All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

Xu Damao looked towards his own front door and asked.

"Second Uncle, I just got back. Are Jingru and Xiaonuan not home?"

Now that the second uncle had regained his senses, he picked up two gift boxes in one hand and hurriedly said...

"Your wife works at Dongcheng Gas Company now, and Xiaonuan is in school. Let me tell you, Xiaonuan is such a sensible girl. She graduated from junior high school last year and went straight into a vocational school. Her academic performance is top-notch among the kids in our compound!"

Xu Damao nodded with a complicated expression. He couldn't just wait around like that, so he smiled and said...

"Second Uncle, would you like to come to your house for a visit?"

Liu Haizhong smiled awkwardly, wanting to refuse, but still somewhat embarrassed, he nodded and led Xu Damao and the other man to his room.

It was midday, and the house was quiet. The dining table was deserted, and Liu Haizhong looked somewhat embarrassed.

We don't even have anything to cook with at home right now. These past few days, we've been borrowing an old man's coal stove to cook. My second aunt had another heart attack and is in the hospital again. We don't want others to know about our family's troubles.

Xu Damao glanced at the Second Uncle's kitchen, which was completely empty, as if it had been ransacked. Seeing this, he wisely refrained from asking any questions and instead spoke to Liu Haizhong.

"Second Uncle, I see you haven't eaten yet! I'll have my secretary go out and buy some cooked food and two bottles of wine. We'll have a drink together. I haven't been home for eight years, and I'd like to ask you about something!"

Liu Haizhong nodded shyly, placed the gifts on the table, and began to make tea for Xu Damao!

Xu Damao waved to the young man behind him, and the young man respectfully stepped forward and spoke a few words of broken Mandarin to Xu Damao.

"General Manager, what are your instructions?"

Xu Damao smiled and took out his briefcase. He opened the briefcase and found a thick stack of brand-new 10,000-yuan notes neatly arranged inside.

Xu Damao casually took out a small stack of items, about two or three hundred in total, without even counting them, and casually said to the young man.

"Go to the restaurant across the street and buy some food, a few cooked dishes, and two bottles of good wine. That should be enough. Go early and come back early!"

Liu Haizhong, standing to the side, was visibly dazzled by the stack of brand-new ten-yuan notes. To spend two or three hundred yuan on such a small amount of stuff—Xu Damao had struck it rich!

Xu Damao glanced sideways at Second Uncle, a fleeting, almost imperceptible smugness playing on his lips. He deliberately showed a glimpse of the opening of his wallet, revealing a neat, thick stack of brand-new ten-yuan notes inside, so shiny they captivated even Liu Haizhong's eyes.

Xu Damao slowly zipped up his briefcase and spoke magnanimously to Liu Haizhong.

"Second Uncle, is this enough? If not, I'll have my secretary arrange more."

Liu Haizhong's eyes never left the leather bag. Reminded by Xu Damao, he quickly came to his senses, nodded repeatedly, and echoed his words.

"That's enough, that's enough, Damao, you're too kind. This meal of yours is more than my monthly retirement pension, it's enough to satisfy even the most extravagant tastes!"

Xu Damao laughed heartily, waved his hand to dismiss his secretary, and then said.

"This is nothing. Tomorrow at noon, I will host a banquet for everyone in our compound at the most famous Jingchuan Restaurant in Yanjing. I will treat everyone to a good meal as an apology for the stupid things I did in the past!"

Chapter 109: Health Code

Looking at Xu Damao, who seemed completely transformed, Liu Haizhong was filled with emotion.

Xu Damao from back then left a very deep impression on him; the image and movements of him with a smile that concealed a knife are still imprinted in his mind.

Xu Damao's smile now is so gentle and warm, without the slightest hint of malice. In two words, it is magnanimous!

Looking at the two beautifully packaged gifts on the table, Liu Haizhong felt a warmth in his heart. He picked up the business card in his hand, looked at it, and immediately exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh my, Daimao, you're still the general manager? And a big Japanese company at that?"

Xu Damao nodded confidently and said with a smile.

"Our Health Treasure Group is one of the three major health care groups in Japan. Our products are sold in 72 countries around the world, and our annual global sales reach seven billion US dollars!"

Liu Haizhong felt dizzy, his head spinning from the shock of the number. Xu Damao smiled and quickly helped him sit down, pushing the cup of tea he had just had over to him.

Xu Damao continued.

