At this point, Chu Xiaozhong suddenly gave a bitter smile, "It would have been easier if they had just targeted me directly. When the presidents of the three major Guangdong business associations were chatting about their up-and-coming nephews and nieces in the business world, they all unanimously praised one thing: ' The Zhang Family has four sons, three tigers and one leopard, all with the bearing of a family head and the aura of a tycoon.' To be honest, I only found out about the three-way transaction between Fuzhong, Likang, and the European Coast Company after you entered Likang and my uncle left. My uncle, who was quite old, was outmaneuvered by the Zhang Family's fourth son, who was only twenty-five years old." Zhang Yuliang's deception was utterly idiotic. A batch of medicine worth 300,000 Hong Kong dollars changed hands eleven times on paper, with Fuzhong Company only receiving 230,000. The remaining nearly 400,000 went entirely into Zhang Yuliang's pocket, while I, behind Fuzhong Company, had to bear the blame. No matter how much I made, outsiders would only accuse me, Chu Xiaozhong, of bullying my own brother and causing internal strife. Take my advice, go back to Likang and do smuggling. Use the time during the Korean War to help Ah Sin make more money, and don't even think about getting that debt back from the European Coast Company."
Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Path of the Martial World...
As Song Tianyao walked out of the Jinxing Building, he took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and then fiddled with the exquisite matchbox provided by the Dulles Hotel. Although his expression was neither happy nor sad, he felt a little uneasy. It seemed that, just as Angie Perlis had said that night, he had been too confident when he made the bet with Chu Xiaoxin. He hadn't expected that four powerful figures would suddenly emerge behind the European Coast Company.
In his previous life, Song Tianyao had read some books about the rise of Hong Kong's wealthy families and prominent figures during his leisure time. However, he seemed to have never read about Zhang Zhushan, Zhang Yuliang, or the story of the Zhang Family's three tigers and one leopard. Moreover, Song Tianyao absolutely did not believe that the old fox Chu Yaozong would be genuinely praising the Zhang Family's sons. Just like how he outwardly praised Chu Xiaoxin for his generosity and magnanimity, Song Tianyao knew exactly what kind of person Song Tianyao Chu Xiaoxin was. Did he really think that Cao Cao's famous line at the Battle of Red Cliffs, "A son should be like Sun Quan," was a compliment? Cao Cao might have just been using polite language to swear.
He walked slowly along Murray Road in Central for a while. At the entrance of an alley not far away, there was a stall selling sugarcane juice. He sat down on a low stool and asked the old lady selling the sugarcane juice for a bowl. While admiring the women coming and going on the street, Song Tianyao thought about the details of what happened when he went to see Chu Xiaozhong today.
Just as Song Tianyao was asking about the European Coast Company, Chu Xiaozhong's secretary Kong Wing-yan, appeared with coffee at the perfect moment. A hint of displeasure flashed across Chu Xiaozhong's face, which made Song Tianyao believe that Kong Wing-yan had really just made the coffee and come in. He figured it was better to believe that Hong Kong under Britain rule was democratic.
However, Chu Xiaozhong shouldn't have let him see this hint of displeasure. Most adults over twenty can keep their emotions hidden, let alone Chu Xiaozhong, who has taken over the Chu Family business.
There are only two possibilities: either these two are putting on an act in front of me, or the man and woman have a disagreement about how they feel about me.
Given Song Tianyao's personality, he analyzed the situation and considered the worst-case scenario. Therefore, he concluded that neither the man nor the woman were good people. Although Kong Wing-yan appeared to be very capable, she was ultimately a woman with limited skills and vision. She simply wanted Chu Xiaozhong to keep something from the Zhang Family so that Song Tianyao and Likang could have a showdown with the European Coast Company. Chu Xiaozhong, on the other hand, was clearly more skilled than Kong Wing-yan, his secretary. He truthfully told her about the Zhang Family's situation and even described them with admiration. If he were a young and impetuous man trusted by his boss, knowing the Zhang Family's power, he probably wouldn't be able to resist the urge to test his skills against them and help Chu Xiaoxin vent his anger.
If Chu Xiaozhong hadn't said that last sentence, Song Tianyao would have really been fooled by the nonsense about the "Three Tigers and One Leopard" and the "head of the family" that Chu Xiaozhong spouted. After all, there were dozens or even hundreds of Chinese business families in Hong Kong in the 1940s and 50s, plus a group of wealthy merchants from Shanghai. Among them, there might really be someone who had fallen from grace and was unknown in Song Tianyao's previous life, but was now at the height of his power.
However, Chu Xiaozhong's subsequent statement that his elderly uncle had been fooled like an idiot by Zhang Yuliang, the fourth young Zhang Yuliang of the Zhang Family, made Song Tianyao suspect that Chu Xiaozhong was gilding the lily. They were already a family head with the bearing of a tycoon, owning several businesses and companies. They were already making a fortune through honest and stable business practices; why would they need to resort to such underhanded methods?
Even if Song Tianyao had only a small company of his own, let alone a business like the Zhang Family's, he wouldn't do anything shady to ruin his reputation in the business world. How could he not understand this basic principle and still be called one of the "Three Tigers and One Leopard"? Moreover, considering that Chu Xiaoxin said that Zhang Yuliang often went to brothels with him and they got along well, it shows that Chu Xiaozhong's praise of him was a bit too much.
"But Chu Xiaozhong did calculate me correctly. Whether he's a tiger or a cat, we really need to test his worth first. If he wants me to wear a long robe and pretend to be a charlatan, he'll have to let the tiger gouge out my eyes first to teach me a lesson." Song Tianyao finished his bowl of cooling and throat-soothing sugarcane water, tapped the wooden tabletop lightly with his fingers, and muttered to himself.
On Shan Road Sheung Shui, New Territories.
Chen Tai was forced to retreat by Tong Ngau Ping, Gao Lao Cheng stood up and stretched his limbs, seemingly preparing to take over, while making sarcastic remarks to Chen Tai.
Chen Tai was slow to react, and when he listened to Gao Lao Cheng's words, his body reacted a little slower. He was a fraction too slow to slide to the side and was slashed on the left rib by Tong Ngau Ping's Japan samurai sword. Fortunately, his martial arts foundation was deep enough that he was only a fraction too slow. Although blood flowed out, the wound did not penetrate deep into the flesh.
Gao Lao Cheng was also startled. After Chen Tai was stabbed, cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He also knew that Chen Tai had been distracted by what he was saying, which was why he was slower to dodge. He bit his lip, lifted the hem of his shirt, and pulled out the short-handled axe that was the only one left at his waist, ready to leave the scene.
Unexpectedly, Chen Tai was stabbed and staggered back two steps. He gripped the axe in his left hand, wiped the blood from the cut with his right hand, glanced at it, and suddenly threw the axe in his left hand at Tong Ngau Ping's face!