly, he wanted to tell Vice Governor Li. Director Qin said, "I'm worried these people are framing you." Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "It's alright, they can't frame me if it's not my business."

Vice Governor Li nodded and said, "Yes, Yiming is right. A clear conscience fears no accusation. This Xia fellow is incredibly audacious. The Discipline Inspection Commission has been secretly investigating his case for some time now. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection have already classified his case as a major and serious case. He was summoned back to the Provincial Party Committee under the pretext of a meeting the day before yesterday and placed under investigation. At yesterday's Provincial Party Committee meeting, the comrades from the Discipline Inspection Commission have preliminarily determined that he accepted bribes totaling more than eight million yuan, not including some high-end gifts he received. He's courting death!" Political Commissar Liu said with a stern face, "This kind of person is simply a scoundrel and should be executed!" Director Qin said, "Look at you, why are you so angry!" As he spoke, he smiled at Vice Governor Li and Vice Minister Qian.

After chatting for a while, Vice Minister Qian and Vice Governor Li took their leave. As they were leaving, Director Qin pulled Vice Governor Li aside and whispered, "When you get back, please find out if these people are framing my son, Yiming. Yiming has always been well-behaved, honest, and reliable. If anything happens, please let us know." Vice Governor Li said, "Don't worry, sister-in-law. If anything happens to Yiming, the comrades from the Discipline Inspection Commission will talk to him today. He'll be fine."

After seeing them off and returning to their room, Director Qin hurriedly asked, "Yiming, what did the comrades from the Discipline Inspection Commission talk to you about?" Ouyang Yiming said, "My parents..." "Mom, don't worry, I've never done anything against my conscience. They're just here to find out what's going on. Also, they destroyed some evidence. When I resigned as chairman a few years ago, Liu Yan reminded me to keep some meeting minutes, and I had the former director of the board secretary's office make some copies. They're here today to collect those documents." Director Qin asked, "Didn't they say anything else?" Ouyang Yiming said, "No, many people at the research institute can testify for me. The most important thing now is for General Manager Liu of Beijing Changlong Company, who took over Kunpeng Group, to confirm that I wasn't involved in anything they did. Mom and Dad, the research achievement grants were formulated by the municipal government at the beginning of the research institute's establishment. There are records of these. I'm just like all the researchers at the research institute, without any special treatment. I bought the group's shares according to regulations, and I didn't transfer them with those senior executives. I transferred them according to the notice from Beijing Changlong Company, just like other group employees. You don't need to worry about me. I know I haven't done anything illegal or against regulations." Director Qin nodded and said, "That's good. I was just afraid they'd bite the hand that feeds them and frame you." Political Commissar Liu said dismissively, " "As long as we've done nothing wrong, what are we afraid of these petty thieves framing us?!"

That evening, Ouyang Yiming received a call from Vice President Wang: "Yiming, I can finally relax. I've been running around for over a year, searching non-stop. To be honest, I've even been to the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection several times. I didn't even go to see you in Nanjing, afraid of affecting your career. You and I are different. I'm just a retired old man, I'm not afraid of anything, but you have to focus on your career.

Now there's finally a result. Those scoundrels surnamed Xia and Xie Liang have been arrested." Vice President Wang's voice trembled slightly, sounding extremely excited.

Ouyang Yiming said, "I already know about this. Comrades from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection came to me to inquire about the situation." Vice President Wang said, "Tell them everything you know. Those scoundrels are too wicked." Ouyang Yiming said, "President Wang, I've told them everything I know. You know I don't know too much inside information." Vice President Wang said,

"I know that. I'll tell you as much as I know. They've ruined our research institute, which we've worked so hard to build. Yiming, I don't know if you've heard, but Kunpeng Group now owes more than 400 million yuan in bank loans and foreign debt. The research institute and the group are practically bankrupt. If it weren't for the Securities Regulatory Commission's investigation, the Commission for Discipline Inspection wouldn't have investigated so quickly. I'm afraid my running away wouldn't have made much difference. Just as you said, some of them have been approached. The group has collapsed. It's truly heartbreaking!"

Ouyang Yiming felt as if his heart had been stabbed. He sighed heavily… Love and Desire (200) Chapter 198 On December 2nd (the 9th day of the 11th lunar month, the birthday of Brahma), something shocking happened at Maoshan Temple that alarmed Panzhou. Around 9 a.m. that morning, white smoke rose from the highest branch of the locust tree in the temple. On the evening of the fourth day, Ouyang Yiming’s heart pounded when he saw the news recording on the provincial TV station. He suddenly remembered that when he was with Xu Hui at Maoshan Temple, the monk had said, “When the locust tree is smoking, it is the day Maoshan Temple is rebuilt.” He immediately called back to Panzhou. Ouyang Anping answered the phone and told him that it was true. Panzhou TV station broadcast it live for two consecutive days, but stopped broadcasting on the third day for some unknown reason. But he heard that it was still smoking. At that moment, Ouyang Yiming decided to return to Panzhou.

