Chapter 17: Underlying Currents

"Thirty-one thousand, two hundred and sixty-eight dollars and fifty cents!"

As the counting concluded, Chen Bingwen read out the final total displayed on the calculator. The air in the office froze for a second.

Chen Guofu and Wang Qiaozhen, the elderly couple, finally felt their tense hearts ease. Ever since Chen Bingwen had used fifty-five thousand dollars to bid for the four stalls at the Victoria Park Lunar New Year Fair, the couple had been on pins and needles, terrified that this massive sum of money would go down the drain. Now, hearing that they had earned over thirty thousand on the very first day, the pair let out a long, collective sigh of relief.

Gao Zhenhai, standing to the side, had his eyes wide open; the ledger in his hands nearly dropped to the floor. "Brother Wen, this... this is equivalent to five years of work for me at the hardware factory!"

Chen Bingwen patted Gao Zhenhai on the shoulder and smiled. "Ah Hai, this is only the first day. There is still a long way to go."

Turning to Chen Guofu and Wang Qiaozhen, he added, "Mom, Dad, go to the bank tomorrow and open a joint account. Deposit the rent money first so we can hand it over when the landlord comes by."

Since there were outsiders present, Chen Bingwen found it difficult to go into too much detail. Without waiting for his parents to respond, he announced to Zhong Qiang, "Everyone has been working incredibly hard these past few days. From today until the end of the New Year Fair, everyone will receive an extra daily bonus of thirty dollars. You, Ah Hai, and Auntie Zhang will each receive an additional one hundred dollars per day."

"Thank you, boss! Thank you, boss!" Zhong Qiang stammered, hardly able to believe it. A one-hundred-dollar daily bonus meant seven hundred dollars over seven days—more than he used to earn in a whole month at the preserved duck factory.

In the corner, Auntie Zhang’s eyes grew misty at Chen Bingwen's words. With the New Year approaching, this money meant she could finally afford a proper celebration.

Whether in his past life or his current one, Chen Bingwen had always believed that for a business to grow, the employees must be able to earn money and feel a sense of belonging. If working for you is no different from working for someone else, why would anyone be willing to stick by you through thick and thin?

Chen Bingwen hadn't invested so much manpower and capital just for these seven days at the fair. After this experience, these employees would possess the skills and experience to serve as the seeds for the future expansion of Chen’s Dessert Shop.

"Ah Hai, go to the Labour Department tomorrow and recruit twenty more workers."

Gao Zhenhai was stunned. "That many?"

"It’s not too many," Chen Bingwen explained. "Although the team is becoming more skilled through practice, we have to work for seven consecutive days, and on the final day, we’ll be working until six on the morning of the New Year. We need reserve personnel in case anyone can't keep up."

Gao Zhenhai realized the logic and immediately agreed. "I’ll head to the Labour Department first thing tomorrow and bring the new hires straight to Victoria Park."

The others left to rest, but Chen Bingwen remained in the factory office, reviewing the first day of the fair to identify any room for improvement.

***

The next morning, just as the sky began to brighten, Chen Bingwen traveled to Victoria Park on the delivery truck. Following the first day's adjustment, the staff worked with even greater synergy. Despite the foot traffic being heavier than the day before, the sales site remained orderly. Chen Bingwen patrolled the four stalls, his lips curling into a smile as he saw the long queues at each one.

Around noon, while helping at Stall Number Four, he suddenly heard a commotion.

A man in a floral shirt clutched his stomach and collapsed to the ground. "Ouch... there’s something wrong with these fish balls!"

The crowd immediately stirred.

"Ouch... there’s something wrong with these fish balls!" The man in the floral shirt curled up on the ground, his face deathly pale, with beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. His female companion held him in a panic, her voice trembling. "Ah Guang, what's wrong? Don't scare me!"

The crowd in front of the stall erupted. The people queuing scattered like a stirred hornet's nest, leaving a wide, empty space. Whispers began to spread: "Is the food at Chen’s not clean?" "I knew you couldn't trust these street vendors." "Let’s go, let’s go, stop eating..."

Under the public gaze, even the smallest incident was placed under a microscope. Seeing the commotion, Chen Bingwen rushed to the man’s side. "Sir, where are you feeling unwell? Do you need me to call an ambulance?"

"You... your fish balls..." The man clutched his abdomen in pain, unable to form a coherent sentence. "My stomach feels like it's being stabbed by knives..."

Chen Bingwen’s gaze swept over the overturned paper bowl at the man's feet. Two fish balls lay on the ground, coated in dust, with curry sauce spilled everywhere. However, Chen Bingwen noticed that when the man shouted, his expression didn't change at all; his display of pain looked more like a performance, lacking the genuine reaction of someone truly in agony.

