Chapter 481: Meeting by Chance
As the box’s door was closed, Sun Wen dumbfoundedly stared at Tang Xiu. She would have never believed it if she had not seen with her own eyes. To think that the manager of the dignified Everlasting Feast Hall would actually be respectful before Tang Xiu, even calling him “Boss”.
“You… are you?” Sun Wen’s lower lip twitched, disbelief in her eyes.
“Can you stop speaking already?” Li Laoshan angrily spoke. “Brother Tang is the owner of the Everlasting Feast Hall!”
Sun Wen could only gulp down her saliva. She knew that the Everlasting Feast Hall was the top upscale restaurant in Shanghai. Moreover, Shanghai's Everlasting Feast Hall was only a branch, since she also heard that this restaurant franchise also had branches in Beijing, Jingmen Island, and Hong Kong.
And Tang Xiu is its owner? That means…
…He is probably very rich!
Suddenly, she realized how stupid her attitude had been and how disgraceful she had acted. Having just looked down on Tang Xiu, while the person turned out to be the owner of the Everlasting Feast Hall, it was akin to have slapped her own face.
One must know that Tang Xiu seemed to be in his early 20s, yet he had already become the owner of the Everlasting Feast Hall. What background such a person’s family could have? That meant that his other family members could have terrifying identities, didn’t it?
She now realized why Li Laoshan was become friends with Tang Xiu, and why he was angry with her.
This was because… she had indeed made him lose face.
The color was drained from Sun Wen’s face as she cautiously looked at Li Laoshan. There was a look of apology on her face, as she said, “Mr. Tang, I’m really sorry for what I said.”
Tang Xiu waved his hand and smilingly said, “It’s nothing, really. Didn’t I say that family need not speak such words? Besides, you’re Old Brother Li’s woman, thus you’re a friend.”
The indignant expression Li Laoshan’s face receded. After searching Tang Xiu’s face, a forced, wry smile appeared on his face, “Brother Tang, you’re really extraordinary even in this personal matter. Young as you are you’re already this open minded. Furthermore, I never feel like there’s a gap in our difference of age, which is the most inconceivable. It’s like I’m communing with someone of my age.”
“Do you mean that I’m old? Is that so obvious?” Tang Xiu couldn’t help smirking.
Cough, cough… Li Laoshan choked upon hearing Tang Xiu’s reply.
The lunch ended quickly since they didn’t drink anything alcoholic. After the lunch was over, Li Laoshan told Tang Xiu that he would leave Shanghai for Beijing tomorrow to prepare himself. Afterward, Tang Xiu went to Chi Nan’s office and saw the children obediently sitting on the sofa. Tang Xiu turned to look at Chi Nan and smilingly said, “It was laborious of you.”
“I’m honored to serve you, Boss,” said Chi Nan with a smile.
“Since you feel that it’s an honor, then I will give you another assignment,” said Tang Xiu with a smile. “Convey my message to the Headquarters to investigate some underground parties. One of which is the Cubo Clan from Italy, and the other is the Brauns Group from the United States. The more detailed the better.”
“I know a bit about these two forces, Boss, but not too much,” said Chi Nan with a changed expression.
“Tell me!” Tang Xiu said with a surprised expression.
“That Italian underground party is the largest criminal syndicate there. This criminal organization boasts a number of more than 100,000 members, and the Cubo Syndicate is in the top three mafias with enormous capital amongst the crime organizations there. I had once killed some of their people, which were exactly this Cubo Syndicate’s members. As for the Brauns Group from the United States, they are a cartel who operates in a lot of business channels mainly managing drugs and liquor businesses. As far as I know, they also have dozens of large wineries as well.
“These two forces have a large number of thugs, and they’re all members of their very own security companies. Moreover, they have intricate links with some international mercenary companies. Few people are willing to fight against them overseas.”
A cold glint flashed in Tang Xiu’s eyes as he lightly said, “These two forces are now opposing my Magnificent Tang Corp. If they do dare to touch my bottom line, I will never think twice to bulldoze them as well.”
Chi Nan had her expression slightly change, and said in a deep voice, “Boss, had it been a few months ago, even our Everlasting Feast Hall would dread them a bit. But now… Hmph!”
Tang Xiu nodded. He understood Chi Nan’s meaning. As of recently, over a hundred core members of the Everlasting Feast Hall had been imparted with a cultivation technique, thus their strength had progressed by leaps and bounds. If they could be said as an invincible existence against one hundred enemies before, each and every one of them now possessed a terrifying strength that even these two forces would suffer massive losses once they were to go all out.
“Let us wait and see. Get me detailed information on them first.”
“Then I’ll immediately send the news back to the HQ,” said Chi Nan with a nod.
A few minutes later, Tang Xiu and Tang Xiaojin’s group left the Everlasting Feast Hall. They returned home by car, as Tang Xiu then instructed them to stay at home while he left Bluestar Villa Complex.
****
Shanghai First Public Hospital.
Tang Xiu arrived at the ward of the Inpatient Department where Yuan Chuling and the rest were hospitalized. What puzzled him was that Yuan Chuling was not in his hospital bed. There were only his two fellow students lying on the two sickbeds next to his.
