Sun Xiaobao, supported by Jiang Tao, walked out of the ruins of the demolition zone and got into the car.
The moment his backside hit the car seat, Sun Xiaobao's heart sank as he realized something was wrong.
He had forgotten to take those dozen or so pounds of scrap rebar again!
"Forget it, looks like this fortune just isn't in my fate!"
Thinking back on the miserable experiences of the past two days, where he called out to the heavens and earth with no response, Sun Xiaobao still felt a lingering fear.
Those dozen pounds of scrap rebar were like a trap set by fate to lure him in, hooking him twice in a row.
From now on, he absolutely, absolutely, *absolutely* wouldn't go back to pick them up!
You could stumble in the same place twice, but not three times!
If he went back again, he'd be a dog!
Jiang Tao, unaware of the resolute vow Sun Xiaobao had made to himself in the back seat, kept driving.
"By the way, Little Jiang, what brought you to this place in the middle of the night?"
Having set his personal vow, Sun Xiaobao looked at Jiang Tao, who was driving, and asked curiously.
"I did a quick calculation and sensed you were in trouble, so I came to save you. Haha, tell me, was my prediction spot-on or what?" Jiang Tao said with a laugh, joking without a hint of seriousness.
Sun Xiaobao's question had stumped him.
What normal person would come to the ruins of a demolition zone in the middle of the night?
So, he could only give a vague, playful response to dodge the question.
"Little Jiang, you don't say—there's really some fate between us."
"If it weren't for me being a cursed lone star reincarnated, with everyone close to me meeting bad ends, I'd want to take you as my godson."
From the back seat, Sun Xiaobao stared at Jiang Tao with a distant look, thinking of his grandson.
If his grandson were still alive, he'd probably be about Jiang Tao's age, right?
"Don't listen to those fortune-telling swindlers, Grandpa."
"Who says you're a cursed lone star? I say you're blessed with great fortune and a long life ahead of you," Jiang Tao said, relieved to have successfully changed the topic.
"Heh, you're right. I've survived two near-death experiences, both times saved by you, Little Jiang. You're truly my lucky star," Sun Xiaobao said.
"Little Jiang, from your accent, you're not a Beijing local, are you?"
"I'm from Ping County, Hebei Province, a revolutionary base area. My great-grandfather fought the Japanese back in the day and was a war hero who died in the Anti-Japanese War."
"A descendant of a martyr, no wonder. I could tell you've got an upright spirit. Must've had a good upbringing."
"Are you working or doing business in Beijing? Where do you live? Renting or bought a place?"
"I'm still renting in Xiaoshahe for now. After the New Year, I plan to bring my wife and kid over and switch to a better place."
"Bringing your wife and kid is a great idea. A family should be together every day."
"Speaking of which, Little Jiang, it's quite a coincidence. One of my tenants just moved out before the New Year."
"When you've got time during the day, I'll take you to check it out. If you like it, you can move in with your wife and kid."
"You can stay as long as you want."
"Whoa, that's quite a coincidence! How big is the place? How much is the rent per month?"
"It's 120 square meters, three bedrooms, two living rooms, two bathrooms, with a north-south layout. Why talk about rent between us?"
"No way, if you don't charge rent, I won't move in. That'd be taking advantage of you!"
The two chatted the whole way, and by the time the Audi A6 pulled into the Baigezhuang New Village complex under Sun Xiaobao's building, it was already past 2 a.m.
It was late, and Jiang Tao was genuinely tired, so he didn't linger.
As he was leaving, Sun Xiaobao stuffed two cases of Maotai liquor, a box of tea, and, as a little surprise beyond the intelligence, four packs of Zhonghua cigarettes into his hands.
The total value of Sun Xiaobao's thank-you gifts to Jiang Tao was nearly 70,000 yuan!
And Jiang Tao couldn't refuse them.
If he did, Sun Xiaobao would cling to him and refuse to let him leave.
If he didn't take them, it was like looking down on Old Sun.
If he didn't take them, Old Sun threatened to go back and get crushed under a floor slab again.
Jiang Tao didn't *really* want to refuse; he just politely declined a couple of times before "reluctantly" accepting Sun Xiaobao's gifts.
Alright then, the cigarettes and alcohol for gifting his dad and father-in-law during the New Year were taken care of, saving him the trouble of buying them himself.
