Chapter 33: The Interview

The afternoon tea ended with both hosts and guests thoroughly enjoying themselves. They exchanged pleasantries as they said their goodbyes, agreeing to meet again for another chat.

As soon as Lu Feng and Su Dao’an left the tea restaurant, Shan Wei couldn’t hold back his dissatisfaction and asked Elder Qi, “Why show them such respect?”

“Are you trying to tell me how to do things?” Elder Qi cast Shan Wei a sidelong glance.

“Grandpa, that’s not what I meant. But that Su fellow clearly has no interest in befriending us, and as for Lu, he acts as if he’s above everyone else!” Shan Wei grumbled, clearly upset.

“If he doesn’t want to associate with us, then find a way to make him. This position of mine isn’t easy to hold. When you figure that out, you’ll finally be ready to step out from Hongqiao.” Elder Qi stood as he spoke.

“Grandpa, do you mean to target Su Dao’an’s family?” Shan Wei ventured cautiously.

Elder Qi glared at him and snorted, “Put away those underhanded tricks of yours. Su Dao’an is a powerful figure, not a gang boss.”

The “underhanded tricks” Elder Qi referred to were the usual methods gangs employed to drag people down—enticing family members to gamble, take drugs, or rack up debts with usurious lenders. These were simple and effective against ordinary people and commonly used by the gangs.

But such tactics clearly wouldn’t work on Su Dao’an; unless they wanted to make a permanent enemy of him, they’d best steer clear.

“So what do you suggest, Grandpa?” Shan Wei, unable to grasp the crucial point, still needed to ask.

“If you want to befriend someone and can’t rely on friendship, then all that’s left is profit or women. First, look into Su Dao’an’s background and find out what he likes,” Elder Qi instructed.

…

After leaving the tea restaurant, Su Dao’an and Lu Feng sat in the backseat of the Phaeton.

Su Dao’an spoke first. “The people from Lianhong Society will probably come looking for us again. If they approach you, try to avoid getting entangled with them. Otherwise, they’ll cling to you like stubborn glue.”

“I’ll beat them up each time they come. Are they just looking for a thrashing?” Lu Feng replied indifferently.

“You still haven’t figured out Elder Qi’s intentions. The old man’s getting on in years and wants a peaceful, prosperous life, so now he’s looking to latch onto us,” Su Dao’an explained.

“I see. But it seems like Shan Wei doesn’t really respect him,” Lu Feng mused after a pause.

“These gangsters, when they’re young, rely on raw aggression. But as they get older, unless they’re truly wise, they’ll inevitably be cut down,” Su Dao’an replied.

…

After afternoon tea, Shan Wei called in two of his men to play mahjong with Elder Qi. It was well past dinnertime before he finally left.

Da Wei had been waiting in the car the whole time, his nose still in a cast from when Lu Feng broke it, his body swathed in layers of gauze. As soon as Shan Wei got in, Da Wei fumed, “What’s with Elder Qi? He actually made you pour tea for that kid! I think he’s gone senile!”

“I’ll get my dignity back one day!” Shan Wei said through gritted teeth.

“Boss, are we just going to let this go? If Elder Qi won’t back us, I’ll handle it myself—take care of that Lu Feng punk!” Da Wei egged him on.

“Hmph! We won’t do it, but someone else will,” Shan Wei replied.

“Who?”

Shan Wei glanced at his subordinate and said, “Mad Xi lost big time—he’s not the type to let things go. Take a few guys and visit him in the hospital. Quietly let him know Elder Qi won’t help us. Meanwhile, I’ll talk to Big Mouth Xiao. His men got beaten up; he won’t sit still either.”

“Great idea!” Da Wei was fired up. He flung open the car door and called out for men to join him. “Hurry, come with me to the hospital to see Mad Xi!”

…

In the Phaeton, after a moment of silence, Su Dao’an saw that Lu Feng wasn’t speaking either, so he casually asked, “Did you find the little girl you saved?”

“Yes, I found her.”

“That’s good. The internet is still buzzing about you supposedly delaying the girl’s treatment. Kanglong Pharmaceuticals bought off several media outlets to push the story. Our PR department is trying to deal with it, but since the video is in their hands, our statements haven’t carried much weight. So, I was thinking of reaching out to a few websites and media outlets to interview the girl and her mother. What do you think?”

Lu Feng wasn’t particularly bothered by the online rumors. He lived with a clear conscience and didn’t care about the opinions of idle gossipers.

However, since Su Dao’an made the request, Lu Feng thought for a moment and replied, “I’ll ask them how they feel about it. If they’re willing, then go ahead.”

“Alright, you ask first and I’ll have someone contact the media.” Su Dao’an then asked, “By the way, do you remember who filmed the video?”

“It was a guy with glasses, seemed to be with Ye Wuhua. Ye Wuhua’s the classmate who was chasing after Mu Yu. I met him once when I visited the medical university—probably offended him then. He’s really petty,” Lu Feng said.

“Xiaoyu has always been well-behaved, never dated anyone during school. You don’t need to worry about that,” Su Dao’an reassured him.

Lu Feng made no reply.

…

After a brief silence in the car, Su Dao’an spoke again, “By the way, there’s something else. Fang Huijuan took the liver-cleansing prescription you wrote and her facial rash disappeared. The weight loss formula also worked well. She wants to invite you to dinner to thank you.”

“I don’t know her that well. Help me decline,” Lu Feng replied.

…

That evening, Su Dao’an pressed Lu Feng again about arranging an interview between the media and Xiao Xiao and her mother.

Lu Feng had no choice but to call Chen Lan and explain the situation.

Chen Lan agreed without hesitation. She didn’t spend much time online and was unaware of the controversy, but upon hearing Lu Feng had been wronged, she was indignant and readily agreed to the interview.

With that settled, Su Dao’an contacted two major websites and a newspaper to arrange the interviews.

He also tracked down the “Four-Eyed Kid,” Ye Wuhua’s lackey, and through a combination of intimidation and persuasion, obtained the original unedited video from him.

The footage clearly showed the entire rescue process. In truth, just having this video was more than enough, but Su Dao’an was determined to strike back at Kanglong Pharmaceuticals, so the media coverage needed to be thorough.

…

The interviews with Chen Lan were arranged directly by the media, with no involvement from Lu Feng. Initially, Su Dao’an had wanted Lu Feng to participate in the special feature as well, but Lu Feng declined.

After the interviews were completed, it would take a day or two for the news piece to be produced and published.

After thoroughly cleaning the apartment, Chen Lan found a job as a restaurant waitress. Eager to thank Lu Feng formally, she asked her daughter to call and invite him over to play.

The little girl, in her childish voice, asked Lu Feng to come and play with her.

Lu Feng didn’t refuse, so he and Chen Lan agreed to have dinner together the next day.

The following morning, Chen Lan got up early to buy groceries, stocked the fridge, went to work, and rushed home after her shift to cook a table full of dishes for Lu Feng.

Looking at the spread, Chen Lan was struck by a feeling she hadn’t experienced in a long time—she realized she’d forgotten how it felt to look forward to something. But when she thought of what Lu Feng was like, she sighed softly, knowing it was just wishful thinking.