Chapter 314 - Birthday Gift

Chapter 314 Birthday Gift

Cheng Hu and the others slapped their chests and promised to complete the task while ensuring quality and quantity.

It was only after that Ding Ning reminded them to feed the crocodile and black panther every day that their expressions became so exciting to behold.

They had thought that they understood their boss, Ding Ning, sufficiently but now they discovered that they could still not see through him.

Particularly after seeing the crocodile, Kaka, and the black panther, Dahei, listening so obediently to Ding Ning’s instructions, they felt even more admiration and worship toward Ding Ning.

Ding Ning instructed Cheng Hu and the other two people to knock out the Xiangjiang rascals in the underground wine cellar and then throw them somewhere remote. Then he reminded them to keep a close eye on Yun Sihai. Only after having done this did he take Ding Luoxue and headed straight for the school.

In the Longteng Group, Ding Qianlie listened expressionlessly to Lisa’s report.

“Chairman, the assassin who attempted to kill the young master last time has been put through Skynet’s investigation and comparison. We have locked onto a suspect but…”

Lisa glanced at Ding Qianlie uneasily and stalled in her speech.

“What? Say it!”

Ding Qianlie frowned a little and swept her eyes over Lisa without expression.

Lisa pressed her lips together and forged ahead under Ding Qianlie’s forceful gaze. “The assassin is a sworn warrior raised by Su Xu, the second young master of Yan Jing’s Su family. His name is Liu Nanxiong. Ever since Su Xu saw Murong Yanran for the first time five years ago, he swore that he would marry no one but her and views her as forbidden to others. Over these years, every one of the opposite gender who has gotten close to Murong Yanran has been killed off by the sworn warrior he sent out.”

Bang!

Ding Qianlie slammed her palm against the table and her brows pulled together tightly. Murder shone in her eyes and she said, with gritted teeth, “How dare Su Xu do that? He knows no bounds. He even dares to make a move against my brother? He’s looking for death.”

“Chairman, after all, Su Xu is…”

Lisa knew that Ding Qianlie was truly angry and was afraid that she would do something impulsive in her rage. Carefully, she offered up a reminder.

Ding Qianlie closed her eyes, her chest rose and fell rapidly. It was a long time before she calmed down and her eyes recovered their cool. She waved her hand tiredly,” You’re dismissed. Let me be alone. Don’t let any come in to disturb me.”

“Yes, Chairman!”

Lisa glanced at her worriedly and pressed her lips together but in the end, she did not say anything and retreated silently.

“Mother, we found the assassin from last time. They’re from the Su family, and Su Xu should be responsible.”

After Lisa went out, Ding Qianlie took out a phone and dialed a number. Her voice trembled with anger.

“Does he know Ning’er’s identity?”

Powerful emotion clearly rang out through the pleasant woman’s voice on the other end of the phone. Her rage could be felt through the phone.

“That is not the case; it should be a coincidence…”

Ding Qianlie related the entire matter in great detail and said, with a frown, “Fortunately, brother was saved by Knife Scar this time. I’m afraid Su Xu will not give up, should I…”

“No need, you don’t need to worry about this, and I will deal with it. A failure, yet he thinks of himself as a person and dares to go against my son. No matter who they are, they will pay the price.”

On the other end of the phone, the woman’s voice regained its usual coldness and her voice was filled with unquestionable arrogance.

“Alright, I’ll listen to you but if it happens again, mother, you can’t blame me for taking matters into my own hands.”

Ding Qianlie was not happy. She knew that her mother still gave consideration to familial relations and felt unsatisfied.

“What’s wrong with you, child? Did you find a husband and forget about your mother?”

The woman teased mischievously.

“Mother… what are you talking about!”

A blush rose on the face of the usually frosty business goddess. If anyone had seen her acting like a spoiled little girl, their eyes would have fallen all over the floor.

“Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Trust me, I will deal with it. If it happens again, you won’t need to say anything, I wouldn’t go easy on them either. After all, Ding Ning is my son.”

The woman paused and said, hesitantly, “Qianlie, find an opportunity and meet Ding Ning. This child is nothing like his father, and he attracts girls all day long. You need to keep a close eye on him.”

“Mother… I’m not talking to you anymore. I’m hanging up!”

Ding Qianlie made a shysound and hung up in a panic. Waves of heat rolled over her face.

In a courtyard of Yan Jing, a beautiful woman listened to the sound of the call being hung up and shook her head with a smile. This girl looked like she really does like Ning’er. This was a good thing.

However, thinking about how her darling son almost died, the smile disappeared bit by bit from her face and an icy light flashed through her eyes.

“Su Xu, I hope this was an accident. If I find out that you were purposely targeting Ning’er, don’t blame me for disregarding my family.”

Past the last entrance in the courtyard, a white-haired old person lay on the rocking chair taking in the sun. An old-fashioned radio was by their feet and was playing the Peking Opera “Shajiabang”.

There was also a middle-aged man with glasses in the courtyard. He was fanning the old figure with a palm-leaf fan. Seeing the woman come closer, he smiled and nodded his head.

The white-robed doctor and two serious-faced nurses stood in the courtyard. They did not seem to be paying any attention to the old man but in reality, they were constantly monitoring the status of his body.

The old man was skinny, about eighty or ninety years old, with a face full of wrinkles. He wore big pants, a white singlet, with cloth slippers on his feet. His eyes were closed and he hummed along to the radio.

