Chapter 221: That Background Is Way Too Deep!
For Tao Jingshen and his crew, seeing Geng Feiran—and hearing his name—was even more shocking than it was for Lin Feiming.
At this moment, his heart nearly stopped from fear.
It felt like a wave of pure force was crashing down on both his body and soul. His head spun, his knees went weak, and the room seemed to swirl—he was on the verge of collapsing from sheer panic.
Why was he here?
Why?!
Back on the mine site, Tao Jingshen had seen Geng Feiran a few times—always from afar. Each time, Geng was surrounded by people, the center of attention, hands behind his back, smiling as he gave commanding directions.
To Tao, Geng was a distant star, someone in a completely different league.
Every time Geng appeared, Tao's uncle, Tao Jinshan, would point and sigh enviously, whispering, "If one day I could become a general manager like that... that would be the beginning of real success!"
By all logic, someone like Geng Feiran shouldn't even know a small-time figure like him—let alone pay him any attention.
Yet right now, Tao felt like Geng was here because of him.
If Geng found out about their underground dealings—and if Tongdu Nonferrous Group got involved—there would be a full-blown crackdown.
It had happened before. Every time the situation was cleaned up, it would go quiet for a while… and then return.
But when it was serious, not only would mine managers be stripped of their posts, but people like Tao who ran illegal operations could be prosecuted and forced to pay heavy penalties.
He couldn't believe that Geng Feiran actually knew Lin Feiming—and seemed to be on good terms with him!
If Feiming told Geng about their "business," it would all be over.
It might even implicate his uncle, Tao Jinshan.
Many relatives in the Tao family had only secured their jobs on the mine through connections with Uncle Jinshan—some were even in management.
If this exploded, Tao's actions could drag down the entire family, destroying both their jobs and their businesses.
Thinking of that potential fallout, he began to tremble with fear.
If he brought down his whole family, they'd curse him for life. He'd never know peace again.
Why?
Why was Lin Feiming connected to Geng Feiran?
Were they relatives?
If he had such a connection, why didn't he ever show it?
With ties like that, he could've easily become a deputy manager or director at the mine. It would've been a walk in the park.
But no—he chose to drive a beat-up, nearly-scrapped truck, hauling ore at 3 a.m. in the dead of night?
Was he mentally ill?
If Tao had known about the connection, there's no way he would've let Feiming drive a truck. He would've treated him like royalty, pampering him with food and drink.
People with connections were always treated with the utmost respect and flattery—never, ever offended.
Now he felt like Lin Feiming had been pretending to be a sheep while hiding his tiger stripes—for two years—and it was about to destroy him.
While Tao was spiraling with these thoughts, Geng Feiran had already shifted into his "leader in a hospital visit" mode, moving from person to person in the room, shaking hands, asking how they were, offering warm greetings.
"This is my cousin's father. This is his mother. And this is my sister-in-law," Li Tang introduced everyone to Geng one by one.
The entire process felt ceremonious and formal, full of ritual and gravity.
After years in a leadership position, Geng had developed these habits—baffling to the average person, but deeply ingrained.
Then Geng turned toward Tao Jingshen, smiling as he extended his hand. "Hello."
"This is…" Li Tang paused briefly, then managed a polite smile. "This is Tao Jingshen, a friend of my cousin."
"A loyal friend," Geng said warmly, shaking his hand. "It's good to see young people helping each other."
"He has a relative working as a manager at your mine," Li Tang added casually.
"Oh?" Geng immediately perked up.
That gave them a point of connection—conversation wouldn't be awkward now.
"Yes… yes…" Tao stammered, his mind in chaos.
Just moments ago, he had been scared out of his wits. When Geng made eye contact with him, he felt like he was being judged by a grim-faced magistrate in hell.
But now, seeing Geng's friendly and relaxed smile, he suddenly thought—maybe he'd overreacted. Maybe nothing had been exposed.
"What's your relative's name?" Geng asked, clearly curious.
"Tao… Tao Jinshan…" Tao blurted it out before he could stop himself.
Too late—he'd given away his uncle's full name.
He immediately regretted it.
If Geng was here to investigate and punish, then his uncle was doomed.
"Tao Jinshan… Let me think…" Geng couldn't place the name immediately.
"He's the head of the production department in the old mining district," one of Geng's staff whispered. This guy was in HR—he knew the names.
"The production head in the old district? That's a key role—one of our backbone management posts," Geng said, suddenly recalling the name. "So what's your relation to him?"
"He's…" Tao hesitated, then admitted, "He's my uncle."
"I know your uncle. You two look alike."
Geng spoke with warmth and familiarity, like he was greeting the son of an old friend. He gently patted Tao's arm. "You're from Tongdu, right?"
"Yes," Tao nodded woodenly.
