Li Yun recalled the morning after he met the Song family in Imperial City. He was approached by a tall man in a black suit during his morning run. Li Yun wasn’t well versed in clothing brand, but he knew enough that this gentleman was quite well off.

“Mr. Li, I am secretary Liang. Mr. Song Taiji would like to invite you for tea,” Secretary Liang politely stretched out his hand, pointing to a black Mercedes parked in front. 

Li Yun thought the man looked too impressive to just be a secretary. From his demeanor to the way he was dressed, Secretary Liang did not look like a secretary. If placed in any other setting, a passerby would think he was some sort of CEO.

Li Yun returned a polite bow and nodded. He was also hoping to meet with Song Taiji, but felt strangely self conscious as he stared at his sweaty tees and pants. It was more intimidating than meeting with Song Gaode and Ke An.  

Thirty minutes later, the luxury sedan pulled into a gated lot. Li Yun didn’t expect to be dropped off at a modest villa. From what he had heard, Song Taiji was a devoted man to his wife of 30 years, who had passed away five years ago. He had three sons, but was living alone somewhere in the inner circle of Imperial City.

Although the villa wasn’t too big, the garden was roomy and spacious, unusual for a site near the heart of the city. The facade was detailed and ornate, but not overly done. The interiors were also well decorated with antique and ink paintings. Li Yun could tell the man was a collector of antiquities, and wondered if Rouxi chose archeology for that reason.

Arriving into a simple office, Li Yun saw the old man who stood before his table and crafted a simple calligraphy piece. Li Yun also noticed a lot of his own scrolls were on display.

“Oh ho, this is Doctor Li?” Song Taiji turned to look at the newly arrived guest, and greeted him with a warm smile.

The smile was so similar to his own grandpa that he wanted to run into the man’s arm and hug him as though he was still a fat small child seeking attention. Li Yun held back his impulse and examined the man’s face. It was wrinkled with enlightenment lines, resentment lines, happiness lines, and so many complex lines that told him that the man had lived a complex life. Luckily, he had line detention, but he wasn’t sure what line to use. 

“Mr. Song Taiji, it’s nice to meet you in person,” Li Yun nodded and responded in a polite tone.

Song Taiji placed his brush down and shook Li Yun’s hand. Despite his wrinkled face, Li Yun could tell that the man was still healthy and exercised regularly.

“I have heard about your medical abilities through the grapevines," Song Taiji said with a nod. "Quite impressive for someone so young. Can I call you Little Yun?”

Li Yun nodded, “I’m not as impressive as uncle. I can’t imagine what it was like when you were my age, trying to control chaos and return everything to normal.”

Song Taiji smiled when Li Yun addressed him as uncle <shushu>.

“Ah… Those were the times that built character, unlike the youths these days. Stability has been achieved, but what else is there to achieve? I am more impressed by you younger generations who are self-motivated to succeed.”

Li Yun nodded. 

Song Taiji lived through one of the tumultuous times in China and made it through as one of the heroes from the era. Although it was a difficult and bloody time, it had tempered the people that lived through it. Like muscle building, it was not possible to build more muscle unless it was broken down in the first place. 

Li Yun’s generation lived in a time of relative peace. But peace came with a price. People lose motivation if there was no enemy to overcome, so they either make other enemies or cause internal problems.

When mother nature was the enemy, humans built houses and roofs. When one clan was growing bigger, the smaller clans would merge and destroy the bigger clan. It was an endless cycle, but it was how humans grow, by continuing to challenge others.

“Every generation has a different sort of struggle, the degree of difficulty is all relative,” Li Yun didn't think his feat was any more impressive just because there wasn't any urgency or grand motive.

It was like when Li Yun was a kid, a remote toy car was the most important thing in the world. It may seem silly as an adult, but it was his motivation to finish his mission. Gradually, his goals for completing the mission changed. He wanted proof that he was sane, and once that was achieved, he wanted more.

