Chapter 35 The Thirty-Fifth Day of Not Running Away The Thirty-Fifth Day of Not Running Away...

Chapter 35 The Thirty-Fifth Day of Not Running Away The Thirty-Fifth Day of Not Running Away...

Wen Chan booked a private room at the hotel and also prepared a bottle of Moutai liquor.

Although she doesn't drink alcohol, the absence of alcohol at the table inevitably seems disrespectful to the guests.

Zhao Dan watched her making arrangements, holding a coffee cup in her hand, and laughed, "Miss Wen, you're quite an interesting person. Isn't that Xiao Jiang your assistant? Why are you being so attentive to her family?"

The fat man glanced at Zhao Dan, slightly pursed his lips, and sat down to the side with his arms crossed.

Wen Chan closed the menu. Bird's nest had to be ordered in advance. These days, not many people can afford bird's nest. Even in a place like Jinjiang Hotel, they wouldn't prepare it in advance for fear of wasting it.

“Sister Zhao, Xiao Jiang is someone close to me. If we don’t treat our close friends well, who else would we treat well? Besides, it’s just a small expense to give Xiao Jiang face. It’s not like we’re spending too much money. Why not?”

Zhao Dan blinked thoughtfully as she listened to her words.

She glanced at her cousin Lin Mo beside her.

After Zhao Dan and his wife became successful, they inevitably became complacent and arrogant, looking down on those around them, even relatives, let alone distant relatives like Lin Mo.

Zhao Dan had initially thought to herself that Wen Chan was just wasting money when she saw him buying clothes for Fatty and Jiang Zihan.

After all, such expensive clothes should be spent wisely.

Looking back now, I realize that Miss Wen was much smarter than me. By spending a little money to win people over, I might need her help someday.

Zhao Dan remained silent, then, under the pretext of going back to her room to pack her things, she took Lin Mo out. She took out three bills from her purse, thought for a moment, and added another one. "Brother, I think your coat is a bit too thin. Why don't we go downstairs and buy a better one so you don't get cold?"

Let's set aside the situation with Wen Chan and Zhao Dan for now.

Back in Beijing, after Wen Chan left, Chen Bo felt the room was empty. Even though Wen Chan wasn't a talkative person, the room felt particularly quiet when she wasn't there.

"Brother Zheng, let's go take a look at that piece of land." Lin Qingfeng and the monk came over again, the group in a flurry of activity.

The district leaders recently agreed to allocate them a plot of land just two streets away. It's an open space, but because it's next to a stinking ditch, nobody wants to go near it.

Chen Bozheng thought the place was big, and the smell of gasoline and engine oil from the auto repair shop was quite strong. Besides, the stinky ditch was only smelly because it was blocked and the water couldn't flow. When the factory was built, the ditch could be dug up, someone could be hired to flush the water, and the stinky ditch would be clean.

"Haven't we already looked at it? Why do we need to look at it again?" Chen Bo was holding a booklet containing information on various decoration materials in Beijing.

Lin Zhiyong said, "One of my underlings said that Sun Yongping went over there today with some people, which seems a bit strange, so I want to go and see what's going on."

Sun Yongping is a leader in the district's investment promotion bureau.

Chen Bozheng didn't take these words seriously. He had given Sun Yongping some benefits, and Sun Yongping had handled things very smoothly for him, so it was unlikely that anything would go wrong.

However, now that he's stuck at home reviewing the accounts for building the factory, the numbers are making him dizzy, and he's also getting really bored making phone calls to various business owners to schedule appointments. So he's decided to go out for a walk.

"That works too. Let's go take a look."

The group chatted and laughed, and the winter chill could not hide the warmth in their hearts. Both Chen Bozheng and Lin Zhiyong had high hopes for the auto repair shop and hoped to make a fortune from it.

"I've asked around, and these days you have to pull strings to get your car repaired. You have to go to the car repair shop and ask someone to help you. That'll cost you this much for a single repair..."

Lin Zhiyong is clearly shrewd despite his rough exterior, and he has been taking on a lot of work for himself these days.

He spread his hands and gestured the number four.

Lin Qingfeng glanced at it, his hands in his cotton-padded pockets. "Four hundred?"

“It’s only four hundred, it costs four thousand to repair it,” Lin Zhiyong said.

"Four thousand? Isn't this robbery?" Lin Qingfeng's eyes widened, and the breath he exhaled dissipated into the air like a cloud of white mist.

