chapter 14 pay a visit to

When the distant sky turned white, Tyrone Qin opened his eyes right on time. Instead of the familiar bunk bed, he found himself beneath the snow-white ceiling of a hotel room.
"It's been several days since I left the army, and I'm still not used to it..."
Tyrone Qin sighed and then, with one hand, propped himself up and nimbly rolled onto the carpet.
He pulled back the curtains, allowing the first morning light to stream into the room through the glass as it pierced the eastern horizon.
"Phew!"
After taking in the morning view outside the window, Tyrone Qin opened the window itself, filling his lungs with a deep breath of fresh air. He then spun around and suddenly dropped forward.
Boom!
With a soft sound, Tyrone Qin caught himself with his hands, supporting his body, and began to perform rapid push-ups.
After an indeterminate amount of time, with sweat trickling down his face and dripping onto the carpet, Tyrone Qin concluded his morning exercise and took a cold shower.
Today was different from the previous days. After the shower, Tyrone Qin didn't rush to leave. Instead, he retrieved a razor and meticulously shaved his face and beard.
All of this was in preparation for a meeting he had today.
After finishing his preparations, Tyrone Qin headed out and purchased a mobile phone. He then hailed a taxi to Su Garden, a renowned residence in the old city of Donghai.
With the march of modernization and economic development, historical relics in China have faced considerable damage.
Not only in Donghai but also in Yanjing City, the capital city, complete courtyards are a rare sight, and small gardens are even rarer. Only a few royal gardens have managed to endure.
Su Garden, however, is the sole well-preserved small ancient garden in Donghai.
It enjoys an impeccable reputation.
This fame pertains to ordinary individuals.
For the upper echelon, Su Garden possesses an additional identity worthy of their attention—the ancestral home of the Su Family.
"Gaining entry into Su Family's ancestral home is tougher than accessing the Donghai leader's office!"
This is the shared understanding among the upper-class citizens of Donghai and even the entire Yangtze River Delta.
Half an hour later, Tyrone Qin arrived at Su Garden in a taxi.
"Sir, Su Garden isn't a tourist attraction; it's a private residence. Please don't be mistaken," the taxi driver cautioned.
As Tyrone Qin settled the taxi fare, the driver couldn't resist offering some advice.
"Right, thanks for the reminder," Tyrone Qin acknowledged with a nod. Carrying a large black bag, he proceeded towards the ancient residence before him. It wasn't grand in size, but its imposing threshold deterred even individuals worth ten figures.
Unlike typical villas and mansions, there were no personal bodyguards at the entrance of Su Garden. Instead, armed police personnel stood sentry.
Uh-huh!
Upon Tyrone Qin's arrival at Su Garden, the vigilant armed policeman on duty immediately focused his attention on him. He first examined his features, then his limbs and fingers, finally being captivated by his gait.
"Hello, who are you here to see?" In a routine manner, the armed officer inquired as Tyrone Qin approached.
"Joe Su," Tyrone Qin stated his name.
"Do you have an appointment with Principal Su?" The armed guard's expression shifted slightly as he questioned in a deep voice.
"No, please inform him," Tyrone Qin replied, shaking his head. "By the way, my name is Tyrone Qin."
"Alright, please wait."
After uttering those words, the armed guard turned and walked toward the registration desk at the entrance. He picked up the phone and made a call.
"Secretary Wang, there's a man named Tyrone Qin here to see Principal Su. He says there's no appointment," the armed officer reported quickly, then put down the phone and addressed Tyrone Qin, "Please wait a moment."
"Okay," Tyrone Qin nodded, maintaining a calm expression without any signs of impatience.
Observing this, the armed officer hesitated briefly and couldn't resist inquiring, "May I ask if you are a military man?"
"Yes," Tyrone Qin nodded once more, a faint smile gracing his initially composed face, his chiseled features reflecting pride.
It was the pride of a soldier.
"Ring..."
However, just as the armed police officer was about to inquire further following Tyrone Qin's affirmation, the phone rang, interrupting his train of thought. He had to swallow his unasked questions, pivot, and pick up the phone.
