The Game of Life

Chapter 562: Chapter 560: The Yellowing Smile (Request for Monthly Votes!) (Extra for Alliance Hierarch Zhang Weiyu!)

As a senior restaurant owner with extensive experience in poaching employees, Ling Guangzhao thought of many possibilities within just a few minutes.

Every possible outcome led to Taifeng Building poaching Zheng Siyuan away.

Ling Guangzhao even played a memory movie in his mind, trying hard to recall if Zheng Siyuan had exhibited any abnormal behaviors these past few days. Whether his words were proper when he asked for leave yesterday, whether his expression was natural, whether there was even a trace of guilt, whether there was any suspicion of lying.

Of course, the result was none, but Ling Guangzhao was still not reassured.

He picked up his phone, then put it down. He picked up his phone and opened the contacts list, then put it down. He picked up his phone and opened the contacts list, found Zheng Siyuan’s phone number, and once again put it down.

After hesitating for a long time, Ling Guangzhao finally dialed Zheng Siyuan’s number.

Zheng Siyuan answered immediately.

“Hello, Mr. Ling, is there something you need?” Zheng Siyuan asked.

“Nothing much, I just wanted to ask if you’ve seen Master Huang. How is his health, does he need to go to the hospital? If there’s anything you need, just speak up, I’ll help in any way I can,” Ling Guangzhao chose to feign ignorance.

“I’ve seen him, Master Uncle’s condition is good, he’s also in high spirits, shouldn’t need to go to the hospital, thank you for your concern, Mr. Ling,” Zheng Siyuan didn’t expect Ling Guangzhao to even make a special call to inquire about Master Huang’s health, which left him feeling unexpectedly honored.

“Then, is Master Huang available right now? If possible, I’d also like to visit. Over the years, I’ve always heard of Master Huang’s great reputation but never had the chance to meet him. If there is an opportunity today, I would like to meet him,” Ling Guangzhao asked.

Zheng Siyuan was taken aback, “Please wait a moment, Mr. Ling, I’ll ask Master Uncle.”

After a while, Zheng Siyuan picked up the phone again, “Master Uncle said no problem, we are currently at Ruixiang Teahouse, I will send you the exact location via WeChat.”

“Alright, I’ll be on my way now, please ask Master Huang to wait for me for a while,” Ling Guangzhao finally set his mind at ease and hung up the call.

He thought so, how could anyone poach an employee right over his head, he was Ling Guangzhao after all!

Ling Guangzhao put all the documents on the table into the drawer, picked up his car keys, informed the lobby manager of Eight-treasure House, then went to the parking lot to drive to the teahouse at the location Zheng Siyuan sent him.

On the way to the teahouse, Ling Guangzhao also detoured to the gift shop he often patronized to buy a few cans of exquisitely packaged, high-grade tea leaves for Master Huang.

Since Master Huang would be drinking tea and chatting with Zheng Siyuan in the teahouse, giving tea leaves must be right.

But what Ling Guangzhao didn’t expect was that not only Zheng Siyuan was chatting leisurely with Master Huang but also Jiang Weiguo, Jiang Weiming, Jiang Jiankang, and Jiang Feng.

Zheng Siyuan was actually a very composed person.

When Zheng Siyuan arrived at Taifeng Building in the morning, Jiang Feng had the unscrupulous thought of whether to poach Zheng Siyuan into Taifeng Building from Ling Guangzhao, becoming the first person to succeed in poaching from Ling Guangzhao. From then on, he would be famous throughout Beiping, listed on Ling Guangzhao’s hit list, with Taifeng Building and Eight-treasure House locked in an endless feud until one collapsed, writing a moving, dramatic, and twisting saga of business warfare.

This idea was dismissed by Jiang Feng during the discussion with Zheng Siyuan about what was wrong with the Dragon Well pastry sold in the teahouse.

Brothers from the same sect meeting in a teahouse after many years, Zheng Siyuan not listening to Master Huang’s stories of the past, not adding anything to what Master Huang had told, not even a bit curious about the Jiang Family’s loves and hatreds over the years, instead he was discussing with Jiang Feng who sat beside him, the ten flaws of the Dragon Well crispy sold in Ruixiang Building.

“This Dragon Well crispy can no longer be called Dragon Well crispy, it’s not authentic and it’s not tasty. Look at this pastry crust, it falls off with just a little pinch, and its tea fragrance is too strong, eating it is like chewing tea leaves,” Zheng Siyuan seriously discussed with Jiang Feng.

