Chapter 127: Conflict
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Mr. Xiao, you’re such an interesting man!” Luo Qi laughed as she looked at Xiao Luo with adoration.
Xiao Luo didn’t respond to her. He lifted his eyebrows and walked towards Zhang Hongda.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Zhang.”
Xu Guansong displayed an enthusiastic smile as he greeted Zhang Hongda, “My apologies for the long wait, Mr. Zhang. We are caught in traffic just now.”
Despite Zhang Hongda was in his middle-age, he had this prestigious temperament engraved amid his eyebrows although he was not showing any anger. He didn’t take off his sungla.s.ses, hence no one could tell whether within his eyes, was delight or irritation. But anyway, he wasn’t smiling, thus perhaps he was just being indifferent.
He turned his head to look at Xu Guansong and faintly responded, “You’ve come.”
“Yes yes, Mr. Zhang! We have come especially for our appointment with you.”
The smile on Xu Guansong’s face became even more fervent. He introduced Xiao Luo to Zhang Hongda, “This is Mr. Xiao Luo, the current boss of the Luo’s Workshop.”
“h.e.l.lo, Mr. Zhang!”
Xiao Luo smiled as he reached out his hands to Zhang Hongda.
Zhang Hongda didn’t shake his hands, nor did he even had the intention to shake hands with him in the first place. He glanced at him and turned away to look at the wide-ranging court ahead of him, leaving Xiao Luo unattended as he stood at the same place. He said, “I’ve long heard that the Luo’s Factory has welcomed yourselves a new boss, but I never expect him to be such so young. Given the little amount of experience he has, it is no wonder that the Luo’s Factory is constantly going backward.”
Upon hearing him, Luo Qi immediately became unhappy, “Our boss wants to shake hands with you, but you didn’t even bother to raise your hands, and even went on to belittle him with your speech, don’t you think that you’re being very discourteous?”
“Luo Qi, the bosses are talking now, do not interrupt,” Xu Guansong rebuked.
“But he’s being discourteous!” Luo Qi reb.u.t.ted with her hands placed at her waist.
Xu Guansong scolded, “We are talking about business now. Mr. Zhang’s order alone will decide the fate of Luo’s Workshop. We are in need of their help, so just lay down that att.i.tude of yours!”
Before they came, he already advised Xiao Luo to not bring along Luo Qi. Although she was a department head, her behavior was still like a little girl. She doesn’t know how to restrain herself nor observe somebody’s speech and expression. If she were to provoke Zhang Hongda, it would screw things up.
Luo Qi looked at Xiao Luo. After receiving Xiao Luo’s eye gesture, she kept quiet ever since.
“Little girl, Mr. Xu knows about things much better than you do. You should learn from him in this aspect, otherwise, you’ll easily land yourself in unfavorable situations!” Zhang Hongda extended one finger as he laughingly lectured her with the tone of an elder. Even though he was smiling, it still felt creepy.
“No unfavorable situations can come to her with me as her boss!”
Xiao Luo retracted his hands. He spoke softly, but with powerful retaliation and directness. He was not at all polite towards Zhang Hongda as he s.h.i.+fted the conversation topic, “Let’s talk about business. Mr. Zhang, you’ve always ordered your mooncakes from us. It has been so for three years. Why have you suddenly decided to not order your mooncakes from us this year? Could you give me a reason?”
“A reason?”
Zhang Hongda laughed coldly, “Our contract has already expired. Why can’t I pick a new supplier? Are you telling me that I need your consent to do this?”
“Of course you don’t need our consent. But since both sides have already worked together for three years, I would a.s.sume that we already have some emotional attachment. When you suddenly said that you won’t be ordering your mooncakes from us, Mr. Zhang, it is only fair for us to feel that you’re kicking us when we’re already down. Although the field of business is like a field of war, and no friends.h.i.+p, but everlasting benefit lasts forever, aren’t you afraid that you’ll tarnish your reputation by abandoning your original business partner just like that? Won’t the other companies need to consider a lot of things before cooperating with the f.u.ke Group in the future?” said Xiao Luo.
