Chapter 105: Who is the Real Boss?

Chapter 105: Who is the Real Boss?

The sun was blazing fiercely.

It was the height of summer, and the temperature had already soared above 34 degrees Celsius.

The busy farming season had long passed, and business at the sales agency was quite dull, with no customers visiting all day. Only every now and then would someone suddenly come by to buy a few tractor parts or ask Su Cheng to help fix a minor issue with their tractor.

A little past ten in the morning, Su Chunfeng sat at the desk in the reception room, diligently reviewing his schoolwork.

The south room was quiet. After working the night shift, his uncle, Su Li, spent the daytime resting and sleeping, except for meals. From the north room came the voice of a TV program host delivering a heartfelt narration, along with faint, melodious music filled with sorrowful emotion and historical resonance:

“The little river winds southward, flowing to see Hong Kong.

My love, Pearl of the East, is your charm still as romantic?

The harbor with its crescent moon, deep night with flickering lights.

The Pearl of the East stayed awake all night,

keeping the promise through vast changes over time.

Let the sea breeze blow for five thousand years,

every teardrop seems to speak of your dignity.

Let the tide accompany me to bless you.

Please don’t forget me, my forever unchanged yellow face.”

Last Tuesday, Hong Kong returned!

This historic event, destined to be recorded in history, brought celebration across the nation. After a century of waiting and generations of anticipation, hundreds of millions of people were moved and excited by the vast changes of history and the passage of time, finally welcoming the return of Hong Kong. Even Su Chunfeng, who had been reborn and experienced it once before, was quite touched that night. He stayed up late with his father to watch the historically significant and awe-inspiring live broadcast of the handover ceremony.

Perhaps because he had served as a soldier, fought on the battlefield, and shed blood to protect the country, Su Cheng paid special attention to such matters and was particularly moved.

That night, he had his elder brother Su Li and his son Su Chunfeng join him in drinking until he was drunk.

Moreover, even several days later, whenever he had free time, Su Cheng would still follow related news and programs, watching them repeatedly without getting tired. Occasionally, he would hum songs like “The Year 1997,” “Pearl of the East,” and a few others like “The Moon on the Fifteenth,” “Glory Stained with Blood,” and “The March of the Volunteers.”

Su Chunfeng did not find this strange or laughable; he understood his father’s feelings and thoughts.

It was like many ordinary people who, though they faced the soil under the sun and only farmed their small plot of land, still loved to concern themselves with national affairs. They would argue and discuss passionately, getting heated, red-necked, and furious.

It wasn’t about right or wrong; everyone has patriotic sentiments, just to varying degrees.

The reason Su Chunfeng paid extra attention and reflected deeply on this, aside from his inherent patriotic feelings, was another crucial point—he knew that Hong Kong’s return earned the country incomparable dignity and status in the world. It boosted the confidence and strength of the entire nation and provided a huge window for this country, which had been growing economically and in comprehensive power through years of reform and opening-up, to engage more with the world’s economy and culture. At the same time, it allowed the people of that narrow yet extremely prosperous place, known as the Pearl of the East and preserving more traditional culture, to have broader and more direct exchanges with the mainland. This indirectly stimulated and accelerated the revival and prosperity of the domestic Jianghu of Esoteric Arts.

Whenever he thought of this, whether indoors or outside, Su Chunfeng couldn’t help but fall silent and gaze southward intently for a while, sighing inwardly. Although in his previous life during this period, he was still holed up at home or running away, foolishly enduring ridicule and letting his parents be sad and heartbroken, stubbornly practicing mysterious Esoteric Techniques without any explanation, he had later learned much about the development of the Jianghu of Esoteric Arts through his own experiences in that world.

So he knew that in the now prosperous and rapidly developing southern coastal regions, conflicts within the Jianghu of Esoteric Arts had already begun to emerge.

Ring, ring…

The telephone rang.

Su Chunfeng snapped out of his thoughts, picked up the phone, and said, “Hello?”

“Xiaofeng, it’s your cousin-aunt.”

“Oh, hello, Cousin-Aunt.”

“Go call your dad to the phone.”

“Okay, please wait a moment.” Su Chunfeng called toward the north room: “Dad, it’s Cousin-Aunt. Come quick and answer the phone.”

“Coming!”

Actually, when Su Cheng heard the phone ring, he had already started walking toward the reception room. He picked up the phone, his face full of anticipation, and asked, “Yufang, how did it go?”

Chen Yufang’s calm voice came through the phone: “Brother-in-law, I’m waiting for you at the Erdaokou Town government office. Come quickly. We’ll sign the contract this morning.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll head right over!” Su Cheng put down the phone, clapped his hands excitedly, and said, “It’s done!”

Su Chunfeng smiled and said, “Dad, that’s great news!”

“I’ll tell you the details when I get back…” Su Cheng waved cheerfully, ran back to the north room to grab his bag, and hurried out to the door. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he stopped and turned his head: “Xiaofeng, are you coming along?”