“The key thing is it’s still sold so expensive, this Dragon Well crispy isn’t worth the price at all. In our place, this level of Dragon Well crispy wouldn’t sell for 10 yuan a plate,” Zheng Siyuan said with a look of disdain, even with a hint of heartfelt pain.

Jiang Feng: …

“Actually, this teahouse mainly sells tea; these pastries are just complementary products, usually not many people eat or buy them, it’s normal if they are not tasty,” Jiang Feng explained in a low voice.

Usually, the two old gentlemen never order tea snacks. Today, they did so just for the sake of appearances, because Zheng Siyuan and Master Huang were present.

“That still shouldn’t be the case. The fact that the waiter recommended the Longjing crisp to us indicates that it must be their specialty. If it’s their specialty, its poor quality is even more unacceptable.” Zheng Siyuan was still fixated on the issue with the Longjing crisp, “No, I have to order another dessert. The waiter also recommended their green bean cake; I must try it to see how well it’s made.”

As he spoke, Zheng Siyuan stood up to look for the waiter.

Jiang Feng: ???

“Where is Siyuan going?” Master Huang was enthusiastically talking about how Jiang Weijin agreed to take him as a disciple when he noticed that Zheng Siyuan had hurried away.

“Zheng said he wanted to order another portion of green bean cake,” said Jiang Feng.

Master Huang laughed, “This kid has always been like this. Everywhere he goes, he has to try the specialty cakes of the place. He won’t rest until he’s tasted and reviewed all of them. That’s just his way.”

Master Huang continued to tell the story of how Jiang Weijin had the wisdom to spot talent in him among a group of young lads doing menial tasks.

Zheng Siyuan looked around and didn’t see the waiter, so he was about to go downstairs to the reception to place his order directly when he bumped into Ling Guangzhao, who was carrying gifts, at the staircase.

“Siyuan, where’s Master Huang?” Ling Guangzhao wore his trademark smile.

“He’s at that table inside. Wait for me, Mr. Ling. I’m going to order some pastries from the waiter and then I’ll take you over,” Zheng Siyuan said, his gaze falling on the gift box Ling Guangzhao was carrying.

Ling Guangzhao noticed Zheng Siyuan’s gaze and explained, “I didn’t know what Master Huang liked, so I just brought a few boxes of tea leaves. I’ll wait for you right here.”

“Okay,” Siyuan nodded. He quickly went downstairs to the reception, placed his order, then returned to the staircase to lead Ling Guangzhao back to Master Huang’s table.

“It’s that one there,” Zheng Siyuan pointed to a corner tea table.

Ling Guangzhao was a bit nearsighted and disliked wearing glasses; if things were a bit far, especially faces, he couldn’t see clearly. From his perspective, he could only see people in the direction Zheng Siyuan pointed, but he couldn’t make out their faces or even identify which one was Master Huang.

“So many people, it looks like Master Huang has quite a few friends in Beiping. I hadn’t heard about it before,” Ling Guangzhao said with a laugh.

“They’re not friends, they are two of my great uncles and my great uncle’s son and grandson. My uncle came to Beiping this time just for this matter; previously there wasn’t much contact,” Zheng Siyuan explained.

“That’s wonderful; it seems I’ve come at the right time,” said Ling Guangzhao. In fact, he hardly understood the situation and didn’t know where Siyuan’s great uncles had popped up from, but he knew that praising was always right—it sounded like a good thing.

As they drew nearer, and the distance between them closed to less than five meters, Ling Guangzhao finally saw the other people sitting at Master Huang’s table.

Jiang Feng, Jiang Jiankang, Jiang Weiguo, Jiang Weiming.

He knew all of them, not just knew them, one of them had once been the target of his most unsuccessful attempt at poaching without proper reconnaissance, becoming a significant blunder in his life.

“This…” Ling Guangzhao was dumbfounded.

“Uncle, great uncles, Uncle Jiang, Brother Jiang, this is my boss, Ling Guangzhao. He heard you were here and wanted to pay a visit,” Zheng Siyuan, unaware of Ling Guangzhao’s astonished state, introduced his boss with a smile.

“Mr. Ling, what a coincidence—it’s fate that we meet. Zheng from your shop turns out to be my senior disciple brother; I had no idea about this before,” Jiang Feng said, his face painted with the insincerity of an adult, “Mr. Ling, what kind of tea would you like, black, green, or oolong?”

Ling Guangzhao just wanted to drink bitter tea and herbal tea because his mouth tasted bitter and his feet felt cold.

“It really is… quite the coincidence,” Ling Guangzhao managed to squeeze out a smile.

Something about that smile seemed a bit yellow, a dry, withered yellow.