This was not the first time Wen Liang had heard the name Lao Jiu.
I heard this name after I saved Zuo Yuxi on the night I was reborn. When they were besieged by Mu Shanshan in front of the gate of No. 7 Courtyard, it was because of Lao Jiu that the four hooligans turned around and ran away in fear. The leader of the hooligans was Liu Zhihe, who was blocked in the alley by Gua Ge, and Ming Ge stepped forward to rescue him...
So, Wen Liang was very familiar with Lao Jiu, but only today did he know that his surname was An and his given name was Baoqing. An Baoqing, what a good name!
Wen Liang stood up and stretched out his hand, shaking hands with Lao Jiu for three seconds before letting go, appearing both affectionate and reserved. Although he had never asked Zuo Yuxi, Wen Liang understood that this An Baoqing should be one of the people she trusted the most. Although Wen Liang and An Baoqing had never met, they both knew of each other's existence, which meant that they were friends, not enemies. Moreover, Wen Liang had already received Lao Jiu's favor a long time ago. If he hadn't secretly told the younger brothers on Qingzhou Road not to cause trouble, it is conceivable that whether it was Gu Wenyuan, Mu Shanshan, Bai Huan, or Hou Qiang, they would be able to find a group of gangsters to annoy Wen Liang to death. (See Chapter 19 of Volume 1 for details)
"Hello, Mr. An!"
An Baoqing smiled slightly, and his face, which looked like it was carved by a knife, actually had a strange charm that could bewitch people: "In Qingzhou, some people call me Boss An, some call me Old Nine, some call me Brother Nine, and some call me Master Nine. Of course, there are also people who hate me and call me Scraping Bone An, but I have never heard of calling me Mr. An. Not bad, brother, you call me that!"
Liu Tianlai introduced: "This is Wen Liang, a friend of mine." And then nothing else happened.
In 1995, many people started working after graduating from high school or technical secondary school, and some even started working after graduating from junior high school. Although Wen Liang was only 16 years old, he was tall and slender, well-spoken, and looked like he was in his early 20s. Liu Tianlai didn't think of him as a high school student at all, and naturally referred to him as a friend when introducing him.
Not many people in Qingzhou knew about the true relationship between Zuo Yuxi and An Baoqing, and there had even been a minor conflict between them. Zuo Yuxi flew into a rage in front of many people and wanted to close down one of his nightclubs. At that time, Zuo Jing was still in office, but despite this, the nightclub was closed for only three days before reopening. Although An Baoqing asked someone to intercede and apologized in person to give Zuo Yuxi enough face, a rumor still spread quickly, saying that An Laojiu had someone above him, and even the Zuo family had to reluctantly give in. The rumor seemed to be verified in the end. There were several crises that Laojiu survived safely, and his reputation in the Qingzhou underground world became more and more famous, and finally he had the status he has today.
If Wen Liang knew this, he would definitely high-five and exclaim: This double act was really successful, not only concealing the relationship between the two, but also helping each other secretly without leaving any traces. So even if Zuo Yuxi asked Brother Ming to tell Lao Jiu not to embarrass Wen Liang that day, others would not doubt the relationship between Zuo and An, and would only think that An Lao Jiu was afraid of Zuo Yuxi and did not want to offend her.
Reality is always more exciting than fiction!
During Zuo Jing's time, Zuo Yuxi had many resources at his disposal, and Liu Tianlai was far from being ranked among them, so he didn't know the inside story. In his opinion, Wen Liang's relationship with Zuo Yuxi made it unsuitable for him to have much contact with this person, so he was very brief when introducing him, only saying his name and not talking about anything else. Everyone was a skilled person who had made his mark in the world, so at this time, An Baoqing should have said a few polite words and turned around and left immediately.
But to Liu Tianlai's surprise, An Baoqing seemed not to understand his hint and said, "Since he is Brother Liu's friend, he is my friend. Come here!"
The waiter who had been waiting outside the door came in quickly, folded his hands under his stomach, lowered his head slightly and listened carefully. From this simple behavior, it can be seen that the security minister has a good way of training his employees.
"Bring another pot of Biluochun," An Baoqing sat down on the tea table and said, "Brother Liu has honored us with his presence today. All expenses will be on my side. Come, sit down. I haven't listened to Brother Liu's teachings for a long time."
