Hu Xiaotian struck a self-important pose. "Serve a term in office, bring blessings to the people. I came to Azure Cloud to do good things for the common folk."
Song Shaofu flattered him again. "Your arrival truly is a blessing for Azure Cloud, my lord, and a blessing for its people."
That flattery hit just the right spot. Hu Xiaotian smiled, thoroughly enjoying it. He accepted the tea Liu Kuohai handed him, took a sip, and asked, "Do you have any suggestions, Shopkeeper Song?"
Song Shaofu said, "Whatever you organize, my lord, I'll be the first to support it. I have a preliminary idea: I'll gather everyone, and we'll set up twenty tables at the Wild Goose Tower. I'll cover all the food, drink, and expenses myself. Consider it my contribution to Azure Cloud."
Hu Xiaotian inwardly praised Song Shaofu for knowing how to handle things. Wan Boping had certainly been right to recommend him. Song Shaofu would gather the guests and take care of the venue, food, and wine single-handedly. In other words, Hu Xiaotian would not have to do anything but sit back and enjoy the fruits of someone else's labor. Excellent. Once his delight subsided, he immediately began thinking of recruiting the man. He would treat this Charity Auction as a test for Song Shaofu. If he could carry it off smoothly and successfully, Hu Xiaotian would make him part of his core team in Azure Cloud.
Hu Xiaotian's greatest virtue was that he was neither authoritarian nor dictatorial. His outlook was more advanced than that of most people in this world. He understood that however capable one person might be, his abilities were still limited. Only by pooling everyone's wisdom could they achieve twice the results with half the effort and lift heavy burdens as though