Chapter 1369 - Ming Yang’s Reputation/ A Glimpse of Inspiration
Chapter 1369: Ming Yang’s Reputation/ A Glimpse of Inspiration
Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
Chapter 1493: Ming Yang’s Reputation
However, these were all preludes. They weren’t wasn’t a big deal. The big troubles still lay ahead. These were all legitimate means, so Zhou Huojian couldn’t find any flaws from them. After all, whether it was the raw material supplier’s request for payment or the sanitation survey in the store, these were all normal areas.
However, the following matter was beyond the normal scope of things. Every day, a group of migrant workers would come to the store and fill the hall. Each person would order a plate of cool dishes and a bottle of beer. With merely these orders, they would sit at the restaurant from when it opened until it closed in the evening. Even though the hall was full, there were still empty private rooms available, but many people who came to eat at the restaurant would turn away after seeing the situation.
No matter how Zhou Huojian explained, the guests no longer came. It couldn’t be helped. Zhou Huojian could only persuade the workers to stop eating here. After all, as they had come to eat, they did not offend the law despite eating for a long time with minimal food ordered. Zhou Huojian was helpless against them. Defeated, he could only submit and beg for mercy.
In fact, Zhou Huojian also faintly understood that these people had the Sui Family behind them, but nothing could be done. The Sui Family had a great career in Mount Jing. As a foreigner, Zhou Huojian could not afford to offend them.
Under his gentle persuasion, the migrant workers finally spit out the truth. They came here because they were hired by others to do so. They didn’t have to work and got paid for sitting here all day long. Who wouldn’t want to do this kind of job?!
In desperation, Zhou Huojian had to find someone from the Sui Family to intervene. He didn’t expect that offending a prodigal son of the Sui Family would cause so much trouble. But the Sui Family’s people did not seem to forgive him at all. Obviously, they wanted to ruthlessly pursue Zhou Huojian.
The Sui Family had the intent to make an example out of him to warn others about challenging their prestige at Mount Jing. So even if Zhou Huojian used all his might to explain, he could not change their initial intention. Zhou Huojian had no other recourse. He could only close his restaurant, sell his property, and leave Mount Jing. Thus, this incident ended with the victory of the Sui Family.
Zhou Huojian left Mount Jing sadly and opened a restaurant in Song Jiang. Zhou Huojian had inquired in advance. Song Jiang was not within the sphere of influence of the Sui Family. It was Bao Sanli’s territory, so Zhou Huojian could rest assured to open his restaurant here.
Moreover, to prevent the recurrence of the tragedy, as soon as Zhou Huojian’s restaurant opened, he went to establish a relationship with the Ming Yang Security Company. Not only did he hire a large number of security guards, but he also gave out a lot of restaurant vouchers.
Zhou Huojian believed that with all of these done, he could have a good start. He would have a strong foothold in Song Jiang city! Although the Ming Yang company had great strength and wealth, they might not put these vouchers in their eyes. In fact, since the business operation started, no senior executive of the Ming Yang Security Company had used these vouchers at the restaurant. It made Zhou Huojian slightly disappointed. However, Zhou Huojian felt that as long as he gifted the vouchers occasionally, he would not only let others admire him, but he could at least be familiar with them!
These vouchers were not worth much money, but no one dislikes gifts! Zhou Huojian had learned his lesson after suffering a huge loss from the Mount Jing Sui Family. For the big shots in these cities, Zhou Huojian did not dare to neglect them. If he repeated the same mistake, he would not even know how he died.
However, before Zhou Huojian came to Song Jiang to do business, he had clearly inquired about the background and reputation of the Ming Yang Security Company through several good friends in Song Jiang’s local area.
Bao Sanli, who was the General Manager of the Ming Yang Security Company, was actually Song Jiang’s underworld leader. However, he had turned over a new leaf and engaged in a legitimate industry. Nonetheless, this person was influential in Song Jiang’s underworld. He definitely shouldn’t offend Bao Sanli if he wanted to do business in Song Jiang!
