Chapter 216 - Family Meeting (Part Eighteen)

Chapter 216: Family Meeting (Part Eighteen)

“Ok, I understand…” Hong Tu hung up the call with trembling hands. He felt that the amount of information today was a little too much.

That lad Hong Dali, should he be called a prodigal or a genius?

If not, a genius at squandering? A genius prodigal?

At this point, even the Number One genius of the family, Mu Yuxi, could only repeat those classic words said by the secretary Xiao Liu back then.

“It’s true that all the powers there may be will kneel down in front of Young Master Dali’s unbeatable luck…”

Hong Dali continued to calmly sleep down there.

While Mu Yuxi was marveling, all the descendants below had started their own discussions.

“Oh God, he can be like that just by squandering, I’d better off die by knocking my head with a piece of tofu…”

“Hey, if I were to learn from Young Master Dali and squander all day long, do you think it would work?”

“That’s promising. I’ll support you spiritually. Without Young Master Dali’s luck, I guarantee that you’ll feel like dying by learning to squander too.”

“That’s true, it really gets more infuriating the more you compare with others… I want to squander too!”

Upon hearing the discussions of the descendants around, Hong Anbao’s face turned green, then pale again. The blow he’d suffered today was too much for him.

Even Hong Jianye who was standing at the side had sweat all over his forehead. Now that he looked at it, Hong Anbao’s third-place position was definitely gone without any doubt. That was something that he didn’t even need to think of.

As expected, Hong Tu coughed a few times before loudly announcing. “I believe that everyone has witnessed what had happened previously. The first place of the year goes to… Hong Dali. Does anyone have any objections?”

Who would have any objections? Who dared to have any objections?

Upon seeing that the die was about to be cast, Hong Anbao could only make a final, dying struggle. “I object!”

“Oh? Ok, go on.” Though he was extremely unsatisfied, Hong Tu, however, still asked in an amicable manner. “Anbao, what objections do you have? You can voice them out.” After all, they were all his grandsons, and though he didn’t really like Hong Anbao’s character, they were still family, after all. Thus, Hong Tu’s treatment towards the two of them couldn’t differ too much…

“Hong Dali, he started up an underworld gang!” Hong Anbao used his last trump card. “He recruited the whole Cabinet Society to serve under him! This is a big matter, you can’t let that kind of person be the first in place! Otherwise, who knows what kind of big problem he may stir up!”

“Is that so.” Upon gaining knowledge of that matter, Hong Tu, too, frowned.

Speaking of which, it had been said that there would often be collusions between the pugilistic world gangs and businessmen, thus, that was not counted as a big issue.

However, the problem was that colluding and personally executing it was two different concepts.

Collusion belonged to collaboration, and it contained a factor of interest. There would be a collaboration if there was interest involved, and it would split up after there was no interest left to be gained. Thus, there wouldn’t be much of an issue even if something happened.

However, personally executing things out bore a different significance. That would cause the person to be implicated, just like how bosses of illegal triads would be implicated if they were to go into business. It would naturally be fine if nothing happened, but once something unexpected cropped up, it would be useless for both illegal triads or businessmen to defend themselves.

Now that Hong Dali had recruited the entire Cabinet Society, once something unexpected happened, it would truly be a difficult situation to handle.

With regards to such matters, even Hong Tu couldn’t sit still. Thus, he decisively instructed his assistant behind him. “Quickly go check what exactly had happened. How did that child Dali become related to those illegal triads?”

Upon hearing that, Hong Anbao heaved a long sigh of relief at last. Heh heh, don’t blame me on this, I naturally wouldn’t miss out on such a good opportunity.

Very soon, the assistant returned and started to report. “Old Elder, Young Master Dali had really recruited the entire Cabinet Society. Currently, the Big Leader Yao Tianhao has already admitted to being under Young Master Dali.”

When the assistant had finished, Hong Anbao could barely stop himself from letting out three roars of laughter. Hahahaha, this time with sufficient evidence, I’ll see what you can still do!

Unfortunately, it was just too early for Hong Anbao to be happy…

“However…” The assistant continued, “Yao Tianhao’s side said that the funds provided by Young Master Dali were too much. Currently, he’s leading all his underlings in playing online games daily—that very popular Draconic Continent. They’ve even started up a family with the name “Grand League,” and they no longer have anything to do with underground dealings now…”

What the heck! A triad leader leading his underlings in playing online games every day?!

Hong Anbao cursed incessantly in his heart and almost had a heart attack due to agitation. That was definitely the wrong way of being part of the underworld! Which triad leader would take the lead in playing online games?!

He can’t play with us like that!

Unfortunately, the secretary had obviously not finished. “Moreover, I’ve heard that with regards to this issue, the police side is rather supportive towards it too. After all, one less illegal triad means one less unstable factor. Moreover, Yao Tianhao and the rest had really not done anything overboard. The most they’d done was petty quarrels and fights, minding their own businesses, and so on.”

However, he was still not finished with what he had to say. “At the moment, the Vice Bureau Chief Mr. Yang at the police side has even said that Young Master Dali did a good job on that matter, and he’s even thinking of awarding Young Master Dali with a silk banner. He’s just worried that Young Master Dali wouldn’t care for it, so he didn’t come…”

Hong Anbao suddenly had a strong urge to strangle that assistant to death.

You’re going against me on purpose, aren’t you? You’re all going against me on purpose, aren’t you?!

Even Hong Tu was going against him. “Hahahaha, is that so? En, like what I’ve said, this Dali is a very kind child, how is it possible that he would participate in underworld dealings. En, asking the triad leader to take the lead in playing online games, that’s a good thing, it maintains society’s stability and it’d be easy to talk things out at the police station in future. Heh heh. That child, everything about him is good except that he’s a tad too playful.”

