Chapter 89: The Troubled Yang Dawei

Hu Lei and his team not only had to measure the key points, but also list the main issues that would arise once the building was actually constructed. For any building meant to function normally, the most urgent concerns are water, electricity, internet, and accessibility.

As for providing water and electricity to a structure perched hundreds of meters up a mountainside tree, Wu You had considered this matter long ago. With alchemically created organisms, most needs could be solved; transportation could be managed with specialized flying creatures. But the issue of internet access was more troublesome.

Nowadays, who can live without the web? They couldn’t possibly string a fiber optic cable up into the trees—if that didn’t work, they’d have to set up something like a 4G wireless base station. But the speed would never be fast enough…

Lu Hanlin lifted his teacup over his head, examining the maker’s mark on the base. Four ancient characters were stamped there, but he could barely guess at two: “Heaven” and “Origin.” The other two were unrecognizable.

Wu You noticed his actions but paid them no mind. Even if Lu Hanlin was a scholar of classical texts, artisans’ marks had always been varied and weren’t necessarily written characters. Besides, these tea sets were all new; in the modern age, people came up with all sorts of novelties.

Li Hongguang and Lu Hanlin kept up a lively conversation with Bai Yanxi, and would occasionally exchange a few words with Wu Jianguo and Zhang Guihua, who were busy with household matters. Only once in a while did they ask Wu You a question, always on a topic that was inoffensive and polite.

In contrast, Li Youbo and Lu Zhiyou quickly struck up a warm conversation with Wu You. Once they grew familiar, their banter was as lively and boisterous as water buffaloes sparring in a field.

Especially Li Youbo—his playful, lighthearted nature was no different from the funny, mischievous young men Wu You had met in ordinary life. This gave Wu You new insights into these so-called “upper echelon” figures. But upon reflection, it made sense—after all, they were all human.

Wu You’s attitude toward the Li family’s visit grew more relaxed. Though Li Hongguang hadn’t brought gifts, his genuine warmth toward Wu You’s family and his goodwill were, in a sense, the greatest gift of all.

To an ordinary person, the immediate benefits might not be obvious, but the hidden advantages would become increasingly apparent with time.

Dinner passed in a harmonious and relaxed atmosphere, tinged with a hint of gentle humor. Wu You found it even more comforting than those so-called family gatherings during the New Year.

At one point, they discreetly inquired about the production volume of the Revitalizing Balm, but upon learning that the supply was “extremely limited,” they did not press the issue. There was no hint of arrogance, nor did they overstep their bounds—they simply expressed sincere gratitude.

They had arrived in a Passat, but departed in a Passat and a Maybach. Of course, it wasn’t that Wu You was lavishly giving away cars—Li Youbo just wanted to test-drive the Maybach, with Wu You in the passenger seat.

He floored the accelerator on a stretch of road, and Li Youbo exclaimed at how exhilarating it was.

Though the education of these old military families was strict and regimented, this fellow didn’t have the rigidity of a true soldier, nor did he put on airs or behave like a spoiled scion. Wu You found him to be the kind of person worth befriending.

The Li family group spent most of the afternoon at Wu You’s home, stayed for dinner, and finally left quietly with Wu You seeing them off.

…

A few portable “little sun” lamps illuminated the once dim mountainside tree, their wires strung to a small generator.

Around the major branches, new green shoots had sprouted, rising just to chest height—soft yet resilient, forming a natural railing.

Several thick vines twined around the mountainside tree, winding their way up to the crown and spreading in every direction.

Hu Lei set down his sketchpad and approached one of the vines.

“Buddy, I need to wash my hands.”

The vine immediately lifted and split open a small aperture, from which clear water flowed at a moderate pace.

Hu Lei washed his hands, then scooped up a few sips of the crisp, sweet water.

Just then, Wu You flew up, carrying several KFC family buckets.

“Boss.”

Seeing Wu You, Hu Lei greeted him.

“Come on, everyone, take a break—it’s time for dinner.”

Wide, green aerial walkways bridged the gaps between branches, grown from a blend of the tree’s limbs and descending, clinging vines.

Fan Xiaojin, Zhang Long, and Niu Shuizhong each made their way along these safe, comfortable green corridors from other branches.

They joined Hu Lei and Wu You at the main trunk, washed up, and got ready to eat.

“So, what do you think? How will the treetop estate turn out once it’s built?” Wu You asked casually, as the others tore eagerly into their food.

Hu Lei put down the chicken leg he’d been devouring and answered with excitement, “Its beauty will absolutely surpass all imagination! And with the company’s resources, it’ll be a living, growing estate.”

“I’m already dreaming of the day it grows with the mountainside tree into a World Tree—becoming a city in the sky. That will be the pride of my life!”

“We’ll abandon traditional interior concepts, focusing on ecological design,” he added.

Fan Xiaojin chimed in, “Boss Wu, this estate is going to be huge. Do you think we’ll get a chance to stay here for a night or two once it’s finished?”

“That depends on how well you all perform,” Wu You replied with a smile.

Seeing he didn’t refuse outright, the group was delighted.

…

At that moment, Yang Dawei was in a state of utter frustration.

Previously, he had considered asking Wu You for help with a challenge in one of his investment projects. But things had unexpectedly progressed well on their own, so there was no need to call in a favor.

That should have been a good thing.

But fate is fickle—disaster struck when two of his large oil tankers were hijacked by those damned pirates: the infamous Somali pirates.

He had worked tirelessly to partner with someone who could get him into the fuel business. In recent years, the prospects for fuel had been good—a successful deal would mean a huge profit.

This time, pressed for time and with the next Chinese Navy escort mission still a long way off—and since pirates hadn’t been as rampant lately—Yang Dawei took a gamble.

He never expected the pirates were lying in wait for just such a lone target. “Three years without a haul, and one haul feeds you for three years,” as the saying goes.

Once they captured his two tankers, the pirates demanded a ransom of ten million US dollars for the release of ships and crew.

That was no small sum. Yang Dawei’s finances were already stretched thin, but that wasn’t even the worst part.

He now faced the risk of breaching his contract. The ships had already been delayed during the hijacking, and it would take even longer to raise the ransom and arrange for the pirates to release them. Additional time would be required for the ships to return to port.

By then, the delivery date would have long since passed.

Though he was on friendly terms with his partners, they still bore risk and losses—they wouldn’t just waive the penalty. Future cooperation would likely fall through, and he’d lose everything.

So what to do? Aside from scrambling for ransom, he still needed to seek help.

After countless phone calls to no avail, someone even joked, “A Saudi prince has a stockpile in a neighboring country’s oil depot. If you have connections, just buy some from him to tide you over.”