A New Dawn for the Whitlocks Chapter 34

A guest came into the Siweilou restaurant. He was well-mannered, tall and thin, and wore a pair of glasses. He did not sit down in a hurry to order food, but looked around. Aiden Whitlock went up to him and asked, "Sir, what would you like to order?" The guest said, "A pot of Longjing tea." Aiden Whitlock said, "Just a pot of tea, anything else?" The guest shook his head and asked, "How many tables does your Siweilou have in total?" Aiden Whitlock said, "There are forty or fifty seats in the hall downstairs, and there are six private rooms upstairs." The guest asked again, "How much can you make in a day?" Aiden Whitlock said, "About three to five hundred yuan!" The guest then asked, "What other businesses does your Siweilou have?" Aiden Whitlock thought the question was a bit strange, and evaded the question by saying, "I only manage this restaurant, and I can't say much about my family affairs." The guest said, "Then can I meet Mr. Connor Whitlock?" Aiden Whitlock said, "Do you know my father?" The guest smiled and said, "The old shopkeeper of Siweilou is a well-known figure in Harbin, everyone knows him!"

Aiden Whitlock hurriedly led Connor Whitlock over. The guest stood up, nodded and said, "Hello, Mr. Zhu." Connor Whitlock clasped his fists and said, "Sir, what can I do for you?" The guest smiled and said, "I dare not give you any advice. Aren't you going to open a coal mine? The application was sent to the provincial mining department, and the director sent me to see if you have the ability to open a coal mine." When Nawen heard this, she quickly slipped out and saw the waiter coming over with a teapot. She took the teapot and instructed, "Hurry up and go to Pan Shaojing's house and find our third son and Shaojing." After that, she turned around and went back into the private room.

Na Wen poured tea for the guest and Connor Whitlock, and said, "Our little thatched shop can't offer any good tea, except the Longjing tea picked before Qingming Festival." The guest said, "The Longjing tea picked before Qingming Festival is good! It is the best tea of   the year." Na Wen smiled and said, "Just drink it, as long as you don't mind it!"

Connor Whitlock said, "It was my third son's idea to open a coal mine. I don't advocate this. Is opening a coal mine something that can be done on a whim? You need to invest a lot of money and have capable people who understand mining. The businesses on this street can't do this." The guest said, "Old man, you and I are thinking the same thing. I am also worried that Shanhe Mine is short of funds and lacks technology. If it is opened with just a little enthusiasm, it will not only waste the country's resources, but also cheat those who open the mine." Connor Whitlock said, "Well said! Go back and tell your manager to put the matter of Shanhe Mine aside!" The guest stood up and said, "Thank you, Mr. Zhu, for your understanding. I'm leaving now."

Na Wen hurriedly stopped them with a smile and said, "No, although this is a thatched shop, it still needs to be respectful! It's been a long time since we've had an official come here, but today we've finally got you here, you should give us a favor, right? You can't leave, no matter what you say!" As he was talking, Caleb Whitlock and Shaojing came in. Na Wen hurriedly introduced Caleb Whitlock and Shaojing to the guests and said, "This is our third son Caleb Whitlock. Although he's not very old, he's been doing business for many years and has never made a mistake! This one, whose nickname is Pan Shaojing, has studied in Japan and worked at the big docks in Beijing and Shanghai. He's also a talented person who's one in a hundred. By the way, sir, what's your name?"