Chapter 988: People of the Past

The bustle in Night Tokyo continued, and the air inside was filled with the smell of food, wine, and burning tobacco.

Glasses clinked, and there was Fan Zong's laughter. He drank heartily; a small glass of white liquor went down in one gulp, not even needing to make a face like ordinary people drinking white liquor. He was a veteran comrade tested by alcohol.

"Oh my, I really didn't expect that one day I could eat and drink with Wang Laoban of Hongyun."

"Boss Fan, I'm a practical person. You've been flattering me for quite a while now. Let me make it clear to you first: you do clothing, and you say I'm the example you're learning from, then you should understand that my clothing business starts from the source of purchasing cotton, all the way to the final direct sales of finished garments, opening up the entire industrial chain."

"I can't use your knitting factory for production, nor can I stock your goods in my direct sales stores. We're eating, drinking, and making friends; you're not asking me for anything, so it's better to be more at ease."

"Wang Laoban is straightforward; no wonder his business is so big."

"Boss Fan is flattering me again." Wang Yan shook his head and laughed, "I made my business big first, then I became straightforward."

Fan Zong was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud: "Wang Laoban is truly practical. We small factories from small places have to beg for favors, find paths, and look for business; isn't that why we have to flatter? Come, come, come, Wang Laoban, I'll toast you again."

Wang Yan smiled, raised his glass, and drank with him.

Without a doubt, Fan Zong was a good businessman: talk about interests first, then make friends.

Talking about interests was because even after agreeing on a price with Boss Abao, after Li Li came out to stir up trouble, he chose to wait for a better offer. It was beneficial to himself, beneficial to the factory, and beneficial to the workers in the factory. It's just that the ending of the matter was a bit dramatic; his cargo volume was too large, and that Wei Hongqing couldn't handle it.

Making friends was when he later helped Miss Wang wholeheartedly when there was no intersection of interests, which was very honorable. He had the snobbery of a businessman, but also the loyalty not to kick someone when they were down. He was a very good person.

Seeing people and acting accordingly was, of course, inevitable, just like his interaction with Wang Yan. Flatter first, and after adapting to Wang Yan's style, talk realistically.

Putting down his glass, Fan Zong sighed: "Wang Laoban, you are an expert in clothing; I have to learn from you."

"There's nothing to learn. Generally speaking, it's just two points: one is sales channels, and the other is cost. What needs to be done sounds simple: it's to use good materials as much as possible while compressing costs, and make clothes with new styles and excellent quality."

"True insight." Fan Zong gave a thumbs up, then shook his head and sighed, "But it's easy to say and hard to do."

"Grasp production well, hold onto talent, be down-to-earth, and move steadily."

... Fan Zong felt there was a sentence he didn't know whether to say or not. After all, Wang Laoban had taken his clothing business domestic and international in less than three years, yet he still talked about being down-to-earth and moving steadily. It really made one want to offer some blessings...

He could only smile: "Wang Laoban is right, take it slow, it will always get better."

"Boss Fan, I see you are glowing, full of joy, and very spirited. Have you made any breakthroughs?"

"Wang Laoban is joking, my face turns red when I drink."

Wang Yan shook his head with a smile: "Glowing, not red-faced."

"Wang Laoban even knows how to read faces?"

"Who knows how to do that? It's a feeling, understand? I feel like you, Boss Fan, are currently in high spirits and blessed by the stars."

"Oh my, if Wang Laoban says so, then I'll have to go buy Hongyun clothes later." He leaned closer and whispered, "Wang Laoban, I won't hide it from you, the factory has indeed made some achievements. If done well, we can eat for a few years."

"Look, my feeling is very accurate."

"It's hard to say now. I have goods but no sales channels, which is why I came to find Boss Bao for cooperation. Boss Bao does foreign trade well, has an extraordinary relationship with Miss Wang at 27, and is even better at creating hype. Just like when Wang Laoban opened his first store on Nanjing Road, he directly gave away a car, bought news across the country, and Hongyun became an instant hit."

"Boss Fan, you only see my glory, not my hardship." Wang Yan said with a smile, "In fact, even now, the clothing business is losing money; it's all subsidized by other businesses."

"Wang Laoban is joking. Your business is so big, how could you still be losing money?"

"Look, you don't believe me even when I say it. The time I've been doing it is very short, but the stores have opened all over the country. How did I open them? I don't only have one factory in Shanghai, but five across the country, supplying according to regions, and there are upstream raw material purchases, as well as other textile factories and chemical fiber factories."

"I also specifically built a material research laboratory. The store employees, factory workers, logistics costs for nationwide distribution, and backlogged inventory from misjudging sales volume—isn't all this money?"

