After the dinner was over, looking at the empty plates, Haizong felt a bit embarrassed. Today, he had eaten the most voraciously. Li Wanhuo smiled and said, "It's good to be young. I can't eat like you at my age." Haizong shook his head, feeling embarrassed.
Seeing the two people who had been calling each other brothers at the dinner table, Li Jihao felt quite depressed. At first, Li Jihao still chimed in occasionally, but later he stopped talking altogether, propping his chin with one hand and idly playing with the fork.
Li Jihao thought that his father, Li Wanhuo, would take the initiative to ask him about it, but his father didn't even look at him. Li Jihao felt quite helpless. Since no one was paying attention to him, he decided to speak up first, feeling depressed, he said to his father, "Dad, you and Haizong are calling each other brothers. How should I address him? I can't call him uncle, can I?"
At the dinner table, Li Wanhuo had been wondering why his younger son, who was usually very good at socializing, hadn't said a word. This made him have to keep finding topics to chat with Haizong. As an old man, what topics could he have? Why didn't this kid take over?
Seeing Li Jihao not saying a word, Li Wanhuo was a bit angry. The savior of his wife, and he didn't say a word at the dinner table. He would deal with him later.
But when he heard what Li Jihao said, it made both Li Wanhuo and his wife laugh. Li Wanhuo finally understood why his younger son hadn't spoken. Indeed, Li Wanhuo had never encountered this situation before. With his current status, there was actually someone over 30 years younger than him calling him brother in his castle. This was too surreal. The Li family had strict rules. Usually, when Li Wanhuo called someone brother, Li Jihao had to call them uncle or elder. If he didn't follow the rules of seniority, he would be punished. But looking at Haizong's 20-year-old face, Li Jihao couldn't bring himself to call him uncle.
Li Wanhuo almost burst out laughing. It was also his fault for being too strict, making the kids so restrained. He laughed and said, "You do your thing, I'll do mine." Li Jihao thought about it and agreed, no longer feeling restrained, and started chatting with Haizong.
Haizong was also curious. Li Wanhuo had been chatting with him quite enthusiastically earlier, but why did he become so quiet at the dinner table? He thought it was because he ate too much, but it turned out to be for this reason. Haizong found it quite interesting.
After dinner, Li Wanhuo's wife, who was feeling better, was a bit tired and went back. Li Wanhuo led Haizong and Li Jihao to the balcony of the castle. Looking at the dark scenery outside, Li Wanhuo seemed to transform. The endless darkness draped a mysterious veil over the castle, making it appear even more imposing. Li Jihao stood in the moonlight, where the light didn't reach, and could only see Li Wanhuo's stern expression in the faint moonlight. Li Wanhuo said to Haizong and Li Jihao with great enthusiasm, "Life is about holding power and living a fulfilling life. My first half of life has been glorious. I've built a vast business to protect my descendants and make my enemies tremble in the dark. Life should be lived to the fullest. Haizong, don't lose your ambition. What I, Li Wanhuo, can do, you can do too. Seeing you is like seeing my younger self. Unfortunately, my abilities are limited, and I can't go further. But I believe your future achievements will surpass mine, reaching a height that even I have to look up to."
Haizong wasn't stupid. From the moment Li Wanhuo picked him up in a 46 million yuan luxury car to seeing Li Wanhuo's 400 million yuan castle and the priceless food at the dinner, Haizong knew that Li Wanhuo was grateful for saving his wife and also wanted to inspire him, to keep his desire for success alive.
To be honest, Haizong was quite content with his life. With his current 100 million yuan, he could easily buy a villa in a wealthy neighborhood, own a Ferrari, marry a beautiful wife, and have a few close friends. Life couldn't be better. He felt that this was enough to make him content.
