152: Chapter 150 Meeting Li Dajiang 152: Chapter 150 Meeting Li Dajiang Li Dajiang’s Huangxin Shoes Industry Co., Ltd., Chen Hai was also a shareholder, owning ten percent of the shares.
Actually, the Zhang Yong right before him was essentially working for him, making money for him.
However, these were matters Chen Hai kept to himself; he had no need to publicly point out such facts on the spot.
Otherwise, if Zhang Yong heard this harsh reality, who knows how awkward he would feel.
His admission to university and his journey to study in the Capital City were almost universally known in Chenjiaping Village.
But among his classmates, at most, only a handful had heard some rumors about it.
After all, Chen Hai’s admission notice was a supplementary one, and by the time his family received it, there were only about ten days left before the start of the school term.
When hosting a celebration feast in the small mountain village, he didn’t notify any classmates, and right after the feast, he left immediately.
At Wuyang Town Middle School, some people might know a bit about this.
But with guilty consciences, they didn’t dare to announce it widely.
Even though Liu Dagui had died, and his actions weren’t further investigated, who knew whether the commotion from Chen Hai’s university admission would lead officials to thoroughly investigate the matter.
In Zhang Yong’s eyes, Chen Hai, like himself, was someone who failed the college entrance exam.
In this distant land of Yuedong, encountering Chen Hai by chance, if he wasn’t out here to work, then what else could he possibly be doing?
“Brother Hai, when I have time, I’ll ask for you to see if our factory is still hiring?”
“In this area, our factory’s conditions, though not the best, definitely rank among the top.”
“We start work at seven in the morning and finish after nine at night, with an hour for both lunch and dinner, plus four days off each month.”
“It’s not like some factories that pay just so-so wages but treat people like animals, squeezing them dry with overtime work where shifts often last until eleven or twelve at night.”
“Let me tell you, last month, I worked less than ten days, and when it came to payday, I still got a little over two hundred.”
“Today I happened to have the day off, and I also ran into you, Brother Hai.
Let’s go, let’s find a place and have a drink together!”
…
Zhang Yong was incredibly enthusiastic as he pulled Chen Hai toward a small restaurant not far away.
“Zhang Yong, see, I’m still carrying a backpack, right?”
Upon arriving at Fourteenth Village, Chen Hai had already called Li Dajiang to inform him.
If everything went as expected, Li Dajiang would soon send someone to pick him up.
But now, Zhang Yong’s good intentions were hard to decline, and Chen Hai could only make an excuse with his backpack.
“What’s there to worry about?
In the restaurant, we’re paying customers.
A backpack alone, are you afraid there won’t be a place to put it?”
“Meeting an old friend in a foreign place is one of life’s four greatest joys.”
“Brother Hai, you’ve just arrived, and as an old classmate, if I don’t treat you to a meal and give you a welcoming feast, if others find out, wouldn’t they curse at my spine?”
Zhang Yong was so passionate that even these words came out, and it seemed truly unreasonable for Chen Hai to keep refusing his offer.
Once inside the restaurant and seated, Zhang Yong asked for Chen Hai’s preferences and ordered several dishes.
He then grabbed two bottles of beer, handing one to each of them, and they started to drink.
“Zhang Yong, how’s the business at your factory?
Do you often work overtime?” After toasting with Zhang Yong, Chen Hai probed, asking questions.
As a shareholder with stock in Huangxin Shoes, now that he was here, he naturally wanted to know how Huangxin Shoes was faring!
“Do you know Adidas and Nike?
Our Huangxin Shoes Factory is mainly doing OEM manufacturing for them.”
“Ever since I started working there, with shift swaps, we basically work overtime every day.
We’re so busy we can hardly keep up.
What does that tell you about the business?”
“People say our boss is incredible, an elderly man in his sixties who can dazzle the person in charge of Adidas’ Asian region.”
“My cousin has seen it more than once, the Miss Lin from Adidas, disheveled and flushed, stepping out of the chairman’s private office.”
…
When on earth did Zhang Yong develop such a gossipy nature?
He talked about the juicy news of their boss with such gusto, as if he had personally witnessed these things.
The small restaurant where the two were eating faced the little junction of Fourteenth Village.
It was nearly five in the afternoon now, and the sun was almost set.
The small space inside the restaurant meant several tables were moved outside by the owner.
Chen Hai and Zhang Yong were sitting at an outdoor table in front of the restaurant.
This position was intentionally chosen by Chen Hai.
When he had called Li Dajiang, he had arranged to meet him just outside the Fourteenth Village junction.
From where Chen Hai was sitting, the entire area near the junction was clearly visible.
Unfortunately, it was peak time right now, and there were just too many people coming in and out of the small junction.
A few beers later, Chen Hai glanced around, and without knowing when, Li Dajiang had already arrived.
Seeing Chen Hai, Li Dajiang walked straight towards him without a word.
