Chapter 140 The Ugly Display of Greed at the Feast at Hongmen
The following evening, at Tangdixuan. In the innermost room on the top floor, the Peony Pavilion, a window faces the most bustling street scene in the capital, where neon lights are just coming on, creating a dazzling spectacle.
Inside the private room, there was a large round mahogany table that could seat twenty people, and the dishes laid out on the table were quite substantial.
The rich aromas of steamed grouper, braised sea cucumber in abalone sauce, and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall filled the air in the room.
This meal is equivalent to several years' income for an average working-class family.
The door to the private room was pushed open, and Qian Guangming walked in, his beer belly protruding and his face flushed.
Behind him followed a slightly overweight middle-aged man with slicked-back hair, who was none other than Feng Jianguo, the deputy director of the Health Bureau.
As soon as Feng Jianguo entered the room, his gaze swept around the room and he saw Bai Shu sitting in the main seat, his eyes full of contempt.
"Oh, Chairman Bai, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting!" Qian Guangming's deadpan expression in the office vanished, replaced by a smile as bright as a blooming chrysanthemum.
"Something came up on the way and I was delayed. Let me introduce you. This is Director Feng from the Health Bureau, my former boss and also my brother-in-law!"
He emphasized the words "brother-in-law" as if afraid others wouldn't know about this relationship.
Feng Jianguo walked to the seat next to the head of the table and sat down with an air of importance.
Bai Zhu stood up, a perfectly timed, slightly awkward smile on his face.
"Director Feng, Section Chief Qian, please have a seat." She personally picked up the Moutai on the table and filled the glasses in front of the two men, adopting a very humble posture.
"It is my honor that you two leaders have graced us with your presence. This meal today is a special occasion to apologize to you both."
Feng Jianguo picked up his wine glass, smelled it, and then nodded in satisfaction: "Hmm, Chairman Bai is very thoughtful."
Qian Guangming couldn't wait any longer. He picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a large piece of Dongpo pork, and stuffed it into his mouth. His mouth was full of oil as he ate, and he mumbled indistinctly:
"Mr. Bai, you're too kind! We're all serving the people! Your problems are our problems!"
The meal was fraught with undercurrents.
Feng Jianguo and Qian Guangming devoured the food like starving ghosts, their eating manners extremely unsightly.
Feng Jianguo maintained a certain air of composure, while Qian Guangming completely let loose, stirring his chopsticks in the dish and making loud smacking noises throughout the private room.
Bai Shu smiled throughout, constantly refilling their wine and serving them food. Her demeanor was exactly like that of a newly arrived businesswoman, eager to smooth things over and ready to be taken advantage of.
After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,
Feng Jianguo wiped his greasy mouth with a napkin, cleared his throat, and began to speak in a very official tone.
"Chairman Bai." He leaned back in his chair and patted his slightly protruding belly.
"Guangming has told me about your situation. It's not that we don't want to help you, it's just that your case is too special."
He spoke in a serious, elder-like tone: "You're a Hong Kong businessman, coming to Beijing all alone. It's not easy. Beijing is a very complex place. Without a powerful backer, your business won't take off, and it won't grow big."
Qian Guangming immediately chimed in, letting out a burp that reeked of alcohol:
"Exactly! Brother-in-law is right! Mr. Bai, you don't know how many departments your business license involves? Industry and Commerce Bureau, Tax Bureau, Fire Department, Safety Bureau... which department don't you have to bribe?"
Bai Zhu's face showed a look of "sudden realization," and he quickly stood up and picked up his wine glass.
"Yes, yes, Director Feng and Section Chief Qian are right. It was my oversight, and I didn't know the rules."
She downed the wine in her glass in one gulp, without touching her chopsticks, a blush rising on her fair cheeks.
"As long as the two leaders can help me resolve the license issue, I will definitely not let them work in vain."
Seeing her "getting the hang of it," Feng Jianguo and Qian Guangming exchanged a glance, both seeing undisguised greed in each other's eyes.
The fish has taken the bait.
"Hey, Mr. Bai, what are you saying?" Feng Jianguo waved his hand, his smile becoming meaningful.
"We're helping you not because we expect anything in return. We just see that it's not easy for a woman like you to build a career, and we want to give you a helping hand."
He then changed the subject, saying, "However, what Guangming said isn't wrong either. It's true that you need to manage those relationships at all levels. And the expenses..."
Bai Shu immediately understood, turned around and took out a rectangular gift box carefully wrapped in red silk from the black briefcase he was carrying.
The gift box is small, but it is quite heavy.
"Director Feng, Section Chief Qian." Bai Shu placed the gift box on the turntable on the table and gently pushed it in front of the two of them.
"This is just a small token of my appreciation. It's nothing special. The contents here should be enough to smooth things over with various people."
Qian Guangming's eyes widened instantly.
