A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1483 Even Mom Was Scammed! (Please Subscribe!)

Hua Shier went to the park to play chess again in the morning. Before noon, Li Xiaozhen called his cell phone and told him to come back to Dingqinglou for a family dinner that evening, as the Japanese son-in-law of the Cui family had come to visit.

After hanging up the phone, Hua Shier spat out a curse:
"What a misfortune for our family!"

Then, under the astonished gaze of the old man beside him, he kicked the mobile phone back into the inner pocket of his military overcoat and casually made a move on the chessboard:

"General, a brilliant strike, a decisive kill! Old Liu, pay up, two yuan is the fair price!"

Grandpa Liu across the street was so angry he was puffing out his beard and glaring.

"No, buddy, we saw you setting up your stall here every day and thought you made a living this way. Turns out, you're using a cell phone and you have the nerve to swindle our retirement savings?"

The surrounding elderly men, who had suffered greatly as a result, also began to criticize him.

Hua Twelve smiled and said:
"We're just making friends through chess, you all know my rules. I only earn two yuan from you for every game I win, which isn't even enough for me to top up my phone credit. If I lose a game, I lose it all to you. I'm not doing this to make money at all!"

"Pooh!"

Old Liu spat and said, "You've been running this stall for so long, and I've never seen you lose a single game!"

Hua Twelve laughed heartily:
"That's a bit unreasonable. Well then, I'll treat everyone to lunch. Nothing expensive, just sesame seed cakes, tofu pudding, and unlimited loose noodles!"

The group of old men all laughed and cheered. Although none of them were short of food, they were still very happy to chat together and let the guy who was torturing them bleed a little.

Hua Shier invited these old men to dinner to maintain business relationships; otherwise, what would he do if no one wanted to associate with him?

After hanging out in the park until the afternoon, and having made a few old men curse and swear, Hua Shier finally packed up and left.

I rode my beloved little motorcycle to our usual spot near the machinery factory to have some barbecue with Zhao Hailong and Liu Ye.

Should we send him to Dingqinglou to have a "family banquet" with the Japanese devils?
Grandma!

He traveled through the heavens in twelve days, and he didn't have any Japanese relatives. Well, of course, his wife doesn't count. His wife, however, is quite lovely.

When they arrived at 'Old Liu's Halal BBQ', Zhao Hailong and Liu Ye hadn't arrived yet. Boss Liu was exceptionally welcoming to Hua Shier:
"Brother Cui, it's an honor to have you here. My humble shop is truly honored. I happen to have a few questions I'd like to ask you. Could you perhaps give me some pointers? In return, I'll give you ten skewers of pork kidneys, and you can eat as much chives as you like—it's incredibly nourishing!"

Seeing that several customers in the restaurant were looking in their direction, Hua Shier was exasperated and quickly said:

"Keep your voice down, you're making me sound like I'm weak!"

Mr. Liu was a little confused: "Aren't you worried? I see you always order these two things."

Hua Shier: You're the one who's weak, your whole family is weak!
"I ordered this because it's delicious, not because it's empty!"

As he was explaining, a customer in the shop laughed and said:
"Dude, we're all grown men, everyone knows what's going on, no need to explain!"

The other guests burst into laughter.

Hua Shier really wanted to say, "Dude, I'm feeling empty, not weak!"

Boss Liu quickly found a seat for Hua Twelve, served him tea and water, offered him a cigarette, and then brought out ten grilled lamb kidneys on a plate.
"Brother Cui, I grilled these a while ago. They've been sitting on the fire for a short time, so eat them while they're hot!"

Hua Shier quickly stopped him: "Don't rush, just tell me what you need. If I can't do it, I definitely won't let you treat me!"

Mr. Liu sat down directly and said very humbly:
"Brother Cui, I desperately need your guidance!"

Hua Shier laughed and said, "Nonsense, I've been suspended myself, what advice can I give you!"

Mr. Liu said with a smile:
"Brother Cui, don't be modest. I've already inquired. It's true you've been suspended, but several workshops in your factory have also stopped production!"

"Your new factory manager wanted to establish his authority by using Brother Cui, trying to make a big show of things, but he messed things up and ended up getting outmaneuvered by you, Brother Cui. Is that what happened?"

"And I've been studying you, and I've discovered that you succeed at everything you do. Look, you're the billiards champion, right? It's all in the newspapers. The motorcycle parked outside is the one you won. You're also the karaoke competition champion, right? It's all on TV. You were the top scorer in the college entrance exam that year."