But seeing Li Wanhuo's life, Haizong realized that there was another way to live. Seeing his son's 46 million yuan Bugatti, a Ferrari was nothing. The price of a Ferrari was just a fraction of that. Seeing a castle worth hundreds of millions, a villa in a wealthy neighborhood was nothing. Seeing a meal worth hundreds of thousands, the Michelin three-star French cuisine he aspired to was nothing. Haizong realized that he had been too shallow. What Li Wanhuo showed him was the life he truly wanted. Controlling the lives of hundreds of thousands, owning the most luxurious castle, driving the most luxurious car, and embracing the most beautiful women was what he should be doing.
And with his Dragon King avatar, in the vast ocean, the Dragon King was the god of the sea. As long as the Dragon King was there, he could do anything in the ocean.
Thinking about this, Haizong said to Li Wanhuo with great enthusiasm, "Brother, I'll remember your words. You've given me hope for the future."
Li Wanhuo said, "That's right. I believe you have money, but the life you've been living is just the best a normal person can enjoy. In our eyes, those foods are not worth eating, and those restaurants are not worth visiting. In the future, I'll take you to see what the nobles of different countries eat, where they live, and what kind of people they have under them. You know, even though I, Li Wanhuo, am rich, they call me a bumpkin. So, before you enjoy the best life, don't let your ambition wane. How about joining me in business? I believe your future lies in the sea. Trust me, an old man's intuition is very accurate."
Haizong laughed and said, "Brother, your prediction is very accurate. My future is on the sea. Tell me about your business."
Li Wanhuo didn't expect Haizong to be so unassuming and laughed, "You're a cheeky one. I'll give you three medium-sized cargo ships. You can join me in long-distance shipping. This business can earn you 100 million yuan a year."
Haizong smiled and said, "How much does a medium-sized cargo ship cost?"
Li Jihao said, "About 20 million yuan each."
Haizong smiled and said, "How about this? I don't want your ships. I have 100 million yuan in cash. I'll buy four medium-sized cargo ships. But I don't have experienced sailors. I have 24 subordinates. Help me train these 24 subordinates into qualified captains, and I'll take them to do business with you at sea."
Li Wanhuo didn't expect Haizong to have so much money. Hearing this, he knew that someone like Haizong wouldn't easily accept gifts. He smiled and said, "Alright, I'll help you train 24 qualified captains. You have big ambitions."
Haizong smiled and said, "Actually, even if you didn't mention this, I was planning to get into maritime trade. I was going to buy 24 fishing boats. I promised my brothers that I would make them million-dollar captains. A leader must keep his promises." Li Wanhuo was speechless.
After Haizong and Li Wanhuo agreed on the terms, Li Jihao sent him back. Haizong planned to tell his subordinates the news before they left the country the next morning, to make them happy. He had accepted Li Wanhuo's generous gift, which was good. This way, Li Wanhuo wouldn't owe him any favors, and he wouldn't feel so awkward when he saw him.
The wheels of history roll on. Once you choose a path, even if you want to back out, you can't stop the wheels. You can either be crushed by them or crush your enemies on the way.
Li Wanhuo didn't expect that his momentary impulse would create a legendary maritime tycoon. This was the proudest moment of his life, even more so than building the castle, founding his company, or his family. On the day he died, he smiled and told his descendants, "The proudest moment of my life was witnessing the rise of a legendary tycoon."
But that's a story for later. At this moment, Haizong was still a young and inexperienced man, relying on his courage to build a vast business.
After saying goodbye to Li Jihao, Haizong returned home and calmed down. Looking at the 100 million yuan in cash, he realized that it would be gone by the time the sun rose the next day. He had agreed to do business with Li Wanhuo and buy four cargo ships for maritime trade.
He had to deliver the money to Li Wanhuo the next day, and he would be responsible for buying the ships. The four cargo ships would cost over 90 million yuan. After deducting 2.4 million yuan for the group's travel and 600,000 yuan for Li Guohui's surgery, Haizong would have less than 3 million yuan left. This money had to cover the salaries of Liu Yong'an and others for the next four months. Suddenly, Haizong found himself with no money at all, which left him completely flustered.
Feeling depressed, he picked up the phone and called Hu Jing, something he did every night. Even when he was killing Guan Daqiu, he didn't forget to call Hu Jing every day to express his longing.