raknovel Chapter 108 The World Changes Like Clouds and Dogs
Chapter 108 The World Changes Like Clouds and Dogs
Mid-Levels, Keton Road, Zhou Family Mansion.
"Here it comes..."
Chen Mangniu and Zhou Diyi, the two clever little devils, had been eagerly waiting by the window. At this moment, Chen Guanjiang didn't even have time to teach his younger brother to be polite in other people's homes, and went to look for Zhou Xinian.
The butler gave permission to proceed, and the car slowly drove into the inner courtyard. A man and a woman got out after the car stopped.
The man, dressed in a long gown, looked like a hermit, while the woman, dressed in a bright red and purple jacket and trousers, was accompanied by a group of people who were busy carrying out various gifts. At this time, Jian Yueqiang's car finally drove over from the mountainside.
Chen Guanjiang's eyes lit up with a smile when he saw that the person who came was Jian Yueqiang.
According to the customs of wealthy and powerful families, the man needs to hire a matchmaker of suitable status to propose marriage. The higher the social status of the matchmaker, the more importance is attached to the marriage.
Chen Guanjiang considered himself a modern thinker and originally thought he wouldn't care about the feudal dregs of formal betrothal, but at this moment he had to admit that the ancient rules did have some merit.
Since Jian Yueqiang acted as matchmaker, he will be the one to mediate if the couple's marriage runs into problems in the future. That's enough.
Moreover, Kan Yue-keung is one of the directors of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, a figure destined to leave his mark in Hong Kong. It would be very prestigious for him to be the matchmaker for a marriage.
Generally speaking, in such marriages, the families of the man and woman should be of similar power. Even if the woman's family does not invite well-known figures, the elders of her family who are responsible for receiving them will not be weaker than those of the other family.
Unfortunately, the Chen family doesn't have an "adult" in their family, but they do have a "young adult," though he's not suitable to host such a scene. So they had to ask Zhou Xinian to take charge again, as he's probably used to it.
As a matter of personal relationships, the two families were on good terms, and Zhou Xinian intended to form a marriage alliance with the Chen family. Chen Mangniu and Zhou Diyi also got along quite well.
Logically, Zhou Qirong assisted the fake stock gang in selling stocks, and Chen Guanjiang helped to suppress this matter.
Both morally and logically, we should help.
"It's been many years since I've done matchmaking, please bear with me!" Jian Yueqiang cupped his hands in greeting to Zhou Xinian.
"Not at all! Sir Jane, please take a seat!" Zhou Xinian casually handed over a red invitation card, inviting everyone to sit down.
The man was a fortune teller. He arrived with a stern face and sat very upright, constantly fidgeting with his five fingers.
The woman was the matchmaker, and she was all smiles as soon as she arrived, running around with a cheerful expression to everyone she met.
After exchanging pleasantries, Jian Yueqiang held up the red invitation and the document together, and the fortune teller immediately stood up and took them with both hands to read them.
The document red slip, also called the Geng slip, records the birth dates and times of both the man and woman.
The male is called Luan Shu, and the female is called Feng Jian, which means that good things come in pairs.
"Young Master Li is well-educated, reasonable, and of good character. He has a bright future and is destined to become an official. If the young lady marries him, she will be the mistress of the house. In the previous dynasty, she would have been a princess consort at the very least..."
"I wouldn't dare to visit a family that isn't of equal social standing! But the young lady is exceptionally beautiful and of outstanding character; it's a match made in heaven. If our families were to marry, we could support each other in the future, and it would be a very respectable thing to talk about..."
“…………”
This matchmaker, she's been talking non-stop since she walked in, she hasn't even had time to drink a sip of water yet her mouth isn't dry, and she has such a cheerful appearance that it's hard to dislike her.
"reward!"
Chen Guanjiang smiled and nodded, not being stingy on this joyous occasion, and casually gave a small gold ingot as a reward.
