Hong Kong film: As a boss, I use money to make decisions.

About twenty minutes later, Chuanbao arrived at Lin Xiaoru's fruit market in his Crown car.

Taibao was still sitting at the entrance of the fruit market, peeling a basket of pineapples for the worker on duty.

Upon seeing Grandpa approaching, she quickly dropped the peeler in her hand, grabbed a rag, and prepared to wipe the car for Chuanbao.

Along with the skewer of explosives, a chubby, fair-skinned man also got off the bus.

The man looked to be in his early thirties, but his expression was one of utter despair as he hid behind the skewer, looking completely unwilling.

"No need. Longgen invited me to play mahjong on Shanghai Street later. You can just take your men up there to see your boss!"

Chuanbao gestured to Taibao to take his men upstairs, then got into the car without a word, closed the door, turned the car around, and left the fruit market.

"Grandpa, your luck is definitely going to be off the charts this time!"

He shouted towards the back of Chuanbao's car from afar, not knowing if Chuanbao could hear him. Taibao turned around and looked at Fatty Cong with a fawning expression.

"Boss, what's your name?"

"Hey, what's up? I'm almost out of food, could I borrow a banana to eat?"

Fatty Cong was clearly resentful, and when Tai Bao tried to curry favor with him, he directly retorted.

Taibao wasn't annoyed. He nodded and bowed, gesturing for the fruit market to open.

He then jogged to the fruit market entrance, pulled off a banana, and handed it to Fatty Cong.

Fatty Cong stared at Tai-bo with a look of utter disbelief.

"No need, keep it for yourself and eat it at home!"

Where is Brother Xiao? I'm going to see him right now.

……

On the second floor, in an office converted from an unused warehouse.

Upon seeing Fatty Cong enter, Lin Xiaoru immediately dropped the phone book containing the Registration Office's phone number.

He then gestured for Fatty Cong to sit down on the wooden chair opposite him.

"You're Fatty Cong?"

"Yeah, Brother Xiao!"

After Fatty Cong sat down, he kept looking around at the layout of the simple office. Every time he looked at a place, his face became more bitter.

Lin Xiaoru disagreed.

"You know why I called you here, right?"

"Know!"

"It's good that you know, it saves me the trouble of explaining."

"I have nothing to say. Boss Gui is gone. Work hard for me, and you'll make a fortune!"

As soon as Lin Xiaoru finished speaking, she was about to reach for the cigarette pack on the table when she saw Fatty Congteng suddenly stand up.

"Brother Xiao, if you really pity me, please be merciful and let me go!"

A sudden remark left Lin Xiaoru momentarily bewildered, but he quickly came to his senses.

Silently tossing down the cigarette pack in her hand, Lin Xiaoru couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Are you feeling wronged working for me?"

"I wouldn't dare!"

Fatty Cong's voice was actually a little choked up.

"Brother Xiao, you don't understand the hardships we brothers have gone through."

We fled from Lau Fau Shan to make a living. These past few years, we've followed Boss Gui, running around everywhere. Each of us, a dozen or so brothers, has elderly parents and young children to support."

As he spoke, Fatty Cong sobbed, then stretched out his right hand and tremblingly held up four fingers in front of Lin Xiaoru.

"It's been four months. Since Boss Gui ran away, he owes us four months' salary and we haven't seen a single penny."

We're barely making ends meet, and we still have a mortgage to pay and a wife and kids to support!

If I can't make any money soon, I'm going to cosplay as Chung Po-lo and become a trapeze artist!

Lin Xiaoru's lips twitched, and her eyes immediately sharpened.

"What, are you worried I can't pay your salaries?"

"It's not that I'm worried you can't afford to pay your salary. Brother Xiao, you're young and ambitious, and your father has built a good family business for you. Of course you have the right to squander it!"

However, the renovation business is a very complex industry; it's not like selling fruit at a stall.

"If you put your money in now, it might last for a few months. But once you realize you can't make any more money and you close down, what will we brothers do then?"

Fatty Cong became more and more agitated as he spoke, and only after he finished did he notice that Lin Xiaoru looked somewhat displeased.

He quickly composed himself and his tone became somewhat pleading.

"Brother Xiao, Brother D said he'll take us all in. He's all the same in Tsuen Wan, and many bosses support him. If we work with him, at least we won't have to worry about food and clothing in the future."

It's not that I, Fatty Cong, look down on you, it's just that...

boom--

"That's enough!"

Before Fatty Cong could finish speaking, Lin Xiaoru slammed her hand heavily on the table, accompanied by a reprimand, which startled Fatty Cong so much that he trembled.

Lin Xiaoru stood up, bracing herself against the table. She casually pulled a cigarette from the pack and tossed it into her mouth.

"Hey! You think I called you here today to go shopping at the farmers' market?"

"Still trying to bargain with me?"

blah-

Lin Xiaoru lowered her head and lit the red wine in her mouth. She glanced at Fatty Cong and saw that he was so nervous that his forehead was covered in sweat and he didn't dare to breathe loudly.

Lin Xiaoru walked around the table to Fatty Cong and blew a puff of smoke in his face.

"I have no interest in what difficulties you may have. I just want to make one thing clear to you: you were specifically requested by my boss, Chuanbao!"

"I can't tolerate you here. No branch of the Wo Luen Shing Society dares to take you in to work! Do you understand?!"

"I...I understand..."

Fatty Cong swallowed hard, stammering as he responded, not daring to look up at Lin Xiaoru.

To be honest, someone like him, who works for Boss Gui, had never heard of Lin Xiaoru before.

However, given Chuen Po's position in Wo Luen Shing, if he were to truly offend Lam Siu-yu, it would be a blow to Chuen Po's reputation, and he feared he might really have to push himself to the brink.

"Good that you understood!"

Lin Xiaoru immediately put on a smiling face, patted Fatty Cong on the shoulder, and her tone became more amiable.

"Everyone's saying it's difficult. Tell me, how much did you get paid a month when you worked for Boss Gui?"

"It depends...it depends on the situation. When business is good, I've earned seven or eight thousand a month. When business is bad, I can make ends meet with two or three thousand."

Fatty Cong answered cautiously, constantly watching Lin Xiaoru's expression, afraid that he would turn on her again and cut off his own escape route.

"Is that so? Okay, then don't worry about it anymore. I know you guys are short on money."

I'll advance you one month's salary. Also, I'll be getting a project this month; if I do a good job, there will be a bonus!

Lin Xiaoru understood the principle of not forcing a cow to drink water; after a slap, you should give it a treat.

Without hesitation, Lin Xiaoru turned around and went back to her desk, opened a drawer, and took out a bulging brown paper envelope.

The envelope was thrown onto the table with a loud thud.

"Here's 100,000 yuan. You eighteen brothers, each of you take 5,000 yuan. The extra 10,000 yuan is for you to take these brothers out and have some fun tonight."

"I'll go register the renovation company license tomorrow. Remember to bring your ID cards tomorrow. From now on, you'll be working with me in Yau Ma Tei."

Fatty Cong picked up the brown paper envelope on the table with some disbelief, feeling its weight, and for a moment he didn't know whether to be happy or worried.