Boss Liu was counting on his fingers when Hua Twelve quickly stopped him:

"I wasn't the top scorer in the college entrance exam, I was just one point short!"

Mr. Liu laughed and said, "They're almost the same, almost the same!"

Hua Shier didn't expect that although this Boss Liu was a bit gossipy, he had a clear understanding of things. No wonder he was able to take his business public with just a few words from the original owner of the body.

He waved his hand with a smile: "Don't talk nonsense about our factory manager. We're all just doing our jobs, who's going to take control of whom? Just tell me about your own situation, and I'll see if I can give you some advice!"

Mr. Liu said happily:
"Of course! I just want Brother Cui to give me some advice on this business, to see if I can break through and take it to the next level!"

Hua Shier hesitated for a moment before asking, "Old Liu, how many years have you been running this shop?"

"Three years and four months."

"When business was at its peak, how much could you save in a month?"

Boss Liu chuckled and lowered his voice: "It was best when we first opened. One month we made over five thousand."

Hua nodded. These days, making a net profit of five thousand a month is considered pretty good for a small business.

"And now?"

"Right now, it's just over two thousand."

Hua Shier laughed: "Do you know why?"

Mr. Liu sighed, "It's competition! Two more barbecue restaurants opened on this street last year."

Hua Shier smiled and shook his head:

"No, it's not competition. If you opened this store before there were no competitors, you would be making money off the ground. Competition is normal!"

"The problem is that your shop lacks any unique features. Those two newly opened shops sell the same barbecue as you, and the prices are about the same. So, for customers, it doesn't matter which one you go to, which means you have no advantage!"

Mr. Liu clapped his hands:
"Oh, Brother Cui, now that you put it that way, I understand. It's like when I go to the toilet in the morning, there are three toilets nearby, it doesn't matter which one I go to, of course I'll just go to the nearest one!"

Hua Shier glanced at the large kidney in front of him and immediately lost his appetite:
"If you can't compete, then don't make a pointless comparison. How am I supposed to eat like this!"

Boss Liu, Little Cat Bye-bye: "My fault, my fault, Brother Cui, please tell me carefully what to do!"

Hua Shier extended two fingers:
"Two words: deep cultivation. You need to cultivate your own unique characteristics. You have to make people think of Lao Liu's Halal Barbecue when they think of eating barbecue. Do you think you can't make money then!"

Boss Liu grabbed Hua Shier's hand:

"Brother Cui, listening to your words has felt like an eternity."

Hua Shier pulled his hand back with a black line on his forehead: "That's better than reading for ten years!"

Boss Liu said anxiously, "That's it! Brother Cui, you have to explain to me in detail how to develop this business, what kind of unique features to create? How about I set up a barbecue in the front and a foot massage parlor in the back?"

Hua Shier's eyes widened. This guy is really tough!
Mr. Liu realized what was happening and quickly waved his hand, saying, "Just kidding, just kidding!"

As they were talking, Zhao Hailong and Liu Ye entered the house. Seeing Hua Twelve approaching, they smiled and said:

"Brother Cui, is everything ordered?"

Hua Shier said to Boss Liu, "Let's talk later, the three of us brothers should get some barbecue first!"

Boss Liu waved his hand and said, "Brothers, feel free to do whatever you want today. I'll pay for everything. If you don't agree, Brother Cui, you're disrespecting me!"

He finished speaking and left without letting Hua Shier say anything, grinning as he went.

Zhao Hailong sat down next to Hua Shier and asked curiously, "What's going on? Why is he treating us like he got a great deal?"

"Nothing much, maybe there's some good news!"

Hua Shier changed the subject: "What did they say today? The factory manager demoted you all?"

"No!" Liu Ye said, "We told you we couldn't persuade you, and we couldn't fix the machine either. Secretary Zhang told us to wait, and then we never heard from you again!" Zhao Hailong laughed:
"That grandson is just bragging, always acting like a bully!"

"By the way, Brother Cui, today Secretary Zhang came to our technical department and said that the celebrity posters and stuff on your workstation looked like a foot massage parlor. I asked him what a foot massage parlor is like because I've never been there. I said, Secretary Zhang, you have a lot of life experience, tell us about it. You didn't see it, but hey, that guy's expression was priceless. He must have been there!"

Liu Ye laughed along, describing the scene as he stood by.

Hua Shier became interested: "Do you think he really went to a place like that?"

Zhao Hailong curled his lip: "No doubt about it. I'm telling you, it's that guy from logistics. I've seen him several times!"

