Chapter 48 Fang Che decides to open a barbecue restaurant
Zhou Wenxuan was dressed in a sharp suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and carrying a fruit basket.
He greeted me with a smile as soon as he entered: "Mr. Fang, are you feeling better?"
"Much better, Mr. Zhou, please have a seat." Fang Che gestured for Wang Tiezhu and Xi Rong to take the children out first.
There were only two people left in the ward.
Zhou Wenxuan put down the fruit basket, sat down, and got straight to the point: "Mr. Fang, I'll keep it short. The Education Department strongly supports your decision to set up a school on Portland Street. We can provide teaching materials, teacher training, and even help with the registration of a formal charitable organization."
Fang Che remained calm: "What are the conditions?"
Zhou Wenxuan smiled: "Mr. Fang is a smart man. The conditions are simple: the school must be open and transparent, and accept regular inspections. In addition... we hope that the school can become a 'model' on Portland Street and be promoted to other neighborhoods."
"Demonstration site?"
“Yes.” Zhou Wenxuan pushed up his glasses. “Hong Kong now has many old districts like Portland Street, with poor public security and many homeless children. If your model is successful, the government is willing to fund its promotion. This is a good thing for you, for the children, and for the community.”
That sounds wonderful.
But Fang Che knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch.
“Mr. Zhou,” he began slowly, “I agree with everything you said. But I have a question.”
"Speaking."
"Are you representing the Education Department, or... another department?"
The air was still for a few seconds.
Zhou Wenxuan's smile faded slightly, but quickly returned: "What does Mr. Fang mean by this?"
“What I mean is,” Fang Che looked him straight in the eye, “if it’s just about running a school, I welcome the Education Department’s support. But if there are other purposes… for example, to monitor Portland Street through the school, or to get something from me… then we need to make things clear.”
Zhou Wenxuan fell silent.
He took off his glasses, slowly wiped the lenses, and when he put them back on, his eyes had changed...
It has lost some of its smoothness and gained more sharpness.
“Fang Che,” he changed his form of address, “you are more perceptive than I thought.”
"I just don't want to be used as a pawn," Fang Che said frankly.
Zhou Wenxuan looked at him for a while and smiled: "Okay, then I'll get straight to the point. I'm an advisor to the Education Department, and I also assist the police with some community safety work."
He leaned forward and lowered his voice: "Portland Street has been quite turbulent lately. The Ma Wang affair is just the beginning. Jiang Tianqi won't let this go, and there are new drug trafficking routes coming in from Thailand. We need a stable community environment, and you, Fang Che, are the most suitable candidate right now."
"Because I have a good relationship with Brother Li?"
“Because you have connections in the neighborhood,” Zhou Wenxuan corrected. “You’ve saved children, cleaned up the streets, and even plan to start a school. The neighbors trust you. If you’re willing to cooperate, we can turn Portland Street into a pilot ‘Safe Community,’ investing resources to improve the environment and give children a real way out.”
He paused for a moment, then said, "As for Li Hanzhou... as long as his business is legal, he doesn't deal with drugs, and he doesn't harm society, the police won't make things difficult for him. In fact, we can cooperate."
Fang Che was tempted.
If that were to happen, the children of Portland Street would have a future.
The neighbors can also live a good life.
but……
"I need to think about it," Fang Che said. "I have to ask Brother Li about this."
"Of course." Zhou Wenxuan stood up and handed over his business card...
This time, the job title printed on it is: Special Advisor to the Education Department. "Contact me anytime once you've made up your mind. Also..."
He walked to the door, then turned back: "Be careful of Lu Che. His background is not simple."
Fang Che's heart skipped a beat: "You know him?"
"I guess so." Zhou Wenxuan smiled, but the smile was cold. "Anyway, stay away from him. It'll be good for you."
After saying that, he pushed open the door and left.
Fang Che leaned against the headboard, looking at the business card, his mind in turmoil.
How much truth is in Zhou Wenxuan's words?
Does the police genuinely want to cooperate, or do they want to use him to infiltrate the Heyi Hall?
Who exactly is Lu Che?
Why did even Zhou Wenxuan warn him?
And what about Brother Li... Will he agree to cooperate with the police?
Just then, the ward door was pushed open again.
The person who came in this time was someone Fang Che never expected.
Jiang Tianqi.
He was wearing a white casual suit, holding a large bouquet of lilies, and smiling.
"Fang Che," he walked straight to the bedside and put the flowers in the vase, "I heard you were injured, so I came to see you. How are you? Are you alright?"
