New Year Gift Pack

As evening fell, every house in the villa area was brightly lit.

Tonight's New Year's Eve dinner is, of course, extremely lavish.

The elderly couple, along with Zhang Zhaohai and his wife, sat down on the sofa to watch the Spring Festival Gala right after finishing their New Year's Eve dinner.

Zhang Yang walked out of the villa, looked up at the distant sound of firecrackers, and faintly heard the sounds of children playing with fireworks.

"A new year begins, and everything is renewed."

The first Spring Festival after obtaining the Advice-Listening System has arrived.

Zhang Yang murmured to himself, a feeling he couldn't quite describe welling up inside him. There was no ecstasy, but rather a calm and beautiful joy.

To be without joy or sorrow is true freedom.

Bite!

The system has already distributed a special New Year's gift pack.

Please collect it promptly.

"Huh?" Zhang Yang suddenly laughed.

Though late, it has arrived.

He had just been muttering to himself that, according to the system's usual practice, he should at least send a gift package to celebrate the Spring Festival.

Here it is!

Without hesitation, he immediately claimed the gift pack and opened it.

Congratulations, host! You have acquired a mining company: Kaiwei Mining Company.

Kaiwei Mining Company: The property is located in the Salito Province of the Gangge Republic, Africa, and is valued at US$500 million.

The mining company's main asset is the Noda Lithium Mine in Salito Province, in which it holds a 100% mining interest. The mine has proven standard resources of 73 million tons, equivalent to 1.9 million tons of lithium carbonate, with an annual production of 16,000 tons.

Note: The host must personally go to the mining company to collect the goods.

Zhang Yang, smoking a cigarette, froze.

This industry... it's really a headache!

The Gangge Republic a large Africa country with a population of tens of millions, but it is plagued by warlordism, constant warfare, and political instability.

My newly acquired business is actually located in this country?

Well, it must be admitted that Gango is indeed exceptionally rich in mineral resources, with reserves of many minerals accounting for a considerable proportion of the world's total reserves.

It's said that one has to live on the edge of a knife to survive, so even though life here is precarious and fraught with danger, it doesn't stop major companies from mining here.

Take the annual output of my mine as an example, and look at the current market price of lithium carbonate. That is to say, the annual output value of my mine is about two or three hundred million US dollars, which is close to two billion yuan.

For mining companies with integrated production capabilities, lithium mining is extremely profitable, with profit margins of at least 70% or 80%, or even higher.

Zhang Yang estimated that his mine could bring him at least a billion yuan in net profit per year.

It's absolutely huge!

Thinking about this, Zhang Yang almost lost his appetite for cigarettes.

Such a huge industry definitely deserves attention. Since the system said he should go and collect it in person, there's no question he has to go.

As for the risks...

For ordinary people, war-torn countries are naturally fraught with risks. For a wealthy person, such a place is something they would never do unless absolutely necessary, and even if they did, it would be under heavy security.

But can Zhang Yang be treated the same as an ordinary wealthy person?

Security?

Yes, a wise person avoids dangerous situations, and necessary security arrangements must be made; that goes without saying.

But his greatest asset is himself.

Leaving aside his terrifying individual combat ability, the items he carries, such as the "Injury-Free Card," are enough to allow him to move freely even amidst a hail of bullets.

With multiple layers of protection, he could naturally roam freely throughout the world.

Of course, there are a few things to prepare before going.

Kaiwei Mining does have an office in China, and coincidentally, it's located in Magic City. I'll be going back to Magic City after the Chinese New Year, so I'll visit this office first to get a feel for the situation.

Zhang Yang stubbed out his cigarette and turned to walk home.

This New Year's gift package is indeed a very generous gift.

Back in my brightly lit home, the coffee table was laden with all sorts of fruits and vegetables.

Old Zhang, father and son, were both heavy smokers.

Although Zhang Zhaohai had quit smoking for a long time, he couldn't resist having one during the Spring Festival, and Old Man Zhang did the same.

However, the two only smoked one cigarette, so they didn't fill the house with smoke.

"Come on, come on, the Spring Festival Gala is here! Come and watch it!" Song Wenqin waved to Zhang Yang with a smile.

Zhang Yang walked over with a smile and sat down on the sofa.

On the television screen, the countdown to the Spring Festival Gala was in full swing.

Inside the warm, spring-like room, filled with the festive atmosphere of the New Year, Zhang Yang watched the new and familiar faces hosting this year's Spring Festival Gala on TV, and for a moment, it felt as if he had returned to his childhood.

The quality of the Spring Festival Gala programs is not important; it has long been an integral part of the Chinese New Year celebrations.

