Golden Scale [EN]: Chapter 42

54. With Everything Ready – Golden Scales Are Not Things in a Pond

January 3, 2003, was a very important day for Hou Longtao. Ma Lian’s father was officially appointed as the Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Traffic Management Bureau. That night, Hou Longtao and his brothers booked a table at the “Tianlun Pavilion” in the Tianlun Dynasty Hotel, sparing no expense, to celebrate the new director’s promotion.

“Monkey,” Director Ma patted Hou Longtao’s shoulder, “So, you have connections? Tell me about it.”
“What connections?”
“Hahaha, still playing dumb? Liu Jiang was the frontrunner for the position. If someone hadn’t spoken up, it wouldn’t have been offered to me at the last minute. We’re all family here, you don’t have to keep secrets.”

“Uncle Ma, everyone knows how capable I am. I really didn’t pull any strings.” Hou Longtao didn’t want to intentionally hide Zhang Yuqian’s involvement, but he wasn’t sure of her exact background, so he thought it best not to say anything.
“That’s right, Dad,” Ma Lian chimed in, “If Fourth Brother had that kind of influence, we’d know about it.”

“Alright, Monkey, Ming already told me about your purifier project. I’ll do my best to help you out.” Director Ma steered the conversation to the main topic.
“So, should I approach the other two directors?” Hou Longtao rubbed his fingers together.
“Don’t worry about them. I’ll handle it. But you need to give me some solid reasons to present to the Municipal Party Committee, even if they’re not airtight. Otherwise, if the Municipal Party Committee rejects the Traffic Management Bureau’s proposal, we’ll be dead in the water.”

“That’s easy,” Hou Longtao pulled a stack of documents from his briefcase. “I’ve already prepared everything. Take a look.”
“Hehe, you say my appointment had nothing to do with you, but if you didn’t know in advance, you wouldn’t have prepared all this.” Director Ma took his glasses out of his pocket.
“No, I started collecting these materials as soon as I heard you were in the running.”
“Okay, okay, you won’t admit it.” Director Ma glanced through the documents. Three points stood out as the most compelling:

1. Beijing ranks seventh among the world’s top ten most polluted cities, with air pollution accounting for over 85%. Motor vehicle exhaust is the primary culprit. Equipping all 1.8 million vehicles in the city with exhaust purifiers could reduce air pollution by at least half. This would not only remove the “top ten most polluted cities” label but also silence foreign critics who oppose Beijing hosting the 2008 Olympic Games due to environmental concerns.

2. Traffic police in Beijing have the highest rates of respiratory diseases, lung ailments, and even lung cancer, including non-smoking officers. Their health would directly benefit from the widespread use of exhaust purifiers.

3. With the number of vehicles in Beijing increasing by an average of 200,000 per year, roads and bridges are already severely strained. Mandating purifier installation could indirectly increase vehicle prices, potentially slowing down the growth rate and easing the burden on the Traffic Management Bureau and traffic police.

There were also mentions of benefits like creating employment opportunities and increasing tax revenue. Director Ma skimmed through them.

“Okay, Monkey, your education wasn’t wasted. But the third point is a bit off. While it’s beneficial for the Traffic Management Bureau, the city’s current policy is to stimulate consumption.”

“So, should we remove it?”
“It’s not a big deal. Your first point is strong enough. These days, anything related to the Olympics gets the green light.”
“That’s good. I’m also willing to donate 5 million yuan annually to the Traffic Management Bureau for traffic police welfare and equipment upgrades.” Hou Longtao understood the importance of mutual benefit.

After dinner, Director Ma drove off. The group returned to the “Tianlun Dynasty” coffee shop and sat at two adjacent tables. Hou Longtao took a sip of tea. “The production line will be ready by the end of January. Technicians from Germany will handle the installation and debugging. It should be fully operational by mid-February. Big Brother, how are the store locations coming along?”

“Eleven are finalized, and four more are in negotiation. They’ll all be settled before March.”
“Wow, Big Brother, your efficiency is impressive. I thought you might struggle to find so many willing renters.”
“What are you talking about? Ma Lian was a big help. He’s in the real estate business and knows about all the available properties with a few phone calls.”

“That’s right,” Ma Lian said proudly, crossing his legs. “Fourth Brother, I’m not just freeloading.”
“Okay, okay, I underestimated you. My bad.” Hou Longtao turned to Liu Nan. “Third Brother, my advertisement…”

“Don’t worry, it’s done, exactly as you wanted. Once the time slot is confirmed, it can air immediately.”

