Chapter 168: Small Restaurant
This is a small private restaurant located in an alley not far from Song Yuanchao's home.
This restaurant was converted from a family's home. The owner connected several rooms on the first floor and opened a door facing outwards on the courtyard wall. There was no shop sign outside, only two small colored light bulbs. When the lights were plugged in at night, the restaurant looked particularly dazzling among the flashing colored lights.
This was the first time that Song Yuanchao came to this small restaurant. If the person who made the appointment had not specifically told him the address, he would probably not have been able to find the place for a while.
After entering, the shop hall is about 100 square meters in size. It is newly decorated, with the ceilings on all four sides made of plaster. There are small colored lights all around, just like outside the shop. Coupled with the soft yellowish light from the incandescent bulbs, it looks a bit like a hotel in later generations.
There are eight tables in the store. Except for the two large round tables near the inside, the other six are small square tables. The tables are covered with red and blue checkered tablecloths. There is also a ceramic jar on the table. Since it is winter, there is a bright silk flower in it.
There are two screen partitions on the other side of the large round table, which can be pulled apart to form a relatively private space when needed. It is now around two o'clock in the afternoon, not normal business hours. When Song Yuanchao arrived, there were not many people in the store. There was only a man sitting at the last large round table inside, smoking and quietly waiting for Song Yuanchao.
"haven't seen you for a long time!"
"haven't seen you for a long time……"
Seeing Song Yuanchao stepping into the store, Zhang Yong stood up and took a few quick steps towards Song Yuanchao. Song Yuanchao also took a few quick steps towards Zhang Yong. When they got close, they both stretched out their hands and shook hands.
"Is this place a little hard to find?" Inviting Song Yuanchao to sit down, Zhang Yong picked up the freshly brewed tea beside him and poured a cup of tea for Song Yuanchao, and asked with a smile.
"It's okay, but it won't be easy to find if you don't tell me the location in advance." Song Yuanchao thanked him, took the tea and put it aside.
"I originally wanted to have you come over to have lunch together, but you said you had something to do at noon today, so we could only meet at this time. The home-cooked dishes here are very good. Come and try them when you have a chance." Zhang Yong handed a cigarette to Song Yuanchao and said as he struck a match.
After lighting a cigarette and taking a puff, Song Yuanchao looked around and asked with interest: "Okay, I'll come over for dinner when I have time. By the way, this restaurant...?"
"Oh, the boss here is my childhood friend. He was also an educated youth. He has been unemployed since he came back. I originally planned to bring him to do something together, but he got married early. He married a female educated youth when he went to the countryside. Now their children are old enough to help with housework. He has a wife and children, and he is an honest man. He doesn't want to venture out into the world. He just wants to do something down-to-earth. Some time ago, the higher authorities allowed individuals to run their own businesses. His family used to be in the business, and he learned the craft since he was a child. His wife is also a good cook, so he opened a store like this in his own home."
Zhang Yong gave a brief explanation and Song Yuanchao nodded. Although he had never eaten the food here, from Zhang Yong's introduction tell that the boss put a lot of effort into running the business.
"You are the boss here too, right?" Song Yuanchao asked with a smile.
"Haha, you actually figured it out." Zhang Yong didn't hide it: "It's just a patronage. I contributed a little . But I don't usually manage this store, so not many people come."
That's right. With the decoration style and layout of this store plus other investments, it would cost at least a thousand yuan to open it. If it weren't for Zhang Yong's help, I'm afraid the owner of this store would not be able to come up with so much money on his own.
In fact, it was Song Yuanchao who first made the appointment with Zhang Yong to meet today. Although Song Yuanchao and Zhang Yong had not dealt with each other many times, their contact was only limited to the college entrance examination review materials.
However, the fate between people is difficult to describe. Some people hit it off at first sight, while others don't get along after meeting each other. Song Yuanchao and Zhang Yong are the former. They appreciate each other. Both Song Yuanchao and Zhang Yong have a good impression of each other.
After returning to Shanghai, Song Yuanchao asked Li Daqi to find someone to make an appointment with Zhang Yong, but Zhang Yong had not been in Shanghai for some time and no one knew where he had gone, so they had never met.
Zhang Yong had just returned from another place yesterday. The first thing he heard when he came back was that Song Yuanchao had also returned to Shanghai and was looking for someone to make an appointment with him. Zhang Yong immediately called Song Yuanchao, and the two of them agreed to meet at this place today.
"I haven't seen you for half a year. How have you been recently? Have you been studying in Yanjing these days?" After taking a puff of cigarette, Zhang Yong raised his hand and pointed at the tea in front of Song Yuanchao and asked.
Song Yuanchao took a sip of the tea and nodded, saying, "Didn't I get into the Imperial University before? I've been staying in Yanjing. I'll be back in Shanghai for a while during the winter break, and I'll go back after the New Year."
"Hello again, Yenching University, wow." A trace of envy that could not be concealed flashed across Zhang Yong's face. Perhaps he also had a dream of going to college in his heart, but it was a pity that this dream might never come true in this lifetime.
"What about you? How are you doing?"
"What else can I do? I'll just do business with my brothers and travel back and forth between cities to support my family. By the way, I have to thank you for this."
"Thank me?"
