Chapter 69

Chapter 25: Guo Liang, Also Known as Big Head Guo

When Fang Mingyuan and the others arrived at the Fang family restaurant, they saw Zhu Dajun, dressed in civilian clothes, sitting at a table by the entrance.

"Uncle Zhu, why are you here?" Fang Mingyuan's heart sank. The Zhu family and the Fang family were neighbors, and the two families got along well. Fang Sheng and he often played chess and drank together. Zhu Dajun had a son and a daughter; his daughter was studying in Pingchuan County, and his son, Zhu Fangjie, was in the same grade as Fang Mingyuan. Zhu Fangjie often troubled Fang Mingyuan for help with his studies, but he was not naturally suited for academics. Despite being tutored by Fang Mingyuan, his grades were only average. However, Zhu Dajun was already very grateful to Fang Mingyuan. He knew what his son was capable of, and being able to rank in the middle of the class without failing and being called to the teacher's office frequently was something to be thankful for. After all, he was now the deputy chief of the town police station and would soon be transferred to the county to serve as deputy director. Zhu Dajun cared a lot about his reputation.

"Fang Bo asked me to come and sit here, worried that those young guys might cause trouble," Zhu Dajun said solemnly. "Mingyuan, let's talk while sitting down." Fang Mingyuan asked Zhao Ya to take the others to the other side to eat, then pulled a chair over and sat next to Zhu Dajun.

From Zhu Dajun, Fang Mingyuan learned that a few people from Pingchuan County had come this afternoon, wanting to buy shares in the Fang family restaurant.

"See that minivan? That's what they drove here," Zhu Dajun said, pointing outside. Fang Mingyuan then saw a white minivan parked on the opposite side of the road. In 1988, a white minivan was a symbol of status, much like how you couldn't treat the village chief as just an ordinary villager.

"Are they not legitimate people?" Fang Mingyuan asked tentatively. If they were legitimate, why would Zhu Dajun need to be here?

"Um, how to say it... They are neither entirely legitimate nor entirely part of the underworld. They are people who operate in the gray area between the two. Although the bureau has always suspected that he has ties with some underworld figures, there is no solid evidence. Moreover, he has close ties with some leaders in the county, so the bureau can only watch helplessly," Zhu Dajun said with disgust. Having worked in the police force for so many years, he could easily discern the truth behind the scenes, but with the protection of the leaders, without ironclad evidence, the police were powerless. Fang Mingyuan nodded slightly; such situations were not uncommon in the future, and he could understand them.

However, Fang Mingyuan found such people the most troublesome. They operated in both the legitimate and underworld spheres, and unless you had an overwhelming advantage in one of these areas, they were the most annoying.

Guo Liang, also known as Big Head Guo, was a well-known figure in Pingchuan County. He owned two restaurants, a hotel, and two video halls. He was one of the first residents to become wealthy in Pingchuan. Recently, his restaurants had experienced some fluctuations in business, especially on weekends, with revenue dropping by nearly 20%. Guo Liang was puzzled because his two restaurants were considered top-notch in Pingchuan County, often chosen for official receptions. Moreover, there were no new restaurants opening in the county recently, so why was the revenue declining?

Soon, he found out. In the Hai Zhuang town of Pingchuan County, a restaurant called Fang Family Restaurant had recently introduced a dish called "Fish Head with Pancake," which received high praise in both Hai Zhuang and Pingchuan County, drawing away a portion of his customers. These customers were mostly wealthy or influential people. Guo Liang immediately became interested. In the restaurant business, like in other industries, it was necessary to continuously introduce new and delicious dishes to attract more customers and retain old ones. If the menu remained the same, people would eventually get tired of it. So, Guo Liang sent someone to secretly investigate the Fang Family Restaurant and found that the rumors were true. The Fang Family Restaurant's "Fish Head with Pancake" was indeed very popular and delicious, making it hard to forget once tasted. This piqued Guo Liang's interest.

"Fang Lao, everything has been said clearly. Which path will your family choose?" Guo Liang, with his shiny bald head, sat behind the table in a suit, playing with a small knife and trimming his nails. If you didn't know his true nature, you might think he was a successful businessman. Behind him stood two burly men with fierce expressions, and tattoos were visible on their wrists.

"We choose neither!" Fang Bin said angrily. When Guo Liang arrived, he presented two options to the Fang family: one was to pay 5,000 yuan to buy the cooking technique for "Fish Head with Pancake," after which the dish would have no connection to the Fang family, and the Fang Family Restaurant would not be allowed to sell it anymore; the second was to pay 20,000 yuan to acquire 60% of the Fang Family Restaurant's shares. This was not a business negotiation but a robbery! Even without the new investment from Zhao Jianguo, the Fang Family Restaurant was worth more than 40,000 yuan. Not to mention that 20,000 yuan was only the profit of the Fang Family Restaurant for two to three months!

Fang Lao pulled Fang Bin, who was about to speak again, and said sternly, "Mr. Guo, your interest in our small restaurant is an honor for the Fang family. But 20,000 yuan for 60% of our shares is too little, isn't it?"

Fang Bin's words did not faze Guo Liang at all. He just smiled at Fang Lao and said, "I believe that after so many years of ups and downs, you should understand what it means to know when to let go! Sometimes, stubbornness can bring disaster, while letting go can bring peace. When one gets old, a stable life is what matters, isn't it? The Fang family is already a wealthy family in Hai Zhuang. It's time to let go! Money is a good thing, but it only has meaning if you can enjoy it, isn't it?"

"Are you threatening my family?" Fang Lao's face turned red with anger.

"No, no, no, this is not a threat, just a statement of fact," Guo Liang said, stroking his bald head and smiling.

At this moment, one of Guo Liang's subordinates entered the room and whispered something in his ear. Guo Liang frowned and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely sure!" the subordinate replied firmly.

"Ha ha, since the future deputy director has intervened, we should give some face. Fang Lao, I'll give you half a month to consider. I'll come back in half a month! I hope you don't disappoint me then!" Guo Liang stood up with a smile and added, "By the way, I forgot to mention, your grandson is indeed very smart!"