Liu Tianlai didn't know what to say, so he sat down with Wen Liang on both sides. Wen Liang suddenly smiled and said, "Mr. An is a businessman. I would like to ask you, what can you do to make the most money in Qingzhou?"
Liu Tianlai couldn't figure out Wen Liang at all. He smiled, but he was thinking quickly in his mind: What does this mean? Why does it sound like he is mocking An Baoqing for not doing the right thing
"Of course, we do whatever makes the most money!"
Wen Liang clapped his hands and said, "Not bad! Then what do you think is the most profitable thing right now, Mr. An?"
"The most profitable industry relies on connections and capital, so let's not talk about it."
This was a wise man, and he smiled gently and said, "Mr. An is wrong this time!"
"Oh, what's wrong?" Liu Tianlai started to make fun of him at the right time. He was afraid that An Baoqing would be embarrassed. Even though they were chatting and laughing at the moment, Wen Liang's words might offend him completely.
"The most profitable industry relies on this!" Wen Liang pointed to his head with a very calm expression.
An Baoqing narrowed his eyes even more and asked, "What do you mean?"
"In my opinion, Mr. An's big world can be very profitable. As long as we put some effort into the details and do some work, we can make at least a lot more than we do now."
Not to mention An Baoqing, even Liu Tianlai was interested. Wen Liang continued, "For example, when they wanted to add a pot of Biluochun just now, the guests often had to shout loudly for the waiter. If the waiter was not there, they even had to go outside and shout. If this happens frequently, people with status and wealth will inevitably feel annoyed. Wouldn't the big world lose a lot of money?"
An Baoqing smiled and said, "Yes, but everyone is like this. Do we need to assign a waiter to each room? People who come here usually want to talk about things in peace..."
"It's because everyone is like this. If you are different, you will stand out immediately." Wen Liang changed the subject and asked, "Mr. An, have you been to the hospital?"
After saying this, An Baoqing seemed a little unhappy, and Liu Tianlai frequently winked at Wen Liang. Wen Liang ignored him and said to himself: "There is a wired pager in the hospital ward. The patient presses the extension button at the bedside, and the host of the nurse station can display it. It is very fast. Although this pager needs wiring and is expensive, I think if it is modified and pressed in the big world, it will immediately attract a lot of repeat customers. The account between benefits and costs should be easy to calculate." At this time, only good hospitals had this kind of wired pager, and the large-scale use of wireless pagers would not be until after 2000. At this time in Qingzhou, no one cared about the call system that was widely used in catering, entertainment and leisure places in later generations.
When Wen Liang mentioned the pager, An Baoqing's eyes lit up. At the end, he imitated Wen Liang and clapped his hands, shouting, "What a good idea! Brother Wen, your idea is worth a thousand gold."
Wen Liang shook his head and said, "Mr. An, you are wrong again. This idea is worthless!"
An Baoqing and Liu Tianlai, two old foxes, were stunned and asked in unison: "What's the matter?"
"Once you do this, other clubs will naturally follow suit. Within a month, all of Qingzhou will have switched to this system. Objectively speaking, you won't be ahead for more than a week! Isn't this idea worthless?"
Even though An Baoqing was strong-minded, he was still tickled by Wen Liang's rubbing: "Brother Wen must have a good idea, please speak up."
"There are six floors in the Great World, and anyone can come in and out. People with real status will feel that their status has dropped. But if only the first and second floors are open to the public, and the third to sixth floors are subject to a membership system, that is to say, only those who have paid for a VIP card of the Great World and have been certified by the club can become our VIP members and enter openly. With people, there are levels, and with levels there is vanity, and with vanity, people will naturally flock to it. This is a long-term plan and the best way to grab high-quality customers! Mr. An, what do you think?"
An Baoqing stood up suddenly, and regardless of his status, he bowed to Wen Liang and thanked him, "Brother Wen, you are really a timely help! To be honest, the Great World has been operating at a loss for two or three months since its opening. After listening to your words today, I know what is the most profitable. I have benefited a lot, a lot!"
Wen Liang also stood up, leaning to one side to show that he did not dare to accept An Baoqing's courtesy, and waved his hand and smiled, "This method is not mine. Two families in the capital started to implement it at the beginning of the year. I heard from my friends that the effect is quite good. I am just offering a gift to Buddha, and I am talking nonsense. Please don't be polite, Mr. An!"
