Chapter 2253 - 5: Father

Chapter 2253: Chapter 5: Father

Looking at the people coming and going, including some big stars seen only on TV or in the news, Tao Jingwen felt like he was dreaming.

Early in the morning, half-believing, he followed the address on the business card to Chunshan Avenue, where police were patrolling and security personnel were checking people even far from the restaurant.

At the plaza in front of the restaurant, a tall, luxurious curtain wall isolated a small world, and Tao Jingwen thought it was a world he could never enter.

His hesitation and indecision caught the attention of the security personnel, who came over to ask what was happening. After Tao Jingwen showed them the business card, they led him inside the curtain wall.

They arranged a seat for him, and Tao Jingwen sat quietly; although he did not know anyone, everyone was very polite to him, as those attending the opening ceremony were all distinguished figures.

In the past, Tao Jingwen only knew Ah Gan as a very famous basketball player. After moving to work and live in Las Vegas, he had been to the arena to watch Glory Team’s games.

But he went more for fashion’s sake, as he was not very interested in sports. Even while living in America, which has a strong fitness culture, Tao Jingwen remained a weak scholarly type, dark-skinned and skinny, quite inconspicuous.

Now, he somewhat understood how influential sports can be in America.

A basketball player could become a celebrity, even one of the most powerful figures in Las Vegas.

Before coming here, he’d asked around, and many said Oscar Goodman was the mayor of Las Vegas, while Ah Gan seemed like the city party secretary, the real ruler.

But would such a big shot really help with his little problem?

Tao Jingwen doubted he would even see Ah Gan.

So, he thought he might as well have a meal and broaden his horizons.

Thinking about his child, he decided to start working out tomorrow, making himself stronger.

When the law can’t protect you, a strong body and weapons are the last line of defense for maintaining your rights.

Suddenly, Tao Jingwen felt a wave of sorrow; had his long pursuit of fairness, civilization, and justice been just a dream?

In the end, did he still have to fight like a caveman, relying on fists and weapons?

He was always sentimental like this, overthinking everything and taking too little action.

Seeing Michael Jackson make an appearance, Tao Jingwen was even more astonished.

A restaurant opening could invite such a superstar; Tao Jingwen increasingly felt like an unnoticed little shrimp.

The waiter handed Tao Jingwen a glass of wine as it was almost time to start the banquet; Tao Jingwen felt like he didn’t belong to any table.

He intended to finish the wine in his hand and quietly leave. He believed no one would care about him, even if he died at home one day; it might take many days for anyone to find out.

Thinking about his kidnapped son, he felt a pang of sorrow, reviewing his life to find where he went wrong.

"Vincent!" someone called him, pulling Tao Jingwen from his sad recollections. It was the bail money lender he met at the police station.

This lender was Gan Wenjiang, who had spent the year doing such frontline, grassroots work, using his eyes to find people who needed help.

"You... hello. This setup is really big, really big." Tao Jingwen awkwardly said a couple of words, took a sip of the wine, and choked on the spicy taste, "Cough cough! Cough, cough! Why is this wine so spicy?"

"This is white wine."

"White wine? Isn’t this a cocktail?"

"A cocktail mixed with white wine, why? Not used to it?"

"It’s a bit too... too spicy."

"Finish the wine, and I’ll take you to meet Ah Gan."

Tao Jingwen was taken aback, "I... Can I really meet Ah Gan?"

"Of course, otherwise why are you here?"

"I thought... given my status, I wouldn’t get to meet him."

"What do you think of Ah Gan? Anyone can meet him, as long as you sincerely seek him out, he’s willing to form a friendship with you."

"Form a friendship? Like in ’The Godfather’? What kind of price do I have to pay?" Tao Jingwen was still full of doubts, worried about getting into trouble. Before coming to America, he had heard people say that overseas, Chinese people are most likely to be deceived by other Chinese, so he always kept his distance from Chinese people, trying to integrate into "mainstream society."

This did indeed help him avoid some trouble; there were indeed some ill-intentioned people staying vigilant to harm their compatriots, but it also made him miss many opportunities, losing the support of his community.

In the end, he married a Vietnamese wife, about whose actual background he knew next to nothing; her education, marital status, family situation, etc., were all like a fog.

In recent days, Tao Jingwen reminisced about many details of the past and realized many things didn’t make sense. How could he have been so foolish in the past? Why didn’t anyone come forward to give him some advice?

Gan Wenjiang said, "Do you have anything to offer?"

With a slightly teasing tone, Tao Jingwen seriously replied, "I am a university... lecturer, I... teach chemistry. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas has strong radiochemistry, the kind that works on nuclear power plants, I..."

"Well, can you help us build a nuclear power plant?"