To put it simply, Hu Hanhui was a man of good manners. Upon learning that Chen Guanjiang's third sister was getting married soon, he sent her some gold and silver items before the business deal was even finalized, for use as wedding gifts.
These gold ingots are in the Sima Liang system, with each ingot representing one Sima Liang unit. Even including the labor cost, they don't exceed HK$500. The main reason is that gold ingots are more prestigious than banknotes.
The total amount was only a little over HK$100,000, while Chen Guanjiang was doing business worth billions of Hong Kong dollars. The Gold and Silver Exchange alone could make tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars in profit, so he didn't feel unworthy of it.
"Ouch!"
The matchmaker, overjoyed, accepted the small gold ingot and exclaimed a string of auspicious words, "The groom's family owns a bank, how come the bride's family is so generous too? Their future life will be so happy and fulfilling..."
Happiness is relative!
Since comparisons are inevitable, there will be disparagements. As long as you live a better life than most of the people you encounter in your daily life, that is happiness.
"A white horse fears a blue ox, and a sheep and a rat will rest for a day! This marriage is not auspicious." As the fortune teller announced the results of the marriage compatibility analysis, the living room fell silent instantly.
Zhou Xinian couldn't help but look at Jian Yueqiang, who gently shook his head to indicate that he didn't know. Chen Guanjiang's expression immediately turned cold.
Having worked in the funeral industry for many years, Chen Guanjiang, who has been practicing numerology since childhood, including finger-pinching, spell-casting, peach-shaped swords, and tile-breaking techniques, knows about the incompatibility of zodiac signs. Do you really need to tell me that?
Li Guoneng and Chen Xiangshui had frequent daily contact, so Li Peicai's family would naturally inquire about Chen Xiangshui's situation.
But since they invited a matchmaker to propose marriage, it proves that they don't care about these feudal superstitions, but rather care about their mutual affection and the idea of the two families forming a lasting and harmonious union.
In fact, no one can be a perfect match, and no one can be completely incompatible. So-called marriage compatibility is not just a formality to appear solemn.
People have two mouths; since you've already received the money, just say the nice things. There's no need to upset either party or even create enmity.
"Good, how could it not be good?"
The matchmaker promptly remarked, "Chen Xiangshui and Li Guoneng, the name sounds like 'water can carry a boat,' what a wonderful meaning! The two will surely live in harmony and support each other after marriage..."
"reward!"
Chen Guanjiang grabbed a handful of small gold ingots, stuffing more than a dozen of them into the matchmaker's hand. This was both a reward for the matchmaker's eloquence and a show for the fortune teller.
The fortune teller, still holding the birth chart, said, "Not only are their zodiac signs incompatible, but their destinies are also incompatible! The woman is fire in a furnace, while the man is wood in a pomegranate tree; fire overcomes wood, this is an omen of widowhood!"
“…………”
Chen Guanjiang patiently asked, "In that case, sir, do you have a solution?"
"A terrible marriage, no solution!"
The fortune teller shook his head and refused, indicating that he was no longer asking for money, but was determined to ruin the marriage.
Those in the wedding and funeral industry are all adept at reading people. Even if this guy doesn't know the Li Peicai family and the Zhou Yongtai family, he must have seen the mansion on Keton Road in the Mid-Levels, right?
Even so, it remains the same; they refuse both money and face. It's hard to believe that no one is behind this.
"Since your abilities are limited, sir, please leave!"
"No need to see me out!"
The fortune teller cupped his hands in greeting and then walked away.
It's easy to beat him up, and it's not difficult to kill him either. The problem is whether anyone will come to settle accounts after the beating or killing. If someone takes the opportunity to make a big fuss, the marriage between the two parties will really be over.
"Wait!"
Chen Guanjiang pointed to his hand and said, "Leave the birth certificate."
Normally, the Birth Date Charter should be brought back to the groom's home and placed in front of the ancestral tablet for three days to "suppress the Birth Date." Only then should a fortune teller or a fortune-telling shop be consulted to determine the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of the birth date.
