Emerging from Guangling Airport, I spotted Hong Yunpeng. He was dressed the same as ever, like a small businessman, in a shirt, trousers, and a slicked-back hairstyle.
I had called him before boarding the plane, asking him to pick me up. It seemed he had been waiting for quite some time.
"Brother Hong," I greeted him with a smile, briefly introducing Fatty.
Hong Yunpeng opened the car door, letting me into the passenger seat while Fatty took the back.
"Xiao Fei, you're finally back," Hong Yunpeng said, handing me a cigarette. "You have no idea how much of a headache you've been gone. It's been driving me crazy."
"What's happened?" I asked.
"Didn't President Wu bring a batch of antiques to Anyuantang last time? To get that shipment, I was utterly overwhelmed. You know I'm completely clueless about antiques, and my father, while he knows a bit, isn't an expert. So, I had to find specialists for appraisal. Every trip back and forth cost a lot of money."
Hong Yunpeng sighed, "Back then, I was thinking, if you were here, the money saved could have bought me a new car."
I smiled, "Brother Hong, if you want a new car, just get one. It's fine."
"How can that be? We're in a stage where we need funds. We must get Anyuantang sorted out first and spend money where it's most needed," Hong Yunpeng stated.
I smiled and didn't say much more. I had entrusted the management of Anyuantang to the Hong father and son, and I trusted them implicitly.
"How about this, I'll look into getting some funds later and put it into the shop's operations. Don't be so thrifty then," I suggested.
Hong Yunpeng smiled, "No need for that. By the way, the house renovation is almost done. We can move in a few more days. I've hired some purification company to deal with the formaldehyde in the house."
Hearing that the house was almost renovated took me by surprise; I hadn't expected it to be so quick.
I had initially thought it would take over three months. It seemed Hong Yunpeng must have been overseeing it closely for the progress to be so swift.
"Brother Hong, thank you."
"What are you thanking me for? We're family, what's there to thank?" Hong Yunpeng said with a smile. "What do you want to eat later? I'll make a reservation…"
As he was speaking, my phone rang. I took it out and saw the name on the caller ID, then waved my phone, saying, "Someone's treating us to dinner soon."
Hong Yunpeng was slightly taken aback, then asked, "President Wu?"
I nodded and answered the call.
Wu Tingxiu's familiar voice came through, "You've landed?"
"Just came out of the airport," I replied.
"Alright, I'll arrange for dinner to be booked now. We'll eat together later."
Upon hearing this, I naturally didn't refuse and said, "No problem."
After hanging up, Hong Yunpeng drove us to Anyuantang.
Entering the shop, I saw many unfamiliar faces. We went to the back courtyard lounge, and Uncle Hong came over to chat with me for a while.
As the owner here, honestly, I was not a competent one at all.
Fortunately, the Hong father and son helped me manage it; otherwise, the shop would have long since closed down.
I wasn't stingy with them either. Besides their salaries and profit-sharing, I also gave them some shares.
Uncle Hong, being in charge of the overall operations, received a larger portion, twenty percent.
Hong Yunpeng held ten percent of the shares, but for the small shop in Hongyuan, we were fifty-fifty partners.
Anyuantang's business was doing reasonably well, given its location in a busy commercial area with many tourists.
We stocked some jade and gemstones, along with souvenirs, and sold quite a bit every day.
As for the shop in Hongyuan, it only opened its doors once every ten days or half a month.
After resting for a while at Anyuantang, Fatty had explored every nook and cranny.
"Master Xiang, your shop is truly magnificent! This piece of land alone must be worth a fortune, right?" Fatty said with a smile.
"Spit it out if you have something to say."
I knew this fatty too well. Whenever he said such flattering words, he was definitely up to something.
As expected, Fatty smiled and said, "Master Xiang, why don't you arrange for me to work here too?"
I chuckled, "What? Aren't you going back to your Panjiayuan?"
"Panjiayuan isn't mine, and drifting around Yan Jing like this isn't a solution, don't you think... How about you hire me as a manager here?" Fatty rubbed his hands together.
"My humble abode can't accommodate you," I replied with a hint of annoyance.
"How can you say that? Your place is far from humble! Even if your shop were in Panjiayuan, it would rank among the top ten…"
I waved my hand, "Didn't you say you wanted to be my assistant? Why are you aiming to be a manager now?"
Fatty gave a sheepish grin, "I just want to help you solve your problems. You know me, I understand a lot about antiques. Back in Panjiayuan, a large shop offered me a high salary to be a consultant, but I didn't accept…"
"Alright, stop boasting," I shot him a look. I knew exactly what this guy was capable of.
It seemed Fatty was short on cash. Thinking about it, although this fatty loved to brag, he had never done anything against me. The tasks I assigned him were generally handled well.
Besides, we had known each other for a long time, and I couldn't just watch him become destitute.
"Forget about being a manager. You should stick to being my full-time assistant. I'll pay you a salary," I said.
Fatty's eyes lit up, "Master Xiang, how much will you pay me per month?"
"Two thousand a month, with a year-end bonus depending on your performance."
"Two thousand?"
"Do you think it's too little?"
"Not exactly… it's just that…"
Fatty sighed, "Alright, two thousand it is."
It wasn't that I was being stingy, but this fatty tended to get carried away when he had money. If I paid him too much, I might not even be able to find him.
As for the year-end bonus, I had already planned to give him a larger share depending on how much profit the shop made.
That evening, Hong Yunpeng drove me and Fatty to a hotel. This was my first time at this hotel. It seemed to have some history, with the exterior signage looking a bit dated.
However, the interior decoration was quite new and very grand.
Hong Yunpeng told me that this hotel was also owned by Wu Tingxiu.
As soon as we entered, the lobby manager greeted us, seemingly having been waiting for us.
Following him, we were led to a private room on the second floor.
When we entered, Wu Tingxiu was already there. She was wearing a black dress, sitting with her legs crossed, smoking a cigarette on the sofa.
Seeing us arrive, she smiled and stood up, gesturing for us to sit wherever we liked.
Fatty, upon seeing Wu Tingxiu, his eyes went wide. He leaned close to my ear and asked, "Master Xiang, is this the beautiful boss you mentioned earlier?"
I nodded, "Don't look around with your eyes. If you anger her later, I can't protect you."
Fatty nodded.
After we sat around the table, Wu Tingxiu asked the manager to serve the dishes.
The food was served shortly after, and we began to eat and chat.
I knew that Wu Tingxiu had invited me to dinner today, likely to discuss something.
During the meal, we made small talk. When we had eaten a good portion, Wu Tingxiu asked me to accompany her to the next room for a while.
I nodded, asked Hong Yunpeng and Fatty to wait for me here, and then followed her out of the private room to a small reception room next door.