“Cheng Ge, I have something to tell you.”
Seeing Xiao Fen’s nervous expression, Zheng Bai Cheng thought she had done something wrong and asked, “What’s wrong, Xiao Fen? Just tell me if there’s anything.”
Xiao Fen had been working at the convenience store for a while now. While Za Huo Qiang wasn’t as unbearable as rumored, Zheng Bai Cheng was truly as the rumors said – he worked diligently and was a kind person. He made people feel safe.
“Cheng Ge, it’s like this. I have a classmate, she’s dropping out of school and doesn’t have a job. That... Cheng Ge, can you take her in? She’s fine with just a small salary.”
Xiao Fen knew the situation of the store. Business was indeed good, but from Zheng Bai Cheng’s conversations with Za Huo Qiang, she also knew that the store’s earnings weren’t that much. Now that they had to support three people, it was naturally a bit tight.
In fact, she might have misunderstood. The convenience store, although with low profit margins, made up for it with high customer volume. Moreover, the store was Za Huo Qiang’s own, making the profit quite substantial.
“Xiao Fen...” Za Huo Qiang, who had heard the conversation, was about to refuse. After all, this wasn’t a charity; he wasn’t in the business of supporting idle people.
But Zheng Bai Cheng, currently thinking about expanding the store, interrupted Za Huo Qiang and said, “Let her come for an interview.”
Seeing him say that, Za Huo Qiang, thinking that the store’s business was now all in Zheng Bai Cheng’s hands and that it wouldn’t be a problem to have him watching over things, swallowed his words and remained silent.
Hearing Zheng Bai Cheng say this, Xiao Fen was overjoyed. “Cheng Ge, wait for me.” She then excitedly ran off, and Zheng Bai Cheng knew she went to find her classmate.
“You punk, you let your classmate come over, can we even afford to pay her? Now that business is good, we can’t afford to feed so many people.”
Za Huo Qiang, after Xiao Fen left, began to lecture him. He wanted to guide him, hoping that before things were finalized, he could change his mind and make things easier for him.
“Old Man, I’m planning to open a branch. Our current store has reached its limit. If we don’t open another one, we’ll likely stay stuck here. By opening a new store, we can expand and become stronger, and our earnings will double.”
Hearing Zheng Bai Cheng’s words, Za Huo Qiang was surprised. He hadn’t thought that the boy was thinking about this, and he wanted to dissuade him. But shaking his head, he simply thought, “Never mind.”
Soon, a pretty girl came over behind Xiao Fen. This Xiao Hua was truly beautiful. Not only was she a stunning beauty, but also, at a young age, she had a generous figure. Zheng Bai Cheng couldn’t help but think of a phrase: “Young shoots bear heavy fruit.” His gaze lingered on the fruit for a few moments, causing the shy Xiao Hua to nearly bury her head in the ground.
“Cheng Ge, this is Xiao Hua; Xiao Hua, this is Cheng Ge. Cheng Ge is a very kind person.”
Unlike the timid Xiao Hua, Xiao Fen was cheerful and outgoing, like a tomboy. Their personalities were clearly complementary.
Zheng Bai Cheng pointed to the chairs next to the table. “Have a seat. Xiao Fen, your classmate is here, grab a bottle of soda and entertain her.”
Za Huo Qiang, seeing Xiao Hua, gave her a quick look up and down. Then, seeing his adopted son looking at her, he knew that young people are so easy. He was also quite happy with Xiao Hua, feeling that she would be a good daughter-in-law.
“Xiao Hua, now for the interview. Tell me about yourself.”
Xiao Fen also looked at her friend, her eyes full of encouragement. Xiao Hua, for the first time, finally lifted her head and looked at her friend. This was an instinctive reaction – in a strange place, people instinctively look for familiar faces to find a sense of security.
Encouraged by her friend, she began to explain the reason for her situation. Hearing this, Zheng Bai Cheng was startled.
Hong Kong was a place where gangs ran rampant. Moreover, the British administration only cared about money. They only wanted to make a fortune in the Far East and then leave. In such a chaotic environment, the gangs naturally extended their reach into schools.
School kids were innocent and easily tricked, and during their school years, they saw how those involved in society were intimidating. Conversely, some of them had parents who were also members of gangs. Those who weren’t involved in gangs were often bullied by them. This planted a seed in their young minds – that being in a gang meant a carefree life and being powerful. Under such circumstances, they naturally wondered what was the use of going to school when they could be in a gang instead.
Schools were also filled with cliques and factions, becoming a microcosm of the gangs in society. Schools were also recruiting grounds for gangs. In their eyes, these students had stronger camaraderie, fought harder and more fiercely, and acted more decisively. Moreover, the biggest advantage was that the cost was lower – a meal, a show of loyalty, and you could win over these students to work for you. All they had to do was provide food, drink, and entertainment.
Moreover, Form Six students had already learned a lot from the ways of society. They often used the pretense of dating to lure female classmates into working as dancers at nightclubs, or to become “call girls” or prostitutes.
Furthermore, these graduates found it incredibly difficult to get into university.
As a result, many dropped out of school to join gangs. This was why, during this period in Hong Kong, the paths for young people were very narrow. Either they joined gangs, or they joined the police force – one an unlicensed gang, the other licensed. Of course, there was also the option of going to prison, which was another path.
Xiao Hua was the target of a small school gang. Because she had grown up and become beautiful, they wanted to trick her into working as a dancer at a nightclub, and they would also receive a large sum of money for holding her coming-of-age ceremony.
Xiao Fen found out about Xiao Hua’s situation, and under her persuasion, Xiao Hua decided not to go to school anymore. She didn’t even tell her parents, not wanting to involve them in this matter.
Hearing about Xiao Hua’s situation, Zheng Bai Cheng nodded. “Xiao Hua, I think you should talk to your parents about this and get their approval. They’re going to find out sooner or later.”
Zheng Bai Cheng said this for a reason. He was afraid that if he took her in and the school contacted her parents, the situation would backfire and he’d be accused of luring her away.
This would make it very difficult for him, and talking to her family would also gain their support. Another reason was that Xiao Hua’s academic performance wasn’t good, and the school was only an ordinary one, so there wasn’t much potential for development.
Xiao Fen also felt that Zheng Bai Cheng was right and said, “Should I go talk to them? You were wronged at school, you need to tell them.”