"Second Uncle, this is the global sales figure. Our company hasn't entered China yet. I was just appointed as the general manager of the China branch. The company plans to enter the Chinese market in the second half of this year. I'm just a pioneer. With our country's reform and opening up, there are more and more wealthy people in our country, and these people are paying more and more attention to health and wellness. Our company focuses on health products!"

The second uncle listened attentively and agreed wholeheartedly. He said that even if he didn't have money, he would often buy some nourishing food, because as people get older, they are afraid that their health will deteriorate.

Liu Haizhong suddenly noticed several large characters on the exquisite gift box on the table.

"Health Treasure Deer Antler and Ginseng Oral Liquid!"

His eyes lit up immediately, and he picked up the packaging box to examine it carefully. The packaging looked high-end. In those days, the things in the stores were just wrapped in kraft paper. Compared with that, it was like a product from a completely different world.

The presence of Japanese characters on top, which some of us don't understand, adds to its sophisticated and high-class feel.

"Da Mao, this...this isn't cheap, is it?"

The second uncle liked it more and more as he looked at it, and finally asked the question that had been on his mind all along.

Xu Damao smiled confidently and spoke in a relaxed tone.

"It's not expensive. Our retail price for this large box is 598 yuan. Each box contains ten vials of oral liquid. Take one vial every morning and evening. It is very effective in improving sleep and physical health. If you persist in taking it for more than two months, it can improve many stubborn ailments and chronic diseases in the elderly, such as high blood pressure and diabetes!"

Upon hearing the price, Liu Haizhong's hand trembled slightly. Then, hearing Xu Damao's next words, he felt as if he had found a guiding light in his life. He gripped the two boxes of oral liquid tightly in his hands, unwilling to let go.

When Xu Damao saw Liu Haizhong's appearance, a hint of disdain flashed across his lips, but soon a smile reappeared on his face, still as magnanimous and sunny as ever.

Liu Haizhong kept muttering to himself, and Xu Damao could vaguely hear him saying, "Too expensive, too expensive!"

Xu Damao laughed heartily, patted Liu Haizhong's tense hand, and said calmly.

"Second Uncle, this isn't expensive. You haven't seen truly wealthy people. They spend tens of thousands of yuan on a single piece of clothing and thousands on a single meal. This oral liquid, which costs a few hundred yuan a box, they drink like water. In the end, there are still too many poor people in our country!"

Liu Haizhong nodded in agreement. In the past two years, there have been more and more cars on the streets. He often heard that someone in Beijing had made a lot of money. It was just that he, an old man, had retired. Otherwise, he would really like to go out and make a comeback!

With these two boxes of gifts worth over a thousand yuan as a trial run, Liu Haizhong indeed became extremely enthusiastic towards Xu Damao. It was almost Chinese New Year, and the family had bought a lot of New Year's goods. Liu Haizhong hurriedly invited Xu Damao to sit down first, and went to get some melon seeds, peanuts, and the like.

The two chatted for a while, and then the young man who had bought the vegetables returned with two large bags of food. The table was full of food. Liu Haizhong quickly got up and brought out three sets of bowls and chopsticks. When Xu Damao saw this, he waved his hand and said...

"Second Uncle, just take two sets of bowls and chopsticks. The secretary can go out to eat by himself, we'll eat our own!"

Xu Damao then spoke to the young man.

"Dongzi, come pick me up at seven o'clock tonight!"

The young man quickly nodded and bowed respectfully, and said something.

"Hai!"

The greeting "Hai!" startled Liu Haizhong. He looked up at the young man, wanting to ask a question but feeling embarrassed. It wasn't until the young man walked out the door that he asked curiously.

"Da Mao, is this your secretary a Japanese man?"

Xu Damao nodded and said casually.

"He's Japanese, sent by headquarters. Besides being my secretary, he's also my driver. He's a good young man, but his Japanese is still hard to get used to!"

Liu Haizhong looked at Xu Damao again, his eyes now filled with a mixture of fear and envy. It seemed that Xu Damao had made a name for himself, and even the Japanese had become his subordinates. It was truly a case of fortunes changing every thirty years.

Xu Damao seemed not to care at all, and started urging Liu Haizhong to eat. The two began to drink and chat happily.

After a few rounds of drinks and several dishes, the conversation at the table became less reserved than before. Liu Haizhong took a sip of wine and slurred his words.

"Da Mao, I remember you were sentenced to eight years. How did you suddenly become a big boss?"

Xu Damao also took a sip of wine, as if he had been waiting for Liu Haizhong to say this, then picked up a piece of food and said with some emotion.