It's lively enough, that's enough.

Around 10 o'clock, the two elderly people finally started to feel tired and got up to go to their room to rest.

The family of three remained in the living room.

Around 11 o'clock, Song Wenqin started yawning and got up to go back to rest.

Only the father and son remained on the sofa.

"Dad, want one?" Zhang Yang asked with a smile.

Zhang Zhaohai smiled, picked up a cigarette, and lit it.

Outside the villa, thousands of lights shone, and in the distance, the sound of firecrackers rose and fell. Inside the villa, the father and son stayed up late to welcome the New Year, reminiscing about the past and having a more relaxed conversation than ever before.

"Your mom's pressuring you, but your dad just won't," Zhang Zhaohai laughed. "We're both men, how could I not understand you? No rush, no rush, don't be in such a hurry to get married."

"What if I never intended to get married at all?" Zhang Yang said.

Marriage is only used to bind ordinary people; for the truly wealthy, marriage has never been a necessity.

Dad probably has no idea what his current financial situation is like.

His parents at home saw this much, but in reality, his wealth was hundreds of times greater than they perceived.

What we see before us is just the tip of the iceberg.

"Not getting married?" Zhang Zhaohai was taken aback, then laughed, "You can live for yourself, whether you get married or not. These rules and regulations don't apply to you... Well, but you should have children."

"I know that." Zhang Yang nodded.

When he was just an ordinary person, his parents might have worried about his marriage, but now they don't care whether he gets married or not; all they want is to have grandchildren to hold in the future.

That's a wish, no problem.

Zhang Zhaohai smiled and nodded, saying nothing more. He simply held a cigarette between his fingers, his eyes unfocused, seemingly lost in thought, as if reminiscing about some past year.

Zhang Yang wondered if his father was also thinking about his own childhood and youth.

Time flies and never returns; we must always look forward.

As a good son, Zhang Yang thought for a moment, got up to pour a glass of water, and added some crushed Lesser Returning Pill powder to the glass.

Dad works hard running the shop, so let's get him some good stuff to help him recover. Next year, let's keep up the good work and try to open restaurants all over Yinghai.

"The countdown to midnight has begun!" Zhang Zhaohai's voice suddenly became excited.

He picked up the glass and drank it all in one gulp.

"Yes, Dad, Happy New Year! I wish you a prosperous year, good health, and all the best," Zhang Yang said with a smile.

"My son feels the same way, hoping your business will grow bigger and bigger! And that you'll have both a son and a daughter someday." Zhang Zhaohai said loudly with a laugh, "Come on, let's go set off firecrackers at the door."

Although fireworks are banned, this year is a little different.

This is a situation that is neither encouraged nor prohibited.

Inside the villa, the sound of firecrackers echoed intermittently.

Zhang Yang's family only prepared a string of small firecrackers, the kind that go off in a flash.

"I'll do it." Zhang Yang smiled and took the whip, placing it on the road in front of the door.

The lighter was used to light it.

A burst of flames ignited, followed instantly by a series of crackling sounds.

The sounds, along with the distant and near firecrackers, complemented each other, creating the festive atmosphere of the early morning of Lunar New Year's Day, just past midnight. It also formed the first sound that people vaguely heard in their sleep on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

"Son, go back to sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow." Zhang Zhaohai's face began to flush, and in the cold night air, it seemed as if steam was rising from his forehead. "Strange, why am I getting so irritable again?"

Zhang Yang responded, glanced at his father's reaction, and immediately understood.

"Okay, see you tomorrow morning. Dad, you should go home and get some rest."

A moment later, the two returned to their respective rooms.

In the early hours of the first day of the Lunar New Year, some people are destined to stay up all night.

Zhang Yang glanced at the flood of New Year's greetings that came in just after midnight, then put his hands under his pillow, and, with the sound of firecrackers going off outside, fell into a deep sleep.

On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Firecrackers were going off outside, and Zhang Yang opened his eyes right on time.

His biological clock is very accurate now; no matter how late he goes to bed the night before, he will wake up at six o'clock sharp the next morning.

After getting up, he picked up his phone and replied to a bunch of messages.

Yesterday's Lunar New Year's Eve greetings were just the appetizer; today's New Year's greetings phone calls are destined to keep coming.

After washing up, Zhang Yang went downstairs.

The living room on the first floor was brightly lit.

Zhang Zhaohai had a rosy complexion, and although his eyes looked a little red, he was full of energy, and his voice was several octaves louder than usual.

Song Wenqin, who was standing to the side, would glare at Zhang Zhaohai every now and then, and there was a hint of drowsiness in her eyes.

