It was midnight when Wen Liang returned to Qingzhou. He was afraid of disturbing Ding Mei's rest, so he did not go home but went to the Great World. An Baoqing was there too. The two sat together and chatted for a while. When it came to the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the five-star hotel, Wen Liang did not give much advice. This kind of event was easy for An Baoqing, and he did not need to take over. When the time came, all the major figures in the city and county, as well as the political and business circles, would be invited to the event. It would be grand, lively and prosperous.
As for the candidate for the hotel's general manager, An Baoqing found another person after Luo Qi left, but he seemed a little out of control after taking over. Many problems, big and small, have occurred in the past three months. If it weren't for the good foundation laid by Luo Qi, it would have been a pipe dream to open the hotel in August.
"It seems that if we leave Butcher Zhang, we will have to eat hairy pigs."
Wen Liang's joke made An Baoqing feel embarrassed. He said, "I didn't expect that a hotel would be so complicated to manage..."
"After all, this is a five-star hotel, not a street stall. It is difficult for someone without a solid professional background and similar work experience to be competent. Do you mean to find a professional manager?"
"I don't trust professional managers. They are all arrogant and they pay you well, but they may not do a good job. Besides, I don't trust them because I don't know them well."
In this era, professional managers are not yet accepted by the majority of entrepreneurs. Wen Liang nodded to show his understanding and said, "But I don't have a suitable person on hand right now... How about looking for a headhunter to see if he can poach a general manager from another five-star hotel? Oh, this is a bit difficult..."
An Baoqing smiled bitterly and said, "I've tried everything. It's not just big, it's hopeless. When they heard that we were located in the county, they thought we were scammers. Even if they reluctantly believed us, they felt that there was no future for development and were unwilling to even consider it. I offered a salary twice the market price, but no one was willing to come."
"There's nothing we can do about it. Those who can make it to management level in a big hotel will make long-term career plans and won't just focus on salary. Let me ask my friend to look for another one. Don't be impatient. This is not something that can be solved in a hurry."
An Baoqing hesitated for a moment and said, "Master Wen, there is something I haven't had time to report to you yet..."
"Um, what?"
"Luo Qi is back!"
Wen Liang was stunned for a moment and asked, "Luo Qi? Is he back in Qingzhou again?"
An Baoqing secretly glanced at Wen Liang's face, unable to tell whether he was happy or angry, and whispered, "He just came back yesterday. I don't know why he fainted at the gate of the Great World. He was covered in wounds and his clothes were tattered like a beggar... I, I really couldn't bear it, so I rescued him."
Wen Liang waved his hand and said with a smile: "You two are friends, you can't just stand by and watch someone die. This is the right thing to do! Didn't I tell you before that what happened before is in the past? Now that it's in the past, it's his freedom to come to Qingzhou or not. There's no need to be afraid."
An Baoqing was full of gratitude, and the anxiety in his heart was relieved a lot. He said: "Mr. Wen, he still wants, still wants..."
Wen Liang asked in surprise, "Brother Jiu, what's wrong with you today? If you have something to say, just say it. Why are you hesitating so much?"
It was really hard for An Baoqing to speak, but thinking of Luo Qi's miserable state last night, he mustered up the courage and said, "Luo Qi wants to sit down and see me when you have time..."
"To see me?"
"Yes, he is in better spirits today. The first thing he said to me was that he wanted to meet Master Wen."
Wen Liang leaned back on the sofa, and without asking Luo Qi why they wanted to meet, he slowly closed his eyes and said, "Bring him over here!"
After only three months of not seeing him, Luo Qi seemed like a different person. There were two curved scratches on his handsome face. They were not deep, but they might have been caused by inflammation due to not seeking medical treatment in time, leaving obvious gray marks. His white skin had also turned dark, his eye sockets were sunken, his hair was messy, and the charm of a young talent was no longer there.
Life is a breath of energy and spirit. Once this breath dissipates, the whole person will be gone.
Wen Liang said softly, "Brother Luo, please sit down. It's been a long time since we last met. How are you doing?"
Luo Qi looked at Wen Liang in front of him. He did not show a trace of ridicule for his downfall, just like he was calm when he let him go. But the more he said so, the more ashamed he felt. He lowered his head and said, "Young Master Wen, I'm fine."
"I heard from Brother Jiu that you wanted to see me, so just tell me what you want to say."
Luo Qi sat upright, as honest as a primary school student, holding his knees with both hands. After a while, he raised his head and said, "I want to continue working with Master Wen..."
Wen Liang was silent for a moment, staring at Luo Qi with bright eyes, which gradually became full of sharpness. He said, "Luo Qi, although I have a good temper, Qingzhou is not a place where you can leave or come as you please. I hope you can understand this!"
