With that, Song Tianyao headed out. After two steps, he turned and smiled at Li Laoshi and Auntie Hong. "Remember to let me know about Suzhen's wedding. I'll definitely come for the wedding feast."
Once Song Tianyao had left Li Laoshi's house, Sister-in-law Hong's legs gave way, and she collapsed into the chair she had just brought over for him.
This A-Yao no longer seemed as honest and simple as before. A single sentence just now had blocked every one of her little schemes.
She stole a glance at Zhao Meizhen and saw that her face had darkened again because of her son's last remark.
Song Tianyao went outside and spoke to Zhao Wenye, who was handing out cigarettes to a group of gang brothers with his dad. "A-Yip, come with me to the Taibai Seafood Restaurant. I've arranged to have dinner there tonight with Sergeant Hung and Golden-Tooth Lei, the chairman of Fuyixing."
"Oh, Brother Yao, I'll go outside and get two rickshaws." Zhao Wenye handed the whole pack of cigarettes to one of the brothers, then turned to Song Tianyao.
Song Tianyao looked at Rotten-Life Ju. "Brother Ju, why don't you join me for a drink at the Taibai Seafood Restaurant tonight? It's thanks to you that you were there today."
"Get three rickshaws." Without waiting for Rotten-Life Ju to respond, he gave Zhao Wenye the order.
Zhao Wenye agreed and ran out of the Squatter Area. Song Tianyao lowered his head, took out a cigarette and lit it. Looking at Rotten-Life Ju, who was thoroughly baffled by him, he smiled and said, "Brother Ju, do you think I've been a little strange today?"
"Secretary Song... I'm a rough man, you..." Rotten-Life Ju could chop down a dozen or even twenty-odd men by himself, but he was no good at figuring out what people were thinking. He smiled awkwardly at Song Tianyao as he spoke.
"If you hadn't shown up and saved me today, I wouldn't be telling you this. You can send someone to contact Chan Ah-sap now. Young Master Shun was very unhappy with him last night. Young Master Shun can't make decisions for the other trading companies or the Chu Family's other businesses, but he intends to give Fuyixing the business his own Likang Trading Company has at the docks from now on." Song Tianyao breathed out a cloud of smoke and said to Rotten-Life Ju, "Young Master Shun really is a second young master who isn't held in much regard. But no matter how little regard he's held in, he's still a member of the Chu Family. Chan Ah-sap made the wrong calculation."
"Thank you, thank you, Secretary Song!" Song Tianyao's words brought cold sweat to Rotten-Life Ju's back. That little bit of business from the Likang Trading Company was a small matter, but a patch of Fuyixing territory suddenly appearing in the middle of his own turf was another matter entirely. Chao Yong Yi had always handled the Chu Family's work at the docks. Now, with Fuyixing muscling in, what would outsiders think of Chao Yong Yi?
"Come on, have dinner with me. Though I'm guessing your boss won't have much of an appetite tonight." Seeing three rickshaws approaching from a distance, Song Tianyao patted Rotten-Life Ju on the shoulder.
Chapter 36: Can't Fight
Golden-Tooth Lei glared at Lou Fengyun, who was kneeling before him, his eyes practically spitting fire.
Yan Hung, who had been sitting beside him, was now on his feet as well. His face was deathly pale, and beads of sweat had appeared across his forehead and temples.
"Boss, the Song family owed the gambling den two hundred dollars. My man went to their door to collect the debt, according to the rules..." Lou Fengyun, Black-Hearted Wah's woman, told him everything she knew, concealing nothing and not daring to embellish anything. This was no time to clear herself and her husband of responsibility. What mattered most was making sure the boss knew everything that had happened, so he could better think of a way to deal with it.
If Yan Hung had not told Golden-Tooth Lei today that the Chu Family was preparing to give the word and let Fuyixing into the docks, Golden-Tooth Lei would certainly have stood up for Black-Hearted Wah upon learning that he had inadvertently threatened the Chu Family's secretary, saying that a man who did not know could not be blamed.
At worst, they would pay compensation and host a reconciliation banquet according to the rules.
In any case, everyone would consider it only natural for Fuyixing to apologize and admit fault before the Chu Family; there would be no shame in it. As long as he humbled himself, the Chu Family would surely be magnanimous and let the matter go.
But now, Sergeant Hung, a Fuyixing Red Pole, had staked his future to shoulder the matter for the Chu Family's second young master. Only then had the Chu Family shown a little goodwill, having Secretary Song Tianyao host a farewell dinner for Yan Hung at the Taibai Seafood Restaurant tonight and invite Golden-Tooth Lei for a talk at the same time.
And at this very moment, his society's Straw Sandal, Black-Hearted Wah, had offended Song Tianyao. What was more, it had gone beyond threats: he had come within a hair's breadth of abducting Song Tianyao's own younger sister and selling her in Kowloon Walled City?
Golden-Tooth Lei felt that the dock territory Fuyixing had yet to lay eyes on had already flown away. Brow furrowed and eyes wide, he felt a surge of inner fire rush to the top of his head. He suddenly raised the celadon teacup in his hand, ready to smash it down in a fury. Then he froze, holding the cup aloft as he looked at Lou Fengyun kneeling on the floor:
"You just said you were there when Rotten-Life Ju started chopping people?"
"Yes, I was there. A few brothers shielded me and got me away, so I wasn't hurt." Lou Fengyun did not dare look at anyone in the room. Her head hung so low that all they could see was a length of snowy-white neck emerging from the collar of her qipao.
A pair of long legs exposed through the slits of her qipao, a smooth, fair curve of neck, and a small patch of bosom faintly visible through its teardrop-shaped neckline—on an ordinary day, Golden-Tooth Lei and Yan Hung might have taken a few extra looks at her beauty, but today neither was in the mood.
Golden-Tooth Lei let out a heavy breath and ignored Lou Fengyun kneeling on the floor. He called to A-Lok, his close confidant, "A-Lok! Get me a few rickshaws right away. Bring both madams and some valuable gifts—forget it, no gifts. Just have the madams prepare four yellow croakers, gold bars. Stuff this woman into a rickshaw and come with me to Secretary Song's home on Jialin Road! Hurry! Any later and the rice will burn!"
A-Lok pushed open the door and rushed out. Golden-Tooth Lei stood in front of Lou Fengyun and forced himself to take several deep breaths, making his tone as gentle as he could. "This is my home, so I'll tell you the truth, not as your boss. Whether you can save your man and yourself depends on your luck as a couple tonight. Don't blame me if you have to suffer. If the two of you can't hold out in the end, I guarantee your families will be safe. It's not that the society won't back you up. You two have landed yourselves in a huge pot of trouble, and Fuyixing really can't bear it! King Yama is easy to bribe; it's the little devils who are hardest to deal with. The one you've offended is one of the Chu Family's troublesome little devils."
Lou Fengyun raised her head to look at Golden-Tooth Lei, but Yan Hung, standing nearby, could hold back no longer. He kicked the woman hard under the chin, sending her toppling backward in a somersault! His kick split her lip, and blood streamed from the corner of her mouth!