Road to Revival

The phone rang, interrupting Tang Yikun's thoughts. After glancing at the number, Tang Yikun answered the call.

"Hmm, hmm." He didn't speak, just kept making "hmm" sounds. Marin knew it must be a big shot in the government calling; Boss Tang wouldn't treat anyone else like that.

"Don't worry, old classmate, this matter will be handled well. Didn't you say Tao Tang is going back to Red Star to be the top leader? I'm planning to invite him to dinner on Saturday night. Yes, let's have it at the clubhouse, it's quieter there. Yes, that's what I mean. If it's convenient for you, come along too. What? You're sure? Okay, don't worry, I definitely won't cause you any trouble."

After ending the call, Tang Yikun said to Ma Lin, "Go to Yuehe."

Upon hearing the name "Yuehe," Ma Lin knew that Boss Tang was truly troubled. The caller must have been Vice Mayor Zhou Hongyou, otherwise Boss Tang wouldn't have addressed him as an old classmate. Zhou Hongyou was undoubtedly referring to the Huajin Road incident, and the boss, as always, assured him that he would resolve the matter.

What good solution is there? It's just a matter of paying money to avoid trouble.

"Yuehe" is a synonym for Binhe Community because the community is right next to Yuehe River, and Boss Tang always uses Yuehe as a substitute.

There is another home of Tang Yikun in Binhe Community, where his "second wife" Dai Tianxiang lives. No more than ten people in the entire group know this secret, and Ma Lin is one of them.

Marin drove his boss all the way to the villa where Dai Tianxiang lived before leaving.

Twenty-nine-year-old Dai Tianxiang was considered a beauty of unparalleled grace. Of course, everyone has their own standards of beauty, and perhaps to the average person Dai Tianxiang seemed a little plump, but Tang Yikun preferred the full-figured charm she displayed after giving birth. After Dai Tianxiang gave birth to his son, Tang Yikun, while at the Pingquan headquarters, spent at least half of each month staying overnight at the Binhe residential area.

Dai Tianxiang didn't expect Tang Yikun to come over so late.

"Where's Bao'er?"

"He's asleep. Don't wake him... Has he eaten yet?"

"I'll just take a look..." Tang Yikun knew that, in terms of his feelings for Dai Tianxiang, his love for the child was more effective.

The child was indeed beautiful. His sleeping son brought Tang Yikun a sense of peace. He leaned down and gazed at his son sleeping in the crib.

"I'm starting to look more and more like you..." Tang Yikun murmured.

"I think it's more like you. Aunt Wang thinks so too."

"No, he still looks like you. Look at his nose, it's exactly the same as yours... It's good that he looks like you, it would be terrible if he looked like me." Tang Yikun gently kissed the child's delicate face, left the room, and turned off the light.

"Would you like to take a bath?"

"Of course, I'm exhausted..."

"I'm going to run the toilet, you go change your clothes."

Tang Yikun liked this woman, not only for her beauty, nor only because she had borne him a lovely son, but even more so for her gentle nature. Since being with him, she had never asked him for anything, never. Unlike Wei Fengru, who was always jealous and veiled in her criticisms, and unlike Lan Ni, who always revealed her ambition and endless desires. In this exquisite villa, he increasingly felt at home.

Tang Yikun lay in the enormous bathtub, comparing his three stable relationships with women. For at least three years, his women had remained fixed at three, with no new additions. Wei Fengru was his legal wife and second wife, who had borne him a son and a daughter. Dai Tianxiang had briefly served as his secretary; since he had taken her to his bed, she had disappeared from the public eye, becoming a caged bird in his possession. As for Lan Ni, she was a singer he had taken in three years ago, and she was still active on stage. Thanks to his strong support, Lan Ni's fame was rising daily, and she was gradually becoming a top star.

"I heated up some porridge for you, and this is what I had left over from tonight... Let me rub your back for you..." Dai Tianxiang appeared silently in the bathroom.

"Come in and soak in the water together..." The woman's alluring body beneath her semi-transparent nightgown aroused him.

"No... Behave yourself, let me scrub your back... Ouch..." Water splashed everywhere as he pulled the woman into the bathtub. Her wet pajamas were tossed onto the light-colored wooden floor, revealing the exquisite body he had admired countless times.

Half an hour later, Tang Yikun carried the woman, who was wrapped in a bath towel, back to the bedroom. The child was still fast asleep.

"Are you having some troubles?" Dai Tianxiang drew circles on the man's chest with her scallion-like fingers.

"I'm always having worries, nothing serious, I'm used to it." Tang Yikun stared at the naked woman. Since she left the company, he had never talked to her about business.

"You can never earn enough money... You're just too tired. Oh, the porridge is all burnt... It's all your fault." The woman scolded, got up, wiped herself off haphazardly, took another nightgown from the bedroom closet, put it on, and went to the small kitchen.

Tang Yikun sat up, took out a cigar from the bedside table, and lit it with a special match.