Hua Shier seemed to be deep in thought, then smiled.

The meal was a pleasant one for both host and guests, but when it came time to pay the bill, Mr. Liu absolutely refused to accept it.

"Brother Cui, just help me think of a way to plow."

Hua Shier chuckled and said, "Deepen cultivation!"

"Yes, yes, we need to work hard and cultivate our expertise. I'm just waiting for Brother Cui to show me the way!"

Hua Shier said goodbye to Zhao Hailong and Liu Ye, then rode his bike to work at 'Nightfall'. It was another night that rocked the entire venue. Flower baskets were sent up like they were free. During his break, Boss Yang even personally brought him water.

When he got home that night, Li Xiaozhen was still awake, waiting for him to come home. She came in and said irritably:

"Cui Guoming, why can't I get through to you on the phone?"

Hua Shier took out his mobile phone, glanced at it, and then tossed it to Li Xiaozhen to look at:

"The power is out. It's cold outside now, and this thing doesn't last long when it's cold!"

Li Xiaozhen took the mobile phone, plugged it in, and then said angrily:
"I talked to you on the phone this morning and asked you to have dinner at Dingqinglou tonight, but you didn't go, which made Dad very angry."

Hua Shier changed her shoes and sat on the sofa:
"What do you mean I'm angry? It must be Cui Xiaohong who brought that little Japanese devil home to make the old man angry!"

"Why would someone as radical as me go see those Japanese devils? I thought to myself, if those little devils see me, they're doomed! If I end up in jail, what will happen to you and your daughter? I'd better just forget about it!"

Li Xiaozhen fetched water for him to wash his feet, took off his socks, and prepared to wash them. But then, noticing something, she lifted his toes and smelled them:

"Hey, your feet don't smell anymore! They don't smell at all, and they even smell nice!"

"I didn't smell bad before, it's just that now that I don't have to work, I'm less active and don't sweat as much!"

Hua Shier offered a nonsensical explanation, but in his heart he thought, "With his ethereal beauty, it would be a miracle if his feet smelled."

"Really?" Li Xiaozhen was somewhat skeptical, her face showing doubt.

Hua Shier, afraid she would overthink things, then asked, "Just tell me what happened after the family banquet. Did Dad accept the ghost son-in-law?"

As soon as he asked about this, Li Xiaozhen's attention was indeed diverted:
“He didn’t acknowledge it. That brother-in-law of mine was bowing and scraping so much, being incredibly polite, calling me ‘father’ over and over again. But our dad said, ‘I think we’re about the same age. If you call me father, I’m afraid I can’t take it.’”

She couldn't help but giggle as she said this: "Dad's expression is just like yours!"

Hua Shier laughed as well: "What about Cui Xiaohong?"

Li Xiaozhen sighed, pressed Hua Shier's feet into the water, and then said:
"No wonder our sister looks so pale. Oh, and she brought back a little one too. Erpang hasn't smiled once all night!"

Speaking of Erpang, Hua Shier remembered something:
"Where are Cui Xiaohong and her Japanese husband living? It won't do if they're staying at the old man's house!"

As Li Xiaozhen washed his feet, she said:

"You said that yesterday, how could they have the nerve to stay at home? They said they were staying at the May Day Hotel!"

Hua Shier scoffed, "They're quite rich!" He wanted to see how long this bankrupt couple could keep up their act, and whether Cui Xiaohong would stay by that old Japanese man's side when he ran out of money.

The next day, the machinery factory had been shut down for several days, and Factory Director Chen had developed a blister on his lip due to internal heat.

Secretary Zhang learned that Hua Shier was performing at 'Nightfall' and immediately went to report to Director Chen, offering suggestions and advice:

"Factory Manager, that Cui Guoming has fallen so low that he has to sing in nightclubs. It's utterly disgraceful. If you appear in front of him now, you'll be giving him a way out. I'll give him a little pointer, and he'll definitely apologize to you. You can then go along with it and let him come back to work. Wouldn't that solve the problem?"

Factory Director Chen, also feeling embarrassed, was delighted with Secretary Zhang's suggestion and immediately agreed.

"Your idea is good. We should give those comrades who have made mistakes a chance to correct them. It's not a matter of principle, so we can't condemn them outright!"

