I feel right at home in the world of the courtyard house.

Li Shuo had been quietly staying in a secluded corner, watching TV with Wei Jialing. Seeing Li Jing'an angry about his sister, he wanted to speak up to make his presence known, to show he was staying home and not out fooling around, hoping for praise. But as soon as he spoke, Li Jing'an snapped at him.

Just when Li Jing'an had nowhere to vent his anger, a target appeared right away, and Li Jing'an was not going to let this opportunity pass.

"How old are you? Still just loafing around at home? We spent money to send you to university abroad, and you come back and do absolutely nothing. All you do is flirt with cats and dogs, chase after women, and hang out with a bunch of shady friends all day long. What good are you?"

Li Shuo's face fell immediately after Li Jing'an's rebuke, and he replied in a low voice, "I said I wanted to start a business and open a company, but you didn't give me any money. How can you blame me for that?"

Li Shuo's quiet rebuttal did not escape Li Jing'an's ears.

"You, looking like a complete idiot, want to start a business? You don't even deserve to talk about starting a business! With your IQ, you'd be selling yourself out and you'd still be counting the money for the seller. Even if I threw my money down the drain, I'd at least hear a thud. Give it to you? I wouldn't even get a fart in return."

Li Jing'an bluntly stated, "You just stay home obediently for two days, and wait for me to return from Southeast Asia before coming back to the mainland with me."

"Mainland China?" Wei Jialing and Li Shuo both looked at Li Jing'an.

"What? You're leaving again after just getting back?" Wei Jialing asked, frowning.

"What can I do if I don't leave? Look at our family's expenses—we bought two houses in Repulse Bay, but you complained that it was like the countryside and didn't want to live there; and now we bought this apartment in the Central and Western District. All the money I've painstakingly saved over the years has been spent on houses, hasn't it? If I don't go back and find a way to make some money, how are you going to survive?" Li Jing'an retorted in an unfriendly tone.

In previous years, Li Jing'an, under the guise of overseas inspections, gradually transferred his assets from the mainland, selling off his accumulated precious metals bit by bit, and obtaining nearly 30 million Hong Kong dollars. Originally, Li Jing'an planned to first buy two adjacent detached villas in Repulse Bay, spending nearly 16 million, then demolish them and combine them into one. However, Wei Jialing and her group, not wanting to stray too far from the glitz and glamour, also bought this high-rise apartment in the Mid-Levels of the Central and Western District. It's over 200 square meters, and was purchased for 8 million a couple of years ago during the Sino-British negotiations and the subsequent property market crash.

Li Jing'an sighed, lamenting that he hadn't arrived at the right time. If he had arrived two thousand years from now, he could have built several buildings here, let alone these few houses. What a pity.

"Dad, can I not go back?" Li Shuo asked, looking worried. "Everyone's leaving these days, how can I go back? Besides, what would I do if I went back?"

He really didn't want to go back. Like his mother, he was captivated by Hong Kong's glitz and glamour. What entertainment options were there on the mainland? He couldn't bear to leave Hong Kong, his cronies, or the girls in the nightclubs.

"What are you doing here? Just loafing around and waiting to die? Besides wasting money and causing me trouble, what worthwhile things can you do here?"

"Then what should I do when I get back?" Li Shuo asked with a pained expression.

"With your lazy and clueless attitude, all you're good for is fooling around, hanging out with shady friends, and picking up girls. You're a complete waste of space in Hong Kong. I've got your plan—you could go back and become an official; that would be a good fit for your profession."

"To become an official?" Wei Jialing and Li Shuo asked at the same time.

"Yes. Your Uncle Gao isn't young anymore, and we don't know how long he can stay. Let's take advantage of this time and get him to get you in under the guise of a high-level talent returning from overseas, just to secure a spot for you. That way, we can also utilize the connections I've built up before, so they won't go to waste. After working in the ministry for a couple of years to gain some experience, you can either become a manager in a directly affiliated enterprise under the metallurgical system or transfer to the local government."

"Dad, really? You really want me to go back?" Li Shuo was stunned when he heard that Li Jing'an had already arranged his future. He still wanted to try to persuade him, "Dad, what good would it do me to go back and become an official? The salary would be so low, not even enough for a bottle of wine. What's the point?"

"What do you know? With reform and opening up, the mainland will soon be better off. Especially now, it's the perfect time to promote young cadres. Use all the connections I have, don't waste them. Unlike some people who, even on their deathbed, cling to their limited relationships and refuse to share them with outsiders."

As Li Jing'an spoke, he glanced in Wei Jialing's direction. The "certain people" he was referring to were Old Wei. Li Jing'an still harbored resentment towards Old Wei for not treating him, his son-in-law, as one of his own, and for not introducing him to any connections. Finally, after Li Jing'an resigned, when Old Wei needed him most, Old Wei retired directly, leaving Li Jing'an with no benefit whatsoever.

"Who are you talking about so sarcastically?" Wei Jialing also sensed the hidden meaning in Li Jing'an's words and glanced at him.

"Whoever I say it is, they'll know," Li Jing'an retorted. After all, he was in Hong Kong now, not on the mainland, so he had much more confidence.

"Hmph." Wei Jialing snorted, then, as if remembering something, added, "By the way, did you go back to see my mother?"

"No. Your mother has gone to live with your brother now, how could I possibly go to your brother's post? But I did see your father and even visited his grave," Li Jing'an replied.

"That's more like it." Wei Jialing turned her head away with satisfaction.

Li Jing'an wasn't lying to her; he really did spend half an hour at Old Wei's grave. However, he wasn't there to sweep the tomb; rather, he vented his grievances from all these years in front of Old Wei's tombstone, rambling on and on for half an hour before finally stopping.

Seeing Li Jing'an's expression, Li Shuo knew that he was determined to send him, and immediately wilted, hanging his head low.

Wei Jialing then turned to Li Shuo and said, "Going back is a good idea. It's a good time to settle your personal life. Look at the people you've been dating these past few years—not a single one of them has made it into our family."

Wei Jialing clearly disapproved of Li Shuo having a local Hong Kong girlfriend. Although she herself enjoyed living in Hong Kong, she still wanted a mainland daughter-in-law of equal social standing.