"Yes."
A few seconds later, the armed guard responded with a peculiar expression, then hung up the phone and regarded Tyrone Qin more attentively than during their initial encounter.
All of this occurred because Joe Su's secretary had called to inform that Joe Su would personally come to fetch Tyrone Qin!
This development left the armed police on duty astounded.
Since he had assumed guard duty at Su Garden a year ago, this marked the first instance where Joe Su personally greeted a guest!
Even when Donghai's top dignitaries had visited a few months ago, Joe Su hadn't bothered to welcome them!
Approximately three minutes later, a middle-aged man wearing a Tang suit and old-style Beijing cloth shoes arrived at the gates of Su Garden. Accompanying him was a man dressed in a dress shirt and slacks.
The middle-aged individual was none other than Joe Su, as per Qin Feng's earlier description.
"Hello, Uncle Su," Tyrone Qin greeted, recognizing Joe Su at first glance.
"Tyrone, it's really you..."
Joe Su approached Tyrone Qin with a warm smile. "It's been eight years since I last saw you. You've changed so much that I almost didn't recognize you."
"Uncle Su, you haven't changed a bit. You still carry yourself with grace and integrity," Tyrone Qin replied with a smile.
"Haha... that sounds like something you'd say," Su Wen chuckled.
The Su Family and the Qin Family were long-time family friends, and they exchanged visits every New Year. Either the Su family traveled north to Beijing, or the Qin family journeyed south to Su.
In Joe Su's memory, eight years ago, Tyrone Qin had a youthful yet mischievous countenance. As the Crown Prince of Sijiu City, he engaged in activities that pained the hearts of the elders. At one point, he even caused a public scandal that reverberated throughout the political landscape and nearly influenced the situation at the time.
However, today's Tyrone Qin exuded calmness, restraint, and a strong sense of righteousness. There was hardly any trace of the playboy from the past.
"Eight years ago, during the Spring Festival, I visited your home. Your father mentioned that your old man had sent you off to the army. I never imagined you'd stay there for eight years," Joe Su remarked.
Joe Su led Tyrone Qin to the reception room at Su Garden, where he had someone prepare a pot of wild mountain tea. He personally poured a cup for Tyrone Qin and inquired, "You've been in the military camp for eight years. Are you on good terms with your old man?"
"It's a job requirement," Tyrone Qin replied with a smile, providing a succinct response.
"I see..." Joe Su grasped the situation, and then he lifted a modest-looking purple clay teapot. "So, have you changed careers or are you on vacation now?"
"I got laid off," Tyrone Qin admitted somewhat sheepishly.
"Well..." Joe Su was initially taken aback by Tyrone Qin's response, but he began to sense that there was more to the story. Rather than pressing further, he simply smiled and said, "Huh... I just realized that you haven't changed much."
Tyrone Qin smiled awkwardly and was about to explain his intentions when Su Wen interjected, "Last year, when I visited your home, your mother wanted you to change jobs and then settle down, giving her a plump grandchild. Now that you've been laid off, it seems her wish has come true."
"You can't blame me for being sacrificed to fulfill her wish," Tyrone Qin joked with a smile.
"Sacrificed? You're the first person to talk about marriage in such a tragic manner," Joe Su quipped, momentarily bewildered. Then he recalled something and asked, "By the way, your fiancée is doing exceptionally well now. The Li family girl is a top student at Harvard Business School, and she's also founded a private equity company, operating both domestically and internationally. She's achieved such success that not only was she featured in Time Magazine, but there are rumors that foreign conglomerates and corporate giants are keen to hire her at a high salary."
"The Li family girl is thriving now. She probably doesn't have any interest in me anymore. My mother's wish might just come true," Tyrone Qin replied with a smile, seemingly unperturbed by Joe Su's words.
Hmm?
This small detail evoked a hint of emotion in Joe Su, but he quickly regained his composure. While outsiders might not be privy to Tyrone Qin's activities over the past eight years, Joe Su had heard some of it from Tyrone Qin's parents.