He stared intently at the gift box, his Adam's apple bobbing, his breathing becoming rapid. This size, this weight—what else could it be but a large yellow croaker?
Feng Jianguo's breathing became heavier, but he was, after all, "worldly-wise," and forcibly suppressed the urge to open it immediately, coughing lightly.
"Chairman Bai, you're too kind." He said politely, but his eyes never left the gift box for a second.
"Actually, money isn't important."
He said slowly, "What we value more is your attitude and your determination to contribute to the country."
Qian Guangming realized he shouldn't appear too eager. He picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and feigned agreement:
"Yes, brother-in-law is right. Money is worthless; you can always earn more. The main thing is that we have a responsibility to you and to the country!"
Bai Shu's smile grew even more humble: "Yes, yes, I understand. Does Director Feng have any further instructions?"
Feng Jianguo finally revealed his true intentions.
He leaned forward slightly, his small eyes gleaming with greed, and said in a low voice:
“Chairman Bai, relying solely on gifts won’t get you far. You can give gifts today, but they can still hold you back tomorrow. If you want a permanent solution, you need to make us your true ‘backers’.”
He held up three thick fingers.
"How about this, we won't make things difficult for you. We'll give you 30% of the shares in your 'Haitang Technology' company."
Thirty percent!
Even though Bai Shu had anticipated this, he was still taken aback by the sheer audacity of this outrageous demand.
This isn't just extortion, it's outright robbery!
Fearing that Bai Shu would disagree, Qian Guangming quickly chimed in, making this shameless extortion sound respectable.
"Chairman Bai, don't complain! Think about it, with our brother-in-law as your backer, you'll be able to walk sideways in Beijing! Who would dare to hold you back? Who would dare to trip you up?"
"Besides, you're a Hong Kong businessman, how can the higher-ups feel at ease undertaking such an important scientific research project? If we get involved, the nature of the project changes! This is to protect national industries from being exploited by foreign capital! We're helping you, protecting you!"
Feng Jianguo nodded in satisfaction and added, "Don't worry, we only want shares; we won't participate in any operations. We'll take care of all the approvals and troubles for the company! You can just focus on your research and make your big money!"
The two of them sang in unison, as if they had bestowed upon Bai Shu an immense favor.
They stared intently at Bai Shu, waiting for her to gratefully agree.
The private room was eerily quiet.
The smile on Bai Shu's face had vanished without her noticing. She quietly looked at the two faces opposite her, twisted with greed, and slowly picked up the teacup on the table.
She didn't drink it; instead, she used the lid to skim off the non-existent foam over and over again.
The crisp, rhythmic clinking of porcelain struck a chord in the hearts of Feng Jianguo and Qian Guangming.
"What? Chairman Bai thinks... it's inappropriate?" Feng Jianguo's face darkened, and his tone carried a hint of threat.
Qian Guangming slammed his chopsticks on the table and shouted, his voice trembling with fear:
"Bai Zhu! Let me tell you, don't be ungrateful! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! If you don't agree, your lousy factory can just wait to be overgrown with weeds!"
Bai Zhu finally put down her teacup.
She raised her head, and in her beautiful peach blossom eyes, there was no longer a trace of timidity or unease, only a cold, indifferent gaze, as if looking at a dead person.
She smiled.
"No, I don't think it's inappropriate."
Her voice was soft, yet it carried clearly to every corner of the private room.
"I was just wondering if the two leaders' appetites are a bit too small?"
Feng Jianguo and Qian Guangming were both stunned.
What does this mean? Do they think they didn't ask for enough?
Before they could react, Bai Shu reached out her slender fingers and took the exquisite "gift box" from the table.
Amidst their astonished gazes, she slowly and methodically untied the ribbon and opened the box.
There were no bright yellow gold bars.
Inside the box lay a small, silver-gray imported tape recorder.
Bai Zhu gently pressed a red button on the side of the tape recorder with her fingertip.
A soft "beep" sounded.
The next second, Feng Jianguo's official-sounding voice echoed clearly in the private room.
"...Give us 30% of the shares of your 'Haitang Technology'..."
Immediately following was Qian Guangming's sharp yet obsequious voice.
"...With my brother-in-law as your backer, you'll be able to walk around Beijing with your head held high!"
"...This is to protect our national industries from being exploited by foreign capital! We're helping you, we're protecting you!"
The small tape recorder played back all the greedy and shameless conversations and the ugly extortionate statements verbatim.
The private room was deathly silent.
The color drained from Feng Jianguo and Qian Guangming's faces at a visible speed, turning them as pale as paper.
Their eyes widened as if they had seen a ghost, staring intently at the tape recorder that was still playing their incriminating evidence, their bodies trembling like leaves in the wind.
Bai Shu slowly stood up, looking down at the two people slumped in their chairs, a bloodthirsty smile curving his lips.
"Your Excellencies, did you enjoy this performance?"
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