Chapter 338: One Big Family
Translator: Noodletown Translated Editor: Noodletown Translated
The picture on the upper right corner of the TV screen was soon replaced by the next piece of news.
“This week, a resident found a rock in 1825 Art District. It has a square shape with a width of five centimeters as shown in the picture… Anyone who can provide us a clue to this nameless rock will be rewarded 10,000 yuan.”
In the picture was a translucent green rock which looked like a precious stone.
Hao Ren found the rock in the picture quite familiar, then he recognized it as a low-tier spirit stone. He had confiscated two storage bags on top of a skyscraper in 1825 Art District, and he had dropped one of the spirit stones from one of the bags. The rock in the picture was most likely the one he dropped…
“I know something about this rock.” Yue Yang took the opportunity to change the subject. “Someone picked up this rock and sent it to the antique market for appraisal, but no one recognized what kind of precious stone it was and couldn’t give a price for it. Afraid that the rock had radioactivity rays, they sent it to the Mineral and Rock New Materials Research Center in East Ocean City. And the result…”
Hao Ren and Xie Yujia looked at Yue Yang nervously, waiting for her to finish.
“And the result showed that the rock is not a precious stone and has no radioactivity rays, nor is it harmful to human bodies. Besides, it’s very brittle and can’t be made into anything artistic. So, the Material Research Center bought the rock off that person with 500 yuan,” Yue Yang continued.
Hao Ren was about to heave a sigh of relief when Yue Yang continued, “The incident ended for the public. However, the Material Research Center couldn’t decide on the category of the rock and handed it to the provincial research center which in turn handed it to the National Special Mineral Materials Engineering Research Center. The National Center tested it with the most advanced devices and found that the rock is a new mineral with high-quality energy…”
Hao Zhonghua interrupted her by saying, “I know something about it as well. One of my friends works in the National Mineral Research Center, and he told me that this rock has drawn the attention of the national science research institutes, and they are investigating the origins of this mineral rock. We wouldn’t have known about it if we are not in this circle.”
Hao Ren inhaled and nodded.
Spirit stones were the most common items for cultivators living on and above Fifth Heaven, and they were to cultivate and trade for other stuff. However, for the science institutes, they were a new kind of energy source which was both clean and efficient.
If one mastered the new source of energy, one mastered the direction of development of the world; no wonder the government was paying so much attention to it, and the local TV station even placed a reward of 10,000 yuan for the clues of the rock in an effort to dig out the origin of the rock.
“Don’t talk about rocks.” Grandma was angry since she was interrupted. “If Zi’s family has any difficulties, we’ll try our best to help them. Do you hear me?”
When she had fallen ill due to high blood pressure, Zi’s family saved her life; Grandma always remembered it.
Now seeing the business of Zi’s father in difficulty, Grandma was very anxious.
“Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll try my best! The Mingri Group and our Ocean Research Institute are working on the deep ocean oil project. Besides, Yujia’s father’s factories in the U. S. will start working with the New York subsidiary of Mingri Group.”
Hearing the mentioning of her name, Xie Yujia looked up. When she heard information about her father’s factories, her eyes lit up.
“We hope Zi’s father’s company will get over the difficulty. After all, we have a lot of joint projects together,” Hao Zhonghua tried to calm Grandma down.
“Good! Zi’s family and our family are one big family! You use your connections and see if any big businesses can give Zi’s father a helping hand. Aren’t you close with the provincial governor and the chief of the Energy Bureau? And you have former classmates working in the Agriculture Department and Business Department, right?” Grandma’s words shot toward Hao Zhonghua like bullets.
“Ok! Ok! Don’t worry, mom. I’ll make some calls when I finish my meal.” Hao Zhonghua nodded in exasperation.
“That’s more like it!” Glancing at Hao Zhonghua, Grandma finally picked up her chopsticks.
Yue Yang smiled at Hao Zhonghua and was about to eat when Grandma said, “And Yue Yang, you can use your connections as well. Some of your former classmates are running big businesses abroad, and you must help Zi’s father get some deals!”
“Ok, Mom,” Yu Yang agreed immediately.
Hao Ren and Xie Yujia exchanged a look. Seeing the rare displeasure on Grandma’s face, they busied themselves with eating.
Zhen Congming was eating a chicken leg leisurely. In fact, he was the wealthiest person around the table since the precious stones in his storage space could easily sell for billions of yuan, but he had nothing to do with the East Ocean Dragon Palace’s business on land. Therefore, he didn’t care to offer any help.