“Let me tell you, Brother Hai, our Boss Li…”
With his back to Li Dajiang, Zhang Yong was completely unaware of his arrival.
It was also unknown whether the gossip he talked about was really heard from others or just fabricated by himself.
He had been talking for quite some time, and up to now, he could still speak with such gusto, spitting everywhere.
Of course, what Zhang Yong said was not official language but their local dialect from Liuyuan County.
But the problem was, Chen Hai knew that Li Dajiang could understand their Liuyuan dialect.
He gave that guy several meaningful glances, but Zhang Yong, who was so engrossed in the gossip, didn’t notice at all.
Annoyed, Chen Hai rolled his eyes at Zhang Yong and stood up directly.
He smiled at Li Dajiang, who had already walked behind Zhang Yong and stood still, “Brother Li, this is my classmate.
After a few drinks, he starts spouting nonsense.”
“You probably haven’t had dinner yet at this time, right?
Why don’t you join us for a bite?”
Chen Hai called out with ease.
The first time he met Li Dajiang, he felt a bit pressured in front of him, which made him feel somewhat restrained.
But now, as his own strength had grown continuously and he got involved with more people and matters, his mentality in front of Li Dajiang had become very calm, and he could now look him in the eye.
If one were to talk about prestige, Ye Rongzhong, whom he had dealt with not long ago, had a truly heavy and profound presence.
Compared to Ye Rongzhong, the bit of aura around Li Dajiang, the big boss, really counted for nothing.
“B-B-Boss…” It wasn’t until then that Zhang Yong finally realized, and he turned his head around.
The moment he saw Li Dajiang, he was so shocked that he tumbled over from his chair onto the ground.
The same Zhang Yong, who could previously talk nonstop like the endless flow of a river, now stuttered.
“Zhang Yong, what are you dazing out for?
Hurry up, bring a chair over to Brother Li, and open a bottle of beer for him!”
“I haven’t seen your boss for a good while.
I definitely need to toast him properly when I get the chance.”
Annoyed, Chen Hai gave Zhang Yong a light kick and ordered.
His move seemed like a scolding, but in fact, he was giving Zhang Yong a way out.
“Boss, please take a seat, I’ll go get you a drink!” With a roll, Zhang Yong quickly got up from the ground and ran into the restaurant.
“Bro, did you go to the Capital City to attend university?
I haven’t seen you in just a month or two, and your spirit, qi, and mental state seem quite different from before!”
After hesitating for a while, Li Dajiang finally sat down on the chair that Zhang Yong had vacated.
With a complex expression, he looked straight at Chen Hai in front of him and remarked.
He recognized the factory uniform on Zhang Yong at a glance.
Li Dajiang was indeed upset upon hearing his own employee spread gossip about him behind his back.
But since Chen Hai had spoken, he still had to show some respect.
If truth be told, not long after transferring 10% of his shares to Chen Hai in a moment of ardor after escaping from a business crisis, he actually started to regret it a bit.
After all, Li Dajiang was a pure businessman, and the only thing he saw was profit.
In the past two months, his Huangxin Shoes was booming in business.
Chen Hai, as a shareholder, had not been seen at all, not appearing once at his factory, seemingly not bringing any substantial benefits to his business.
Under such circumstances, it was natural for him to feel some dissatisfaction.
Otherwise, Chen Hai’s request for him to find buyers for those nose snuff bottles wouldn’t have dragged on for so long!
No matter how busy his factory was, even if he didn’t have time to go back to Tai Island, it wouldn’t have taken much time for him to make a few calls to his friend!
The first couple of times Chen Hai dealt with him, he seemed a bit naive!
But now, the Chen Hai in Li Dajiang’s eyes felt like he couldn’t quite see through him anymore!
“Brother, people always grow continuously.”
“In the Capital City, there are hidden dragons and crouching tigers.
Having studied there and seen many things and met many people, my vision has naturally broadened!”
Chen Hai picked up the beer bottle in front of him, poured the beer into the disposable cup in front of Li Dajiang, and after filling it up,
he smiled calmly, and unhurriedly continued, “What I do and what skills I have, you should have a clear idea, Brother.”
“Just a few days ago, an Uncle Ye owed me a huge favor.”
“He promised me that as long as it’s in Yuedong, no matter what situation I find myself in, he could help me settle it if I seek his assistance.”
“However, I feel that he might be exaggerating, possibly just fobbing me off.”
“Brother, you are well-experienced and well-connected, have you heard of the Lingnan Ye Family’s Ye Rongzhong and his wife, Song Ling?”
…
Picking up the cup of beer in front of him, Chen Hai made a toasting gesture towards Li Dajiang and then directly downed it.
“What?
The Lingnan Ye Family, Ye Rongzhong, Song Ling…”
Li Dajiang shuddered, his hand trembled, and he couldn’t hold his cup steady, which fell to the ground.