The Old Man's Ambition

While sitting idly, Zhang Yang opened his phone and casually browsed through it.

"Huh?"

Having not been home for a long time, he discovered that his parents had recently gone on a trip.

That's true, there's never a complete end to one's work.

The couple's restaurant didn't require much effort at all; with its booming business, they could simply replicate it, one store after another. At most, they would train some trustworthy people to manage it.

The couple could easily relax and be hands-off managers.

In my dad's WeChat Moments, the couple looked radiant and had great presence; they didn't look their age at all, but rather like middle-aged people in their early forties.

Zhang Zhaohai is in his prime, while Song Wenqin is becoming increasingly graceful.

Money can sustain life; that's certainly true.

The call was made and answered instantly.

"Hey son, what's up?" Zhang Zhaohai asked hurriedly from the other end of the line.

Zhang Yang's two assistants immediately fell silent.

With their own boss calling their father, how could they dare to utter a sound?

"Dad, what are you busy with?" Zhang Yang asked with a smile.

"Going hiking with your mom? Almost at the top..." Zhang Zhaohai laughed. "I've realized the importance of health. No matter how much wealth you have, it's not as good as good health. Your dad is determined to lose weight to my target weight by the end of the year."

Money can't buy you a lean physique in old age.

Zhang Yang was naturally happy that his father had this awareness.

Previously, although my dad was very strong and healthy, and had taken a little bit of the pseudo- Lesser Returning Pill to regulate his body, he looked much younger than his peers. However, he was still overweight, which is a common problem for middle-aged people.

Don't talk about healthy fat people.

Fat is fat.

Previously, Zhang Zhaohai was so busy making money and building his career that he neglected his health. Now, with several restaurants bringing in huge profits and his family's financial situation improving dramatically, maintaining his health has naturally become his top priority.

"Being thinner is good. Where should we go hiking?" Zhang Yang asked again.

"After Yellow Mountain, I plan to go to Hangzhou for fun," Zhang Zhaohai said.

"Hangzhou?" Zhang Yang smiled.

He was no stranger to Hangzhou; he owned a five-star hotel on the banks of the Qiantang River there, as well as his Peach Blossom Spring, which had cost hundreds of millions to renovate.

"Dad, to be honest, I bought a house in Hangzhou, but it's all renovated and I haven't seen it yet. Why don't you stay there for me while you go back?" Zhang Yang said. "I'll arrange the details for you in Hangzhou; someone will pick you up when you arrive."

Who will be assigned to go?

Xiang Xiaotian has been in Hangzhou for the past few months, and recently, after learning that she had returned to China, she has been clamoring to go back to Magic City every day.

It's not appropriate to let her go.

Forget it, let's just arrange for Yu Kaili from the InterContinental Garden Hotel to go directly.

"You bought a house in Hangzhou? Great! Your parents know you have a bright future ahead of you and are destined for great things! We'll visit you this time!" Zhang Zhaohai laughed heartily.

I could faintly hear my parents talking and exclaiming with delight.

Zhang Yang smiled and chatted with Zhang Zhaohai for a few more minutes before ending the call.

Before them, the little train passed through a beautiful European-style town, and the two assistants beside them couldn't help but move closer.

···

Hundreds of kilometers away, Yellow Mountain.

Celestial Capital Peak

Zhang Zhaohai and Song Wenqi, dressed in clean and neat mountaineering attire, looked up at the summit of Celestial Capital Peak, which was so close at hand, and couldn't help but feel overjoyed.

"We're here! We've finally arrived!"

Celestial Capital Peak, facing Lotus Peak to the west and connected to Alms Bowl Peak to the east, has an altitude of 1,810 meters. It is known as one of the three main peaks of Yellow Mountain, along with Bright Summit and Lotus Peak, and is one of the 36 major peaks.

It was formerly known as "the capital of immortals", meaning a heavenly capital, hence the name "Celestial Capital Peak".

The couple stood atop the peak, gazing at the rolling sea of clouds below. Before them stretched a magnificent landscape, with mountains and rivers stretching out day and night.

For a moment, I was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

Zhang Zhaohai, in particular, was overwhelmed with a thousand indescribable emotions, and his eyes suddenly welled up with tears!

Decades have been wasted; now, in middle age, most of one's life has been squandered.

Only today do I realize who I am!

"Wife! I never dreamed this day would come!" He looked at Song Wenqin, unable to contain his emotions, and stepped forward to embrace his wife.

The tourists passing by might find it strange.

Even if you reach the summit, surely you wouldn't have never dreamed of it?

But only Song Wenqin knew the true emotion behind Zhang Zhaohai's words.

Yes!

I never dreamed of this!