"No, not that, I... I can tutor children in chemistry."

Gan Wenjiang laughed and said, "Ah Gan isn’t The Godfather, he won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do. Just remember his kindness, and come to support him in the future. If you want to go, go quickly. The party is about to start, and there won’t be any time."

Tao Jingwen took a deep breath and drank the wine in his glass in one go, it was so spicy that it made him cough repeatedly.

Baijiu, a popular Chinese liquor, was something Tao Jingwen never liked; he thought Western spirits were more diverse and better tasting.

However, this time, after coughing, he savored a different kind of taste.

Tao Jingwen followed Gan Wenjiang into the shop, went upstairs into the office, moved the screen aside, and saw Gan Guoyang sitting at a large desk, wearing an oversized suit, with a tabby cat in his gigantic palm like a plush toy accessory. He gently stroked the cat’s head with his finger like an iron bar, and the cat purred contentedly.

Facing such a giant like Gan Guoyang for the first time, Tao Jingwen felt that Ah Gan, sitting there, was twice as large as he was standing, not just in physique but in formidable presence, like a deity.

When brought to the desk by Gan Wenjiang, Gan Guoyang moved his hand away from the cat’s head and pointed to a chair, saying, "Please sit, Mr. Tao." Tao Jingwen’s first reaction wasn’t to sit but to kneel before this figure, to weep bitterly over his tragic experience and hopeless life, in hopes of divine assistance.

He ultimately didn’t kneel, as that would have been too abrupt. He slowly slid onto the stool, body tense, speaking in a voice distorted by nervousness, "Respected... Respected Mr. Gan, it’s an honor to meet you, I... I’ve watched your games."

Gan Guoyang placed the cat on the ground, folded his hands on the table, and said, "I already know about your situation, I’ll find a way to help you, but I’d like to ask why you’ve distanced yourself so much from your community, your compatriots. I heard you’ve almost completely severed ties with the Chinese community."

"I... I heard that Chinese people most love to deceive other Chinese people..."

"What about your parents? After the incident, did you bring them to America to discuss?"

"No, I was afraid they’d worry."

"Afraid they’d worry, or you never brought them to America, cared for and accompanied them?"

"Never brought them to America..."

In the past, Tao Jingwen had a hundred reasons to refute Gan Guoyang’s "old-fashioned" views or turn around and leave; he didn’t want to communicate with someone so traditionally conservative.

But now, here and now, he lacked the strength to refute and could only truthfully confess like admitting his mistakes.

"If you want to be free, to break free from family and the constraints of responsibility, now is an opportune moment for you. Let the child follow his mother, and you’re free. Regarding child abuse, I’ll find a lawyer to help you resolve it, it’s quite simple. Bail money loans aren’t difficult for you; as long as you keep your job, you can pay it off soon. From now on, you can live independently and freely. You have a descendant, no need to worry about the continuation of your bloodline. Freed from marital burdens, you can date whomever you like, enjoy the tenderness of different girls, and delight in the beauty of global scenery each holiday. How do you feel about this outcome?"

Gan Guoyang painted a very nice picture for Tao Jingwen. For a man with a stable job and income, having children without having to care for them, having a marriage without living together, and being able to live freely as he likes, was indeed a very beautiful lifestyle.

Gan Wenjiang thought to himself, if he could live like this in the future, it would be wonderful. Why bother with children, having visitation rights would be enough.

Tao Jingwen hung his head, body trembling slightly, repeatedly shaking his head, saying, "No, no, that’s not what it is. I want to take the child with me, no matter how hard it is, I can’t live without him. He needs my protection, I can’t leave him to his mother. No matter how difficult, I want to take him, raise him, always stay with him, always stay with him."

Gan Guoyang stood up, his dominance intensified, Tao Jingwen raised his head, as if seeing a deity, his eyes filled with tears.

"If that’s the case, for the child’s sake, you need to get close to those around you, closer to your compatriots. One day your child will need friends and help. You should keep in contact with your parents, care for them, and bring them to America. The presence of the elderly is beneficial to the child. You need to manage everything around you to provide a good environment for the child’s growth. Also, I hope you often come to Gan’s Restaurant to eat; this place welcomes every Chinese person. The legal issues, I’ll help you resolve; it’s the least of the worries."

Upon hearing Gan Guoyang’s words, Tao Jingwen finally couldn’t help but slide off his chair onto the ground, grabbing Gan Guoyang’s broad, giant hand. On the pinky finger of this hand gleamed an NBA championship ring, the first one won in Portland in 1986.

Gan Guoyang looked at Tao Jingwen and thought of his own father; perhaps that’s why he was willing to help Tao Jingwen unconditionally.