"What? Forgot?" Zhang Yong smiled and said, "Do you remember what you said to me before you left? I went to the south some time ago and brought back some goods, which sold very well. Your friends Qin Zhengguo and Gu Jie in Yangcheng also helped a lot over there. Thank you for this. Come! I'll toast you with tea instead of wine."
As he spoke, he raised the teacup in front of him. Song Yuanchao also picked up his cup and clinked it with his, smiling and saying, "It's just a small thing. Why are you thanking me? It's just a small favor."
After drinking the tea in the cup in one gulp, Zhang Yong directly shone the bottom of the cup towards Song Yuanchao, put down the cup and said seriously: "This is not a trivial matter. I have some connections in Shanghai or Hangzhou, but I am completely in the dark when I go to the south. Not to mention other things, I can't even understand what they say there. If your friend hadn't come forward to help, I might not be able to get anything done."
Song Yuanchao smiled without comment and didn't say anything more. He picked up the teapot and filled Zhang Yong's empty cup with tea.
"By the way, what brought you back to see me this time? Do you have something good to do for me?" Zhang Yong was a very sensitive person. He thought of this when he learned that Song Yuanchao had asked someone to make an appointment with him. Moreover, for Zhang Yong, he was both envious and regretful that Song Yuanchao went to Yanjing to study.
What I envy is that Song Yuanchao was able to get into university, and such a good university, becoming a child of destiny.
Zhang Yong was a rebellious child due to family reasons, so he was not good at studying. In addition, he had been struggling to make a living at an early age, so it was impossible for him to pick up his studies and take the college entrance examination. He knew very well that he was not cut out for college study.
But not going to college does not mean that he yearns for college life. This may be a thought buried deep in Zhang Yong's heart.
It is a pity that as Song Yuanchao went to college, they lost the opportunity to cooperate. In their last cooperation, he and Song Yuanchao cooperated very tacitly and both sides appreciated each other. Although they had known each other for a short time, he had a good impression of Song Yuanchao.
In Zhang Yong's opinion, good business partners like Song Yuanchao are rare. Zhang Yong has always been a proud and arrogant person, and there are not many people he really looks up to, and Song Yuanchao happens to be one of them.
Before Song Yuanchao left Shanghai for Yanjing, Zhang Yong came specially to see him off. On the one hand, it was because he valued Song Yuanchao as a person, and on the other hand, it was to keep a bond of friendship in case there was a chance for cooperation in the future.
It was precisely because of this that when Zhang Yong knew that Song Yuanchao was asking him out, he contacted Song Yuanchao as soon as possible.
"Yes, there is something. I wonder if you are interested." Song Yuanchao looked up at Zhang Yong and deliberately kept him in suspense.
"Interest? Haha." Zhang Yong laughed. "If it was someone else saying this, it would be hard to say, but it's different for you, Song Yuanchao. I know exactly what kind of person you are. Tell me what it is. Whether it's cooperation or you need my help, as long as I can sit there, it's fine."
"Frank!" Song Yuanchao secretly admired Zhang Yong's answer. This guy was quick-witted and bright-minded. In comparison, Zhang Yong could be said to be the most business-talented person Song Yuanchao had seen since returning to this era. Even Li Daqi, Qin Zhengguo, Luo Yang and others were inferior to him.
Song Yuanchao's purpose in looking for Zhang Yong was very simple, which was to cooperate in business.
Now Song Yuanchao spends most of the year in Yanjing. Luo Yang in Yanjing is Song Yuanchao's partner. Moreover, after the cooperation in the past period of time, Song Yuanchao and Luo Yang have established a relatively trusting relationship. With the help of Sun Yaoliang and Li Xiaoyun, things are going very well in Yanjing.
As for Yangcheng, Qin Zhengguo and Gu Jie were there, and Ying Caixia would also go there after the Spring Festival. The three of them were people Song Yuanchao trusted, and Song Yuanchao was relieved to have them there.
In Shanghai, Li Daqi is already capable of taking charge of his own affairs. With the decision made by Director Ma, Li Daqi will be officially appointed as the deputy director and workshop director of the school-run factory in the next few days. In the days to come, Director Ma will gradually retreat to the second line, thus supporting Li Daqi to the position of factory director.
Yanjing, Shanghai, and Yangcheng.
These three cities can be said to cover the core areas of the three important commercial regions of North China, East China and South China. In the current era of reform and opening up, the importance of the three cities is self-evident, and it is also the focus of Song Yuanchao's entire game.
Compared with Yanjing and Yangcheng, or the Pengcheng Special Zone that is about to be established, the power of Shanghai, which Song Yuanchao is most familiar with, is insufficient.
Although Li Daqi can work on his own, Song Yuanchao cannot let him leave the factory due to the special circumstances of the school-run factory.
Firstly, it was because of Director Ma, secondly, it was because of his feelings for this factory, and thirdly, this factory was also an important factor. In the following days, Song Yuanchao had some in-depth and long-term ideas about the school-run factory, which needed Li Daqi to implement for him.
Therefore, Song Yuanchao needed to find someone in Shanghai who was trustworthy, had channels and ways, and was very capable to cooperate with. When this idea flashed through his mind, Song Yuanchao immediately thought of Zhang Yong.