"What robbery? If we don't take it to the repair shop, the car will be totaled," Lin Zhiyong said. "Do you think the engine is so easy to repair?"

He spoke with great enthusiasm, “However, we know the market rate. The cost of the materials is no more than a hundred dollars. Unless the engine has a major malfunction and needs to be sent back to the factory for repair, we can fix most common problems.”

That's the advantage of having an expert.

There are pitfalls everywhere in business. If you don't know about a small problem, you'll have to agree to even a price of 10,000 yuan, otherwise your car will be totaled and you won't be able to drive it, which would be an even bigger loss.

If you send them back to the manufacturer for repairs, most of those cars are smuggled imported vehicles. Just the round-trip transportation costs alone would be enough to worry about, not to mention the possibility of them being stolen along the way.

As Chen Bo listened to Lin Zhiyong speak, he gradually came to understand the situation.

Lin Zhiyong is a loyal and straightforward person, making him a perfect business partner. You don't have to worry about him being cunning or scheming against you.

"We're here. This stinky ditch really stinks. We'll have to clean it up thoroughly when we start construction," Lin Zhiyong said, covering his nose with disgust.

Chen Bo hummed in response, his eyes sweeping across the open space before suddenly landing on a dilapidated house not far ahead. He glanced at it, looked away, then suddenly looked over again and strode towards it.

This dilapidated house stands at the crossroads. It has been there for who knows how many years. The wood is rotten. It used to be the office of the Revolutionary Committee, but it was abandoned because the house was too dilapidated. Even when earthquake shelters were set up everywhere in Beijing during the Tangshan earthquake, no one came to live in this house.

Right now.

A large "拆" (demolish) character was painted in red on the outside of the dilapidated house.

"What's going on?" Chen Bo was pointing at the words and looking at Lin Zhiyong and the others.

Lin Zhiyong scratched his head. "It's strange that someone still wants this dilapidated house. I think it must be Sun Yongping's doing."

Sun Yongping is a seasoned veteran. He used to work in the Forestry Bureau, but now he's been transferred to the Investment Promotion Bureau. He's found a lucrative job there, and his spirits have been revitalized, ushering in a second spring in his career.

When Chen Bozheng and his group arrived, he was talking to several men with a big smile on his face.

"Young Master Lin, this is such a small matter, you could have just sent someone over, why did you have to come in person?"

The young man named Lin was dressed in a suit and tie, holding a mobile phone and a cigarette. Sun Yongping, being quick-witted, immediately took out a lighter from his pocket and lit it for him.

Young Master Lin took a deep breath and exhaled: "You can't say that. Now that I'm out here running my own business, I have to handle everything myself. Old Sun, I'm counting on you for this. Please help us get the paperwork done as soon as possible so we can apply for a loan."

"No problem, no problem. Even if you didn't ask me to do this little thing, I would have done it for you as soon as possible." Sun Yongping's fawning expression was almost unbearable to look at.

Even the monk couldn't help but mutter, "He's just like a dog."

"Hey, someone's here." Young Master Lin saw Chen Bozheng and his group arrive earlier than Sun Yongping. He had a cigarette in his mouth and gestured with his chin at Sun Yongping.

When Sun Yongping saw Chen Bozheng and the others approaching, he straightened up, placed his hands on the table, and nodded slightly to them. "You've arrived?"

Lin Zhiyong frowned, feeling that Sun Yongping's attitude was too arrogant.

"Section Chief Sun, we've come to inquire about something. Why is that house near our land suddenly going to be demolished?" Chen Bo was offering Sun Yongping a Zhonghua cigarette, a smile on his face, and his attitude was very polite.

Sun Yongping pushed Chen Bozheng's hand away.

Chen Bo looked down and Sun Yongping asked, "What happened?"

Young Master Lin stood with his hands on his hips, looking on with amusement.

Chen Bo looked at him and said to Sun Yongping, "It's nothing, we just came to ask. After all, it's so close and at the intersection, we want to find out who rented or bought this land and what they plan to do with it."

“This matter…” Sun Yongping hesitated.

Chen Bozheng is quite adept at handling things. Sun Yongping has received a lot of benefits from him, so he doesn't want to offend him so soon.

