Chapter 80

If it weren't for his parents' situation, Ding Hao would have already accepted Qiao Siping's arrangement. After all, serving as a bodyguard for the provincial party secretary, or even a future member of the Politburo Standing Committee, was not a shameful thing; on the contrary, it was a sign of trust from the state and the party!

But everyone has their own privacy. Compared to high office and wealth, Ding Hao yearned more for family and love! After all, he was not short of money, and at his young age, he was not so eager for an official position.

"Alright, since you've made your decision, we can't force you. In the future, work hard in Yanlong. You're right; it's all about serving the country and the people," Qiao Siping said. Although he had his own selfish motives, seeing Ding Hao's firm resolve at such a young age, he knew that further coercion would only backfire.

Now, all he felt was regret. If Ding Hao could become a part of his family... Qiao Siping had even thought about it; even if Ding Hao were to pursue Qiao Yunna in the future, he might not interfere!

Ding Hao's skills had already been proven, and his high score in the entrance exam to Jiangzhe University showed that he was not just a brute. Such a talented person, both in intellect and martial prowess, would surely shine with a little more cultivation. But as a politician, he understood that gaining such a person was a stroke of luck, and losing him was a matter of fate.

"Ding Hao, you've achieved a lot. Do you have any other requests?" To prevent Ding Hao from becoming an adversary, Qiao Siping quickly regained his composure and changed the subject.

"Um..."

"Ding Hao, if you have any requests, just say them. My father and Uncle Liu represent the organization, unlike me."

"Could you promote my rank a bit?" Ding Hao had actually thought it through during his silence. In essence, Qiao Siping and Liu Yiding were afraid he was pretending to be a saint. The more they feared this, the more likely he would be bought by other families. If he made some reasonable requests, they might feel more at ease.

He didn't lack money; Qiao Yunna had mentioned that she had wired him some funds recently. Since he had offended Qinglong, and Xia Lin's uncle was a major general, if he joined Yanlong and continued to achieve, perhaps closing the gap in rank would make the Zhao family accept him and allow Xia Lin to see him.

Sure enough, when Ding Hao spoke, the three of them showed signs of relief. People are strange like that. After Ding Hao saved them twice, they feared he would not make any requests. Not making requests did not mean he was a saint; it meant he had other motives, and the most likely one was that he was a spy! Now that he had made a request, they seemed less worried.

"What rank would Qinglong have if he joined the Yanlong organization?"

"Colonel," Liu Yiding looked at Ding Hao a bit puzzled.

"Then I want to be a lieutenant colonel!"

"This..." Liu Yiding looked at Qiao Siping, a bit hesitant.

"Old Liu, Ding Hao is so outstanding and has chosen to join the Yanlong organization. You should help him get what he wants," Qiao Siping said lightly, but in reality, he was putting Liu Yiding in a difficult position. The underlying message was that if Ding Hao chose to be Qiao Yunna's bodyguard, Qiao Siping would ensure he got the rank of colonel. Now that Ding Hao was here, a lieutenant colonel was not too much to ask.

Liu Yiding was frustrated. He wasn't angry at Ding Hao. Ding Hao had fought Qinglong, and although he was still inexperienced, he was very capable, even giving Qinglong a hard time. This time, it was clear that Ding Hao had improved rapidly.

Although he might still be inferior to Qinglong, being able to escape Qinglong's pursuit after being seriously injured by Zhao Jing and the others showed that he was quite resourceful. His rapid recovery also demonstrated physical abilities that even Qinglong might not match.

This time, he had successfully repelled the attack on Qiao Yunna, proving his strength.

Liu Yiding was actually upset with Qiao Siping. It was easy for him to talk, but a lieutenant colonel required strict evaluation and selection. In the military, that was a regimental-level officer. If Ding Hao didn't want to be a bodyguard, he shouldn't have put him in such a position.

"Yes, Uncle Liu, can you help?" Qiao Yunna was a bit disappointed that Ding Hao didn't want to be her bodyguard, but she was willing to help him. This was a great opportunity to win his favor and trust!

"I'll report to the higher-ups and see what the leaders say."

"What will my identity be in daily life?" Ding Hao had recently interacted with Zhao Jing and Qiao Yunna, who had thoroughly investigated him. He didn't want the next time he dealt with a small thug on the street, people would know he was an orphan and that his girlfriend Xia Lin was abroad.

"Generally, we will arrange an identity for you. Only your closest relatives will know your real background. What kind of identity do you want?"

"Anything but an official position." Ding Hao didn't have many requirements for his identity, but it was quite bold to say he didn't want to be an official in front of the provincial party secretary. Ding Hao might have been influenced by too many Southern Weekend articles.

