At the Tianhai Hotel, a number of people had already gathered in the banquet hall on the fifth floor, and the topic of discussion was nothing more than the recent events in the logistics industry.
Today's gathering was attended by members of the Chamber of Commerce. There weren't many people, but everyone knew each other. After a while, Hao Zhihai walked in wearing a Tang suit, with a string of small Buddhist beads around his neck and another string of beads in his hand. Hao Zhipeng followed behind him.
"Hello everyone, it's been a long time." Hao Zhihai greeted everyone with a smile, repeatedly cupping his hands in greeting. His attire did not reveal any kindness; instead, it exuded a江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) vibe.
"Mr. Hao is here! You've been making waves lately!"
"Lu Feng got the short end of the stick after you suffered a setback. He probably doesn't know your status in the logistics industry."
"Mr. Hao, you've really given us local businessmen a boost. For the past two years, I've felt nauseous just seeing the four characters 'Jiafeng Electronics.' This is so satisfying, it really feels great."
Hahahaha!
Everyone burst into laughter, and the atmosphere became incredibly pleasant.
At 6:30 p.m., Wang Chendong, now with money in hand, suddenly felt more confident. He learned that Brother Ba mainly operated around the Dafuweng Casino area, so he led his men to flag down a car and head straight for Dafuweng.
There aren't many nightclubs these days; you could count them on one hand. Dance halls are the most common, but they mainly cater to families separated by marriage. Karaoke venues have higher investment costs, so they're even fewer in number.
The first floor of Monopoly is a mess of arcade games, while the second floor has live performances. These performances are more open, and there's nothing they can't do. I've seen those rural funeral performances from the 1990s, with temporary stages set up from vehicles, or tents with people sitting outside shouting through megaphones: "Five yuan, five yuan! Tickets are five yuan! Five yuan to see the show! It's thrilling and exciting, but kids shouldn't go in!"
Most of the performances on the stage here are of this kind. Ba Ge sat in the front row eating a fruit platter and cheering along with the crowd, with Hao Zhiping next to him.
The performance on stage had already provoked his mother to look for his mother and even his maternal grandparents' house, but Hao Zhiping had no interest in watching. These three brothers were not blood brothers; only Hao Zhihai and Hao Zhipeng were.
Hao Zhiping is rude and foul-mouthed. He is also quite careless. He is a cousin of the two. Hao Zhihai owns 49% of Tianchang Logistics, which is under Hao Zhiping's name. Moreover, he is never included in any chamber of commerce activities or meetings with leaders.
These things have bothered Hao Zhiping for a long time. He also longs to stand on a more glamorous stage in a suit and tie, instead of watching these vulgar performances.
"Mr. Hao, want to play for a bit?" Brother Ba turned around and raised an eyebrow.
"Playing with balls!" Hao Zhiping said with a grim face, "Is this all you've got? Can't you have any ambition? What's the use of watching this stuff? Does it make those scholars respect you?"
After being scolded, Ba Ge thought to himself, "With your level of skill, you still want to be associated with Mo Dianzi?"
"Mr. Hao, I'm tired of it too. Deep down, I'm just as pure as you, a person with aspirations, and I yearn for literature. But I have to guide my men; they like watching this." As Ba Ge spoke, he glanced at the stage, instantly becoming excited, and shouted, "Take it off! Take it off for me! I have plenty of money!!"
Seeing him like this, Ba Ge sighed inwardly, feeling like a plum blossom falling into the mud while a lotus emerges from the silt.
Wang Chendong led more than twenty people in after buying tickets. There were VIP seats in front and small stools behind. Moreover, everyone in the back stood up and made noises.
"Brother Dong, that's Brother Ba." One of the henchmen pointed at Brother Ba and said.
Wang Chendong nodded slightly, strode forward, and stood in front of Brother Ba.
Ba Ge was engrossed in watching when someone blocked his way, instantly turning him into a jerk. Without a word, he kicked the person in the foot and yelled, "Are you blind? Blocking your dad's way?"
Wang Chendong stepped aside and asked him, "Your name is Ba Ge?"
Only then did Brother Ba notice the group of people behind him. He immediately realized something was wrong, stood up, and said, "What's the meaning of this? Trying to get ahead?"
"Whether you step forward or not is another matter. I'm telling you now, my name is Wang Chendong. If you know what's good for you, get out of Suzhou tomorrow, understand?" Wang Chendong shouted.
Should I get myself out of this city?
Brother Ba had never seen such an arrogant young man before. He had been in the underworld for so many years and this was the first time he had ever seen anything like it. Brother Ba's underlings had already started to come over when they saw that things were not going well.
"If you don't want to die, get the hell out of here. You've ruined my fun, don't blame me for crippling you." As he spoke, Brother Ba raised his hand and pinched Wang Chendong's face, saying, "Don't you even know who I am?"
"I don't fucking care who you are, let's do it!" Wang Chendong shouted, raising his hand and throwing a punch. More than twenty people rushed forward, and Ba Ge was instantly overwhelmed by the crowd.
The performance on stage was interrupted, and the scene was in chaos. Hao Zhiping reached out and grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, preparing to leave.
"Are you fucking hanging out with Brother Ba?" a young man of about eighteen or nineteen asked Hao Zhiping.
"Hmph, what does it have to do with me?" Hao Zhiping said, then walked away while cracking sunflower seeds.
Ba Ge was Hao Zhihai and Hao Zhipeng's lackey, not one of their own, so Hao Zhiping didn't care and walked straight out. He couldn't attend the business gathering, and the more he thought about it, the more frustrated he felt.
He felt increasingly angry that he did the most work but received the least pay, and that he was always inferior to his relatives during holidays. So Hao Zhiping turned his car around and sped towards the home of one of Hao Zhipeng's so-called "adopted sisters".
Ba Ge didn't bring many people with him, and Wang Chendong came prepared, so the situation was completely one-sided.
..............
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