Chapter 113: A Blessing in Disguise

“It’s all burned down—what’s the point of trying to save anything now? Go home and bring Uncle and Aunt here, but don’t tell Grandma or Grandpa. Don’t mention what happened; just say I called them. Wipe your tears... Actually, forget it, you don’t need to go. Your eyes are swollen like peaches. Han Xue, could you do me a favor? Go home and quietly bring my Uncle and Aunt here.”

Hong Tao glanced at the youngest aunt’s tear-streaked face. Judging by her, Grandpa would follow her without needing to say a word. Looking at the others, their eyes were all swollen from crying, except for Han Xue, who still looked somewhat composed.

“Oh...” Han Xue wiped her tears, tidied her hair, and then ran into the alley.

“Oh, stop crying... It’s burned, so it’s burned. The old must make way for the new...” Hong Tao tried to comfort the girls. He didn’t have much else to say.

“Easy for you to say... What are we supposed to do? Boo hoo...” Han Yan looked up, unwilling to hear such words.

“Ah, that’s easy. Tomorrow we’ll see what’s left and renovate again. Don’t worry. Even if everything burns down, you can all stay with me. I can open a new shop. What do you say? Come on, wipe those tears... Stop crying... Let big brother give you a hug...” Hong Tao knew what they were worried about, so he started soothing them with words. At the same time, he couldn’t resist taking advantage of the moment, reaching out to pull Han Yan into his arms. He had hoped she’d cling gently to him, but since he was shorter, it looked more like he was hugging her waist.

“Who said you’re my brother? Stop taking advantage of us... Go away!” After a few seconds, Han Yan realized what was happening, pushed him away, pulled out a handkerchief, and wiped her tears.

Soon, Uncle and Aunt arrived, following Han Xue. But the firefighters were still dealing with the acetylene tanks. Nobody could get close and had to watch from afar. The fire was extinguished, but several rooms still smoked. Besides acetylene tanks, the enameling factory’s workshop held many asphalt blocks used to fix the copper molds, producing a harsh smell and dense smoke, making it difficult for firefighters to see inside. They eventually resorted to a crude method: using water jets to break down the walls, then clearing the roof so they could carry out the tanks.

“It’s over... This whole place is done for. The roofs are torn off; there’s hardly anything left,” Uncle said, gloomily watching the factory buildings being dismantled piece by piece.

“This is troublesome. We planned to negotiate with the neighborhood committee to rent some land, but now it’s all empty...” Hong Tao gritted his teeth. With the enameling factory in ruins, would the committee even have time to handle their rental application?

“Hey, speak of the devil! Director Zhou of the neighborhood committee is here. Let’s go with me to hear what he says,” Uncle suddenly noticed a new development, grabbed Hong Tao’s hand, and hurried back to the fire truck.

“Director, sorry to disturb you. Celebrating New Year’s Eve like this is really an unexpected disaster... Here, have a cigarette...” Uncle seemed familiar with Director Zhou, immediately offering a cigarette and pushing the entire pack of Marlboros into his hand.

“Oh, Old Jin, you woke me from bed for this? I thought it was your side on fire, so I rushed over. Luckily, it’s not. But this enameling factory is finished. All the assets gone in a single fire, sigh...” Director Zhou accepted the cigarette, pocketing the box while striking a match.

“The neighborhood’s really in trouble now. What about those dozens of workers? At least my place is intact, that’s some luck. If those acetylene tanks had exploded, forget my house—the walls of Yonghe Temple nearby wouldn’t even stand,” Uncle laughed wryly.

“Sigh... Don’t rub salt in my wound. The workers can be placed somewhere; several factories in the neighborhood can take them in. But the neighborhood’s revenue target this year is totally blown. Not only will it earn nothing, but it’ll lose money too. This row of houses facing the main street can’t just be a pile of ruins. I still have to find money to rebuild it. Oh, just thinking about it gives me a headache. Where am I supposed to find that kind of money, Old Jin? You’re a rich landlord; how about lending me some?” Director Zhou rubbed his temples, stomping his foot in frustration.