“Yeah, my old man is haggling with the TV station. He should get you the lowest rate next week.” Er Dezi, knowing he was next, quickly reported, “But Fourth Brother, wouldn’t it be cheaper to advertise on Beijing TV? Why CCTV [China Central Television, the national broadcaster]?”

“Maybe there are environmentally conscious people in other provinces who’ll see my ad and order by mail. Besides, you can’t deny that the whole country looks to Beijing. Beijing’s policies influence other regions, and there are plenty of business-minded officials who might come up with similar ‘local policies.’ Then we’re talking hundreds of thousands of cars. That little bit of advertising cost is nothing.”
Hou Longtao grinned. “Actually, there’s an even more important reason. If you want to make money safely, don’t cause trouble for the government. If this policy makes the public unhappy, that’s causing trouble. Through advertising, I want people to subconsciously feel that this expense isn’t completely unreasonable, even if they’re forced to pay.”

“That’s not quite right,” Liu Nan said, confused. “I’ve known your idea for a while, but that only explains why you’re doing it in Beijing. It doesn’t explain why you want people from other places to see the ad.”
“Hehe, because starting June 1st, only foreign cars with purifiers will be allowed to enter Beijing.”
“Hahahaha…” Everyone burst out laughing.

“What about the production line’s output? What if supply can’t keep up with demand?” Wu Da always liked to be profound.
“The daily output is 5,000 units.”
“Five thousand? One million eight hundred thousand divided by five thousand… that’ll take a whole year! Not enough time!”
“There’s plenty of time. My proposal is that starting May 1st, all cars must have purifiers installed before their vehicle inspection, which effectively gives cars inspected in April a year’s grace period. Even without a three-year renewal rule, people will naturally wait until the last minute to buy.”

“I have a question,” Long said after a long silence. “Since the three-year demand can be met in one year, what about the remaining two years? Are we just going to support all those workers and stores for nothing?”
“I’ve thought about that. It won’t be a complete waste. The number of cars increases by 200,000 every year. What I’m worried about now is insufficient production capacity.”

“How could that be?”
“Our country accounts for eight of the world’s top ten most polluted cities, plus other statistics like ‘the world’s top 50 most polluted cities’ and ‘the country’s top ten most polluted cities.’ If my product significantly improves Beijing’s pollution levels, other cities might follow suit, and we might even get foreign orders. Then we’ll be swamped. Don’t forget, the reason I sent Zuo Wei to the United States is because I ultimately want to enter the international market.”

“You’re ambitious,” Liu Nan said, surprised. “I didn’t realize.”
“I’m not ambitious. I just watch too much TV. Aren’t factory directors and managers always striving for the international market?” Hou Longtao looked out the large glass window. The northwest wind was blowing outside…

Early Sunday morning, Chen Qian’s parents went out, leaving the two sisters at home. Chen Qian nudged her sister, who was still in bed. “Xi, Xi, get up. It’s past ten.”
“Um… um…” Chen Xi stirred. “Let me sleep a little longer. It’s Sunday…”

“Seriously, you didn’t even sleep that late last night. If you don’t get up, you won’t be able to sleep tonight.” Chen Qian playfully slapped her sister’s butt through the blanket.
“Okay, okay,” Chen Xi sat up abruptly, put on a sweater, and got out of bed, her hair a mess. “I’m going to wash my face.”

Chen Qian shook her head with a wry smile. “Dancing until she’s unsteady on her feet. She’s really a crazy girl.” In fact, Chen Xi had been with Hou Longtao from yesterday afternoon until 10:00 PM. For over five hours, they were constantly making love. Even during dinner, both her “mouths” were “eating” at the same time, so it was no wonder she was sore and exhausted.

The doorbell rang. Chen Qian opened the door to find the newspaper fee collector, who said the bill was 103 yuan. She didn’t have any small bills, and the collector couldn’t make change. She called into the bathroom, “Xi, do you have three yuan?” Chen Xi poked her head out, toothbrush in mouth, still half-asleep. “My change is in the left pocket of my bag. Check there. I don’t know if there’s three yuan.”

Chen Qian went back to the bedroom. Her sister’s bag was on the chair, with a pocket on each side.

Chen Xi had said the left side from the bag’s perspective, but Chen Qian was facing the back. She opened the left pocket and found no money, only a small color-screen mobile phone and a medicine bottle labeled “Hui Ting.”

“Xi, where did you get the phone…” Chen Qian stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening. The “Usage” section on the medicine bottle clearly stated that it was a post-coital contraceptive pill [also known as the morning-after pill]. Her expression was best described as “dumbfounded.”

