"Miss Wanqing, even if you don't consider yourself, please help me. Considering how I risked my life to save you that night, how can I, Yan Hung, save face if you leave halfway? Please help me!" Yan Hung said anxiously as he saw that Song Tianyao, Golden-Tooth Lei, and the others had already entered the store.
Meng Wanqing hesitated for a moment, then told herself that she would see Secretary Song one last time, thank him in person, and then never see him again.
Once inside the pharmacy, there was no chance to speak to Song Tianyao. Many of the neighbors had come specifically to befriend Song Tianyao, and now that he had appeared, they surrounded him, making it impossible for Meng Wanqing to even get close to Song Tianyao, let alone say thank you.
There were only about thirty people in the store, including old neighbors and people from the Jianghu community. After Song Tianyao's father, Song Chunliang, lit the firecrackers at the auspicious time and exploded, and everyone wished the business a prosperous business, the Song family invited them to a restaurant on the next street for dinner.
The neighbors and other women were greeted by Song Chunliang, Zhao Meizhen, Sister Fen, Lou Fengyun and others in other private rooms. In Song Tianyao's private room, there were only Golden-Tooth Lei, Gao Lao Cheng, Mangongshi, Chen Tai, Chen Tai's little brother Tie Tou Su, Yan Hung and his two subordinates A Wai A Yue, as well as Chu Xiaozhong's secretary Kong Wing-yan.
After the polite greetings and toasts at the table, Song Tianyao put down his wine glass and said to Golden-Tooth Lei:
"From now on, Brother Hung will handle Likang Kang's affairs at the dock for Mr. Chu. Mr. Chu has already agreed to this. Brother Lei, your men will just follow Brother Hung's instructions. If there's anything they can't handle, just go find Brother Hung, and he'll decide whether to inform Mr. Chu."
Even though he already knew the answer in his heart, Golden-Tooth Lei still couldn't help but feel a sense of loss when Song Tianyao said it in person. One step behind means one step behind. Yan Hung was ruthless that night and just happened to have the opportunity. He killed anyone who stood in his way and even managed to turn his life around overnight. He went from being a Uniformed Branch officer to a Detective Sergeant, and most importantly, he became the person in charge of Likang Company's dock affairs.
Despite his inner disappointment, Golden-Tooth Lei maintained his smile and said to Song Tianyao, "A-Hung is impeccable in his work and is one of Lao Fu's own people. It's an opportunity for Lao Fu that Mr. Chu trusts him."
Yan Hung, standing nearby, had already raised his glass to toast Golden-Tooth Lei: "I also want to thank you for giving me this opportunity, Big Brother. I'd like to offer you a toast."
Yan Hung was quite adept at enlivening the atmosphere at the dinner table. After a couple of drinks, he jokingly asked Chen Tai if Golden-Tooth Lei was interested in doing business in his current jurisdiction in Mong Kok. He was entertaining these underworld figures on behalf of Song Tianyao, which gave Song Tianyao a chance to talk to Kong Wing-yan. Kong Wing-yan took a sip of sugarcane juice, put away the list of names and numbers that Song Tianyao had just written down with a pen before the meal, and asked Song Tianyao, whose face was slightly flushed after being toasted four or five times:
"If you're not going to work for the Chu Family anymore, what kind of business are you planning to start on your own?"
Song Tianyao put down his chopsticks, looked at the remaining wine in front of him, and said, "Let my family do some small business for now. In a few days, I'll help Mr. Chu settle the matters of the Pharmaceutical Factory that produces deworming medicine, and then I'll go to the University of Hong Kong Library to study for a few months."
"Study? Aren't you good at English? You're also good at business, and even Young Master Zhong praised your plans for the Zhang Family. Why would you want to study?" Kong Wing-yan was taken aback by Song Tianyao's words.
Song Tianyao glanced at Kong Wing-yan, then shook his head. "It's different. Running your own business is different from being someone else's secretary. Running errands might be enough, but when it comes to business, I don't even understand the current business situation in Hong Kong, Japan, and Southeast Asia. I'm like a blind person. Of course, I need systematic learning. And for many businesses, if you want to find a suitable entry point, you must understand Hong Kong's laws and regulations for that industry. Where are the most professional books for various industries in Hong Kong? Of course, it's the University of Hong Kong Library. So, I went to study at the University of Hong Kong. With the Embargo Order not lifted, the price of imported raw materials has risen sharply, and exported goods are unable to lower prices to compete with Japan products due to the price of raw materials. During this period, any business will be difficult. Why should I rush to start a business at this time? It's enough for my family to do some small business to make a living."
"What kind of small business do you consider just enough to make ends meet?" After listening to Song Tianyao's words, Kong Wing-yan thought for a few seconds before asking, "What kind of business is worth doing?"
"I don't know what kind of business is worth doing, but one thing I do is that whatever I do, I need to have some capital to qualify for entry. As for small businesses to make a living, they're everywhere. Getting rich overnight is difficult, but it should be enough to feed and clothe dozens of people."
"Is it your pharmacy?"
"Of course not, that's for my Dad to live out their days in, and for chatting with the neighbors." Song Tianyao finished the remaining wine in his glass. "Take your time, there's still plenty of time."
Kong Wing-yan wanted to ask more, but Zhao Meizhen had already pushed open the door to the private room outside. "A-Yao, come over and say a few words to the neighbors. They've all finished eating and are getting ready to go home."
Song Tianyao rose from his seat to accompany his parents as they saw off the guests. After politely seeing off most of the neighbors, he noticed that Meng Wanqing had also come out of the private room. She gave Song Tianyao, saying softly, "Secretary Song, thank you for saving me. This is a small token of my gratitude."
Handing the book-sized cloth bag to Song Tianyao, Meng Wanqing finished speaking, lowered her head, and walked past Song Tianyao towards the stairs. Song Tianyao, remembering the last look the woman gave him before she looked down, turned around with the bag in his hand. His voice, no longer flippant, was unusually serious as he spoke:
"If I come downstairs with you now and we talk, would you be willing to take a walk with me after we're done, Miss Meng Wanqing? Or do you want to tell me, like that night, that you hate me to death?"
When Meng Wanqing heard Song Tianyao call out her real name, she turned around in surprise to look at Song Tianyao. Song Tianyao smiled and asked her, "Willing, or hating?"