Chapter 44 Lu Che teases Fang Che

Fang Che was stunned.

Two points? It doesn't sound like much, but this is the Paramount Ballroom. Following Thirteen Sister's prediction, the monthly net profit... his mind quickly began to calculate.

Li Hanzhou calmly stated, "Before the renovation last month, the Paramount Ballroom's monthly profit was around 800,000. After the renovation, it doubled to 1.6 million. With further optimization, it's expected to double again, with a conservative estimate of 3 million per month. Two percentage points, that's 60,000 per month."

Fang Che took a breath.

In 1992, the monthly salary was 60,000!

Annual salary of 720,000!

This would be considered a high income anywhere.

In Hong Kong, it's enough to live comfortably, and there are even plans to buy a house.

Thirteen Sister smiled and said, "Boss Li has a clear plan. And this is just the beginning. Business will only get better and the money will only increase. Brother, I sincerely want to cooperate with you long-term. These two points are what you deserve."

Fang Che's heart raced.

A tremendous temptation lay before them.

With this stable income, I have more confidence to run a school, raise children, and build a career.

Moreover, since they are just consultants and do not interfere in the operation, the risk is small.

He subconsciously looked at Li Hanzhou.

Li Hanzhou looked at him calmly, offering no hints, waiting for his decision.

Fang Che took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

Money is important, but some principles are more important.

“Thirteenth Sister,” he said earnestly, “thank you for your high regard. But this matter is too big, I need time to consider it, and I also need to… ask Brother Li.”

He wasn't blinded by greed.

The Paramount Ballroom was ultimately involved in shady dealings and complicated affairs.

With two percent of the shares held, the relationship is not just one of advisory service, but a community of shared interests.

He needs to find out if there are any other involvements, and what Brother Li's attitude is.

A hint of admiration flashed in Thirteen Sister's eyes.

To remain sober in the face of such temptation, this kid is truly extraordinary.

"Of course," she readily agreed. "You two go back and discuss it. I'll be here waiting for your news."

They chatted about some details, and then Thirteen Sister saw them out.

As Fang Che approached the door, another car stopped, and the person who got out made him pause.

Lu Che.

He wore a casual jacket today, which made him look less composed and more relaxed.

Seeing Li Hanzhou and Fang Che, he was somewhat surprised, then smiled and said, "Brother Li, Brother Fang, what a coincidence."

“Mr. Lu.” Li Hanzhou nodded slightly.

"Mr. Lu is here to play too?" Fang Che's tone unconsciously became wary.

"Let's talk about a small business." Lu Che's gaze fell on Fang Che's face, his smile deepening. "Brother Fang, you look much better. How's your injury?"

"Almost done, thank you for your concern," Fang Che replied briefly, wanting to leave as soon as possible.

Lu Che stepped forward and naturally raised his hand, seemingly wanting to pat Fang Che on the shoulder.

Fang Che instinctively tried to dodge, but Lu Che's hand changed direction midway, only lightly brushing against Fang Che's shirt collar.

The movement was very light, the fingertips brushing against the edge of Fang Che's collarbone.

Fang Che froze, took a step back, and glared at him: "What are you doing?"

Lu Che's hand froze in mid-air, his face showing just the right amount of surprise and apology: "Sorry, I noticed your collar was a bit dusty, so I just... I was being abrupt."

He withdrew his hand, a helpless smile on his face. "Brother Fang always seems to be extra wary of me."

"Who gave you permission to touch me!" Fang Che's ears burned.

The texture was so strange.

Li Ge wiping him down was considered taking care of him, but what did Lu Che do? He even deliberately touched his collar.

"It was my fault." Lu Che apologized readily, but his gaze remained fixed on Fang Che's flushed cheeks and wide eyes, which were red with embarrassment and anger.

The boy was wearing a loose shirt today, revealing a slender neck and a hint of his collarbone. When he was angry, his eyes narrowed slightly, and his clear eyes seemed to be burning with flames.

That beautiful face was so vividly lifelike it was almost jarring.

