A Republic-era tycoon started as a secretary at Tianjin Railway Station

Chapter 13: Is this a plan to bribe assassins? [Please continue reading]

A barbed wire fence runs north to south, dividing a city in two.

At one end of the barbed wire fence, villas stood side by side, the asphalt road was smooth and clean, and people passing by were dressed in fine clothes, exuding the peace and tranquility of the modern world.

On the other side of the barbed wire fence was a slum area with only dirt roads worn by passersby, dotted with muddy puddles and stinking puddles.

Looking around, the roadside is surrounded by densely packed reed mat huts, mud-brick houses and semi-underground sheds.

In 1939, due to the "brilliant and mighty" leadership of the previous year, a major flood occurred that year, affecting the entire North China region, and many disaster victims from Hebei flocked to Tianjin.

However, the government at the time was unable to resettle them and could only leave them to fend for themselves. As a result, many disaster victims built shacks and settled in a place called Qiandezhuang. Over the years, this area has become a large-scale slum.

At this moment, a car suddenly drove on this dirt road, attracting the attention of people on both sides of the road who had long been numb to the pressures of life.

For many of them, this kind of moving iron lump is something they may never have seen in their entire lives.

However, the people inside the car didn't seem to be enjoying themselves as much as outsiders did!

"Secretary Hong, where are we going?"

Inside the car, Wen Shiming, the liaison team driver, was so jolted so much that his buttocks felt like they were about to split into four pieces. He couldn't help but ask Hong Zhong, who was sitting behind him, a question.

"That shack over there!"

Hong Zhong was also feeling unwell at this moment, but he still held a piece of paper in one hand and pointed to a shack at the corner ahead with the other.

"Brother Wen, don't ask anymore. We'll just go wherever Brother Zhong says we should go!"

Chen Beifa, who was sitting in the passenger seat, then answered.

"Stop flattering me. The main problem is this place isn't safe. It's getting dark, and I'm worried about Secretary Hong's safety!"

Wen Shiming, in his thirties, was more composed than Chen Beifa.

"I'm just asking around, I'll leave after I'm done. Besides, with you protecting my safety, what do I have to be afraid of?"

"That's right, Brother Wen, don't worry, with me here, I won't let anyone hurt Secretary Hong!"

As they were talking, the car had already arrived at the shack that Hong Zhong had pointed out.

After the car came to a stop, Hong Zhong got out and looked at the location of the shack and the big tree behind him. He compared it with the piece of paper in his hand and finally confirmed that it was the destination he was looking for.

Is Mo Xiaoli here?

Hong Zhong shouted at the dilapidated shack in front of him, which was drafty on all sides.

After a long while, a small head poked out from inside, timidly looking at Hong Zhong and the other two, and asked, "Who are you? What do you want with my brother?"

"You must be Ali's sister. I'm your brother's boss, and I'm planning to hire him as an employee!"

"My brother went to pull a cart; he should be back soon!"

"Then we'll wait for him here!"

Without a care about the dirt, Hong Zhong found a relatively clean rock and sat down on it.

Seeing that Hong Zhong was sitting there and wouldn't leave, the girl mustered up her courage and came out of the shack.

"What's your name?"

Hong Zhong asked in a somewhat gentle tone.

"Mo Xiaohui!"

How old are you?

"Twelve years old!"

"twelve?"

Hearing this answer, Hong Zhong was slightly surprised.

The girl appeared to be only about 1.2 meters tall, thin and short, with dry, yellow hair, a gaunt face, and wearing a patched shirt. She didn't look like she was twelve years old at all.

Considering Mo Xiaoli's imposing physique, Hong Zhong was somewhat puzzled.

Mo Xiaoli doesn't seem like the type to abuse his sister!

Today, after borrowing several members from the Security Bureau, he assigned tasks to them.

He then arrived here with his driver Wen Shiming and team member Chen Beifa.

"Boss, what's your surname?"

"My surname is Hong!"

"Mr. Hong, are you in the rubber-wheeled vehicle business?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"Because my brother is a rubber-puller!"

Upon hearing Mo Xiaohui's answer, Hong Zhong couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Haha, no, that's not it at all. I was planning to have your brother do something else!"

Mo Xiaohui didn't seem to believe Hong Zhong's words, and her eyes showed more suspicion when she looked at him.

Seeing this, Hong Zhong asked, "How dare you come out like this? Aren't you afraid we're bad guys?"

"Don't be afraid, you don't look like bad people, and although we're poor here, it's very safe!"

As they spoke, Hong Zhong noticed that many more eyes were watching them from around them.

Come to think of it, Mo Xiaoli dared to pull the cart and leave his sister alone at home because it was safe enough there.

Just as Hong Zhong and Mo Xiaohui were chatting and laughing, they saw a burly man running towards them.

"Boss Hong? What brings you here?"

When the man approached and saw that it was Hong Zhong, he was greatly surprised.

"I went to your car dealership to find you, but your boss, Mr. Wang, said you had already returned the car and gone home, so I asked him for your home address!"

As he spoke, Hong Zhong gave Chen Beifa a wink, and the latter immediately understood and took out a lot of things from the car.

"I couldn't come empty-handed, so I brought you some gifts. This is braised pork with soy sauce from Tianshenghao, this is sorghum liquor from Zhigu, and here are two feet of floral fabric, just enough to make a dress for Xiaohui!"

Hong Zhong explained to Mo Xiaoli with a smile.

"Boss, this...this is too expensive, I can't accept it!"

Mo Xiaoli was so surprised when he saw these that he stammered.

He had only met Hong Zhong once, and he originally thought that the other party was just talking casually. He never expected that such an important person would actually come to him.

"Is this for you? It's for the child!"

"I don't want it either!"

Mo Xiaohui chimed in at this point.

"Gurgle..."

But no sooner had she finished speaking than Mo Xiaohui’s stomach rumbled at an inopportune moment.

There was nothing she could do; the smell of pesto meat brought tears to her eyes.

Seeing that Mo Xiaohui was clearly very hungry, but still refused, Hong Zhong couldn't help but think more highly of the two of them.

Humans find it hard to resist desires. Just think about how many people in later generations say they're going to lose weight, but actually don't skip a single meal, and you'll know how difficult it is!

"Ali, I've come all this way, covered in dust, and carrying all this stuff. It's not fair to ask me to take it away now, is it?"

"But this is far too expensive!"

Mo Xiaoli persisted.

"That's valuable to you, but it's not worth much to me. If you don't want it, I'll just throw it on the street. I'm definitely not taking it back!"

As he spoke, Hong Zhong prepared to throw away what he was holding.

"No, no, no, boss! Don't waste these good things! Well then... thank you, boss!"

In the end, Mo Xiaoli accepted the gift from Hong Zhong.

"Ah, that's more like it!"

Handing the gift to Mo Xiaoli, Hong Zhong patted Mo Xiaoli's shoulder with his free hand and said:

"I've come all this way, won't you invite me in for a seat?"

"Boss, please!"

Seeing that Hong Zhong had said so, Mo Xiaoli naturally agreed.

"Haha, that's more like it!"

Hong Zhong smiled and walked into the shack.

Watching Hong Zhong's retreating figure, Wen Shiming couldn't help but whisper to Chen Beifa beside him:

"Xiao Chen, you said Secretary Hong sent so many things, is he planning to bribe his assassins?"

"Secretary Hong has his reasons for doing things!"

Chen Beifa shook his head and said...

Seeing Chen Beifa's brainless fanboy look, Wen Shiming simply shut his mouth; asking this guy was like casting pearls before swine.

Then, he pondered in his mind: What does Secretary Hong's search for this person have to do with his mission?