Then he called Wu Yingying and said that he had something to do and had to return to Panzhou early the next morning. He always felt an unusual connection to that temple.

The next day, Ouyang Yiming drove to Panzhou around noon. Instead of going home, he went straight to Maoshan Temple. It was almost the "Major Snow" solar term again, but this year it didn't feel particularly cold.

Over the years, every time Ouyang Yiming returned to Panzhou for the Spring Festival, he would visit Maoshan Temple. He was still somewhat worried about this dilapidated temple that no longer had a monk to look after it. Each time he came, he would give the old man living in the temple some money for the festival and urge him to take good care of the temple.

Maoshan Temple was still the same as before. This time, several elderly men and women were squatting against the courtyard wall on one side of the temple gate, basking in the sun and talking. Seeing Ouyang Yiming's car approach, the elderly men stopped talking and looked at him intently. Among them was the old man who looked after the temple. Ouyang Yiming got out of the car. The old man raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun and looked at him for a few seconds before immediately standing up and greeting him with a broad smile. He exclaimed with delight, "Oh, oh, it's you! Where have you come from?" Ouyang Yiming nodded and smiled, saying, "I came from Jinling."

After speaking, he smiled and nodded at the several elderly people squatting by the wall. The old man asked, "Why did you come so early this year? Oh, did you come here specifically to see the locust trees emitting smoke? Even people from as far away as Jinling know about it?" Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "Yes, the provincial TV station even reported on it." The old man said, "That's really strange. Come on, let's go inside and take a look." Ouyang Yiming then followed him into the temple gate. The old man walked along, saying, "Isn't it strange? On the ninth day, I had just finished eating when I saw smoke coming from the branches of this locust tree. It scared me to death... You know, every time you come, you tell me to keep an eye on this temple. If this locust tree is smoking, isn't it going to catch fire? I was so scared I didn't know what to do. There was no way to call for help in this place. I walked around the tree and looked, but there wasn't a single spark at the base. The smoke was coming from the branches at the top. At first, the smoke was quite thick, and I thought, 'It must be a divine intervention.' I knelt down under the tree and begged them not to burn down our temple. Isn't it strange? The branches were just emitting smoke, without a single spark..." "Sparks. What else could it be but a divine intervention? Later, people from the nearby villages saw it, and many people came to see." Ouyang Yiming asked, "When did it stop?" The old man said, "The day before yesterday afternoon, it suddenly stopped. The TV station came to film for two days, and when the smoke stopped, they stopped filming.

This afternoon, a few cars came, they looked like leaders, and there were two old monks. They looked around the temple for a long time, took a lot of pictures, and just left, just now." Ouyang Yiming nodded, thinking to himself, "This time they finally alerted the relevant personnel." Then he thought to himself, "The monk's words were really accurate; he knew all along! But where did that monk go?"

After looking around the courtyard, up and down the locust tree, and by the well, listening to the old man's rambling for a while, Ouyang Yiming took out two hundred yuan and handed it to him, saying softly, "Maoshan Temple will soon regain its former glory." The old man didn't hear Ouyang Yiming's words clearly, but he bowed deeply to thank Ouyang Yiming for the money, repeatedly calling him "benefactor." Ouyang Yiming smiled and then took his leave.

On a celestial cloud high in the sky, two old men sat, one was Huiming, and the other was Huiming's master. The two old men looked down at Ouyang Yiming as he entered the temple and laughed heartily. Huiming said, "Master, the crucian carp has indeed arrived. This fish really can't bear to leave our temple!" Huiming's master nodded and said, "In this life, he cannot eradicate his innate wisdom. Although he has been reborn as a mortal, his immortal roots cannot be removed from his very being."

It turned out that the two monks, who had already attained perfect enlightenment, had been watching over Maoshan Temple and talking... Scholar Ouyang died suddenly at the age of sixty-five, questioning the Black and White Impermanence who came to imprison him: "Why did I have to leave so hastily? Why couldn't I settle my affairs after death?" The Black and White Impermanence said:

"You should have come here long ago because you angered your own parents to death. It was only because of your poor father's vinegar-making karma that you were allowed to live for so many more years. Today, your lifespan has ended, so you should come here." Scholar Ouyang said: "I was only angry because I pitied my wife and parents who died young. How could I want to anger my own parents to death? Please let me go back. I haven't had time to explain my family's secret recipe for making vinegar." The Black and White Impermanence said:

"Stop talking nonsense. Your lifespan has ended. We are just following orders to imprison you." So Scholar Ouyang was shackled and escorted by the Black and White Impermanence through the Gates of Hell, onto the Road to the Underworld, and walked towards the Netherworld Prison on the path of the other shore flowers. He saw countless lonely ghosts on the road to the underworld. The Black and White Impermanence said, "These are the ones who died unnaturally before their lifespans were over. They can't ascend to heaven, can't be reincarnated, and can't go to the underworld. They can only report to the underworld and await the judgment of King Yama when their lifespans are up. Right now, they can only wander the road to the underworld. You should be content."

