Chu Xiaoxin asked, puzzled, "Does smuggling require English skills?"
"Big Brother, you don't really think smuggling can last forever, do you? Wars can't go on forever. The Japan devils were so powerful, they swept across Asia, but they were defeated in just a few years. Smuggling is just about making quick money. While making quick money, you also need to expand your business, otherwise, when the war ends..."
"No need to say anything more, just hearing about this gives me a headache. I'll go home for dinner tonight and tell my Dad, okay? You'd better come with me; it'll be more appropriate for you to tell him." Chu Xiaoxin smoothed his hair and said to Song Tianyao, "The second thing."
"We could consider going to the shipyard to take a look and choose a smaller boat..."
"Hey... I..." Chu Xiaoxin's expression changed slightly when he heard Song Tianyao mention going to the shipyard. "How much does a ship cost?"
"Converting a small fishing boat only costs tens of thousands of yuan, while large cargo ships costing hundreds of thousands or even millions can cost hundreds of thousands. Let's keep a low profile; converting a small fishing boat into a cargo ship will suffice." Song Tianyao observed Chu Xiaoxin's expression. "Could it be...?"
"You guessed it. This afternoon, trying to get Judy into bed, I spent some money flaunting my wealth with those scoundrels. I also promised to buy Judy a pair of diamond earrings. Adding those expenses from the past two days, I probably only have a little over 30,000 yuan left." Chu Xiaoxin smiled somewhat awkwardly at Song Tianyao. "Perhaps I should go home tonight and explain to my father. At worst..."
This money was gold that Song Tianyao had received from Fuyixing, which he then exchanged for cash from his father. He had already told his father that it was to help Likang buy a boat, so his father directly exchanged the gold for Hong Kong dollars for him.
"No need, Young Master Shun. It's not worth getting scolded by Chairman Chu for a few tens of thousands of yuan. It's a small matter. I'll handle it. A secretary's job is to help the boss solve problems," Song Tianyao said calmly, raising his head to Chu Xiaoxin.
His complete disregard for Chu Xiaoxin's attitude of spending too much money made Chu Xiaoxin's eyes light up. "You have a solution?"
"Could you give me the rest of the money? If you need some spending money during this time, you can go home and ask Chairman Chu for it. As long as the amount isn't too large, I think he'll definitely give it to you. I'll use this 30,000 yuan to rent a boat first."
"That's right, renting a boat won't cost more than tens of thousands of yuan, and a small boat can be rented for a month for just a few thousand yuan," Chu Xiaoxin said immediately upon hearing Song Tianyao mention renting a boat.
Song Tianyao smiled at Chu Xiaoxin, "We need to renovate, boss. Besides, getting rid of those people from the trading company and hiring new staff will cost money. Thirty thousand yuan isn't much. Most importantly..."
"OK, I believe you. Just do it. I'll talk to your father tonight to help you, but I really can only give you 30,000 yuan."
"Thirty thousand yuan is enough." Song Tianyao looked at Chu Xiaoxin with certainty and said, "Two months, two months. If you don't take money from Likang, give me this time to hold on, and I won't have to go home to beg Chairman Chu for money anymore."
Chu Xiaoxin got up, took out his wallet, and counted out three thin stacks of banknotes. "Thirty thousand yuan."
Song Tianyao took the bag, said goodbye to Chu Xiaoxin, and left. Chu Xiaoxin called after him, "Hey, aren't you really coming home with me for dinner? With you here, my Dad will scold me less."
"Boss, I haven't been home for a week. Are you worried Chairman Chu will scold you? I'm worried my mom is already holding a kitchen knife, ready to kill her unfilial son." Song Tianyao put the money into his suit pocket and smiled at Chu Xiaoxin, "Besides, as long as you tell the truth, Chairman Chu won't scold you."
Chapter Sixty: Returning Home
If it were any other secretary, and they suddenly discovered that their boss had squandered most of the funds meant for purchasing goods on a lavish lifestyle when they needed money, they might choke on their breath on the spot. Even if they didn't die of anger, their expression would probably not be pleasant, and they would feel disdain.
However, Song Tianyao knew Chu Xiaoxin's character all too well; he was a complete spendthrift in the pleasure quarters. If he could actually keep that money without touching a single penny, it would surprise Song Tianyao. Now that he had 30,000 yuan left, Song Tianyao was already quite satisfied. Why didn't he accompany Chu Xiaoxin to the shipyard to spend the money that very day? It was because Song Tianyao was waiting for Chu Xiaoxin to spend most of the money.
After leaving the Dulles Hotel, Song Tianyao hailed a rickshaw and headed towards the Squatter Area Jialin Road.
He got off the bus at the roadside again, bought half a roast goose with his change, and carried it inside. However, this time was different from the previous times he went home. The busy neighbors looked at Song Tianyao with complicated eyes. No one greeted Song Tianyao anymore. When they saw Song Tianyao appear on the street, they immediately turned around and went home. If they couldn't avoid him, they would lower their heads and walk quickly past.
The neighbors' attitude gave Song Tianyao a sense of being a street-cleaning tiger.
Upon arriving at his home, before even stepping inside, Song Tianyao saw four or five men a dozen meters away, wearing t-shirts with their chests exposed, cigarettes dangling from their lips, looking at him timidly. Song Tianyao beckoned to them, and the men, emboldened, approached, greeting Song Tianyao politely. "Secretary Song."
"Did Golden-Tooth Lei send you?" Song Tianyao looked at the clothes on the group. Although they weren't expensive, they were all silk undershirts, not the kind of clothes that poor people in the Squatter Area usually wore. He asked.
"Brother Lei was worried that Secretary Song was too busy to help at home, so he sent us over," the bald man at the head of the group said to Secretary Song.
Secretary Song tossed the State Express 555 cigarettes she was holding to the other person, smiled at the group, and said, "Thank you for your thoughtfulness and hard work."
After saying that, he turned and went into his house.
Pushing open the wooden door, Song Tianyao's first impression was that his home suddenly felt more cramped and confined than before. The room was filled with all sorts of odds and ends, including dried and fresh shrimp and crabs, as well as fruits and eggs. His parents were sitting on the bed, while a poorly dressed couple sat nervously on two worn-out chairs opposite the bed.
Hearing the door open, everyone inside turned to look. Zhao Meizhen saw her son return, jumped off the bed nimbly, and stood in the doorway in her slippers. "You finally decided to come back? I haven't seen you for a week, where have you been staying?"