"Have you worked at the mine before?"
"I did, for a few years. Then I left."
"Why'd you leave? Did the company mistreat you?"
"No, no. It was for personal reasons. I decided to pursue other things," Tao denied flatly.
"Well, you still have roots at the mine. You look young—keep at it, work hard!"
Geng gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder.
"I will," Tao said.
Facing Geng Feiran, this 40-year-old man looked like a frightened quail—obedient and docile. He answered every question without resistance.
He knew that both his fate and his uncle's were in this man's hands.
One word from Geng could erase their jobs and destroy their business overnight.
If Geng chose to strike, it would be a crushing blow from a higher plane—utterly unstoppable.
In the face of someone with the power to dictate his future, Tao had nothing left but reverence.
At that moment, he felt like he was walking on a razor's edge, trembling, terrified of slipping into the abyss.
Thankfully, Geng didn't linger on him or press any harder. It didn't seem like he was targeting Tao directly.
Tao glanced at Lin Feiming, then at the young man beside Geng.
Suddenly, it all clicked.
The one close to Geng wasn't Feiming—it was that young man!
"Let's go. Time to get discharged," Li Tang said, stepping forward to push the wheelchair, followed by everyone else as they exited the room.
"All the cars are waiting right outside. Just head out and get in," Geng added. His generosity today was a clear show of support for Li Tang.
That's how relationships work.
Li Tang didn't look back at Tao and the others. But this scene had already played out perfectly.
What happened next depended on Tao's response.
If he was smart, he'd know how to handle things.
If not—well, that was his problem.
No matter how risky it was or what consequences it might carry, Li Tang had to talk to Geng about the shady "midnight trade" going on at the mine—to expose secrets that weren't meant to be seen.
And if things really blew up?
Then worst case, he'd move his aunt's entire family out of the province.
To somewhere like Qianzhou. To safety.
A house, a few jobs—Li Tang figured he could arrange those without too much trouble.
But his aunt's family had deep roots here. Asking them to leave their home and resettle somewhere unfamiliar might not be something they were willing to do.
Walking behind the group, Tao Jingshen and his men gradually drifted away from the main crowd.
They had brought along a van specifically to pick up Lin Feiming from the hospital—a show of goodwill and thoughtfulness, perfectly staged.
Most people, when faced with that kind of attentive service, would've softened by now, especially since ordinary folks tend to be kindhearted.
But Lin Feiming was like a stone in a latrine—foul and stubborn. Not only had he refused to be swayed, he'd opened his mouth and demanded eighty thousand yuan.
And now, on top of all that, Li Tang had appeared, and then—shockingly—so had Geng Feiran.
That completely threw Tao Jingshen's plans off track.
He stopped paying attention to where Lin Feiming's group was headed. As soon as he stepped outside the hospital, he hurried to a secluded corner and dialed his uncle Tao Jinshan's number.
Pacing anxiously, he waited. Finally, the call connected.
"Geng Feiran showed up!" he exclaimed urgently.
"Which Geng Feiran?" came the confused reply from the other end.
"Geng Feiran, the General Manager of Tongdu Nonferrous Group!"
"What?!"
Tao Jinshan sounded utterly shocked. "Geng came to your processing plant?"
"No, not my plant. I'm at the provincial hospital. One of our trucks flipped over ten days ago while hauling ore from your mine—truck's a write-off, the guy broke his leg."
"I told you to handle it quickly—pay some hush money if you had to!"
Tao Jinshan now sounded angry. "I had that truck towed away that same night. Everyone at the site has been warned to keep quiet. You better not let this get out—we could all lose our jobs."
"I paid for the medical expenses and gave him five grand for recovery, but he wants eighty thousand!"
"Eighty thousand? What does he think this is, a robbery?!"
"Well, the truck's totaled—you know that."
"He can come take his truck if he wants—it's still in the woods near the mine entrance. But eighty thousand? He wants us to buy him a new truck?!"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"That's too much! At most, offer him ten thousand. If he won't take that, go up to twenty. But no more! Whatever happens, you must shut him up!"
"Uncle, that might not work anymore. Lin Feiming… knows Geng Feiran. Geng is still at the hospital."
"What did you just say?"
"Geng personally came to the hospital to pick up Lin Feiming. And they looked close."
"Are you sure it was Geng? You didn't mistake him for someone else?"
"No mistake. I've seen Geng a few times—definitely him. And I saw Tongdu's official cars too—several of them. I know them well. Usually, I avoid them at all costs."
"This is impossible…"
Tao Jinshan still sounded in disbelief. "How could a truck driver know Geng Feiran? That background is way too deep!"
"You need to find out—did anything we're involved in leak out?"