"I've only been in business for less than three years; where would I have so much money to develop? Isn't it all relying on various loans? It's not as glorious as you see. Only I know how difficult it is."

"That's me thinking too simply."

Fan Zong took a sip of alcohol and sighed, "We are a state-owned factory, doing textiles and garments. Business used to be easy to do. Raw materials were approved by superiors, production was based on demand, and there were so many state-owned shopping malls for sales channels; we never worried about not being able to sell."

"Since the opening up, life hasn't been easy. People are bringing in fashionable clothes from Hong Kong and Shenzhen, and national policies have changed bit by bit. Now we are also responsible for our own profits and losses. I spent a huge amount of effort to solve the wages of the people in the factory. It was not easy to make achievements, so I ran to Shanghai to find sales channels. Oh my, I've been in Shanghai for half a month, bumping around like a headless fly."

"Finally, at 27, I found Xiao Mei. Oh, her name is Mei Ping; Wang Laoban might not..."

"I know her, Miss Wang's friend. My export procedures for South Africa were handled by her. So it was Mei Ping who introduced you to Miss Wang, and Miss Wang introduced you to Boss Bao, and then you came to Night Tokyo."

"Yes." Fan Zong clapped his hands, "I just didn't expect Wang Laoban to be so familiar with Miss Wang. I never heard her mention it; Miss Wang is truly low-key."

Wang Yan laughed: "My clothing export procedures were all handled by Miss Wang. Letting Mei Ping handle the South Africa procedures was also because Miss Wang introduced Mei Ping to me."

"Oh my, that's me thinking too complicated. Wang Laoban and Boss Bao are friends, so everyone must know each other."

"Speaking of which, I haven't seen Miss Wang for a while. How is she now?"

"Miss Wang is, of course, doing very well. She is a person from 27; bosses from all over have to flatter her."

The two chatted for a while, and after a few glasses of alcohol, Wang Yan asked: "What arrangements does Boss Fan have for the future?"

Fan Zong touched his hair, feeling quite emotional: "I'll retire in a few years, what arrangements could I have for the future? I don't want anything else; if I can stand my last post well, I'll be satisfied. Honestly, Wang Laoban, I've been a machine repairman in the textile factory, all the way to the position of factory director. I've been doing it for forty years now. Sometimes I think, I really can't bear to part with it."

"The wheels of history roll forward, and the waves of the era come one after another. We still have to look forward; the future will definitely get better and better."

"Oh my, it's you, Wang Laoban, who needs to look forward. There's no need for me, old Fan. I'm behind the wheels, already crushed. I'm the first wave of the waves, already slapped down. They say that when people get old, they always think about the past, but if I don't think about the past, what can I think about? I'm already a person of the past."

Fan Zong was stunned for a while, feeling quite lonely, but this feeling didn't last long. He wiped his face with both hands and smiled honestly again, "Look at me, Wang Laoban, I've said too much, said too much. I felt sour after drinking a few glasses; it's just that I haven't drunk enough. Come, come, come, Wang Laoban, drink, drink."

Wang Yan nodded with a smile and continued to drink with Fan Zong.

The two chatted well, and it was past nine o'clock when Boss Abao finally arrived late.

"Boss Fan, oh my, Wang Laoban hasn't left yet?" Boss Abao walked in and greeted, but saw Wang Yan drinking and smoking with Fan Zong.

"Chatted quite well with Boss Fan, drank a few extra glasses."

"Oh my, it's Wang Laoban who is willing to talk a few more words with me. I really didn't expect before that you and Wang Laoban were friends, Boss Bao."

"Wang Laoban and I have known each other since he first came to Shanghai, old friends." Boss Abao laughed, "Wang Laoban, if you have nothing to do, let's have two more glasses in a while. I have to talk business with Boss Fan first; I've kept Boss Fan waiting for several days, I feel quite embarrassed."

Wang Yan nodded with a smile, and Fan Zong went to the private room upstairs with Boss Abao. What was quite eye-catching was the square leather suitcase that Fan Zong held tightly in his hand.

Seeing the two go up, Lingzi took beer and glasses and sat opposite Wang Yan, pouring wine for herself: "Oh my, this Boss Fan can really talk, even more than Teacher Ge."

"Chatting happily."

"I see you can chat happily with anyone. You don't manage such a big business, just walking around here and there all day, or taking a camera to take pictures everywhere. It's boring to death."

"Are you annoyed with me? Then I won't come in the future."

"Looking for a beating." Lingzi glared, "Is that what I meant?"