“Who are you looking for?” Asked a young man looking at Tang Xiu curiously.
“I’m Yuan Chuling’s friend. Where is he?” Asked Tang Xiu.
“He said it was too boring staying in the ward, so he went outside to chat with the nurses. You… are you Tang Xiu, the one Yuan Chuling addressed as Eldest Brother Tang?”
“Yeah, it’s me!” Tang Xiu smiling replied.
The young man quickly tried to sit up with the support of his arms, and gratefully said, “Eldest Brother Tang, thanks for everything you did for us; I heard about what happened. If it weren’t for you, we would have been greatly troubled with the campus, and helpless and unable to vent the irritated feeling inside us.”
“You are all Yuan Chuling’s classmates, so we are not strangers. Anyways, you have a good rest, I’m going out to find him,” said Tang Xiu with a smile.
“Mmm!” Both men nodded.
After leaving the ward, Tang Xiu released his spiritual sense and immediately “saw” Yuan Chuling in a doctor’s office. He was currently holding a female nurse’s hand, doing a palm reading on her.
What the… this chap is…
Tang Xiu shook his head and rushed there. He directly opened the door and strode inside.
“Oh…”
The female nurse, whose hand was held by Yuan Chuling, was startled by Tang Xiu. She called out in alarm and took back her hand as though she got an electric shock.
Yuan Chuling got angry and toward Tang Xiu. When he saw Tang Xiu there, he immediately exclaimed in anger, “Hey, Tang Big Bro, how did you find out? Also, why did you come at the wrong time?”
“Fatty Yuan, you better not damage the nurses, got it? Let’s go back to the ward where you belong and rest well there. The sooner you leave the hospital, the better,” Tang Xiu chuckled.
Yuan Chuling rolled his eyes and turned to the delicate and pretty nurse who was obviously a bit flustered, “Pretty Sis, it seems like our talk ends here today. If anything, everyone’s life can really be known by using palmistry. I’ll show you about it some other day.”
Having said that he operated the wheelchair with both hands and went toward the door.
Tang Xiu secretly forced a smile. He found that every boy was like a hungry wolf, a lecher whose mind was full of girls and women with the increase of their age.
Quickly moving forward, he took over in pushing Yuan Chuling’s wheelchair, saying, “You couldn’t be living a safe life with one hand controlling the wheelchair, could you?”
Yuan Chuling chuckled, “We’re boys in puberty, are we not? Puberty means that we are in our spring period. Don’t tell me you…”
“Tang Xiu?"
Someone’s voice interrupted Yuan Chuling. It came from the door beside them.
Tang Xiu turned around. As he saw the person, a surprised look suddenly appeared on his face as he replied, “Jia Ruidao? Why are you here?”
Striding out of the room, Jia Ruidao hurriedly stretched out his hand and said, “I never expected to really be you, Tang Xiu! I thought I was just seeing things.”
“Well, my friend is hospitalized here, so I came to see him,” said Tang Xiu with a smile.
Jia Ruidao glanced at Yuan Chuling, nodded and said, “The last time we met was in Jingmen Island. It’s been several months already, right? I never thought I would see you here in Shanghai.”
“I’m studying at Shanghai University. What about you? What brings you to Shanghai?” Asked Tang Xiu with a laugh.
“I’ve been doing some business recently, and am planning to move the company to Shanghai. I feel quite unwell, so I came here to have a check up,” said Jia Ruidao with a smile.
“What business are you engaging in?” Asked Tang Xiu.
“I intend to wash my hands and make a clean break from the gambling industry. So, I opened up some game arcade establishments. By the way, I’ve got a big store in the commercial street near your Shanghai University, and am currently preparing to renovate it,” said Jia Ruidao.
“That’s great!” Said Tang Xiu with a smile.
“Tang Xiu, being able to meet you here in Shanghai shows that our fate is quite deep, no? If you have a free time tonight, let me treat you to dinner,” said Jia Ruidao.
“I already have an appointment tonight, how about some other day?” Tang Xiu laughed and replied.
“Alright. I’ll be staying in Shanghai for the next few months, so I’ll have some other time anyway. Let’s keep in touch,” said Jia Ruidao with a laugh.
Tang Xiu nodded at him and smiled, and then pushed Yuan Chuling’s wheelchair toward his ward.
“Who is that man, Tang Big Bro?” Asked Yuan Chuling curiously.
“A friend of mine,” answered Tang Xiu.
“I heard him saying that he was making a clean break from the gambling industry. What exactly is his situation? Is he a professional gambler or something?” Asked Yuan Chuling.
“You guessed right, buddy. He was indeed a professional gambler, and was quite a good one at that, too. However, gambling has never been a proper job, after all. I once helped him with some problems, lessening his losses in that incident. Afterward, he washed his hands and made a clean break and never involved himself again in the gambling industry,” said Tang Xiu with a smile.
“I just found you’re really a good person, Big Bro,” said Yuan Chuling as he gave him a thumbs up and praised, “You casually bumped into someone and even he got some help from you. I observed that Jia Ruidao before, he seems to respect you very much, bro!”
“Don’t praise me. You’ll make me smug and dumb, you know!” Tang Xiu replied with a laugh.