Chapter 39

Although Wan Dewu was terrified after being caught for "speculation and profiteering," he never gave up the idea of making big money through large-scale business.

Three months ago, Wan Dewu leased this place and opened a music teahouse. Of course, he couldn't afford to hire singers, so he used a tape recorder to play music. He also had a karaoke system with a microphone and a small speaker for guests to sing themselves.

The central area of the teahouse was indeed a dance floor, which was considered illegal. At that time, the higher-ups had not yet given a clear stance on commercial dance halls. Although coastal open cities like Wushan were more relaxed, they were not completely open, and the approval process was very strict. Wan Dewu's business license stated "music teahouse," but now it had the function of a dance hall, which was naturally a violation.

However, Wan Dewu was quite familiar with both the former and current chief of the border defense station, Tan Qiang. Both chiefs turned a blind eye to it. But today, he unexpectedly ran into Director Lu, who had recently been promoted to Commissioner. Wan Dewu knew about Lu's promotion and was very grateful to him, but he was also extremely afraid.

Tan Qiang had actually approached him about the dance floor issue, asking him to make corrections within a certain period. But Wan Dewu was very busy at the time. The central government's policies had relaxed, and the crackdown on speculation and profiteering had eased, especially in Wushan. The office for cracking down on speculation and profiteering was virtually defunct. Wan Dewu had already registered a trading company and was busy with its affairs.

Tan Qiang was easy to talk to, and Wan Dewu's plan was to come back, flatter him, and muddle through the issue of the dance hall. After all, the policies were changing rapidly, and many things that were illegal yesterday were legal today. In Wushan, the municipal committee had issued several documents instructing law enforcement agencies to support and protect new things and be tolerant of new economic activities. Therefore, commercial venues were usually given some leeway. The social environment had changed dramatically, and it was already worlds apart from four months ago when Wan Dewu was taken to the office for cracking down on speculation and profiteering.

So, Wan Dewu wasn't very concerned about the rectification of the music teahouse. But he didn't expect to run into Director Lu, who made him tremble with fear as soon as he returned yesterday. The smirking Du, the chief of the police station, also made his legs tremble.

Lu Zhen, however, smiled and waved him over. "Old Wan, come, sit here. Let's chat. I heard you started a trading company. Is this music teahouse also yours?"

Wan Dewu had no choice but to smile and cautiously approach, calling out, "Director Lu," and then he didn't dare to speak much.

Tan Qiang chuckled inwardly, thinking, "Old Wan, Old Wan, you can only fool me, playing tricks every day. Now what? Seeing Director Lu, you immediately become a孙子 (grandson)?"

Lu Zhen, however, asked about his trading company with genuine concern. When he heard that Wan Dewu had just imported a batch of bicycles from Tianjin and signed a contract with the department store for consignment sales, he nodded slightly and said, "Now, anything you do can make money, but Old Wan, when you have more capital, think about doing something substantial. That's the industry that benefits the country and the people."

Wan Dewu nodded repeatedly. When he saw Lu Zhen turn to talk to someone else, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly became the server, pouring tea and wine for everyone.

As everyone was chatting and laughing, the music suddenly stopped. Two customers had entered from outside and gestured to the young waiter at the bar to turn off the dual-cassette recorder.

"What kind of lousy place is this?" The customer in the lead was a young man in his early twenties, with slicked-back hair, a double-breasted suit, and black leather shoes. His accent was slightly different from the local dialect, indicating he was from Wushan City.

Since the mid-1980s, when some of the central leaders started appearing in public in suits, and the Central Secretariat Secretary wrote to the Ministry of Light Industry in early 1984, advocating the wearing of suits, two-in-one shirts, skirts, and cheongsams, the popularity of suits quickly spread across the country. This year, the market for suits was even in short supply.

In many people's eyes, suits represented fashion and modernity, while Lenin-style and military-style clothing, like what Lu Zhen wore, were considered old-fashioned.

So, the city man in the suit looked at Lu Zhen's table with disdain, clearly thinking, "A bunch of country bumpkins."

"Hey, who's the boss here?" the man in the suit asked condescendingly.

Wan Dewu glanced at Lu Zhen, then quickly stood up with a smile. "Gentlemen, I am the owner of this humble establishment. How may I assist you?" As a businessman, he knew that customers were always right, and he had to greet them with a smile, no matter how much he disliked them. He had even seen people he disliked ten times more and still made them feel comfortable.

