My 1995 Small Farm.

The more Yang Yongjie spoke, the more incredulous his expression became, as if he had been punched in the face.

His mouth was slightly open, his eyes were wide open, and his gold-rimmed glasses had slipped down to the middle of his nose.

He stared intently at Chen Ling, as if trying to find even the slightest trace of that remote, impoverished place in Chen Ling's calm and handsome face.

"You...you're really from Chenwangzhuang?"

Yang Yongjie's voice trembled. He subconsciously adjusted his glasses, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice.

He carefully examined Chen Ling.

"Impossible... How could this be? Lingyun County, Changle Township, Chenwangzhuang..."

"That place is a remote, mountainous area where you hardly ever see any cash. People toil in the fields for a living, and their minds are as hard and outdated as stone!"

"So many people never even leave their county town in their entire lives! How could... how could someone like you exist?"

Yang Yongjie's gaze swept over Chen Ling's well-tailored suit and his calm and confident face.

He glanced again at Leung Yuet-man, who stood beside him with an extraordinary air and was clearly an elite of Hong Kong Island, and shook his head vigorously.

It seemed that the fact that Chen Ling came from Chenwangzhuang was even more unacceptable to him than the divorce agreement in front of him.

In his preconceived notion, the impoverished rural area that buried his youth and which he desperately wanted to escape was a completely different world from the composed and successful young man before him.

Chen Ling looked at his distraught state and felt little emotion, only a sense of pity.

He waved his hand lightly and said in a calm tone, "Yang Yongjie, whether I am from Chenwangzhuang or not is not important. What is important is that I am doing this for someone who entrusted me with this task."

"Qiu Mei doesn't want to bring up the past, who was right and who was wrong, and we outsiders have no interest in judging."

He pushed the envelope on the table forward another half inch, lightly tapped the kraft paper with his fingertip, making a soft "tap" sound, which seemed to strike Yang Yongjie's heart.

"This is the divorce agreement that Qiu Mei has signed."

"She just wants you to sign it, put your fingerprint on it, and write a statement agreeing to the divorce, two copies, clear and clean."

"This matter is now completely resolved."

"It's good for you, and good for her."

Chen Ling stared calmly at Yang Yongjie, without coercion or mockery, only with the composure of someone who had just completed a task.

"Hurry up and sign the document, put your fingerprint on it, and finish writing the consent form. Then we can consider our mission accomplished."

"As for the rest... from now on, you can go your separate ways and have nothing to do with each other."

Liang Yuemin, who was sitting next to him, was already getting impatient. He leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, and took over the conversation with a hint of business acumen: "Mr. Yang, we're all sensible people, let's speak frankly."

"Our purpose in coming here is not to cooperate on business, but mainly to help our friend resolve this matter."

"Qiu Mei has had a tough time these past few years. You can't take advantage of her and then act innocent, making her wait here in vain."

He glanced at the two burly men behind Yang Yongjie, who were looking at him warily, and sneered: "What? Do you want to be like some Hong Kong and Taiwan bosses, playing the game of keeping the red flag flying at home while having colorful flags flying outside?"

"He keeps his original wife in the mainland, and then lives off a rich woman here, trying to have his cake and eat it too?"

"Let me tell you, Yang Yongjie, there's no such thing as a free lunch!"

"Qiu Mei has done more than enough; she didn't hold you responsible for leaving back then. Now she only wants her freedom. If you have any conscience at all, you shouldn't keep dragging her along!"

Liang Yuemin's words came like a whip, showing no mercy.

Yang Yongjie's face turned pale and then flushed, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

He instinctively reached for his glasses, but his hand fell limply halfway down.

He opened his mouth, as if to explain something, but in the end it turned into a long sigh filled with exhaustion and helplessness.

"Ugh……"

Yang Yongjie leaned back heavily in his chair, as if all his strength had been drained. The shrewdness and competence he had deliberately cultivated earlier vanished instantly, revealing a deep weariness and a hint of barely perceptible fear beneath.

“Mr. Liang, Mr. Chen… Mr. Chen,”

He changed his words, his voice low and hoarse, "You...you've misunderstood. No matter how despicable I, Yang Yongjie, am, I never intended to have my cake and eat it too, and I have no face...no face to keep Qiu Mei waiting for me."

He forced a bitter smile, a smile more painful than a grimace: "Do you really think I want a divorce? More than anyone, I want a peaceful life! But... but some things are beyond my control!"

He raised his head, his eyes filled with an almost desperate honesty, and looked at Chen Ling and Liang Yuemin: "The Su Lizhen you're talking about... yes, I'm relying on her. But do you know what I am in her eyes?"