With the cigarettes, alcohol, and tea, the trunk of the Audi A6 was nearly full, and there wasn't much else he needed to buy.
For things like fish and shrimp, it was better to buy fresh ones back in his hometown for better flavor.
Every year on the 28th day of the 12th lunar month, his village held a big market, making shopping quite convenient.
Driving out of Baigezhuang New Village, Jiang Tao checked into a nearby Home Inn hotel.
He planned to get a good night's sleep to recharge, then head back to his hometown around 2 or 3 p.m.
If the drive went smoothly, he'd be home in about four hours.
It had been about a month and a half since he last left his hometown.
Jiang Tao was really starting to miss his wife and kid.
The thought of seeing them later that day made him chuckle in his sleep.
*Ding-a-ling—*
At 10:08 a.m., Jiang Tao was woken by his phone's ringtone.
Half-asleep, he groggily opened his eyes, picked up the phone, and saw the name "Du Ennan" on the screen.
Seeing that name, Jiang Tao was instantly wide awake, sitting bolt upright in bed.
Was this lady calling to thank him too?
Thinking of the intelligence mentioning "Du Ennan's friendship and ownership of a Mercedes GLS," Jiang Tao couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
The cigarettes, alcohol, and tea Old Sun gave him that morning were worth about 70,000 yuan.
But a Mercedes GLS was worth over a million!
If the intelligence from Brother System was accurate, it was like trading one piece of information for a life saved and a luxury car worth a million!
At that moment, Jiang Tao's heartbeat quickened.
Taking a few deep breaths to calm his excitement, he slid his finger to answer the call.
"Jiang Tao, thank you for saving my child. Thank you, thank you…"
The moment the call connected, Du Ennan's sincere voice came through, thanking Jiang Tao repeatedly.
"Is the kid okay? All good now?"
"Yeah, I'm heading back to my hometown this afternoon."
"Uh-huh, okay…"
"Alright, sure, I'll swing by this morning."
"…"
The call lasted seven or eight minutes before they hung up.
After ending the call, Jiang Tao got out of bed, took a shower in the bathroom, and felt much more refreshed.
He got dressed, checked out of the hotel, and drove for half an hour to Wanxiang Plaza, parking in the underground lot.
Taking the elevator to the first floor, he found Wanxiang Plaza bustling with a sea of people, as lively as ever.
Jiang Tao noticed that the black Mercedes GLS, previously displayed in the most prominent spot on the first floor, was gone.
In its place was a gem-blue GLS of the same model.
On the stage, He Jing was interacting with a middle-aged woman, hyping up the crowd and wishing her luck in winning a big prize like "yesterday's handsome guy."
Hearing He Jing's nickname for him, "yesterday's handsome guy," Jiang Tao couldn't help but chuckle.
"Mr. Jiang, you're here! Ms. Du asked me to wait for you and bring you upstairs as soon as you arrived," said a staff member who had escorted him yesterday, approaching with enthusiasm.
"Thanks for the trouble," Jiang Tao nodded, following the female employee to the internal staff elevator up to the eighth floor.
It was the same office as yesterday.
When Du Ennan saw Jiang Tao again, the feeling was completely different from the day before.
"Jiang Tao, thank you for the warning. Thank you, thank you."
"Following your advice, I went to the hospital in the early hours, and just as you said, the child's condition was very dangerous."
"I had just done a check-up yesterday, and everything was normal. The next one wasn't scheduled for five days."
"If it weren't for your warning, I can't imagine what would've happened…"
As Du Ennan spoke, a wave of fear washed over her, and tears started falling.
Faced with a woman he wasn't too familiar with crying, Jiang Tao could only offer a few words of comfort.
When talking about her child, Du Ennan seemed soft and vulnerable.
But when it came to other serious matters, she instantly reverted to her businesswoman persona.
Jiang Tao got a firsthand look at what "decisive and efficient" meant.
Without another word, Du Ennan pulled out a *Gift Agreement* and asked Jiang Tao to sign it.
A Mercedes GLS worth over a million was gifted just like that, with no room for refusal.
Knowing Jiang Tao didn't have a Beijing license plate quota, Du Ennan even threw in the license plate.
Of course, the plate couldn't be transferred normally and would remain registered under Wanxiang Plaza.
Having a Beijing plate would make things much more convenient for Jiang Tao in the city.