“The morning light is reflected on Yangcheng Lake, the fragrant rice lined up in rows at the bank. Everything is done by the people’s hands, drawing out the wealth of Jiangnan. Not an inch of the motherland’s good mountains and lakes will be given up; it will not be ravaged! The injured left the battlefield and come to Shajiabang. For half a month, I’ve missed my comrades and Chief, and I know not where the transfer is. The soldiers and people are ready for a reverse sweep; how bravely swing their weapons and cut down vicious tyrants! The injured wish day and night to be healthy…”

“Grandfather, I’ve come to visit you!”

The woman stood silently to the side until the old man’s throat was dry and he accepted a cup of tea from his personal secretary’s hand. Only then did she go forward and greet him.

“Ah, you’ve come!”

With the help of the two nurses, he shakily sat up and gave a benevolent smile.

“Yes, I’m here, grandfather. How have you been recently?”

The woman smiled sweetly and crouched down in front of the old man to gently massage his legs with her fists.

The old man glanced at her favorably. “Just like always, not many days left!”

“Grandfather, your body is fine. Don’t say such inauspicious things.”

The woman revealed a little girl’s playfulness.

“Hehe, I know my own body. I’m already ninety-eight. I don’t have many days left. It’s only you who still remembers to take time out to come visit an old man like me.”

The old man smiled optimistically, a very relaxed expression.

The woman’s expression darkened then she immediately smiled. “Don’t say such morbid things. With your mentality, another twenty or thirty years won’t be a problem.”

“What’s the point of living so long? Those who are old and do not die are evil, and there is no point in being detested by men and ghosts alive. Besides, the earlier I go, the sooner I can go keep your grandmother company.”

Tenderness flashed through the old man’s murky eyes. “But I can’t bear to leave you. You’ve suffered for so many years. If I don’t see you living well, I won’t be content.”

The woman’s eyes were red but she smiled sweetly. “So you must live longer and watch me live a good life.”

The old man waved his hands. The secretary and nurses knew that the old man wanted to talk privately with the woman and retreated but they did not dare to go far. They waited in the second courtyard in case of an emergency.

“Girl, are those b*stards bullying you again?”

The old man’s blurry eyes shone with intelligence.

“No, no, who dares to bully me? It’s good that I’m not bullying someone else.”

The woman lowered her head and pushed back the sorry in her heart as she forced a smile.

The old man tenderly pulled the woman’s hand and patted it. “While I’m still alive, I can help you, so tell me who bullied you. Once I’m gone, you can only depend on yourself.”

“Grandfather, there really is no one bullying me. It’s old man Bai’s one-hundredth birthday next month. I came to ask if you wanted to go?”

Faced with the only person in the family who loved her, the woman pushed back the sorrow in her heart and forced a smile on her face.

“Old man Bai sure can live, almost a hundred, huh? Ah, I would like to go see him but… best not. I can’t move easily, and you go for me.”

The old man appeared to be recalling fond memories as he shook his head with difficulty and smiled sadly. “When I turned ninety, old man Bai gave me Wang Xizhi’s calligraphy “Safety” as a gift. Now it’s his one-hundredth birthday, so the return gift cannot be taken lightly. He loves to be picky.”

“Grandfather, there is a Master of the Divine Burin in Ning Hai, his jade sculptures are exquisite. I was planning on going to Ninghai to visit him and have him prepare old man Bai’s birthday gift. But as you know, I can’t leave Yan Jing…”

Slyness flashed through the woman’s eyes as she took the opportunity to say.

The old man immediately became interested. “Master of the Diving Burin? The jade carving master whose work went for a fortune at the auction?”

“You’ve also heard about him?” the woman asked strangely.

“Yes, I’ve heard of him but who knows if it’s real or fake. Girl, I heard a lot of people are looking for this mysterious Master of the Divine Burin but no one knows of his identity. Can you find him in Ninghai?”

The old man seemed to be particularly interested in the Master of the Divine Burin and had paid particular attention to news regarding him.

“Look, this is a work of the Master of the Divine Burin. I’m giving it especially to you. Other people cannot find him but I have a friend who happens to know him. As long as I go to Ninghai, I promise I can have him make something.”

The woman took out a jade accessory from her bag and presented it like a treasure. If Ding Ning was here, he would recognize it as the jade carved moonlight lion that went for $2.3 billion in the auction.

“Moonlight lion!”

The old man’s eyes brightened. He carefully placed it on his leg and examined it closely. After a long time, he praised, “His reputation is not a lie; it is truly a work by the Master of the Divine Burin. Such skill is indeed exquisite. There is no sign that it was carved by hand. It will certainly become a renowned object. No wonder it could command such a price; the artistic value of this piece far exceeds its true value.”

A trace of pride appeared in the woman’s eyes. She almost let slip that the Master of the Divine Burin was her son, his great-grandson.

But in the end, she controlled herself. After all, Ding Ning’s safety was of the foremost importance. Although her grandfather was reliable, he was very ill and showed the beginning of Alzheimers. Once he became confused and let something slip, it would bring Ding Ning great trouble.

“Grandfather, not only is the carving skill of this moonlight lion incredible, most amazingly, this lion will give off green light when under the moonlight. It’s as if the lion has come alive, holding a knife in its mouth. So very lifelike.”

“Oh, that’s amazing. I’ll have to have a close look tonight, haha.”

One of the founding fathers of Shenzhou country, an iron-blooded general who has spent his life on the battlefield, was as happy as a child in this moment.