At that moment, Ouyang Xiucai felt lucky; reincarnation was far better than being one of these lonely ghosts. Smelling the fragrance of the other shore flowers, Ouyang Xiucai still murmured to himself: What will become of my family's secret vinegar recipe?

He reached the River of Oblivion, where there was a bridge called the Bridge of Helplessness. Beside the bridge stood a blood-red stone, inscribed with the four characters "Early Ascent to the Other Shore," recording everyone's past and present lives.

The Black and White Impermanence removed his shackles, saying, "Go, go. Cross this bridge, and you will be free from all entanglements with the mortal world." Then, a voice called to him came from the other side of the river. He

stepped onto the bridge. The blood-yellow waters of the River of Oblivion teem with wandering souls, ghosts, insects, and snakes, unable to be reincarnated, their stench filling the air. In the river flow the spirits of those who starved to death, those who died unjustly; the ghosts of those who slaughtered each other, crippled and reduced to cannon fodder on the battlefield; the scoundrels of countless evil deeds; the corrupt officials who brought ruin to the country… These people died before their natural lifespans were over. Unable to cross the Bridge of Helplessness to be reincarnated, their souls, driven by the desire for reincarnation, yearn to wade across the river. But the river's highly poisonous waters, capable of corroding the soul, offer no buoyancy, and those who enter will never have the chance to reach the shore. At this moment, Ouyang Xiucai saw the wandering souls in the river looking at him with envious eyes, heard their painful groans, and, trembling with fear, crossed the bridge… Standing on the Bridge of Helplessness, he still retained memories of his present life. Although he clung to the unfulfilled wishes of his previous life, he understood that these wishes would ultimately be impossible to fulfill, and so he let out a long sigh. Gazing towards the mortal realm, filled with resentment and endless regret, she muttered to herself, "I'm such a fool! Why didn't I pass on that secret recipe to my son sooner?"

Meng Po had already prepared the soup, waiting for him. Meng Po was the goddess of the underworld, in charge of the reincarnation of ghosts. All ghosts sent here for reincarnation would first drink the forgetting soup at the Forgetfulness Platform, overseen by Meng Po, to make them forget their past lives. Now, Meng Po was born in the Western Han Dynasty. From a young age, she studied Confucian classics, and later began reciting Buddhist scriptures. In her lifetime, she never reminisced about the past, nor did she think about the future. She spent her life persuading people to be vegetarian and not to kill. At eighty-one years old, still a virgin, Meng Po later went into the deep mountains to cultivate herself. During the Later Han Dynasty, she was finally appointed goddess of the underworld by the Jade Emperor.

Every day, Meng Po brewed the soup to forget past lives, but how could this soup be brewed the same every time? How could the heat, the thickness of the broth, be completely different? Therefore, if the soup is not cooked properly or the broth is too thin, the ghosts who drink it will not be able to completely forget their past lives. This is why those who are reincarnated often dream of a familiar place, feel a sense of déjà vu when they see a stranger, and have a vague feeling of having been to a strange place before.

Ouyang Xiucai held the bowl of Meng Po soup in trembling hands. He saw Meng Po's kind smile and heard her softly say, "Drink it, drink it. Drink it and you will be free from three lifetimes, forgetting all the grudges and sorrows of this world, forgetting all the attachments of this life. Everything in this life is fleeting, forget it, forget it..." Ouyang Xiucai was still thinking about his family's ancestral business and the secret recipe for making vinegar that he had hidden. He frowned and looked at Meng Po, suddenly shouting, "No, I can't just reincarnate like this! I haven't passed on my family's vinegar recipe to my descendants yet! No, I have to go back, I have to go back..." As he shouted, he spilled the bowl of soup on the ground. Meng Po watched as Ouyang Xiucai was already held down by two little devils, letting him shout and yell, and smiled without saying a word. But in that instant, Ouyang Xiucai's foot was tripped by a hook knife, and a sharp copper tube pierced his throat. Immediately afterwards, he was forced by the two little devils to drink a soup that was "sweet, bitter, spicy, sour, and salty" mixed with herbs from the mortal world. As Ouyang Xiucai's memory faded, he still thought of his family's vinegar business, muttering incoherently, "My descendants, if you find the secret recipe I hid, you must rebuild our family's business..." His mind gradually went blank...

Meng Po still smiled kindly at him, saying, "Go, go..."