“Uncle Director, are you saying the enameling factory won’t operate anymore?” Hong Tao suddenly caught a glimmer of hope from the director’s words but couldn’t believe his luck, so he whispered the question.

“Why did you bring your nephew here at this hour?” Director Zhou finally glanced at Hong Tao but ignored his question, scolding Uncle for bringing a child out to freeze.

“He’s carrying an imperial edict. This tailor shop belongs to my mother-in-law, and he’s my father-in-law’s representative. He speaks with more authority at home than I do, so don’t underestimate him. By the way, I wanted to ask—does that mean the enameling factory really won’t be operating anymore?” Uncle half-joked, half-seriously introducing Hong Tao. Seeing Hong Tao wink at him, he caught on and repeated the question.

“Hah, how could it still operate? The factory used to have some tasks, making small export crafts for the arts and crafts bureau. Since last year, there’s been nothing. These things don’t feed themselves. I’m struggling to figure out what to do. I wanted to shut it down and turn it into a free market. More and more people sell agricultural products in the city now, so I wanted to find them a fixed spot. But that plan isn’t approved yet. Well, now it’s thoroughly cleaned out—no buildings left!” Director Zhou grew more animated, pulling out a cigarette and offering one to Uncle.

“Uncle Zhou, how about this? Rent the entire factory to us. We’ll pay to rebuild the buildings, but once finished, they belong to the neighborhood. As long as you stop charging us rent, that’s fine,” Hong Tao couldn’t hold back any longer. His eyes were nearly swollen shut. Uncle didn’t understand what he was up to but let him speak.

“What! You want to build the buildings? Why do you need so many rooms?” Director Zhou nearly dropped his cigarette. He didn’t ask Hong Tao but looked to Uncle instead.

“Xiao Tao... rent the whole thing?” Uncle was also taken aback by Hong Tao’s proposal. The enameling factory was a small neighborhood workshop with just over thirty workers, but it occupied a large area. Besides the seven or eight burned storefronts, there was a big yard, warehouses, and kitchens behind. Roughly estimated, it covered between a thousand and two thousand square meters, filling the left side of the alley’s entrance. Even though Hong Tao mentioned expanding two shops, he never imagined it would be this vast.

“Yes, rent it all. We’ll build new buildings, better and prettier than before. It’ll look neat on the surface, and the neighborhood won’t have to spend money. The property rights still belong to the neighborhood; we’re just tenants. At most, the rebuilding cost replaces the rent. What do you say, Uncle Zhou?” Hong Tao decided not to wait for Uncle to relay the message. It was a sudden idea, and he didn’t have time to discuss it further.

“That sounds good, but... but isn’t that foolish? Old Jin... is this your family’s idea?” Director Zhou finally took his cigarette from his mouth but didn’t light it, instead asking Uncle. He simply couldn’t believe what Hong Tao said.

“...Right. If you think it’s appropriate, our family will rent it all. We’ll build the buildings but need longer rental terms. Short terms would be a loss. Isn’t that right?” Uncle glanced at Hong Tao, then gritted his teeth, agreeing.

“Heh! This is crazy. You must be dazed by the fire. Although we haven’t known each other long, you’re a good guy. Let me be honest: any building facing the street must be rebuilt with good quality. Yonghe Temple is about to receive foreign guests soon. You can’t just build a couple of rooms and call it enough. And you want to rent all that? That’s no small sum!” Director Zhou was decent enough not to dump this mess on Uncle.

“Of course we want to rent it! Even if you don’t say it, we’ll build it all. Like I said, we’ll make it beautiful. We’ll show you the blueprints before construction, and only start once you approve. We can’t embarrass the country, right?” Hong Tao’s palms were sweating.

“Yes, rent it! Build it! Let’s follow my nephew’s plan! I’m going all in. Not only do we solve a problem for you, but we also earn some respect for the country. No one can say we’re ungrateful after making money!” Uncle saw Hong Tao’s determination and knew there must be some advantage, though he hadn’t figured out exactly what. Still, he trusted Hong Tao’s judgment and joined in, speaking even more enthusiastically than Hong Tao.

(To be continued...)

P.S.: Posting updates rapidly, fifth chapter! Continuing with five chapters tomorrow!