Chapter 166: Tomorrow, family dinner

Tang Lin sat down on the sofa in a dejected manner, rubbing his hands through his hair. He looked very anxious. After a while, he looked up at Zhou Ming and asked, 'Are you really sure about this? You have to understand that the situation 20 years ago is not the same as it is now. I admit that Uncle Tang has performed a miracle, but a miracle is a miracle after all, and Tang Ran is not her father...'

Zhou Ming was not interested in hearing this and interrupted him directly: 'It doesn't matter if it's a miracle or not, but there are some things that you can't say no to without trying... I'm sorry, but this is not my style.'

Tang Lin wanted to say something more, but at that moment, Zhou Ming raised his hand to check the time and said, 'It's getting late, and we need to leave here, so we need Mr Tang Lin to make a decision as soon as possible.'

'My mind is in a mess right now. Can I be left alone to think for a while?' Tang Lin asked.

'I can understand Mr Tang Lin, but I'm afraid I can't,' said Zhou Ming.

'Are you worried that I might make some emergency arrangements for the building while I'm thinking?' Tang Lin asked, trying to provoke Zhou Ming by looking him straight in the eye.

Zhou Ming nodded frankly: 'That's right. After all, this building is called the Tang Bank Building, and you, Mr. Tang Lin, are the senior executive of Tang Bank, aren't you? I think if it were me, it wouldn't be very difficult to keep someone in the building as long as I'm given time to set it up. Now that I'm in your place, if I'm not careful, I'll be belittling you.'

Who asked you to look up to me? I want you to look down on me, if you're capable of it!

Tang Lin screamed in his heart, but he could not say this anyway, it was too mean. He could only grit his teeth and stand up and say, 'Okay, I can promise you, we will cooperate, and I will help Tang Ran inherit the family legacy.'

'Thank you very much, Mr. Tang Lin. I believe this will be a wise choice,' Zhou Ming said. 'But please forgive me for being paranoid. After all, we are not from the Tang family. How can we believe that you will help Tang Ran inherit the Tang family's inheritance, and not just write a blank check? After all, saying something and doing it are two completely different concepts.'

Since he had already promised Zhou Ming, Tang Lin had no need to hide the truth from him. He replied, 'Tomorrow evening the family will have a dinner meeting. including all the heirs of the Tang family and other important members will attend this meeting. At that time, as long as Tang Ran comes to attend this meeting together and reveals his identity in front of all the family elders, he will be able to prove his status as heir.'

After saying this, Tang Lin thought for a moment and added a reminder to Zhou Ming: 'Twenty years ago, Tang Ran's father, that is, my uncle, did exactly the same thing.'

Zhou Ming nodded silently in response: 'I see. So what time and place is this family dinner tomorrow?'

'The time is tomorrow evening at around 6:30, and the place is Quan'an. That's an island in the inner sea to the east that belongs entirely to the Tang family. Since it's a private island, you won't find it on a map of San Francisco. Only the Tang family's own boat is allowed to dock at the Inner Harbor Pier.' Tang Lin said, 'Tomorrow, at around 4:30 pm, I will be waiting for you at Pier 36 at the Inner Harbor Terminal, east of Chinatown, because only people who have been verified as members of the Tang family are eligible to enter.'

'I see. I think we will be there on time tomorrow. Then I will take my leave. See you tomorrow.'

Leaving these words for Tang Lin, Zhou Ming left the room with Tang Ran, and Tang Lin just watched them leave without saying a word. He didn't sit back down on the sofa until they had completely disappeared from view.

After seeing off Zhou Ming and the others, Hoover immediately said to Tang Lin, 'Sir, I'm very sorry about this. This is a result that I never expected no matter what. If if you are not willing to accept it, I think we can still notify the building security office. I think there is enough time to stop them before they reach the first floor.'

Facing Hoover's suggestion, Tang Lin shook his head and said, 'No, let them go.'

Hoover wanted to say something else, but Tang Lin first asked him, 'Are you familiar with that Mr. Zhou Ming?'

'He is a customer I met in Brighton before. We can only be considered acquainted, not particularly familiar,' Hoover replied cautiously.

'Then tell me in detail what kind of person this Zhou Ming is,' Tang Lin said.

Hoover was stunned by Tang Lin's request, because he had no idea why Tang Lin suddenly asked such a question. He was even more afraid that Tang Lin was going to hold him responsible for the sudden appearance of Zhou Ming.

Tang Lin, who had made the request, also thought of something at this time. He then comforted Hoover and said, 'Don't think too much about it. I simply want to get to know this person from the side, because I have a hunch that we will be dealing with him for a long time in the future. We can't afford to make the same mistakes as we did today. You are not to blame for what happened today. I was also a little negligent and did not expect that someone like this would suddenly appear.'

Hoover was very moved by Tang Lin's relief: 'No, sir, this is all my fault. I did not introduce you to this Zhou Ming, which caused you to suffer such a loss.'

At this point, Hoover thought for a moment and said, 'Sir, I think I will just recount to you what happened when I first met Zhou Ming, because I am worried that my own evaluation will contain a lot of my own subjective consciousness and will interfere with your judgment.'