Monk Huiming laughed heartily, saying, "This is also the fate of the Ouyang family's vinegar business!" Huiming's master smiled and said, "Indeed." Monk Huiming asked, "When I was alive, I only heard you mention it briefly. How exactly did this crucian carp become connected to this scholar's family? And how did it have that connection with the swans?" Huiming's master laughed heartily a few times and said, "The crucian carp was reincarnated into the human world because of a mistake made by the Great Brahma King after drinking." Then he began to tell the story... More than three hundred years ago, the Great Brahma King returned from the Queen Mother's Peach Banquet. Passing by the Jade Pool, seven swans stopped to drink water. Every time they passed by, they would stop to rest, drink some water, eat a few lotus seeds from the pond, and play for a while. But one day, something happened that terrified all the swans. A large white crucian carp suddenly emerged from the water, instantly transforming into a handsome man dressed in white. Standing before Brahma, the Great King, he bowed and said, "Your Majesty, it is said in heaven and on earth that you are a Buddha who grants all requests. Could you grant me a small favor?" Brahma smiled slightly and said, "Having received flowers, dances, and incense from mortal pilgrims, I should naturally fulfill their wishes. But you are a creature of the Queen Mother of the West's Jade Pool. What do you ask of me?" The crucian carp said, "Although I am a fish of the Jade Pool, I have long admired Your Majesty. Seeing Your Majesty receive flowers and incense from the mortal world, fulfilling the wishes of mortals, I admire Your Majesty's benevolence even more. I only wonder if Your Majesty could grant the wish of a fish that has never offered you flowers and incense."

Brahma, already half-drunk, was delighted to hear the crucian carp's praise and laughed a few times, asking, "Crucian carp..." "What is your wish?" asked the carp. "I wish to be reborn as a human in the mortal realm," the carp replied. "I wonder if Your Majesty could grant me this wish?" The king laughed loudly, "You, carp, are free and at ease in this Jade Pool, enjoying all the pleasures of Heaven. Why would you want to be reborn in the mortal

realm to suffer? Are you joking with me?" The carp said, "I am serious, not joking. I envy the beautiful life on Earth and am willing to suffer there." The Great Brahma King laughed a few times and said, "

An impulsive act, an impulsive act indeed! Carp, you are a creature of the Queen Mother; I fear I am powerless to grant your wish." The carp laughed loudly, "So that's how it is. Your Majesty is not one to grant every wish!" The Great Brahma King was somewhat angered by this, but before he could speak, a swan angrily rebuked him, "You fish, how utterly unreasonable!" My master, don't talk about a small thing like yours, he can handle even bigger things. "Crucian carp shook his head and said: "Not necessarily, not necessarily, it's just a name in vain. When the king heard this, he became angry and said with the help of wine: "You crucian carp doesn't know what is good and what is good. It's not that I can't do your thing, but that you are the Queen Mother's property and I don't want to do it." Crucian carp smiled contemptuously and said, "There is always an excuse for things that cannot be done." The king was indeed angered and said: "There is nothing that I can't do. You crucian carp doesn't take me seriously." Well, I'll satisfy you. However, all beings from the heavens who descend to earth must undergo cultivation. If you are willing to practice for thirty years, I will allow you to be reincarnated. " Crucian carp was secretly happy and said, "I do. King Brahma raised his hand and pointed: "The temple below is called Maoshan Temple. Do you see that well?" Just practice in that well for thirty years. When you are done, I will send you to reincarnation. Crucian carp said: "Is this true?" King Brahma said: "Does my majestic king still lie?" The crucian carp said,

"I'm willing, then please take me there."

The Great Brahma King said, "Thirty years in heaven is equivalent to three hundred years on earth. Think it over carefully. Staying in this well will be cold and hungry. If you are truly willing, stay here for thirty years. After that, I will help you be reborn as a human. Is it too late to regret it now?" The crucian carp replied, "I will not regret it."

The Great Brahma King had thought that this fish would not be willing to stay in that cramped and cold well for thirty years. Sending him to that well was intentionally making things difficult for him. He could have sent him directly to be reborn instead of cultivating. Although he had been drinking, he knew that this was a violation of heavenly rules. He did not expect the fish to be so straightforward. Once the words were spoken, there was no room for reversal. So, relying on the strength of the wine, he flicked his whisk and sent the crucian carp into the well at Maoshan Temple. From then on, the fish cultivated itself in that well, enduring the cold and loneliness... All the swans secretly laughed at the fish's foolishness, except for the smallest swan. She didn't laugh, but instead secretly admired the fish's sincere desire to reincarnate, and felt saddened that Brahma had placed it in that cold, cramped well. After that, she pondered why the fish so sincerely longed for the human world. Every time she passed by, she would check on the fish cultivating itself and bring it some food. Gradually, they became familiar. The fish felt immense gratitude towards the swan, and also profound reverence for this noble swan. Once, the swan asked him, "You've endured so much suffering cultivating here, just to be reborn as a human in the mortal realm? Is being a mortal really that good?" The carp replied, "Heaven is beautiful, but it's lonely and desolate. True happiness in the mortal world comes from loving couples, a house full of children, and a warm family."