Yang Yongjie pointed to himself, a bleak smile tugging at the corners of his mouth: "I'm not her boyfriend or business partner at all! I'm just her pet dog!"

"A dog that's relatively obedient, can be taken out occasionally to impress others, and can even help her have a son!"

"You might think I'm very successful, but what does a woman like her need a son for..."

"But that's just how people think here."

"She needs a son to inherit her fortune..."

"I am just a slave."

Upon hearing this, both Chen Ling and Liang Yuemin frowned slightly.

Although I had expected it, hearing Yang Yongjie say it himself still sounded rather jarring.

Chen Ling, in particular, felt even more disgusted with the woman named Su Lizhen after thinking about Shen Jiayi's experience.

Yang Yongjie seemed to have opened up, pouring out his long-suppressed grievances and fears: "Her desire to control is terrifying! I'm nominally the manager of the company, but in reality, the finance and human resources departments are all her people!"

"She wants to know exactly who I meet every day, what I say, and where I go!"

He glanced subconsciously toward the entrance of the coffee shop, lowered his voice, and said with lingering fear, "In the first two years, I tried to contact my hometown in the mainland every now and then, wanting to send a letter to Qiu Mei and send some money."

"I don't know how she found out, but that very night... sigh, she almost drove me crazy."

"She treats me like a thief! She's terrified I'll save up some money and run back to the mainland!"

"If you hadn't used the 'Wealthy Manor' cooperation as a pretext, and if the middleman hadn't been influential, she would never have let me out to see you!"

He pointed to his shirt: "See? Even the color of my clothes and underwear has to be approved by her!"

"I'm in a dilemma now. I can't run away, but if I stay, I'm not living like a human being... I regret it!"

"I was completely blinded by greed back then, thinking that climbing the social ladder would lead to great success. Who knew I would jump into a fire pit!"

Chen Ling and Liang Yuemin listened quietly without interrupting him.

Judging from Yang Yongjie's genuine emotions, it doesn't seem like he's acting at all.

If what he said is true, then this guy is indeed pathetic.

He was kept by a wealthy woman with an extremely controlling nature, losing his freedom and dignity. He seemed glamorous, but in reality, he was like a prisoner.

"So you're not afraid now?"

Liang Yuemin's curiosity was piqued, and he gestured towards the bodyguards behind him. Yang Yongjie smiled wryly and said, "These bodyguards are now considered my men. I spent a lot of money to hire them before, otherwise I wouldn't have only sent Qiu Mei such a small amount of money each time."

"Gentlemen, if you could do me a favor, please help this fellow villager escape this misery...?"

"I can't help." Chen Ling refused decisively, leaving no room for negotiation.

"You are where you are today because of your own choices, it has nothing to do with us."

“You have to bear the consequences of your current situation, but Qiu Mei shouldn’t have to pay for your mistakes. Stop talking nonsense and sign the document quickly. Don’t waste our time.”

Liang Yuemin's face also turned cold: "Yang Yongjie, let's be frank. You have to sign this document today, whether you like it or not. You're afraid of Su Lizhen, but aren't you afraid of us?"

“Su Lizhen may have some influence here, but our ‘Fugui Manor’ is not a pushover.”

"If you handle things well, we might still consider it because we're from the same hometown, and maybe even leave you a way out if necessary in the future."

"If you insist on refusing a toast, you'll have to suffer the consequences..."

Liang Yuemin didn't finish his sentence, but the threat was obvious.

The several tall and burly security personnel he brought, though standing at a distance, constantly glanced over, putting immense pressure on Yang Yongjie.

Looking at the two people in front of him who wouldn't budge no matter what, and thinking of Su Lizhen's terrifying methods, Yang Yongjie felt his scalp tingle and his kidneys ache slightly.

He slumped in his chair, torn between his inner turmoil and his own conscience.

On one side is Su Lizhen, who has long held sway and is ruthless; on the other side are Chen Ling and Liang Yuemin, who have mysterious backgrounds, a tough attitude, and are in the right.

He can't afford to offend either side.

Ultimately, the fear of the impending crisis, perhaps a deep sense of guilt towards Qin Qiumei, and a sliver of hope for the slim "escape route" that "Fugui Manor" might offer, led him to make his choice.

He seemed to have all his strength drained away, and said in a trembling voice, "...I'll sign...I'll sign, okay?"

Chen Ling gave Liang Yuemin a wink, and Liang Yuemin immediately took out a pen, inkpad, and a blank sheet of paper that he had prepared beforehand from his briefcase.

