Chapter 129: Chai Jin, the Tiger King

A soft peck.

It was a sound of gentle collision, carrying within it Wang Xiaoli’s purest, deepest, and most fragrant affection.

This was the second time Wang Xiaoli had taken the initiative to kiss Chai Jin. She remained as shy as ever, like a sudden breeze carrying the scent of summer magnolias.

"G-goodnight."

Her face flushed crimson. She dared not meet Chai Jin’s eyes as she turned and trotted toward her room. Her dark hair swayed across her graceful shoulders, and her long, slender legs, tinged with the delicate pink of youth, traced a silhouette of absolute purity.

This was the golden age of life.

Chai Jin smiled but said nothing. Yet, the callous layer that had coated his heart for decades began to loosen, thoroughly melted by this nineteen-year-old girl.

...

Just as history had unfolded in his previous life, the municipal investigation team acted with great speed the following day. They immediately rooted out a number of people who had been abusing their influence. Among them were high-ranking officials as well as employees from the securities trading center. They would all be held accountable for the chaos in Shenzhen.

Chai Jin drove Wang Xiaoli and Chai Xiaoshan to the airport. When the time came to part, Chai Jin opened his arms, and Wang Xiaoli understood. Her body, carrying the faint scent of shampoo in her hair, pressed gently against him. After they pulled apart, they exchanged a few more words before she led the girl into the terminal.

As he watched their figures disappear, Chai Jin had intended to leave, but as he turned, he caught sight of a familiar face: Shen Jiannan, the minor executive at Shenzhen Airlines who had openly snubbed him back in Zhonghai.

Shen was standing alone in the lobby, scanning the area, while the staff around him seemed visibly tense, as if he were supervising something.

Chai Jin now had over two hundred million in cash at his disposal; it was time to focus on the aviation business. After a moment’s thought, he walked over.

From a distance, he smiled and reached out a hand. "Hello, Director Shen. Long time no see."

Shen Jiannan, perhaps in a foul mood, frowned and glanced at Chai Jin. It was unclear if he actually recognized him. Expecting at least a polite response, Chai Jin was met only with a look of disdain. Shen swept his gaze over him, then turned to bark at a security guard nearby.

"Check them thoroughly! Look out for those black-market profiteers and smugglers. Whoever lets one slip through is responsible!"

With that, he walked past Chai Jin toward the security checkpoint, leaving Chai Jin standing there with his hand still suspended in mid-air.

A few people nearby cast suspicious glances, leaving Chai Jin in an awkward position. However, his expression remained unchanged, and a smile still lingered on his face. He did not lower himself to force a greeting. He pulled his hand back, a chill settling in his heart, and turned to leave.

Chai Jin now fully understood Shen Jiannan’s attitude. *If you're cursing the profiteers, aren't you cursing me? Fine. If you want to play the mantis trying to stop the chariot, then I shall crush your mantis arms!*

Sure enough, as Chai Jin walked away with that cold, mocking smile, Shen Jiannan looked back at his retreating form with a gaze filled with nothing but contempt.

...

After a major victory, one must reward their subordinates; otherwise, if you eat meat while they eat grass, who would continue to follow you?

Since leaving Yuanli County, Chai Jin had solidified his core team: Liu Qingwen, Fang Yi, Liu Shan, Old Huang, and Su Wenbin. Decades later, the business world would come to call these five the "Five Tigers of South China." Yet, none of them knew that behind these renowned tigers stood Chai Jin, the King of Capital.

Money is the greatest stimulant for human desire. Upon returning, Chai Jin prepared five paper envelopes, each stuffed with fifty thousand yuan. It wasn't a fortune, but for men like Old Huang, it was a colossal sum that made their hearts race and their eyes burn with excitement. Only a month or two ago, they had been scraping by on wages of one or two hundred yuan, with no idea where their future lay. They were fortunate to have met the reborn Chai Jin, a meeting that guaranteed their lives would never be ordinary again.

After wrapping that up, the group had a meal together. Then, Chai Jin went to see Cai Weiqiang.

Cai Weiqiang was a man of the streets, and most of his friends were in Shenzhen. Now that he was back in Guangdong Province to develop his business, he was naturally surrounded by friends and associates. After receiving his share of the money yesterday, he had bought a teahouse from a fellow townsman.

Located in a dense cluster of "handshake buildings," the place featured large windows, ceiling fans, and sets of traditional tea service. The walls were decorated with posters of stars like Andy Lau and Jacky Cheung. Because of the sweltering heat in Guangdong, people spoke loudly and rarely bothered with formal dress. Men in shorts and flip-flops, scratching their heads, digging into plates of Cantonese roast meat, and tossing around local slang—the atmosphere was thick with regional character.

That was exactly the scene inside Cai Weiqiang’s teahouse.

The place was bustling. Over there, a group of old men was chatting loudly; over here, another group was laughing and joking. Chai Jin sat among them, calmly sipping his tea as he recounted what had happened at the airport.

Cai Weiqiang was incensed. After a moment, he slammed the table. "He’s that arrogant?"

"Isn't he just a minor official at the airport? Who gave him the right to act like that?"

"I’ll call him right now and make him come over to apologize!" He reached impulsively for his mobile phone, but Chai Jin stopped him.

"Forget it. He’s just a small fry. But brother, you still need to find me someone reliable. I’ve already opened up two of the three aviation channels—the Russia route and the import-export company. Only the last link remains."

Cai Weiqiang calmed down slightly. "Don't rush this. I’ll look for someone else tomorrow. I didn't expect this Shen Jiannan to be so unreasonable. He's nothing—who does he think he is to look down on you?"

Chai Jin set down his teacup. "Let’s not talk about him. Now that the subscription certificate issue is settled, what are your plans for the next step?"

This was the question Cai Weiqiang had been pondering. He had originally wanted to dive into the stock market, but Chai Jin had stopped him, predicting a catastrophic crash. China’s first stock market crisis was about to erupt, and it would be lethal. Many would go bankrupt, and this crash would serve as a bloody lesson for all the blind retail investors. From then on, every advertisement and report about the stock market would include the warning: *The stock market is risky; enter with caution.*

So, Cai Weiqiang didn't know what to do with the tens of millions in his hands. After a long silence, he said, "Chai Jin, ever since you mentioned real estate, I've been studying it. Do you really think there's a future in it?"

"Years ago, many Hong Kong businessmen rented land in Shenzhen for development and made a killing. I want a piece of that pie."

Chai Jin smiled. "Why wouldn't there be a future?"

"Didn't I tell you? As the country develops and cities are built, real estate is an inevitable link in the chain. You can enter with confidence..."

"Boss! Table for eight!" Before Chai Jin could finish, seven or eight people burst through the door, shouting loudly into the teahouse and interrupting their conversation.