A beautiful appearance, a straightforward temperament, and a resilience honed from humble beginnings...

The contradictory qualities are mixed together, like a strangely mixed yet tempting drink.

A certain part of Lu Che's heart was gently scratched.

"Mr. Lu, is there anything else?" Li Hanzhou stepped forward, standing between the two of them. His voice was emotionless, but the air pressure around him seemed to drop several degrees.

"Nothing urgent." Lu Che withdrew his gaze, his smile unchanged. "Boss Li, Brother Fang, I'll take my leave now."

He nodded to Thirteen Sister and walked into the Paramount Ballroom.

Fang Che rubbed his neck, feeling an unease about the spot where he had been touched.

What's wrong with this policeman?

"Let's go." Li Hanzhou withdrew his gaze and walked towards the car.

The atmosphere was quiet on the way back.

Fang Che was still thinking about Lu Che's strange behavior, while Li Hanzhou closed his eyes to rest, occasionally tapping his fingers lightly on his knees.

“Brother Li,” Fang Che began, “Thirteenth Sister mentioned those two points…”

“Take it if you want.” Li Hanzhou opened his eyes. “The Paramount has basically cleaned up its act now. It doesn’t touch drugs, gambling, or prostitution. It’s now doing legitimate entertainment and drinks. Thirteen Sister has a complicated background, but she’s a woman of integrity in business. Those two points are what you deserve.”

"Won't that cause trouble for the branch? Or make things difficult for you?"

Li Hanzhou glanced at him: "It's good that you can earn money on your own. The gang won't block our path to wealth. As for trouble..." He paused, "I'll handle it."

These words reassured Fang Che somewhat.

He started planning how to spend the 60,000 yuan a month.

Improving meals, buying school supplies, renting classrooms, hiring teachers... can still save some money.

“However,” Li Hanzhou changed the subject, “Zhou Wenxuan sent a message through the Education Bureau, and Lu Che reappeared at the Paramount. The police have sped up their operations.”

Fang Che calmed down: "What exactly do they want?"

“Jiang Tianqi has recently gotten in touch with a large drug supply chain in Thailand,” Li Hanzhou said in a low voice. “Zhou Wenxuan is under a lot of pressure and wants to cut off this supply as soon as possible. Ma Wang is the key to money laundering in the middle. They want to use us to bring down Ma Wang, obtain evidence, and at the same time, strike at Jiang Tianqi.”

"Then we..."

“We’ll play along, but we need to maintain control.” Li Hanzhou’s eyes were cold. “Ma Wang must be eliminated, but how and when to eliminate him is up to us. We want a share of Jiang Tianqi’s territory. As for the police… cooperation is fine, but they can’t be used as pawns.”

Fang Che nodded.

This is the Li Ge he knows, always planning and strategizing.

"Then what I'll do next..."

"Get well soon and get 'Chefeng Express' and the academy running smoothly. You can take on the consultant role at Paramount; that's your backup plan." Li Hanzhou looked at him. "As for the rest, Agui and I will handle it."

Fang Che felt a warmth in his heart.

Brother Li protected him in a relatively safe place.

"Thank you, Brother Li," he said softly.

Li Hanzhou didn't respond and closed his eyes again.

The car drove back to Portland Street.

As soon as they stopped at the entrance of the stronghold, Xi Rong rushed out in a panic, her face pale, clutching the black call watch tightly in her hand.

"Brother Che! Boss Li! Something terrible has happened!" Her voice trembled. "Aming...Aming and the others are in trouble! The signal suddenly went completely down! The last location transmitted was...in the junkyard at the intersection of the two streets under Ma Wang's jurisdiction!"

Fang Che's expression changed, and Li Hanzhou suddenly opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them.

Ah Gui had already felt the thing on his lower back.

"Let's go!" Li Hanzhou pushed open the car door.

Fang Che clutched his aching left shoulder and gritted his teeth to keep up.

The calculations about a monthly salary of 60,000 yuan vanished instantly, replaced by a sense of crisis.

Children...King Horse...he still took action directly.