Chapter 6

Author's POV:

Beijing

"Oh old friend, we have really seen our fair share of the world," Huang Jiang said weakly from his wheelchair, a raspy cough escaping his frail lips.

"Come now, don't tell me you're ready to give up just yet," Wu Qiang chided, though his eyes betrayed a hint of sorrow at seeing his oldest friend in such declining health.

Huang Jiang managed a wistful smile. "Easy for you to say, my friend. You have a prosperous family legacy to carry on, with people ready to take the reins when you're gone. That grandson of yours, Wu Haoyu, is a born leader if I've ever seen one."

The melancholy seeped into the old man's voice as he lamented, "But what do I have waiting for me? My own brother, Huang Chenglong, has a son - Huang Jun. But that wretched boy would only drive my life's work into the ground. He's cut from the same disreputable cloth as his lout of a father."

He paused, wheezing slightly as Wu Qiang leaned in with concern. "I may call them family, but I wouldn't trust a single one of them with my legacy - not Chenglong, not Jun, not even that grandson of his, Huang Kun. None of them possess an ounce of Wu Haoyu's integrity and strength of character."

Wu Qiang reached out, giving his friend's withered hand a comforting squeeze as Huang Jiang's eyes misted over with the weight of decades-old regrets.

"I just wish my daughter could come back home," the ailing patriarch continued, his gravelly voice thick with emotion. "She was hot-headed for sure, but she had a real knack for business that would've made her a worthy successor to everything I've built. If only..."

His words trailed off into silence, the unspoken anguish hanging heavy between the two elderly men who had witnessed and endured so much together over the course of their extraordinarily intertwined lives.

"You mustn't lose hope, old friend," Wu Qiang urged gently. "Perhaps she can still be found, after all these years."

The two had been inseparable since their youthful days as fresh-faced military recruits, taking bullets for one another and forging an unbreakable brotherhood amid the chaos of war. Even after retiring and pursuing prosperous careers in Beijing's elite business world, that profound bond never faltered.

The Wu and Huang families sat atop the city's highest echelons of wealth and power - the Wus holding the coveted number one spot, with the Huangs a close second. Yet for all his business acumen and vast fortune, Huang Jiang remained haunted by the greatest failure of his life.

Seventeen years ago, his only child - a daughter brimming with passion and potential - had fallen pregnant by a man Huang Jiang decreed unworthy of his family's lofty pedigree. Whether out of youthful defiance or sincere affection for her lover, the headstrong young woman refused to terminate the unexpected pregnancy, prompting an irreparable rift between father and daughter.

By the time Huang Jiang's prideful temper had cooled enough for him to consider reconciling, it was too late. His daughter had vanished without a trace, along with her unborn child and the disreputable father, abandoning everything and everyone in her life.

The old patriarch's ex-wife never recovered from the loss of her only child, with the simmering tension and recriminations ultimately severing even the bonds of their own marriage. She had passed away a few years later, bitter resentment her final unfortunate legacy to the world.

"If only I could have handled the situation differently all those years ago," Huang Jiang lamented, his deep baritone rasping with anguished hindsight. "Perhaps my daughter wouldn't have felt the need to run away with that...that scoundrel who impregnated her. Maybe my ex-wife would still be alive. We might have even avoided that foolish divorce."

Wu Qiang settled into a nearby armchair, regarding his lifelong comrade with a mixture of sympathy and concern. As much as it pained him to see Huang Jiang torturing himself with such regrets over circumstances long passed, he couldn't bring himself to reveal the personal mission he had secretly tasked his grandson with.

If Wu Haoyu's relentless efforts to locate the missing woman and her offspring proved fruitless, it would only compound his dearest friend's misery in these twilight years that were quickly dwindling. No, it was better to let the young master continue his discreet search, making the truth known only if success was achieved.

"Have faith, my friend," was all Wu Qiang could offer in the way of platitudes. "Where there is life, there remains hope for redemption and new beginnings. We have witnessed firsthand how swiftly the tides of fate can shift, have we not?"

The pair settled into a contemplative quiet, each reflecting on the turbulent waters they had navigated throughout their extraordinary lives and adventures together. If Huang Jiang's daughter was still out there somewhere, Wu Qiang could only pray his grandson would be the one to find her - if not for the family legacies at stake, then for the peace of mind of his dearest, most cherished friend.

Wu Qiang and Huang Jiang, two elderly friends, shared a conversation over tea. As the day ended, Wu Qiang prepared to leave.

"Well, I have to go now. It is always nice seeing your wrinkled face," Wu Qiang chuckled.

Huang Jiang responded, "Likewise, old friend, likewise. I wish I could still walk you out the door, but you know I can't."

"That doesn't matter, my cane will help me," Wu Qiang laughed.

After exchanging final goodbyes, Wu Qiang's driver opened the door and helped him into the backseat. As soon as he settled down, his phone rang. He answered, "Haoyu, how is Wuhan treating you?"

Wu Haoyu's voice said on the other end, "Very well, grandpa. How are you?"

"Oh, same old, same old. How is that brat of a sister of yours?"

"Wu Ling will get used to the new environment whether she likes it or not," Haoyu responded.

"Good, I am happy you're getting more strict with her. She will end up on the streets if we don't toughen the rod now," Wu Qiang said with approval.

"Grandpa, I have a lead," Haoyu stated.

Wu Qiang opened his eyes wide, shifting in the backseat. "What?"

Haoyu explained, "She gave birth and abandoned her daughter at the hospital. The daughter was a victim of a nurse who sold children to couples in need. According to the info we have, she might have been sold to one of the elite families here in Wuhan."

Wu Qiang listened and nodded in understanding. "Very well, at least find the girl and bring her home. Any idea of what happened to the mother after that?"

"No further leads after her giving birth and leaving the hospital. Maybe she ran off to another country or something," Haoyu responded.

Wu Qiang nodded and said, "Very well, I trust you will be able to find the daughter. My old friend would be happy to know he has a granddaughter."

"I will do my best, grandpa. I have to go, I will call later." The call ended, leaving Wu Qiang with a small smile, confident in his grandson's abilities and the possibility of reuniting his friend with his long-lost family member.