Chapter 508: Chapter 418: Level 4 Fighter (Please Subscribe!)_1
In the afternoon.
Finally, Second Uncle’s bodyguards arrived.
A total of four people.
Two fighters.
And two Thais of Chinese descent.
Each of them had strong muscles and didn’t talk much. After all, two of the most badass, strongest, and toughest fighters hardly spoke, so how could these two lesser beings dare to say a word beyond what was necessary?
Ever since the two fighters showed up, their pride and confidence had been hit hard. They were constantly grateful that these two men weren’t their enemies. Otherwise, they might opt to return to their hometowns and live a quiet life as farmers; the outside world had proven to be too dangerous for them.
Meanwhile.
In order to better protect his family.
Tang Qing had upgraded all the bodyguards who protected his family secretly to Level Four, the same level as Ling, and also the highest level he was currently able to upgrade them to.
The other bodyguards could never fathom this in a million years.
The two who had gone out for a while and then returned have now become beings so powerful they could overturn everything with just a flick of their finger.
The four bodyguards arrived in a Mercedes-Benz minivan. This was a courtesy vehicle used by Tang Kai’s company in Province City. Tang Qing had duly noticed his Second Uncle’s preference for Mercedes-Benz.
In the evening.
The families gathered again. Not at Li Jianguo’s Seafood Restaurant, but at Liu Qian’s Tianfu Hotel, especially at the Qiankun Pavilion. Second Uncle was planning to take his wife and daughter back to their hometown to visit their relatives tomorrow. The duration of the visit was yet to be determined.
After that, he would take them for a trip to Thailand.
Inside the brightly lit and luxurious hall.
The families were having dinner.
Liu Qian was markedly present. He and Tang Kai had been in touch regularly and their relationship had gotten better over time. He had returned a few days ago specifically to meet Tang Kai. His status didn’t qualify him to join the family dinner the night before. However, that wasn’t a problem for him today.
"Eh, the fruit tastes so good. What variety is it?" Tang Kai picked up a piece of apple from the fruit platter using a toothpick, took a bite, and his eyes lit up. It was really delicious, but he couldn’t put a finger on why.
"Haha, you have to ask your nephew about that. This is from the shop owned by his friend. I didn’t know about it till a few days ago when I came across it by chance. I bought some fruit to serve as a feature on our fruit platter here, and guess what, it’s been received really well." Looking at Tang Qing, Liu Qian explained with a smile.
He had previously bought a lot of the fruit to give away, and also to use as fruit platters in the hotel. After introducing the Supreme Fruit Platter, there was an enormous positive response. Although the fruit platter was a bit pricey - more like outrageously expensive – those who frequented his establishment were all wealthy customers who didn’t mind spending a few hundred more for good, quality food.
What’s more, a small portion only cost "merely" ninety-nine dollars. It’s still within their affordable range to satisfy their cravings. Customers asked about it and Liu Qian didn’t hide the source since it wasn’t his exclusive vendor - it didn’t hurt to do good deeds.
Now that the word was getting around.
Liu Qian estimated that the business at the fruit and vegetable shop must be booming. Despite this, it didn’t affect the sales of the Supreme Fruit Platter at his hotel, because well, those who came to dine in couldn’t bring their own fruits, could they? They couldn’t afford to lose face.
"Tangtang, is it your friend again? I thought he wasn’t really into money?" Mother Tang questioned.
The others also looked at Tang Qing.
Seafood worth hundreds of thousands was given away for free but he sold his vegetables even if they were only tens of dollars.
This logic.
They were confused.
Tang Qing smiled and, well-prepared, explained eloquently: "Mom, seafood can continue to grow and become more valuable in the sea and won’t die. Yet fruits and vegetables will spoil if they are left in the ground for too long. Naturally, they need to be sold. But they can’t be sold at a loss, which is why the price is so high."
"Oh, I see." Mother Tang seemed to understand now.
The others also nodded in agreement.
They all accepted this explanation.
Indeed.
Seafood in the ocean grows larger with time, but vegetables only grow older and less tasty. How can they not sell them? It would be a waste to throw them away.
"Alright, I’ll buy some tomorrow and give them away. Tangtang, is there a limit to how much you can buy?" Tang Kai asked, as the fruit tasted so good, he really wanted to meet this friend of Tang Qing’s.
What a strange person, wealthy, powerful, capable of farming and growing food. He is a peculiar combination of conflicting characteristics.
Maybe he was some kind of recluse or virtuous hermit.
Tang Kai secretly speculated.
Tang Qing shook his head and replied: "There is no purchase limit. As long as the store has stock, you can buy it. However, the total supply is limited and cannot be provided in large quantities. Just mention my name when you go tomorrow, and you will get a 90% discount."
Tang Kai nodded and said, "Okay, a trunk-load should be enough. Your friend seems to be making a loss by giving a 90% discount."
"It’s not about making money for him, he just does it for fun. As long as people like them, he doesn’t really care," Tang Qing began to bluff.
The others actually bought it.
Surely a character like this could have little eccentricities like this without it being a surprise.
"Little Tang, when you bought this, you got a 90% discount, but I bought it at the original price," Liu Qian joked.
Tang Qing feigned "consternation" and replied, "Uncle Liu, if you’re buying it for your own consumption, I can also give you a 90% discount. But if you’re reselling it, then the price must remain the same. There will always be a difference between a friend’s price and a consumer’s price."
"Alright, if I buy it for myself, I’ll use your name to get the discount. If it’s for the restaurant or a gift, I’ll pay the original price," Liu Qian responded casually. He clearly wasn’t really concerned about the cost of seafood. After all, if he sold his seafood at a higher price, it would only increase his profits.