Tang Lin nodded with a smile and said, 'No problem.'

After receiving Tang Lin's reply, Hoover then spoke confidently about the time he saw Zhou Ming in Brighton. Tang Lin also listened attentively. They were both very focused, so no one noticed that after Zhou Ming's bodyguard left his seat, he had left behind an inconspicuous black cloth...

Of course, it was not an ordinary black cloth, but a listening device, which the person from the consulate was ordered to hand over. Before he left, he took advantage of the situation and left it on the sofa where he was sitting. Since he was only a bodyguard and the situation just now was also relatively sudden, and the bug itself was inconspicuous, so it was still placed in the gap of the sofa, so Tang Lin Hoover did not discover it until after they had left.

At this time was at the elevator, listening to the situation in the room with headphones. After all, this was in Tang Lin's territory, and they were still worried that the young master of the Tang family would turn his face upside down.

Finally , when he took off his headphones, Tang Ran, who had been holding his breath for a long time, immediately fired off a barrage of questions: 'What's going on? What's the situation inside? Did that sissy send someone to block us? How are we going to get down if we don't take the elevator? What did you hear...'

Facing these questions, he briefly described the situation in the room to Zhou Ming.

After the narrative, Tang Ran immediately scolded, 'This Hoover is really a bastard!'

Zhou Ming took Tang Ran's small hand, patted it twice to calm her down, and then said, 'Since they are not prepared to block us here, I'd better leave first.'

After saying that Zhou Ming pressed the elevator button and left the Tang Dynasty Bank Building with Tang Ran. They first went to Chinatown to let Tang Ran's friend Xiaoxue know that they were safe, and then they went to the hotel and checked in. To ensure safety, Ming chose a five-star hotel next to Chinatown, but did not ask for the presidential suite, just a suite with a sea view.

After moving into into the room, Zhou Ming first took the phone and reported his safety to Lin Muqing: 'Sister Muqing, I have now picked up Ranran, so you can tell her parents not to worry. However, it is best not to let her parents come to San Francisco just yet, because some very complicated circumstances. I can't explain it to you clearly in a short time. In short, my initial hunch was right. Ranran's identity and her disappearance are not as simple as we thought.'

Zhou Ming thought and said, 'This involves a large family comparable to the Adamses. The situation may not be any simpler than when we were in Brighton... Don't worry, things aren't that bad yet. I think there is still a great chance for a turnaround. At least dealing with a Chinese family will make me feel at home. You know, most Chinese in San Francisco migrated from Lingnan, and they all speak Cantonese, which will remind me of our time in Hong Kong... I know, I will take care of Ran and myself here.'

After Zhou Ming finished speaking, he hung up and hung up. Suddenly, he heard a sound behind him, and when he turned around, he saw Tang Ran standing in the doorway. Zhou Ming smiled and waved for her to come over.

Tang Ran walked over timidly and said timidly, 'I'm sorry, Ming brother, did I cause you trouble?'

In response to Tang Ran's apology, Zhou Ming pretended to be serious and said, 'Of course you've caused me trouble, and a lot of it at that.'

Tang Ran was shocked but then Zhou Ming changed the subject: 'The biggest trouble you caused me was that you got into trouble and didn't tell me, and I only found out from your girlfriend Muqing!'

'But that's not Ming, you never contacted me before, so how was I supposed to know your contact details? And didn't I ask your partner who stayed in the country to send a message for help? Did she not forward it to you? I really didn't know!' Tang Ran explained anxiously.

This explanation, on the contrary, embarrassed Ming Zhou, because when he thought about it, it was true that he had deliberately not contacted her before.

'Okay, I'll give you my contact information now. Remember it in the future. If anything happens in the future, you must tell me first, okay?' Ming Zhou said, and gave Tang Ran his phone number.

Tang Ran nodded vigorously nodded, and said like a curse, 'I will!'

Then Tang Ran sat next to Zhou Ming and carefully leaned against his shoulder. While leaning, the little girl still carefully watched Zhou Ming's face, afraid that he would be dissatisfied. And Zhou Ming just quietly watched her, and seeing her so timid, like a little mouse that has come out of its hole to find food, he almost laughed. How could he be angry?

Tang Ran saw that Zhou Ming revealed a smile, and she grew emboldened, leaning comfortably on Ming's shoulder.

'Ming, are we really going to the Neihai Wharf tomorrow and go to the island called Quan'an?' Tang Ran asked.

Ming nodded and said, of course then he lowered his head and asked again, 'Ran, are you afraid?'

Facing this question, Tang Ran proudly puffed out her small breasts and replied, 'Of course not! No matter where it is, as long as it's a place that Ming wants to go, I'll go with you! And Ming, didn't you say that it's some place of the Tang family? And I'm the first successor in the the first successor in line, then I should be the master there. When I meet the elders of the family and inherit all the wealth, I will first remove Tang Lin and Hoover from the family, and then give all the family's wealth to Ming, okay?'

'Of course that's be good. You don't even know that your Ming brother is a big money lover!' Zhou Ming laughed and rubbed Tang Ran's hair, but Zhou Ming's thoughts were already on what might happen tomorrow. (...)