ToW | Chapter 2

Ai Xiaosan was a ruthless woman.

The famous Chinese entrepreneur Ai Shihui had, in his youth, been swallowed up among the countless Guangdong “Afei” types. There were plenty of people called Afei, but not many who got rich in their twenties.

Starting in the 1970s, he built himself up from nothing on the American West Coast, from gift shops to restaurants, then construction materials, then real estate. By the time his youngest daughter Ai Xiaosan had reached the age when he himself had first made it…

he was already a famous patriotic Chinese entrepreneur and philanthropist, important enough that the Chinese consulates and embassies in the United States had to host separate banquets for him.

But Ai Xiaosan looked down on the row upon row of commercial plazas in her family’s hands. That business had already matured, and Ai Shihui had long since paved the road so smoothly there was no suspense left.

At twenty-two, hearing that seafood in Central and South America made money, she took a few brothers and went, seizing the whole chain from processing plants to international logistics in one stroke.

At twenty-six, Ai Xiaosan, who carried Ai Shihui’s blood, set her sights on the distant African continent.

Nonferrous metal mines, crystal mines, phosphorus, potassium, oil…… Europeans had gotten there first, and Americans were there to take their share too……

But when it came to making fast money, they all seemed to fall short of the Chinese. Chinese history had seen so many wars, and in the Chinese bloodline there was one especially remarkable talent: accumulating wealth in the brief periods between wars.

The part of that gene inside Ai Xiaosan was absolutely stronger than in most people.

It was right then that she met Jiang Qingzhou.

That year, she was twenty-six and Jiang Qingzhou was twenty-seven. She had returned to her family home in Los Angeles for a vacation, and Ai Shihui held a banquet, inviting Jiang Qingzhou as a special guest star.

“Who is she?” Ai Xiaosan greeted the vaguely familiar elders, clinked a glass, then turned to ask her distant cousin from Guangdong who was studying overseas.

“Uncle Tony, ah, his family has several home furnishing plazas.”

“Her.” Ai Xiaosan rolled her eyes, lifted her index finger from her wine glass, and pointed at Jiang Qingzhou on the stage.

“Oh, Jiang Qingzhou, she was a really famous star in China a couple of years ago. You don’t know her?”

Ai Xiaosan rolled her eyes again. How would she know Chinese stars? It was just that the woman was a bit pretty.

At that time, the only thought turning in her head was how to sneak off and take down a couple of mines in Africa without her family finding out.

Over there, Ai Shihui brought Jiang Qingzhou over. “This is my youngest daughter, Ai Xiaosan……” Mentioning his daughter, Ai Shihui wore a face full of indulgence and pride. “You two are about the same age. If Miss Jiang does not mind, you should be friends.”

“Miss Jiang.” Ai Xiaosan lifted her glass.

Ai Shihui went off to greet others, leaving only her cousin, flushed with excitement, to take out a book she had prepared and ask Jiang Qingzhou for an autograph.

Ai Xiaosan felt a little awkward and wanted to step away, but when she lowered her eyes she caught the title of the book: Light Boat Has Passed.

Jiang Qingzhou smiled faintly, took the book, and opened it to the title page. “What is your name?”

“Chenchen.”

Jiang Qingzhou rested the book in one hand and wrote: Dear Chenchen……

Ai Xiaosan snorted inwardly. So fake.

She did not like these inexplicably famous stars who came out of nowhere……

Ai Shihui liked to invite some washed-up Hong Kong and Taiwan singers and actors to the United States to prop up his events. The ones who were actually at the height of their fame, he could not even get to come.

The old Chinese diaspora here still lived in the seventies and eighties, as if time had stopped…… or perhaps these washed-up stars let them return to the restless days of their youth.

Anyway, everyone got what they wanted. The washed-up stars got the feeling of being adored by their fans again, and more importantly, they could still make a pile of money.

“I really love Miss Jiang’s book. I’ve read it three times!” Cousin Chenchen passionately confessed while waiting for Jiang Qingzhou’s autograph.

Ai Xiaosan glanced at the book again. She wrote books too? Once a star started writing books, she really was washed up.

Jiang Qingzhou smiled and handed the signed book back to Chenchen. “Thank you.” Then she turned to look at Ai Xiaosan.

Ai Xiaosan gave her a quick smile.

“Mr. Ai always mentions you. He’s very proud of you,” Jiang Qingzhou said with a smile.

Ai Xiaosan almost rolled her eyes, but held back. Her face was smiling. “Don’t let him fool you, he curses me all the time at home. Thank you, Miss Jiang, for coming tonight. I’m honored.” Ai Xiaosan was just as fluent with fake politeness outside.

“Curses you about what?” Jiang Qingzhou did not respond to those courtesies.

“Hahaha……” Ai Xiaosan laughed like a child. “He says I’m too restless.”

Jiang Qingzhou raised a brow.

“Oh, he means I won’t stay in America and help him.” Ai Xiaosan explained further. The phrase “too restless” could easily lead people into wild guesses.

“Mr. Ai seems to have mentioned that you went off on your own to make it in Mexico. When he said it, he actually sounded very proud. You could tell he admires you.”

“He’s so annoying, always talking about me behind my back.” Ai Xiaosan still could not help rolling her eyes. She found it strange. Jiang Qingzhou had been talking to her for five minutes, and all she had done was bring up Ai Shihui. Was she some spy Ai Shihui sent over?

“Actually, I admire you too. I’ve met a lot, a lot of rich heirs and heiresses, men and women alike, all living comfortably under their parents’ protection. I haven’t seen many as driven as you, let alone ones who went to Central and South America to make it on their own.”

I still have to go to Africa, Ai Xiaosan thought, but out loud she said, “It’s not that impressive. Our family can’t really compare to those wealthy houses, and I wasn’t really there alone either. A lot of friends were helping me.”

They did not talk much that night. Jiang Qingzhou was quickly pulled away by fans, and the two of them exchanged contact information.

Ai Xiaosan left early. Before she went, she borrowed Light Boat Has Passed from her cousin. Who knew what was wrong with her. In all her grown life, the only books she had ever read were textbooks and finance books. Her cousin said this was a signed, out of print edition……

If it got lost, she’d have to pay with her life, Ai Xiaosan rolled her eyes. Was it that hard to get Jiang Qingzhou to sign a book?

On the way back, Ai Xiaosan leaned in the back seat and sent Ai Shihui a message: How much did you pay Jiang Qingzhou?

Ai Shihui replied: She refused to take money. Dad won her over with virtue.

Ai Xiaosan did not bother with him after that, but she did grow curious. After she got home, took a shower, and lay in bed, she flipped through two pages of the book and nearly fell asleep. Sure enough, she still could not get into this artsy stuff.

Before closing her eyes, she searched Jiang Qingzhou on her phone. It turned out that in the mainland she had been very popular, but that was already from a couple of years ago.

In a daze, Ai Xiaosan thought that Jiang Qingzhou was a little like her. She did not take the paved road and insisted on forging a new path. And yet she was also not like her. Wherever Ai Xiaosan went, it was to make more money, to chase the thrill of succeeding against the odds. What was Jiang Qingzhou doing this for?