Chapter 2249 - 2: A New Identity

Chapter 2249: Chapter 2: A New Identity

On the first Saturday of July 2010, Spring Mountain Avenue in Las Vegas hosted a seemingly unremarkable street-side shop, but the surrounding area was filled with various cars, causing a traffic jam on the whole street, and many police officers came to maintain traffic order.

Working overtime in Las Vegas’ scorching summer weekend is not a comforting matter, but the police from the Vegas Police Department eagerly applied to come and carry out the task, remembering that when the first Gan’s Restaurant opened in Vegas two years ago, every officer who came to maintain order received a big red envelope, enough to cover half a month’s salary.

The crowd coming to celebrate the opening was diverse, as could be seen from their cars. There were extravagant Rolls Royces, flashy Ferraris, steady Mercedes, ordinary Saturns, old Corollas, and some simply came by public transport—a real mix of society.

An ordinary restaurant couldn’t accommodate such a crowd, so Gan Guoyang booked seats at several nearby hotels and restaurants, then surrounded a large vacant area and set up awnings to host an outdoor banquet like those in Chinese countryside.

Las Vegas has no shortage of open space, and with the fences set up, it was enough for hundreds to attend the opening event, which, compared to last year’s first store opening, was even larger.

However, the address of the first store was inside a hotel, making it convenient to entertain guests, while this time it was chosen to be roadside, complicating matters.

Gan Guoyang originally did not want such a big arrangement, viewing it as just a regular restaurant opening. But others thought differently; too many wanted to use the opportunity to get closer to him, solidify friendships, or ask Ah Gan for help with their problems.

After completely retiring in 2007, Gan Guoyang spent a lot of time with his father, Gan Youwei, yet despite attentive care and the best medical conditions, Gan Youwei’s condition continued to deteriorate, eventually reaching the point where he couldn’t recognize his son.

He couldn’t even recall that his son was the greatest basketball player in history and often muttered, "My son is a chef, he wants to inherit my skills."

After much contemplation, Gan Guoyang, who initially had little interest in team management, decided to dedicate some effort to the culinary industry, striving to promote Gan’s cuisine and traditional Chinese dishes.

As for the Las Vegas Radiance, which he had founded, he entirely handed it over to his wife to manage.

Gan Guoyang wasn’t just a restaurant owner; he frequently cooked himself, offering dishes for customers to taste. He didn’t implement any reservation system nor fixed working hours; he’d go into the kitchen whenever he pleased and cook all day with heart, ensuring every customer tasted Ah Gan’s dishes.

This attracted a large number of tourists and celebrity customers to its first store, which soon became overwhelmingly busy. In 2010, Gan Guoyang decided to plan a branch, selecting a location among many restaurant stores on Chunshan Road.

The shop’s décor adhered to the style of the old store from the Tenderloin District in San Francisco, done in a one-to-one replication. Downstairs was the dining area, upstairs was the residential area, where he intended to settle Gan Youwei. Gan Youwei was not accustomed to villas and hotels, and placing him in San Francisco worried Gan Guoyang. This store could be said to be opened for Gan Youwei. Recently, his condition worsened, and Gan Guoyang’s mood grew increasingly restless, but he remained patient, arriving early at the shop to welcome visiting guests.

Among the guests were many renowned figures: the former owner of the Portland Trail Blazers, the well-known real estate mogul, and media celebrity Tang Jianguo Comrade, to name a few. There were Lakers’ superstar Kobe Bryant, who had just won the NBA championship in June, marking three titles in two years; Allen Iverson, the Radiance’s star player; and Hollywood’s famous actor Robert Downey Jr....

Their presence garnered substantial media attention, with many media cars parked outside. In front of cameras, these prominent figures from various domains appeared humble and gentle in the presence of Ah Gan.

Gan Guoyang, of course, was not only the owner of Gan’s Restaurant and the major owner of Las Vegas Radiance, but he was also the architect of the new Las Vegas order, a hidden underground emperor in the desert’s central area, holding vast amounts of land in the Vegas region, with numerous intricate ties across the Pacific Ocean, making him one of the most powerful figures in the Western Region.

Such a prominent person maintained a humble and courteous attitude towards every guest. The attendees included not only nationally renowned figures but also many ordinary people. Among them were Gan Guoyang’s former neighbors, high school and university classmates, children’s classmates’ parents, and regular staff from the Trail Blazers and Radiance.

Everyone brought gifts, some valuable, others modest yet sincere, such as homemade cookies, brewed wine, or hand-crafted items by children. Gan Guoyang met each of them, shaking hands, hugging, accepting the gifts with gratitude, and taking commemorative photos.

A considerable portion of them were Chinese faces with yellow skin and black hair. Over the years, Gan Guoyang had helped many compatriots in America, especially those who traveled across the ocean in pursuit of a better life only to find the land wasn’t as friendly. Gan Guoyang cooperated with foundations, always generously offering guidance and assistance, finding jobs, solving legal and medical difficulties, helping many settle down and live decent lives in the United States.

