Power and Wealth C.1596

Night falls.

On the long street.

"We are still early."

"Yeah, over half an hour before we gather."

"Standing around, or we could do something else."

"Okay, there are plenty of shops around. We can go shopping."

"Alright, then we'll see each other at the gathering time."

"Mrs. Chen, Mrs. Zhang, hehe, let's go together."

After discussing, everyone went their separate ways, some heading north and others west, all going shopping. Coming to Macau is difficult, so they can't waste the opportunity.

Only Dong Xuebing, Han Fang, and other young people were left.

The group led by Master Song didn't talk much, still not fully absorbing what had happened earlier.

"Where should we go?" Han Fang asked.

Hou Wen smiled, "How about going to the mall?"

Dong Xuebing was about to speak when his phone rang. It was from Xie Huilan, so he excused himself and walked away to answer the call.

"Huilan," Dong Xuebing said.

Xie Huilan, on the other end, smiled, "Still at the casino?"

Dong Xuebing sighed, "No, I'm out."

Xie Huilan said, "That's perfect then, come find me."

Dong Xuebing was surprised, "Have you finished shopping too?"

"Hehe, not yet. I saw a few nice things. It's rare to come to Macau, so my shopping desire has been ignited, too," Xie Huilan said with a faint smile.

Dong Xuebing chuckled, "Then go ahead and buy them. Why do you need me?"

Xie Huilan said matter-of-factly, "If there's enough money in your sister Xie's account, then I won't bother calling you. I've spent a lot these past few months, mostly buying things for the children. I've also had a lot of social engagements, so I'm running low on funds. Come quickly. I know you still have money, little guy."

Dong Xuebing: ......

Xie Huilan said directly, "The mall is five hundred meters north. You can see it outside the casino. I'll be waiting for you."

Dong Xuebing chuckled helplessly, "You remember me only when you're out of money. Alright, alright. I'll come over now. Wait for me at the entrance."

"I'm too lazy to go downstairs. On the third floor, come up to the women's clothing section. Hehe. Bye." After saying that, the phone beeped and hung up.

Dong Xuebing had no choice but to walk back. Seeing them still discussing where to go, he said, "You guys go ahead. My wife is calling me, and something's coming up."

Hou Wen looked at him, "Leaving the group, huh?"

Dong Xuebing shrugged, smiling, "My wife's matters are important. I'm out."

As he walked away, Master Song looked at Hou Wen, "What's the background of your university classmate?"

Hou Wen replied, "How would I know? What do you mean by 'background'?"

Another young man said speechlessly, "The incident at the casino just now, don't you find it strange?"

"I didn't find it strange. They just mistook someone," Hou Wen affirmed, clearly siding with Dong Xuebing.

Han Fang added, "Hehe, not to speak ill behind someone's back, but Director Dong has no distinguishing features. It's understandable to be mistaken."

Hou Wen organized, "Let's go, let's go. Let's also go shopping. I've been wanting to buy a pair of shoes. I heard they're cheaper here, so let's go."

The mall.

Third floor.

There weren't as many people here as in Beijing, but it was still lively and bustling. There was a lot of foot traffic, with customers carrying large and small bags everywhere. Dong Xuebing scanned left and right after going upstairs, searching for several minutes before spotting Xie Huilan's figure at a counter.

"Huilan," Dong Xuebing called from afar.

"Coming." Xie Huilan squinted and waved, "Help me take a look."

Dong Xuebing walked over and said, "I won't look. Just buy whatever you like."

Xie Huilan smiled, "Oh, you're not taking me seriously. You're underestimating me."

"Where do you see that?" Dong Xuebing chuckled, sweating a bit. "You have high standards. Alright, alright, I'll take a look. What clothes are these? Hmm, they look good, they look good."

"Do they really look good?" Xie Huilan compared the clothes in her hand.

"They look perfect. My wife looks beautiful in anything," Dong Xuebing complimented.

"Okay, that's it then." Xie Huilan handed the clothes to the salesperson and said to Dong Xuebing, "Swipe your card."

Dong Xuebing went to settle the bill and returned to see Xie Huilan still holding two or three more packages and bags. He casually took them and asked, "What else did you buy?"

Xie Huilan asked, "How much money do we have left at home?"

Dong Xuebing thought for a moment, "I haven't calculated. We've spent quite a bit this year, but there's still... hmm, still several tens of millions in my account."

Xie Huilan glanced at him, "So much?"

Dong Xuebing nodded, "You've got nothing left over there."

"Just a few thousand, waiting for next month's salary," Xie Huilan said.

Dong Xuebing said, "Then I'll transfer some to you later, ten million."

Xie Huilan chuckled, "No need. My salary is enough to spend."

"With just a few thousand, buying diapers for a month would be tight. Anyway, our money comes easily. Don't worry about it. I'll call you later," Dong Xuebing said.

