Chapter 44

Chapter 31: A Month of Life and Death

When Xu Yao saw her father leading Wen Liang through the crowd, her mouth opened wide enough to swallow the entire Qingzhou, and the first thought that came to her mind was regret for not being firm enough yesterday. How could she have been deceived by this brat's sweet talk? He said the future market value of Qinghe Soy Milk could exceed a hundred billion, and the CEO position was reserved for her, but before enjoying the CEO's benefits, her ears would suffer first.

Xu Yao lowered her head, trying to use the ostrich mentality to get through, silently repeating: You can't see me, you can't see me! Suddenly, a familiar voice said, "Mr. Li, your shop is really well thought out, clean and simple..."

Li Shengli, guiding Xu Fuyan, opened his mouth but couldn't respond for a moment. It was indeed difficult for him, as it was the first time in his thirty-plus years of life that he had a face-to-face conversation with such a high-level leader, and nervousness was the norm. Wen Liang interjected, "Secretary Xu, you flatter me. With Uncle Li's small business, funds are definitely limited, so he can only put effort into the details. People eating breakfast just want it to be clean and quick. As long as he tries to meet their needs, how could he not make money? What do you think, Uncle Li?"

Li Shengli secretly breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly smiled, "Exactly, exactly! Wen Liang has great insight. I just have a vague feeling about it but can't express it like that."

He was a straightforward person, and after these days, he had become extremely convinced by Wen Liang, so his words were genuine. Wen Huiming was fine, after all, he had also been shocked by his son, but Wei Gang found it strange. To them, Wen Liang was just a boy who wasn't afraid of strangers, outgoing, and articulate. Praising him as smart was one thing, but Li Shengli's expression and words when facing Wen Liang were unconsciously respectful and reserved. With this thought, Wei Gang's gaze towards Wen Huiming became strange, even wondering if the shop was actually run by Wen Huiming, and Li Shengli was just a front man.

Wen Liang was also sweating, knowing that his words had gone too far and sounded like flattery. He glanced at Xu Fuyan. Old Xu, with his unchanged smile, patted Wen Liang's shoulder after hearing Li Shengli's words, saying, "You understand everything, Wen Director. Your son is much better than my daughter."

At that moment, they were passing by Xu Yao, and Xu Fuyan didn't even look at her but suddenly said this. Those who knew the inside story almost couldn't hold back their laughter. Xu Yao, who had almost buried her head in her chest, immediately lifted her head, eyes wide open, and her mouth pouted, looking ready to bite.

Wen Huiming watched this scene and shook his head with a bitter smile, "What a mess!"

"This brat is a troublemaker, I'm already at my wits' end. He can't be compared to your clever and well-behaved daughter..."

Xu Fuyan laughed and entered the restaurant first. Xu Yao, who didn't recognize Wen Huiming, secretly praised, "This uncle has good taste and a good eye!"

At this moment, the crowd started to stir, and a man suddenly said, "That person looks like Secretary Xu..."

"It's impossible. Secretary Xu is such a big official, how could he come to such a small restaurant?" a middle-aged woman didn't believe it.

"Why not? Haven't you seen emperors go incognito on TV?"

"It's Secretary Xu, I'm from the Industry and Commerce Bureau, I've heard Secretary Xu speak, it's definitely him."

"Oh, it really is..."

"What does the owner of this shop do?"

Xu Fuyan had been in Qingzhou for not long, and his exposure was below normal, so it was normal for ordinary people not to recognize him. However, there were many families of municipal units in this area, and it was the National Day holiday, so those who recognized Xu Fuyan were greatly surprised. They didn't know the situation and thought Xu Fuyan had come to celebrate the opening of Qinghe Soy Milk, each one pondering: When did Qingzhou have such a capable businessman besides Gu Shitong and Fan Hengan?

Ning Xiaoning had been standing to the side. She was adept at human relations and saw that some people had already recognized Xu Fuyan, with three or four layers of people surrounding the entrance. Knowing that they couldn't acknowledge each other in this situation, she stood quietly without saying a word. Instead, when Xu Fuyan and the others entered, she bowed and said, "Welcome!"

Wen Liang lagged behind a few steps, letting Yang Guangsheng, Meng Shanshui, Wei Gang, and others enter first. He whispered, "Xu Yao, your service attitude needs to be better. Not saying 'welcome' is one thing, but daring to glare at customers? I'll deduct all your pay for today and won't even feed you!"

Xu Yao was furious and was about to ignore her etiquette and beat him up, but suddenly Wen Liang put on a serious face, clasped his hands together, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "If your dad asks, tell him you didn't know his identity. Remember, remember!"