However, the reputation of the Ming Yang Security Company was exceptionally good. He had learned about it from a few friends who do business. Although the Ming Yang Security Company was more expensive than other small security companies, it was indeed worth to hire them! Any of the owners of the entertainment industry in Song Jiang City knew that in their hearts. Although the security staff hired from Ming Yang Security cost more than ordinary unprofessional security personnel, they would sincerely solve problems once they arose!
Before they hired the Ming Yang Security Companies security staff, the bosses of the entertainment industries had also recruited some security personnel themselves. They were indeed inexpensive, but these people preyed on the weak and feared the strong. Typically, when they encountered the weak, they dared to speak out. But if they got into trouble with punks, they would immediately become timid and keep quiet at the side.
After changing to the Ming Yang Security Company’s security personnel, this situation didn’t happen anymore. A small punk in Song Jiang didn’t dare to make trouble in front of the Ming Yang Security Company’s security staff. As soon as the Ming Yang Security Company’s security personnel arrived, no matter how fierce the punks were, they would be obedient at once!
Therefore, the cost of hiring the security guards was very negligible. Without these people, the damages done by the punks would be more than the hiring fee.
After learning this news, Zhou Huojian hired twenty security personnel from the Ming Yang Security Company before opening up his restaurant. Logically, it didn’t need many security guards since it was a restaurant. It wasn’t a nightclub or an Entertainment City, so having ten security guards was already sufficient. However, Zhou Huojian was not short of money. In his opinion, it wasn’t a big deal to hire more. When he had a restaurant in Mount Jing in the past, he had to spend a lot of money. Nevermind the gifts to get connected with the Sui Family, he also needed to pay the local gangs!
Even then, Zhou Huojian did not feel at ease! Although he had hired a lot of security, they were simply working for him. Zhou Huojian still felt that he should have a relationship with the Ming Yang Company’s senior management!
He had suffered a loss before, so this time it was better to be safe than sorry. As long he had a connection, even if he accidentally offended them later on, he believed that they would not be as merciless as the Sui Family! After all, it was easier to talk if he had rapport with them.
It was just that Zhou Huojian was struggling to find a chance to contact the senior management of Ming Yang Security Company. He was a foreigner who was unfamiliar with the locals. How could he build connections? Just when he was worried, he did not expect an opportunity to come knocking on the door. However, he regretted that his sister-in-law’s distant cousin had offended the vice president of Ming Yang Security Company before he could get in touch with them!
Although the vice president of a company might not be able to set off a storm, this matter should still be resolved under his deep apology. But what surprised Zhou Huojian was Jing Xiaolu’s age!
In Zhou Huojian’s view, Jing Xiaolu was no more than twenty-five years old! At this age, she was already a vice president. Something seemed unusual! Zhou Huojian could only think of two reasons. Either Jing Xiaolu was a prodigal daughter, or… She was the mistress of one of the Ming Yang Company’s senior management…
Zhou Huojian did not dare to neglect once he thought of this. He became more and more respectful. During Jing Xiaolu’s meal, Zhou Huojian did nothing. Since Jing Xiaolu didn’t want him to disturb her, he waited for her in the hall. After she finished her meal, he would approach and say a few good words. Most likely this matter would be resolved, right?
Zhou Huojian sighed in his heart. If it weren’t for my intimate relationship with my sister-in-law, I wouldn’t care about her distant cousin. It is agonizing. I have to teach my sister-in-law a lesson after I go home tonight. I can’t let her introduce anyone randomly…
Jing Xiaolu had a headache when Zhou Huojian insisted on treating her for the dinner. “President Zhou, you gave this voucher, and I’m using this voucher to pay the bill. It is still considered as your treat.”
“Sure… of course!” Zhou Huojian saw that Jing Xiaolu insisted, so he found it inappropriate to say any more. He turned to Xiao Bai and said, “Xiao Bai, quickly give President Jing the bill.”
“Okay,” Xiao Bai nodded quickly, tapped on the computer a few times, and said, “Vice President Jing, the cost is three hundred and sixteen yuan. It will be three hundred yuan after discount.”