Zhang Hongda glanced at him and said playfully, “It is indeed that I’ve worked with Luo’s Workshop for three years. But I know Mr. Fang Changmiao. As for you, I’ve never heard your name before, nor am I aware of the extent of your capabilities. For me, you’re just a stranger. Do you think that I’ll handover an eight-million-dollar order to a stranger? Just ask anybody, and they’ll tell you that there’s no reason to do that.”
“The reason I’ve come today is for you, Mr. Zhang, to get to know me. I hope you could reconsider and re-opt for our supplies.”
“There’s no need for reconsideration. I’ve already talked to Mr. Fang of Taste Buds. From today onwards, the f.u.ke Group will only cooperate with Taste Buds,” Zhang Hongda made a clear-cut.
As soon as the words fell, a burst of hearty laughter came from the entrance.
As they turned towards the sound, there was a middle-aged man in a tuxedo and wearing gold-tinted gla.s.ses walking towards them with a cigarette in his hand and accompanied by several men who seemed like his bodyguards. His hairline was really high, thus exposing his entire forehead. His hair had evidently been dyed. It was so black that it s.h.i.+ned. He had a very blessed face, because it was very fleshy, of course.
Upon seeing the man, Zhang Hongda stood up immediately, took off his sungla.s.ses, and went towards him enthusiastically, “You are finally here, Brother Fang. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”
They shook hands, “Brother Zhang, I’m really sorry. Our country has become prosperous now and everyone owns a car. The roads are really congested. I apologize to have arrived late.”
“It’s fine. Come, have a seat and drink some tea. This is high-quality Longjing tea,” Zhang Hongda poured tea with a smile.
Compared to his att.i.tude towards Xiao Luo, it was literally the difference between the sky and the ground.
“He is Taste Bud’s boss,” Xu Guansong whispered by Xiao Luo’s ears.
Xiao Luo already knew him even without his introduction. Besides, Zhang Dashan had already arranged Fang Changlei’s information for him, alongside his photo.
“Oh? Isn’t this Luo’s Workshop’s deputy manager, Mr. Xu? Why are you here?”
In fact, Fang Changmiao had spotted Xiao Luo, Xu Guansong, and the rest for a long time. He was lifting his head and feigning to be surprised at this moment,
“They want me back.”
Zhang Hongda was pouring tea with a disgusted face, “But I’ll never work with a trash company that has food safety problems. It is worthless that they’ve come.”
Trash company?
Luo Qi couldn’t tolerate any longer. Zhang Hongda was a jerk from inside out. Putting his insulting speech aside, his att.i.tude towards them was straight up horrible. Seeing that Fang Changlei could sit down and have tea with him, her contained rage erupted. She shouted at Zhang Hongda, “You are the tras.h.!.+ Your whole family is tras.h.!.+”
The air in the vicinity dropped to freezing point. Xu Guansong’s face turned green as a voice sounded in his heart, “We’re screwed.”
Fang Changlei snorted, “What a poorly educated young lady! Give her a slap!”
When a bulky man in a tuxedo heard him, he stepped forward with a solemn face, raised his fan-like palm, and violently waved it towards Luo Qi’s face.
Luo Qi was terrified that her face turned pale. She never expected that these people would resort to slapping when they weren’t on the same page with somebody.
At this time, a giant hand with fair skin came from aside, stretched apart all five of its thin and long fingers, and grabbed the bulky man in black’s wrist. His fan-like hand halted mid-air and was hindered of motion.
Luo Qi took a closer look and couldn’t help being surprised and deeply moved. He gently called out with her lips, “Boss!”.
Xiao Luo grabbed the bulky man in black’s wrist as he stared at Fang Changlei chillingly, “I think I shall be the one to educate my people, Mr. Fang.”
“Oh?”
Fang Changmiao looked at Xiao Luo profoundly. He waved his hands, signaling the bulky man in black to step down. Then, he said with a face full of disdain, “I presume you’re Xiao Luo that took over Luo’s Workshop from Mr. Chu. I heard that two months ago, you were still a regular staff at Huahai Corporation. How lucky you must’ve been to have gained Mr. Chu’s favor and become Luo’s Factory’s boss. The phrase ‘reach the sky in a single bound’ refers exactly to people like you.”
Following a change of tone into that with deep contempt, “However, reaching the sky in a single bound isn’t a good thing at all. Conversely, one would fall badly, very badly!”