With trembling hands, Yang Yongjie picked up the pen, almost closed his eyes, signed his name on the divorce agreement, and pressed his red fingerprint on it.

Then, based on Liang Yuemin's dictation, he wrote a simple statement of consent to divorce, indicating that he voluntarily agreed to the divorce and had no objections to issues such as property division.

After writing all this, he collapsed into a chair, looking completely exhausted, his face ashen.

Chen Ling carefully checked the document and signature, confirmed that everything was correct, and then carefully put it away.

He looked at the distraught Yang Yongjie and softened his tone slightly: "Yang Yongjie, wouldn't it have been better to do this earlier? You did at least do something decent."

After saying that, Chen Ling and Liang Yuemin didn't look at the dejected Yang Yongjie again and got up to leave the coffee shop.

The whole process was clean and efficient, without any unnecessary delays.

Stepping out of the hotel, the scorching Shenzhen sun hit me in the face.

Liang Yuemin breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, "Fugui, you did a great job! I didn't expect that guy surnamed Yang to be such a coward, completely controlled by a woman."

Chen Ling shook his head: "He's a pitiful man, but there's always a reason why someone is pitiful. If he hadn't been greedy for wealth and abandoned his wife who had shared his hardships, he wouldn't be where he is today."

"I just hope that once Sister Qiumei gets this, she can truly start a new life."

"Yes, at least we can finally give Director Qin an explanation."

Liang Yuemin nodded and smiled slightly. He hadn't expected things to turn out this way before he came.

"Let's go, Brother Yuemin. Now that we've finished our business, let's head back to Hong Kong Island. It's too hot in Shenzhen. It's much more comfortable to go back to our new home."

"While I'm at it, I'll think about when I can go for a walk in the mountains sometime soon."

"Otherwise, if we don't have the chance this time, we'll have to wait until next time..."

Chen Ling rubbed his hands together, feeling quite expectant.

He even considered that if he couldn't figure it out, he could sneak into the mountains on his own.

"Alright, whatever you say. I was originally thinking of finding a place to have lunch, see if there are any new things to bring back for my sister-in-law and the kids, and then head back home."

"Since you want to go back as soon as possible, let's go back and eat there. Shenzhen is developing really fast these days. Let's come back and explore again next time."

Liang Yuemin smiled and agreed.

Indeed, Shenzhen Stock Exchange is currently in a phase of rapid development.

It really changes every year.

"Next time, I'm mainly worried about home. Little Blue Horse is being naughty..."

"Otherwise, staying a few more days wouldn't be a problem."

"Hahaha, your horse is indeed... like I said, you should find a suitable companion soon."

Stepping out of the hotel, one is greeted by towering cranes, the roar of pile drivers, and a mix of brand-new glass-walled buildings and low-rise old factory buildings.

This creates a vibrant and contradictory picture.

When we arrived at the seaside and boarded the boat, the air was still filled with the unique smell of dust, cement, and diesel fuel.

Even the moisture from the sea couldn't mask the pungent smell.

"Look at this! It's changing every single day!"

Looking at the scene, Liang Yuemin sighed, "When I came here a few years ago, this area was mostly farmland and villages. Now I can hardly recognize it."

Chen Ling nodded silently, his heart also filled with turbulent emotions.

He understands better than people of this era what earth-shaking changes this land will undergo in the next twenty years.

Its development speed is nothing short of a miracle in human history.

"This is truly a hotbed for investment..."

Chen Ling thought to himself, "Buying a few plots of land and a few shops here now, or even just ordinary residential properties, could yield a return that is probably more astonishing than that of luxury homes in the Mid-Levels of Hong Kong Island."

He recalled the legendary stories he had heard about Shenzhen real estate in his previous life, where properties bought for a few thousand yuan per square meter could increase tenfold or even dozens of times in value within a few years, which he believed to be true.

"Next time."

Chen Ling thought to himself, "Once things stabilize in Hong Kong and I have more funds on hand, I must make a special trip to Shenzhen to investigate."

"We don't need much. Just a few promising shops or well-located residences in the core areas of Luohu or Futian will be enough to save up for our children's future."

"We could even... team up with Brother Yuemin to start a small investment company, specializing in acquiring promising urban redevelopment projects or properties with appreciation potential..."

Once the idea took root in Chen Ling's mind, it became firmly established.

He knew that this was the real lever that could unlock enormous wealth.

However, right now, it's more important to deal with the affairs on Hong Kong Island and the "mischievous kids" at home. (End of Chapter)