Therefore, diplomatic officials from both countries have exchanged numerous letters and official documents regarding the duck's identity, and the issue remains unresolved to this day.
The two governments were locked in a bitter legal battle, and the large and small factories in Hong Kong that made preserved ducks didn't have time to wait. In less than two months, several of the larger factories, which relied on exporting to the United States, couldn't withstand the losses and announced their closure. The owners went home to continue operating small workshops. This factory was one such example. The owner, unwilling to wait any longer, made a decisive move, selling the factory cheaply to Lou Fengyun and returning home to continue operating a small preserved duck shop. He didn't care which country the ducks came from; at worst, he wouldn't do business with United States and would sell them to Hong Kong instead.
Lou Fengyun saw off the factory owner and the lawyer in charge of the contract, who had already completed the handover. She then sat down in the somewhat messy, simple office of the factory, took off her high heels, and gently rubbed her feet. She thought bitterly that she had been working so hard these past two days that her back ached, her feet hurt, and her mouth was dry, while Song Tianyao was probably having a good time with that woman named Meng Wanqing.
In fact, Lou Fengyun had really misunderstood Song Tianyao. While she was busy, Song Tianyao was not idle either. Instead, he drove all over Hong Kong Island Kowloon to visit various Cantonese opera troupes, big and small, just to find out if anyone in Hong Kong knew how to make fake beards and wigs for Cantonese opera.
The United States sold him the machines, but they didn't teach Song Tianyao how to produce wigs. Marcus's wig factory assembly line was completely devoid of manual skills; it was an integrated operation where hair was washed, fed into the machine, and came out as finished wigs.
Galen Nelson could sell Song Tianyao these outdated machines, but he couldn't teach him how to use them. Song Tianyao had to figure out how to use these machines to produce wigs on his own, and then teach the workers after figuring it out.
If it were about Song Tianyao teaching him some business experience, he could manage. But when it came to actual factory production, Song Tianyao had never done such manual labor when he started his business in his previous life, so of course he couldn't possibly have any experience to draw upon.
Actually, wigs don't require much technical skill. Even if you figure out the techniques yourself, such as how to arrange the hair, the number of weaving steps, and the thickness, you should be able to figure it out after a few experiments. However, the machines haven't arrived in Hong Kong yet, so he feels it's necessary to find a worker who can provide some tips and help him avoid some detours.
Song Tianyao immediately thought of China wigs. Hong Kong didn't have factories producing Western-style wigs, but it might have China wigs. So, he first thought of the Rangkou beards and hairpieces commonly used in opera. In the past few days, he had inquired and learned from various Cantonese opera troupes that the fake beards and hairpieces used in Cantonese opera were different from Rangkou made of horsehair or rhinoceros tail used in Northern Peking Opera. The fake beards and hairpieces used in Cantonese opera were all made of real hair. However, most of the wigs and beards in Cantonese opera troupes had been made for several years or even more than ten years. They were all originally made by old craftsmen in Guangzhou, the provincial capital. He didn't know if there were any old craftsmen in Hong Kong who could make such wigs.
After asking a small Cantonese opera troupe in Sai Ying Pun, Song Tianyao finally learned that the troupe's wigs were made four years ago by an old craftsman near Yau Ma Tei in Kowloon, commissioned by the troupe leader. However, the troupe leader had passed away, and the new leader did not know exactly which street in Yau Ma Tei the previous leader had gone to to find the old craftsman.
So while Lou Fengyun was complaining about Song Tianyao was wandering through the streets and alleys of Yau Ma Tei, searching for old craftsmen who could make China wigs, which was actually much harder than Lou Fengyun's job.
Yan Hung learned that Song Tianyao had been in Yau Ma Tei for the past two days. Worried that Yau Ma Tei Detective Chief Inspector Lai Man-yau might offend Song Tianyao because of Chai Fa Chiu's matter, he specially sent his subordinate A Wai to accompany Song Tianyao and help drive.
Just as Song Tianyao drove all over Yau Ma Tei without finding any signs or trinkets related to Cantonese opera or wigs, and stood outside a small alley smoking a cigarette, preparing himself to figure out how to produce the wigs himself once the machines arrived, a low wooden door in the alley behind him opened, and a middle-aged woman came out carrying a dustpan. She first locked the door from the outside with a cross lock, and then emptied the dustpan into a trash can not far from Song Tianyao.
Song Tianyao had been on edge these past two days, frantically searching for someone. His eyes darted restlessly around the street when the woman happened to pass by and dump her trash into a bin. Song Tianyao immediately noticed a lot of fine hairs inside.
Furthermore, Song Tianyao noticed a detail: even though she was just taking out the trash on the street, why did this woman lock the door?
Pushing aside A Wai, who was about to light his cigarette, Song Tianyao turned and glanced at the low wooden door the woman had just come out of. Finding no sign or warning, he walked to the trash can and peered inside. The wispy hairs inside were clearly not the kind of hair an adult would get from cutting their child's hair themselves. The middle-aged woman emptying the trash nearby was startled by Song Tianyao's actions. A young man in a suit staring blankly at the trash can? Even beggars are so well-dressed these days?
"Excuse me, ma'am, do you make Cantonese opera wigs and beards here?" Song Tianyao asked the middle-aged woman casually.
The middle-aged woman gave Song Tianyao a wary look, nodded, and said, "Yes, young man, you're from a Cantonese opera troupe? But we haven't put up a sign for the past two years. The master is getting old and his eyesight isn't what it used to be, so apart from regular customers, we no longer do business with outsiders. You'll have to find another place."
The joy on Song Tianyao's face was almost comparable to when he saw Galen Nelson's batch of outdated machines in United States. It seemed that heaven rewards those who persevere. After searching hard in Yau Ma Tei for two days, even asking about rat holes, he did indeed have some luck.
"Sister, may I go in and see the craftsman? I'd like to ask him to make some wigs for me. The price is negotiable, or if you don't want wigs made, just some pointers would be helpful." Song Tianyao smiled warmly at the middle-aged woman and said politely.
The middle-aged woman shook her head. "I already told you, the wig maker doesn't do it anymore. He only does business with long-time customers. You should go to Sheung Wan; there's a wig maker there too."
As he spoke, he turned and walked towards the door, unlocked the cross lock, went inside, and then bolted the door from the inside.
You won't even do business when customers come to you?