The Hexagon Pavilion could be considered a rather high-end restaurant near the station.
The exterior had a somewhat ancient style, with the eaves decorated in a manner resembling the ancient flying eaves. The interior decoration was considered quite good for this era.
Wei Lao San chose this place to host the dinner, his intentions of befriending Su Ping Nan were evident.
He was now well past the age of fighting and brawling. Having risen to this position, he had only lost one leg, which could be considered a blessing from his past life.
Su Ping Nan brought along a few men who had recently shown promising performance. These were individuals he had been observing, and whom he intended to give more trust and responsibility.
As soon as they entered, Wei San, who had been waiting for a while, greeted them with enthusiasm, “Brother Red Robe, Lao San is hosting today. It’s a way of expressing my gratitude and, well, to curry favor, haha.”
Su Ping Nan clasped Wei San’s hand, a wide smile on his face, “Brother San, you’re too kind. Everyone knows your connections in Wu City are the widest. I'll be relying on you to make my fortune in the future.”
Wei San started off by putting himself in a subordinate position. Su Ping Nan, being a shrewd and experienced person, naturally didn't take the bait. Wei San was taken aback. In his experience, those who had achieved such status at a young age like Red Robe, they were usually arrogant and overbearing. Yet, Red Robe was so calm and composed. This further raised Wei San’s impression of him, and his words became even more enthusiastic.
Wei Lao San essentially relied on his connections for his livelihood. Red Robe was obviously rising quickly, and he naturally needed to build a good relationship.
Su Ping Nan, having lived two lives, had long suppressed his ruthlessness deep within. For a moment, the two chatted amiably.
A few cups of wine later, the atmosphere at the table became even livelier. Su Ping Nan’s men naturally dared not urge him to drink, so their attention shifted to Wei San. Wei San was a heavy drinker, he accepted every toast, and his words were witty, making the atmosphere at the table incredibly lively. Su Ping Nan watched and nodded silently. Truly, society was like a giant sieve, sifting out the worthy. Anyone who could make something of themselves wasn't simple.
Wei San truly had a strong capacity for alcohol. In a short while, he had downed nearly two bottles of white wine, his expression unchanged, only his speech had become slightly slower.
“They say Brother San’s connections are more numerous than the railway tracks in Wu City. Little brother wants to ask for a favor.”
Su Ping Nan suddenly remembered that they were about to receive their cars but still didn't have licenses. Looking at Wei San, he casually brought it up.
Wei San laughed. The primary purpose of this dinner was to secure the car registration business from Red Robe, but it turned out these people didn't even have driving licenses.
“Ping Nan, just tell Brother San anything about the cars, and it's done.” Wei San immediately agreed.
“Good, I'll trouble Brother San. It's not just me and Wen Wen, one favor doesn't make two masters, these three brothers of mine, help them out too.” Su Ping Nan said, pointing to the three men who had accompanied him.
Li Ji Jun, Zhang Ru Hai, and Wang Chen Guang were selected by Su Ping Nan. It was unknown if it was intentional or not, but these three were particularly close to Su Wen Wen and the others. They could be considered their most capable assistants.
Hearing that they would get licenses, the three men looked at Su Ping Nan with burning eyes. They knew that drivers were a highly sought-after profession. Getting a driving license was a huge favor.
The three exchanged glances, thinking, “They say Red Robe is generous, it’s true.” They knew they had now entered Su Ping Nan's inner circle. Suppressing their excitement, they stood up together and bowed simultaneously, “Thank you, Red Robe.”
Even though he was drunk, Wei San was still sharp. He was astonished by Su Ping Nan’s grand gesture. He charged 3000 for a driving license. For these three, it was almost 10,000. The other party didn't seem to care at all. Looking at the excited expressions of the three men, he suspected they would even jump off a building if Su Ping Nan asked them to. This Red Robe was extraordinary, knowing when to advance and retreat, with skillful tactics. He would surely be a top figure in Wu City in the future.
Su Ping Nan had no idea Wei San had such a high evaluation of him. He smiled, gesturing for the three men to sit down, and raised a toast to them before turning to Wei San and saying, “Brother San, I’m putting the registration and license in your hands, I trust you. Tell me the total, and I’ll give you the money.”
Humans are strange creatures. Now that the deal had been struck, Wei San no longer felt like making money. His intuition told him that befriending Su Ping Nan was far more important than earning this small sum.
He was a quick thinker, gritted his teeth, and gave a basic price, “30,000.”
Su Ping Nan was somewhat taken aback by the price, but then he saw Wei San’s expression and immediately understood his intentions.
“Go, I’ll write you a note. You go find Sister Zhang, she'll give you 50,000.” Su Ping Nan waved his hand at the three men, who were still caught in their excitement.
He discreetly pointed to the table and nodded to Wang Chen Guang, the most perceptive of the three.
...
Zhang Tong couldn’t hold back his anger. He slammed a full plate of braised pork onto his brother’s head, then stormed out of the door.
The cold wind blew on his head, cooling him down. He remembered what his boss had asked him to do and couldn’t help but scratch his head.
He definitely wasn’t going back to ask again. Wasn’t it just about finding a talent? A figure suddenly flashed in his mind.
“Right, him! He knows!”
Zhang Tong became excited. He didn’t care what time it was. He rushed to a small store and bought some gifts before knocking on someone’s door.
Wei San looked at the five bundles of blue hundred-yuan bills, then at Su Ping Nan’s 不容拒绝 (unyielding) expression, sighed, raised his cup, and drank it in one go.
“Red Robe, ten years. Within ten years, you’ll definitely be…”
Wei San raised his thumb.
Su Ping Nan sat at the head of the table, three men standing silently behind him.
His face was calm, his voice gentle, as if speaking of a trivial matter, “Three years.”