"Why are you asking him? That's the place I wanted," Young Master Lin said loudly as he walked out. "Chen Bozheng, right? We're really destined to meet, everything's happening at the same time. I heard from Old Sun that you guys are also opening a car repair shop; you have the same vision."

“However, you guys acted quickly,” Young Master Lin said. “I had my eye on that place before, but I didn’t expect you to beat me to it.”

What?

Lin Qingfeng panicked, "You guys are going to open a car repair shop too?"

Young Master Lin chuckled, examining Lin Qingfeng and his group as if they were trinkets. "Yeah, what's wrong?"

Chen Bozheng stopped Lin Qingfeng and looked at Sun Yongping, "Sun Ke, is what he said true?"

Sun Yongping quickly said, "Chen Bozheng, he only runs a small auto repair shop, just a tiny place. He can't steal much of your business. You business people should have a bigger vision. There are even car cities abroad."

“That’s right, the more people you have, the more prosperous you are in business.” Young Master Lin extended his hand to Chen Bozheng. “Chen Bozheng, let’s shake hands. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to do business together in the future. We might even need you to give us a job, hahaha.”

He laughed so hard he couldn't stand up straight, as if he had told a really funny joke.

His lackeys were also laughing along.

Chen Bozheng and the others had expressionless faces, especially Lin Zhiyong, whose face was truly frightening when it darkened.

Young Master Lin seemed to realize that these peasants were not to be trifled with, so he awkwardly stopped smiling, pursed his lips, and tossed a pack of cigarettes onto the table. "Let's go, Old Sun."

"Hey, take care." Sun Yongping saw off Young Master Lin and his group like a waiter.

When he turned around, he said to Chen Bozheng, "Chen Bozheng, if you have nothing else to do, you should leave now. I'm about to go home."

Chen Bozheng didn't speak, but nodded to him and led Lin Zhiyong and the others out.

After walking a distance, Lin Zhiyong couldn't hold back any longer and called out to Chen Bozheng, "Zhengzi, what kind of situation is this? We haven't even opened for business yet, and we're already having people fighting over food from the same pot."

Chen Bo lit a cigarette, and through the swirling smoke, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. "They're not here to steal our food; they're here to destroy our livelihoods."

Lin Zhiyong was stunned for a moment, his anger subsided considerably, and he hesitated before saying, "It can't be that exaggerated, can it?"

"Yeah, that place isn't that big. Even if it's built, it'll just be picking up our leftovers. It's disgusting, but it's not like it's going to ruin our livelihood."

Lin Qingfeng also subconsciously denied Chen Bozheng's words.

Chen Bo glanced at them, his hands in his pockets. "Have you forgotten what kind of location that house is in? It's right at the entrance of the intersection. If they build it, cars coming to find us will have to pass in front of their shop first. If they use some tricks, do you think customers will even be able to get here?"

Lin Zhiyong and the others were stunned.

Lin Qingfeng said in a low voice, "It can't be that bad."

Chen Bozheng sneered, "Why not? If it were me, I would do the same. If we shut down the business, we won't be able to make any money. We won't just be able to rent the factory to them cheaply; we might even have to ask them to buy the materials for us."

Chen Bozheng's words left everyone speechless.

Everyone looked at each other, hoping that Chen Bozheng was lying, but his words shattered all their illusions.

Business people are all in it to make money. Who cares about fairness and harmony here? If you can crush your opponent at the lowest cost, no one will let such an opportunity pass.

Chen Bo was filled with regret. If he had known this would happen, he would have definitely tried to buy that house back then.

He looked at everyone speechless, and at that moment he missed Wen Chan very much.

Wen Chan always manages to come up with good solutions for him.

However, people must rely on themselves and cannot always think about relying on others.

Looking at the gray sky, a few stray geese flew by. Chen Bo threw down his cigarette and stomped it out. "Let's go back and discuss a plan."

"Miss Wen is truly young and promising." The entire Jiang family was stunned when they saw Wen Chan.

They didn't bring the children with them in the end.

Even people from the lower classes in Shanghai know how to behave appropriately. Bringing children to a place like this is considered impolite.

Wen Chan smiled slightly, "You're too kind, please sit down, don't stand."

She gestured for everyone to sit down, and they took their seats in turn.

Jiang Ziling had heard Jiang Zihan introduce her boss, Wen Chan, on the way, but she was still quite surprised to see him in person.