The swan asked, "Have you already found someone you love in the mortal world?" The carp was grateful for the swan's frequent visits and food, but he didn't want to reveal his true feelings, after all, she was a messenger of Brahma.

Unexpectedly, the swan gradually developed feelings for him as they spent more time together. One day, thinking about the stories the carp had told her about life in the mortal world, her heart trembled. She thought, "Why not go with him when he's reborn into the mortal world, and be his wife for a lifetime? That way, I can experience the warmth he speaks of." Her heart pounded with excitement, but she secretly made up her mind. However, in their subsequent meetings, they both kept their secrets.

The crucian carp had its own reasons for reincarnating. Why was it so devoted to descending to earth? Well, one day, this crucian carp, who spent its days leisurely swimming in the Jade Pool, looked down upon the human world and inadvertently saw a lone swallow. The swallow was building its nest alone on the beam of a poor family's thatched house, which piqued its curiosity. The crucian carp wondered why this swallow, which was usually found in pairs, was alone. It later learned that after being fertilized by a male swallow, the male had married another female, leaving the poor swallow to build its nest alone. Soon, five chicks hatched,

and the fish raised them alone. The crucian carp then used magic every day in the area where the swallow foraged, secretly gathering insects to help raise its chicks. Soon, the swallow's offspring grew up and flew away, leaving the swallow alone once more.
Some time later, the swallow perished in a sudden downpour and was reborn as a poor girl. This continued for several lifetimes; the girl married and had children, but in each life she was trapped in poverty. However, the girl's strength deeply moved the carp, who gradually developed feelings of love for her. Finally, one day, on her way back from gathering firewood in the mountains, the girl fainted from hunger. The carp appeared beside her in human form, roused her, and then turned stones into gold, giving it to her before departing.

From that moment on, the poor girl's family experienced a stroke of good fortune. But this encounter created a profound ripple in the girl's heart. In this life, the girl longed daily for the handsome, refined man she had only met once. Her heart could no longer hold any other man. Despite her parents' beatings and scoldings, she refused to marry, threatening suicide, and lived out her life with unrequited love. Several lifetimes passed in this way. Although she had to drink the Meng Po soup in every life, the handsome man who had given her the gold was never completely lost under its influence. His image still lingered faintly in her girlish heart. The carp, however, could no longer bear the pain of longing for this mortal woman. So, on the day the Great Brahma King passed by the Jade Pool on his way to the Peach Banquet, the carp devised a plan to provoke him, thus gaining the opportunity to cultivate and be reincarnated in the well of Maoshan Temple.

The carp had diligently cultivated in the well for thirty years in Heaven. Seeing that the swallow had been reincarnated an hour earlier, the carp felt anxious and rushed to find the Great Brahma King before he arrived. That day, the Great Brahma King was enjoying the dances and flowers of beautiful women in the "City of Angels" when the carp appeared, and he was displeased. The carp said, "I have completed three hundred years of cultivation in the mortal realm; it is time for me to be reincarnated." The Great Brahma King closed his eyes, calculated with his fingers, and then flicked his whisk, sending the crucian carp to the pre-arranged Ouyang residence. The crucian carp was secretly delighted. Upon landing, seeing the two pomegranate trees in the courtyard, it couldn't resist causing them to bloom.

It turned out that Ouyang, the scholar, had shouted at Meng Po that his family's vinegar recipe hadn't been passed down to future generations, and refused to drink the Meng Po soup, spilling it on the ground—a fact known to Yama, the King of Hell. After being brought to Yama's palace for trial, Yama said, "You should have been sentenced to hell. Your filial impiety and causing your parents' death are the worst offenses. However, considering that your anger towards your deceased wife and parents was unintentional, and that you were kind and compassionate towards the poor during your life, you were spared hell. Your refusal to reincarnate is truly unreasonable!" Ouyang, his mind blank, remained silent. Yama then sentenced him to reincarnation in the human world, and Ouyang was reborn into a scholarly family. A few days ago, King Yama, in front of Brahma, jokingly mentioned that Scholar Ouyang refused to drink the Meng Po soup. Brahma immediately thought of the crucian carp cultivating in the well of Maoshan Temple, and a plan formed in his mind. He decided that once the crucian carp's cultivation was complete, he would let it reincarnate into the Ouyang family, obtain the secret recipe, and let it and its descendants inherit and carry on the Ouyang family's vinegar business!

