Late at night, around ten o'clock.
A car stopped in front of a food stall in Tianhong Port. Xu Hu pushed the door open and got out, waving his hand for the driver to go first.
Inside the food stall, Wei Xiangzuo was drinking with a flushed face.
Xu Hu came over, looked up and shouted, "Boss, give me one serving of beef offal and one serving of radish."
"Okay." The boss shouted back.
Xu Hu bent down and sat next to Wei Xiangzuo, casually picked up the beer bottle and poured himself a glass.
Wei Xiangzuo was peeling salted peanuts, his eyes a little dazed as he drank.
The two sat opposite each other, Xu Hu raised his glass and said, "Come on, let's have a drink."
"I'm almost done drinking." Wei Xiangzuo did not raise his glass.
Xu Hu held the wine in his hand and was silent for a while: "I know you are angry. If you hadn't run away, I might not be the assistant leader."
Wei Xiangzuo waved his hands and stared at Xu Hu blankly: "That's not what I want to say, and you shouldn't tell me that. I just want to ask you one question, does Master's death have anything to do with you?!"
Xu Hu looked at him: "Why do you think it has something to do with me!"
"Because the facts are there, the gunman arrived at the port ahead of time."
"What is the fact? You and I have known each other for more than ten years, but you trust outsiders and not me, right?" Xu Hu asked, holding a glass of wine.
Wei Xiangzuo stared into Xu Hu's eyes and was silent for a long time before he picked up the wine glass and took a sip: "You can be the big brother if you want, as long as it doesn't affect my brothers. But... remember, if you let me find out that Master's death is related to you, then we are not done."
Xu Hu paused for a while, then drank the wine in his glass. "You don't believe me because of the helper thing. Okay, I won't explain. I will find out about Master's matter and give an explanation to the Code Gang."
Wei Xiangzuo did not respond.
"Old Wei, the old man is gone, we have to look forward and move forward." Xu Hu wiped the wine stains from the corners of his mouth and whispered, "I really don't plan to use the old Mexican stuff anymore. There are no outsiders here today, tell me the truth, what is your attitude on this matter?"
Wei Xiangzuo ate peanuts and lowered his head to reply: "Can Zhannan stop doing the gold brick business?"
Xu Hu frowned and looked at him: "If you quit, what will the people below eat and drink? How much money can we get just by relying on ordinary goods? And if you quit, the higher-ups won't agree! How many mouths are waiting for the gold bricks to print money?"
Wei Xiangzuo raised his head and stared at Xu Hu in a daze. Suddenly he grinned and said, "Keep doing it. There's nothing to eat."
Xu Hu was stunned.
"Since you said that the purpose of changing the new channel is to allow the brothers below to make more money, then well, you can take me with you to explore the new channel. Apart from the water extraction from the upper level, as for the remaining actual benefits, let's make it transparent. Your people and my people will each get half. Is that okay?" Wei Xiangzuo looked at Xu Hu with a smile and asked again.
"Haha." Xu Hu looked at Wei Xiangzuo and laughed.
The two looked at each other for a while, and Xu Hu poured another glass of wine: "Come on, stop talking, and drink!"
Wei Xiangzuo poured the wine, clinked glasses with him, and drank it all in one gulp.
In the sky, the silver moon hangs high and the stars are bright. The streets in the harbor are slightly breezed and surrounded by busy night market stalls and the noise of drinking.
In the past, when Xu Hu was not yet a helper and Wei Xiangzuo was not yet a judge, after finishing their work at sea, the two of them would often come to the snack stalls here with a few brothers to eat supper and drink.
Everyone was bragging and joking, and the night passed by in a flash.
Although everyone didn't have much money at that time, they lived a happy life.
After Xu Hu and Wei Xiangzuo drank several cups in a row, his face flushed slightly. He turned his head to look around, staring at the street, chuckled and said, "Old Wei, do you remember? It was there that we had a fight with a gang of pickpockets in the harbor because of a little girl, and you took a knife for me. It was so good back then, one person's food fed the whole family. Alas, now, I don't know how many people there are. I hope you can bring value, it's tiring."
Wei Xiangzuo looked at him and grinned, "It's no use talking about the past. Back then, you followed me around, calling me Brother Wei. Now, it's hard to even invite you for a drink. How can it be the same?"
Xu Hu was silent for a while, then turned to look at Lao Wei: "... I don't have the final say on this matter of goods, brother Lao Wei! As for the new channel...!"
"First, find out how the old man disappeared," Wei Xiangzuo interrupted directly, "After that, we can talk about the rest."
Xu Hu looked into Wei Xiangzuo's eyes and nodded slowly: "Okay, let's check first."
Wei Xiangzuo took out a cigarette case, took out a cigarette, and handed it to Xu Hu: "Now the people in the Code Gang Elders Council say they are righteous but they are calculating their own interests. They are different from before. But one thing they said today is right. If you want to get promoted, you have to win the support of the people."
Xu Hu took the cigarette and nodded slowly: "I know what you mean."
Wei Xiangzuo said nothing more.
Xu Hu lit up a cigarette, took a deep breath, stood up and said, "Okay, it's getting late, I'm leaving."
After saying that, Xu Hu walked towards the street corner. Wei Xiangzuo watched him leave and also stood up and shouted, "Check out!"
…
night.
Xu Hu returned to his residence, sat on the sofa for a while, then suddenly picked up his mobile phone and dialed a number.
"Hello?"
"Please inform the finance department that starting from tomorrow, interest will be settled normally for Lao Wei's people." Xu Hu smoked a cigarette and whispered, "Explain to them that the reason they didn't settle it before was because the finance department didn't have the money."
"I understand, brother."
"Yeah, that's it."
After that, the two ended the call.
Xu Hu sat on the sofa, carefully recalling the conversation with Wei Xiangzuo tonight. After hesitating for a long time, he picked up the phone again and dialed a number.
After a busy tone, Li Hongze's voice rang out: "Hello, Lao Xu?"
"are you free?"
"Have you finished talking to Wei Xiangzuo?"
"Yeah." Xu Hu nodded.
"Okay, I'll go find you in the harbor." Li Hongze paused and said, "See you later."
"good."
Xu Hu hung up the phone, lay down on the sofa feeling a little tired, and accidentally saw the group photo placed on the TV cabinet.
That photo includes Xu Er, Xu Hu, Gu Tongshan sitting in the middle, and Wei Xiangzuo standing on the left.
Xu Hu stared at the photo in a daze.
…
In the city, inside Jindi Entertainment City.
Dabai held the wine glass, sat next to Lao Dong, and asked with a smile on his face: "How is it, Brother Dong, is this okay?!"
Old Dong shook his hair like Sha Seng and nodded repeatedly: "Very good, the song is also exciting. Come on, brother Xiao Bai, let's get up and dance."
"I... I can't dance."
"Come on, come on!" Old Dong patted Dabai's butt and greeted him with bared teeth.
Dabai put down his wine glass and stood up. Lao Dong put his arm around his waist and walked to the center of the private room.
"Shake it up!" A young man wearing tight pants shouted sharply, "Shake it up!"
Su Tianyu sat on the sofa, reached into his bag to take out the approval documents, and was urgently revising them.
"Good brother, let's have a drink!" A charming young man sat next to Su Tianyu and reached out to touch his thigh.
Su Tianyu glanced at the other party and said: "... Don't try to touch it blindly, it will jump and kill you!"
"Then eat a peach." The young man used a toothpick to pick a piece of fruit for Su Tianyu.