This was the only loophole. Xu Fuyan would definitely ask Xu Yao about this when he got home, so Wen Liang wanted to brief the little girl to prevent any mishaps.

Xu Yao looked at Wen Liang. His smile was as usual, his eyes clear and bright, as if they could see a touch of warmth that moved her heart. Her face suddenly turned red, and she lowered her head, saying softly, "I know!"

As always, without asking for reasons or explanations, Xu Yao, who was not stupid and had far more intelligence than her peers, was fearless and without hesitation—what he asked her to do, she would do!

Wen Liang smiled, turned to Ning Xiaoning, and gave her a thumbs up, praising her clever and perceptive mind. Ning Xiaoning held her head high, with a look of disdain, adding a touch of allure.

The group entered the operation room, and Li Shengli had already adapted to the rhythm of talking to Xu Fuyan. He explained the production process, ingredient ratios, hygiene standards, and delivery system, clearly and concisely, making Xu Fuyan nod frequently. Especially when he heard that Li Shengli had resigned from his job at the agricultural machinery factory due to poor performance, failed once, learned from his mistakes, and was determined to make Qinghe Soy Milk a symbol of Qingzhou's breakfast industry, providing "healthy breakfast, safe breakfast" for ordinary people, Xu Fuyan was very pleased. He personally went to the front desk, bought soy milk, fried dough sticks, scallion pancakes, and egg pancakes, giving one set to each staff member, and sat in the first row of chairs facing the door, taking a sip.

In October, Qingzhou was already chilly. The soy milk, smooth and sweet, flowed down his throat, and the warm but not intense warmth slowly spread through his body, dispelling the cold. Xu Fuyan smiled, holding the paper cup to his face, and said to Li Shengli, "It's good!"

A staff member with a camera accurately captured this moment, quickly pressing the shutter, and the flash disappeared.

Wen Liang had been closely watching his expression. Hearing the "it's good" comment, he secretly kicked Li Shengli. Li Shengli suddenly realized, clapped hard, and thanked, "To get Secretary Xu's praise is an honor for all of us at Qinghe Soy Milk. Please rest assured, Qinghe Soy Milk will not let you down, serving the people, serving the masses, and contributing to Qingzhou's economic development."

Wei Gang swallowed the soy milk without tasting it. What a joke, "all of us," there were only two or three employees; what a joke, "contributing to Qingzhou's economic development," with you, all of Qingzhou would become beggars. He had planned to humiliate Li Shengli and then have someone shut down this破店, but unexpectedly, neither of these things happened, and he was even humiliated by a little brat. He couldn't do anything to Xu Fuyan, so he vented all his anger and frustration on Wen Liang, his eyes flashing with a sinister look.

The group finished their portions like hungry wolves, and it was unclear how many were just pretending. Wei Gang definitely forced himself to finish. The secretary treated them, and he would swallow it even if it killed him! Xu Fuyan left without staying, getting into his car. Although the crisis caused by Xu Yao had passed, Wen Huiming still needed to explain the situation to Xu Fuyan first, and didn't even have time to brief Wen Liang, following closely behind.

As soon as the convoy left, the crowd outside rushed in. Some who were close to the entrance had heard Xu Fuyan say "it's good." In China, the idea of officials being superior is deeply ingrained, and even ordinary people subconsciously want to be associated with high officials. Even sitting in the same position and eating the same food in the same restaurant could add a bit of glory to their own faces.

It must be said that, intentionally or unintentionally, Qinghe Soy Milk had done a great advertisement, and the best part was that the endorser was completely free.

Wen Liang naturally didn't dare to use Xu Fuyan for publicity; doing so would be a sign of either a lack of brain development or a desire for a short business life. The method was simple: have Wen Huiming write an article about today's event, extending from Xu Fuyan's concern for re-employment of laid-off workers to the overall reform of Qingzhou's state-owned enterprises. Once the theme was set, mentioning Qinghe Soy Milk wouldn't seem out of place, avoiding Xu Fuyan's possible disgust. Then, pair it with the photo and the "it's good" comment, and publish it on the front page of the Qingzhou Daily. The fame of Qinghe Soy Milk would spread like wildfire!

Outside, the crowd was noisy and lively, and Wen Liang, who hated such chaos, hid in the operation room, resting his chin on his hand, deep in thought. Suddenly, someone heavily patted his shoulder, making his entire arm feel numb. Turning around, he saw Wei Gang holding a cup of soy milk, with a middle-aged man and a few other agricultural machinery factory workers standing nearby.