Jing Xiaolu smiled and handed in a three hundred yuan voucher.
Xiao Bai quickly received it respectfully and put it into the cash register’s drawer. Zhou Huojian threw an appreciative gaze to Xiao Bai. There was no discount on the voucher payment. However, Zhou Huojian did not want to trouble Jing Xiaolu for a meager sixteen yuan. The vouchers were only available in denominations of one hundred; there were no vouchers worth a smaller amount. If vouchers were used to pay, it would require one more voucher to cover the extra small amount. However, such a clause would inevitably feel unfair to some people. Ordinary diners would not mind it since the vouchers were free. But for Jing Xiaolu, Zhou Huojian was very concerned about her opinions.
Chapter 1494: A Glimpse of Inspiration
“Xiao Bai, give Vice President Jing one thousand yuan worth in vouchers.” Zhou Huojian ordered Xiao Bai.
Xiao Bai did not hesitate. She opened the drawer, took out ten vouchers, and handed them to Jing Xiaolu along with the previous bill, “Vice President Jing, your bill and vouchers.”
“You gave me one thousand yuan worth in vouchers again?” Jing Xiaolu looked at the vouchers that Xiao Bai handed over, and was dumbfounded. I just ate something that cost three hundred yuan and paid it via a voucher. This time, he gave me vouchers worth one thousand yuan in total. Why is my voucher count increasing the more I eat? Jing Xiaolu found it a little amusing.
“Vice President Jing, don’t get me wrong. I’m not forcing you to eat. I just think that it’s our honor to have you come to this restaurant. It promotes our business!” Zhou Huojian quickly explained, “Just hold onto it, Vice President Jing. You won’t look down on me right…?”
“Manager Zhou, you …” Jing Xiaolu shook her head helplessly and accepted it, but she still said, “President Zhou, I will remember your enthusiasm. Let me leave you a business card. If anything arises, contact me at any time.”
“Great!” Zhou Huojian was immediately overjoyed after listening to Jing Xiaolu’s words. He was so excited that even his tone changed. He trembled as he took Jing Xiaolu’s business card and put it into his pocket carefully. Then, he gave out his business card with both hands, “Vice President Jing, although you really don’t need me for anything, if your friends or relatives have a gathering, wedding banquet or even need to order delivery for the New Year, I can guarantee that I will make it perfect for you!”
“Then, I may have to trouble President Zhou in the future.” Jing Xiaolu smiled and nodded kindly to Zhou Huojian.
At this point, Zhou Huojian breathed a sigh of relief deep down in his heart. It seems that what I did previously has finally had an effect. Not only did Jing Xiaolu not hate me because of the previous matter with Sister Zhang, but I also got in touch with her instead.
Of course, although Jing Xiaolu looked beautiful, Zhou Huojian didn’t dare to have any improper thoughts. He didn’t dare to touch such a woman. If he had time, he would go home and have fun with his sister-in-law. Although she was far worse than Jing Xiaolu, Zhou Huojian was already satisfied.
“By the way, Vice President Jing, my brother has opened a resort in Donghai. There, you can fish in summer and ski in winter. If your company organizes a fellowship or something, I can help you contact him!” Zhou Huojian hesitated and said, “There will definitely be a special offer in terms of fees and service!”
Zhou Huojian knew that Jing Xiaolu would definitely disagree if he were to say that it would be free. From the previous incidents, he saw that Jing Xiaolu was unwilling to take such small advantages, especially in company matters. It was unnecessary to owe a favor in return for a petty advantage. As long as the price and services were good, she would have a great impression of Zhou Huojian.
“Okay, if we have this need, we will definitely contact Manager Zhou.” Jing Xiaolu nodded, “Manager Zhou, I still have something to attend to, so I will leave first. We will chat again next time.”
“Okay, Vice President Jing, I’ll send you off!” Zhou Huojian quickly responded and accompanied Jing Xiaolu out of the restaurant.
