Under the Cheongsam Skirt - Chapter 12

At five in the evening, Xu Xing strode into the Shanghai International Hotel and, guided by a waiter, approached a table.

A young man with waxed hair, dressed in a suit, and with a face that still looked somewhat youthful brightened up upon seeing him. “Brother Xing.”

After Xu Xing sat down, the young man complained, “It’s so hard to see you these days. Your law firm doesn’t even have a telephone installed. I had to send someone to run errands just to find you. Anyway, let’s get to the main point. Sister wrote you a letter.”

He pulled out an envelope from his pocket and placed it on the table. Upon closer inspection, the envelope was sealed with a wax stamp, clearly indicating that the sender didn’t want anyone else to open it.

Xu Xing glanced at it but didn’t pick it up. Instead, he asked, “Yunjian, how has the boss been recently?”

The young man sitting across from him, Yan Yunjian, was the youngest son of the chairman of the Green Mountain Society, ranked third in the family. His eldest brother, more than ten years his senior, had long taken over the society’s affairs and earned unanimous recognition. Originally, Yan Yunjian was destined to live a carefree life as a wealthy heir. Unfortunately, two years ago, due to gang conflicts, his eldest brother, Yan Yunyou, was accidentally hit in the head and couldn’t be saved. Since then, the burden of inheriting the Green Mountain Society fell on his shoulders.

As for the chairman of the Green Mountain Society, Yan Changyang, his lungs had been in poor condition for years. Since the beginning of this year, his health had deteriorated further, often relying on imported ventilators to survive. He could barely get out of bed.

“Still the same,” Yan Yunjian’s expression darkened as he spoke of his father. “The doctors who returned from studying abroad say his condition isn’t good. He probably won’t last much longer. We’re now consulting traditional Chinese doctors for acupuncture. Father himself says he has no regrets, but I know he’s worried I can’t hold up the Green Mountain Society and wants to keep an eye on things for me.”

Xu Xing asked, “Have you noticed anything unusual in the society recently?”

Yan Yunjian’s eyebrows twitched. “No? I’ve been keeping a close eye on things. There’s no conflict among the department heads under me. Business is running as usual, with merchants traveling and goods being purchased. When I used to sit in on meetings with Father, they’d argue like they were about to fight, each refusing to back down.”

Xu Xing glanced at him. “Isn’t that the abnormality?”

“But…”

Yan Yunjian was about to say something when Xu Xing interrupted, “Yesterday, a merchant came to me, saying that in March, you seized an entire shipment of his goods, not even leaving him the original samples.”

Yan Yunjian’s eyes widened in shock. “What?! That happened?!”

There had always been a rule of collecting “tolls” in the business, but seizing an entire shipment was outright banditry, not the conduct of a legitimate shipping business. The two were fundamentally different.

Xu Xing’s tone was grave. “He’s a merchant from the Jiangsu-Zhejiang region. He’ll definitely continue doing business along the East China Sea route, so he naturally doesn’t want to conflict with the Green Mountain Society. He’d prefer to settle things with money if possible. But if conflicts with these merchants accumulate, it’s inevitable that they’ll end up in court. Right now, Chief Justice Qin has some ties with the boss, so we don’t need to worry too much. But what happens after Chief Justice Qin steps down?”

Yan Yunjian looked troubled but assured him, “I… I’ll handle this. I’ll also work hard to maintain good relations with the judicial office!”

Xu Xing looked at the young man sitting upright before him and decided not to beat around the bush any longer. “How much do outsiders know about the boss’s condition?”

“Huh?”

“The insects and snakes lurking beneath the Green Mountain Society wouldn’t dare make such a big move unless they’ve heard some rumors. If the boss’s health improves, try to have him make an appearance at the society. That would be more effective than you trying to clean things up yourself.”

The two of them had been so engrossed in their conversation that they had barely touched the food on the table. When Xu Xing finally came to his senses, he noticed that the lights along the Binjiang Port outside the window were flickering. From this height, the streets and pedestrians below looked incredibly small.

It was already night.

He stood up and nodded to Yan Yunjian.

“I should go.”

“So soon?” Yan Yunjian put down his fork and knife and also stood up.

“Yes, I have other matters to attend to,” Xu Xing said finally. “When you encounter problems, observe more and listen more. If you don’t understand something, go back and ask the boss. He’ll teach you.”

The tall young man in front of him lowered his head slightly, looking dejected. “Brother Xing, sometimes I feel so stupid. I’m nothing compared to my eldest brother. If only you could come back and help me.”

Xu Xing patted his shoulder but said nothing.

Then he left the restaurant.

It wasn’t until his figure disappeared from sight that Yan Yunjian suddenly remembered—Xu Xing hadn’t taken his sister’s letter!