It wasn't that Li Xiangdong wasn't vigilant; it was just that he had seen too many financial scams in his previous life.
The Chinese people have been exploited in every way, to the point that they have gone from being numb to taking it for granted, and now they feel it is their due.
Therefore, faced with this situation, he only wanted to make some money from it, but he didn't elevate it to the level of protecting the interests of the country and the people.
When Liu Junbo brought it up, Li Xiangdong thought about it and realized it was indeed true!
The two of them didn't have time to say much before rushing straight to Liu Donglai's house.
After going through layers of reporting and inspection, they finally met Liu Donglai without any problems.
Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and Liu Donglai is feeling a bit more relaxed than usual.
He was quite pleased to see Li Xiangdong and Liu Junbo arriving together.
Liu Junbo and Li Xiangdong bowed to him in unison to wish him a Happy New Year, saying a few auspicious words.
Liu Donglai smiled broadly and joked, "You two actually know how to come and wish me a Happy New Year, huh?"
Li Xiangdong laughed, "You're so busy every day, we could only squeeze in this time to come over."
Liu Donglai sat on the single sofa and pushed the apples on the plate toward the two of them. "Eat apples."
He added, "You two didn't just come here to wish me a Happy New Year, did you?"
Liu Junbo scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly, "How did you know!"
"Hmph! Don't be fooled by the fact that one of you is a prestigious prospective judge and the other is a successful business tycoon. Your ulterior motives are practically written all over your faces!"
Liu Dong treated the two men like his own sons and nephews, so he spoke without any restraint.
Li Xiangdong and Liu Junbo exchanged a glance, then, without further ado, recounted in detail the incident involving the five-needle pine bonsai in eastern Zhejiang and the situation with the clivia in Changchun.
Liu Donglai had been listening with a relaxed expression, but his face turned serious when Li Xiangdong mentioned that someone wanted to buy out all the clivia plants he owned.
Li Xiangdong concluded, "Uncle Liu, my brother-in-law and I both believe that the person behind these two incidents is the same person."
Liu Donglai's gaze was as piercing as a hawk's. "Will the price of Clivia in Changchun rise to the same crazy level as that of Japanese white pine bonsai? How do you know that?"
Li Xiangdong had never seen him with such an expression before, and his heart skipped a beat, but he quickly calmed down.
"I think so. The price of Clivia has quadrupled in the past two years. Recently, the price of Clivia has soared, and it is normal for it to rise by several hundred yuan in a single day. This is very similar to the development curve of Japanese white pine bonsai, or even exactly the same."
"A few hundred yuan?"
Liu Donglai muttered to himself, his face full of solemnity.
A few hundred yuan!
"Tell me in detail about the process of creating the five-needle pine bonsai, from beginning to end, without missing a single detail!"
Li Xiangdong and Liu Junbo stayed inside for the entire afternoon.
They were so eager to see Liu Donglai that they didn't even eat lunch.
By the time they finished talking, it was already dark outside, and Li Xiangdong and Liu Junbo's stomachs were rumbling.
Liu Donglai slapped his thigh, "Look at me, I was so focused on talking about important business that I made you all go hungry all afternoon!"
Li Xiangdong said with a bitter face, "Uncle Liu, do you have any snacks? Let's fill our stomachs."
Liu Junbo drank cup after cup of tea, but the tea didn't keep him full, and he did have to go to the toilet several times.
Liu Donglai quickly ordered someone to prepare a meal, and then instructed the two of them, "You two have some snacks to tide you over. I'm going to make a phone call, and we'll eat together when I get back."
After Liu Donglai left, Li Xiangdong and Liu Junbo couldn't wait to each pick up a pastry and start eating.
"I don't usually like eating white skin. Uh, I think it's too dry and makes my throat choke!"
Liu Junbo took a bite of the white pastry and a sip of tea.
"I didn't expect the white-skinned pastries here to be so delicious."
Li Xiangdong ate one but didn't want to eat anymore; it really made his throat choke.
The hawthorn filling inside was extremely sour, and the outer skin was coated with sesame oil, making it greasy.
A moment later, Liu Donglai's footsteps could be heard.
Liu Junbo stuffed the pastries in his hand into his mouth in a few bites, throwing in the crumbs as well. He tried to swallow them quickly, but he choked so badly that his face turned red, his neck bulged, and his eyes rolled back.
Li Xiangdong thoughtfully handed him a glass of warm water, and Liu Junbo drank several sips before finally managing to finish his snack.
Liu Donglai pushed open the door and was greeted by Liu Junbo, whose eyes were filled with tears and whose face was flushed.
"What's wrong? Are you crying from hunger?"
"..."
After leaving Liu Donglai's house, Li Xiangdong packed his bags overnight and headed north.
There weren't many passengers on the train on the second day of the Lunar New Year; they were scattered around in their seats.
Li Xiangdong sat by the car window, watching the distant, receding mountains, their gray hues heavy and desolate.
We've passed Shanhaiguan.
Changchun Railway Station.
Zhou Hongsong and the others came to pick up Li Xiangdong early in the morning.
Guo Yuxi and Li Guoqing wore thick mink hats, their cheeks red from the cold.
Guo Yuxi was munching on a roasted sweet potato, while Li Guoqing stared intently at the exit.
"Guoqing, do you think Second Brother was attracted here by the stewed goose in an iron pot?"
Li Guoqing ignored him, saying, "All you ever think about is eating."
“What’s wrong with eating? People are made of iron, and food is essential. You’ll get hungry if you skip a meal! My second brother said that health is the foundation of everything…”
"Hey, second brother! We're here—"
Li Guoqing was the first to spot Li Xiangdong carrying luggage, and hurriedly waved his hands as he ran towards him.
Guo Yuxi also chased after him with a roasted sweet potato in her hand, and as soon as she saw Li Xiangdong, she handed him the half-eaten roasted sweet potato.
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