208: Chapter 208 Hao Aiguo

When Zhao Xiaoshuai received the location from Hao Zhigang, he didn't pay much attention, but when he arrived at the place, he found it very familiar.

"Isn't this the residential complex where I dropped off Hao Jinghan those few times before? It can't be such a coincidence, right..."

Thinking of their shared surname, Zhao Xiaoshuai had reason to suspect that she and Hao Zhigang might actually be family.

Upon arriving, Hao Zhigang was already waiting downstairs.

"Brother Zhao, hurry upstairs, we're just waiting for you to start eating! Oh, don't bother bringing anything; my dad has a rule against accepting gifts."

Zhao Xiaoshuai nodded in understanding, instructed the driver to take the car and wait nearby, and followed Hao Zhigang upstairs empty-handed.

The stairwell looked a bit old, but it was clear that the construction quality was solid, and one could see traces of regular maintenance in the corners.

However, there was no elevator, so they had to walk up floor by floor.

"This building has some years on it; I hope it doesn't make you laugh, Brother Zhao. My dad is a rather old-fashioned person. In recent years, many new, modern residential complexes have been built in the city, but the old man just refuses to move, saying that new places should be left for young people to use."

"How could it? Uncle Hao's words make a lot of sense; I have nothing but admiration for him."

This time, he carefully observed Hao Zhigang's appearance. He was indeed a handsome man, and one could see a hint of Hao Jinghan in his features.

After all, he had no interest in men, so he naturally wouldn't have paid too much attention to their looks before, usually just getting familiar enough to recognize them. As a result, having known Hao Jinghan so well for so many days, he hadn't realized she looked like someone he knew.

"Zhigang, do you have an older sister?"

"That's right, I do have an older sister. How did you know?"

"I know a girl named Hao Jinghan; you and she share a few similar features around the eyes."

"What!? You know my sister?"

The Hao Family lived on the fourth floor. They had just arrived at the floor, and Hao Zhigang shouted in surprise while opening the door.

"Don't be shouting in the hallway, it's highly improper!"

A deep and authoritative reprimand made Hao Zhigang immediately straighten his attitude, and he hurriedly invited the distinguished guest outside the door into the house.

"Dad, it's not that I'm losing my composure, it's just that Brother Zhao actually knows my sister."

"Oh? Mr. Zhao knows Jinghan?"

Zhao Xiaoshuai looked up. It was a middle-aged man who didn't look too old, giving an immediate impression of rigidity and severity.

"Uncle Hao, just call me Xiao Shuai. Zhigang and I are very good friends. It's like this: I happened to take a few martial arts lessons from Jinghan a while ago, and I really learned some genuine skills."

[Ding! Unlocked Stranger Codex: Hao Aiguo (8.58)]

[Connections: 9]

[Achievements: 9]

[Congratulations to the host for luckily obtaining a multiplier gold card (permanent)]

Seeing Hao Aiguo's panel, Zhao Xiaoshuai was delighted; he really was a big shot.

"Brother Zhao, you must be pretty tough then, I heard she beat all the adult students in her interest class away! My sister is a humanoid tyrannosaurus; apart from my dad, nobody can handle her."

Hao Aiguo shot his son a glare, "Stop talking nonsense. Is that any way to talk about your own sister? I think you have too much free time; go help your mother in the kitchen."

Hao Zhigang didn't dare to say another word and silently went to the kitchen to help his mother cook.

Hao Aiguo turned back and continued speaking to Zhao Xiaoshuai:

"I see. That child ran into some trouble a while ago, so I let her go play with the kids, hoping it would help her decompress. I didn't expect such a connection to be formed."

"Why haven't I seen Jinghan today?"

"It was originally scheduled for us to meet you together today. I also harbored some intentions of having her get to know an outstanding man like you; she's 25 now, and it's time for her to think about marriage."

"Perhaps she was a bit resistant to me, an old man, meddling in her affairs, and she suddenly said she had to return to the military early, leaving yesterday."

This future father-in-law had an Insightful Eye indeed!

As for the two of them, let alone just 'getting to know each other', they already knew everything about each other—they probably should even have a child by now.

"That is truly a pity. I also admire how outstanding Jinghan is, but it seems I don't have the fortune today."

"What are you saying, Xiao Shuai? It's been a long time since Chuncheng has produced an outstanding and responsible entrepreneur like you. It is Jinghan who lacks the fortune."

Hao Aiguo shook his head and stopped continuing that topic.

"Xiao Shuai, I've heard from a few old friends that your Foundation isn't just talk. The promised funds are all in place, and it's already operating rapidly, having helped over a dozen families in just a few short days."

"This is certainly a good thing, a virtuous thing, but what are your future investment plans in Chuncheng?"

He was not surprised that his child's future maternal grandfather was so well-informed, knowing even more about the Foundation's operational results than he, the boss, did.

However, hearing the latter part, his heart tightened slightly.

In front of such a big shot, as long as they had the intention, they could absolutely uncover the anomalies in his massive, unexplained funds.

This was also the reason he was so eager to build good relationships with these big shots. He believed that as long as his money was being used to do things beneficial to the region and the public, they would likely turn a blind eye and not investigate too deeply.

"I don't have any particularly clear plans; I just invest wherever I see an opportunity. Do you have any suggestions, Uncle Hao?"

"I wonder if you have any interest in the real estate sector, Xiao Shuai?"

Zhao Xiaoshuai didn't know his specific inclination, so he replied in a standard manner: "I generally only buy when I need it myself; I have no interest in speculating on real estate."

"You've misunderstood my meaning. Houses are for living in; in my opinion, everyone who speculates on real estate deserves a beating!"

"However, we, the Chinese people, have an inexplicable obsession with houses in our bones, as if having a house is the only way to have a secure life. Almost everyone wants to buy one."

The recent situation was indeed not very good, with several of the largest real estate developers successively facing crises. Could it be that Hao Aiguo had some inside information, and something was about to happen with Hengtian?

"Uncle Hao, why don't you speak a little more clearly? If there is anything I can help with, I will certainly not shirk my duty."

Seeming very satisfied with Zhao Xiaoshuai's unhesitating attitude, Hao Aiguo's expression relaxed quite a bit. "Hehe, although it's a bit too early to talk about these things now, it's just me taking precautions for an old friend."

"If something happens in the real estate sector in the near future, we will need some responsible entrepreneurs to step forward and hold the bottom line."

Secretly thinking 'as expected', Zhao Xiaoshuai realized the other party just wanted to probe his stance. But he had already decided that not only would he readily agree, but he wouldn't just hold one or two valuable properties—he would take them all!

This kind of opportunity to find an official backer in a legitimate way was absolutely rare and hard to come by.

He answered confidently and sincerely: "If I have the ability, I naturally should have the responsibility. This is my duty! I can make a promise to you, Uncle Hao: I dare not say much, but as long as I'm not forced to swallow it all in one go, I can still handle a bottom line of up to 10 billion."

Even with Hao Aiguo's experience, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. This amount far exceeded his highest expectations.

Moreover, compared to the other established tycoons he had met with, this young man was much more straightforward and decisive.

Having seen countless people, he could also be certain that this person was not bragging or being perfunctory; he felt that confidence and composure very clearly.

But that was 10 billion!

Hao Aiguo's face remained calm, but he picked up the teacup he had just put down a moment ago and took a steady sip.