“No, you go ahead.” Su Chunfeng shook his head.

“Then study hard at home. I’ll explain everything when I return.” Su Cheng turned and strode out with great excitement.

Su Chunfeng also breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and stretched.

This matter was finally settled!

After more than half a year, the planned area in Erdaokou Town, Nancheng District, Pingyang City, was precisely measured and finally determined to be 74.8 acres of land. The fifty-year usage rights were contracted and leased to Wantong Freight Forwarding Agency Co., Ltd. for the development and construction of Pingyang City’s Wantong Logistics Park.

For this, Wantong Freight Forwarding Agency Co., Ltd. would pay a total contract fee of 1.85 million yuan to the land management department of the Erdaokou Town government within fifteen working days after signing the agreement.

On the afternoon of the day the agreement was signed, Chen Yufang took Su Cheng to the bank to handle the loan matters.

Since Chen Yufang had already completed all the necessary groundwork earlier, the loan of 3.5 million yuan was approved in just a few days.

After paying the 1.85 million yuan contract fee to the Erdaokou Town government, Chen Yufang and Su Cheng immediately dove into discussions and planning for the development and construction of the logistics park.

This was a critical period.

Naturally, Su Chunfeng volunteered to participate in the discussions about the scale and form of the logistics park.

In his memory, he also had a general idea of the logistics park’s architectural planning and layout—a ready-made, mature model. Wouldn’t it be a shame not to use it?

When Su Chunfeng wanted to take part in the discussions about the logistics park’s construction planning, his father Su Cheng was absolutely supportive. He dearly wished for his clever and resourceful son, who seemed divinely aided, to get involved in the family business. If not for his wife’s repeated objections and his son’s polite refusals, Su Cheng once even suggested after drinking that his son quit school and come home to help with the business. After all, how much money could studying bring in?

One day after breakfast, Su Cheng rode his newly purchased motorcycle and took Su Chunfeng to the city.

The conditions at the sales agency were too poor, and in the sweltering heat, Chen Yufang did not want to suffer there to discuss anything. So she asked Su Cheng to come to her house to talk. She also invited the head of a construction company she had already inspected to her home, so they could discuss construction-related matters together.

Regarding this, Su Chunfeng felt quite displeased.

After all, the major shareholder and real boss of the company was his father, Su Cheng. The construction of the logistics park involved spending at least millions of yuan. Even though financial matters were currently managed by Chen Yufang, how could she decide on her own which construction company to use for such a big project?

That was ridiculous!

What if there were some shady dealings involved? How would they handle that?

Moreover, didn’t Chen Yufang take the big boss, Su Cheng, seriously at all? It was good to be dedicated and treat the company as her own, but she shouldn’t monopolize authority and really act like the leader!

When Su Cheng and Su Chunfeng arrived at Chen Yufang’s house, the family had just finished breakfast.

Because the house had air conditioning, it was quite cool and comfortable.

Chen Xian’s wife, Jiang Ruying, smiled and invited them to sit, saying politely, “You chat. I’m going to visit a neighbor.” With that, she went out.

“Brother-in-law, there are blueprints on the coffee table. Take a look first…” Chen Yufang smiled and pointed to the several construction project reports and some preliminary design sketches for the logistics park on the coffee table. Then, unhurriedly, she went to the water dispenser to make herself a cup of coffee. She walked over and sat on the single sofa opposite Su Cheng.

Chen Yufang was dressed in casual home wear, her long hair casually tied up, with light makeup. Though not particularly beautiful due to her long-term family environment, she had a somewhat cultivated, elegant air.

Su Cheng didn’t think much of it; excitedly, he picked up the blueprints and started looking them over roughly.

But Su Chunfeng frowned, a slightly displeased expression on his face—what was this? It was completely a condescending tone, as if everything had been decided by Chen Yufang, and she was just perfunctorily showing Su Cheng the already-designed sketches. Moreover, even when making coffee, she only made a cup for herself and didn’t offer any to the guests, her relatives! Couldn’t she pour two cups of water… She really didn’t put people in her eyes.

Just then, Chen Xian, who had just changed into a more formal short-sleeved shirt and came out of the bedroom, happened to see the displeasure on Su Chunfeng’s face.

The experienced Chen Xian immediately sensed something was off.

He walked over to his daughter’s side, frowned slightly, and said calmly, “Yufang, is the coffee delicious?”

“Yes.” Chen Yufang nodded and said, “Dad, would you like a cup?”

“I want three cups!” Chen Xian’s voice already held obvious anger. He snorted, walked over, and sat in the middle of the sofa, scolding, “Go make some tea! How can you be so inconsiderate?”

“Oh.” Chen Yufang stuck out her tongue a bit, somewhat displeased, and got up to fetch her father’s tea set to make tea.

Su Cheng felt a bit embarrassed and said politely, “No need to trouble yourself, no need. We’re all family. Why be so polite? If we’re thirsty, we can get water ourselves.”