Chapter 396: Chapter 322: Begging (Seeking Subscriptions!)_1 Dou Jiao gave a brief introduction to the people Tang Qing would be meeting with as they walked. Tang Qing took a mental note quickly. They arrived at a box on the third floor. Opened the door. A big round table was visible. Five people were already seated, orderly based on seniority, and their seats were well defined. Tang Qing only recognized two people, Feng Hai, the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of Qingyan City, and his son Feng Sen. The others were presumably Feng Sen’s mother and Dou Jiao’s maternal grandparents. Feng Sen’s mother was named Chu Qian, a department head in the Qingyan City Education Bureau, who held a position with little responsibility and close to home. Dou Jiao’s grandparents were both retired and spent their time tending to plants in their house. Her grandfather, Cui Guangming, used to be one of the powerful figures in the province. Despite having retired many years ago, he still carried a strong sense of officialdom. They were all dressed formally but in a very simple way, without any showy luxurious items. However, their demeanor was not to be underestimated. Of course, except for Feng Sen, who was busy munching on fruits with no regard for his image. Feng Sen brightened up upon seeing Tang Qing. "Brother Tang, long time no see, come sit here." With that, he patted the chair beside him. He was glad to have a fellow young person to chat with. The others were curiously eyeing this ’outsider,’ Tang Qing. Generally, outsiders wouldn’t be invited to such a meal, but Jiaojiao inadvertently mentioned Tang Qing to her grandmother —an adopted brother who also happens to know Pan Yue and Feng Sen. Upon learning that he’s Dou Jiao’s boss, they had long wished to meet him. In the end, Dou Jiao’s grandfather decided to invite Tang Qing to get acquainted and assess him, to ensure he was not a sinister character who was approaching Dou Jiao for their influence. Cui Guangming, having met many people throughout his life, could generally gauge a person’s character by initial contact. "Go away. Whiz kid’s gonna sit by us." laughed Dou Jiao, pulling Tang Qing over to her side. There’s only seniority here, no employee-boss hierarchy, hence, Tang Qing naturally sat at the end. "Then I’m going to sit by Brother Tang too." Feng Sen sat next to Tang Qing after his declaration and also grabbed a fruit basket in the process. "Brother Tang, have some fruit." Feng Sen offered earnestly. "Thank you." Tang Qing picked up an apple and placed it on the dish before him. "No need for formalities, it’s my duty. I plan to follow your lead from now on." Feng Sen murmured. "Just focus on your studies, do what needs to be done. No need to be part of any clique." "Yes, yes, yes, what Brother Tang said is insightful." The formal introductions were made. By this time, most of the food was served. Dou Jiao’s grandfather began to speak, weaving a complex web of polite conversation. However, his wife quickly halted his monologue, shifting the focus to introductions. Tang Qing, being the junior here, was naturally the last one to be introduced, this time thoroughly, not just by name as previously. "Let me introduce him to everyone. His name is Tang Qing; he’s my adopted brother and my boss. I rely on him to make a living. His character is impeccable. I won’t mention any company secrets, but our young boss is very rich," Dou Jiao introduced. Ordinary. Almost as if nothing substantial was said. After the introduction. Tang Qing, of course, paid respects to everyone by toasting, even if he didn’t enjoy it. One has to adhere to Chinese etiquette and ceremonial formalities, which he initially dismissed, thinking it was all about personal preference. After many encounters, though, he realized that certain protocols are necessary. "Your uncle is Qin Yugang, right?" Feng Hai suddenly asked. "Yes, I’m surprised that Secretary Feng still remembers me," Tang Qing admitted with a smile. "Of course, I remember. I was saying that you looked familiar. We met at a restaurant last year. You’re a very spirited young man, impressive. Jiaojiao told me a lot about you. You’re not stingy with your money, owning many subsidiary companies, some even quite big. To my knowledge, Sheng Tang Apparel is one of your holdings. I’d like to ask where your money comes from. I’m not questioning you, but after all, your uncle is just a deputy division level official, he couldn’t possibly...." halfway through his statement, he was interrupted by Dou Jiao. Dou Jiao, with a displeased look, interjected: "Uncle, what are you saying? How could our young boss do anything bad?" Women often place trust unconditionally when they believe in something. Tang Qing felt grateful that Dou Jiao trusted and defended him. Sometimes women, when they become naïve, can indeed be quite adorable. Meanwhile, Feng Hai was left in a predicament. He already knew about Tang Qing’s details – information Cui Guangming had asked him to dig up to protect Dou Jiao from potential harm. That’s why he threw such a pointed question. Otherwise, why would he ever speak like that at this gathering? Tang Qing quickly replied, "Sister Jiao, it’s alright. Anyone would naturally be curious, especially those who care for you. I think I can explain it. Some of the money I borrowed from friends, some came from my second uncle’s help. You might not know, my second uncle has always been doing a large-scale jade and jewelry business in Thailand. I’m not exactly clear exactly how much money he has, ..." It’s really handy to have a rich second uncle. After all, Feng Hai wouldn’t be able to verify it. "Are you referring to the friend Liu Qian?" Feng Hai further queried. "No, as for who, it’s not convenient to say..." Tang Qing pretended to hesitate, but in his heart, he was deliberating on who would be the scapegoat. It seemed that Feng Hai came prepared, and without giving an explanation, it looked impossible to survive today’s session. "Why is it not convenient to talk about it..." Feng Hai frowned. Could it be he borrowed from loan sharks? He got it! "Perhaps