These words stirred even Chu Xiaoxin's heart. Indeed, Song Tianyao could give him fourteen gold bars, but he could also secretly collect much more benefits.
"Me, selfish? Whether I have selfish motives or not, Chan Ah-sap should know best, Young Master Zhong, didn't he tell you?" Song Tianyao stood up, pointing at Chan Ah-sap kneeling on the ground, his voice like metal and stone. "Did Chan Ah-sap tell you, Young Master Zhong, why I said that Brother Ju Chao Yong Yi Ju helped me? Because if it weren't for Chao Yong Yi Rotten-Life Ju arrival, Fuyixing's men would have almost kidnapped my own sister and sold her into prostitution in Kowloon Walled City! If I really had selfish motives, the first thing I would have done would be to have Young Master Shun stand up for me and kill all the people in Fuyixing!"
These words caused everyone in the living room except Chan Ah-sap to change their expressions! Including Chu Xiaoxin, because Chu Xiaoxin had never heard Song Tianyao mention that his sister had almost been kidnapped by Fuyixing.
Chu Yaozong immediately looked at Chu Xiaoxin, trying to catch his Second Son's expression. His Second Son was clearly just like him, completely unaware of the matter.
At this moment, Song Tianyao's tone was calm, yet it carried a suppressed anger that anyone could detect, his eyes fixed on Chu Xiaozhong:
"Young Master Zhong, can you imagine what I was feeling last night when I accepted those fourteen gold bars and made peace with Fuyixing?"
Chapter Fifty-One Smuggling
The living room was completely silent. After an awkward silence of more than ten seconds, Chu Xiaoxin stood up somewhat absentmindedly, grabbed Song Tianyao's shoulder, and turned him to face him.
"Did this really happen? Why didn't you tell me? Are you afraid I won't stand up for you?"
At this moment, Chu Xiaoxin's eyes were serious, and his tone carried genuine dissatisfaction with Song Tianyao.
Song Tianyao ran his hand through his hair and said to Chu Xiaoxin, "Young Master Shun, please sit down. Since Chairman Chu and Young Master Zhong have asked, I will tell you everything."
Chu Xiaoxin slowly sat down, his eyes still fixed on Song Tianyao. He never hid his thoughts from those around him, whether friends or employees. He had placed complete trust in Song Tianyao, but now he suddenly learned that his secretary's family had almost suffered a major disaster, yet he hadn't told him a single word. This made him very unhappy, as he felt that Song Tianyao didn't consider him someone he could trust.
"Young Master Shun, you owe Yan Hung a favor first, and what happened to my family happened later. To be Young Master Shun, after what happened to my family, Yan Hung almost fainted from fright. If it weren't for Golden-Tooth Lei stopping him, he would have beaten all the Fuyixing members who came to cause trouble at my house to death. Golden-Tooth Lei brought his wives to my house to apologize to my parents. When he learned that I had gone to the seafood restaurant, he brought gold bars to see me. But at that time, I happened to be here having dinner with Chairman Chu and the two young masters. It would be a lie to say that I wasn't angry, but I know that Young Master Young Master Shun needs Fuyixing, a gang without any backing. I also know that Golden-Tooth Lei is innocent and just wants to swallow his anger. Besides, they have already given me enough face and lowered their stance enough, so I am willing to reconcile with Golden-Tooth Lei." Song Tianyao took two deep breaths, seemingly calming his anger, and spoke in a slower tone.
After hearing Song Tianyao's words, Chu Xiaoxin was about to reply when Song Tianyao turned to look at him and shook his head very slightly with his back to the others.
"No, I need to make this clear, A-Yao. I'll remember to repay Yan Hung for helping me, but if Fuyixing's people mess with my people, how can I face you if I don't help you save face Young Master Shun? You actually accepted fourteen gold bars from me!" Chu Xiaoxin didn't shut up as Song Tianyao had instructed, but insisted on speaking to Song Tianyao.
Song Tianyao was slightly touched. Although his boss wasn't exactly brilliant, he was a very good person and friend, almost adorably naive.
"After saying all this, I get the feeling that you only reconciled with Fuyixing because of the gold that Chao Yong Yi revealed, hoping to gain more benefits in the future?" Chu Xiaozhong stared at Song Tianyao and spoke in a gloomy tone.
"I did indeed reconcile with Fuyixing, and I have some ideas. If Young Master Zhong want to hear them, I'll tell you. I handed over all fourteen gold bars to Young Master Shun. Young Master Shun plans to use this gold to cash out and order a new ship for the trading company at the shipyard, specifically for business in Shenzhen." Song Tianyao looked at Chu Xiaozhong and said, "I Young Master Shun Chao Yong Yi is currently managing the dock business of Likang Trading Company. It's simply loading medicines from the warehouses onto ships for overseas shipments, or receiving medicines from overseas cargo ships and storing them in the warehouses. In the past year, mainland China and North Korea have been subject to United Nations embargoes, and medicines, steel, rubber, and machinery have all been included in the embargo list, causing prices to rise significantly. Hong Kong has seen a huge increase..." The small docks, with their hundreds of berths and hundreds of trading companies, were all involved in smuggling. I asked Young Master Shun why Likang Trading Company didn't engage in smuggling. A ship carrying medicine to Macau could earn a net profit of 11,000 Hong Kong dollars, while a ship carrying it directly to Shenzhen could earn 16,000 Hong Kong dollars. If they made ten shipments a month, one ship each time, Likang could earn a net profit of 160,000 Hong Kong dollars, totaling 1.6 million Hong Kong dollars a year. Why didn't Likang Trading Company, even those involved in the Chu Family's grain, oil, steel, and rubber businesses, do it? Young Master Shun told me that Chan Ah-sap had told him that Chao Yong Yi was busy managing other Chu Family Trading Company and couldn't spare the manpower to help Likang with smuggling.
In fact, when Song Tianyao turned the conversation to smuggling, Chu Xiaozhong's face had already turned ashen. If he still didn't understand what Song Tianyao meant, then he would have wasted all the years his father had raised him!
Song Tianyao truly had no selfish motives; he was determined to support his younger brother, Chu Xiaoxin, and expand Likang Trading Company!
Previously, under Chu Xiaozhong's instruction, and with his uncle working Likang Trading Company and helping him win over the other employees, Likang Trading Company effectively under Chu Xiaozhong's control. Chu Xiaoxin at most inquired about the company's monthly profits and withdrew some funds for expenses, showing no interest in the company's actual business. Chu Xiaozhong's method was to prevent Likang Trading Company from engaging in smuggling to quickly accumulate large sums of cash, while simultaneously having his uncle deliberately seek Chu Xiaoxin's signatures daily. The various accounts and reports frustrated him, making him disillusioned with the business. He planned to wait until the end of the year, perhaps finding an opportunity like when Chu Xiaoxin caused trouble again, to report the year's profits of Likang Trading Company to his father. His father might then, in a fit of anger, completely take Likang Trading Company from Chu Xiaoxin's pocket, treating Chu Xiaoxin as a complete waste. Once Likang Trading Company was truly in his own hands, he would immediately arrange for Chan Ah-sap to engage in smuggling, reaping huge profits—a stark contrast to the period when Chu Xiaoxin was in charge of Likang.