Chapter 422: The Homeless Children
Leaving the Yuan Family’s villa, Tang Xiu then drove his car to the Magnificent Tang Corp’s HQ. On the way there, he produced a wry smile after Banshou called him. The man and his gang were waiting for him in Shanghai for a few days. After seeing him so busy, they immediately went back to Star City. Only today did Banshou contact him again.
New Garden.
It was formerly one of the tourist attractions on Star City’s outskirts, though it was now deserted.
After Tang Xiu drove there, he saw Banshou sitting while smoking on the stone block next to the gra.s.sy park entrance.
“You’ve come, Boss!”
Seeing Tang Xiu arriving, Banshou immediately trotted toward him.
“You told me on the phone that you settled the homeless children here, right?” Tang Xiu asked.
“Yea! Although this place is a little dilapidated, some of the houses are still intact.” Banshou said, “Dingzi and I bought daily necessities and hired several aunts to take care of the children, so it turned out pretty good.”
“Take me to see them.” Tang Xiu said.
Ten minutes later, Banshou and Tang Xiu came to a shabby house. The first thing that came to Tang Xiu’s sight were dozens of three to five year olds groups, merrily gathering around several middle-aged women. The oldest ones among them looked eight or nine years old, whereas the youngest was a baby held by a middle-aged woman.
“Boss, there are a total 45 children. All of them are homeless children. They didn’t have enough food and warm clothes to wear. They also didn’t have a fixed place to stay. We’ve bought these children food and new clothes, and also promised to provide them a place to stay and find someone who would be willing to adopt them so that they would have a home in the future. Hence, they come here with us.” Banshou, who once looked thuggish, now looked like a changed man at this moment. A complicated look could be seen in his eyes, and his words and manners were especially serious.
“You did a good job, Banshou.” Tang Xiu patted his shoulder.
Banshou forced a bitter smile and said, “Boss, the number of homeless children we’ve found is actually far more than these. Many of them, however, have disabilities. But like Boss has told me before, you wanted us to find healthy children, so we sent them to some orphanages, donating some money as well.”
“You are more mature than before, Banshou.” Tang Xiu said.
“After seeing so many poor children, I suddenly felt that the task you gave me is very honorable, Boss. It also touched my heart, with a realization that I can do more and better than living aimlessly as before.” Banshou said.
“You’re right. What I tasked you to do is an endeavor and a cause for you.” Tang Xiu nodded and said, “I’ll send some people over tonight to take these children, while you continue to look for other homeless children. You don’t have to worry about anything, I’ll give you five million later. Immediately contact me if you come across any trouble.”
“Where are you going to take them, Boss?” Banshou asked hesitantly.
“You don’t need to know where I’ll take them.” Tang Xiu said lightly, “But shortly put, you can rest a.s.sured that I’ll treat them kindly and give them a different future.”
“Shall I take you to see the children, Boss?” Banshou nodded.
“All right.” Tang Xiu nodded.
Banshou then came before the children, clapped and shouted, “Children, all of you follow me like I asked you, and immediately stand in line. Several aunties, you can go to rest first. I’ll call you again if there’s anything.”
The middle-aged women hesitated before nodding, handing over the baby to Dingzi who came over and then left silently.
Tang Xiu watched the children scurrying around noisily as they then quickly stood in three rows. Curiosity was painted on their faces as they looked at him curiously. Tang Xiu then stepped forward and said in a deep voice, “All of you, remember my face. I’m your Boss from now on. From now onwards, I’ll provide the food you will eat, the clothes you will wear, and the houses you’ll be staying. You will also be able to study and learn. Remember, you had no home before, so I’ll give you homes in the future. A home that can make you not worry about food and clothing, and a home that you can grow old without worries and troubles.”
All the 45 children quietly watched Tang Xiu. No one spoke or moved heedlessly. They seemed to understand Tang Xiu’s words, yet didn’t comprehend it. However, they understood one thing -- Tang Xiu was willing to adopt them and give them a home.
After saying that, Tang Xiu then took out his mobile and dialed Kang Xia’s number, “Prepare a bus and send it to the New Garden. I’ll text you the specific address in a while.”
“All right!” Kang Xia replied quickly.
Tang Xiu ended the phone call and made a hand signal to Banshou and Dingzi. As the two men came toward him, Tang Xiu then said, “Later on, you two will be looking for other homeless children; after which, send them over directly to my place in Shanghai. I’ll give you the address, but do remember that you must test each child you send me; you’re not to miss testing their characters.”
“Got it, Boss!” Banshou nodded and said, “Among these 45 children, apart from a four year old, we tested everyone else. They are very sensible and obedient. We even discovered that these children are far more mature than their peers as well.”