These words are partly true and partly false, but they have a different effect when said at this time, and Liu Tianlai finds it even more incredible. Even the security minister who works in this field doesn't know about it, how can Wen Liang have such information? Although such things are not top secret, they are not something that outsiders can easily know. Could it be that the Wen family has connections in Beijing? If so, Zuo Yuxi's attitude towards Wen Liang is easily solved. But how to explain Wen Huaiming, a small deputy director, if he didn't grit his teeth and surrender to Xu Fuyan, he would have been squeezed to ashes long ago. Oh, that's not right! Wen Huaiming's article seems to be well-prepared and he knew the news in Beijing early...
Liu Tianlai was shocked by what he had imagined, and the way he looked at Wen Liang was completely different. An Baoqing walked to the door himself and whispered, "Call Baidu over."
After a while, a beautiful woman in a water green dress came in. She had a slim figure, picturesque features, long hair and a tea set in her hand. She behaved with the grace of a lady from a noble family. She knelt at the inner end of the tea table and said softly, "Here is tea for you distinguished guests." Her voice was mellow and pleasant, with the lingering sound of the Wu dialect, which made people linger in their ears for a long time.
An Baoqing pointed at her and said, "This is the ace tea artist of the Great World, her name is Duniang. If she is not the most important guest, I would not be willing to take her out easily."
Liu Tianlai had heard of Guo Niang's name a long time ago, but he also knew that he might not be able to enjoy such treatment with his status. He didn't expect to benefit from Wen Liang today. With this thought in mind, the look he looked at Wen Liang became even more different.
Wen Liang was stunned. Baidu? What a good name! Are you sure you are not here to make fun of me
"There are three colors of tea: red, green and oolong. Red tea focuses on color, green tea focuses on fragrance, and oolong tea focuses on throat mellowness. Biluochun is also known as Dongting tea, or Xiasharenxiang. This tea cannot be called top-grade unless it is covered with hairs, silvery white and green. The art of tea is divided into twelve stages, one of which is to light incense and burn incense to eliminate delusions."
Baidu's fingers were slender, round and long. She lit a stick of incense and inserted it into the burner. Soon, clouds of smoke filled the air, creating a peaceful and solemn atmosphere.
"The second step is to wash the cup and clear your heart from the mundane world." Baidu poured boiling water into the cup with a kettle and slowly swirled the bottom of the cup. Her wrists were as white as jade and her skin was as white as snow. The reflection of the pure water in the cup made her look even purer and spotless.
"The third dish, the cold soup in the jade pot nourishes Taihe..."
The twelve steps of tea art were performed smoothly until the lady opened her lips and uttered the beautiful words: "Thank you for the tea!" Only then did everyone come out of that pure and distant, indescribable state. Liu Tianlai applauded and laughed: "Well done, you are worthy of being the ace of the big world. Boss An has such a beauty and unique skills, and you still dare to say that you can't make any money? Hahaha."
This might be the most elegant words Liu Tianlai could say. Wen Liang was sitting close to Baidu and could just see from the side of her lowered face that the corners of her mouth were slightly raised, with an almost invisible hint of disdain.
"Ancient people have a poem saying that the green jadeite in Taihu Lake is beautiful, and the new rain chants the fragrance of clouds and water. After drinking this cup of tea from Baidu, I know the true taste of it. It is beautiful in shape, bright in color, rich in fragrance and mellow in taste. It is really pleasing to the eye and leaves a long aftertaste."
Only then did Baidu raise her head, with a faint smile in her beautiful eyes, and she looked at Wen Liang with a look of anger and resentment, wanting to speak but yet shy. Her charming and seductive demeanor was completely different from the pure and elegant one just now.
Wen Liang smiled slightly, his eyes clear as usual. Liu Tianlai's heart skipped a beat, and he felt his mouth dry, so he picked up the tea in the cup and drank it all. It's not like he hasn't seen beauties before. As the deputy director of the Public Security Bureau, what kind of situation has he not experienced? But he was still distracted by the expression of this woman. An Baoqing didn't say anything, and his eyes narrowed into slits, paying attention to the two people opposite him since the Baidu show. Although Liu Tianlai deliberately suppressed it and there was no difference on his face, everyone present knew that he was already confused at that moment.
He even drank up all the remaining tea in the cup. What else could he do except to be distracted
Wen Liang is the most unfathomable one. He is young, and his internal fire is strong. Facing such a beauty, no matter he has mastered the art of cultivating his qi and is not tempted at all, or he is scheming and is tempted but does not reveal any flaws, it is awe-inspiring.
