“I’m truly sorry, Grandpa Huo. There was a miscommunication between our two families, but now that we’ve made our choices, it’s difficult to withdraw. You see…”
Li Dazhi, far from being apologetic, looked extremely pleased.
“Heh heh, there’s no rule against multiple people choosing the same option.”
“Mr. Huo, may I say a few words?”
As Li Haochen spoke, all eyes in the grand hall turned towards him.
His interjection was perhaps a bit out of place, but since he had already spoken, and was, in a way, a stakeholder, his words were expected.
After a few seconds of thought, Huo Ying nodded and signaled, “Please, go ahead.”
“Charitable giving is for everyone, isn’t it? There’s no rule that says only certain people have this right. I am also very passionate about public welfare and wish to contribute to society. It would be a pity to miss such a good opportunity. So, if I may be so bold, can I vote for myself?”
As Li Haochen finished speaking, Huo Ying’s clenched fist relaxed. He looked at Li Haochen with great admiration and burst into laughter, “Good, good, good! Since young friend Li has such a benevolent heart, of course you can, hahaha!”
After being put in a difficult position by the Liu and Li families, Li Haochen’s words finally brightened Huo Ying’s mood considerably, and he felt a sense of gratitude towards him.
Huo Ying’s eyes, like an eagle’s, scanned the surroundings, pausing for a few seconds on Li Dazhi before returning to his harmless, ordinary old man demeanor.
Those few seconds were enough to make Li Dazhi and the Liu family members break out in a cold sweat.
“Since everything is in order, I wish everyone a fruitful competition.”
With that, Huo Ying, leaning on his cane, slowly walked from the stage to Li Haochen. With full vigor, he said, “Young man, why don’t you come to my place for a chat with this old man?”
Everyone who heard this was filled with envy, and a clamor arose. Those who could enter the Huo family mansion would undoubtedly have a prosperous future.
“Uh, alright.”
Damn it, this kid actually looks reluctant! So many people would give anything to be invited, I really want to slap him a few times.
A murmur of suppressed curses rippled through the crowd below, with some even showing signs of wanting to kick Li Haochen.
After exchanging a few words with Liu Qinghe, Li Haochen left with Huo Ying and his entourage. However, the elevator was heading to the top floor, which puzzled him.
“Uh, why are we going up?”
“Mr. Li, our family is in Hong Kong. We’re going up to take a helicopter over,嘻嘻!”
“Oh~”
Li Haochen wasn’t particularly surprised. It was common for wealthy families like these to own a helicopter.
Soon, the elevator reached the top floor. Outside, on a massive helipad, a huge helicopter was parked. The rapidly spinning rotor blades whipped up a strong gust of wind, rustling their clothes.
It was Li Haochen’s first time flying, and he felt quite nervous as he sat in his seat, his fists clenched, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple.
“Is this your first time flying, Mr. Li?”
“Yes… yes, it is.”
“Don’t worry, it’s very safe. I was about the same as you the first time…”
Noticing Li Haochen’s nervousness, Huo Ziyan struck up a conversation with him. Indeed, as they chatted, Li Haochen’s fear gradually subsided.
News of Li Haochen being invited to the Huo family spread rapidly throughout Hong Kong and Macau’s upper echelons. Li Dazhi, who had been planning some underhanded moves, also shelved his intentions.
Huo Ying was sending a clear message to them: it would be unwise to cross him at this time.
The flight from Macau to Hong Kong was very short, about the time it takes to doze off. Li Haochen checked the time; it had only been twenty-odd minutes.
Seeing Li Haochen gazing out the window at the towering skyscrapers, Huo Ziyan asked with a hint of pride, “What do you think of Hong Kong, Mr. Li?”
“It’s quite good.”
“Just ‘quite good’?”
Huo Ziyan seemed a little displeased, her tone rising slightly.
“Ziyan, that’s rather rude. And young friend Li is correct. There are many well-developed cities in the country. Not to mention going far, even Shenzhen, just across the bay, is more developed than here.”
Huo Ziyan was about to retort, but Huo Ying’s stern gaze silenced her. She could only pout and sulk.
A few minutes later, the helicopter landed in a large estate built into the mountainside. As they disembarked, Huo Ziyan asked Li Haochen again, “What do you think of our home?”
“It’s… very good. Backed by mountains and facing the sea, with a staggered layout.”
Li Haochen had initially intended to say it was just decent, but a thought flashed through his mind, and he decided to offer a strong compliment.
As expected, after the praise, Huo Ziyan was delighted and enthusiastically gave Li Haochen a detailed tour.
Ten minutes later, Li Haochen regretted his effusive praise. She hadn’t even finished introducing everything, and his ears were about to go numb. If Huo Ying hadn’t arrived to interrupt, she probably would have continued for another three to five hours.
As he walked in, Li Haochen’s calm demeanor surprised Huo Ying, prompting him to re-evaluate the young man.
In fact, Li Haochen didn’t stay at the Huo residence for very long, nor did they discuss anything significant. They simply exchanged pleasantries and small talk over a meal before he boarded the helicopter back to Macau.
Naturally, Huo Ziyan accompanied him, acting as a tour guide and taking Li Haochen to several places, including the Ruins of St. Paul’s and Rua do Cunha.
Of course, Li Haochen hadn’t forgotten the tasks assigned by the two goddesses back home, and he had purchased everything in advance.
Fortunately, Huo Ziyan had arranged for a vehicle to follow them, otherwise, carrying dozens of large bags back to the hotel would have been quite difficult.
“Mr. Li, would you like to try your luck?”
As they returned to the entrance of the Grand Lisboa, Huo Ziyan suddenly asked.
“Sure, it feels like I’ve come to Macau for nothing if I don’t gamble a little.”
Huo Ziyan led Li Haochen in through a side door, bypassing the noisy public areas downstairs. As they continued upwards, a large display board at the second-floor lottery betting station made Li Haochen pause.
Not only him, but all the participating contestants were present. It felt like they were being treated as gambling chips, not only being arbitrarily exploited but also having to help others make money. How utterly absurd.
However, it made sense in Macau; what else would one do but gamble? It was just that he wasn’t entirely pleased about helping others profit without any benefit.
Li Haochen wandered around, found his odds, and seeing the number five next to his name, he exclaimed with excitement, “Wow, I didn’t expect to have the highest odds! It seems their judgment is quite good, hahaha!”
“Pfft… Mr. Li, are you genuinely knowledgeable or just pretending? Your odds are the highest because no one favors you, that’s why they’re so high. Look at the betting amount; it’s a big fat zero, hahaha!”
“Uh, is that so.”
Li Haochen felt a bit embarrassed. He glanced at the board again. The lowest odds were for number one, only 0.8, and the betting amount had already exceeded ten million.
“They really underestimated me, huh? Heh heh!”