Not enough staff?

This is a problem. Although there are many employees involved in my family’s business, people who can really do this kind of thing are scarce until they are needed.

If old Carl were to transfer people back from America, the target would be too big and the risk would be too great.

The only people from other places who are suitable for doing this kind of work and are trustworthy are those from India. If we want to transfer people from there back, we have to add a group of trustworthy people over there and replace them.

But there is no need to tell old Carl about the trouble here.

"Okay, I get it. I'll make arrangements for the staffing issue in a few days. What about the TV station? How's it going?"

"As for the shares, there is no problem. The TV station will hold a shareholders' meeting at the beginning of next month, and they will further discuss the sale of the TV station at that time."

"Okay, I'll go there myself then."

It is only a few days away from the beginning of next month. Alan thought about what kind of expressions those old benches would have when they saw him appear in the meeting room at the shareholders' meeting of Welsh TV.

Shocked? Surprised? Panic?

At the shareholders' meeting, a shareholder was suddenly replaced, and it was an unexpected person. Are you surprised or shocked?

…

The weather in Cardiff in early August was relatively normal. The temperature of over 20 degrees in the morning was not too hot. Alan deliberately changed to a few very low-key cars and did not set up any fleet. This time when he came to Cardiff, the main theme was to be low-key.

Although he often passed by here, Alan seldom observed the situation in Cardiff, and he didn't care about how it developed.

Most of the reasons are because we're used to it. This place is not like some places where the appearance changes after just a few days. It develops rapidly.

In a place like Cardiff, even if you don't come back for a few years, most places will still be the same. Nothing will change. Everything is fixed, just like the indestructible map in a game, rigid and boring.

But today was different. Alan was not in a hurry to go to the meeting. Along the way, he observed the shops on the roadside. It was a little after nine o'clock in Cardiff, and it was the time when people just got up and prepared to go to work, which was the legendary busy period.

Many restaurants and supermarkets are open, and there are obviously more people on the streets than at normal times.

Alan stopped the car in front of a small store with very friendly words on the sign.

"Go check out this store and bring me the menu."

"Okay, Master."

Xiao Shitou parked the car and went downstairs to do it himself.

…

"Um……"

In just a few minutes, Xiao Shitou brought back a plastic-wrapped menu with pictures in both Chinese and English.

《Menxia Specialty Breakfast》

《Sha Cha Noodles: 5 pounds》

《Oyster Omelette: Small £4, Large £6》

…

This price is slightly higher than other breakfasts in Wales, but because it is labeled "exotic", it doesn't seem expensive.

But it was quite rare for Alan to see this in Cardiff.

"Master, the owner of this shop is from Menxia. He has only been here for a few months and only does breakfast and supper. He said that there are other people opening similar shops in Swansea and our county, and the competition is a bit too much, so he decided to find another way and open a shop in Cardiff."

"oh……"

At this point, Alan remembered that when he had sent people to invest in China before, the first place they went to in the south was Menxia City. Later, after Carmarthenshire implemented a single management area, he sent people to seek out several friendly cities to deepen relations.

Menxia City is also included.

People in China's coastal cities are actually very enterprising. As long as there are ways, they dare to come out. For some overseas Chinese, no matter what the reason, many of their ancestral homes are in coastal areas.

Perhaps Alan had not been to Llanelli and Swansea often and rarely paid attention to them. If he had not arrived early when he came to Cardiff for a meeting this time, he would not have noticed this shop.

Now I finally see a familiar restaurant in a foreign country, and it feels very familiar.

"Go pack up a portion of everything they have and bring it to the conference room to eat later."

Handing the menu back to Xiao Shitou, Alan gave some instructions.

"Hey wait, how many shareholders are coming to the meeting today?"

Just as Xiao Shitou was about to get off the car, Alan called him again.

"About fifteen people?"

"Then pack twenty! Pack one for each of them."

"OK!"

…

Welsh Television was originally a radio channel. It was transformed into a television station after the economic reconstruction after the war.

But the TV station was not doing well at the time and was later sold.

This is a TV station that has passed through several hands.

Due to differences in business philosophy, the Welsh TV station has always had poor profitability. In the past, it would receive some subsidies and could barely operate.