When dinner was over, Hao Zhonghua and Yue Yang returned to their room on the second floor, and each used their cell phones to contact their former classmates, hoping to find some help for Mingri Group. With their international reputation in the science circle, they had a lot of connections in China, especially with their former classmates who had taken important positions. It wasn’t hard for them to achieve certain things.
That was why the deputy mayor of East Ocean City didn’t dare to offend these two figures, and Huang Xujie had been beaten hard by his father for messing with Hao Ren.
Hao Zhonghua and Yue Yang had never asked for favors from anyone after graduation; they didn’t even call their friends at the Education Bureau when Hao Ren was applying for university. However, now they began making phone calls to their friends and former classmates to help Mingri Group, and their requests got lots of attention.
“Yeah, yeah. Minister Cai, the exploration project of the Ocean Research Institute and Mingri Group is a major energy project spanning the next ten years in the East Ocean area, and I hope it will go smoothly with your help.”
“Hi, Liu Xin, how’s the weather in France recently? And your wine business? Oh, you acquired a new winery? I have a friend from Mingri Group. Yeah, their stock is not doing well recently… But they also do business on food supply. Do you want to talk to him? I’ll give you his number…”
One on the balcony and the other in the room, Hao Zhonghua and Yue Yang kept making calls, urging all their connections to do business with Mingri Group.
With his acute hearing ability, Hao Ren listened to his parents’ phone calls while cultivating. He didn’t know that they had such broad connections, from government ministers to overseas wineries, from the shipping tycoon of Australia to Wallstreet investors, from senior management at GE to the Chief Editor of Times. They contacted every connection that had the potential to help Mingri Group’s business or to improve its public image.
Hao Ren even thought that if his parents changed from science research to business, they would do great with their connections and brains.
Half an hour later, Zhao Guang, who was listening to Elder Sun’s report, heard his cell phone ring.
“Hello. Who’s speaking?” Zhao Guang answered the phone.
“Oh, I’m Liu Xin, the owner of Château Lafite Rothschild of Bordeaux. Are you Zhao Guang, the president of Mingri Group? My good friend Yue Yang told me that you plan to import wine. I can provide you with 500 boxes of 98′ wine for a trial sale…”
Zhao Guang froze at the offer from the No.1 winery in the world which produced the much-coveted top-grade wine.
Ding… The phone on his desk rang. After asking Liu Xin to wait for him on his cell phone, he picked up the phone on his desk.
“Hello, Mr. Zhao. I’m Emerton, the executive director of Glory Shipping Co. in Australia. I called to ask if my company can work with the Australia subsidiary of your group. My good friend Hao Zhonghua asked me to call you tonight. We plan to build a new port at Melbourne, and if it’s convenient for you…” Smooth English floated from the phone.
Zhao Guang widened his eyes, surprised that another business opportunity was knocking on his door. Working with the biggest shipping company in Australia to build a new port was definitely good news that would push up Mingri Group’s stock prices…
“Mr. Zhao? Mr. Zhao?” The woman’s urging voice came from his cell phone.
Gritting his teeth, Zhao Guang glanced at Elder Sun standing before him and instructed calmly, “Go and summon Elder Lu, Elder Liu, and the others. Get some reliable assistants as well. We’ll be busy.”
The West Ocean Dragon Palace united the other two ocean dragon palaces and tried to cut off Mingri Group’s land business. Meanwhile, they launched smear campaigns, pushing down Mingri Group’s stock prices. Despite his elite team, Zhao Guang was overwhelmed by their sudden attacks.
The former boss of the group was now being forced to the edge of the cliff.
“The old dragon king means to rally after his return. Shall we organize a grand welcome party?” Elder Sun looked at Zhao Guang and asked.
Zhao Guang shook his head. “Ren’s parents are helping me, and I shouldn’t count on the old dragon king to pull this mess together. We must fight back before he comes back!”
Zhao Haoran was one generation older than Oldman Zeng of West Ocean. Zhao Guang could imagine the overwhelming pressure Oldman Zeng would face when his father, who had been absent for the last 20 years, returned.
The East Ocean Dragon Clan’s power had fallen to such a shabby state in Zhao Guang’s hands!
However, Zhao Guang felt like Zhao Haoren had more reasons behind his fury…