Regardless of whether the man was truly in pain, Chen Bingwen could not allow the situation to escalate. He pulled a neatly folded paper from his pocket. "Neighbors, this is the inspection report from the Health Department. Our fish balls fully comply with all food safety standards."

He handed the report to the onlookers for them to inspect. Taking advantage of the moment, Chen Bingwen squatted in front of the man and asked in a gentle voice, "Sir, are you certain it was our fish balls that made you unwell?"

He then lowered his voice so only the man could hear: "Sir, the stalls at the Victoria Park Fair have been inspected by the Health Department. If there were truly a problem, we would never shirk our responsibility. But if you are here to deliberately cause trouble, you are essentially opposing the Hong Kong government. The Health Department, the Police, and the ICAC are not easily fooled."

Though his voice was soft, every word cut like a blade. The man in the floral shirt’s eyes grew noticeably flustered, and fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.

"I..." The man stammered, his eyes darting back and forth. The pain he had been shouting about moments ago had ceased.

Chen Bingwen suddenly raised his voice. "Sir, were you drinking last night? A hangover combined with curry can easily cause an upset stomach." He brought over a bowl of warm red bean soup with tangerine peel from the stall. "Drink this to warm your stomach. It’s our family’s secret recipe, perfect for sobering up."

The man was stunned; he clearly hadn't expected Chen Bingwen to give him an out.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted, "Isn't that Ah Guang, the brother-in-law of the owner of Fook Lam Moon?"

Recognizing that his identity had been exposed, the man in the floral shirt stopped lying on the ground and awkwardly stood up. Chen Bingwen, hearing the name "Fook Lam Moon," felt a shift in his mind, but remained composed as he handed over the soup. His voice was gentle enough for everyone to hear: "Sir, it’s cold and the ground is slippery. Drink some warm dessert soup to warm yourself up."

The man stammered, "No, no need... perhaps the seafood I ate last night wasn't fresh."

"Shall I help you call a car to the hospital?"

As Chen Bingwen finished his sentence, two uniformed police officers pushed through the crowd. Seeing them, Ah Guang’s face changed, and he turned to flee.

"Sir, please stay!" One of the officers grabbed Ah Guang’s shoulder. "I am Inspector Wong from the Wanchai Police Station. Someone reported a case of food poisoning here."

Chen Bingwen noticed Ah Guang’s hands trembling, his face turning pale.

"Officer, this... this is a misunderstanding..." Ah Guang stuttered, glancing toward the edge of the crowd.

Chen Bingwen stepped forward at the right moment and handed the inspection report to Inspector Wong. "Inspector, this is the document issued by the Health Department. All our ingredients meet the standards."

Inspector Wong carefully reviewed the report, his brow relaxing. With the Health Department’s report, it was officially established that there were no quality issues with the stall's food. He returned the report and looked at Ah Guang. "Since you claim you were poisoned by the food, why don't I take you to the hospital for a detailed examination? Mr. Chen will cover the medical expenses."

Ah Guang swallowed hard, the sweat on his forehead glistening in the sunlight. "No, no need, Officer... perhaps the seafood I ate last night wasn't fresh..."

"Is that so?" Inspector Wong smiled. "Then please come with me to make a statement."

"This... this..." Ah Guang stammered, not knowing how to refuse.

***

After Ah Guang was taken away by Inspector Wong, the crowd at Stall Four gradually dispersed. Chen Bingwen stood where he was, watching the police depart, his expression cooling.

"Brother Wen, something isn't right here," Gao Zhenhai whispered, stepping closer. "That guy was clearly here to cause trouble."

Chen Bingwen nodded slightly, his face returning to a warm smile as he looked at the customers still in line. "Neighbors, please rest assured. Every bowl of Chen’s Dessert is up to standard. Thank you all for your support!"

The crowd cheered, as if nothing had happened. Chen Bingwen knew, however, that this was far from over.

He turned to Gao Zhenhai. "Ah Hai, go back to Sham Shui Po and find Uncle Fu at the corner newsstand. Ask him to come to the factory tonight after he closes up, tell him I have a favor to ask."

Gao Zhenhai was surprised. "Uncle Fu?"

"Yes," Chen Bingwen said, his eyes deep. "Uncle Fu’s son, Sheng, runs with a syndicate. He is well-informed..."

***

In the second-floor office of the Fook Lam Moon Tea Restaurant, Zhang Shichang slammed his teacup onto the floor, shattering it into pieces.

"Useless! You couldn't even handle such a small matter!" He pointed at the trembling Ah Guang.

Ah Guang lowered his head, his voice shaking. "Brother-in-law, the kid had a Health Department inspection report, and then the police..."