“It is said that children from the poor households have to manage their family earlier, hence the hards.h.i.+ps of life force these poor families’ children to grow up faster.” Tang Xiu sighed, “These children understand how to cherish and treasure the days of happiness, for they have gone through dest.i.tute and miserable lives. Work hard and do your best! You are saving souls.”
“We’re doing only you’ve ordered us, Boss. It’s you who really give them new life. You are the really good man here.” Banshou said with a smile.
Lightly smiling, Tang Xiu said, “Tell them to pack up their things! The bus will soon come to pick them up.”
Banshou let out a forced, wry smile, “I kinda hate to part with them, Boss.”
“They will surely remember you in the future.” Tang Xiu chuckled and said, “If you do well in following me, there will be time for you to see them again.”
"Ok!"
Nodding heavily, Banshou then strode toward the children.
Standing where he was, Tang Xiu watched Banshou’s back and secretly sighed inwardly. Life was really akin to a grindstone, by which Banshou and Dingzi’s pointedness was to be grounded and worn away. They used to be thugs, yet they were now more mature.
Tang Xiu was even thinking that, a few years later, if Banshou and Dingzi did well, kept loyal and devoted to him, he would go a step further to cultivate them.
More than an hour later, a bus had parked at the New Garden’s entrance. As its door opened, Kang Xia led two senior executives of Magnificent Tang Corp and quickly greeted Tang Xiu.
“We’ve arrived, Boss!”
In front of outsiders, Kang Xia didn’t show any intimacy toward Tang Xiu and maintained a respectful look on her flawless face.
Nodding at her in response, Tang Xiu then took out his mobile phone to call Banshou. Quickly, Banshou, Dingzi, and several others brought out the children.
“Tell them to get on the bus!”
Kang Xia and two senior executives of Magnificent Tang Corps looked confused and lost. Clueless and confused, Kang Xia said, “Boss, these children are…”
“I’m adopting these homeless children, and am preparing to set up new places for them.” Tang Xiu said lightly, “Let’s go! We’ll slowly talk on the road.”
“All right!” Kang Xia nodded.
Under Kang Xia’s arrangement, the two senior executives of Magnificent Tang Corp took the children to board the bus, while Tang Xiu came to the Land Rover SUV and took a seat. As the two cars started, Tang Xiu asked while driving, “Are those two senior executives of our company who come with you reliable and trustworthy?”
“Yeah. They are new staffs I’ve recruited from when the Magnificent Tang Corp was just established.” Kang Xia nodded and said, “Their previous jobs were kind of bad, and their lives were not that well-off before. You can say that our company has changed their lives, so they have a strong sense of belonging and responsibility to our company.”
“All right. Tell them both to send the children to Jingmen Island’s Everlasting Feast Hall.” Tang Xiu nodded and said, “I’ve already contacted the Everlasting Feast Hall’s people there, so they will fetch them up midway.”
“Boss, you haven’t told me about adopting so many homeless children. What are you going to do with them?” Kang Xia curiously asked.
“I’ll foster and cultivate them.” Tang Xiu said indifferently.
“If you want to foster talents, you don’t have to look for such small children, right?” Kang Xia said, “Wouldn’t it take dozens of years to train them all as talents?”
“The most important thing for the talents I’m fostering is their loyalty.” Tang Xiu said, “Only by nurturing them from babies, branding the idea of loyalty deep in their minds, and engraving it inside their heart can they have the ability to be my competent helpers. Cultivating them may take a lot of time, as well as spending a lot of money, but I’m sure they won’t disappoint me in the future.”
After hearing it, Kang Xia suddenly shuddered. It was a kind of shock, timidity, and an inconceivable feeling that were fused into one.
Suddenly, she recalled those people from the Everlasting Feast Hall. Tang Xiu once said that those people were truly his own people who he could trust. She had already guessed about those people from the Everlasting Feast Hall at that time that, they were the same with these children. They should have been trained since childhood, shouldn’t they?
If it was so… then the Everlasting Feast Hall was an existence that was absolutely terrifying.
“Call those two! Tell them to escort the children and go directly to Jingmen Island.” Tang Xiu said, “Also, give the bus driver a bonus after the trip.”
After hearing it, Kang Xia immediately executed Tang Xiu’s instructions and told the two men. She then put her mobile away and asked, “Where do we go next, Boss?”
“Give me the contact details of those two, I’ll send it to the Everlasting Feast Hall’s people.” Tang Xiu said with a smile, “As for us, we’ll go directly to our company and attend the celebration party this evening.”
“Boss, you intend to attend the party dressed up like this?”
Upon hearing that they would go the banquet tonight, a charming smile immediately appeared on Kang Xia’s face.