Later, as the shareholders grew older, the business philosophy changed again.

When some shareholders were young, they were full of enthusiasm and wanted to use television to "save the country in a roundabout way". They hoped to promote Wales and do something like reviving Wales and chasing the glory of the Celtics.

Later, when I got older, I realized how ridiculous their thoughts were back then.

Most people nowadays don’t even speak Welsh, so who cares whether you revive Wales or not?

The economy is so bad, what’s the point of talking about culture?

The programs broadcast by the TV station are not new and have some political overtones.

There are really not many people who watch this kind of program. Later, even advertisers gave up on it, and only some fodder ads were left, which were inserted during some idle time.

…

The entire Welsh Television office building is full of historical atmosphere.

Their headquarters is not an old building, but a replica of a retro building, which is a branch of Victorian architecture - red brick building.

The characteristics of this type of building are mostly literal. The exterior of the building is red, that is, a red brick building, but most of these buildings are teaching buildings in universities.

The office building they built later had a sense of expressing emotions through objects, but Allen just couldn't appreciate it.

As for Cardiff, the overall population is not large, the land is large, and the Welsh Television is not in the city center, so their office building is quite large. To people who don't know much about it, it may look quite intimidating at first glance.

…

"If I don't find a buyer to take over or introduce new shareholders, the value of my shares will continue to shrink. The economic situation is so bad now, and dividends have been suspended for several years. I firmly agree to sell the TV station!"

"I agree. If you still want to keep your shares, I will find someone to trade with privately."

"Comes! What were your ideals in the past? When you acquired the TV station, you were the first to support the idea of ​​the TV station, right? Now that the TV station is not making money, you are the one running away the fastest?"

"It's a different time now. Who can resist money? I'm old now and I need money for my retirement."

"You're so short of money for retirement? You and..."

"Okay Ross, you're against selling the TV station, isn't it because your shares are selling for a low price now? It's a little lower than when you bought the shares, but if you sell it earlier, you'll lose less."

"I don't even see any hope now."

"Bullshit, do I care about the money? I care about the future of the TV station. If the TV station is sold, will there be another TV station that will broadcast Welsh programs in the future?"

"You don't understand English?"

"You are just arguing!"

In the spacious conference room, around the long conference table, a dozen old men in suits and ties, looking like decent people, were arguing fiercely.

"Why hasn't Leipzig arrived yet? He has the most shares. What does he say?"

Someone tried to be a peacemaker and, seeing that the quarrel was about to break out again, changed the subject by bringing up Leipzig, who had not yet arrived.

"Hehe... Leipzig must have gone to ask his backer for advice again, so mysterious."

"Don't talk nonsense, that old fellow from Leipzig..."

"bump!"

A few old men were mocking each other when the door of the conference room suddenly banged open as if it had been kicked open. A group of big men in black clothes filed in and quickly occupied both sides of the door.

This posture made everyone in the meeting room who were just arguing fall silent, and they looked at these uninvited guests with vigilance.

“Tap, tap, tap…”

In the silent atmosphere, there was a sound of leather shoes tapping on the ground coming from far away. The footsteps were unusually steady, approaching the meeting room neither hurriedly nor slowly, and then - the owner of the sound appeared at the door of the meeting room.

He was wearing a slim-fit light grey casual suit, brown leather shoes, and a soft-top hat. I couldn't see his face clearly, but I felt that he was very tall and should be young.

…

"Good morning, gentlemen. Have you had breakfast? I'll treat you to breakfast."

Allen took aim at the main seat at the long conference table, walked over to the old man sitting at the main table and said with a smile, "Are you going to give me a seat?"

The old man looked at the person approaching, especially after he saw the person's appearance clearly, he was completely stunned.

Alan smiled and pulled the old man's shoulders, gently lifted him up and pushed the unresisting old man to the side. He sat down in the main seat and then stretched out his hand to signal Xiao Shitou to serve breakfast.

A breakfast was placed in front of each shareholder in a paper take-out box. The satay noodles came in a take-out box like the one in an instant noodle bucket, and the oyster omelette came in a flat paper box, with plastic cutlery provided next to it.

