The Bustling Harp Restaurant (8) (Continued)
Sitting opposite Zheng Yutong was a middle-aged man with scars on his face and stubble that hadn't been shaved for days. His attire was out of place in this Harp Restaurant; a felt hat that should have been removed upon entering was now on his head. He wore a floral shirt under an American-style jacket, and black wide-legged trousers with hard-soled high-top leather boots on his feet. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on Zheng Yutong as she exhaled smoke, his face calm and unhurried.
Centered on Zheng Yutong and the man, at a table five meters behind Zheng Yutong, a middle-aged man dressed somewhat incongruously was devouring a pile of food on the table. He was stuffing cheese shrimp mixed with fried rice and scallops into his mouth, while his hand reached for a plate of fried salmon on the table. His eating manners and the chewing sounds made Chu Xiaoxin and Suki, several meters away, frown. The waiter, with a stiff smile on his face, went forward several times to remind him to mind his manners, but hesitated because the man had ordered such an expensive meal, hoping that the man would give him a larger tip when he paid the bill, out of consideration for his tolerance and forbearance.
Five meters behind the man at another table, another man was sampling various wines, from inexpensive table wines to a special France- made Pernod red wine and a single malt Scotland whisky. His table was piled high with glasses of all colors. Three waiters surrounded him, serving him, pouring, decanting, and reminding him when it was time to drink. The man drank every glass, regardless of type, downing them in one gulp. Even the two expensive glasses of red wine—a special restaurant-made wine, its agate-colored hue and fruity aroma making even connoisseurs at nearby tables drool—were swallowed down like a bull chewing on a peony. However, seeing the bright smiles on the waiters' faces and the thick wad of cash on his table, it was clear the restaurant had shown him considerable leniency.
Near the entrance of the Harp Restaurant, a man sat alone, wearing an American-style jacket and camouflage combat pants. There was no food in front of him, only a complimentary glass of lemonade and a meager plate of fried rice. He was eating the fried rice spoonful by spoonful, while holding a mini binocular in his other hand, which he held in front of his eyes, staring at a White Russian woman on the stage in the distance. She was wearing a sexy evening dress, revealing a pair of fair legs and half of her shoulders, and her hands were playing the harp. His lustful expression was undisguised, and if he hadn't been stuffing spoonfuls of fried rice into his mouth, he probably would have been drooling.
Zheng Yutong turned her head to look behind her, then at the drinking and lecherous man, and threw the cigarette she had just lit into the ashtray again. She snorted, "I'm just a businesswoman, I always come here by myself. But this Brother Leopard, why did you bring so many brothers? Are you afraid that a small businessman like me would dare to turn against you?"
"With such a large sum of gold in trouble, it's understandable that I'm worried you might do something desperate, Mr. Zheng. If I were to lose such a large batch of gold, my family—not to mention my uncles and brothers, even my own parents—would probably want to eat me alive," the man known as Brother Leopard said arrogantly.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Yutong's face immediately showed anger; clearly, Leopard Brother's words had stung him.
Zheng Yutong's current position at Chow Tai Fook is somewhat awkward. Although he is Chow Chi-yuen's son-in-law and Chow Chi-yuen recognizes his abilities, entrusting him with the management of the Zhou Family's gold business, the business doesn't belong to Chow Chi-yuen alone. In the past, Zhou Chow Chi-yuen was the one in charge, and the Zhou Family's uncles and brothers were all obediently subdued. Now that Chow Chi-yuen has stepped down, he hasn't chosen a capable successor from among the Zhou Family's nephews and nieces, but instead gave the position of head of the family to a son-in-law from another family. If it weren't for the Zhou Family members' reluctance to accept Chow Chi-yuen's position as Zhou Family the Zhou family for so many years... The pressure had long since dissipated, and he had cashed out his business shares and withdrawn his investment. Since taking over, Zheng Yutong had been ambitious and ruthless, like a shark hunting for prey. The pressure stemmed from this; only by earning more than his father-in-law had when he was in power could he secure his position in front of the Zhou Family. Now that Leopard Brother was right, the problem with this batch of gold had come to light. One could imagine that the Zhou Family, who had never had a chance to attack him, would seize the opportunity to pounce. The more he fought like a shark for the Zhou Family, the more he would be devoured by the Zhou Family like a shark.
The man opposite him was named Duan Sanbao Big Tin Yi operating at sea. Among the dozens of Big Tin Yi roaming the waters between Hong Kong and Macau, this was considered one of the more elite. The Duan Sanbao and his dozen or so men were not like many other Big Tin Yi who were indiscriminate in their attacks, taking anything and everything and relying on sheer numbers. A single robbery by this group was often enough to sustain them for months of extravagant living. Moreover, these men didn't just squander their money; they prioritized upgrading their equipment, replacing their weapons and speedboats. The weapons and vessels of the British Forces in Hong Kong in Hong Kong and the Portugal garrison in Macau were far more advanced than theirs, let alone their cargo ships.
Zheng Yutong, being in the gold business, had naturally heard of Duan Sanbao and his gang long ago. He never imagined that despite his extra caution, he would still be targeted and robbed of three hundred taels of gold. When Duan Sanbao met with him, it wasn't to discuss returning the gold. Instead, he revealed that besides the gold, Duan Sanbao also had three hostages who needed Zheng Yutong to pay for their ransom: twenty taels of gold per person, no paper money, only gold.
Zheng Yutong must redeem these three people. He can find a way to borrow money or raise funds to temporarily plug the hole so that the Zhou Family can't find any problems in the accounts. However, if the three people are killed, then everyone will know that something is wrong, because one of the three is a relative of the Zhou Family, that is, his brother-in-law. Zheng Yutong not only has to rescue the three people, but also has to coordinate their testimonies and make the whole thing seem like it never happened, and completely suppress it.
That's why, despite such a major incident, Zheng Yutong came to see this group of Big Tin Yi all by herself.
"Sixty taels of gold are in the briefcase at my feet. Brother Leopard always wants me to see my three brothers before I'll willingly use sixty taels of gold to pay for them," Zheng Yutong said to Duan Sanbao.
As she said this, Song Tianyao happened to glance at Zheng Yutong from a distance. Their eyes met in the air, and the murderous intent in Zheng Yutong's eyes was almost impossible to hide, causing Song Tianyao's pupils to shrink slightly.