Meanwhile, the swan, seeing the crucian carp reincarnate, secretly descended to the mortal realm shortly afterward, reincarnating in Suzhou. It was perfectly calculated that no matter where the crucian carp went, it would be able to find him once it grew up. Later, Brahma discovered that the swan had secretly descended to the mortal realm and been reincarnated. Remembering that the swan was a messenger sent to him by Buddha when he became a god, he dared not keep it from Buddha and reported it. Buddha calculated with his fingers and learned that the swan had gone there for the crucian carp. Then, it was deduced that the crucian carp was a creature of the Jade Pool, and that its cultivation and reincarnation were for the sake of the swallow, and that the crucian carp's cultivation and reincarnation were orchestrated by the Heavenly King. Therefore, the Heavenly King blamed the Great Brahma King for sending the crucian carp to cultivate in a drunken stupor, which led to the swan's unauthorized descent to the mortal realm, saying that the swan had only himself to blame. Thinking that the swan's unauthorized descent and

reincarnation as a human was truly infuriating, he intended to recall the swan, but then he saw an old woman in the mortal realm who had spent her life eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist scriptures, kneeling in the rain begging for medicine at a temple, and was immediately filled with pity. So he instructed the Great Brahma King to wait until the old woman ascended to heaven before recalling the swan. The Great Brahma King pondered that both the crucian carp's cultivation and reincarnation and the swan's unauthorized descent to the mortal realm were caused by the swallow. He thought that the crucian carp had plotted to send him to cultivate and reincarnate after he was provoked by his drunkenness. Not only had he violated heavenly rules and been reprimanded by Buddha, but his beloved swan had also been reincarnated in the mortal world because of him, which only fueled his anger. The fish thought to itself, "You, the crucian carp, have been trying so hard to be reborn into the human world for that swallow. I'll make sure you, the fish, can't have that swallow in this life." So, the Great Brahma King made the swallow leave the crucian carp and hastily marry a mortal man. Later, he suddenly foresaw that the swallow and the man's child would be descended from the crucian carp. He was secretly amazed by the swallow's devotion; she had broken up with the crucian carp yet still conceived his child. He was deeply moved. Since they had already had a child, not letting them be together would be against the great compassion and propriety of Buddhism. So, after taking back the swan, he allowed the loving couple to reunite.

The monk Huiming laughed heartily and said, "This fish is truly a romantic! His marriage with the swallow in this life is the culmination of countless lifetimes of karma, cultivated through trials and tribulations." The monk Huiming nodded and said, "Indeed! Before long, this romantic will cause some trouble at Maoshan Temple..." And so, the monk Huiming laughed heartily.

When Ouyang Yiming returned home, he didn't mention his trip to Maoshan Temple. He only said he was back to check on the sales situation here and to discuss building a factory in Panzhou with his family. The old man laughed heartily and said, "Our Ouyang family's vinegar is now famous in Panzhou again. Whenever I go out, everyone asks about our vinegar." "Building a factory here is great! Our ancestors will bless us!" Ouyang Yiming said. "The start is excellent. The products produced in the factory are already in short supply, and expanding production is imperative." Ouyang Anping said, "I didn't expect our vinegar to sell so well. I thought it would take at least two years to establish a good market, considering there are so many manufacturers now." The old man laughed, "How can their vinegar compare to ours? As long as we produce it, we won't have to worry about selling it." Mao Yuqin said, "Your father always tells me that once you set up a factory here, he wants to work there. He says he's bored at home all the time." Ouyang Yiming laughed and said, "You two should just enjoy your retirement at home. Do you think the factory needs you to work?" He paused and said, "Well, you should go out and travel around the country, go wherever you want. It's just that I really don't have time to accompany you." Ouyang Anping said, "Yiming, I really want to do something. Just wandering around and playing chess all day is so boring." Ouyang Yiming thought for a moment and smiled, saying, "Alright, I'll get you some work to do after the factory is built here. But let's be clear, you'll be a regular employee, not in a management position." Ouyang Anping smiled and said, "Okay, as long as I can do something, that's fine. I won't get involved in your management work; I don't understand those things."

That afternoon, Ouyang Yiming went to the Panzhou office, discussed some work and sales matters, and then arranged for the office manager to find land for the factory. After returning home, he went to the west wing, lit incense, and looked at Xu Hui's portrait, saying, "Xu Hui, it really came true what that monk said. The smoke coming from the locust tree in Maoshan Temple is the day Maoshan Temple will be rebuilt. Xu Hui, I will definitely enshrine you in Maoshan Temple so that people from all over the world can appreciate and worship your purity."