Wei Gang smiled and said, "Wen Liang, I never thought you were so good with words. But do you know Fang Zhongyong? Early intelligence doesn't always end well."

Wen Liang knew Wei Gang would seek revenge for today's humiliation, but he didn't expect him to lack the patience to wait a few days. As soon as he saw Xu Fuyan and his father leave, he couldn't wait to regain some face from him.

This man is no longer to be feared!

Meng Shanshui had overestimated Wei Gang. This guy had apologized to Wen Liang out of fear of Xu Fuyan's authority, not out of patience or consideration for the bigger picture. Once Xu Fuyan left, his fear disappeared, and he regretted his earlier performance. It was just a small matter; if he had stood firm, what could Xu Fuyan do? If his cowardly behavior reached Zhou Yuanting's ears, then...

This thought made his inner anger uncontrollable, especially after losing face in front of the agricultural machinery factory workers. If he didn't regain some respect, how could he maintain his authority in front of them in the future!

Wen Liang saw through his dirty thoughts with just one glance and coldly laughed, "I never thought you, Director Wei, were a man of culture. But it's a pity; even if Fang Zhongyong was smart, he was still better than some people who are stupid like pigs all their lives."

Want to pick a fight? Sorry, I have thorns!

Li Shengli and Zhao Jianguo were talking in the outer room but were secretly watching this side. Seeing the two men's expressions change, they immediately came over. Li Shengli, who valued harmony, didn't want to offend Wei Gang further and smiled, "Director Wei, how does the soy milk taste? Is it to your liking?"

Zhao Jianguo quickly smoothed things over, "Very good, very good. Director Wei is known for his taste in food. If he praises your soy milk, the name Qinghe will soon be known throughout Qingzhou."

Wen Liang watched coldly; their efforts were in vain! There are always people who think they are born to be above others. Your tolerance and humility only make them more arrogant, with no other use.

Sure enough, Wei Gang picked up the cup, turned it in his hand, and then, in front of Wen Liang, spilled the entire cup of soy milk on the ground.

"Such a thing, even pigs wouldn't drink it. You think you can get away with it just because someone is backing you? This shop will be closed within a month!"

With a bang, the soy milk cup hit the ground, splashing white droplets into the air.

Although this was more of a threat than a reality, Li Shengli was still trembling with anger, pointing at him, "You... you, Secretary Xu said it was good, and you dare to say such things? You..."

Wei Gang glanced at him and said disdainfully, "Do you think you can use Secretary Xu as a shield? Tell you, in Qingzhou, there are things he can't decide!"

Wen Liang really wanted to laugh. This is the world, this is the bureaucracy. Even if Xu Fuyan could suppress Wei Gang on the spot, before he established absolute authority, you can never imagine the limits of arrogance and tyranny!

And Wei Gang wasn't afraid of them reporting to Xu Fuyan. If he denied it or turned it around, Xu Fuyan would still be half-believing, with no way to deal with it.

Verbal disputes are the origin of most conflicts, but they can never be brought to the table as a means of punishment.

"Go tell your mother Ding Mei that the agricultural machinery factory will soon have a large-scale layoff. She's old, so she should think more about the future!"

The middle-aged man, who had forgotten his earlier fear, clicked his tongue, "Ding Mei is good at her job and had a good chance of staying, but now it's all over. What a pity, what a pity!"

At this time, most state-owned enterprise workers were still dreaming of a secure job, trying hard to keep their positions, but they didn't know how many enterprises would be shut down and how many people would be laid off in the coming years. The agricultural machinery factory was a broken place, and Wen Liang had long stopped caring, but Wei Gang's words finally enraged him.

Ding Mei was right to call Wei Gang despicable and of low character!

Wen Liang smiled and picked up a cup of soy milk from the nearby table. In the incredulous gaze of everyone, he poured it all over Wei Gang's face. Li Shengli was stunned, Zhao Jianguo was dumbfounded, and even the articulate middle-aged man was shocked, his mouth hanging open for a long time. As for the other ordinary workers watching, their minds went blank.

Who was Wei Gang? A 32-year-old deputy director, the acting deputy director of the agricultural machinery factory, the surefire choice for the deputy director of the Light Industry Bureau, a key reserve cadre favored by Zhou Yuanting, and a shining political star in Qingzhou! And Wen Liang, a student in Class 13 of Qingzhou's First High School, who hadn't even made it to the class committee, had just poured soy milk on Wei Gang's face in front of everyone!

Accompanying the soy milk was an even more shocking declaration: "In one month, I'll make sure you can't go to the Light Industry Bureau, and you'll lose your position as factory director! Remember, one month!"

This was still a threat, but it was incredibly realistic!