The girl in the bathroom heard her sister’s shout and immediately woke up. She realized that her secret had probably been discovered. She slapped her forehead, chiding herself for being careless. She rushed into the bedroom and saw her sister holding the phone in her left hand and the medicine bottle in her right, looking stunned. “Sister…”

Chen Qian slowly turned her head. “…Xi, this… this is…”
“It’s Brother Tao’s.” Chen Xi was surprised to find that she wasn’t nervous at all. It was good that her sister knew, so she wouldn’t have to be secretive anymore. Anyway, she was Hou Longtao’s woman, and nothing could change that. The girl walked over, took three yuan from the other pocket of the bag, and paid the newspaper deliverer outside. When she returned to the room with the change, Chen Qian was already sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Sister,” Chen Xi sat next to her. “Brother Tao and I are truly in love.”
“But… but he’s a bad person…” Chen Qian looked at her sister, her face full of confusion. “He’s not. I know you have a deep misunderstanding of Brother Tao, but he’s definitely not the kind of rogue who only knows how to take advantage of girls…”

The girl recounted what Hou Longtao had said about her sister. “I believe him. He truly loved you back then, but you didn’t accept it. Now he loves me, sister. Can’t you find a little reason to be happy for me? I’m not an ignorant child anymore. I know what I’m doing.”

“Xi…” Chen Qian saw the unwavering determination in her sister’s eyes and realized that nothing she said would change her mind. She reached out and stroked her hair. “If you’re truly in love, of course, I’m happy for you. But you have to understand that if you get pregnant, you’ll suffer.”

“I’ll be especially careful. Brother Tao won’t let anything happen to me. It’s just… just…” Chen Xi hadn’t expected her sister to be so calm. “Sister, you really don’t object to me and Brother Tao being together?”
“Object? You’ve already… already… What’s the use of me objecting? I just hope he’s really like what you said.”
“Sister…” Chen Xi hugged her neck. “He’s really good.”

The sisters embraced for a while, and Chen Qian got up and started changing clothes. “I have lunch plans with Long. I have to go now.”
“Um, sister… about me and Brother Tao… you won’t tell Mom and Dad, will you?”
“Hmph, you didn’t tell them that Long is your classmate and only nineteen years old.” Chen Qian didn’t turn around, not wanting her sister to see the forced smile on her face.

Going downstairs, just as she reached the courtyard gate, Chen Qian ran into her parents. “Qian, where are you going?”

“I’m meeting a friend for lunch.”
“Then go ahead. Will you be back for dinner tonight?”
“I’ll be back in the afternoon.” In reality, she didn’t have a date at all. Something more important was waiting for her. But she didn’t know that Shi Long, after meeting Hou Longtao, was no longer the same person. Every Sunday, that kid was messing around with prostitutes.

After walking a few steps, Chen Qian took out her phone and entered a number she had just copied from Chen Xi’s phone. Her finger hovered over the send button, trembling slightly. She felt an inexplicable fear of that man. But for her sister’s sake, Chen Qian gritted her teeth, and her finger pressed down millimeter by millimeter…

Hou Longtao was at his grandfather’s house, as usual. Although he had spent the previous day in passionate lovemaking, he was still full of energy. Every Sunday, all the aunts and uncles would gather here, a cherished Hou family tradition. Two mahjong tables were occupied, leaving some people waiting for a turn. Hou Longtao’s generation naturally didn’t get a spot, but he didn’t mind. What could be better than a large family being together?

The phone rang. Hou Longtao saw that it was Chen Xi’s home number. He quickly went to the inner room to answer, as it was too noisy outside. “Hello.”

“Brother Tao,” Chen Xi’s voice was full of joy. “My sister agreed!”

“Hehe, baby, what are you talking about? Agreed to what?”
“My sister found the medicine, but she didn’t scold me. She agreed to let us be together.”

“Really!?” Hou Longtao was skeptical.
“Of course, it’s true. Why would I joke about something like this?”
“Is your sister there with you now?”
“No, she went on a date with Shi Long. Oh, my uncle’s back. I can’t talk anymore. Brother Tao, I love you.”
Hanging up, Hou Longtao frowned. He hadn’t expected Chen Qian to “compromise” so easily. He thought she would rush over to confront him angrily after finding out he had slept with Chen Xi. It seemed she wouldn’t take the initiative to find him. But it didn’t matter. The plan didn’t need much alteration, just a shift from passive waiting to active pursuit.

Hou Longtao found Chen Qian’s business card in his wallet. Just as he was about to dial, the phone rang again. He looked at the number and saw that it was the same as the one on the business card. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Hello.”

“Hello, Hou Longtao, this is Chen Qian. Can we meet?” Chen Qian’s voice sounded strained.

