After dinner, Heifeng Lu sat with his grandfather in the courtyard, playing chess and trading small talk under the plane trees.
The old man loved the game, but his skill lagged behind even Heifeng's middling level. Worse than the blunders were the excuses. Each time a move went sour, he coughed up a new reason to take it back, and his chess manners flew out the window. Even with all the "do-overs," he still lost to a self-proclaimed amateur.
"I'm done playing, you're making me angry," the old man snapped, eyes blazing. "Ever heard of respecting your elders. You don't even know how to give an old man face."
Helpless, Heifeng thought, I already let you strip me of chariot, horse, and cannon, and you still couldn't win, who am I supposed to blame? Aloud, he said, "Ahem, Grandpa, your form just isn't there today. Let's play again when you're feeling sharper."
That soothed him. "Exactly, I'm out of form today. Next time." He nodded, then asked, satisfied, "Did your uncle talk to you about the Hongqi brand?"
"He did," Heifeng said. "He told me Hongqi will be spun out to operate independently, and he asked what I think about taking an equity stake."
He never hid things from his grandfather, so he relayed what Guohua Ye had said earlier.
The old man listened, then nodded. "If it's possible, I hope you'll contribute to our national enterprises."
"You should understand what Hongqi represents," he went on. "The fact that it hasn't taken off after so many years is a point of pain for the leadership."
Heifeng gave a wry smile. "I want to do my part, but I have concerns. It's a sensitive matter. Done well, everyone wins. Done poorly, it will stir up no end of trouble. You know I hate trouble."
He was sounding out the old man, who had a way of seeing the whole board at once. If he really took on Hongqi, would he step on entrenched interests and invite knives in the back?
As expected, the old man just shook his head and smiled. "You brat, still too young."
"You've got a good head on your shoulders, so use it. If the higher-ups have already spoken, that means they won't allow anyone to obstruct Hongqi's development, and they won't allow anyone to line their pockets off it either."
Unlike Heifeng, the old man was utterly clear on this kind of thing. If the leadership had taken the initiative to ask whether Heifeng would take on Hongqi, they would have cleared the road behind him so he could work without looking over his shoulder.
The logic clicked into place for Heifeng. It was still only a possibility, nothing to rush. But if it went ahead, his ambition sharpened. He wanted to build Hongqi into a brand at the very top, the most luxurious and influential in the world, the kind where money alone could not guarantee you could buy one. Hongqi would be more than a car; it would be a marker of status.
In his heart, Hongqi had always been a point of pride for China, irreplaceable by any other badge.
"Uncle only raised the idea," he said after a moment. "Whether it happens depends on decisions above. We'll see what comes."
The old man nodded. "Make your own call."
"Don't overthink it. Anyone who hopes to carve benefits out of you needs to take my feelings into account first."
His tone was mild, yet a cold authority threaded through it. Men of his generation had walked out of gun smoke and battlefield mud. They might be retired, but their weight was not something the present crop could match.
"Grandpa is domineering as ever," Heifeng said with a grin. "I'll consider it carefully. You have my word."
He checked the time, walked his grandfather back to his room, then turned in early. The next day was the blind date his mother and grandmother had reminded him about three times already. They said the girl was an excellent match, one in a million. As the old lady put it, you aren't even willing to go, and maybe she wouldn't like you anyway.
He knew it was mostly a formality, but he could not afford to be rude.
Early the next morning, the old lady dragged him out of bed and told him to get dressed, quickly. After he cleaned up, he headed to the private Phoenix Hall in the top-floor revolving restaurant at the Times Building, the address his uncle, Guohua Ye, had arranged.
Guohua had booked it in advance, told him to wait there.
There were plenty of diners when he stepped into the restaurant. A waitress spotted him at once and came forward with a practiced smile. "Hello, President Lu, this way please."
Clearly, she had been briefed by Guohua and knew who to expect. She led him into the Phoenix Hall and slipped out, leaving him with a view that took in half of Beijing through a wall of floor-to-ceiling glass.
He waited for almost half an hour before there was a knock. The door opened, and a short-haired young woman walked in.
Heifeng froze, staring at her face. "You."
He had not expected this. The one who stepped through the door was Ningyun Chen, Miss Chen herself.
"What," Ningyun said, unhappy, "you're disappointed it's me."
Of course, she knew what crossed his mind. Her tone made it clear his expression had annoyed her. Plenty of people in Beijing would line up for a chance to meet this Miss Chen, and you look like this is bad news.
"A little disappointed," Heifeng said, smiling. "If I'd known it was you, we could have skipped the mystery. We already know each other."
"Don't flatter yourself," Ningyun said with a curl of her lip. "Did you think I came here to be your blind date. Shameless."
"I am not the one meeting you. I'm here to watch the show."
She lifted her chin, then added coolly, "One more thing. Don't you dare be rude to my sister later. If you are, I'll deal with you."