This young girl wasn't dressed in particularly luxurious clothes—a white cashmere sweater, black casual pants, and hardly any jewelry except for a green leaf brooch on her sweater. Yet, despite her simple attire, one could still sense her extraordinary气质 (qi zhi - a combination of temperament, bearing, and style).

Wen Chan asked Jiang Zihan's family to order food, but Jiang's parents were a little hesitant. Jiang Ziling then took the initiative and ordered several main dishes.

When she ordered, she glanced at the prices and was immediately struck by the thought that the prices here were really expensive; a glass of orange juice cost over a hundred yuan.

After ordering the food, Jiang's father gave Jiang Ziling a wink.

Jiang Ziling sighed helplessly. There was a real reason why her own father hadn't made it big all these years. The dinner hadn't even started yet, and the boss hadn't spoken. How could they, as guests, possibly try to get information out of him?

“Xiao Jiang often mentions you, saying she misses home a lot.” Wen Chan noticed the look in Jiang’s eyes and spoke up, “It’s not easy for her out there, so please don’t blame her.”

"No, no, we're so happy she's back safe and sound," Mr. Jiang quickly said.

Jiang Ziling said, "Yes, when Xiaohan came back, we were all shocked. We thought she had returned from the Miss Hong Kong pageant. I heard that the clothes you bought for her were too much. You are too good to our little sister. She is a bit clumsy and doesn't know any better. I'm afraid she will do something wrong without realizing it."

Jiang Zihan wasn't so naive as to not be able to tell whether her sister was trying to get information out of her or criticizing her.

She sat to the side, looking quite docile.

“No, Xiao Jiang is very good,” Wen Chan said. “I just happened to need someone, and a friend recommended her. I felt an instant connection with Xiao Jiang. She’s so pretty, she should dress up a bit. You Shanghainese people are particular about appearances, aren’t you? When you’re out and about, you can skimp on anything, but you can’t skimp on clothes. After all, in this society, people respect clothes before they respect people. If you dress nicely, wherever you go, people will look at you with more respect.”

Her implication was that the money was for clothing expenses and there was no need to think about it further.

Zhao Dan understood and laughed, "That's right. When we came here this time, we saw that Shanghai is really too developed and too fashionable. Walking on the street, every girl is dressed so beautifully. If you are dressed poorly, you would really feel embarrassed."

“That’s always been the way in Shanghai.” Mother Jiang’s face showed a hint of pride. “Back when we were young, we would rather eat poorly than not dress well.”

"That's right. Back in the day, when we went dancing, what world hadn't we seen?" Father Jiang also looked proud.

Jiang Ziling felt somewhat embarrassed.

When others say a few nice words, my parents take it all and keep bringing up the past. So what if they bring up the past? That was so long ago.

“I’ve heard people say that stock trading was very popular in Shanghai back in the 1930s, is that right?” Wen Chan asked with a smile.

Mr. Jiang immediately had something to say, “That’s not just bragging, back then Shanghai was famous for its stock trading, my grandfather was rich back then, he made a lot of money from stocks…”

Jiang's father seems to have a tendency to be a bit of a show-off.

However, he was quite eloquent, recounting the past in detail, though he did not lack fantasies about it.

Jiang Ziling and the others were already tired of hearing it. It was nothing more than that their great-grandfather was very rich in Shanghai. He did business and even built a building. But their grandfather was addicted to drinking, gambling, and whoring, and all the money was gone. By the time it was Jiang's father's turn, they had already moved to a less desirable area.

Jiang's father had experienced some good times, but when Jiang Ziling and others' lives were in complete ruin, they didn't believe in or care about the good times their family had had in the past.

The meal was enjoyed by both the host and guests.

Wen Chan also asked the restaurant to pack a cake and a large gallon of ice cream for their family to take back to the children.

On the way back, the family took the tram, which was quite crowded. Passengers occasionally glanced at the cake box and ice cream bucket they were carrying, both of which had the Jinjiang Hotel logo on them.

The vanity of Jiang's family swelled uncontrollably.

Jiang Zihan pouted. Wen Chan had asked her to go home and keep her family company that night. When she arrived home, none of the households in the alley were asleep yet, and a color television was set up in the courtyard.

When the neighbors saw them return, they all greeted them. When they saw the cake and ice cream, the children couldn't help but exclaim.

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Author's Note: Allah—I

Nong—you

Chenguang—time, years

Copper inlay - money