"When I was busy before, you said I only had money in my eyes and wasn't a good friend, and Teacher Ge, Tao Tao, and the others would be sarcastic. Now it's good, I have plenty of time, and you say I'm boring to death. You've said everything, I'm so innocent."

"Hey, I didn't say you only had money in your eyes. From beginning to end, I've had confidence in you. At any time, I welcome you. You don't know, at the end of 1990, we made a bet, saying... the result is good, no one gave money."

"I think you welcome my Moutai."

"Oh my, Wang Laoban, it's just a few bottles of wine, don't be so stingy. Fine, in your eyes, I, Lingzi, am just a person who only recognizes money?"

Lingzi didn't give Wang Yan a chance to open his mouth and directly changed the subject, "Hey, Wang Laoban, it's strange to say. Ever since the Heavenly Qilin Society incident passed, business here has really gotten better day by day."

"What's strange about that? Boss Bao doesn't trade stocks and focuses on foreign trade; of course, more people will come."

"I mean Boss Bao took the fall for Commander Cai and affected his reputation, so why does it feel like there's no impact at all now?"

Wang Yan said: "People know Boss Bao's mouth isn't tight, but they also know Boss Bao does foreign trade well. They do business properly and don't engage in insider trading; what impact could there be? Even if there is an impact, so what? Business that needs to be done will always be done, and money that needs to be earned will always be earned."

"What you say makes sense. Now people are all blinded by money."

"Why does it sound like you're hoping Boss Bao's business isn't good?"

"How is that possible? Is my brain broken? Only when Boss Bao is good will my Night Tokyo be good."

"Then why do I hear you muttering about losing money all day?"

"Business secret, understand?" Lingzi waved her hand, looking down on him, "You still have the nerve to talk about me. Aren't you also hanging 'losing money' on your lips all day? Whoever says your business is good, you say you're about to lose everything. I heard you talking to Boss Fan just now. You find someone, who loses money the more their business grows?"

Wang Yan shook his head with a laugh: "It's you who sees it shallowly, Lingzi. Relying on earned money to do business, when will you be able to develop and grow? You have to borrow money, take the money you can earn in the future and spend it now, expand the business, and ensure you can earn more money in the future. This is the meaning of finance."

"My business is like this, and the national finance is also like this. Spend tomorrow's money today, earn the day after tomorrow's money today, and then take the day after that's money and spend it today. What does Boss Bao do when he trades stocks? It's the money those companies can earn in the future."

"It's just that people are greedy and don't want to do that; they want to make money from the retail investors who buy stocks. Convert the money the company can earn into money they can earn themselves, and enjoy glory and wealth. I'm not condemning anything, but Boss Bao and that group from the Heavenly Qilin Society all make money this way."

Lingzi glared unhappily: "It's not interesting anymore. We're talking about you losing money, and you can talk about Boss Bao making money."

"Look, you really are of one heart."

"Isn't this the way the world is? If you don't do it, someone else will, so you can't stop others from doing it. Since you know how to make money, instead of letting others earn it, you might as well earn it yourself and enjoy glory and wealth."

A very simple statement, and also a very self-exonerating statement without any burden of conscience.

"You're right." Wang Yan nodded and raised his glass, "Drink."

The two took a sip, and Lingzi took the Moutai from Wang Yan's side: "You've already drunk a bottle each with Boss Fan, I guess you can't taste anything anymore, right? No more drinking today, talk about it tomorrow. Little monk, I remember there's still some meatball filling left, right? Boil a bowl of meatball soup for Wang Laoban to sober him up. Oh, right, just boil more, let Boss Fan drink some too."

"Look, the landlady is so considerate." Wang Yan raised his head at the little monk.

"Get lost, get lost." Lingzi looked disgusted.

Wang Yan laughed, lit a cigarette, and chatted idly with Lingzi.

After a while, the meatball soup made by the little monk was ready, and there was movement on the stairs.

"Boss Bao, I think we'd better sign the contract early, it's safer that way."

"What I, Boss Abao, want is a reputation, how could I cheat you? If I scam you, Boss Fan, and you go out and spread the word, who will do business with me in the future?"

"Oh my, once the assembly line is opened after the materials are brought in and the workers are found, the money will really flow out like water. This kind of thing, you can't be careless."

"You have to have confidence in your clothes, Boss Fan. If your clothes are so good, why worry about sales? Relax, Boss Fan. You go back and organize first; there are still eight days until New Year's Day. You spend time with your wife and children at home, and after that, you take the official seal and come over to sign the contract with me. Look, Night Tokyo is right here, and the Peace Hotel is right there; I can't run away. Besides, I want to make money; what benefit do I get from cheating you?"