In front of Alan were the disposable chopsticks that Xiao Shitou had specifically requested.

…

"You guys continue talking. I came out early and haven't had breakfast yet. We can talk while we eat."

Alan took off his hat and put it aside. Now all the shareholders in the room could see his appearance clearly. The already silent meeting room became even quieter and no one dared to breathe.

The sounds of plastic bags being squeezed, packaging boxes being unpacked, and disposable chopsticks being broken apart all came from Alan and could be heard throughout the conference room.

This was the first time that Alan had eaten shacha noodles. Regardless of how it tasted, the appearance was very similar to the spicy hot pot he used to like, the kind with sesame sauce from Northeast China.

It's sticky and looks delicious. According to Xiao Shitou's introduction, the boss said that this is their family's ancestral shacha sauce recipe, which is absolutely authentic.

Before eating the noodles, I picked up a piece of fried oyster.

This thing... different regions have different names for it. Compared to oysters, Alan prefers to call it raw oysters. They are almost the same, just a thick pancake made with a lot of oysters and some other ingredients.

When you are away from home, Cardiff is also a coastal city, and the ingredients used are quite generous. Basically, there is a whole oyster in each piece of oyster omelette. How do you describe the taste? It is really crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Alan picked up another piece, dipped it in the shacha sauce on the shacha noodles and ate it. This time it tasted better, and it went well with the noodles!

"Why don't you eat? Have you already had breakfast?"

After taking another bite of the shacha noodles, Alan raised his head and looked at the group of old men who were in complete silence, all watching him eat noodles. The atmosphere was not very lively.

…

Silence, still silence. A group of old men just looked at him, some were confused, some were puzzled, some looked like they saw ghosts, but none of them said a word.

"Are you waiting for Leipzig? His shares have been transferred to me, and I am now a shareholder of Welsh Television. As a new shareholder, I am just inviting you to breakfast. Is there any problem?"

"Your Excellency..."

The old man who had just been pulled up from the main seat by Allen finally spoke, but he was interrupted by Allen after just a few words.

"Did I let you eat breakfast and talk?"

"ah?"

The old man was confused by Alan's question.

"Hmph...open the window."

Alan glanced at the confused old man and ordered the bodyguard to open the window of the conference room on the fourth floor. As the window opened, the hot air from outside rushed in.

"Throw him down."

"you?"

"Let me go, what are you going to do?"

"Help……"

"ah!"

The old man struggled weakly and was carried to the window by two bodyguards. With a muffled sound, the conference room became quiet again.

Several old men took out their handkerchiefs and seemed to be wiping their sweat.

Alan sat in the main seat and continued to say with a smile: "Go on, have breakfast!"

His words were much more useful this time. A group of old men began to untie plastic bags tremblingly and prepared to eat breakfast.

…

Sparse voices filled the entire conference room.

Alan suddenly turned his head and frowned at an old man. Those who had been paying attention to his movements with their peripheral vision stopped what they were doing when they saw him turn his head.

"I hate people who smack their lips when they eat. You can't even eat breakfast, so what do I need you for? Throw it away!"

"ah?"

The old man that Allen was talking about still had shacha sauce on the corner of his mouth. He was instantly terrified when he heard Allen's words. Just as he was about to stand up, the two bodyguards behind him suddenly held his shoulders and carried him to the window. They didn't even give him time to call for help and decisively threw him out.

“Plop…”

There was a muffled sound outside the window, and the entire conference room fell silent again.

"Continue with breakfast."

Alan continued to eat his breakfast with a smile on his face. He took the lead and picked up a piece of fried oyster with chopsticks and put it into his mouth.

A group of shareholders looked at Allen, not knowing whether to eat or not, and were so nervous that they didn't know what to do.

One old man's face had already started to turn pale, and it looked like he had a heart attack and was about to have a seizure.

"Why? My breakfast is not tasty?"

"No...no...Sir, I..."

The old man tried to explain breathlessly, but with one hand covering his chest, he felt short of breath and the more he spoke, the more uncomfortable he felt.

"Since it's so uncomfortable, help him and throw it down."

Alan looked at the old man with his hands covering his chest and a pale face with a smile.