Now that this guy has calculated it in advance, the result is still not satisfactory, so there's no need to let him take the birth charter away.
"How can this be allowed? The Li family..."
"I said, stay!!"
Chen Guanjiang said fiercely, "Don't force me to have someone chop your head off with Jianfeng Jin and bury it in the roadside soil."
The fortune teller pursed his lips, but ultimately didn't dare to be defiant anymore, and slunk away with his head down.
Chen Guanjiang instructed the matchmaker, "Do you have any astrologers or similar experts among your friends or colleagues? Call a few over to have their horoscopes read."
"good…"
Seeing Chen Guanjiang's gloomy expression, the matchmaker dared not say anything more and followed the butler to make phone calls to friends and find experts.
If your birth dates and times are incompatible, consult your horoscope.
If astrology doesn't work, there's always ancient Babylonian astrology, ancient Indian palmistry, and ancient Egyptian tarot cards. Surely none of them will work, right?
If metaphysics doesn't work, there's folklore.
Tell them to find a bunch of wooden clogs to "match the clogs," or sew a belt and a pair of trousers to "match the belt" or "step on the trouser hem."
If all else fails, there's always science-related categories.
Partner compatibility, trauma matching, gene comparison, blood type personality theory—if you want to be compatible, there's always a way to make it work.
After taking the matchmaker away and dismissing the bodyguards, Jian Yueqiang also took his leave, bringing with him the betrothal letter.
After seeing Jian Yueqiang off, Zhou Xinian asked, "Who do you think did it?"
"It's hard to say," Chen Guanjiang shook his head.
The first suspect would naturally be Chen Pufeng, but then I thought it wasn't him. Chen Guanjiang and Li Fuzhao had recently made things very difficult for him, and he was too busy taking care of himself to cause trouble.
Moreover, given the deep-seated animosity between the two sides, revenge would not be carried out in such a trivial way as a toad jumping on a toad's foot.
besides…
The Hu family, the Ma family, the Shaw family, and the Li family have all had their share of unpleasantness, not to mention that little scoundrel Ding Pei. The newspaper industry colleagues cannot be ignored either, and it is possible that more than 700 licensed brokers will be dismissed soon.
Upon closer examination, he realized he had indeed offended quite a few people, but Chen Guanjiang didn't take it to heart.
The higher you climb, the more people hate you; turning down may avoid offending anyone, but you'll be trampled underfoot.
It doesn't matter if you don't know who it is; you can always find out by following the fortune teller's trail.
It doesn't matter if we can't find out; we can just trample all those with grudges and hatred under our feet.
And that fortune teller always has to give a result!
Otherwise, if anyone can step on you, more and more clowns will gain fame and profit by stepping on you. In comparison, it is cheaper to eliminate the first bird to stick its neck out.
Zhou Xinian didn't want to continue the unpleasant topic, so he changed the subject, saying, "It's been so long since the share acquisition, why haven't I seen you go to TVB?"
"The newspaper's editor-in-chief has taken up a new post and was turned away! There's no point in going again," Chen Guanjiang replied truthfully.
As expected, Sing Tao Daily did hand over its news department, and Hu Sanhu did indeed relinquish his position as news department manager, but he did not hand over the list of international reporters or their management rights.
Bypassing the Sing Tao Daily and contacting international reporters, only two expressed willingness to defect, while the others all obeyed Hu Sanhu's orders.
In other words, Hu Sanhu could cut off overseas news sources at any time and use this method to threaten Chen Guanjiang and even the entire TVB.
This is normal. The priority for any manager is to control the lifeline of the company or department to ensure their indispensability.
Zhou Xinian chuckled and said, "I've known Hu Jiao for many years. I'll arrange for him to come out so we can all sit down and talk."
Hu Wenhu, known as the "King of Tiger Balm" in Southeast Asia, was also a newspaper tycoon in Southeast Asia. He had one wife and three concubines, and fathered seven sons and two daughters.