After getting in the car, Jing Xiaolu smiled and sighed with relief, “Jiajia, you also saw that these are all brought by Yang Ming’s power. If I don’t work hard, the gap between me and him will keep increasing! ”
“That’s right. I hope you will be able to solve the trouble in front of you as soon as possible!” Zhou Jiajia said. “Xiaolu, you should quickly return to the company to think about the contract. I will take a taxi back to school.”
“Don’t, let me send you.” Jing Xiaolu grabbed Zhou Jiajia who was about to get off. “It’s so late, how can I let you take a taxi home? If something goes wrong, Yang Ming will kill me!”
“Forget it, you can pay Yang Ming back with yourself. One for one, I believe he will accept it.” Zhou Jiajia teased.
“Come on, I know what position I have in his heart.” Jing Xiaolu shook her head and started the car.
After sending Zhou Jiajia back to school, Jing Xiaolu didn’t relax. Instead, she drove quickly to the company. Jing Xiaolu wanted to take advantage of the inspiration in her head and act. Maybe she really could find out something.
After reaching the company, she unexpectedly found out that Bao Sanli hadn’t left. His office light was still lit. Jing Xiaolu knocked on the door. She heard Bao Sanli say, “Please come in” and pushed open the room door. Not only did she see Bao Sanli, but also Hou Zhenhan. The two were sitting in front of the sofa looking at some documents on the coffee table.
“President Bao, President Hou, you…” Jing Xiaolu nodded to the two after entering through the door.
“Xiaolu, why did you come to the company again?” Bao Sanli was a little baffled. “Old Hou and I are looking into the contract matter to see how we can fight back against the Jiangyan Group.”
“I’m sorry, President Bao. It is all my fault …” Jing Xiaolu suddenly felt sorry after hearing that they were still studying the contract at such a late time.
“How can you be blamed for this?” Bao Sanli waved and smiled bitterly. “This agreement was signed under my supervision. I can only blame myself for not checking it properly. It has nothing to do with you.”
“President Bao, is the contract still in your hands?” Jing Xiaolu asked.
“The original or a photocopy? The original is locked in my safe. The photocopies… are all on the coffee table. You can just take one.” Bao Sanli pointed to the documents on the table.
Jing Xiaolu nodded. There was not much difference between the original and a photocopy at this time. Jing Xiaolu took a copy, sat on the opposite sofa, and started reading it carefully.
She had read this contract many times. It was impossible to find any loopholes. Most likely both Bao Sanli and Hou Zhenhan had tried as well. If there were any loopholes in the contract, these three people would not be frowning as such.
Jing Xiaolu read the contract in her hand and gave up the idea of continuing to read. It was all useless work. Even if she read it a hundred times, she wouldn’t be able to find any flaws.
If I want to discover something unexpected, I can’t think from an ordinary perspective! Any crime will leave traces. Liu Luyou secretly changed the contract halfway. He would certainly leave a trace.
Jing Xiaolu closed her eyes and carefully recalled the details of Liu Luyou replacing the contract.
The contract I got with Wang Hongcha for the first time was definitely the real contract. After reading it again, there were no problems. The data that Wang Hongcha and I focused on was imprinted into our heads under the effects of the incense.
Liu Luyou took the contract and left Xu Xiaobin to sign it. Then, he stamped the contract with a special seal and handed it back to me. However, in the process, Liu Luyou had a chance to turn his back to me. He only had this opportunity to secretly change the contract. I believe Liu Luyou must have replaced the inner page of the contract signed by Xu Xiaobin with another prepared inner page. Since the last page had Xu Xiaobin’s signature, this page could not be replaced. Liu Luyou replaced only the content in the middle. After the replacement, it was stamped with a contract-specific seal.
Although I was skeptical at the time, the contract that had been altered appeared to have no flaws under the effects of the incense. It was the same for Wang Hongcha. Hence, muddle-headed, we signed and stamped it.
After hesitating, I returned the contract to Xu Xiaobin, but Liu Luyou snatched it away before Xu Xiaobin took it…
Oh ya!
A glimpse of inspiration could be seen in Jing Xiaolu’s gaze.