Song Tianyao strummed the strings a few times, finding the rhythm, then sat down and played the intro to the United States folk song "Take Me Home, Country Roads," before singing into the microphone in English:
"It's simply paradise, West Virginia, the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Shenandoah River, ancient life, older than the trees, younger than the mountains, growing slowly like a gentle breeze, country roads, taking me home..."
The white female singer, who appeared to be nearly forty years old, couldn't help but applaud after Song Tianyao sang the lyrics. "Good Boy!"
When the other five people heard Song Tianyao start singing, they all looked over from the table. Song Tianyao sat in the chair and swayed his body gently to the rhythm of the guitar. Although he occasionally sang the wrong notes, he was singing very happily.
After finishing the song, Song Tianyao returned the guitar to the female singer, took off his cowboy hat, and gave an exaggerated deep bow to the five people who had applauded him before walking back with a smile.
"You sang so well!" Alice clapped her hands excitedly from her seat, her chest trembling slightly with each clap, which drew the attention of Robert and Chris Chuang to her again.
"I specifically learned this in school so I could use it to pursue a pretty girl who likes United States songs," Song Tianyao said as he sat back down in his seat.
Robert laughed and praised, "No wonder people say you have a harem of women. You own a shop, and you know how to play the piano to woo girls. Of course, many girls are attracted to you, and you'll definitely win them over in the end."
"Wrong, that pretty girl eventually married a real Foreign Devil and went to United States," Song Tianyao said to Robert.
"This restaurant's style is clearly that of the United States West. You just sang about West Virginia in the eastern United States. Why don't you sing another United States West song? It's really beautiful, with a simple rhythm that's easy to remember," Tiffany said to Song Tianyao from the side.
Song Tianyao shrugged. "I only learned this one song. I told you it was something I specifically learned to pursue a girl."
"Which record? Can you tell me? I want to add it to my collection?" Tiffany continued to ask.
Song Tianyao thought to himself, "This song might not even be officially released yet, so how could I possibly have a copy?" He then said, "Back then, a Foreign Devil was performing it in a bar, and I specifically learned it by stealing his performance. I never asked him which record it was on."
"You seem very relaxed," Kong Wing-yan and the others quietly asked Song Tianyao after they returned to their previous casual conversation.
Song Tianyao nodded. "No need to use your brain, of course you can relax. What about you? Why did you come to a place like this for a blind date?"
"I want to snag a rich husband." Kong Wing-yan couldn't help but laugh after saying that, "I quit my job and am planning to find someone to marry."
"I have a harem of women, so I can't help you with your marriage," Song Tianyao said, Kong Wing-yan. "But if you want to change jobs, I can help you."
Chapter 308 Robert, the Daughter of a Noble Family
"Are you asking me to be your secretary? I heard that other wig factories have run into big trouble recently, but your factory is still fine. It's obvious that you're the winner again." Kong Wing-yan gently brushed a strand of hair from her cheek and smiled somewhat dejectedly.
Song Tianyao was not surprised by Kong Wing-yan's disappointing resignation from Chu Xiaozhong's side. Kong Wing-yan was not incompetent; on the contrary, her strong work ability was the main reason for her resignation.
She comes from the Hong Kong Institute of Chartered Secretaries. Although members of this association are called secretaries, they are actually the prototype of professional managers in Hong Kong. It is a waste of talent to use secretaries in this association to do only ordinary secretarial work. The best way to use them is for the company boss to define the company's development direction and then hand over the company to them to operate and grow.
The problem is that nowadays Hong Kong's Chinese businessmen are more accustomed to their sons inheriting their businesses. After Chu Yaozong got old, Li Heng Company was handed over to Chu Xiaozhong, the eldest son of the Chu Family, who was in the prime of his life. Expecting the confident Chu Xiaozhong Yiu-chung, who had just taken over the reins, to delegate power to an outsider to manage Li Heng Company's business was unrealistic. Not only would Chu Xiaozhong not do that, but even if Chu Xiaozhong did, Chu Yaozong would never allow his family business to be managed by an outsider.
Traditional China business models are not so easily overturned in Hong Kong.
Many children of wealthy Chinese businessmen return from studying abroad, aspiring to become engineers, scientists, or even teachers, only to find themselves unable to escape the constraints of their families and obediently return to the family business to take charge.
After witnessing Chu Xiaoxin's trust in Song Tianyao, Kong Wing-yan's desire to find a boss like Second Young Master Chu who placed such trust in his secretary grew stronger. She admitted that while her unconventional business strategies were not as sharp as Song Tianyao's, she was absolutely capable of managing a business or company steadily and diligently, and was no less capable than any other man.
This feeling was the main reason that prompted her to resign from Chu Xiaozhong's position.
"Would a dashing playboy like me lack a female secretary? If I needed one, the beautiful women would line up from Sai Wan to Causeway Bay the moment I asked," Song Tianyao said with a smile to Kong Wing-yan. "Actually, I'm looking for someone to take over the daily operations of those wig companies after my Foreign Girl finishes dealing with her recent affairs, so she can come back to my side."
"I only saw you surrounded by women before, I didn't realize you were so infatuated with Miss Pellis Angie Perlis. Do you have to be so clingy? You don't even want her to leave your side?" Kong Wing-yan asked Song Tianyao.
Song Tianyao asked the three ladies if they minded him smoking. After receiving a response that they didn't mind, he lit a cigarette, slightly distanced himself from the other four, and sat down at the end of the wooden table with Kong Wing-yan. Song Tianyao even sat directly on the saddle next to the round wooden table. A huge spring was fixed under the saddle, and riding on it was like riding a rocking horse for a child, constantly rocking back and forth.
"Sometimes, thinking about too many things on your own can be exhausting," Song Tianyao said, rocking the rocking horse. "Right now, besides her, I have no one else I can rely on, so I can't do without her advice."
Kong Wing-yan felt that Song Tianyao's words were somewhat arrogant, but she couldn't think of any words to refute them. Indeed, it was difficult for anyone to guess what was going on in the mind of this young man who always wore a smile. He was like a gambler who kept a low profile but bet his entire fortune every time, sitting at the gambling table with one opponent after another, playing game after game. Until the very last moment when he personally revealed his cards, no one could see any clues from his cards.