Chapter 604 What Makes A Good Gift The next morning, Nan Zhengde was practicing Tai Chi in the yard when Chai Hua walked in. Nan Zhengde gestured for him not to say anything and to wait for him to finish his practice instead.
Without a choice, Chai Hua stood by the side and watched Nan Zhengde finish a set of Tai Chi moves before handing him a towel. Grabbing over the towel, Nan Zhengde gently wiped off his sweat. âWhat is it in this early morning?â
âQiao Zhan called me in the middle of the night and said that Master Chen and Ning Ran are both unreachable.â Nan Zhengde paused in his movement. âUnreachable?â
âYes, Master Chen and Ning Ran were rushing to a place called Lotus Town in Lightspring to look for a doctor. Qiao Zhan and Master Xing remained at Livingsfill with Little Miss and Little Master. They promised to make a video call between nine to ten every night. But the call couldnât get through since yesterday afternoon,â explained Chai Hua.
âWhat have you done after learning about that news?â Nan Zhengde asked.
âIâve sent two men to rush over there. Theyâve just arrived and have yet to send me any news,â Chai Hua answered.
âGood job. Do not act rashly. Tell Nan Xing and Qiao Zhan to stay put at Livingsfill and take care of the children instead of heading to Lightspring to look for Nan Chen.â
âGot it.â
âSend more men to head down to Lightspring. Do it discreetly. Have them travel in groups to avoid getting busted and get them to investigate in secret.â
âUnderstood, Mr. Nan.â
âGuard the phone. If anyone calls, you must answer it personally. If anyone is looking for me, tell them Iâm not around and call back later,â Nan Zhengde further instructed.
âBut what if it has got to do with Master Chenâ¦â
âNo way. Those people will try to confuse me before negotiating. I need some time to think about it. I will not answer phone calls or accept visitors before two in the afternoon. Bring breakfast to my study room,â Nan Zhengde uttered.
âSure, Mr. Nan.â
Having worked for the Nan family for many years, Chai Hua had long gotten used to Nan Zhengdeâs calm and composed disposition.
âAlso, donât let Madam learn about this for the time being.â
âGot it.â Chai Hua left immediately right after.
Nan Zhengde stayed in the study room and only got out at about three in the afternoon.
He then called Feng Wan into the room, where she saw about ten pieces of calligraphy artwork lying on the floor.
âSo youâve been hiding in the study room so long just because youâre practicing calligraphy? I thought you met a difficult problem again. You always lock yourself in here whenever you have troubles,â Feng Wan uttered, looking displeased.
âYeah, Iâve been practicing calligraphy. Take a look and see which ones are the best. Help me pick three from all of these,â remarked Nan Zhengde.
âYour works are of a similar standard and look almost the same. What is there for me to choose?
Besides, what do you want to do with them?â Feng Wan was puzzled.
âJust help me pick a few works first. I asked you for help because I believe in your aesthetic sense.â
Nan Zhengde spoke with a smile.
With that, Feng Wan helped pick out three of the nicest-looking calligraphy pieces. Since Nan Zhengde practiced calligraphy daily, he was naturally good at it.
âHmm⦠As expected of my wife. I like these three works the most too. Let me get Chai Hua to frame these up. Iâll send them out as gifts.â
âDarling, are you mad? You arenât a famous calligrapher. Why would you gift your works to others? Do you really see yourself as a calligrapher? Your works arenât worth a single cent since you arenât famous. No one will want it!â
âOh, how can you say that? I think that Iâm quite accomplished in this aspect. You might not think itâs good, but that doesnât mean others will think the same way as you.â Nan Zhengde chuckled.
âGosh, why exactly are you acting like this? Why would you think of gifting others your calligraphy works suddenly?â
As a married couple for many decades, Feng Wan naturally had a good understanding of Nan Zhengde.
Even though Nan Zhengde kept a smile on his face, she somehow sensed that something was amiss.