"Alright, we'll discuss your identity with you beforehand."

"Another question: if there's an emergency, where do I go to mobilize personnel, and how many can I mobilize?" Ding Hao understood that despite Qiao Siping and Liu Yiding's high status, they were also quite calculating. If he weren't special, they might have checked on him frequently.

Now that he was making requests, they were probably quite pleased. They wanted to win him over, so they were encouraging him to make more requests, hehe...

"You can mobilize the Snow Leopard Special Forces under the Provincial Public Security Department and the Wolf Tooth Unit under the Jianye Military District. The number of personnel you can mobilize depends on your rank. A colonel can mobilize the entire special forces of Jiangzhe Province, about a battalion. A lieutenant colonel can mobilize a company. In other provinces, you would need my approval and that of the local authorities."

"Isn't a colonel a division-level officer?"

"We handle small-scale conflicts and emergencies targeting government officials and ordinary citizens, not wars. Moreover, the personnel we mobilize are elite. We can't follow the military's standard mobilization procedures," Liu Yiding explained.

"Oh." Ding Hao didn't want to argue. If he could mobilize a division, he wouldn't be a lieutenant colonel; that would be a general, a real official, which Ding Hao disliked. Ding Hao valued freedom; even if he couldn't mobilize a single soldier, he wouldn't mind.

In Ding Hao's heart, half of his motivation was for Xia Lin, and the other half was to avoid being constantly watched by the Yanlong organization and other family forces.

Ding Hao then made many more requests, which surprised him because they were not significant in the Yanlong organization. It seemed he was still in the probationary period! The organization was quite free; they only needed to ensure the safety of certain individuals, like official bodyguards. They would gather when needed and live their own lives otherwise, more freely than some monks in temples.

They also received a substantial annual salary: starting at 5 million for a colonel and 3 million for a lieutenant colonel. Special tasks would be paid separately, but there were strict confidentiality requirements, such as not telling even their spouses about their identity, the people they protected, or the tasks they undertook.

The conversation lasted about three hours, with Qiao Siping smiling throughout as Ding Hao and his master haggled. Qiao Yunna often interjected, mostly to help Ding Hao, which moved him. He felt a bit embarrassed about the rude things he had said at the beginning.

At the end of the conversation, Ding Hao's rank and identity were still undecided, but a promotion was certain! All four left the meeting with smiles. Qiao Yunna then drove Ding Hao back to Xixi Qingyuan. On the way, she couldn't help but ask about the wire transfer.

"Did you check the wire transfer I sent you?"

"No, did you send me money?"

"You..." Qiao Yunna almost cried. Her father thought this guy didn't care about money, but it turned out he just ignored it. She had sent him so much money, and he didn't even know.

"Didn't you get any bank SMS notifications?"

"Yes, but I might have deleted them. I received a lot of investment and financial SMS messages out of the blue."

"I had someone wire you 30 million. No wonder they're watching you closely."

"Ah? Why so much money?" Ding Hao was genuinely shocked, then he looked dejected. Damn, if you had told me earlier, I wouldn't have haggled with you. I could buy a house and a farm in America and live off the interest. I could even hire a detective to find Xia Lin!

"Do you think my life isn't worth that much?" Qiao Yunna didn't know what Ding Hao was thinking, but his expression was strange. She had never heard of an orphan who, upon seeing so much money, was not only unmoved but also thought it was too much.

"No, that's not what I meant. Your life is worth more than 30 million, even 30 billion. I just thought that to thank me for saving you, you didn't need to give me so much. A sports car like yours would be enough."

Qiao Yunna glared at Ding Hao, thinking, "No wonder Uncle Liu said he had a thick skin. I thought he was a straightforward person, but now he's asking for my sports car even though he has 30 million in his account." In fact, Qiao Yunna misunderstood. Ding Hao meant that saving her life didn't require such a high price; a sports car would be enough, and he wasn't greedy.

But in Qiao Yunna's mind, it meant something else. However, she wasn't angry. This sports car, although the latest model, cost only about 2.4 million imported. She could buy one and give it to him later.

"What do you plan to do next?"

"First, I need to find Xia Lin."

"What if you find her, or never find her?"

"Didn't you give me 30 million? Living off the interest would be enough. I'll wait for my master's instructions. If I get bored, I'll go back to school!" Ding Hao shrugged, feeling for the first time that interacting with Qiao Yunna wasn't so tense.

"You..." Qiao Yunna was used to hearing rich kids brag about investments and businesses, but they were often just empty talk, afraid of being called failures. So they tried hard and spent money recklessly!

This was the first time she heard someone with millions living off the interest. But at least Ding Hao was more honest than those people!