“Now?”
“Yes.”
“I’m very busy right now. Just tell me what’s the matter.” He played hard to get.
“It’s not convenient over the phone. Let’s meet.”
“Um… okay. Where are you? I’ll pick you up.”
“No need. Do you know any quiet places? You decide, and let’s meet there.”

“How about the ‘Tianlun Pavilion’ in the Tianlun Dynasty Hotel? The waiters there all know me. You can find me by asking for me.”
“Okay. I’ll be there in half an hour.”
“I’ll be waiting.” Hou Longtao hung up, told his family something, and rushed out the door.

Hou Longtao entered the “Tianlun Pavilion” and asked a hostess at the door, “Has a girl come to see me?”

“Girl? Which girl? Mr. Hou has so many girlfriends, how would I know which one you’re talking about?” Because he was a regular and had a charming personality, the waitresses were familiar with him. When no one else was around, they would joke with him freely.

“You little devil, are you asking for a spanking?” Hou Longtao liked to tease girls and unconsciously said a crude joke. “Is there or isn’t there?”
“No.”
“Phew, that’s good.” Hou Longtao stepped forward, patted the hostess’s round buttocks, and walked toward the private room he had booked without looking back. The hostess didn’t know whether to scold him or not and made a face.

Chen Qian had imagined “Tianlun Pavilion” to be a coffee shop or tea room. When she arrived, she realized it was a formal restaurant. Although she knew the meeting would be around lunchtime, she had no intention of having lunch with her “enemy.” When she asked the hostess for Hou Longtao, she was led to a private room, making her even more uncomfortable.

As the hostess was about to knock, Chen Qian stopped her. “I’ll do it myself, thank you.” After she left, Chen Qian took a deep breath and knocked twice. The door opened, and Hou Longtao greeted her with a kind smile, stepping aside. “Qianqian, you’re right on time. Please, come in.”

Watching the beautiful woman walk past him with her head held high, Hou Longtao closed the door, pulled out a chair, and leaned over to push it in as she sat down, taking the opportunity to inhale deeply near her hair, immediately catching the same jasmine scent as Chen Xi’s.

Chen Qian noticed the man’s forward behavior and flinched, her eyes filled with panic and fear. “You… what are you going to do!?”
“Hehe, do you and Xi use the same shampoo?” Hou Longtao smiled and sat down. “Take off your coat. It’s warm in here.”
“No need.” The woman instinctively clutched her neckline. “Xi has already told me about your relationship?”

“She was so happy that you approved, of course, she’d tell me right away.” Hou Longtao lit a cigarette. “I assume you asked to meet me about this, right? Let’s order first. We can talk while we eat.”
“No need. I only have a few words. This place is too fancy. I can’t afford it.” Although Chen Qian tried to sound firm, she was, after all, a lady, and she was afraid of this man, so her voice trembled slightly.

Hou Longtao was adept at noticing these subtle details. He understood Chen Qian’s feelings for him. “It’s lunchtime. It’s the same wherever you eat. Think of it as me thanking you for making Xi and me happy.”
“You don’t need to thank me. I agreed not because I approve of you. I’m doing it completely for Xi. She… she’s given you everything, and I have no choice.” The woman steeled herself. “I… I beg you not to make Xi sad…”

“Sigh… Qianqian,” Hou Longtao sighed. “Although I learned from Xi why you hate me, even though I see it as a misunderstanding, I understand that I hurt you deeply. Even if I treat Xi well and she says good things about me, it’ll be hard to change your opinion of me. I’ll love Xi with all my heart and not let our misunderstanding grow.”

“I hope you mean what you say. You’ve heard what I wanted to say,” Chen Qian said, getting up. “I’m leaving.”
“Wait. Don’t you think that for Xi’s sake, we should try to put aside the past as much as possible? Xi is a smart girl. If we can’t even be in the same room, she’ll realize sooner or later that there’s still a deep divide between us. If that’s the case, I don’t think she’ll be truly happy.”

“Then what do you want to do?” Chen Qian thought the man’s words made sense.
“You don’t have to worry about me, but you have to at least not hate me.”
“Okay.”
“Easier said than done. The best way is for us to meet often, and slowly you can suppress the dissatisfaction you exude. Eating a meal together should be the first step.”

Chen Qian considered it. It wasn’t the first time she had eaten with him, but the last time it wasn’t in a private room, so she felt safer. “There are only two of us. We don’t need a private room, do we?”
“You wanted a quiet place.”
“There’s no one outside either.”
“Okay,” Hou Longtao said, getting up and opening the door. “Let’s go outside.” (Golden scales are not things in a pond [meaning: someone destined for greatness will eventually rise above their humble beginnings])