âIâm thinking of visiting some old friends. Theyâre members of the board of directors. I donât know what would make a great gift, so I thought of crafting a few works to bring as gifts,â Nan Zhengde explained.
âMembers of the board of directors? Why would you think of visiting them during the Lunar New Year?â
That further fueled Feng Wanâs uneasiness.
âNanshi Corporation is facing a crisis. I have to visit a few old friends and seek their help.â
âCrisis? What crisis? Did something happen to Nan Chen?â
Feng Wan was smart enough and managed to figure it out right away.
âYouâre right. We received news from the Xinan region that Nan Chen and Ning Ran are both unreachable. There must be more to it. Nanshi Corporationâs peace will undoubtedly be interrupted. I need to get some preparations done first. Thatâs why I have to visit some old friends of mine.â
Dejected, Feng Wan sat on a chair. âI knew there must be something wrong since my eyes kept twitching. Who would the culprit be?â
âAnyone is possible. I canât be bothered to make any guesses. The culprit will show themselves soon. I have to get ready before they make an appearance,â said Nan Zhengde.
âDo you think it has something to do with the board of directors?â
âThatâs for sure. Itâs obvious that the culprit has taken action against Nan Chen because they wanted to threaten me. Had they wanted to threaten Nan Chen, they wouldâve made a move on the kids. With Nan Chen in trouble now, I believe the kids should be safe. Nan Chen is the current head of Nanshi Corporation. The culprit mustâve seized the successor because they wanted to conquer the corporation. Since Nanshi Corporation is what theyâre eyeing, the shares will inevitably come into play.
That means the board of directors will be involved as well. Thatâs why I have to visit them, specifically the ones who donât have a good relationship with me and would most likely turn their backs on us. Iâm sure those who dare to meet me are generally the ones who have done nothing wrong. In contrast, those who dare not meet me must have a guilty conscience,â Nan Zhengde elaborated.
With a pause, he added, âTrust me; Iâll be able to tell if thereâs something wrong. My visit will also remind them that Iâm still alive and itâll be the best choice to stand with the Nan family. Of course, Iâll also have to pay a visit to those whom Iâve forged a better relationship with. I have to adjure them to stand by us and give us their utmost support. All right. Thatâs how things are right now. Thereâs no need for you to worry either. Weâve faced many crises throughout all these years, but weâve overcome them.
What you have to do now is to stay at home. Iâll get Chai Hua to accompany me for my visits and return quickly.â
Nan Zhengde kept his artwork and walked out of the study room.
Feng Wan followed behind. âWill anything happen to Chen?â
âHeâll be fine. That fellow is tough. He wonât die so easily so donât worry.â Nan Zhengde turned around and patted his wifeâs shoulder gently.
âYou probably already figured out who the culprit is, right?â Feng Wan fixed her gaze on Nan Zhengde intently.
âIâm not making any assumptions. Weâll find out sooner or later. Just stay put at home and donât do anything. Iâll be back in a bit. Get the helpers to close the doors when Iâm not around. Donât accept any visitors or answer any phone calls.â
âI canât even answer phone calls?â
âNo, lest itâs from the culprit. You might not know how to handle it. Just wait till I return.â
âOkay. Make a fast trip then. Be careful.â
âSure.â
Just then, Chai Hua brought over a cane. Seeing that, Nan Zhengde waved his hand. âI donât need that. I can walk.â
âQiao Zhan is in the Xinan region. There are only over ten men in the house. How many should we bring along?â Chai Hua inquired.
âWeâre not going for a group fight. Thereâs no need to bring any men along. Just get a chauffeur.â Nan Zhengde gave a dismissive wave.
âWonât that be risky?â
âWhy would it be risky? Iâve spent more than half of my life in this city, and no one ever dares to lay a finger on me!â Nan Zhengde roared.
Chai Hua figured that Nan Zhengde made a lot of sense. Had the other party dared to make a move in Flower City, there would not have been a need for them to wait till now.
Next Chapter q