"Second Uncle, prison is truly a melting pot. I reflected on myself there for several years. I was indeed a terrible person before. Even if it weren't for the Qin Huairu incident, I think someone like me should have gone to jail for a few years. I behaved quite well in there and was released a year early!"

Liu Haizhong nodded in agreement. Xu Damao, that old cunning fellow, really needed to go in for a makeover. He didn't expect it to be so effective. The current Xu Damao is completely different from his former self.

Xu Damao continued.

“A year ago, I had just been released. Although my thinking had been reformed, I was penniless. At that time, I thought about going home to see my wife and children, but when I thought about my pathetic state, I felt that it would be shameful to go back. A real man must make something of himself so that he can face his wife and children!”

When Xu Damao spoke of this, his eyes were filled with bitterness. Liu Haizhong quickly filled his glass with wine. He could imagine how miserable Xu Damao must have felt at that time, a man who had lost his reputation, was penniless, and dared not go home.

In just one year, he became a big boss. That's too legendary. Naturally, he wanted to hear about Xu Damao's legendary experience!

With a bitter expression, Xu Damao glanced sideways at Liu Haizhong, who was intently anticipating the story to come, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips, but upon closer inspection, it seemed as if it had never appeared at all.

Chapter 110: The Benefactor

Xu Damao nodded his thanks, picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. He drank it very quickly and hurriedly, as if the wine in the glass was all bitter. He smacked his lips and continued, full of emotion.

"Second Uncle, you said that in a person's life, one must meet a benefactor. Sometimes, one struggles to survive at the bottom of society all one's life and ends up accomplishing nothing. But as long as one meets a benefactor who can help you, and seizes the opportunity, one can definitely soar to great heights!"

Liu Haizhong nodded in agreement with these words. Back then, he had met Director Li and enjoyed a few months of power and prestige, but he never encountered any benefactors again and remained a nobody until his retirement.

Xu Damao continued with a smile.

"I was so poor on the street that I was begging for food, but I saw a middle-aged man in a suit having his bag snatched. I did the heroic deed and chased after the bag to get it back. Guess what?"

Liu Haizhong opened his eyes wide, eagerly anticipating the next development.

Xu Damao laughed heartily and said with emotion.

“The man was a Japanese businessman who came to Beijing for the first time. He got lost at the entrance of a hutong and was robbed. I didn’t speak Japanese at the time, so I stammered and couldn’t communicate with him clearly. I took him to the embassy.”

Xu Damao continued speaking without pausing.

"The businessman later found a translator, thanked me profusely, and offered me a thousand dollars as a reward. I refused at the time, but I also saw this opportunity, so I asked him for a job, and he actually agreed!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Haizhong immediately pressed for an answer.

"and after?"

Xu Damao glanced at Liu Haizhong before continuing.

"Later I found out that the gentleman was the chairman of the Japanese Health Treasure Group. He was worth over 10 billion and was a real big boss. He took me to Japan, where I learned a little Japanese. Later, I was sent to Taiwan to develop the market and became the general manager of the Taiwanese branch. Recently, the company planned to open a branch in our country. When I heard that I was going back to my hometown, I naturally volunteered. I had just returned for two weeks and had just settled the office location when I rushed back!"

After listening to Xu Damao's story of struggle, Liu Haizhong was deeply moved and said with emotion.

"Da Mao, I've always thought you were smart since you were a child. I just didn't put that intelligence into the right path before. Now that you've found the right path, you've really made it big!"

Xu Damao nodded modestly, once again showing a look of regret, indicating that he agreed with his second uncle's words.

After a few more drinks, Xu Damao asked casually with a smile.

"Second Uncle, our country has been reforming and opening up for several years now, but it seems like nothing has changed in our compound. Everyone is still so poor, and nobody goes into business or anything."

Xu Damao's words made Liu Haizhong laugh awkwardly and wave his hand.

"Most of the people in our compound work in nearby factories. Don't even think about getting rich. They only make a couple hundred yuan a month, which is enough to keep them from starving. But you know what? Do you remember Yan Jiecheng, the eldest son of Uncle San? That kid now runs a restaurant. I heard from Old Yan that business is pretty good. I heard he can earn ten thousand yuan a year!"

Xu Damao laughed heartily, filled Liu Haizhong's glass with wine, and casually said...

“Being a millionaire these days is nothing special. To be honest, my base salary is only ten thousand yuan a month, which isn’t even enough to cover my daily expenses. I’ve been working in Taiwan for six months, and that’s all the commission I’ve earned!”