The names chosen for the main wife are all quite nice: eldest son Hu Jiao, second son Hu Shan, third son Hu Hao, and eldest daughter Hu Xian'er.
The concubines were named very casually: Hu Yihu, Hu Erhu, Hu Sanhu, Hu Sihu, and their daughter Hu Xing'er.
Hu Jiao, the eldest son of the main wife, was stationed in Southeast Asia. He inherited the Tiger and Leopard Brothers Company, the Southeast Asia Star Newspaper, and Chongqiao Bank, and was the current head of the entire Tiger and Leopard Hu family in Southeast Asia.
As the eldest daughter, Hu Xian'er was stationed in Hong Kong, inheriting her father's Hong Kong Galaxy News Agency. Together with the Nanyang Galaxy News Agency, they formed a mutually supportive relationship, sharing intelligence and maintaining a balance of offense and defense.
That Hu Sanhu was just an agent; the real power lay with Hu Xian'er from Hong Kong and Hu Jiao from Southeast Asia.
Zhou Xinian meant well, wanting to bring both parties together to talk; it wasn't a big deal.
After all, TVB is only outsourcing the news department for now; once it matures, it will inevitably take back the production capabilities of all departments.
Chan Kwun-kong is a shareholder of TVB and started his business in media. His interests are closely tied to TVB. Even if he takes back all departments from production, the news department will still be handed over to him.
Whether it's early or late, it has to be paid. Even if it's profitable, everyone will tacitly agree, unless they are willing to see a shareholder with a 25% stake who opposes every meeting and decision.
The shareholding ratio is too high. If Yu Jingwei is further won over, his say will reach 35%, exceeding one-third.
At that point, even a single expense report could trigger a board meeting for discussion and an investigation team for verification. If the internal strife really escalates to that extent, the company should just give up on development and go bankrupt.
As long as Chen Guanjiang doesn't form cliques to interfere with management and is willing to stay quietly in the news department, Li Xiaohe's attitude towards him is to avoid him if possible.
Therefore, Hu and Jiao have no need to hold onto international journalists; the more they do so, the deeper the resentment between them will grow.
"No need to trouble Uncle Nine, I have my own methods!"
Chen Guanjiang never considered reconciling with the Hu family in Southeast Asia, and he believed the Hu family was aware of his ambitions.
Although the newspaper was always overshadowed by Sing Tao Daily in the print media field, it was only after acquiring the Oriental Daily News's "Dog Talk" that it was able to gain a foothold.
Now, by using the monopoly on nighttime news as a springboard, they have begun to organize a counterattack against Sing Tao Daily. If they get their hands on TVB's international news, they really won't be able to handle it.
The Oriental Daily, a publication under the Nanyang Galaxy News Agency, was accused by Singapore two years ago of being influenced by foreign funds and has since been suspended.
With the Hong Kong Sing Tao Daily suffering repeated setbacks, it's even less likely that he will become too powerful to be controlled, and the situation is destined to be irreconcilable.
"What are you planning to do?"
"Let's wait and see!"
Chen Guanjiang did not answer, but his gaze became increasingly unfocused.
For a long time, becoming an international journalist was Chen Guanjiang's childhood dream, and he firmly chose this profession to realize his life's and self-worth.
Life is unpredictable. After graduating, Chen Guanjiang not only failed to become an international journalist, but he also couldn't find a job as a domestic journalist or even a television station.
In this ever-changing world, who would willingly choose the despised profession of paparazzi? Unfortunately, most people don't even have the right to sacrifice themselves for their ideals.
Of course, being able to make such a lucrative job as a paparazzi is already pretty good. Even if they had to change careers later due to the economic downturn, it was still better than their juniors who went straight into working for an ugly group after graduation.
Therefore, Chen Guanjiang is willing to give these uncooperative international journalists another chance.
Hopefully, they can keep this precious and meaningful job, the one that Chen Guanjiang longed for but could never obtain and would regret for the rest of his life…