Now, he was really liking Hong Dali more and more. Hong Anbao, on the other hand, gritted his teeth in fury.

Therefore, he was resolutely made the unfortunate one. An assistant sprinted at an extremely fast speed and struggled to catch his breath as he anxiously said, “Old Elder, something has happened! Something big has happened! Quickly watch the program Daily Focus by Tianjing Satellite TV!”

“Daily Focus? What about it?” The volume of information from the television was indeed a little too much, even Hong Tu couldn’t predict things now. “What is it again? Don’t stutter and say it quickly!”

“Yes… Yes….” The assistant violently swallowed his saliva. “It says that Young Master Hong Anbao’s Fierce Bull beverage has been found to contain a plasticizing agent, and the reporters are currently gathering news about that!”

When these words came out, everyone burst into an uproar.

Plasticizing agents were also known as elasticizers. It was a macromolecular material auxiliary chemical widely used in industrial manufacturing. By adding that type of substance during the manufacturing process of plastic, it could increase its elasticity to make its manufacturing process easier, and it could be legally used for industrial uses. However, plasticizing agents did not belong to the raw ingredients and spices in food products. Thus, not only was it not allowed to be added into food, it was even banned from being used in the manufacturing of food packaging.

In fact, what was normally added into drinks was called a Cloudifier. It was a type of legal food additive that was often used in fruit juices, fruit jams, drinks, and other food products. It was expensive, and its price was five times as much as the plasticizing agents. Thus, it was easily replaceable by the perhaps cheaper but poisonous plasticizing agents by beverage companies. Once it was found out, then it was rather obvious what the consequence would be.

Hong Anbao, upon hearing the news, already had sweat covering his entire forehead. He took out his phone and started to make a call. Once the call had gotten through, he immediately shouted loudly. “What exactly happened! Didn’t I tell all of you to ensure the quality of the products?! Why did plasticizing agents come into the picture! Where’s the person in charge?!”

The voice at the other end of the call was full of injustice. “I don’t know as well. I’m contacting him now, but I can’t get through!”

“If you fail to call him, won’t you just go and find him!” Hong Anbao screamed loudly. “You can’t think of any ways just because you can’t get through the call at times like this? Trash!”

“OK, OK, OK! I’ll go, I’ll go right away!”

After hanging up the call, Hong Anbao desperately shouted. “Old Elder, I really didn’t use plasticizing agents, I really didn’t use them! No matter how desperate I am to earn money, I wouldn’t dare to do such a thing!”

Hong Tu stroked his mustache and thought for a while. Then, he nodded and said, “En, I believe you.” As he spoke, he looked towards his assistant at the side. “What exactly is going on?”

“It’s like that.” The assistant said, “The root of the cause was because of two gamers whom, because of long periods of drinking the Fierce Bull beverage, felt uncomfortable recently, and after they went for a check-up at the hospital, it was found that they had a series of symptoms related to endocrine dyscrasia and so on. After a few rounds of check-up, it was found that the Fierce Bull beverage that they had been drinking contained a small amount of plasticizing agents.”

“Is that so, en, I understand.” Hong Tu took a deep breath. “Wait for the results of the laboratory test from the hygiene supervisory bureau first. Sigh, what a pity. Regardless of whether this matter is true or false, the sales volume of Fierce Bull will definitely decrease. Many members of the public would rather believe that it’s true, just to be safe.”

“How could it be, how could it be…” Hong Anbao said with a mournful face.

Now not only did he fail to get the third place, but even Fierce Bull had also encountered with such a serious setback. It would, unfortunately, be very difficult for the sales volume to achieve a big increase in the short run.

…

Sky-blue Wings coffeehouse.

Liu Mingxin gracefully crossed his legs and drank his coffee, as he smiled and said, “I reckon that this piece of news would be enough to make Hong Anbao busy for some time, heh heh. It’s good to hit him as well. Otherwise, he’ll think too highly of himself.”

…

Hong Dali at the meeting place. “Hu… Hu…”

…

North of Tianjing City, on the Fourth Loop road.

A black and cool-looking super sports car went like the wind. Lin Chuyin sat in the car, her face expressionless as she focused on the road condition ahead.

“Mum, quick look, that car is so cool!” While she was thinking, suddenly, a little child ran out from the side of the road. Once the child saw Lin Chuyin’s black sports car, she was dumbfounded at the spot. The child was surprisingly unafraid and instead pointed at Lin Chuyin’s car while jumping up and down.

“Be careful” Upon seeing the situation, the mother desperately rushed forward to pull her child away.

Just at that point, Lin Chuyin totally did not feel nervous at all, as she directly pressed a button at the side of her steering wheel and plainly said, “Bounce.”

Immediately, a mechanical spring appeared directly out from the bottom of the super cool sports car, and the entire body of the car started speeding forward with the energy from the spring, and with a “whoosh,” it directly flew over from the top of the mother’s head.

“Wow wow!” The child’s eyes twinkled. “Mum, that car can “fwy”(the child mispronounced the word ‘fly’)! It can fwy(fly)!”

“Naughty boy, I’ll beat you to death if you just run away like that in the future!” The mother was scared out of her wits. She pulled her child to the side of the road and instantly smacked his buttocks fiercely.

“Mm, the location displays that Hong Dali is just in the forest ahead.” The dangerous scene just now did not affect Lin Chuyin’s state of mind at the least. At the present moment, she only took a simple glance at the screen. “En, it’s still roughly around 6 kilometers from here.”

After she had gone up the high road of the “Forest Capital” directly leading to the Hong Family Estate, Lin Chuyin’s cool sports car did not slow down at all, as it directly sped across the high road.