The two went to Nightclub that night. As soon as they entered, they saw Hua Shier standing on the stage, controlling the crowd and singing his signature song 'Nightclub Disco'. The audience was going wild, with dragons on the left and rainbows on the right!
The factory manager grimaced in disdain. Secretary Zhang found a booth, and the two sat down. After Hua Shier finished singing, he asked the waiter who brought the fruit platter to hand a song request list to the stage, which asked Hua Shier to sing "Remembering Parents' Kindness".

Secretary Zhang, sitting in the audience, smiled and said to Factory Director Chen:

"I requested 'Remembering Parents' Kindness.' When he sees us, he'll definitely understand what it means. When he sings this song, it will be to express his gratitude to you, the factory manager, for your parental care in his life and work. At that time, please be magnanimous and let him go back to work!"

Factory Director Chen nodded in satisfaction. He had a lot of face to gain from this. If Cui Guoming knew how to handle things, he wouldn't mind promoting him. Becoming a senior engineer was just a matter of his approval.

On stage, Hua Shier had already noticed Factory Director Chen and Secretary Zhang. Looking at the song list that Secretary Zhang handed over, he smiled and said into the microphone:
"My colleague requested a song called 'Remembering Parents' Kindness,' but I don't know how to sing it, so I'll sing one instead. It's a song that Wakin Chau released this year called 'A Song for My Son'!"

Before he could even sing, Secretary Zhang lost her temper and loudly questioned him:
"Cui Guoming, what do you mean? Am I your son, or is the factory director your son?"

As he spoke, he threw the fruit platter up.

Nightclubs never lack security guards, and someone immediately came up and took Secretary Zhang and Factory Director Chen out.

Secretary Zhang even jumped up and cursed:

"Cui Guoming, you're being given face but you don't know it; you've chosen to degenerate."

The two were thrown out by security guards, who also warned them:

"If you cause any more trouble, you'll be sorry!"

Secretary Zhang pointed to the karaoke bar entrance and said to Factory Director Chen, "Factory Director, you see that, right?"

Factory Director Chen was embarrassed, snorted, said nothing, and took a taxi away.

Secretary Zhang felt caught in the middle, so he spat at the karaoke bar entrance before reluctantly leaving.

He felt a bellyful of anger that he couldn't vent. After thinking for a moment, he took a taxi to a foot massage parlor he frequented, but he didn't see a shadowy figure hidden in the shadows on the side of the road, which had already caught up with him at high speed.

A dozen minutes later, during his break, Hua Shier left the Nightclub and dialed 110 from a roadside public phone booth using IC cards:

"Hey, I need to call the police! There's been a murder at XX foot massage parlor. Yes, they couldn't agree on a price, and they're dismembering the body right now. You guys better get there!"

After calling 110, Hua Shier took out a SIM card and inserted it into the phone.

Yes, calling the police earlier was free, but this time it's chargeable. He dialed the TV station's hotline:
"Is this the Donglin TV Legal Online program? I want to report a news tip. The police are having a SH operation tonight, right here."

Secretary Zhang was having a good time with a woman in her forties when a group of heavily armed men burst through the door.

The next day, Hua Shier was at home writing a business plan for the barbecue restaurant owner, Mr. Liu, while watching TV. When he saw the news broadcasting the police's SH operation the previous night, he quickly looked up.

Soon after, on the TV screen, Secretary Zhang was seen being led out of the foot massage parlor by Uncle Hat, pulling up his pants. When facing the camera, he hurriedly covered his face with his hands, causing his pants to fall down, revealing that there was no bitter tea inside, and the entire screen was pixelated.

Seeing this scene, Hua Shier laughed so hard he slapped the sofa: "Serves you right, always trying to pull something behind my back. I can crush you with one move!"

He was laughing when his joy turned to sorrow when Li Xiaozhen, who had just left for work, called him back:

"Honey, come to Dingqing Tower quickly, something terrible has happened!"

Hua Shier rode his bicycle to Dingqing Tower and saw Old Master Cui with a dark face, not saying a word. The old lady was playing with a child there, and her complexion was not good either. Li Xiaozhen stepped forward to explain:

"My sister brought the child over this morning, saying that Mom could help look after him while she and her husband went shopping for some daily necessities. But less than half an hour later, she called back to say that she was already at the airport and that she and her husband were going to South Korea to develop their careers. The child would stay with Mom and Dad for the time being!"

Hua Shier felt this plot was so familiar, and he said, both amused and annoyed:
"Cui Xiaohong is really something. That's how she handed Erpang over to me in the first place, and now she's even betraying our mother!"

Thank you to 08a and Little Tiger of the Demon Realm for the donations, and thank you to all the brothers who voted with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets. Thank you so much!