The couple stood atop Celestial Capital Peak, raised their phones, and took a selfie against the backdrop of mountains, rivers, sun, and moon, capturing the beautiful scenery of that moment.

"Come on, it was definitely worth the trip!" Zhang Zhaohai laughed heartily, his face beaming. "It's strange, I thought I'd be out of breath climbing this mountain, but I actually made it all the way up. My stamina is a bit beyond my expectations."

"It's mainly because your recent workouts have been effective," Song Wenqin said with a smile. "By the way, our son just said he bought a house in Hangzhou too?"

"He not only bought it, but I heard it's all renovated," Zhang Zhaohai said. "I heard he hasn't been there even once. He's really carefree."

"So carefree?" Song Wenqin laughed. "It's just that my son is too busy with his career to pay attention to these little things. It's perfect that we're going to take a look this time, help him check on the progress of the renovation."

The couple chatted and laughed as they took the cable car down Yellow Mountain.

It would be a lie to say that climbing a mountain isn't tiring, so the couple went straight to their hotel after descending the mountain to rest properly.

Since they weren't short of money, they naturally couldn't skimp on themselves while traveling, so this time the couple stayed at the Banyan Tree Huangshan, which is about a few tens of minutes' drive from the Yellow Mountain Scenic Area.

The suites are townhouse suites costing several thousand yuan per night, with their own gardens and balconies overlooking the ancient Hui-style village nestled against the mountains and by the water, offering exceptionally beautiful scenery.

A short drive of several tens of minutes later, we arrived at the Banyan Tree Huangshan.

"Finally back."

The couple put down their belongings, feeling completely relaxed. They took a shower first, and then went to the hotel for a meal.

"Hey, look, it's Mr. Zhou and his family." Inside the restaurant, Zhang Zhaohai glanced at the couple not far away and spoke softly to Song Wenqin.

The couple in the distance looked calm and composed, with fair skin, and appeared to be living a life of luxury.

It was the same Mr. and Mrs. Zhou whom Zhang Zhaohai and his wife had met by chance in the first-class cabin of the plane.

Zhang Zhaohai and his wife suddenly became wealthy. Although they have been catching up in terms of their demeanor and have begun to see results, they are still not as sophisticated as those who have been rich for many years.

Mr. Zhou and his wife come from a family that has been in business for generations, and their assets are said to be in the billions, making them incredibly wealthy.

"I'll go over and say hello," Zhang Zhaohai said, standing up.

He works in the restaurant business, and so does everyone else.

His restaurant business consists of just a few restaurants, but his family owns a chain of restaurants, hotels, and other businesses.

He naturally wanted to talk to others more and learn about business, and subconsciously he also longed for that kind of entrepreneurial circle.

A short while later, at the restaurant table.

Zhang Zhaohai walked over with a wine glass in hand and a smile on his face.

"Mr. Zhou, it's nice to see you again."

Mr. Zhou and his wife were leisurely eating their meal and chatting softly when they heard this and looked up in surprise.

"Oh, it's Mr. Zhang, hello." Mr. Zhou smiled, recognizing the man before him. "You and your wife are back from climbing Yellow Mountain?"

"Yes, I just finished climbing," Zhang Zhaohai said with a smile. "I saw you from afar and thought I'd come over to offer you a toast."

Zhang Zhaohai stood with a slight bow as a sign of respect.

"Thank you." Mr. Zhou raised his glass in response, remaining seated. "I used to enjoy hiking a lot, both domestically and internationally, visiting famous mountains and rivers. But I injured my knee a couple of years ago and can't hike anymore, so I can only do health-focused travel now."

"I envy you for having experienced everything, unlike me, who is only now belatedly trying to make up for lost time." Zhang Zhaohai raised his glass and drank.

"By the way, Mr. Zhang, you're also going to Hangzhou, right? Have you bought the tickets?" Mr. Zhou suddenly asked casually, as if remembering something.

"I haven't bought it yet," Zhang Zhaohai said.

"Then don't bother buying anything. My driver has brought the car; you can all ride with us," Mr. Zhou said with a smile. "Perfect, at least we'll have someone to chat with on the way back."

Zhang Zhaohai originally intended to politely decline.

But it was Mr. Zhou's words that immediately captivated him.

Yes, opportunities to chat and exchange ideas with tycoons of this caliber are rare.

So··

"How could I possibly accept this?"

"Don't be so polite with me. You asked me about the CEO program on the plane, so I'll tell you about it now," Mr. Zhou said, sipping his drink. "It's rare to find someone like you and me; we seem to click."

"Well... since you've said so, Mr. Zhou, then I won't be coy." Zhang Zhaohai said decisively.

Okay, I'll contact you tomorrow.

A moment later, Zhang Zhaohai went back first.

