Juliana Abbey stepped aside, Angie Perls, carrying her small storage box, walked out of the doorway, then turned and took one last, deep look back at her office.
"What will you say to him when you see him? Darling, your little darling is back?" Juliana Abbey asked softly with a smile, noticing the slight reluctance in Angie Perlis's eyes.
When Angie Perry turned around, her face had regained its composure, her eyes were clear, and she whispered something in her mentor's ear before stepping away in her high heels, her steps elegant yet as swift as a flame.
"I don't want to say anything, I just want to finish with him what we've been putting off for so long and should have happened long ago."
"Wow, where did you buy these clothes from, and at such a low price? Look how beautiful the little ones look in them." Quartermaster Harry looked at the dozens of children from the elementary school inside the military camp, who were now playing on the playground in their brand-new blue and white school uniforms, and kept praising Scribe Hui.
Scribe Hui, scratched his head and grinned, saying, "This wasn't bought; it was custom-made, which is why it's so cheap."
"Great. This weekend, the kids from seven military camps are having a soccer match together. The jerseys were already bought, so I don't need to ask you to help. But I can talk to the quartermasters of the other camps and suggest that you buy school uniforms for them too. After all, kids need to wear the same clothes to look nice and professional. Gao, you're a true friend of the soldiers! I've found that my work has become so much easier since I met you," Harry said to Scribe Hui with a wide grin.
Scribe Hui nodded, took a delicate wooden box from his handbag and handed it to Harry. Then he opened a small notebook and read aloud what had been written on it, "This is... this is Punch cigar. I saw it in a department store boutique and bought it. Sir, your birthday is coming up, this is a birthday present. H... H... Happy... B..."
Harry frowned as he listened to Scribe Hui clerk, stumble over the English words. He leaned closer to look at the crooked handwriting and said, "You could just say 'Happy Birthday' in Chinese. Wow, you actually wrote down the birthdays of all the quartermasters?"
"Of course I'll remember the officers' kindness to me." Scribe Hui, awkwardly stuffed the notebook back into his bag and smiled at Harry.
Harry patted Scribe Hui on the shoulder. "Thank you for the cigars, thank you. You only do such a small business, yet you still buy me such expensive cigars. Well, Gao, as a friend of so long, you've always been so dedicated to us. I think we can do a better business. There's a small amount of machinery salvaged from ships in the military warehouse, mostly Diesel Engines and Boilers. We were originally going to entrust the government to help with the auction, but the waiting time was too long. However, things have been tough in the military lately because of the troops that participated in the Korean War, which has affected the area. The commander has been trying to get me to think of something..." The best way is to sell them as soon as possible and get some cash. I'm thinking of asking my superiors if I can sell those machines to you as scrap. But you need to know how to do it properly. You can't just take them away as scrap. If those machines were auctioned, they would fetch 80,000 or 90,000 Hong Kong dollars. You only need to pay 10,000 Hong Kong dollars upfront to transport them as scrap. After you resell them at a higher price, you'll make a profit, but the rest will need to be given to your superiors. They're also short of money lately. I know you're a reliable person, but I still need to remind you, you can't sell these machines for less than 50,000 Hong Kong dollars."
Scribe Hui had been in business for so long, and he had done countless small bribes and exchanges. He had even done trivial things like ordering clothes for military families and buying bathtubs, in addition to vegetables and grains. However, those were all things not worth considering. What Big-Nosed Harry was talking about made him hesitate. His first reaction was to think about it first and then ask Song Tianyao for advice. But seeing Harry's cautious expression, and thinking that it was only 50,000 Hong Kong dollars, if he went to ask Song Tianyao, Song Tianyao might scold him again. Song Tianyao always said that he was the boss of Tianming Company and that he should learn to make his own decisions.
"Sir, I can help you sell them. I only need to cover the shipping and labor costs. You're short of money, so it's not good for me to make money at this time. I'll bring back whatever amount I can sell for you." After making up his mind, Scribe Hui said to Harry.
Since the Britain soldiers are short of money lately, they asked me to help sell some of the surplus supplies in the warehouse. It seems I shouldn't be making money at this time, because it would easily make the Foreign Devil feel that I'm taking advantage of them, kicking them when they're down, and acting like a greedy scoundrel.
"I really didn't misjudge you, Gao. You're a really good person," Harry said, holding a cigar box in one hand and tightly gripping Scribe Hui's hand with the other. "The commander will be very pleased. You'll win his favor."
Chapter 232 Casual Chat at the Drinking Table
"Sister Yun, have the workers tidy up the factory tomorrow morning. We'll have guests coming to visit tomorrow afternoon," Song Tianyao said, pushing open Lou Fengyun's door as she sat at her desk reviewing accounts.
Lou Fengyun hummed in response, but didn't look up. Instead, she continued flipping through the documents in front of her. Song Tianyao walked over curiously. "What's wrong?"
"I've been searching for a long time, and the ledgers show that only India have been supplying hair. I couldn't find any records of raw materials sent by Lei Danzi," Lou Fengyun Song Tianyao, looking up at Song Tianyao as he approached.
Song Tianyao nodded. "I did it. The hair that Lei Danzi sent is being stockpiled at the factory before anyone notices it. In a few days, let him stockpile the rest. Just pretend that the accounts only show the India delivering the goods."
"Understood. Then I'll include the money paid to Lei Danzi in the food and uniform expenses." Lou Fengyun closed the ledger, then looked at Song Tianyao in his suit and tie. "You look better in this outfit. I'm getting tired of seeing you in your work clothes after a few months."