63: My heart is pounding (Please support me!)

"Lin Xiaomeng, Lin Xiaoxue."

"Go urge your mother. Tell her the situation briefly, tell her to stop working the street stall and quickly buy some good food to bring back."

Lin Zhenhua stood at the entrance and waved to his two younger daughters, but Jiang Feng raised his hand to stop him.

"Dad, no need to go through the trouble." Jiang Feng's tone was calm. "Everyone has been frightened; the family can just eat something simple."

On the way here, he had thought of a million ways to face his father-in-law. In fact, his failure to pursue Lin Xiaoyu in his previous life had a direct connection to this fierce old man in front of him.

Moreover, even the original Jiang Feng had been quite resistant to this old man; it was a feeling of being intimidated.

But the one thing Jiang Feng hadn't expected was that when he truly saw Lin Zhenhua, he realized that Lin Zhenhua was just an old man. He was a father, a man, but also... nothing more.

Looking into Lin Zhenhua's eyes, he didn't feel guilty, nor did his legs tremble.

This was no more difficult than facing Zhao Mingyuan. If there was anyone he found harder to face, only two people came to mind: one was Lin Xiaoyu, and the other was Molly.

Lin Xiaoyu stood to the side, her heart beating faster and faster.

She quietly observed her husband—it was still that familiar face, but the composure between his brows and the aura in his gestures made her feel like a young girl experiencing her first love, with a strange sense of palpitation.

He was clearly the husband who had shared her bed for many years, but at this moment, it was as if there was a layer of frosted glass between them; she could see his outline clearly, but couldn't fathom his depths.

This sense of unfamiliarity made her throat tighten. In a trance, she recalled the time after graduation, the heartbeat she felt when she first secretly wore his hoodie; a shameful and secret excitement rampaged in her chest.

"Brother-in-law!" When Lin Xiaomeng rushed over, she brought a gust of wind, and the tips of her hair brushed against Lin Xiaoyu's burning cheeks.

The twenty-year-old girl's eyes were as bright as the stars in the sky. "When are we going to eat ice cream!"

"Brother-in-law, can those two robots teach me programming? Their posture when kicking the motorcycle was so cool!" Lin Xiaoxue tugged at Jiang Feng's sleeve, her eyes equally sparkling, anticipating a response.

Jiang Feng smiled. He suddenly felt that this might be the happy life of having younger sisters.

'Having a wife, having younger sisters, damn, this is awesome!'

Thinking this to himself, he reached out and ruffled the heads of his two sisters-in-law. "Wait a moment, I need to discuss some serious matters with Dad first."

"Mm-hmm!"

The two sisters-in-law nodded frantically and sat obediently on the sofa, not making a sound.

Lin Zhenhua watched his younger daughters circling around Jiang Feng and felt sour in his heart.

The daughters he had held in the palm of his hand since they were little now only had eyes for this brat; it was simply outrageous!

He still remembered when the brat first visited years ago; his white shirt was washed until it was gray, and his hand holding the fruit basket was trembling.

Now, he brought robots to intimidate everyone. The corners of his eyes and brows were filled with cold, hard sharpness. Even he, looking at him, dared not breathe loudly, nor raise his voice an octave.

He let out a muffled snort and turned to walk toward the living room. "Come in and sit, don't just stand at the door."

Everyone sat down. Jiang Feng didn't exchange pleasantries and went straight to the point.

"Dad, you are a veteran of the customs office." His gaze was steady as he spoke. "I would like to ask, what preparations are needed to start a company in the Terran Union? Especially... the rules beneath the surface."

Lin Zhenhua frowned, his eyes sharpening.

He certainly understood what Jiang Feng was asking. No matter how human civilization was packaged, the essence of the law of the jungle had never changed; at most, animalistic nature was just packaged into excuses that served their interests.

This was exactly why the privileged class was so terrifying in the Terran Union.

They always had the ability and the will to let dirty, violent means flow quietly beneath the surface of civilization.

It was like a shark; the fin exposed above the water was enough to represent the difference between life and death.

Lin Zhenhua walked to the refrigerator and took out a can of beer.

The aluminum can pressed against his palm, condensation forming on its surface. The sound of the pull-tab opening was exceptionally clear.

"Here." He handed him a can.

"What kind of business do you want to do?"

Jiang Feng took it and paused for a moment. "Trade."

He didn't directly answer with the word "smuggling," but Lin Zhenhua had already guessed it.

The tariff war was raging, and a group of upper-class elites, represented by the Great Leader Dong Dachuan, were frantically raking in money.

For those below wanting a piece of the pie, smuggling was the fastest path, but it was also the highest-risk path.

