Lou Xiao'e stretched out her arms and blocked his way: "Don't go! Chen Kang, I'll invest in you and we'll open a big restaurant!"
The fat man asked her, "Where does all your money come from?"
Lou Xiao'e rushed up and hit me: "You still suspect that I've found another man over there? You heartless bastard! My mother advised me so much back then, saying that I was just a chef and wouldn't amount to much in the future, and that I should marry a rich man for the sake of the family business, but I didn't agree!"
"real?"
Lou Xiao'e unleashed a flurry of wild punches at him, gritting her teeth as she said, "Do you know that the legitimate businesses in Hong Kong have long been monopolized by those top tycoons? Our Lou family struggled to get started there, and just when our business was finally starting to pick up, they joined forces to suppress us. There are even triads threatening us, trying to seize our business..."
As Lou Xiao'e spoke, she seemed to recall the hardships and bitterness of the past ten years, and tears began to flow uncontrollably again.
The fat man couldn't bear to part with her and handed her a tissue, asking softly, "And then?"
"If it weren't for something that happened, you might never have seen me again."
The fat man's temper flared up instantly: "These bastards!"
I knew that the gangs over there were rampant and preyed on the people, but I never expected that even the Lou family almost fell victim to them.
Suppressing his anger for the moment, the fat man continued to ask Lou Xiao'e, "So how did you overcome the difficulties?"
At the same time, he made up his mind that if they really harmed the Lou family, he would go back with Lou Xiao'e. With his current abilities, taking care of a few people in secret would be a piece of cake.
Lou Xiao'e said, "Perhaps God took pity on our Lou family and couldn't bear to see us fall into such a state of ruin. My father happened to save a great lawyer."
"A top lawyer?"
"That's right, he's incredibly powerful. He almost got killed by the gang leader's men because he refused to let him off the hook in court over a case."
Lou Xiao'e recalled the harrowing events of those years: "My father hid him in a warehouse, afraid to see a doctor. My mother, who had studied Western medicine, treated his wounds. Later, he appeared in court in time and personally sent that gang leader to Stanley, instantly becoming a renowned lawyer. A year later, he even became a legislator. My father finally gained a foothold because of his connections..."
A top lawyer and a legislator, Lou Bancheng's luck is truly unbeatable, proving the old saying "Heaven never seals off all paths."
The fat man would smoke whenever he was thinking. Just as he took out his cigarette, Lou Xiao'e picked up a match from the table and lit it for him.
Just like 17 years ago, during the time she briefly stayed at the fat man's house.
The fat man asked her, "What kind of business did your family mainly do later?"
Lou Xiao'e was about to say, "You wouldn't understand even if I told you," but she managed to stop herself in time; she couldn't repeat the same mistake! Lou Xiao'e patiently explained to the fat man, "Do you know that Hong Kong is short of water?"
The fat man suddenly realized: "So your family is in the drinking water business."
Lou Xiao'e was completely stunned. If she hadn't known it was impossible, she would have suspected that the fat man had secretly hired a private investigator to investigate her!
"Do you know about drinking water?"
"Look at what you're saying, is it that special? It's just bottled water! Just make a phone call, and the delivery guy will bring you a bottle. You can just plug it into the water dispenser and drink it."
Lou Xiao'e's heart was pounding like a cat's claws; she wished she could crack open the fat man's head and see what else he didn't know.
Unlike the future, this era doesn't have such convenient channels for acquiring knowledge. There are some things you can't explain clearly to you, no matter how hard someone tries to explain them, unless you've seen them with your own eyes.
Take the Peace Hotel where Lou Xiao'e stayed, for example. In 1984, they didn't even have water dispensers or bottled water.
But the fat man knew it perfectly well, and could even explain how it worked in great detail!
Lou Xiao'e was increasingly alarmed. From the fat man's previous disdain for her mobile phone to his current casual remark about the business her family was in.
It's as if everything she knows now, the fat man also knows.
Lou Xiao'e's expression amused the fat man.
What's so technologically advanced about this thing? Before Fatty was reborn, almost every household used a reverse osmosis water purifier, and the bottled water business was almost going out of business...
North of Hong Kong, they have always relied on the East River for water supply. After Lou Xiao'e's family established themselves there, Lou Bancheng quickly spotted a business opportunity. Taking advantage of his connections, he swiftly acquired a water plant and imported an advanced production line from abroad. With his forward-thinking vision, he rapidly seized the market.
Well, their brand name sounds really special. How should I put it? Lou Xiao'e's brand is called Huanong...
Fatty knew that Lou Bancheng was reluctant to leave his hometown and still loved the land that gave him birth, but to those who didn't know, the sign had a strong rural feel to it.
Lou Xiao'e retorted indignantly, "What's so rustic about it? If you're so capable, come up with something like that!"
The fat man chuckled: "You should call Aunt Tan right away and tell her to rush to register the Robust trademark, or it will be too late."
Lou Xiao'e looked completely bewildered: "Lebashi?"
※※※※※※
At noon, Yu Li saw Fatty return with Chen Yan and became even more puzzled: "What exactly happened?"
Chen Yan helped the fat man cover up his mistake by saying, "We went there this morning, but riding a bicycle is too inconvenient. My younger brother wants to buy a car, so it will be more convenient for loading goods and moving things later."
Yu Li's attention was successfully drawn to the car, and she frowned in thought: "Buy a car, what kind of car?"
Chen Yan gestured with her hand: "The kind that looks chubby, like a loaf of bread, is called a van."
"A minivan? How much does one cost?"
"..."
The fat man returned to the kitchen, picked up the tea mug, and gulped down half a cup of tea.
My legs are about to break from pedaling my bike all morning!
After the busy lunch break, Fatty was just about to go home for a nap when Grandpa Lu came to the restaurant again.
After listening to the fat man's report on the recent business situation of the Shandong cuisine restaurant, he nodded in satisfaction: "You've thought things through very thoroughly and remained calm. You've done a very good job. To be honest, when I was your age, I couldn't have done this well."
With the month-long deadline fast approaching and Old Master Lu about to leave, the fat man grew increasingly reluctant to part with him: "Master, why don't you stay in the capital?"
Grandpa Lu smiled and pointed at him: "You little rascal, you still want to keep me here to keep watch?"
The fat man said with a fawning smile, "How could that be? I just wanted to take good care of you."
Grandpa Lu sighed, "People are less valuable away from home. I've already adapted to life in Jinan. Besides, there's a lot going on over there too, just like you can't give up this place."
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