"So far it doesn't look like it. Geng came to visit, seemed very friendly to me. I don't think he knows anything."
"Does he know you?"
"No. Well—now he does, I guess. We were introduced just now."
"Our operation must shut down immediately. Close your processing plant and lay low!"
"Got it."
"And listen—this is not the time to be stingy. Withdraw three hundred thousand yuan, go to Lin Feiming's place, and apologize. Admit fault."
"Three hundred thousand?!"
"You'd rather go to prison? You'll lose more than just your job if this gets ugly. If you don't handle this right and he tells Geng, and I go down because of it, I'll never forgive you."
"Alright… I understand."
…
After they got Feiming home, the house—which was already small—felt even more cramped with so many people inside.
Geng said his goodbyes to Li Tang and agreed to meet again the next day to discuss the project.
Uncle and Aunt headed to the market and bought a large spread to cook. Part of it was to host Li Tang, who had come from far away, and part of it was to thank friends and family who had helped with the hospital discharge.
With so many people around, there wasn't enough seating. Li Tang grabbed a small stool and sat by the door. He didn't know the relatives and didn't know what to say.
Normally, locals would treat visiting guests warmly. But today, after seeing Li Tang's connection to Geng Feiran, they couldn't figure him out.
Suddenly, he had become a mysterious figure.
People stopped chatting.
Lin Feiming, sitting in his wheelchair, fiddled with the wheels, getting used to maneuvering it. But the space was too tight—he could only move back and forth in place.
Looking down and seeing Li Tang on a low stool by his feet, he stared at his cousin like he was seeing him for the first time.
Finally, unable to hold it in, he asked, "Hey… what's your relationship with Geng from Tongdu Nonferrous? Why did he send a car and personally come pick me up from the hospital?"
"He gave us 28,000 yuan too!" his wife chimed in—she'd already tucked the money away, following Li Tang's instructions.
At that, everyone in the room stopped talking and stared directly at Li Tang, who was still cracking sunflower seeds.
He had spread a piece of old newspaper on the floor and was spitting the shells onto it.
Hearing the question, he spat out the shell in his mouth, looked up, and smiled. "I've worked with Geng before—successfully. We're friends, I guess. He happened to be in the area, so I asked for a favor. Don't overthink it, and don't feel pressured."
"I saw him once at the mine—from a distance. He was surrounded by officials. No way to get close."
Feiming was clearly affected. "Never thought one day I'd actually talk to Geng."
He grabbed the wheels and spun them a bit. "This chair came from him. It's like our ancestors are smiling on us."
"Don't exaggerate," Li Tang chuckled.
A middle-aged aunt on the couch suddenly chimed in cheerfully, "Since you're so close with Geng, why don't you put in a word for us? Help us get jobs at Tongdu Nonferrous. Something easy, with good pay."
Li Tang laughed awkwardly, unsure how to respond.
Aunties—always blunt and lethal in their requests.
But Lin Feiming quickly stepped in to defend him. "Auntie, that's a tough ask. Even if Geng were our blood relative, we couldn't just demand jobs like that. You'd be putting him in a tight spot."
"Well, we finally have a good connection. Of course we should help our own people—not let outsiders benefit."
"That's true, but companies don't work like that. Even general managers can't hire people casually. These days, you need to pass tests and interviews. If you don't have education or qualifications, forget about getting into Tongdu Nonferrous."
Feiming had become quite familiar with the company. In their town, that name was legendary.
Getting a job there—especially a leadership position—was a badge of honor.
You'd walk with your head held high in the neighborhood.
Knock knock!
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
Li Tang was sitting right by it. He set down the sunflower seeds, clapped the dust off his hands, and stood to open it.
Through the iron security gate, he saw a middle-aged man holding a bulging black leather briefcase.
It was none other than Tao Jingshen.
Seeing Tao, Lin Feiming's eyes flared wide like a lion defending its den. He struggled to stand, shouting angrily, "Tao! You've got some nerve showing up here!"
"Please don't be mad," Tao said with a bitter smile.
Li Tang immediately noticed something different—this time, Tao had come alone. No entourage. No swagger.
"Do you need something?" Li Tang asked coolly.
"Don't worry. I'm alone. I've always been loyal to my brothers. I paid all your hospital bills without complaint. I'm a decent guy—you don't have to worry."
He peeked inside, scanning the room.
"Is Geng still here?"
"He left," Li Tang answered flatly, keeping the iron gate closed. He didn't trust Tao not to pull something—who knew if he had backup lurking downstairs? "If you're here to see Geng Feiran, you won't find him. He's long gone."
"I'm not here to see Geng. Thank God he's not here."
Tao's words came from the heart. He bent over in a full apologetic posture, his smile creasing his face as he pointed at Lin Feiming.
"I'm here to talk compensation."
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