Chapter Thirteen: Master Hong

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Boss Hong was known as the "King of Snakes" in Foshan, the unrivaled master of snake breeding. His fame was not confined to Foshan; he was renowned throughout the entire country. When a strange snake appeared in Zhongcun, Panyu, even Xian Donghai, the celebrated snake-catcher, failed to capture it. The two were close friends—Xian Donghai had ventured to Australia to catch the formidable Coastal Taipan at Boss Hong's behest.

It was from Xian Donghai’s lips that he learned all the details about this “strange snake.” Obsessed with serpents, Boss Hong would stop at nothing to acquire any rare, peculiar, or marvelous snake. With his wealth, there was no snake he could not obtain—his serpentarium boasted every type of snake found in the country. Of the world’s ten most venomous snakes, only two eluded him: the Australian Coastal Taipan and the Brown Snake, not for lack of money, but simply because there was no way to acquire them.

Now, hearing that Zhongcun was home to a snake capable of besting the legendary Xian Donghai, how could he not be tempted? Moreover, he learned from Xian Donghai that this snake was actually being kept and fed by someone. That made him covet it even more.

At the Public Security Bureau, he discovered that the police had once sought out a laborer named Sha Lear, but their investigation yielded nothing. Although they concluded that Sha Lear did not keep snakes, Boss Hong refused to abandon this lead.

He finally found Sha Lear at the construction site. Two luxury cars pulled up to the roadside by the site, causing the workers to believe some major developer had arrived.

A robust man in his forties stepped out, flanked by two burly bodyguards. One look at him and it was clear he was no ordinary man. Unlike the typical tycoon with a protruding belly, his bearing was extraordinary—his hair cropped short and bristling, his eyes shining with sharp intelligence.

“Excuse me, is Mr. Sha Lear here?” the middle-aged man asked a worker himself.

“Mr. Sha... Sha Lear?” The worker was momentarily puzzled, then realized who was being referred to. “You mean Sha Lear? He’s over there. Sha Lear, someone’s looking for you!”

The worker called out enthusiastically. As long as it wasn’t the police, laborers were eager to help.

Sha Lear was bent over, working. When he heard his name, he looked up.

“Who is it, Feng Camel? Who’s looking for me?”

“That boss over there. Come on over.”

Sha Lear was puzzled. He didn’t know any bosses and, going back three generations, there wasn’t a single boss in the family. Why would a boss seek him out for no reason? Still, since someone had come for him, he couldn’t be impolite. Country folk had their own sense of courtesy.

He took off his gloves, but kept the wire hook he used for tying rebar in his hand.

“You must be Mr. Sha Lear?” The middle-aged man smiled kindly as he asked.

“Mr. Sha? There’s no Mr. Sha here—just me, Sha Lear the laborer.” Seeing the boss’s friendly manner, Sha Lear smiled back, “I’m just a worker, Sha Lear. Boss, do we know each other?”

“Haha, Mr. Sha, you’re so straightforward—I’ll be direct too.” The man pulled out a pack of expensive cigarettes. “You’re a good man, and funny too. Care for a cigarette?”

“I don’t really smoke.”

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“So you smoke a little, then. Here, have one—don’t be shy.” The boss handed him a cigarette and took one for himself, lighting it. Sha Lear tucked the cigarette behind his ear.

“I’ll smoke it later,” Sha Lear said with a smile. “My hands are dirty right now.”

“Oh… This work must be tiring, brother,” the boss tried to make conversation.

“It’s not too bad. I’m used to it,” Sha Lear replied, still perplexed. “Boss, did you come to see me about something? Is it about Gang Mengzi…”

Sha Lear could only think of Gang Mengzi in connection with any boss. Maybe Gang Mengzi had made a mistake and the boss had come because of it.

“Gang Mengzi?” The boss shook his head. “I don’t know him. I came specifically to see you.”

“Me? But I—”

“Of course you don’t know me. Here’s my card.” The boss handed him a business card. “I just want to make friends with you. How about this: I’ll treat you to a meal, and after we eat, I’ll tell you why I came.”

“A meal? That’d be great. If Boss Hong is treating, it must be something good… But, I’m working right now. I earn my meals by working—I can’t just leave.”

“How much do you make a day?” Boss Hong asked warmly.

“Not much, just forty-five yuan.”

“Heh… How about this: I’ll give you ten times that as compensation. What do you think?”

“Ten times?” Sha Lear shook his head. “That’s a lot, but I still can’t go. The boss here said this section must be finished today, and there aren’t enough workers as it is. I can’t delay the schedule for money.”

A glint appeared in Boss Hong’s eyes.

“You’re a good man, thinking of your boss like that. You’ll go far,” Boss Hong said with a broad smile. “How about this: I’ll send someone to pick you up this evening and treat you to dinner at Yushan Restaurant in Shiqiao. How does that sound?”

“Well…” Sha Lear hesitated. “But…”

“Don’t worry, there’s no harm in it... Haha, you’re cautious. But I’m a businessman with a reputation to maintain.”

“Not at all. All right then, thank you in advance.”

“It’s a deal.” Boss Hong patted Sha Lear on the shoulder and turned to one of the drivers. “Xiao Li, wait here until he finishes work, then take him to Yushan Restaurant.”

Boss Hong left. Sha Lear stared after the departing cars for a moment, then returned to his tasks. The others crowded around, bombarding him with questions.

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“Lear, is that boss a relative of yours?”

“Lear, you’re lucky—if a boss like that’s come for you, it must be a good thing.”

“The car is still there. Are they waiting for you?”

Sha Lear ignored their banter and went back to work. Before long, Uncle Shengui approached him.

“Uncle Gui, here’s a cigarette—Great China brand.”

“You rascal, is everything all right?”

“Nothing’s wrong. The boss just invited me to dinner.”

“Dinner? That’s great!” a coworker chimed in. “Want me to come with you?”

“Get lost, you glutton,” Uncle Gui scolded.

“Shengui, we’re all good friends with Lear. Don’t keep the good stuff for yourself—let us come too,” the others joked as they worked. “Lear, who would have thought you had such powerful friends?”

“I don’t know him at all.”

“Don’t lie. If you didn’t know him, why would he invite you to dinner? Why not invite us?”

Sha Lear pulled out the business card Boss Hong had given him and examined it. Boss Hong’s full name was Hong Jiahao, Chairman and General Manager of Foshan Jiahao Corporation. Seeing him study the card, the others crowded around.

“Jiahao Corporation—that’s famous!”

“He’s a big boss. He breeds snakes—I’ve seen him on TV.”

Everyone started talking at once. Sha Lear frowned—he finally understood why Boss Hong had come: it was surely about his little snake, Jin’er. Clearly, many people had their eyes on Jin’er.

He had always worked with focus, but after Boss Hong left, he was distracted, making mistakes again and again. After about ten mistakes, he rapped his hook on the ground.

“What’s there to be afraid of? I’ll go.”

Muttering this, he returned to work with renewed concentration.