At the table, Mr. Zhou glanced at his wife, who was sipping her wine, and smiled. "What do you think of this Mr. Zhang?"

"Outspoken, confident, and wealthy, but judging from her demeanor and speech, she doesn't seem to be that rich," the elegant woman said dismissively. "Even if she didn't become rich overnight, she's pretty much."

"You mean your wealth and your demeanor don't match... you're a nouveau riche?" Mr. Zhou laughed. "That's why I'm so curious... Anyway, the journey back is boring, having a companion like this will certainly make things more interesting, don't you think?"

"Whatever makes you happy," the woman said, shaking her head.

··

On the other side.

"Go back in someone else's car? Isn't that unnecessary?" Song Wenqin frowned.

She was a little puzzled by Zhang Zhaohai's single-minded desire to climb the social ladder.

Now they have everything they could possibly need, their material life is extremely affluent. In Yinghai, they just need to focus on their small plot of land and further develop and expand their business. As for connections and relationships, managing the local relationships thoroughly is enough.

Why should their family force themselves into a circle that's so far removed from their own?

Would a billionaire really take them seriously?

"I didn't intend to integrate into their circle. I just wanted to understand their mindset beforehand and learn from them," Zhang Zhaohai said with a smile. "They must have some extraordinary abilities to have built such a large business. If I can truly grasp even a little bit of their wisdom, it will benefit the further expansion of our family business in the future. That's what you call... that's right, it's called vision!"

"When our family's stores are all over Yinghai, when we have thirty stores, then you can talk to me about strategy." Song Wenqin rolled her eyes at Zhang Zhaohai. "Right now, we only have five stores at most, and you're talking to me about strategy..."

Zhang Zhaohai rubbed his hands together, but the surging ambition in his heart couldn't be expressed at all in front of his wife.

Nothing was said that night.

The next morning, after breakfast, we set off for Hangzhou.

"Mr. Zhang, please come in." Mr. Zhou politely pointed to the Lexus LM500H in front of him.

Zhang Zhaohai glanced at the car and his eyes immediately lit up.

Although they already own a Bentley, a Maybach, and their son even drives a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, they haven't actually bought a business MPV yet. Of course, it's in the planning stages, but they're not in a rush.

Now that he has seen this top-of-the-line business van, known as the Ralf, he is naturally very tempted.

It's not like I can't afford it...

On the bus, the two couples greeted each other.

Mr. and Mrs. Zhou were very polite and had no problem with etiquette, but Song Wenqin still felt... there was something indescribable about it.

Out of place?

Or... is there always something between us?

But Zhang Zhaohai didn't think that far ahead. As soon as he got in the car, he started making small talk.

Mr. Zhou was quite amiable and answered all of Zhang Zhaohai's questions, covering topics that Zhang Zhaohai found interesting.

"The CEO training program? No problem. If you're interested, I can recommend you." Mr. Zhou smiled slightly. "By the way, you mentioned the other day that you opened a restaurant in your hometown..."

"We've opened five so far..." Zhang Zhaohai said.

"Five stores?" Mr. Zhou and his wife exchanged a glance, both seeing the smile in each other's eyes. "That's not a rush... How many stores do you plan to open?"

"At least... at least thirty," Zhang Zhaohai replied without hesitation.

"Thirty stores? Great! When you open thirty stores, Mr. Zhang, I'll personally arrange the CEO training program for you." Mr. Zhou looked at Zhang Zhaohai, clapped his hands and laughed, "You were able to start from scratch and own five stores, so thirty stores should be a piece of cake for you."

"Mr. Zhou, that's an exaggeration," Zhang Zhaohai shook his head and said. "Actually, I owe my success to my son; he's the most capable one."

"Your son?" Mr. and Mrs. Zhou seemed to have grasped something crucial.

So that's where the answer was...

No wonder this boss looks wealthy, but his demeanor doesn't quite match. If he's a nouveau riche, his five restaurants alone wouldn't be enough to give him such wealth...

It turns out he was someone else's son.

"Mr. Zhang, where is your son working now?" Mr. Zhou asked tentatively.

"We can't really say for sure," Zhang Zhaohai shook his head. "We never interfere much in our son's affairs. Anyway, from childhood to adulthood, our son has never caused us any trouble... Oh, by the way, he said yesterday that he bought an apartment in Hangzhou, which is already renovated, and he wants my wife and me to go and stay there."

Zhang Zhaohai looked down.

Early this morning, Zhang Yang sent him a message, along with the location of the house.

However, the son also said that he didn't need to worry about anything once they got there, as someone would take care of everything.

"Bought a house in Hangzhou too?" Mr. Zhou glanced at it curiously, then paused slightly. "Peach Blossom Spring? He really is a young talent; he can actually afford a house there."