Nominal: My senior brothers are all big shots

Lin Feng laughed, "Yes, you beat them so badly they were crying for their parents. As a result, their parents came to your door. Your dad—my uncle—chickened a broom and chased you all over the village to beat you up."

"But I'm still not convinced." Qi Tongwei's eyes gleamed. "Now that my uncle is gone, I have to protect you and your mother. Anyone who bullies you, I'll beat them up."

"Later, my master came," Lin Feng said.

"Yes, that summer was exceptionally hot," Qi Tongwei recalled. "An old Taoist priest in a tattered robe passed through the village, asking for a drink of water. When he saw you lying on a bamboo chair, struggling to breathe, he stopped and took your pulse."

Lin Feng continued, "He said that if this child stays with me, there's still hope. If he stays with you, he won't live more than three years."

"At the time, everyone in the village said he was a fraud," Qi Tongwei said. "But your mother believed him. She said that even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance, she had to try."

"So I followed my master up the mountain." Lin Feng gazed at the Taoist temple that was faintly visible on the distant mountain peak, "and stayed there for five years."

Qi Fugui then walked over. "Speaking of Master Xuanzhenzi, he's a true master. He came back to visit once last year; he was in excellent health and looked to be only in his fifties. But if you calculate his age, he must be over a hundred, right?"

"One hundred and eight," Lin Feng said accurately.

"Still traveling around?" Qi Tongwei asked.

"Yes, he's in Zhongnan Mountain now," Lin Feng said. "He said he wants to find a blessed place to build a temple and pass on our lineage."

The three began their descent down the mountain. The setting sun cast long shadows of the three of them.

"By the way, Xiaofeng," Qi Tongwei suddenly asked, "what exactly does your company, Yuntu Technology, do? I've heard that many companies are using your... system?"

Lin Feng explained, "It mainly focuses on enterprise-level software services. We've developed an intelligent office platform that integrates modules such as project management, customer relationship management, and human resource management. Its biggest features are high customization and data security."

Qi Fugui was completely confused, but still gave a thumbs up, "I don't understand, but it must be amazing!"

Qi Tongwei understood about 70-80% of what he said. "So even if you do nothing, you can still collect hundreds of millions in patent fees every year?"

"Pretty much," Lin Feng didn't deny it. "But money isn't the most important thing. What's important is that the platform we've built is helping thousands of companies improve efficiency. Last year, the average operating costs of Yuntu Technology's clients decreased by 15%, and work efficiency increased by 20%."

"This is a remarkable achievement," Qi Tongwei said sincerely.

By the time they returned to the village, it was already dark. Qi Fugui's courtyard was brightly lit, with three tables set up.

"We're all from the village. We heard you were back and insisted on coming to see you," Qi Fugui said somewhat embarrassedly.

"Uncle Fugui, it's alright." Qi Tongwei waved his hand. "We're all fellow villagers, it's nothing."

The courtyard was full of people, men, women, and children. When they saw Qi Tongwei and Lin Feng enter, everyone stood up.

"Sit down, everyone sit down," Qi Tongwei gestured for everyone not to be shy.

But the villagers waited for them to sit down first before daring to sit down themselves. Lin Feng noticed that two seats had been left at the main table, clearly for them.

The meal was plentiful, with chicken, duck, fish, and meat all available, as well as several wild game dishes from the mountains. The wine was homemade rice wine, mellow and sweet.

As the village chief, Qi Fugui took the lead in raising his glass, "Come, let's toast Tongwei and Xiaofeng together. One is the pride of our Qi Family Village, and the other is a good child we've watched grow up. Now they've both made something of themselves!"

Everyone raised their glasses. Qi Tongwei and Lin Feng also stood up and drank it all in one gulp.

After a few drinks, the atmosphere gradually became more lively.

A woman in her fifties placed a piece of chicken on Lin Feng's plate. "Little Feng, do you remember me? I used to feed you medicine when you were little!"

"I remember, Aunt Guihua," Lin Feng said with a smile, "Every time you fed me my medicine, you would secretly slip me a piece of rock candy."

"Oh my, this child has such a good memory!" Aunt Guihua smiled from ear to ear.

An elderly man with a goatee walked over, holding a wine glass. "Tongwei, my grandson is graduating from police academy this year. As for job assignments..."

Qi Tongwei remained calm and said, "Third Grandfather, nowadays everything is assigned uniformly based on performance and results. Just tell your grandson to work hard; gold will always shine."

The old man was somewhat disappointed, but he still nodded, "Yes, yes, we have to rely on ourselves, we have to rely on ourselves."

Seeing this scene, Lin Feng understood that this was Qi Tongwei's current predicament—every move he made was being watched, and every word he uttered could be interpreted in various ways.

After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation naturally turned to Lin Feng.

"Xiao Feng, what rank are you in the army now?" a young man asked curiously.

"I've already retired," Lin Feng said.

"Retired? What a pity," the young man said. "I wanted to join the army last year, but I failed the physical exam."

Qi Fugui asked, "So what are you going to do now? Go back to Beijing to help your mother manage the company?"

"It's not decided yet," Lin Feng said vaguely. "I might stay in Handong for a while first."

Qi Tongwei chimed in, "Xiao Feng is a talented person; he'll shine wherever he goes."

At this moment, an elderly man with gray hair stood up shakily, "Tongwei, Xiaofeng, on behalf of the elders in the village, I would like to toast you."

The two of them quickly stood up.

The old man continued, "Our Qijia Village used to be the poorest village in the surrounding area. Now the roads are paved, schools have been built, and we have running water. These changes are all thanks to your help. Especially Xiuyun's donation of one million yuan for road repairs..."

The old man's voice choked with emotion, "We old bones can still walk on cement roads in our lifetime, and we can die in peace."

The courtyard fell silent. Several elderly people were wiping away tears.

Qi Tongwei raised his glass. "Second Grandfather, what you're saying is true. Qijia Village is our root. It's only right that we do something for our hometown."

"Yes, that's right," Lin Feng replied.

The drinking lasted until after 9 p.m. The villagers gradually dispersed, leaving only Qi Fugui's family, Qi Tongwei, and Lin Feng in the courtyard.

Qi Fugui's daughter-in-law served hot tea. Qi Fugui lit a cigarette, looked at Lin Feng, and asked, "Xiao Feng, how long are you planning to stay this time?"

"It depends," Lin Feng said. "It could be a month or two, or it could take longer."

"And what about your mother's side...?"

"The company has a professional team, and my mother mainly focuses on guiding the overall direction," Lin Feng said.

Qi Fugui smiled and said, "That's good. I've come back to visit this time. If there's anything the village can help with, just let me know. Although our Qi Family Village is poor, we are united."

After chatting for a while longer, Qi Tongwei and Lin Feng got up to say goodbye.

Walking back to the old house, the night sky was dotted with stars. The mountain village was exceptionally quiet at night, with only the occasional bark of a dog and the chirping of insects.