An Extra Bag of Soy Sauce for Anyone Who Cries Out
The reason he specifically told Angie Perlis was simply that, before Oxfam established, this was Song Tianyao's only opportunity to communicate openly with Shek Chi-yik without worrying about their social status and thus avoiding suspicion.
After all, under the holy light, all beings are equal.
Chapter 116: Those who cry out loud will receive an extra bag of soy sauce.
Song Tianyao bought a Bible at a bookstore next to St John's Church. The bookstore, which sells various Christian doctrine books, is staffed entirely by homeless and disabled people who clean, wipe the bookshelves, organize the books, and even handle the cash register. St John's Church has set up this bookstore and a donation center nearby to provide these people with food, clothing, shelter, and employment opportunities.
Holding Bible, Song Tianyao walked from the main entrance of the church into the main building. The clean mosaic floor under his feet and the arched ceiling above his head, along with the stained glass windows on both sides of the aisle depicting the deeds and miracles of saints, and the huge and ancient cross dome hanging in the center of the church, made Song Tianyao feel as if he had traveled through time and space to 16th-century Europe in an instant.
Behind the cross is the apse of the church, with the altar in the very center and a pulpit for preaching the doctrine next to it. On the front wall of the apse is a huge pipe organ.
Before the altar and pulpit, on rows of gleaming yet worn wooden seats, Shek Chi-yik and Mrs. Bess, along with their children, sat in the front row, praying intently towards the altar.
In stark contrast to Song Tianyao's shabby entrance into the church where he was completely ignored by the church staff, a pastor at the pulpit was looking kindly at Shek Chi-yik and Mrs. Bess's family, who were praying with their eyes closed.
Song Tianyao sat in the last row and waited quietly. Finally, the prayer ended, and Mrs. Bess and the children got up and walked towards the side hall under the pastor's guidance. It seemed that they were going to help distribute food to the poor and homeless people waiting outside the church restaurant, while Shek Chi-yik stayed in his seat to wait.
"Mr. Shi," Song Tianyao slowly walked over and sat down next to Shek Chi-yik, admiring the altar not far ahead, and said, "Good afternoon."
Shek Chi-yik sighed, his tone a mixture of wry smile and helplessness, "Actually, Mr. Song, in Britain, it's quite ungentlemanly to start a conversation like this without someone introducing us."
"When I was reading this Bible, I came across a verse: 'My spirit is distressed, and I will speak; my heart is anguish, and I will pour out my sorrows. I will not fear, nor shy away, for I will see my crown.' Song Tianyao looked at the magnificent altar before him. ' God also said, "He said, 'Seek justice for the poor and orphans, and bring righteousness to the needy and destitute.' Therefore, Mr. Shi and I discussing the Oxfam and helping the millions suffering from illness under God's watchful eye will not diminish your gentlemanly conduct."
"What is your purpose in buying this Bible?" Shek Chi-yik glanced at Song Tianyao before looking away. This young man was unbelievably young. It was Song Tianyao who had pointed out his desires and offered the Oxfam him and his wife like fish that couldn't resist taking the bait.
Song Tianyao honestly replied, "The price is five Hong Kong Hong Kong dollars. Five Hong Kong Hong Kong dollars might allow each of those disabled people to have an extra steamed bun, and it will also prevent me from having absolutely nothing to say when I sit with you in front of God."
"I'd like to know if you have any advice for my wife after she steps down as the first president of Oxfam. I don't want to see a half-hearted arrangement," Shek Chi-yik said to Song Tianyao. "Charities hold elections once a year; you won't let her sit in the position of Oxfam president forever."
"But as long as Oxfam exists, Mrs. Bess's charitable donation project concerning Hong Kong's water quality and parasite problems will not stop, unless everyone in Hong Kong and Kowloon can drink water as clean as that on Tai Ping Shan. That might not be possible for decades, by which time Hong Kong may no longer be a Britain colony. During this period, while still a British colony, Mrs. Bess could establish a water source investigation agency, a water resources association, a hydrological research laboratory, or some other organization in her name, responsible for providing Oxfam or other charities with new water quality survey reports annually. The longer the reports cover, the more important Mrs. Bess will become, because later researchers will only be able to access previous water source data by consulting Mrs. Bess 'Hong Kong past reports. She will become the absolute authority on water resource research and investigation in Hong Kong. What do you think, Mr. Shi?" To achieve status, one needs to put in effort beyond mere design. Mrs. Bess possesses a Bachelor of Science degree in Hydrology; why can't we make her a true hydrological scientist in Hong Kong? You must understand, in modern Britain, the title of "scientist" commands far more respect from the Britain elite than "Governor's wife." Whether it's feigned or genuine, these elites must acknowledge the excellence of scientists and the power they bring to change wars and even the world. Even if Mrs. Bess, this scientist, came from St Kilda, Australia, who would care then? People would call her a Britain female scientist and an expert on Britain Hong Kong's water resources. My plan is that Oxfam will donate medicine for the second time in six months, at which time Likang will provide funds to have the University of Hong Kong invite Mrs. Bess to serve as a visiting professor or honorary professor. I, Song Tianyao, never start something half-heartedly."
Song Tianyao spoke this long passage very slowly, and although the two men sat side by side, they never made eye contact. Both of them stared straight ahead with calm eyes, like two people who had come to church to worship and happened to sit together, giving thanks for God's grace.
"Back in London, people would always say, 'What's coming will come,' which was their complaint about London's rainy weather. Now, perhaps I should also say, 'What's coming will come.' After all you've planned, what else do you want besides Mr. Chu Philanthropist and Justice of the Peace titles that my wife firmly believes in?"
"I don't need anything, I just need you to do your job well. Do you know how many pharmaceutical companies there are in Hong Kong? And how many of them are involved in shady smuggled goods trade? A vial of Penicillin powder, if you want to buy it in a China person- owned pharmacy in Hong Kong, you'll have to pay at least double the price, that's the minimum. If someone urgently needs Penicillin to save their life, they'll have to pay three or five times the price. And what's even more outrageous is that Likang was preparing to donate a batch of drugs to Oxfam to kill internal parasites, but after learning about this, another company preemptively monopolized that batch from..." "Do you know how much they marked up the low-priced raw materials from the Britain Gaili Subsidiary Company of Jiali to Likang? Double! The raw materials were Hong Kong dollars 800 per kilogram, but they quoted Hong Kong dollars 1,600, and they even paid a deposit in advance. Now, Britain 'Gaili Subsidiary Company won't breach the contract and sell the goods to Likang, and we're facing the dilemma of not being able to deliver the second batch of donated medicine on time. This is when you need to handle this matter fairly, justly, and transparently." Song Tianyao looked at the huge pipe organ on the wall and said, "I don't want anything from Oxfam. I'm just asking you, as the acting deputy director and deputy director of the Industrial and Commercial Administration Office, to do what you should do."