The two walked down muttering like this. Lingzi said: "Oh my, you've finished talking about things? The little monk just made meatball soup. Boss Bao, Boss Fan, hurry up and drink while it's hot, sober up."

"I haven't drunk a few glasses of wine, what am I sobering up from?" Boss Bao was confused.

"Oh my, if you don't sober up, Boss Fan won't have it. He drank a catty of wine with Wang Laoban, look at Boss Fan's red face. Oh my, at such an old age, you still have to work so hard, it's really not easy."

"The landlady's words really make me feel the warmth of home." Fan Zong laughed, "But Wang Laoban just said that I am glowing, blessed by the stars, and going to get rich."

"You've finished talking business with Boss Bao, and the workers still need to be 'found'. I'm afraid it's a deal of over ten million, isn't that getting rich?"

"Wang Laoban is truly amazing, hearing how big the business is in two words, I admire, I admire."

"Look, you're sick again, aren't you? You're an old senior, don't always flatter me, old Fan?"

Fan Zong laughed honestly: "Wang Laoban is teasing me again. In the business world, whoever does it big is the real senior; I still have to learn from you."

"Alright, alright, everyone is a friend, what's the point of blowing and flattering? Drink the soup, drink the soup, it's getting late, sober up and go back to rest." Lingzi urged everyone to sit down and became a waitress herself.

The little monk, Xiao Wen, and Xiao Qin were cleaning up over there, about to get off work, and were very quick. Not being active when getting off work properly means there's a problem with your thinking.

The four of them sat around the table and drank meatball soup, which was quite lively.

Boss Abao didn't want to listen to Fan Zong's chatter anymore and asked Wang Yan: "How has Wang Laoban been lately?"

"How can I be? Lingzi just said I was boring to death."

"She knows nothing. I don't know how many people envy Wang Laoban. With thousands or tens of thousands of people under you, you can still play easily every day. It's a fairy life."

"You know, then you should learn from Wang Laoban. Running around outside all day, you can't find anyone at all."

Boss Abao said: "Do you think I don't want to? If I were at Wang Laoban's level, I would have traveled around the world by now."

Lingzi blinked her big eyes: "Oh my, such an interesting thing, going by yourself?"

"Uh... Wang Laoban has already traveled around by himself. Wang Laoban, tell me, how is it outside? I don't know anything, I only went to Japan once and stayed for seven days."

"I was busy to death at that time, I didn't stay in any country for seven days at a time, who knows how it is?"

"Wang Laoban has been to many countries?"

Ignoring Lingzi's eye-roll, Boss Abao said: "Oh my, Boss Fan, you don't know this? Wang Laoban made his fortune in the Soviet Union, otherwise, how could he have reached today's level in less than three years? We do foreign trade, but Wang Laoban is truly international trade, very big."

Looking at Fan Zong's wide-eyed bull eyes, Wang Yan shook his head: "Exaggerated, I did earn some money, and I did go to many countries, but it's not that amazing; there are still many capable people."

"Oh my, that's incredible. Wang Laoban is truly low-key, not even making a sound about such a big thing."

"Make a fortune in silence." Boss Abao followed up.

"You two are quite tacit in your cooperation, putting high hats on me again. Drink the soup, drink the soup."

After chatting and laughing for a while, Boss Abao suddenly asked: "Wang Laoban hasn't seen Miss Wang lately?"

"Haven't seen her."

"I thought so, why did Miss Wang ask me about you? I feel like she's quite estranged from me, she's a bit wrong. You talk well with her, if you have time, see if something happened to her."

Wang Yan raised an eyebrow and nodded with a smile: "I'm so free, I definitely have time."

Love is more wonderful, unclear and indescribable; perhaps it is a moment of emotion, or a lifetime of companionship. People are complex, and a moment's decision is hard to become a lifetime's firmness. Therefore, being firm and unswerving is a noble quality of a person.

But sometimes, if it hasn't started, there's nothing to talk about firmness. Boss Abao now and Miss Wang now are just like this. Boss Abao is not a fool; of course, he feels something, and Miss Wang is the same.

On New Year's Day at the end of 1987, she seemed to have made a moment's decision. Three years later, this decision did not continue to be firm, and she made another decision. Because she pursues love, pursues companionship in romantic stories.

The fate between people is wonderful; you don't know when you will accidentally meet an unforgettable person and start looking forward to the next meeting.

Miss Wang met Wang Yan again, at her favorite rib pork and rice cakes, and she asked Wang Yan about love.