An Baoqing sat silently, a little nervous. Wen Liang could be generous and not pursue Luo Qi, but that didn't mean he could accept the surrender of a betrayer. However, since Luo Qi dared to come, he must have thought a lot before and after. He expected Wen Liang's possible reaction. He looked directly into Wen Liang's eyes and said, "Mr. Wen, I know I have done many wrong things before, and I deserved it. I can't blame others. In the past three months, I went to Lingyang first, but Luo Yun refused to forgive me and avoided me. I went to Hujiang with no choice. All the friends who used to call me brothers and sisters changed their faces and there was no place for me to stay. When I was desperate, I even went to beg Yan Huangyan to let me see Yan Qixiu again, but before I could get close, someone beat me half to death, threw me to the side of the road, and ordered me to leave Suhai immediately... I realized that everything I have done in the past ten years was a joke. I have no friends, no support, no foundation, nothing...
Wen Liang frowned and said, "With your ability, isn't it easy for you to find a job? Isn't it good to work peacefully, earn money, marry and have children, and live an ordinary life? Why do you have to find a force to rely on?"
A deep pain flashed across Luo Qi's eyes, as if a monster's claws had grabbed his throat. He said with difficulty: "Because, because I want revenge!"
"Revenge?" Wen Liang asked calmly, "What revenge?"
Wen Liang had heard a little bit about Luo Qi's past from An Baoqing, but it was not complete. Luo Qi no longer concealed it and said, "It was not long after I started college. During the summer vacation, I went to Beijing to see my high school girlfriend..."
The specific process was not much different from what An Baoqing said. Wen Liang continued to ask, "Who is that person?"
"It took me almost a year to find out who he was. His name was Zhuang Shaoxuan, and everyone called him Yu Shao. He was the most prominent princeling in the capital, and she was from the same university, but he was already a senior at the time and was about to graduate..."
I see!
Sleeping with someone else's wife and making her inhuman for life, such a vicious method is really not something that ordinary people can do. You have to know that ten years ago was not like today. At that time, it was just after the crackdown in the 1980s, and several top princelings were executed. Under normal circumstances, everyone would restrain themselves a lot. Only people like Zhuang Shaoxuan would be so lawless and daring.
After Yan Qixiu arrived in Suhai, he immediately approached Luo Qi, which seemed to be a purposeful move. The reason why Luo Qi accepted Yan Qixiu's recruitment, gave up everything he had gained in Hujiang, and resolutely returned to Lingyang to assist Luo Yun, with whom he was not close, now has a good explanation.
There is only one reason, he wants revenge!
But facing Zhuang Shaoxuan, a giant whose toes he could hardly touch, relying solely on his own strength, no matter how hard he worked for a lifetime, two lifetimes, or three lifetimes, he could not possibly touch the other party's interests in the slightest, let alone the silly talk of revenge or not.
So he could only rely on Yan Qixiu, so he couldn't wait to seize power from Luo Yun, so between him and Luo Yun, Yan Qixiu chose the latter without hesitation and kicked away Luo Qi who was no longer of any use!
Because Luo Qi didn't want to wait any longer. He had waited for ten years and couldn't wait any longer. He thought he was fully prepared and the time was right, so he couldn't wait to seize power, and then look for opportunities to provoke, create a fait accompli, and force Yan Qixiu to go to war. But Yan Qixiu knew that she had to wait until she was sure of success before she could deal a fatal blow to Zhuang Shaoxuan. Luo Qi's stubbornness was also something she couldn't tolerate.
The result is obvious, Luo Qi was ruthlessly abandoned!
This is all the inside story of the civil strife in Lingyang Luo!
Wen Liang narrowed his eyes and said to himself: "Zhuang Shaoxuan, Zhuang Shaoxuan... where did you go after you left Su Hai?"
"After leaving Suhai, I had nowhere to go. I didn't know how I ended up in Guanshan. I stayed in a small hotel and drank for two whole months until I was penniless and was thrown out. Then I spent another month as a homeless person, fighting with stray dogs for food and beggars for sleeping places. I was beaten and spitted on. Sometimes I was so hungry and couldn't find anything to eat, so I went to the seaside dock to try my luck and find a temporary job as a loader. I could earn a bun by working for a whole morning. At that time, I just thought it was not bad to live like this. At least I didn't have to think so much and struggle for an illusory goal. I would sleep when I was tired and eat when I was hungry, until one day I was beaten to death or frozen to death on the street, that's it..."
Even An Baoqing could hardly bear to listen any further, but Luo Qi's tone was very normal, as if he was talking about a trivial matter that had nothing to do with him. It was obvious that he was really heartbroken during that time and had no attachment to the world anymore.
Wen Liang sighed. In fact, if he thought about it carefully, Luo Qi was unlucky enough. He had done nothing wrong, but his girlfriend was stolen by someone else. If it was someone else, it would be fine. A fight and a scolding would be enough to settle it. But when he met Zhuang Shaoxuan, he was wrong even though he was right. Not only was he cuckolded, but his body was also ruined. Which young and energetic man could bear this
"So what happened that made you decide to come back to Qingzhou to find me?" (To be continued)