The man in the suit was satisfied that Wan Dewu called him "sir" instead of "comrade" and grunted in approval. "Do you have karaoke tapes? Can we sing?"

"Yes, yes, we have Hong Kong and Taiwan pop songs." Wan Dewu said, giving a subtle nod to the young waiter. "Xiaohong, bring out the tapes for this gentleman to choose from."

The man in the suit waved his hand dismissively. "No need, just find me 'A Drunkard's Lament,' I'll sing a few lines to warm up."

Behind the man in the suit was another young man with a pimply face who didn't talk much but kept glancing at Lu Zhen's table, specifically at Wei Xiangxiu.

Wei Xiangxiu was annoyed and glared at him fiercely, scaring the pimply man into averting his gaze. It took a very confident man to hold the gaze of a beauty like Wei Xiangxiu, who exuded a strong allure.

The man in the suit had his beer and snacks brought to the table next to Lu Zhen's. The pimply man, with his head down, sat down but didn't dare to look at Wei Xiangxiu.

The music soon started again. The man in the suit grabbed the microphone, struck a pose, and Tan Qiang couldn't help but laugh, spitting out his beer.

The man in the suit had a decent voice and had modified some of the tune, giving it a unique flavor. It seemed he had some talent.

When the man in the suit finished singing, the pimply man clapped loudly and cheered, clearly a lackey.

The man in the suit walked back to his seat, then took a few steps toward Lu Zhen's table. He extended his hand to Wei Xiangxiu with a gentlemanly smile. "Miss, may I introduce myself? My name is Ma Wenge, from Wushan City." He added, "Miss, please don't misunderstand, I'm not a hooligan. I teach music and have composed several songs. The city is preparing for the 35th anniversary of the founding of the country, and one of the songs is mine."

The man in the suit paused and continued, "I noticed you from outside and really wanted to be your friend. If I hadn't seen you, I wouldn't have come in. And I'm not as shallow as you might think. The music teahouses in Wushan are all very nice, so I was surprised when I came in. I..."

Wei Xiangxiu, who was already annoyed about the housing issue, had no interest in listening to his long speech. She cut him off impatiently, "I have no interest in being your friend." She was in no mood to care about this arrogant city boy. He was clearly a pampered child from the city, perhaps with some talent, but what did he know about anything?

The man in the suit awkwardly withdrew his hand but kindly reminded Wei Xiangxiu, "Miss, you should button up your shirt. I noticed it from outside..."

Because of the heat, Wei Xiangxiu's light blue denim shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a tight white bra. Her ample chest seemed ready to burst out, enticing and alluring.

Before the man in the suit could finish, Wei Xiangxiu was furious. "Are you crazy?" she shouted. "Some lunatic just wants to ruin my good mood. Wasn't this for Director Lu to see?"

The man in the suit, embarrassed, returned to his table.

Wei Xiangxiu, now, had to button up her denim shirt, which only made her look more youthful and beautiful.

"Director Lu, can I sing a song too?" Wei Xiangxiu stood up with a smile.

Tan Qiang immediately applauded and cheered.

Wei Xiangxiu gracefully walked to the dance floor, whispered a few words to the waiter, and when the music started, she held the microphone with both hands and said, "I dedicate this song 'Sweet Honey' to my leader, Mr. Lu Zhen, hoping that my leader will have success in both love and career." Her voice, imitating a Hong Kong or Taiwan accent, was sweet and charming.

Tan Qiang, Jiao Lei, and Du Xiaohu all cheered loudly. Wang Yuguo glanced at Lu Zhen, who was smiling, and then joined in the applause.

"Sweet honey, I smile sweetly, like flowers blooming in the spring breeze, blooming in the spring breeze..."

Wei Xiangxiu's voice was sweet, and her gestures were even sweeter. Every movement, every glance, was full of charm.

When she finished her song, Tan Qiang and the others applauded even more enthusiastically. If it weren't for the fear of being seen as corrupted by capitalism, they might have whistled.

Wei Xiangxiu smiled and walked back to the table, picked up her glass, and said to Lu Zhen, "Leader, I'll toast you again."

Lu Zhen smiled and waved his hand. "You've had enough today. Don't drink anymore."

Wei Xiangxiu nodded and obediently sat down.

The man in the suit at the next table watched with envy and anger, his eyes blazing. He heard that the rough-looking man with calloused hands at the neighboring table was some kind of leader or director. It was ridiculous, a country bumpkin with a small position.