you know Chai Ren from the Chai family in Beijing?" Tang Qing asked nonchalantly. "Chai Ren? Who’s that?" Feng Hai questioned. He had been working in Qingyan City and had never been out, so he naturally couldn’t tell the difference. But Dou Jiao’s grandparents weren’t inexperienced. Their faces changed when they heard the Chai Family and Chai Ren. "That’s enough, Little Tang. No need to say more. Little Hai, you stop asking too. This is their private matters." Cui Guangming cut in. "Ah, okay..." Feng Hai paused before responding. He looked at Tang Qing with a peculiar expression. Apparently, the elders recognized this family from Beijing. Feng Hai suddenly seemed to understand something, chose to keep quiet, realizing that this was indeed a private matter and it was already quite respectful to discuss it here. Tang Qing just smiled. It’s nice to have someone take the heat for you. "Little Tang, good job. You’re so capable at such a young age. If it’s Chai Ren, then I’m relieved..." Cui Guangming said, smiling. He also knew who Chai Ren was, the second master of the Chai Family, helping to manage a large part of the family’s assets. He was a decent person, not a spoiled second generation. Whoever could catch Chai Ren’s eye, must be of good character. They just didn’t know how deep the relationship was. "This kid is so obedient. Do you have a girlfriend? Grandma can introduce someone to you..." Girlfriend? Tang Qing looked a bit uncomfortable. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶 I’m only in senior high, can’t it be more straightforward? "Um, thank you, Grandma, but I already have a girlfriend." Tang Qing chuckled. He was most afraid of people arranging blind dates for him. Upon hearing the words "girlfriend," Feng Sen sitting to the side suddenly perked up. "Yeah, Tang Bro already has a girlfriend. She’s in our class too. They’ve grown up together, so you don’t need to worry, Grandma. Why not find someone for me instead?" Feng Sen said grinningly. "You? Straighten up first. Think about school instead of a girlfriend. If you were as capable as Little Tang, I’d introduce someone to you." His own child, needing a girlfriend? Introducing Tang Qing to a girlfriend was a way of maintaining relationships. "I see," he replied, a disappointed look on Feng Sen’s face. However, in his heart, he was beaming with pride. He was just joking around but he did have a girlfriend secretly, although there was a high probability that she wouldn’t be recognized by his family in the future. "By the way, Little Tang, you’re so rich. Why don’t you sponsor the front line police officers of the Public Security Bureau?" Forsaking the question of the source of Tang Qing’s money, Feng Hai instead tried to target his wallet. "Off you go, uncle. Don’t try to extort our young boss." Dou Jiao complained. "I wasn’t extorting. I was just asking for a share." Feng Hai replied with a hurt look. "That’s not allowed either. All of Sheng Tang’s money is invested in the new store opening. There’s no money for you, so don’t you think of targeting Sheng Tang or Sky Eye." Dou Jiao stubbornly retorted. As the General Manager of Sky Eye, she felt a natural affinity and sense of responsibility towards the subsidiary companies. She wanted to see them grow and solidify. She was really unwilling to part with any money. "Uh..." Feng Hai was speechless. His own little princess really is too outspoken, not even sparing some good tidings. "Secretary Feng, that’s not a problem. This week, I’ll have Sky Eye donate five million RMB to the Public Security Bureau of Qingyan City to purchase transportation tools. How does that sound?" Tang Qing proposed. Not giving anything would be unreasonable. And to prevent Liu Qian and his own uncle’s vehicles from being "borrowed" by the city bureau, he had to cough up the money. "Haha, that would be wonderful. Thank you, and I accept graciously." Feng Hai laughed. Although it was humiliating to ask for money from a younger relative, compared to improving the working conditions of their front-line police, saving face was worthless. Despite not being her money, Dou Jiao still felt the pain of spending five million. She looked around, her eyes lighting up. "Humph. Daring to bully my brother, I’ll bully your son then." Dou Jiao declared, heading to Feng Sen and began rubbing his ’stylish’ hair vigorously, messing it up in revenge for her. "Ah, sis, what did I do? I was just passing by." Poor Feng Sen screamed, not daring to resist. "Hahaha..." After a bit of teasing, Dou Jiao returned to her seat, leaving Feng Sen looking forlornly at his messy hair. "Secretary Feng, Sheng Tang Group will be having its inauguration ceremony in a few days. We hope you can grace the event with your presence." Tang Qing invited. "No problem, I’ve already received the invitation. I’ll definitely be there. Your Sheng Tang has gained a bit of fame nationwide recently. Keep up the good work and make Qingyan city proud. Ideally, make us internationally known." "No problem." The conversation turned back to its main topic. This meal was a meet-and-greet for Pan Yue and Dou Jiao’s relatives, not for Tang Qing to show off his wealth. The previous pros and cons were to see if Tang Qing was qualified enough to earn their approval. This kind of approval isn’t purely verbal but also represents their actions, determining the level of help Tang Qing would receive when he would turn to them in the future. As Pan Yue carefully dealt with the inquiries of the elders, fortunately, he was not a taciturn person. His social skills came into play after he got through his initial nervousness. Everyone was quite satisfied with Pan Yue, at least to a certain extent. They were well matched in status and there would be no ideological or lifestyle conflicts. For these kinds of families, the initial consideration for marriage is comprehensive. It’s not just about two people, it also represents the combination of interests behind them. These families are not ordinary ones, divorce is not a small matter. A careless step could lead to a struggle. They dare not play with it. P.S.: Next Chapter at ten.