"Mom, Happy New Year! I wish you eternal youth and beauty." Zhang Yang wished his mother a Happy New Year, glancing at her rosy complexion. "Mom, you really look at least ten years younger."

"Thank you, my son." Song Wenqin touched her face, beaming from ear to ear.

Later that evening, the two elderly people got up, both looking very energetic.

For breakfast on the first day of the Lunar New Year, we eat glutinous rice balls.

The whole family sat around the luxurious stone table, eating glutinous rice balls dipped in sesame powder, chatting and laughing as they ate.

The phone on the table never stopped ringing.

New Year's greetings calls came incessantly from relatives, friends, and business partners.

Grandpa Zhang and his wife sat at the table, watching their son, daughter-in-law, and grandson. During breakfast, they received at least ten phone calls.

I'm really busy.

They could vaguely hear the difference; the person calling their son and daughter-in-law spoke with a warm and eager tone.

But when people call their grandsons, eight out of ten sound cautious and humble, and they address Zhang Yang in all sorts of different ways, like "General Manager Zhang," "Chairman Zhang," or "Mr. Zhang."

This... my own grandson, what exactly is his status now?!

"Mom and Dad, I'm going out to answer the phone." Zhang Yang glanced at the latest phone and got up to go out.

Some phone calls are simply not suitable to be answered in front of parents or elders.

"No, don't you two know how successful your son is now?" Grandpa Zhang watched Zhang Yang's departing figure, then couldn't help but mutter to Zhang Zhaohai and his wife.

"This..." Zhang Zhaohai chuckled, "We really don't know... but we've always trusted Zhang Yang's work. He'll tell us whenever he's willing."

"You guys... just by listening to the way Zhang Yang answers the phone, you can tell that his business is more than just big now," Grandpa Zhang said with deep emotion.

"Who can argue with that? Our family's restaurant is really just a small business," Zhang Zhaohai sighed. "If we keep this restaurant open, the idea of building a family fortune for our son will be out of the question. Its only purpose is to avoid holding Zhang Yang back."

Putting everything else aside, if the restaurant continues to operate at its current pace, the couple could live an extremely wealthy life in Yinghai without ever having to ask their son for money.

They were satisfied.

"Even our son didn't say that, but you're saying it now," Song Wenqin said reproachfully.

The couple exchanged a glance and smiled at each other.

··

Outside the door, Zhang Yang received several phone calls.

"Huh? Zhang Yuying's."

He glanced at the incoming call, exclaimed in surprise, and then answered the phone.

"Happy New Year, little brother!" Zhang Yuying's voice sounded cheerful and she seemed to be in a particularly good mood.

"Happy New Year, sister! I wish you find your perfect match this year," Zhang Yang said with a smile.

"Thank you for your kind words, but... guess what I've encountered these past few days?" Zhang Yuying said mysteriously, "Your blessing might come true ahead of schedule."

"Hey..." Zhang Yang blinked.

Could it be that the system reward for finding your destined partner has finally arrived?

"Sister, could it be...?"

"It's a secret for now. It's not that I'm trying to hide anything, but these things need to be announced only when everything is absolutely certain, although I'd love to tell you now." A light laugh came from the other end. "Alright, I have to continue my New Year's greetings. We'll see each other sometime."

Zhang Yang hung up the phone and checked Zhang Yuying's latest WeChat Moments.

There's only one recent one.

"Life is bright, and everything is lovely."

The words are filled with joy and happiness.

Zhang Yang smiled slightly, vaguely guessing Zhang Yuying's current mental state.

This is a sign of good fortune!

After breakfast, Zhang Yang and his family drove to his maternal grandmother's house to pay their New Year's respects.

In the morning, several cars were parked in the courtyard of my grandmother's house.

The Zhang Yang family finally kept a low profile, instead of driving all three cars together, they just rode in Zhang Yang's Cullinan to the yard.

The family of three got out of the car and greeted their relatives.

Immediately, the sounds of people exchanging New Year's greetings rose and fell.

The incense sticks in front of my grandmother's house were half-burned, and the ground was covered with firecracker debris, instantly bringing a festive atmosphere to the house.

"Brother, Happy New Year." Song Yumeng, dressed in youthful and beautiful clothes, stepped forward and greeted him sweetly.

"Happy New Year." Zhang Yang ruffled his little cousin's hair and glanced at his uncle and his wife standing some distance away.

It sounds pretty good.

Ever since they became the younger brother's creditor, the couple has been hiding from him everywhere.

Paying money for peace and quiet is a good thing.