And this girl, fawning over authority, was not a good person, just a flirt. What a waste of his time.

The man in the suit got angrier the more he thought about it. He couldn't maintain his composure and suddenly shouted at Wei Xiangxiu's table, "Miss, do you want to go to Wushan City? If you come over and drink this glass of beer, I'll transfer your household registration to Wushan! I promise!"

He pointed to a full glass of beer on the table and, to make sure Wei Xiangxiu believed him, added, "The police station is next door. If you don't believe me, come inside and I'll call your county office to show you I can do it."

Facing a group of country bumpkins, the man in the suit had no qualms. The urban-rural gap was huge, and deep down, he didn't consider these people human. How attractive was a city household registration? He was sure he could win over this sweet and flirtatious girl.

Wei Xiangxiu was polite to Lu Zhen, but that didn't mean she was submissive. Even with Wang Yuguo, she wasn't particularly friendly. As for a stranger from Guangning, she cared even less. What did it matter if he was from the city? She had studied in the city before, and all men were the same.

Being questioned like this in front of Lu Zhen made her feel cheap. She knew that in any man's eyes, a cheap woman was worthless.

"You must be from Qinglong Mountain! Filthy hooligan!" Wei Xiangxiu picked up her glass and poured the full glass of beer on the man in the suit's face. If it weren't for maintaining her image in front of Lu Zhen, she might have slapped him. As a female police officer, was she not a police officer?

The man in the suit, drenched in beer, stood up in shock, splashing the liquid off his body. His lackey hurried to help.

"You, you, you'll pay for this..." The man in the suit pointed at Lu Zhen's table, but he didn't dare to make a move. The country bumpkins at the table looked tough and dangerous.

With that, the man in the suit and his lackey hurriedly left.

Wei Xiangxiu sneered, "What a creep!"

Lu Zhen smiled. "Sister Xiangxiu, you're fierce and powerful!"

Wang Yuguo and the others laughed.

"Alright, it's time to go!" Lu Zhen checked his watch; it was past nine.

Everyone stood up. Wang Yuguo and Du Xiaohu vied to pay the bill, but Lu Zhen said, "Let Xiaohu pay." If Wang Yuguo paid, it would end up in the public account.

Wan Dewu insisted on treating them, despite Lu Zhen's frown, he refused to take the money from Du Xiaohu. He believed that a smiling face would never be hit, and a gift would never be refused. Not accepting the money would not make him look bad.

Just as they were in a commotion, someone outside shouted, "Who splashed my brother Wenge? Here?!" A group of about seven or eight people rushed in, led by a muscular man. The pimply man pointed at Lu Zhen's group and shouted, "It's them, it's them!" He looked like a lackey who had found his boss.

"Damn it, beat them up!" The muscular man waved his hand, and his followers charged forward.

But they stopped abruptly, like a movie scene on pause, as Du Xiaohu and Tan Qiang drew their guns. Du Xiaohu, following police protocol, pointed his gun at the ceiling, while Tan Qiang's gun was directly aimed at the muscular man.

Nowadays, police station chiefs were all armed and usually carried their guns at all times. Du Xiaohu and Tan Qiang, both former soldiers, were fond of their guns. Du Xiaohu, especially, had been carrying a gun since his clash with the industrial and commercial law enforcement team, first using Lu Zhen's and now his own.

Seeing the group's demeanor and the presence of Director Lu and a woman, Wang Yuguo and Xiao Jiao, who didn't seem like fighters, Tan Qiang and Du Xiaohu instinctively drew their guns, though they itched to fight.

"What are you doing?" The muscular man, facing the gun, broke into a sweat but tried to remain calm.

The pimply man, the lackey, had already crouched on the ground, covering his head.

"Who the hell are you?" Tan Qiang said, pulling out a police whistle and blowing it.

Seeing the police whistle, the muscular man seemed to relax. "Are you from the criminal investigation team or the border defense station? I'm Captain Wang Shengjun of the Qinglong Joint Defense Team. We're all Qinglong joint defense members, here for military training. Put your guns down, don't make things worse!" His tone became more relaxed and threatening.

"Shut up and get down!" Tan Qiang ignored him, walked up, and kicked the muscular man in the knee, almost making him kneel. "All of you, get down!" Tan Qiang's gun swept around, and the joint defense members, mostly recruited militiamen or street toughs, who had some training but had never seen such a scene, all put their hands on their heads and crouched down.

Outside, the sound of marching feet was heard, and five or six armed police in green uniforms rushed in