None other!

After all, this was picking meat from between a tiger's teeth. If one was slightly careless, they would be pierced by sharp teeth and die in the tiger's mouth.

"Trade is divided into two types; intra-planetary trade and interstellar trade are two different things."

Lin Zhenhua lowered his voice, as if just discussing it made him uneasy. "The latter is a hundred times harder. The starting registered capital is one hundred million earth federation coins, and you also need the endorsement of a major power—a bank, a councilor, or a large public fund."

"After all, the turnover of interstellar goods is too slow. For a single shipment, receiving it in three to five months is considered fast, and you have to face all kinds of strange things along the way."

"Ships disappearing in subspace... encountering Space Whales 'Tiyanki'... encountering strange 'Void Clouds'... encountering 'Space Amoeba'... and then pirates, interstellar nomads, there are too many dangers!"

Jiang Feng shook his head and thought to himself: 'Yes, and there's the possibility of encountering "Void Spawn," "Ripper Dragons," "Crystalline Entities," "Ether Drakes," and other terrifying space monsters, and even "Interstellar Storms," "Anomalies," "Astral Rift," and "wormhole."'

'No wonder it requires an endorsement. Otherwise, if the goods don't return, and the turnover period gets too long, the capital chain will break, and it's over!'

Lin Zhenhua naturally didn't know what Jiang Feng was thinking and continued: "So, for every trade, you have to place an order about a year and a half in advance. After all, the other party needs time to produce, and the round-trip shipping also takes time."

"Exactly. If a new company doesn't have the help of a lobbying group, they can't even submit an application report."

As he spoke, his tone carried years of pent-up anger. Back when he was in customs, he had seen too many dirty deals.

Sometimes the evidence was clearly conclusive, but a single phone call from a councilor could make the entire case disappear.

Jiang Feng pondered for a moment and then asked: "What about a security company?"

Lin Zhenhua's gaze swept over the two robots standing quietly at the door, and he sneered. "Security? You have to get connected with the military. Without a background, you can't even get a permit to carry weapons."

Jiang Feng narrowed his eyes. He instinctively understood that if he were willing to bow his head and go to Molly, neither of these two things would be difficult for her.

But if he bowed his head now, it would be hard to refuse her in the future, which would not be conducive to long-term development.

Even if he were constrained by others in the short term, Jiang Feng was not very willing. He had already been frustrated before; why should he be frustrated again this time?

It made no sense!

Lin Xiaoyu said softly from the side: "Old Man Chen is a retired United Earth Navy officer; perhaps he could help?"

Jiang Feng's eyes flickered slightly. Lin Xiaoyu was right. Old Man Chen was unflappable and a man who had seen the world; surely he could be used to contact certain people in power, clear up relationships, and perhaps there was great potential!

At the very least, it was worth a try.

Lin Zhenhua stared at his contemplative face and suddenly realized.

The son-in-law in front of him was no longer that timid, poor boy.

Lin Xiaoyu sat to the side, twisting the hem of her clothes, afraid that Jiang Feng would think her suggestion was too presumptuous.

The calmness and sharpness Jiang Feng displayed when discussing these matters made her feel both strange and fascinated.

She was suddenly a little afraid.

Afraid that she... was no longer a match for him.

The silence lasted for a moment, and then the sound of a key turning suddenly came from the entrance.

Chen Meilan rushed in carrying a plastic bag, and the smell of chives and fish instantly filled the room.

"There was a fight downstairs! I saw the message Xiaoxue sent, the son-in-law... has returned."

She looked at Jiang Feng, a flash of bewilderment in her eyes. Was this the same poor boy who was once questioned by her to the point of not daring to raise his head?

Jiang Feng reached out and took the plastic bag from her hand, calmly saying "Mom."

He walked into the kitchen and pulled a few almost-thawed mackerel from the bag; these were real fish!

There was nothing to say; he first put them in water to thaw. If he didn't deal with them, they would stink later, and then it would be too late to regret.

Lin Xiaoyu watched her husband's back as he turned on the water to wash the fish in the kitchen, and suddenly remembered the million in his account.

The water splashed against the fish bellies, making a soft sound. She touched her chest, where the questions she hadn't had time to ask still remained.

But at this moment, watching Lin Xiaomeng go up and chatter with Jiang Feng about something, watching Lin Zhenhua and Chen Meilan looking stunned and exchanging glances, watching Lin Xiaoxue tease the Robot Dog and circle around the robots.

Something warm suddenly washed over her heart.

Perhaps, perhaps in this world where violence is taken as breathing, some truths...

Don't need to be said out loud!