Xie Huilan looked at him and said, "It's easy for you to earn money, huh? Just show your face, and someone will send you a hundred thousand US dollars for free. Or is it my little husband's ability? There's no need to work hard to earn money anymore. People are lining up to give it to you, right?"

Dong Xuebing cleared his throat, "You're well-informed."

"Although your sister Xie has just taken office, she still knows a few people," Xie Huilan smiled. "Someone tipped me off. What's the story?"

"It's not convenient to talk about it here."

"Hehe, let's walk forward then."

Ahead, at a corner with few people, the two stopped.

Dong Xuebing looked around, then said to his wife, "Actually, it's not a big deal. It's all from half a year ago. The State Security Bureau had a mission, and a good friend who saved my life got involved. You know me, I'm sentimental. How can I watch someone take risks? So I went over and ended up on a gambling ship to help her out. To find out who was behind that ship, I won some money from them and eventually exposed the person."

"But it wasn't just some money," Xie Huilan's eyes narrowed as she looked at him. "If it was just a little money, would the casino at MGM treat you like that?"

Dong Xuebing coughed, "Alright, I won over a billion from them. Rest assured, this matter won't involve me. I was helping the country. I contributed to maintaining social harmony and unity. If there are any repercussions, the State Security Bureau will cover for me."

"How did you win so much?" Xie Huilan asked.

"When I was in charge of the Public Security Bureau in Yantai County, I also cracked down on gambling crimes. I learned some gambling skills back then," Dong Xuebing made up.

Xie Huilan smirked, "There's nothing you can't do."

"That's right, your husband is amazing," Dong Xuebing boasted.

"You're getting excited again. Can't you tell I'm criticizing you?" Xie Huilan said.

"I didn't hear you criticize me. Look at that dress. It's so nice, especially for you," Dong Xuebing immediately changed the subject.

Xie Huilan shook her head and waved her hand, "Forget it. I can't be bothered to argue with you. You're always causing trouble wherever you go. I wouldn't have called you this time if I had known it would be like this. You always make a mess for me."

Dong Xuebing retorted, "Hey, are you trying to take advantage of me? Your husband bought you clothes, and that dress alone cost tens of thousands."

"Aren't you the one who has over a billion? Tens of thousands aren't considered money to you," Xie Huilan replied.

"Well, I haven't received that money yet. It all went into my friend's company's shares. Her company isn't listed, and I own twenty percent of the shares," Dong Xuebing explained.

"It's a woman, right?" Xie Huilan asked.

"Uh, what does it matter if it's a man or a woman?" Dong Xuebing shrugged.

"If it were a man, you wouldn't work so hard," Xie Huilan remarked.

"You're overthinking it. She's over forty, and we have a good relationship. She once saved my life. It was during the incident to save your cousin, Professor Zhong. She helped me a lot. I'm just returning the favor," Dong Xuebing explained.

"You always have an explanation," Xie Huilan sighed.

"Let's go, let's look at clothes and jewelry. We hardly ever go on vacation, so let me buy you more. It's unfair to disappoint anyone, especially my wife," Dong Xuebing suggested.

"Enough. Buying too much will invite gossip," Xie Huilan replied.

"You're worrying too much. There's not much to say. If we want to buy, we'll buy. Who cares what others say? Our money is all earned legally; I've even been investigated by the disciplinary committee these past few years. I'm used to it. If they want to investigate, let them. Besides, your husband is now a cadre at the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Our money is clean. Buying a few things is nothing," Dong Xuebing reassured her.

Dong Xuebing knew that he wouldn't see his wife and children for a long time after returning from Macau. After all, he still had work in Beijing. He couldn't keep taking leave to see his wife. So he wanted to buy more things for Huilan. He hardly held back, almost swiping his card for anything he saw.

LV bags.

Several bottles of high-end perfume.

The clothes were all international brands.

If it hadn't been for the approaching gathering time, Dong Xuebing would have continued shopping. In the end, Xie Huilan dragged him away downstairs to the bus stop.

Most of the family members and cadres had returned.

Everyone was carrying large and small bags, all having done some shopping, though not excessively, as it wasn't public funds but their own money.

"Hey, Mrs. Zhang, did you buy a bag?"

"Yeah, I wanted to change it for a while. Does it look good?"

"It suits you well."

"Hey, Mrs. Li, did you buy a lot?"

"They weren't expensive, so I bought a few more."

Hou Wen and Han Fang also came out of the mall, their spirits high. Everyone discussed what they bought and how much they spent on bags and watches.

Then Dong Xuebing and Xie Huilan walked over.

When everyone saw Dong Xuebing carrying dozens of large and small bags on both arms and hands, they were all stunned. At that moment, Dong Xuebing was almost buried under the packages, and his body was barely visible.

"Wow, how much did you buy?"

"And those brands on the packages... they're speechless."

All of them were top international brands. Just this pile alone was worth at least a million RMB.