Consequently, they owed Ah Gan a favor. In a modern society where favors have become increasingly thin and atomicization evident, Gan Guoyang maintains the connections within the Western Region’s Chinese community in an old-fashioned way. He strives to know everyone, personally weaving a vast network. As the core of this network, his extraordinary energy, great fame, and immense wealth make him a flagship figure in the Chinese world.

But most importantly, it’s his ability to treat everyone equally. From morning to noon when the banquet starts, he greeted countless unknown little figures with handshakes and hugs, his face showing no impatience. No wonder Fox News said that if one day America has an Asian president, it would definitely be Ah Gan—provided he becomes an American citizen.

The person responsible for hospitality alongside Gan Guoyang was his brother, Gan Guohui. He was once Gan Guoyang’s agent and still holds contracts for many NBA stars, but his more important role is as an advisor to Gan Guoyang, the second-in-command in various affairs, the openly commanding "Mr. Hui," but people more affectionately call him "Second Brother."

The hot weather left him sweaty, and unlike Gan Guoyang greeting guests and shaking hands, Gan Guohui had to handle more trivial coordination tasks. Banquet timing, seating arrangements, security deployment, and even the later performance, all had to be arranged by Gan Guohui, who was extremely busy.

With more than an hour left until the banquet starts, he had to ensure seating arrangements were properly done. Some people couldn’t sit together. Organizing a Chinese-style banquet in America was genuinely challenging, and just the venue setup was quite costly, all of which were orchestrated by Gan Guohui behind the scenes.

Yet, he continued to admire his brother as always. In such hot weather, being able to dress formally and continuously welcome all sorts of guests outside is something he really couldn’t do.

The unbearably hot Gan Guohui decided to retreat to the inner room to cool off, and by the way, check if the children had arrived. Both Gan Guohui and Gan Guoyang had a son and a daughter. Gan Guohui’s eldest son, Gan Wenjiang, was born with his ex-wife. They divorced during the investigation of the "spy case," later, Gan Guohui remarried and had a daughter, Gan Wenji.

The four children were very close. Gan Wenjiang finished high school and didn’t go to college, instead he followed Gan Guohui and Gan Guoyang to work. At just 20, he started working from the ground up. Recently, Gan Guohui sent him to work in a subordinate financial company to gain insights and accumulate experience. The 2008 subprime mortgage crisis did not crush Gan Guoyang’s empire, but instead provided him an opportunity to expand his assets exponentially. Now, many small and medium financial companies are under his industry.

Gan Wenshan followed the same path as his father. In the 2008 draft, he was picked 11th overall by the Golden State Warriors in the first round, officially becoming an NBA player. While he certainly didn’t possess his father’s historic level of talent, he still proved to be an excellent player. He’s 6’8", a standard forward frame, renowned at Gonzaga University for his defense and versatility.

Of course, living in the shadow of a great father is unavoidable for a player. During his time studying and playing at Gonzaga University, he refused to wear his father’s jersey number 11, opting instead for number 34, claiming he most admired Olajuwon.

Gan Wen Yi and Gan Wenji are still studying. Gan Wen Yi is pursuing architectural engineering, while Gan Wenji studies computer science at the University of California. Despite the family’s substantial wealth, both fathers hope their daughters will possess the ability to be self-sufficient and independently support themselves through their work.

In the private room, Gan Guohui saw the four children chatting and laughing. Everyone was delighted to be back together. Gan Wenshan resembles his mother more, lacking some of the fierceness, adding more charm. As an NBA player, he has become famous as a playboy, constantly swapping girlfriends, which is very unlike his father. However, among young people today, given wealth and handsomeness, expecting someone to devote themselves early to loving just one person is likely too much to ask.

Gan Wen Yi is more like her father, always quiet and steady, she does things alone, thriving in her beloved field.

Gan Wenji is much more lively, loves fun and play. This time she returned with two female classmates to attend the opening ceremony, and it was clear that the two girls were exceptionally amazed by the stream of celebrities.

Instead, it was the brother, Gan Guohui’s eldest son, Gan Wenjiang, mature and capable, showing the difference early work experience brings to one’s perception and temperament. Gan Guohui intends to cultivate Gan Wenjiang into his successor. He doesn’t need high academic qualifications, which even become a hindrance to the job. He needs seasoned experience, accurate recognition and utilization skills, values that require early training.

After greeting everyone, Gan Guohui poured himself a glass of Sherry wine to quench his thirst. At this moment, Gan Wenjiang approached, leaning in to say, "Here’s a list, Uncle might want to meet them."

Gan Guoyang often meets people in difficulties, particularly Chinese-Americans, establishing friendships, offering assistance, of course, in return, they also owe him favors.

"Did you prepare this list?"

"I was involved, gave three people my business card."

"Let me see... a firefighter from 911? Let him come first... This Tao Jingwen, the fool who got scammed in marriage, put him last. Oh wait, Michael Jackson hasn’t arrived, he should be last. Put him second to last. Don’t sympathize too much with such people next time, my foolish son."

Gan Wenjiang nodded and didn’t say much, but he had his own judgement inside.