He approached the table.
"Tang Qing, this is my grandfather, this is the Zhan family’s grandfather, this is my uncle, this is my....." Chai Ren introduced Tang Qing to everyone one by one.
Looking at Tang Qing.
The two families had different attitudes—the Zhan family was mostly curious, while the Chai family was warm and friendly.
"Little Tang, please take a seat." Chai Ren’s grandfather, Chai Jiawen, said kindly.
"Yes, Elder Chai."
Tang Qing took a seat next to Chai Ren and noticed everyone was staring at him.
"Little Tang, these ingredients of yours are quite sothing," remarked Chai Jiawen.
Tang Qing replied, "As long as you like them, that’s what matters. The cultivation thods for these fruits and vegetables are quite special, and they are expensive to produce, which is why the yield isn’t high. But they are all green and healthy foods."
"That’s a sha, I thought they could be promoted on a large scale," Chai Jiawen said, a bit disappointed.
Zhan family’s grandfather asked, "Tang Qing, do you usually eat these?"
"Yes, the vegetables outside, they don’t feel quite authentic," Tang Qing said diplomatically.
"You an they exceed pesticide limits, right?"
"Right." Tang Qing nodded.
Zhan family’s elder uncle said, "It’s a difficult situation. In pursuit of yield and quality, it’s hard for growers not to use chemical pesticides, otherwise they could lose their entire crop to pests and diseases."
"That’s not a sustainable approach in the long run."
"Of course. Relevant departnts are not sitting idle, always searching for solutions, but progress is slow. So recomnd using genetically modified organisms to reduce pests and diseases, but it’s hard for the public to accept the risks."
"It’s despicable of the United States, exporting mostly genetically modified soy and corn. If you don’t buy from them, it’s hard to find alternatives."
"I think Russia could grow soybeans, to break away from our dependence on U.S. bulk agricultural products."
"That’s a good idea, but policy..."
"..."
Tang Qing was at a loss for words.
This conversation.
Took a turn too quickly.
Chai Ren’s grandfather hurriedly intervened, "Alright, let’s end this topic now. Look at you all, turning this into a conference room. Little Tang, don’t mind them, that’s their habit, they can lead any conversation to policy discussions in just a few sentences."
"I actually enjoy listening to it."
What else could Tang Qing say? There was only one acceptable response.
"I also watched the program you recorded for CCTV, it was very good. Our Chinese culture is profound and long-standing. Companies like Cot should take the lead and raise the overall standard of the industry."
"That’s also our mission. ’Civilization’ is just a starting point. As it becos more widely accepted, we will gradually incorporate elents of Chinese culture into it later. We are willing to collaborate with our dostic peers to promote the dissemination of Chinese culture."
"..."
Chatting with the leaders.
Especially the older ones, had to be done in all seriousness.
After discussing food safety,
They talked about culture.
After culture, they went on to discuss the economy, energy, real estate, and finance. With Tang Qing present, they rarely touched on mundane family matters. The usually talkative Chai Ren had beco the wine pourer.
Tang Qing silently drank his wine.
Because he knew.
Inviting him over wasn’t for his opinions, but to show a friendly gesture and introduce him to the core mbers of the Chai family.
An hour or so later.
Aside from their table, every other table was peppered with people lying around, all stuffed full. Chai Ren did ntion, once you leave this village, you won’t find this shop again—a table cost fifty thousand yuan, and that was just the cost and offered at a friendly discount.
Fifty thousand a table.
They could afford it, it just wasn’t often they would have such a al.
After the al,
Having digested the food.
Everyone went to their respective hos.
Chai Ren’s place suddenly emptied, leaving Tang Qing there at the end. Chai Ren had said Chai Guoqiang wanted to talk to him about sothing. Zheng Lin and his wife stayed behind to help clean up and wait for Tang Qing.
Of course, it was impossible to accommodate everyone here.
...
Second floor.
Study.
Chai Guoqiang, Chai Jiawen, Chai Ren, Tang Qing.
The silence started.
"Little Tang, thank you for helping our Chai family out on several occasions," Chai Jiawen was the first to speak.
Tang Qing responded modestly, "I haven’t done much, and I also reaped so benefits from others."
Chai Jiawen smiled, "But without you, we wouldn’t have our current relationship. I’ll tell you frankly, we have also looked into your friend, but apart from what we already knew, we could find nothing else."
"Moving in the shadows to protect oneself, the deeper, the safer, that’s what my friend says," Tang Qing said.
Chai Jiawen agreed.
The unknown.
That’s the safest.
"Well said. The world in the sunlight is not always beautiful. This ti we asked you here not only to show our gratitude but also to hope you won’t get too deeply involved. Otherwise, it’s easy for people to find leverage against you."
"Please advise," Tang Qing squinted his eyes.
"Your Zhongyu Special Guard," Chai Jiawen stated plainly.
"How so?" Tang Qing feigned ignorance.
Chai Jiawen spoke directly.
"It’s fine to help them solve employnt problems, and sending them to work in Africa is not an issue either. But make sure they don’t get involved in any regional conflicts. It could cause a lot of trouble."
"Of course, I’m only doing legitimate business. I won’t let them do any dirty work, nor will I cause trouble for the country," Tang Qing promised.
"..."
These words.
Felt oddly concerning to the three n.
Chai Jiawen went on, "That’s good, and that’s what the authorities say too. We can’t stop legitimate business activities. But since you employ veterans, if Western countries were to make fuss, accusing us of establishing ard forces in Africa, it could lead to ambiguous accusations."
"Understood," Tang Qing nodded.
Then, Chai Jiawen ntioned another matter, "Also, did you start a steel factory in Congo Gold?"
"That’s true, I’m optimistic about their market. After all, they don’t have any significant steel factories in their country, and I think there’s great potential," said Tang Qing.
Chai Jiawen suddenly said, "Our family is also planning to build a factory there, but it’s not a steel factory."
"What kind of factory?" Tang Qing was genuinely surprised. Matters like these typically involved Chai Ren; it was unusual for soone like Chai Jiawen to personally discuss it, which did not fit his status.
"Energy and chemical industry."
Tang Qing said, "That shouldn’t concern ."
"Well, you’re more familiar with the place. We’d like to use your connections, to make things easier on all fronts," explained Chai Jiawen.
"Then, welco. It’s great to have neighbors to look out for one another."
"But it’s Sadoke’s territory there, do we need to give him anything?"
Tang Qing offered the most straightforward plan: "One million U.S. dollars, take it directly to his office, and there won’t be any problems."
"If he reneges or tries to seize our industry, what then? He has tens of thousands of n at his command."
"Within ten paces, an enemy stands alone; what does it matter how many people he has? If he breaks the rules, soone will take care of him." Tang Qing could see that this was not just about the Chai family’s business.
Chai Jiawen stared into Tang Qing’s eyes.
"Fine, as for this venture, you don’t need to invest a di, and you’ll have a twenty percent stake for free."
Tang Qing looked at Chai Jiawen in surprise.
They locked eyes for a few seconds.
Tang Qing smiled, "Deal."
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