It was also at this time that Liu Tianlai truly began to look up to Wen Liang and was convinced that he no longer dared to look down on him.
Baidu left, Liu Tianlai apologized and went to the bathroom. As soon as the door closed, Wen Liang's face suddenly straightened and he said in a deep voice, "Did Director Zuo ask you to come?"
An Baoqing was slightly surprised, and seeing Wen Liang's playful eyes, he knew that he could not hide it from him, so he changed his familiarity and enthusiasm and said quietly: "Yes, she is afraid that Liu Tianlai will not do his job with all his heart, so she asked me to help you hold the scene."
Wen Liang had been guessing An Baoqing's intention since he left with an excuse. After thinking about it, there was no other reason except Zuo Yuxi. In fact, it was not difficult to guess. An Baoqing was such a person that even for Liu Tianlai's sake, he would not be so enthusiastic about a young man he just met. His real purpose was to set up a stage, accompany Wen Liang in a play, and work together to shock Liu Tianlai.
In Diyuan Garden, Wen Liang proposed to talk to Liu Tianlai in person just before he was about to go out. It seemed unintentional, but he was actually asking for Zuo Yuxi's opinion in a subtle way. Although the two of them were nothing but each other, if they wanted to use certain relationships smoothly, they had to rely on themselves to open up. Only by completely subduing Liu Tianlai could they use him like an arm and cooperate seamlessly in future actions. But he was also afraid that Zuo Yuxi would have other ideas, so he used this hint, which could be used for attack or defense. Even if Zuo Yuxi refused, it would not hurt their feelings. Zuo Yuxi was very perceptive and immediately understood what he meant, but she didn't ask anything. Without saying a word, she took out her phone and called Liu Tianlai. This feeling of telepathy made Wen Liang's chest slightly warm.
Given their relationship, perhaps they don't need to be so taboo, but even the closest people have their own reverse scales that they don't want others to touch. Zuo Yuxi has always given Wen Liang the impression that she is a woman who is relatively strong in power and control, as can be seen from her relationship with An Baoqing. So Wen Liang is so cautious, not only is it not alienation, but it is a true concern for the friendship between the two.
As soon as Liu Tianlai and Wen Liang entered the door of the Great World, An Baoqing on the sixth floor got the news. Every waiter kept in mind guests like Director Liu, so in the more upscale places, it was an impossible task for local people with some status to pretend to be pigs and eat tigers. An Baoqing thought about it and called Zuo Yuxi. He had actually met Wen Liang before, but Wen Liang didn't know it.
After receiving An Baoqing's call, Zuo Yuxi thought about it and was still a little worried. Liu Tianlai seemed to be generous and open-minded, but in fact he had a very high vision and ambition. Although Wen Liang was quite capable, his foundation was too shallow after all, so he might not take him seriously. Since they happened to go to the Great World, it was just right for An Baoqing to support the stage and push Wen Liang up to put some pressure on Liu Tianlai.
These things are troublesome to talk about, but Wen Liang had thought about them clearly in a flash, and was moved by Zuo Yuxi's delicacy. He immediately climbed up the pole and mentioned An Baoqing in business. An Baoqing really cooperated, and the two acting schools who had never spoken lines together put on a good show in front of Liu Tianlai.
Wen Liang smiled and said, "Ninth Brother, I have long heard of your great name, but now that I have met you, I know that hearing about you is far less important than meeting you in person."
“I don’t dare!”
An Baoqing's words were concise and his face was gloomy, completely different from his gangster-like demeanor just now. Perhaps this was his true self in private.
"I'm curious, if I hadn't said those words just now, how would Brother Nine have given me face and put pressure on Liu Tianlai?"
An Baoqing said calmly: "Wen Huaiming once saved me, so what's wrong with me kneeling down to pay my respects to him?"
Wen Liang was startled, and after a while he smiled bitterly and said, "This drama is too much, too much..."
When Liu Tianlai came back, An Baoqing turned into a businessman who could not help laughing and talking. During the chat, he praised Wenliang for his extraordinary youth and his noble demeanor. Liu Tianlai echoed him, and this time at least 70% of his words were sincere.
After a while, An Baoqing said goodbye and left. He returned to the general manager's office and called Zuo Yuxi, saying respectfully, "Sister Zuo, congratulations, you have found a good helper..."