Hearing the supplier's words, Sha Zhu was completely bewildered. He hadn't offended any underworld figures. He was simply running his restaurant honestly; when had he ever offended these people?
Seeing the supplier kneeling on the ground, Sha Zhu felt helpless and finally had no choice but to climb over the wall to leave.
Knowing that someone was deliberately targeting him, Sha Zhu secretly inquired about Master Yan. He soon found out what was going on. Sha Zhu never expected that Yan Jiecheng had become a powerful underworld figure with considerable influence. With his own status, he was no match for him.
Using underworld methods definitely won't solve this, and the underworld is directly opposed to the relevant government departments. This made Sha Zhu think of the high-ranking leader. Only the high-ranking leader could help him.
So Sha Zhu bought some ordinary gifts and carried them to the big boss's house. Sha Zhu understood the big boss's personality and hobbies very well; if he had bought some expensive gifts, he might not have even had the chance to get in the door.
But just as Sha Zhu entered the big leader's house, he spotted a familiar face. Sha Zhu never expected that he would run into Lou Xiao'e after more than ten years.
Lou Xiao'e never expected to find Sha Zhu at the home of such a high-ranking official.
"Silly Zhu, what are you doing here?"
"You're asking me the same question? Didn't I hear your family moved to Hong Kong? Why are you back now?"
"Seeing the excellent development situation in China, I thought about coming back to develop. No matter what, we are all Chinese, and fallen leaves always want to return to their roots."
“Our Lou family has always been in the steel and heavy machinery business. The steel rolling mill used to belong to our Lou family, so we continued doing the same thing there. Now we want to come back, so we’ve come to pay a visit to the big leader.”
"The high-ranking leader is now the vice minister in charge of heavy industry, so I wanted to pay him a visit. And why are you here to visit him? I didn't mention you had this connection before!"
“I met the big boss after you left. I came here hoping he could help me with some troubles. I’m not afraid to tell you, but I’m being targeted by people now. Yan Jiecheng has become a big boss in the underworld. He had people deliberately frame me, and my restaurant is almost going out of business.”
Lou Xiao'e hadn't expected Sha Zhu to have such an opportunity. Since someone like Sha Zhu could come to see the high-ranking leader, there must be some personal connection between them. She could also use Sha Zhu to get in touch with the high-ranking leader, so she became exceptionally enthusiastic towards Sha Zhu.
Back when they lived in the courtyard house, Lou Xiao'e and Yu Li had a good relationship. With that connection, the two started chatting.
As they chatted, Lou Xiao'e learned about the other residents of the courtyard. Lou Xiao'e was surprised to see how well Wei Hua's family had prospered; she had heard of everything from the Peninsula International Hotel to their instant noodles and beverages.
Lou Xiao'e was no longer the Lou Xiao'e of the courtyard house. After more than ten years of changes, Lou Xiao'e had grown into a successful businesswoman. Thinking of her past relationship with Yang Tao, Lou Xiao'e decided to visit Yang Tao and Wei Hua when she had time.
She knew she didn't have as many connections as they did when she first returned. Even before she left, Lou Xiao'e knew Wei Hua was no ordinary person and possessed considerable influence. Now, knowing Yang Tao had an uncle, Lou Xiao'e was even more intrigued.
Doing business is essentially about strong alliances and mutual exchange of resources. Lou Xiao'e had heard of Uncle Yang Tao's name before, but it seemed like an insurmountable obstacle to her.
If I could gain Yang Tao's friendship, I could have better opportunities for development, whether in Hong Kong or on the mainland. If I had known about their relationship earlier, I could have returned a year or two sooner.
Lou Xiao'e and Sha Zhu chatted for a while before arriving at the high-ranking official's house. The Lou family knew the official, but they weren't particularly close. This time, Lou Xiao'e was visiting her elder as a junior.
Upon arriving at the high-ranking leader's house, the two men first paid their respects to him and then explained their respective situations. What he had done was not a big deal to the high-ranking leader, who simply made a phone call to the branch bureau chief and then paid no further attention to the matter, instead chatting with Lou Xiao'e.
Despite the high rank of the leaders, we hope that more patriotic businessmen will return to invest in the country. The country's strength is still weak. If we want to become a superpower, we can never do without heavy industry. Heavy industry is the backbone of a country.
The top leader was naturally delighted that Hong Kong businessmen were willing to return and invest. He didn't pay much attention to Lou Xiao'e's minor requests. He even promised Lou Xiao'e that he would give her the green light if she was willing to invest in heavy industry.
With the promise from the top leader, Lou Xiao'e finally felt relieved. She immediately expressed her willingness to invest in a steel plant and a machinery factory.
Upon hearing that Lou Xiao'e was going to invest tens of millions, the senior leader immediately said that he would host a banquet to entertain Lou Xiao'e, and Sha Zhu automatically became the chef. After Sha Zhu finished cooking, the group chatted for a while.
Since they were all old friends, after the dinner, Sha Zhu and Lou Xiao'e returned to their restaurant together.
When good friends meet, they inevitably talk about their past. It was then that Sha Zhu and his wife learned that Lou Xiao'e had remarried after leaving the courtyard house and had a son with this man.
But their happiness was short-lived; seven years ago, the man passed away unexpectedly. For the sake of her son, Lou Xiao'e had no choice but to shoulder the burden of the family.
Perhaps due to her family background, Lou Xiao'e possessed an exceptional talent for business. Within a few years, she had developed her family's business into a thriving enterprise and also took over many of the Lou family's assets.
Although it is not as prosperous as it is in later years, Beijing has gradually developed a nightlife. Even 8 p.m. is not considered late. Hotels like the Peninsula Hotel are usually open until around 2 a.m.
Yang Tao usually doesn't go to bed too early. Knowing that Lou Xiao'e had returned, she even specially invited Lou Xiao'e to visit the peninsula.
The two women used to have a good relationship, but now that Lou Xiao'e has returned, Yang Tao spent a whole night with her, and the two women chatted in the hotel until very late.
The three women didn't separate until the next day, and Lou Xiao'e moved directly to the Peninsula Hotel.
Even in Hong Kong, a hotel like the Peninsula would be considered quite luxurious. In Beijing today, it's considered one of the highest-class hotels.
Lou Xiao'e prefers living here to anywhere else. It's not only safer, but she can also be in contact with Yang Tao anytime.
I thought I was already quite capable, but after getting to know Yang Tao, I realized how outstanding she was. Both of us have the potential to be strong, independent women, and once we start talking, it goes on and on.
Lou Xiao'e practically became Yang Tao's follower, always sticking to Yang Tao's side whenever she had a chance.
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