“Doctor Li is a lot wiser than I was. I was a young and hotheaded fool,” Song Taiji nodded at his secretary as a signal to leave them alone. “But today isn’t about me, I heard you would be in the area, and I wanted to meet you. Come, have a seat.”

They moved into a cozy living space that opened up to the garden.

“Meilin had kept you hidden for a while,” Song Taiji said, relaxing on the sofa, and offering them cookies and tea. “She’s a bit wary of me, if you haven’t noticed.”

“It’s quite noticeable when she told me her reason for doing the ZZ live.”

“And shouldn’t I take the credit for her being so popular?” Song Taiji laughed. “Did she tell you I got rid of her first two boyfriends?”

Li Yun knew she was hired by the exes to embarrass the boyfriends, but he wasn’t aware that Song Taiji was the one that got rid of them.

“I had them transferred out because they were not good enough for her. I knew she wasn’t serious, but it was a warning. I was surprised when I heard she was dating a doctor. But seeing you, I knew why she chose you.” 

Li Yun wondered why. 

“She knew I would not disagree with her choice.”

The wealthy family didn’t like to mingle with commoners was a classic fictional trope, but it wasn’t pronounced in reality. It was more of a subtle bias, like how people who shared the same interests gravitated toward each other. It wasn’t that the wealthy were openly against commoners, but it was just difficult to understand where each other stood.

From Song Taiji's point of view, he should be against Li Yun’s status and household, but he wasn’t.

“Do you know what I saw when you first arrived?” Song Taiji asked.

Li Yun shook his head. 

“I saw the eyes of a man with a lot of potentials,” Song Taiji explained. “Every person I have met, if I see potential in them, I would want to befriend them. My secretary, for example, had a glint in his eyes that showed me he was an elite in his class despite being an orphan with nothing to his name. Meilin is very much like me. She has the ability to see potential in people.”

Li Yun curiously thought about his comment. Talent management and talent recognition were highly valuable skills for headhunters and talent agencies.

“But do you know what else I see?” Song Taiji asked.

“Uncle, please advise.”

“I see you as someone who is talented, but overly cautious.”

“I do not necessarily see that as a negative trait.”

“Do you know about Meilin’s company, Ruxu?”

Li Yun nodded. 

“She is quite ambitious. When she moved to Imperial City, the first thing she did was use whatever money she had left to build a business on her own. She refused to take any of my money and she had turned down a marriage proposal from Tang Jiang, whose potential isn’t any less than yours. She is younger than you, but already worth several times more than you already.”

Li Yun wasn’t naive enough to see what Song Taiji was truly trying to say.

“Doctor Li is an intelligent man, so I can tell that with your ability, you will understand my meaning. I consider you as family, so if there is anything I can do for you, you can simply contact my secretary.”

After his conversation with Song Taiji, Li Yun returned to the accommodations and thought about what Song Taiji had said. For the first time, he felt cowardly. He had often joked about it when his friends mentioned his cautious personality, but he didn’t like risks. He didn’t care what anyone thought, because it was the path he had chosen. 

There was no point to take a risk when there were paved paths leading up the mountain. Why would anyone take the risks to stray off on dirt paths marked by hazardous trenches and cliffs?

****

Li Yun pondered those questions on his way back to Dong Xuan Clinic.

“Yun, did something happen?” Rouxi called out to him as he stood by the door, seemingly lost in thought. “You should shower before we head to the station.”

“Rouxi?”

“Hm?”

“What made you start your business?”

Rouxi thought for a moment. There were many reasons why she started the company with Xuxu. She was probably manipulated by Song Taiji to start, but she didn’t care. If she could make something out of nothing, there was already a sense of accomplishment.

“For fun?” Rouxi responded.  “It’s risky, but it’s like going on an adventure. It might be dangerous, but there are a lot of rewards. Why?” 

Li Yun nodded. She was right. If early pioneers didn’t take risks to trek the trenches, they would not discover hidden treasures.

“I’m going to start a business.” There wasn’t any hesitation in his statement. That was the birth of Shennong.