There was plenty to be made.
"That works. No problem," Tang Qing said, grinning.
Everyone continued eating.
But Liu Qian noticed something odd - almost no one was touching the seafood on the table. In fact, they seemed to be deliberately avoiding it. Was there something wrong with the seafood?
Liu Qian curiously picked up a piece of fish sashimi and dipped it in the sauce for a taste test.
Nothing seemed wrong with it.
"Why aren’t you guys eating the seafood?" he finally asked.
"Uh? We had seafood for the entire meal last night. We’re a bit tired of it." Tang Kai confessed, somewhat embarrassed. For some reason, after the seafood feast the previous evening, he felt less enthusiastic about the seafood in front of him. The aftertaste had yet to leave him.
Tang Qing knew the reason: after consuming all that seafood, they craved it whenever they saw it, and when it wasn’t in front of them, they didn’t think about it. But the powerful stimulus from the seafood feast the previous night hadn’t yet faded away, making the other typical seafood dishes on the table seem somewhat boring. If they didn’t eat it for half a month, this unusual ’aftereffect’ would go away.
"Seafood? Little Tang, it’s not the same type of seafood you gave me last time, is it?" Liu Qian remembered something and got a bit excited. He had found the seafood Tang Qing gave him last time utterly unforgettable, even though it had been more than half a month. The memory was slowly fading, however.
Tang Qing nodded in response.
It was only then that everyone else realized that Tang Qing had given Liu Qian that special seafood.
Liu Qian got a bit excited, "Little Tang, does your friend still have that type of seafood? It was really delicious! I couldn’t bear to give it away. Gangzi and I ate it all."
"Uncle Liu, that type of seafood is quite rare. We only give it away as gifts, not sell it. If you want to eat it again, I can arrange for you to get some more in the future," said Tang Qing. After all, this wasn’t a service he could offer indefinitely to someone who wasn’t his closest friend or family.
"That’s perfect! If that’s the case, we might as well not eat any of these other seafood dishes. It is a pity, though. If our restaurant had that kind of seafood, business would go through the roof," Liu Qian said with a hint of disappointment.
Upon hearing this.
Everyone else was quietly amused deep down.
The cost of such coveted seafood.
Just a few mouthfuls could cost as much as an entire house. Who could afford that here? Or better yet, who would be willing to spend that much? Even Liu Qian probably wouldn’t be willing to indulge so extravagantly.
Liu Qian remained oblivious to their thoughts.
He continued recommending other dishes besides seafood. Although nobody had much of an appetite for seafood at the moment, the taste of non-seafood dishes remained enjoyable. So Liu Qian quickly ordered a variety of other dishes.
The seafood couldn’t go to waste. Liu Qian himself enjoyed a good variety, and of course, so did Tang Qing. His taste buds weren’t affected by the extraordinary seafood back in the training area, so he enjoyed the seafood on the table with an exclusive sauce, savoring each bite.
The meal lasted until 11 o’clock.
Tang Qing and the others left in an Audi.
The Mercedes-Benz was left for Uncle Er to drive back to his wife’s parents’ house.
The next day.
Tang Kai got up early.
He and Liu Qian enjoyed a fancy breakfast.
Tang Kai discussed his investment plans, and Liu Qian agreed with him. Of course, if both of them were in the jewelry business, they would be competitors. The tension might be tolerable in the short term because of their existing relationship, but in the long run, avoidable friction and competition would inevitably arise due to their business dealings.
There would surely be a rift between them, at least mentally.
The business world is a battlefield. Unless there is absolutely no conflict of interest, contradictions are bound to arise.
"Well, Brother Tang, your decision is commendable. This way, you can also avoid direct conflict with other local jewelers. You can just fish in troubled waters. But, you would need to secure your supply. Otherwise, your plan won’t last very long," Liu Qian pointed out the crux of the issue.
Without a secure supply, jewelers wouldn’t be interested. Thinking of Tang Kai’s ’supply’, he was a bit concerned because Leader Ling’s territory was not a stable area. Anything could happen.
Tang Kai just smiled. He mentioned his sole supplier arrangement with Leader Ling and shared some recent events about Ling. This left Liu Qian stunned.
"You mean, Leader Ling’s territory has expanded several times over, he’s opened a bank, issued currency, and even received recognition from the Myanmar Reserve?!" Liu Qian exclaimed. He understood the implications, of course. This meant that, as long as nothing unfortunate happened, Tang Kai’s position would be unshakeable. If Ling was involved with Myanmar, then Tang Kai had effectively hitched his cart to a giant tree.
"Yes, that’s all true. The only problem is that I don’t know what their relationship with Myanmar really is," Tang Kai admitted, looking somewhat vexed. The fear of the unknown was the source of his concern.
"Ha-ha, why worry about all that? This is a windfall! As long as you don’t get involved in their affairs and just stick to doing business, you should be fine. By the way, does this mean you’re now the largest jade and jewelry wholesaler in Thailand?" Liu Qian laughed heartily.
"Sort of. I’m the largest jade wholesaler, but only the second-largest gemstone wholesaler. If it weren’t for Young Master Chai’s gem mines in Africa supplying me, I wouldn’t even have that title," Tang Kai replied with a smile.
"I see. Well, now you’re the overall largest, right? Ha-ha, from now on, I will source my goods from you," Liu Qian laughed heartily.
"No problem, here’s to a successful partnership!"
PS: The second Chapter, and another one waits ahead. Please stay tuned.
Double monthly tickets for another day.
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