Chapter 646: A New Chapter
Qi Tongwei rushed over upon hearing the news. In an instant, the political and legal celebrities of the past met in this fireworks restaurant. The air was like frost. The old colleagues became new businessmen. The identity change was unexpected. The two looked at each other with complicated eyes. The memories of the opposition and work together in the past surged, but they were forcibly suppressed in this space full of the aroma of red oil. Qi Tongwei was the first to smile and extend his hand to greet him: "Liangping, what a rare guest! What brings you and your old classmates here?" Hou Liangping also smiled and shook hands to greet him, but the slightly sweaty palms revealed the waves in his heart: "Old Qi, your restaurant is famous. Now that I have retired, I have to come and try it out, and by the way, find some business opportunities with my old classmates."
Everyone sat around the box, and the dishes on the table were gradually filled. The red oil of the mapo tofu was translucent, and the spicy chicken cubes were hot and fragrant. The old classmates gathered in groups of two or three. At first, they were unfamiliar with each other. After three rounds of drinking, they started to talk, from the ups and downs of the business world to the fun things on campus in the past, and the laughter gradually rose. But whenever the topic touched on the years of politics and law, it was like hitting a reef, and the atmosphere was subtle and stagnant. A classmate mentioned with sleepy eyes: "Thinking back to the past, when we were in school, who could have expected that now we don’t wear official hats but count money instead, Liangping, your powerful investigation of the case, and Lao Qi..." Hou Liangping raised his glass and interrupted: "Don’t mention those, let’s drink today, let’s talk about something happy, don’t let down the delicious Sichuan cuisine in front of us." After speaking, he drank it all in one gulp, but glanced at Qi Tongwei from the corner of his eye. The latter looked as usual while picking up dishes, but there was an undercurrent in his eyes.
After a good drink, Hou Liangping stood up and paced to the window, pretending to enjoy the view, but actually sorting out his doubts. He recalled that the clues of past cases were vaguely connected, and those unfinished matters seemed to be stirring under the bustle of the restaurant. Qi Tongwei followed, handed over a cigarette and lit it, and said softly: "Liangping, don't think too much, the past is the past, and now we are all heading for a new life. My restaurant just wants to serve Sichuan cuisine steadily, without all the twists and turns." Hou Liangping blew out smoke rings, his eyes as sharp as before: "Old Qi, I hope so, but some things can't be forgotten just by saying so. Although I am not investigating the case anymore, I still can't tolerate any sand in my eyes." Qi Tongwei smiled bitterly: "I understand, you have always been like this, I just hope that we can keep out of each other's way in the future."
After the meal, Hou Liangping glanced at the bill, as if checking it normally, but frowned slightly at the price of ingredients and labor costs. Qi Tongwei's heart skipped a beat when he saw this, but he smiled calmly and asked: "Liangping, what's wrong? Do you think my charges are unreasonable?" Hou Liangping raised his eyes and smiled: "Old Qi, the profit margin of your restaurant is quite interesting. The source of the ingredients is probably not simple, right?" Qi Tongwei's face changed slightly and recovered instantly, laughing: "There are many tricks in the catering business. You just entered the industry, you will understand it in the future. Can I cheat my old classmate?"
After everyone left the restaurant, Hou Liangping and his classmates strolled down the street. While digesting their food, the topic drifted back to the restaurant. A classmate muttered: "Qi Tongwei's restaurant looks prosperous, but there are so many things going on behind the scenes. Are we really going to cooperate with him?" Hou Liangping was silent for a moment: "Don't rush to make a conclusion, find out the bottom first. Although you are not working in politics and law anymore, don't fall into the trap without knowing it." The string in his heart was still tight. His past professional inertia pushed him to explore the clues behind the restaurant. The abnormal supply chain of food ingredients and the subtle fluctuations in the accounts all became unsolved mysteries. It seemed that an invisible hand was fiddling with the abacus, wandering on the edge of legality and illegality. At the beginning of a new business, the past political and legal storms were like ghosts haunting him, making him startled at every step.