Fang Che tensed up: "What brings you here, Young Master Jiang?"
"Don't be nervous." Jiang Tianqi sat down on the edge of the bed and crossed his legs. "I just came to offer my condolences. After all... I also regret what happened with Ma Wang. My subordinates were ignorant and caused you trouble."
He spoke of it so casually, as if King Charles had simply gotten into trouble by accident.
Fang Che sneered: "Young Master Jiang's men are indeed 'unruly,' even grabbing children."
"So I dealt with them." Jiang Tianqi shrugged. "Three henchmen, fed to the fish this morning. Pretty sincere, right?"
Fang Che felt a chill run down his spine.
He spoke of three lives as if they were nothing more than trash.
"What exactly is Young Master Jiang trying to say?"
Jiang Tianqi leaned forward, staring into Fang Che's eyes: "I want to say... Fang Che, you've followed the wrong person."
He lowered his voice: "What can Li Hanzhou give you? A run-down gang, a few poor streets? Follow me, and you'll have money and power. The two percentage points from the Paramount? I'll give you five. A school? I'll donate a million. How about it?"
Fang Che looked at him and suddenly smiled.
“Young Master Jiang,” he said, “do you know why I’m with Brother Li?”
"Why?"
“Because he treats me like a human being,” Fang Che said, enunciating each word clearly. “But you treat everyone like a dog.”
Jiang Tianqi's face darkened.
But he quickly regained his smile, even widening it further: "Interesting. Fang Che, you're getting more and more interesting."
He stood up and straightened his suit: "But you need to know that in Hong Kong, backbone alone is useless. Money, power, and influence! These are the real things. Li Hanzhou can't protect you forever."
He walked to the door, turned back, and said with a cold smile, "Come find me anytime you change your mind. But... don't keep me waiting too long. My patience is limited."
The door closed.
Fang Che leaned against the headboard, his back covered in cold sweat.
Jiang Tianqi's last sentence was a threat.
He took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.
Now is not the time to be afraid.
He needs to become stronger.
So strong that they can protect those around them, so strong that they don't need anyone's protection.
To become stronger, you need money, you need power, you need... your own career.
An idea gradually became clear in his mind.
A week later, Fang Che was discharged from the hospital.
The wound on my left shoulder is healing well; the stitches have been removed, leaving a scar.
Li Hanzhou is right, this scar really doesn't look good.
But he didn't care.
Back at the Portland Street base, Fang Che found that the backyard had changed.
Five red tricycles were cleaned and lined up neatly.
A blackboard appeared next to them, with "Chefeng Express's Tasks for Today" written on it.
The children, dressed in matching little red vests, were being divided into groups under Xi Rong's direction.
"Brother Che!" The children surrounded him when they saw him return.
Fang Che smiled and ruffled one's hair, then patted the other's shoulder.
Seeing that Amin's neck brace had been removed, he asked, "Are you alright?"
"It's alright, Che-ge!" Amin straightened his chest. "I can carry two bags of trash now!"
"Keep bragging!" the other children jeered.
Amidst laughter and chatter, Li Hanzhou emerged from the inner room.
He was wearing a black shirt today, with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms.
Upon seeing Fang Che, he nodded slightly: "You're back."
"Hmm." Fang Che walked over. "Brother Li, I have something I want to discuss with you."
The two went into the inner room.
Fang Che got straight to the point: "Brother Li, I want to open a shop."
Li Hanzhou raised an eyebrow: "What shop?"
"A barbecue restaurant." Fang Che's eyes lit up. "Northeastern barbecue. Tie Niu knows how to grill meat, I know how to season the ingredients, and Xi Rong can manage the accounts. Let's find a small shop on Portland Street and start with the night market."
Li Hanzhou looked at him: "Why do you suddenly want to open a shop?"
“I’ve thought about it,” Fang Che said seriously. “We can’t rely solely on the branch to make a living, nor can we always depend on Sister Thirteen’s share. We need our own business. Barbecue restaurants have low costs, quick returns, and if we do well, we can open branches. Moreover…”
He paused for a moment, then said, "I want to give the children more options. When the kids from 'Chefeng Express' grow up and don't want to work in the underworld, they can come work in the shop, learn a trade, save money, and live an honest life."
Li Hanzhou remained silent for a moment.
How much do you need?
"The start-up capital is about 50,000 yuan," Fang Che said. "I haven't touched the profit-sharing check that Sister Thirteen gave me yet, so it'll come in handy. I want to find a shop myself, so I don't need to pay the shop owner's fees."
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