Wang Yan spat out a bone, eating very sweetly, and said: "Of course I believe in love. In places we don't know, there are always people who are happy for a lifetime because of love. They quarrel, they are dissatisfied with life, and they are dissatisfied with each other because they have been together for a long time. They are no longer full of each other's advantages as they were at the beginning, seeing only shortcomings. But they don't separate, they don't talk much, and they just stay together until they are old."

"But as I said, their lives are not distressed, but they are not rich either. They haven't reached what I call 'full'. They don't have many desires, just wanting more money to get rid of the poverty chasing them. But what about after having money? I won't comment much on women, but I don't think highly of most men. 'Men become bad when they have money'—this saying is widely circulated, and it does have some truth."

"Then what about Boss Bao? He is two years older than you, already thirty-four, he should be full, right?"

"Boss Bao might have an unforgettable person, an unforgettable relationship. Although everyone is a friend, it's not good to talk about people behind their backs, but I'll tell you the truth. I think Boss Bao's personality has some problems, because he is not decisive. I can feel that you were interested in Boss Bao before, and Lingzi doesn't even hide it, but Boss Bao never responds; he plays dumb."

"You were twenty-two when you met him, and now you are twenty-eight. What about Lingzi? She is three years older than Boss Bao, and now she is thirty-seven. In less than a month, it will be the New Year, so everyone will be a year older. Then what kind of person do you think Boss Bao is?"

"If he is the kind of man you imagine, then he loves the unforgettable woman from before, so he should decisively make it clear to you and Lingzi, explain it clearly, and don't waste your youth. If not, then he should always express his meaning, or have some actions to let people understand his meaning. Whether you are willing or not, that is what you should consider. Not saying anything at all."

"You don't say it, let's talk about Lingzi. A while ago, I came back from Hong Kong, the day before we met last time, when I went to Night Tokyo, I saw Lingzi lost in thought, in a very bad mood. She said it was because she sighed at Fagen's death, sighed at the impermanence of fate, but later we talked about... so I think, because she sighed at the impermanence of life, she thought of her emotional problems and also sighed at her age."

"Perhaps he can't figure it out, living by himself for the rest of his life. Perhaps he figured it out, and will spend his life in debauchery in the future; no one can say for sure."

Miss Wang stopped talking. After eating for a while, she said: "Maybe he just wants to talk about business matters. Uncle Ye told me that the Huangpujiang is the Huangpujiang, and the Suzhou Creek is the Suzhou Creek; business is business, and feelings are feelings. If you force it, the end result will only be ruining the business and losing the feelings."

"I said, don't the Suzhou Creek and the Huangpujiang finally flow together, flow into the East China Sea, flow into the Pacific Ocean? Uncle Ye stopped talking at that time, and finally just shook his head and sighed; maybe he thought I was stupid."

"I know what Uncle Ye wants to say."

"What?"

"In the East China Sea, in the Pacific Ocean, can you still find the Huangpujiang and the Suzhou Creek?"

... Miss Wang was silent again, because she couldn't find anything, she just buried her head and ate.

Wang Yan laughed: "Old people are refined, old horses are slippery. Uncle Ye has experienced a lot from before liberation to now, his cultivation is definitely there. Oh, right, speaking of Uncle Ye, I remember, didn't he have two wives? Didn't they support each other until today? Uncle Ye went to Tilanqiao because of them, can you say they have no love?"

"Uncle Ye was because of special historical reasons." Miss Wang didn't want to talk more, turned her head and looked at Wang Yan suspiciously, "You didn't know I was coming in advance, right?"

"I swear, I didn't collude with the boss, and I didn't find anyone to specifically watch you." Wang Yan raised his hands with a smile, "And don't forget, I came first today."

"I'm full."

"I'll send you off in a while."

"No need, I'll go back by myself. I'll treat you today." While speaking, Miss Wang got up, found the boss to settle the bill, and gave a little more, because she knew Wang Yan could eat. After that, she left proudly.

"Wang Laoban, let me ask you a question, are you and Miss Wang having a disagreement? I see her mood hasn't been very good lately. Not like before, her voice was very loud."

"Women, who knows what they are thinking. Give me two more servings of ribs."

"Right away." The boss worked diligently again.

The small shop of rib pork and rice cakes was very warm, and water droplets alternating between cold and hot slid down the window, making the vision through the window blurry. Outside the blurry window was Miss Wang walking away alone...

In the blink of an eye, it was New Year's Day at the end of 1992. What shouldn't have appeared appeared, affecting Boss Abao's emotional line, but it didn't affect his not-so-good encounter.

That night, past ten o'clock, Wang Yan, who was reading in a garden villa on Julu Road, received a call. It was from Lingzi, and she was very panicked... ===== CHAPTER 989 =====