In the next few days, Hou Liangping pretended to be a frequent customer and secretly paid attention to the delivery vehicles and personnel exchanges, filling his notebook with dense notes. One afternoon, he squatted at the back door of the kitchen and saw a box of seafood being unloaded in a hurry. The deliveryman looked flustered and tried to cover up the box label. Hou Liangping stepped forward to stop him and question him. The deliveryman hesitated. During the stalemate, Qi Tongwei appeared and shouted angrily: "Liangping, what are you doing? Can I continue my business?" Hou Liangping responded coldly: "Old Qi, do business according to the rules. This stuff is from an unknown source. Don't pretend to be confused." Qi Tongwei gritted his teeth and said: "But It's to change a niche supplier to get a bargain, don't look for trouble!" The two men confronted each other, their eyes seemed to be burning with war, and the past political and legal fields were tense again, but at this moment their identities were awkward, and legal and personal feelings were entangled. The surrounding waiters were silent, and the warm afternoon sun could not penetrate this contradictory deadlock. The fog ahead was thicker, and the cracks under the prosperous appearance of the Sichuan restaurant gradually widened. The former classmates and colleagues were crumbling in the exploration of the truth of interests, and the road to solving the dilemma seemed to be full of thorns, and every step was difficult.
As Hou Liangping's investigation deepened, the clues became more and more difficult. The seafood supplier led to a complex network of people. It seemed that marginal figures in the old political and legal system secretly participated in the shares, and the suspicion of using the restaurant to launder funds gradually emerged. Hou Liangping couldn't sleep all night, and he pondered over the table full of information. Every time he turned a page, the faces of his former classmates and colleagues emerged in an alternating manner, and his heart was tormented. When he went to the restaurant again, he went straight to Qi Tongwei's office, closed the door and locked it, and slammed the information on the table: "Old Qi, don't hide it anymore. You know how deep the water is behind this. Let's not get to the point where both fish and nets are broken." Qi Tongwei slumped in the chair, his face pale, and after a long silence, he sighed: "Liangping, I want to do a clean business, but it's too difficult to get started, and I'm being coerced... I also want to get out of this mess." Hou Liangping stared at him: "It's not too late to turn back now, cooperate to sort things out, and don't spend the rest of your life in it."
The following days were like a tense game. Qi Tongwei provided some inside information with trepidation. Hou Liangping negotiated with all parties, won over honest old acquaintances and put pressure on the shareholders. The negotiation table was undercurrent, and the verbal confrontation was like a sword. Gao Yuliang's old image flashed back to Qi Tongwei's mind from time to time. Guilt and unwillingness gnawed at his heart, but Hou Liangping's persistence rekindled his hope for the right path. Hou Liangping struggled in the quagmire of the business world, and his past fearless law enforcement added a bit of sophistication to his dealings, in order to protect his classmates' last dignity and to give the Sichuan restaurant a new life. Account checking, equity restructuring, and supply chain reset were all difficult steps. The restaurant was closed for more than a month, rumors were everywhere, diners dispersed, and employees were panicked.
When the clouds cleared and the moon shone, the restaurant reopened, the signboard was cleaned of dust, the dishes were still hot and fresh, but more open and clear. Hou Liangping stood at the door of the store, looking at the guests coming in and out, and Qi Tongwei beside him sighed with emotion: "Liangping, thank you for helping me, I almost ruined this hard work." Hou Liangping patted him on the shoulder: "Keep your duty in the future, we will start over, and this Sichuan cuisine signboard must be hung up properly." The two smiled at each other, the past entanglements drifted away with the fireworks, the new journey was in the morning light, the friendship between classmates was tempered, and they found a clean way home in this spicy world. The future is unknown but full of new dawn. The story to be written has been reborn since then, and a new page of magnanimity has been opened.