"Have some porridge... Don't smoke, it's choking..." Dai Tianxiang snatched the cigar from Tang Yikun's hand and carefully stubbed it out in the ashtray. "I have something to tell you..."

"Hmm?" Tang Yikun gently stirred the porridge with a spoon, looking at Dai Tianxiang.

"My mother is sick, and I want to go back to Hangzhou."

"Is it serious? What happened?"

"It's nothing serious, I just had a minor surgery for appendicitis."

"What should we do, Bao'er?"

"I want to take him back."

"Okay." Tang Yikun agreed after a moment's thought. "I was supposed to go back with you. But I've been busy with some things lately, I'm sorry... I'll make some arrangements." Tang Yikun thought for a moment, "I'll have Ma Lin drive you back. It's a bit of a journey, but I'm worried about you traveling alone."

"Can I leave tomorrow?"

"Okay. I'll leave a little later, while I prepare some gifts."

"No need. If I leave early, I should be home by tonight. I'm a little worried..."

"Alright, I'll let Ma Lin know." Tang Yikun picked up Dai Tianxiang's phone from the bedside table and dialed Ma Lin's number.

Dai Tianxiang turned off the light and nestled in the man's arms. "Sleep, don't think about anything, just sleep." The man's attitude pleased her, even though she knew that his promise to accompany her home was just a comforting word.

Perhaps relieved of her worries, Dai Tianxiang quickly fell asleep.

Tang Yikun couldn't sleep. After the woman fell asleep, he quietly got up and went to another guest room. He lit a cigarette and leaned against the headboard, lost in thought.

Now, Tang Yikun was thinking about Dai Tianxiang and his son. He'd been considering this ever since Dai Tianxiang gave birth to Bao'er. He certainly couldn't use the same methods he'd used in similar situations before, because he loved his adorable son. Perhaps it was because he had a child late in life, but he found that his love for Bao'er surpassed that for Tang Tian and Tang Tian. Those were the children born to his legal wife, Wei Fengru; their eldest son, Tang Tian, ​​was sixteen, and their daughter, Tang Tian, ​​was fourteen. He had placed boundless hopes on his eldest son; the Donghu Empire he had built (he forbade those around him to use the term "empire" for his business group, but privately he greatly admired it) would ultimately be handed over to him. He owned 63% of Donghu Industrial, an astronomical sum in net assets—wealth he couldn't take to his grave; it had to be passed on to his heir.

Before Bao'er came along, he was lost. He was increasingly disappointed in Tang Tian, ​​even though he was still an innocent and naive boy. Tang Tian wasn't a spoiled brat in the traditional sense; on the contrary, considering his family background, he was a rare good child—polite, studious, and highly praised by relatives and friends. But he was still dissatisfied because he found his eldest son to be too kind.

For most people, kindness is a virtue. But for the Crown Prince of the Donghu Empire, kindness is a serious flaw! Tang Yikun rarely watches television, much less movies. He only watches Animal World, where the constant struggle for survival on the East African savanna always stirs his emotions. Tang Tian actually cursed lions for killing antelopes—isn't that absurd? What if lions don't hunt antelopes? Do they starve to death? For the Crown Prince of the Donghu Empire to utter such foolish words is simply unforgivable.

In Tang Yikun's view, the East African savanna is a microcosm of human society. Humans and animals are not so different; a strong male lion can possess vast territories and a large number of lionesses to breed with. Battles constantly rage among male lions for lionesses and territory. The victorious male lion will not hesitate to kill the cubs of other male lions and take their mothers. There is no room for sentimentality in the male lion's world; defeat means death. They may be killed by an even stronger male lion or starve to death after losing their territory.

In Tang Yikun's view, this is fair, at least fairer than human society which is shrouded in masks, and it's also simple.

That day, he asked Tang Tian, ​​"Why don't you think that lions will starve to death if they can't hunt prey?" Tang Tian actually said, "Animals as cruel as lions should be completely extinct."

He was genuinely angry: "Have you heard of ecosystems? Have you heard of food chains? I see you have a book called 'Wolf Totem' on your bookshelf, have you read it? Take the steppe wolf as an example. Without wolves, wild rabbits would proliferate and destroy the grasslands. Isn't that a valid point?"

My son actually said: There are no wolves on the grassland now, but the grassland still exists.

Is that the grassland? Is there still the beautiful scene of cattle and sheep grazing amidst the swaying grass? Do you know why? Humanity has become too arrogant, and this arrogance has destroyed the grassland! Didn't you understand the last few paragraphs of *Wolf Totem*? Let me tell you, the cruelty of the human world far surpasses that of the animal kingdom. There are hierarchies among humans. Some are rule-makers; they create rules for others to follow, but they themselves can freely violate those rules. Others are the opposite; they can only abide by the rules set by others, with no room for negotiation, and if they violate them, they will be severely punished. Would you rather be the former or the latter? Me? Let me tell you, I am not a rule-maker. Although I possess immense wealth, I still must abide by the core rules, but I don't need to follow the general rules. For example? You drive my car out and run red lights on any street in Pingquan City. As long as you don't kill anyone, see if anyone will stop you!