He stayed at home for one night, talking about the vinegar factory and the smoke coming from the locust tree at Maoshan Temple. Ouyang Yiming said, "It seems Maoshan Temple will be rebuilt this time." Ouyang Anping said, "Making such a big commotion must mean it's going to be rebuilt." The old man said, "This is Buddha's blessing." Ouyang Yiming said, "Let me know when you see news about Maoshan Temple being rebuilt." Ouyang Anping agreed. Mao Yuqin then asked about the two children. They then talked about the holidays this year. Ouyang Yiming said, "Liu Yan's parents are staying with me. How about this, I'll go back and talk to them, and we can all just come here for the New Year." Mao Yuqin quickly said, "We need to ask Liu Yan's parents for their opinion. If they have any objections, don't say anything. Of course, it would be better if they were willing. Meizi and her husband are spending the New Year at Xu Hui's mother's house. They called a few days ago and mentioned it." Ouyang Yiming thought for a moment and said, "Then we should definitely come back. How can we let you two elders spend the New Year alone? I'll talk to them when I get back." Mao Yuqin said, "Dongdong came back a few years ago, but he didn't bring his wife. Didn't he tell us a while ago that he got married in a church? But we are Chinese, and we should always have a wedding ceremony at home. I was thinking of talking to him again in a few days to see if he could bring his wife home for the holiday. If he comes back, we can hold a wedding for him. Otherwise, it wouldn't be right. Sigh, I really miss Dongdong." As she spoke, tears streamed down her face. Ouyang Yiming said, "How about this, I'll go back and contact him. If he can get away, let him come back." Mao Yuqin nodded. That evening, Ouyang Yiming spent half the night in the main room talking with the elders. He returned to Jinling early the next morning.

During the Lunar New Year, Ouyang Yiming, along with Liu Yan and their two children, and Liu Yan's parents, and Ouyang Mei, who had also persuaded Xu Hui's parents to bring their children, husbands, and Xu Hui's parents, and Ouyang Dongdong with his foreign wife, all returned to the Ouyang family's old house for the holiday. It was the first time so many people had gathered at the Ouyang family's old house for the New Year; it was arguably the most lively Lunar New Year in the family's history. The happiest person was undoubtedly the old man. During those days, the old man seemed much younger.

On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, Ouyang Dongdong and Mona Beauvoir held a traditional Chinese wedding at the old house. Coinciding with the holiday, the Ouyang family's old house was packed with people, with neighbors coming in droves to watch the spectacle. The Ouyang family once again became the focus of discussion on Xiucai Street.

Shortly after the New Year, Ouyang Yiming acquired 220 mu of land in the Panzhou Development Zone and quickly built a branch factory there. In

March of that year, while inspecting the factory under construction in Panzhou, Ouyang Yiming returned to his old house that evening and saw on television the news that the Panzhou Municipal Government and the Panzhou Buddhist Association had decided to rebuild Maoshan Temple. Master Zhiwu, the president of the Panzhou Buddhist Association, stated on the news that they would invest one million RMB to rebuild Maoshan Temple. For some reason, Ouyang Yiming's heart raced, and he became unusually excited. That night, Ouyang Yiming didn't sleep a wink. The next morning, he went to Panlong Mountain and met with Master Zhiwu, the president of the Buddhist Association.

After exchanging greetings, Master Zhiwu observed him for a moment and said, "Your appearance seems familiar." Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "Perhaps we've met before." Master Zhiwu asked, "Could you elaborate?"

Ouyang Yiming replied, "There's no need to dwell on the past. I am now the general manager of Ouyang Family Vinegar Industry Co., Ltd., with the main factory in Nanjing and a branch factory under construction in our development zone." Master Zhiwu suddenly realized and said, "I said you looked familiar—Ouyang Yiming, the director of the research institute." Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "I used to, but not anymore." He paused and said, "Master, I've come today as a benefactor seeking you out. I hope you won't mistake me for..." "As for the old Ouyang Yiming, I was just a benefactor." Master Zhiwu nodded and said, "What brings you here, benefactor?" Ouyang Yiming said, "Last night I watched TV and was very excited to see that you were going to repair Maoshan Temple. My girlfriend and I went to Maoshan Temple when I was in school, and we've been there many times since. I know Master Huiming very well. I was very sad to hear that he suddenly disappeared a few years ago. He was truly a high-ranking monk. I'm not a Buddhist, but I admire him greatly. My girlfriend is a Buddhist, and her grandmother was an even more devout Buddhist. Unfortunately, my girlfriend passed away when we were about to get married. Before she passed away, she entrusted me with one thing, which was that in the future..." "I want to do my part in the reconstruction of Maoshan Temple, so I've come to you today to fulfill my girlfriend's wish." Master Zhiwu clasped his hands together and chanted, "Amitabha," saying, "Thank you, benefactor."

Ouyang Yiming said, "Please don't associate this with me, and I hope you won't mention me. I plan to donate 200,000 yuan for the reconstruction of Maoshan Temple, but please don't tell anyone it was donated by me, Ouyang Yiming. I also have another request: I hope a white marble statue of Brahma and a swan can be erected in the temple or at its entrance, funded by me. My girlfriend said the swan is..." " Messenger of Brahma, I greatly admire the swan and hope you will consider this. If it's possible, I will show you the sample of the statue soon.

If not, please give me your reply as soon as possible." Master Zhiwu nodded and said, "The design drawings are being prepared, and the statue you mentioned makes sense. We will study it and give you an answer." Ouyang Yiming said, "Thank you, Master. But please don't mention my name when you talk about this. If you must mention my name, then say it's a benefactor named Xu Hui. It's best not to mention it at all." Master Zhiwu said, "I understand, I will try my best not to mention it." Ouyang Yiming then presented his business card. After thanking him, he took his leave, and Master Zhiwu chanted "Amitabha" as he saw him out.