"Shut up!" Zhang Shichang slammed the table, his eyes narrowing into slits. "If the underhanded way doesn't work, we'll do it openly. Go and invite Brother Ju from the Wo Shing Hop."

***

Late at night, at the Chen’s Food Factory on 38 Cheung Sha Wan Road.

Uncle Fu walked into the office with a hunched back, followed by a lean, thin young man in a leather jacket. The young man had a buzz cut and eyes as sharp as knives.

"Ah Wen," Uncle Fu sighed before Chen Bingwen could speak. "You young people take your time to talk things over. My old bones are heading back."

Chen Bingwen rose quickly to see him off. "Uncle Fu, I'm sorry to trouble you so late..."

Uncle Fu waved his hand and left the factory. Once the office door closed, Ah Sheng sat down carelessly and pulled out a pack of Marlboros. "Ah Wen, what do you need?"

Chen Bingwen smiled and slid a thick envelope across the desk. "Brother Sheng, someone caused trouble at the fair today. It might be Zhang Shichang from Fook Lam Moon behind it. I wanted to ask for your help to find out."

Ah Sheng felt the thickness of the envelope and raised an eyebrow. "We’re all neighbors, no need to be so polite!" He tucked the envelope into his pocket with a grin. "I’ve heard of this Zhang Shichang. He’s buddies with 'Rotten Tooth Ju' from the Wo Luen Shing."

*A syndicate?* Hearing that Zhang Shichang was connected to a gang, Chen Bingwen became instantly vigilant.

"How did you provoke him?" Ah Sheng exhaled a puff of smoke.

"It’s a commercial rivalry, I suppose..." Chen Bingwen explained the situation regarding the fair bidding.

"That must be it," Ah Sheng’s gaze turned sharp. "Rotten Tooth Ju has been very active in Wanchai lately, specializing in protection rackets. Since you snatched the stall from Zhang Shichang during the bidding, he won't let it go."

Chen Bingwen tapped his fingers on the table, analyzing the situation. He had expected someone to be jealous of the fair business, but he hadn't anticipated the involvement of syndicate forces so soon.

"Brother Sheng, in your opinion, how should this be handled?" Chen Bingwen asked calmly.

Ah Sheng crushed his cigarette and grinned. "Two choices. Either you pay the protection fee and I help you mediate with Rotten Tooth Ju, or..." He paused meaningfully, leaving the rest unsaid.

The second option was obvious: either join the syndicate or abandon the dessert business entirely.

Chen Bingwen did not want to choose either. In his past life, he had worked in investment banking and knew the dangers of getting involved with the underworld. Being associated with a syndicate would be detrimental to both the future of Chen’s Dessert and himself.

But the fair had only been running for two days, with five left to go. Even without a major food safety incident, the constant presence of cockroaches or hair in the food would inevitably destroy his business and ruin his future commercial plans.

Chen Bingwen’s brain whirred, searching for a solution. After a few seconds, he tapped the table and smiled. "Brother Sheng, I have a better proposal."

Ah Sheng raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? Let’s hear it."

"First, my cash is tied up in inventory. Even if I were to pay a protection fee, I would need to wait until the fair ends in seven days. Second, if you can take charge of this, I will give you a surprise seven days from now—an idea much better than collecting protection fees."

Ah Sheng narrowed his eyes. "What kind of idea is better than protection money?"

"Brother Sheng, trust me. You won't be disappointed in seven days!" Chen Bingwen said solemnly.

Ah Sheng stubbed out his cigarette and stood up. "Fine. We’re neighbors. Since you said so, I’ll believe you. I’ll handle Rotten Tooth Ju."

After seeing Ah Sheng off, Chen Bingwen stood at the factory entrance, looking up at the pitch-black night sky, his expression unreadable. In this era, the syndicates in Hong Kong were truly everywhere; there was no escaping them. He had known that a street-level business like a dessert shop would eventually have to deal with these forces, but he hadn't expected it to happen so soon.

"Brother Wen," Gao Zhenhai’s voice came from behind, interrupting his thoughts.

Chen Bingwen turned to see Gao Zhenhai holding two cans of iced cola. He took one, cracked it open, and took a large gulp. "Ah Hai, take more people to patrol the four stalls tomorrow, especially when it’s busy."

Gao Zhenhai nodded. "Brother Wen, the guy who caused trouble today, was he..."

"Yes, I’ve asked Brother Sheng for help," Chen Bingwen said, not hiding the truth.

Gao Zhenhai looked fierce. "Brother Wen, should we..."

Back when they used to fight together, Gao Zhenhai was the muscle. As long as Chen Bingwen gave the order, he would be the first to charge in.

Chen Bingwen cut him off. "Continue business as usual tomorrow. Assign the extra staff to the stalls. Remember, no matter what happens, notify me immediately."