Chapter Eighty-One: Night, Sleepless

Night deepened.

Chen Huajiang arranged rooms for his brothers at the Southern Sky Hotel—each standard room held two to four people. Old Lin had a room to himself, not because he was special, but due to his age and the fact that he was Chen Huajiang’s father-in-law.

All the others were young men, currently working under Chen Huajiang. In their eyes, he was the leader, the boss. Before Old Lin, Er Mao, Liang Long, and the rest felt uneasy, preferring to squeeze together rather than share a room with him.

The clean room, the fresh thermos just delivered by the attendant, the crisp white sheets and bedding made Old Lin somewhat ill at ease.

“Ah, Guoshan doesn’t know what’s good for him—he missed his chance,” he sighed.

What weighed on Old Lin’s heart was that his son Lin Guoshan had let slip the opportunity to establish himself alongside his son-in-law Chen Huajiang. Today’s events had settled old debts. Though neither his son-in-law nor daughter said much, they agreed to transfer the little shop at the textile factory gate to Lin Guoshan at a low price. That itself was a statement.

After wrestling with his thoughts, Old Lin could only sigh that all this was fate. Still, with the little shop in hand, Lin Guoshan at least had a reliable livelihood. He might not make a fortune, but small profits were assured.

Gradually, Old Lin’s worries eased. He washed up and lay in bed, but sleep eluded him; he turned restlessly, unable to settle.

Elsewhere, others shared his sleeplessness.

“Business was good today—I made eleven yuan,” Lin Guoshan boasted to his girlfriend Fangfang as they closed up the textile factory shop.

Fangfang tossed him a flirtatious glance, leaving Lin Guoshan dazzled, his face slack with a silly grin. Emboldened, he reached out and took her hand.

Money gives a man courage. Previously, Lin Guoshan would never have dared such a gesture. But now the shop was his; from now on, every penny earned belonged solely to him. He felt he could make big money now, and the inferiority complex of a laid-off worker vanished. He no longer looked up to Fangfang in pursuit; now, he could meet her as an equal.

“You’re trouble,” Fangfang blushed, letting him caress her hand for five seconds before pulling it back.

She herself was a seasoned player, well-connected and shrewd. She knew affairs between men and women called for a balance of closeness and distance—too near, and a man wouldn’t cherish her; too far, and he’d give up. Only by keeping him guessing, offering a taste of sweetness, could she hold his heart.

Sure enough, after five seconds of holding her hand, Lin Guoshan grinned even wider, his gaze drawn irresistibly to Fangfang’s ample curves, swallowing audibly in a lewd manner.

“Last time, your brother-in-law helped us deal with Lazi and his cousin Wolfdog. I heard he spent quite a bit of money settling that.”

“Now that you’ve taken his share, won’t that upset him? Aren’t we being a bit underhanded?”

Fangfang quickly changed the subject; now was not the moment to let Lin Guoshan have his way.

“Fangfang, don’t worry about that. Chen Huajiang was reckless—that sort of thing should be reported to the police, but he went negotiating with them instead.”

“Besides, taking over his share is for his own good. He dug his own grave, renting out the Southern Sky restaurant for a whopping three thousand six hundred yuan a year—how could he not lose money?”

“When I buy out his share, the money will be his capital to make a comeback. I’m thinking of him.”

Lin Guoshan was dissatisfied, twisting his logic until he convinced himself he was acting in Chen Huajiang’s best interests.

Fangfang said little, nodding on the surface, but inwardly she saw Lin Guoshan clearly. He was a selfish man, but she didn’t mind; everyone looks out for themselves.

The two chatted for a while. Lin Guoshan escorted Fangfang to the factory’s residential compound, where Cuihong lived. Fangfang planned to stay there for the night.

In the northern district, three men sat at a roadside stall drinking beer.

They were Feng Weizhi, Gou Weidong, and Wolfdog.

“Renting the Southern Sky restaurant? Chen Huajiang will never succeed—he’s digging his own grave,” Gou Weidong said disdainfully as he gnawed a lamb shank.

As someone who kept a constant eye on Chen Huajiang, ready to settle scores, Gou Weidong had learned every detail, including the rental price.

“That’s right. Southern Sky’s been up for rent forever, but no one’s taken it. First, there are hardly any customers over there. Second, the rent is outrageous—three thousand six hundred a year. In three years, it’d eat up a wealthy household’s savings. Only a fool would rent it. Chen Huajiang is too reckless—he thinks a little money means he can make a lot. Ha! He’ll destroy himself without our help,” Feng Weizhi said, downing a bottle of beer with contempt.

A businessman’s first concern is cost. No matter how good the location, if costs are too high, failure is inevitable. Even if Chen Huajiang is talented and earns a lot, he’s just working for the hotel. After deducting costs, what’s left? Even his Delicious Fresh Eatery nets only two or three hundred a month. In slow months, he can’t even cover rent. Feng Weizhi had no faith in Chen Huajiang.

“Gentlemen, after the loss I suffered, I won’t let Chen Huajiang off the hook. But he taught me a lesson: in the underworld, you need not only ruthlessness but also money.”

“If you open your restaurants at the north gate, with me—Wolfdog—watching your backs, you’ll definitely prosper. I’ll handle the water company’s shops. Whether they want to rent or not, they’ll have to. But ten percent is too little—I want at least twenty percent.”

Mentioning Chen Huajiang, Wolfdog gnashed his teeth, then shifted to the matter of opening restaurants, holding up two fingers.

The three were united by enmity with Chen Huajiang and their own ambitions, quickly forming an alliance of mutual interest.

Gou Weidong wasn’t the decision-maker, so he looked to Feng Weizhi.

“Fine, but with one more condition. Chen Huajiang is bound to fail; he’ll go back to his old ways, opening a shop outside the residential compound.”

“My condition is that if you take twenty percent of the shops, you must not let him open a shop here.”

Feng Weizhi spoke solemnly to Wolfdog, convinced that Chen Huajiang would inevitably fail. Their ultimate battleground would be the small eateries outside the family compounds of Nanming City.

In truth, Feng Weizhi felt some gratitude toward Chen Huajiang. If he hadn’t discovered that small eateries could be as profitable as his Delicious Fresh Restaurant, he wouldn’t have found this lucrative path. He’d always looked down on such humble shops.

“Hahaha, don’t worry about that. Without you saying a word, I’ll handle it.”

“This northern district is my turf. If Chen Huajiang opens shop today, I’ll smash it tomorrow and shut him down.”

“If you don’t believe me, look at my brothers!”

Wolfdog laughed heartily, gesturing toward the row of young men standing on the street outside.