How could this be? Why is no one taking action?

Because they recognize my car. Do you think just anyone can put that license plate on? Actually, the car itself isn't important; the key is the owner. They know that if they catch that car violating traffic rules, I'll have to pay a fine too. But the story doesn't end there. All they can punish me with are points and fines. But I can give them much more. If they're happy, I can donate dozens of cars to them; if they're unhappy, I can remove their jobs or expel them from the police force. Tell me, if you were in their shoes, would you easily fine that car?

You're not the police chief.

But I know the police chief! I even know the person who manages the police chief.

Why kick someone out if they're perfectly fine? Isn't that bullying?

Son, there are only two kinds of people in the world who are without problems: newborn babies and the dead.

That's bullying.

I'm just using an analogy. I wouldn't let my driver deliberately break the rules, because that wouldn't be good for me either. I'm just telling you a truth: you can avoid making mistakes, but you must have the ability to correct them. Just like a lion can squint and watch an antelope grazing nearby, would the antelope dare to?

He remembered his son's innocent yet terrified eyes.

How could someone like that be allowed to take over his job? It's obvious what the outcome would be if Donghu were handed over to him! Originally, he planned to tell his son the story of Donghu's rise at the appropriate time, but he hesitated. He was afraid that his son wouldn't be able to handle it, and that in the end, even the father-son relationship would be completely destroyed.

Was this why he allowed Dai Tianxiang to give birth to Bao'er? He hadn't thought about it carefully. He had ordered several women to abort the children he had conceived; they dared not disobey, knowing the consequences of disobeying his orders. But when Dai Tianxiang said she was pregnant, he gently reminded her to take care of her health, never suggesting an abortion. Was it because of Dai Tianxiang's beauty? No, he had seen and possessed women more beautiful than her. Was it because he wanted more options? He didn't remember considering that; perhaps it was the woman's gentleness that moved him.

Gentleness and obedience are a woman's sharpest weapon, but not a man's.

Would Bao'er's personality resemble his own? He didn't know. But he remembered the stories Qi Zhen had told him about the early Tang Dynasty. Li Shimin was undoubtedly a great ruler, yet he couldn't handle the issue of succession. He once said that Prince Wu, Li Ke, resembled himself, but he couldn't bring himself to change the crown prince. After deposing his eldest son, Li Chengqian, Li Shimin was constantly troubled by the choice of successor. In the end, he ordered Li Ke's death and chose his eldest son, Li Zhi. The court and the public were jubilant, and Li Shimin himself was complacent, thinking of his excellent son and daughter-in-law… But what was the result? Li Shimin's descendants were almost completely slaughtered! Even Changsun Wuji, who strongly supported Li Zhi's succession, died at the hands of Wu Zetian. In his eyes, it wasn't Wu Zetian who killed Changsun Wuji, but rather his own nephew, Li Zhi!

If Li Ke had succeeded to the throne, would the story of Wu Zetian usurping the Tang dynasty have happened?

Because of Qi Zhen's account, he secretly bought and read the history books of the early Tang Dynasty, and the various records made him sweat profusely.

No one understood Emperor Taizong's predicament and his difficulties. To the world, Li Shimin was an emperor on horseback, commanding armies to conquer all sides, and his decisions on matters of life and death were ruthless. Yet, he was constrained by others when it came to the issue of succession. Being an emperor is indeed difficult.

Was it easy for him? He didn't know if Wei Fengru knew about Bao'er's existence. Secrets are meant to be discovered; he didn't dream of keeping secrets forever. Nor would he. If he handed over power to Bao'er twenty years later (he believed he could easily serve for another twenty years), would the transition be smooth? Difficult! He admitted that the "relatives-in-law faction," represented by Wei Fengru and Wei Shegang, would absolutely oppose it to the death. Even his own relatives and subordinates might not agree.

Wei Fengru knew he had another woman. She had already accepted it, but she would never hand over control of Donghu to a bastard.

He was now annoyed with Wei Fengru and didn't want to see her, even though she still maintained a good appearance and figure. The current Wei Fengru was like a drawn blade, gleaming coldly and exuding a menacing aura. But when he first met her, she possessed beauty and gentleness no less than Dai Tianxiang. If not, why would he have abandoned his wife of less than two years, defying his family's unanimous opposition to marry Wei Fengru? That woman not only brought him the funds he desperately needed but also demonstrated extraordinary abilities. He acknowledged that Wei Fengru was not only his wife but also a hero of the Donghu Empire.

Therefore, after deciding that Dai Tianxiang would give birth to the child, he strictly forbade her from participating in any company affairs. To date, Dai Tianxiang has strictly adhered to his rules and has not violated them in any way.

He felt apologetic. Dai Tianxiang also had parents; she wasn't born out of wedlock. But he had never met her parents or family. He didn't even know how Dai Tianxiang would face her parents. Now she was going home with her one-and-a-half-year-old son; how would she explain the fact that she had a child out of wedlock to her parents? He didn't ask, and thus authorized her to proceed.