At the entrance of the Lou family's house, Lou Jiande pestered Xu Damao to let him ride a sidecar tricycle. He had ridden one before, but the one from the auto repair shop had been slightly modified and looked much better, which made the young master quite eager to try it.

"Jiande, why are you still making a scene there? Let the guests in. Hello, I am Lou Hongsheng. Thank you for your help this time."

Just as Lou Jiande was rambling on, Lou Hongsheng appeared. This man is only in his fifties now, but he was known as Lou Bancheng more than a decade ago, demonstrating his considerable talent and ability at a young age. Besides the steel rolling mill, he also had interests in the food and textile industries, though currently he owns virtually nothing.

"Hello Chairman Lou, I am Xu Damao, the manager of the auto repair shop. Repairing cars is our job, there's no such thing as troublesome or not. We are grateful for Chairman Lou's trust in us," Xu Damao said.

Xu Damao introduced himself, but didn't mention that his family members had previously worked as servants for the Lou family. This was a sensitive topic, and mentioning it might not please them.

"Young man, you are very young. It seems that the steel rolling mill has a very good talent training mechanism. I am very pleased."

After chatting for a few minutes at the entrance, Xu Damao suggested looking at the car. The yard was large, and the car was parked in the back garage. Lou Jiande offered to take everyone there.

The technicians at the auto repair shop took a quick look and estimated that it wouldn't be able to be fixed in a short time; it would take at least one or two hours.

"Come on in, Director Xu, come to my place and have a chat and some tea. Leave things here to the chefs, I'll have someone bring the tea over." It was still early, Lou Hongsheng invited.

"Wouldn't it be inconvenient to disturb Chairman Lou?"

"My current position as Chairman Lou is just a figurehead. I spend my days reading at home and visiting friends; I don't have much else to do. I'm very happy to be able to communicate with you young people," Lou Hongsheng said.

When he said that, Xu Damao didn't refuse. He also wanted to know about Lou Bancheng's current living conditions.

A few years ago, Xu's mother worked here, but she was later laid off. The Lou family doesn't have any servants, and they have to take care of themselves completely. Xu's parents came here three years ago, but haven't come back in the past few years.

They entered the villa, where the interior decoration was not in a luxurious style, but rather Chinese style, which looked grand and wealthy. Xu Damao could tell that the tables and chairs were made of Hainan rosewood, and the vases and paintings on display were also of high quality.

"Xiao'e, come and help your father make a pot of tea for the guests," Lou Hongsheng called upstairs.

"They're here."

A moment later, a young woman came out; it was none other than Lou Xiao'e, Xu Damao's wife in the story.

Lou Xiao'e is not even 20 years old yet, truly the most beautiful age for a woman. She has a dignified appearance, delicate skin, a broad forehead, long, slender eyebrows, and an elegant figure; she is clearly a lady from a distinguished family.

"Da Mao, this is my daughter, Lou Xiao'e, she's a little younger than you. Xiao'e, this is Xu Da Mao, the manager of our Hongxing Auto Repair Shop." Lou Hongsheng introduced the two as his daughter approached.

Xu Damao stood up and greeted the woman with whom he had been entangled for half his life in the past, treating her as a complete stranger upon first meeting, without any special regard for her.

In Xu Damao's view, this girl, born into the Lou family, would at least have a worry-free life as long as she wasn't bothered by people like Xu Damao. If she were in mainland China, she could have survived these years without much trouble; if she left for Hong Kong, she would be even more suited to someone like the Lou family.

Therefore, Xu Damao's attitude is to avoid provoking her and let things develop as they are. If Lou Xiao'e really encounters difficulties during a special period, Xu Damao will help her to the best of his ability, as a way of atoning for his past actions in the story.

Lou Xiao'e greeted Xu Damao warmly but politely before starting to make tea, without joining the two men's conversation. Once the tea was ready, Lou Xiao'e went upstairs.

"Da Mao, there were too many people around, so I didn't ask. What's your relationship with Xu Fugui?" Lou Hongsheng asked.

It seems that Lou Hongsheng knows Xu Damao's background. Actually, that's normal. Xu Damao is a leader, at least in the steel rolling mill. As a director of the steel rolling mill, it's only natural for Lou Hongsheng to inquire about him.

“Chairman Lou, Xu Fugui is my father, and my mother used to work for your family. No, I should say, our whole family is with you, Chairman Lou,” Xu Damao said.

"Haha, I wouldn't say it's good for me, but we are indeed destined to be together. How are your parents doing now?" Lou Hongsheng asked.

The two chatted about some past events involving the Lou family, and Xu Damao listened attentively. It should be said that Lou Hongsheng was capable, patriotic, and treated his workers and servants quite well. Otherwise, Xu's mother wouldn't have continued working for them after Liberation.

After drinking tea for a while, Xu Damao suggested that he go and check on the progress of the repairs.

"Factory manager, this car is almost repaired, but several parts are severely worn, and our factory doesn't have the spare parts right now," the worker said.

"Can we get one from another repair shop?" Xu Damao asked.

"No, this car is imported, and the parts aren't made domestically; they have to be imported. But given the current situation..."

While the country isn't completely cut off from the outside world, there's not much contact. At least at the level of auto repair shops, it's impossible to import products.

“Do you know where we can find some? Maybe I can figure it out myself,” Lou Hongsheng said.

"Currently, the parts imported into China are all from Eastern Europe. Your car is from the United States, and the parts can only be purchased in Hong Kong."

"We can fix the car temporarily now, but if the parts aren't replaced, it will break down again in a short time," the worker said.

"Okay, let's fix it first, and I'll figure out the rest myself. Tell me what parts you need to buy later," Lou Hongsheng said.

Currently, Hong Kong Island serves as the main bridge between mainland China and the West, through which many urgently needed supplies are smuggled in. This route is generally incomprehensible to the average person, but Lou Hongsheng certainly has his own channels.

He hasn't left yet, but it's estimated that some of his businesses have already been transferred to Hong Kong Island, and he maintains close ties there. Later, when the strong winds rose, the entire Lou family still secretly left.

Since the Lou family has this channel, why don't they make use of it?

"Mr. Lou, is that channel safe?" Xu Damao pulled Lou Hongsheng aside and asked quietly.

"What's wrong, Da Mao?"

"That's right. Our factory is currently facing a shortage of many parts for vehicle repairs, especially for vehicles from Western countries. If Chairman Lou has any channels, we would like to order more."

"Of course, we will definitely report these channels to our superiors," Xu Damao said.

Currently, many goods imported into China rely on smuggling by Hong Kong's big capitalists, with the goods then being received in mainland China. If the Lou family has the necessary connections, Xu Damao could report this to his superiors to see if it can be approved.