Chapter 447: Chapter 424: The Gift
Hua Muyun was truly surprised when he received the gift, feeling a sense of familiarity and belonging he couldn’t quite comprehend. He looked up and inquired with his eyes at Xiao Lin.
"Does Uncle Hua still like this gift?" Xiao Lin, intentionally speaking in a refined manner, wanted to burst into a laugh like Hua Qingyi, but he held back.
"If you let me lead this thing to the City Committee Building, I’d be on the front page the next day. Don’t you think I’ve been in the limelight enough lately?" Hua Muyun rubbed the furry head. In the dim light, the gift’s eyes gleamed like a wolf’s, yet it leaned its head towards Hua Muyun’s thigh so obediently that one might forget its fierce gaze.
"Why would Uncle Hua care about what those people think?" Xiao Lin took a bottle of whiskey from the shelf and poured it into an empty glass, handing it to Secretary Luo standing by: "Brother Luo, have a seat!"
"Isn’t this a purebred sled dog?" Hua Muyun took a warmed cup from the tea pot, filled it with tea. He never touched alcohol outside.
"Its maternal lineage has always survived as wolf leaders, so its wildness is purer than that of a typical sled dog." Xiao Lin cut a piece of raw meat and threw it to the sled dog nearby.
The fierce eyes stared at the bloody piece of meat but made no move, sitting by Hua Muyun’s side with its tongue out: "What’s its name?"
"It has no name, just called Number One." Xiao Lin cut the meat and handed it to Hua Muyun: "Uncle Hua, give it a try."
Hua Muyun took the meat and suspiciously extended it toward Number One. It took the meat to its feet and began to gnaw on it slowly.
"How did you tame it?"
"The tamer used your scent to deeply guide it from when it was first born, so Number One won’t touch anything other than the food you feed it. The taming process involved instilling your sound, scent, temperament characteristics as protection for Uncle Hua. Therefore, even though Number One has more than sixty percent wolf blood lineage, it won’t harm you."
"Xiao kid, what’s your purpose in giving me this thing?" Hua Muyun lovingly petted Number One’s head. He liked this dog; he was satisfied with its appearance and size.
"Brother thinks that just having Secretary Luo by your elders’ side is not enough—you need a loyal guardian. There are almost as many spies around the Xia Family as there are positions. If we don’t take some protective measures now, it will be too late."
Hua Qingyi was a bit jealous; he had wanted this dog for a long time. But no matter how sneaky he was, it wouldn’t follow him and would even bite him. Whenever they met, it was never peaceful, like enemies wanting to fight to resolve all hate.
"Send its diet plan to the Hua Mansion later; I’ll take the gift." Hua Muyun’s hand always stayed on Number One’s head: "The City Committee held a meeting on the Western Suburb today; you two kids should look at the content properly."
Xiao Lin took the document Secretary Luo handed him, glanced at it, then looked at Hua Qingyi with questioning eyes. The latter shook his head in confusion: "Wang Zhanting seems to have a laissez-faire attitude."
"Now is the best time to split the Wang Family." Hua Muyun teased Number One, enjoying its obedience solely to him.
"Qin Weiguo suits your taste." Hua Muyun chuckled.
"Old man, you know I don’t like getting involved in political struggles. If you want my opinion, letting Qingyi handle such matters would be more straightforward. He’s your successor; I won’t get involved."
"You brat, just like your dad. Always dealing with politics yet claiming not to be involved." Hua Muyun jokingly scolded Xiao Lin but turned his gaze to Hua Qingyi, who scrutinized every record carefully, ignoring Hua Muyun’s waiting.
The room suddenly fell silent; there was no awkwardness, only a relaxed comfort.
"Strong alcohol is harmful; switch to some tea to remove the taste."
"Okay, Uncle Hua!" Xiao Lin accepted the tea from Secretary Luo. Looking at the nearly dark-brown liquid, he frowned, unable to immediately adapt to the intense bitterness. Compared to this pu’er, he missed the flavor of Longjing tea.
"How’s it going with Xia Xue? I heard your old man came back recently."
"Nothing escapes you, old man." With a sip of tea, Xiao Lin stuck out his tongue. It wasn’t just a bit bitter!
"We only met briefly; I haven’t seen him since." Xiao Lin lowered his eyes, his gaze swirling in the amber alcohol: "Xiaoxue is doing well at the Xia Family, thank you Uncle Hua for your concern."
"Lao Xiao seldom appears; this time, it must be for you!" Hua Muyun poured some tea. Hua Qingyi’s expression was a bit serious; he didn’t rush him. For his successor, Hua Muyun understood him well. Despite being a worrisome guy, his strategic mind had already begun to take shape.
Xiao Lin decided not to touch the tea pot. He quickly took the glass of alcohol in his hand. His helplessness was evident to Hua Muyun. For Xiao Lin, this path hasn’t truly begun. Hua Muyun foresaw his future difficulties and dangers. Sometimes, he felt binding such a child might not be the best choice, but as their generation aged, the desire to prevent their hard-built endeavors from collapsing was hard to erase. Both children before him were people they valued—the idea of letting go was easier said than done.
"Uncle Hua, I want to ask you something." Xiao Lin hesitated: "Regarding the Middle East, I’ve always thought my father and those guys were involved. Can you tell me if this suspicion is baseless or real?"
"Half true, half not." Hua Muyun wasn’t as circumspect as Lao Long; such frankness left Xiao Lin speechless.
"Finished!" Throwing the material onto the table, Hua Qingyi let out a few cold snorts: "If the old man thinks this meeting’s outcome is satisfying, I would consider it full of intricacies."
No one spoke, only Secretary Luo took a small recorder from the bag. This recording pen was a unique model designed by Dragon Soul designers at Xiao Lin’s request. Powerful function, small footprint, it was Secretary Luo’s favorite, offering efficient work and ensuring none of Hua Muyun’s instructions were missed. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian () to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation.)