Five days later, Ouyang Yiming received a call from Master Zhiwu in Jinling, saying that his request had been approved, and that in addition to enshrining Brahma in the main hall, a side hall would also be built to enshrine Brahma and the swan. Ouyang Yiming was very excited. He had thought he would be satisfied with being able to do it outdoors, but after thinking for a moment, he said, "In that case, I'll donate another 100,000." Master Zhiwu thanked him. Ouyang Yiming then said that he would return to Panzhou in a few days to deliver the donation.

After hanging up the phone, Ouyang Yiming immediately took out his phone book, found the phone number of a white marble sculpture factory in Xi'an, and described in detail the desired sculpture design. The factory promised to upload the renderings to his computer as soon as the drawings were completed, and the final design would be finalized after Ouyang Yiming's review.

In mid-April, the reconstruction of Maoshan Temple officially began. While digging the foundation, workers discovered a basement, about the size of two rooms, carved into the mountainside. The entrance to the basement was under the bed where the monk Huiming had slept; it was a movable bluestone slab. Pushing the slab revealed stone steps leading outside. The basement was dark. Several excited workers, thinking they had found underground treasure, lit lighters and went down the steps. The first thing they saw was a gilded statue of Brahma, about two meters tall, standing in the center of the basement. Next, they saw a dozen or so hexagonal carved jars arranged side-by-side on the north and east walls. These jars were all glazed coarse porcelain jars, decorated with auspicious dragons and clouds, images of Buddha and Bodhisattvas, and exquisite patterns of swans, landscapes, flowers, and plants. They had lids, each over one meter high and more than seventy centimeters in diameter. Several construction workers asserted that the dozen or so vats must contain a large amount of treasure. Opening the lid of the last hexagonal vat, they were startled by the light from a lighter and saw a monk's body sitting inside. Terrified, they fled the basement. The construction foreman arrived and immediately called 110 (the police emergency number).

Master Zhiwu, having quickly learned of the situation, rushed to Maoshan Temple. Entering the basement, he saw a gilded statue of Brahma and immediately paid his respects. He then examined the opened vat and confirmed that the monk inside was indeed Master Huiming. He quickly ordered the lid to be closed. Immediately afterward, they discovered a larger exit. Master Zhiwu explained that this was the only way to move the statue in and out. Measuring its location, he determined it was outside. He then instructed the workers to dig away about a meter of soil outside, remove a three-meter square stone slab lid, and unearth the approximately two-meter-tall gilded bronze seated statue of Brahma. Master Zhiwu, his eyes filled with tears, looked at the statue and said, "This gilded statue was made during the Yuan Dynasty. It suddenly disappeared in 1906. Later, the main hall was destroyed in war, and after many wars, only these few dilapidated buildings remain of the temple."

Only then did people understand that Master Huiming and his disciples had been guarding this ruined temple all along, their ultimate goal being to protect this statue. Master Zhiwu said, "The several vats in the basement are for the

deceased monks who attained enlightenment through meditation. Inside the vats are the remains of eminent monks who passed away peacefully after achieving perfect merit." He then instructed that the basement should not be disturbed. After watching the workers restore it to its original state, he returned to Panlong Mountain with the truck carrying the statue of Brahma. In early July of that year, Ouyang Ruhan was admitted to the Department of Business Administration at Fudan University.

On the morning of December 2nd of that year (the ninth day of the eleventh lunar month, the birthday of Brahma), the newly renovated Maoshan Temple held a grand opening ceremony. More than ten days before the opening ceremony, Ouyang Yiming received a call from Master Zhiwu. Although Master Zhiwu sincerely invited him to attend the ceremony, Ouyang Yiming politely declined. However, he arrived at Maoshan Temple on the afternoon of the opening day. In a side hall on the west side of the courtyard, a noble swan sculpture standing next to the Brahma King, which he had donated, was enshrined. Many flowers and incense offerings from worshippers had already been placed before the statue, and a steady stream of worshippers continued to arrive, offering incense and flowers, and kneeling in worship. Ouyang Yiming stood in a corner, gazing at the swan for a long time, tears welling in his eyes. He silently murmured, "Xu Hui, I will come to see you often..."

Several stylishly dressed young women walked past him, whispering, "Why is there a swan next to the Buddha statue?" Ouyang Yiming replied, "She is the goddess of purity and holiness." The women looked at him with some surprise. One of them whispered doubtfully, "The goddess of purity?" Then she laughed a few times, turned to the girls around her, and asked, "Which of you is pure?" Pointing at each girl with her finger, she teased them with giggles, "Are you pure? Are you pure?" Then they walked away with a few more low laughs. Ouyang Yiming felt a sudden wave of disappointment and heartache...

The End

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