Chapter 2400: The Appointment

However, this sum plus the odds and ends at home only amounted to a little over three hundred yuan. According to the market situation Zhang Yu had inquired about, for a member of his level, he had to buy at least one thousand yuan worth of bonds to be justifiable.

Father Zhang showed a difficult expression. "But where can our family find another seven hundred yuan now? Your mother has some jewelry, but even pawned, it would only fetch a dozen yuan. As for the few relatives at home—you know, they all rely on us now..."

Zhang Yu gritted his teeth. "Even without money, this opportunity cannot be missed. I think we should ask those old customers to see if they can pay back early. Even if we give them a discount, we need to get the money in hand ahead of time. If that's still not enough, I'll go borrow. Li Ziyu and Zeng Juan can help me scrape together some too."

Father Zhang pondered for a long time and said, "Giving a discount for early repayment is absolutely unacceptable. As for asking Ziyu and A'Juan—don't bother. Don't you know their family backgrounds clearly? The Li family originally had money, but his uncle's family met with disaster and the family was ruined. Now he relies on a few dollars of soldier's pay to support the whole family; where would he have savings? Is A'Juan's family any better off than ours used to be?"

"His family has a teahouse..."

"How much money can a teahouse save in a month?" Father Zhang said. "Besides, with the plague raging for half the year, it's good enough that the teahouse can maintain itself. You're going to ask him to borrow money—should he sell the teahouse to raise money for you? Even if he were willing, the teahouse isn't surnamed Zeng!"

Zhang Yu was stunned. Indeed, these two brothers of his simply couldn't produce that much money.

"Then... where else can I go?" Zhang Yu pondered, and suddenly thought of Gao Ju.

"Master Gao has always been friendly with me; why not ask him!"

"Master Gao naturally has money, but once you ask him to lend you money, won't your financial situation be completely exposed?" Father Zhang said gloomily. "You must be careful."

"Most of the stewards in our factory were recommended by him. Doesn't he already know our situation?"

"Ting'er is your cousin. Only she and you truly understand the money flowing in and out of the factory and shop. How would Master Gao know?"

"So you mean..."

"I'm afraid that while you're single-mindedly thinking of buying bonds and following the Senate closely, Master Gao might have his own schemes."

"Father, you must be joking. Would a merchant as big as him covet this little property of ours?" Zhang Yu said this with his mouth, but sweat began to appear on his forehead.

"Of course he doesn't covet your little property, but your relationship with the Senate is extraordinary—everyone in Guangzhou city can see it. Would Master Gao not see it? If you were gone, wouldn't it be better for him?"

Zhang Yu was still a youth and hadn't experienced much of the world's darkness. At this moment, his father's light touch made him break into a cold sweat all over.

"...A'Yu, since ancient times, the heart to harm others must not exist, and Master Gao has helped us a great deal—we keep this in our hearts. But the heart to guard against others cannot be absent either. What if he has other thoughts?"

Zhang Yu said, "Father is right!" What Father said indeed made sense, sense over and over again, but the problem of money was still not resolved. He couldn't help frowning deeply. Father and son looked at each other in silence for a long time.

Father Zhang suddenly spoke. "There's still one place to borrow from."

"Where?" Zhang Yu immediately perked up.

"Senator Hong."

Zhang Yu was startled and hesitated. "I thought of this too. In terms of financial power, Chief Hong naturally has no worries. But in the beginning, he told me not to seek him out unless there was a particularly urgent matter, and not to visit casually."

"Isn't this bond issuance a particularly urgent matter?" Father Zhang said. "Since this debt is as pressing as you say, going to see him for advice is most appropriate. Whether he helps or not, or how he helps, you must let him know about this!"

"But looking at Senator Hong's usual meaning, he seems unwilling for us to get too close." Zhang Yu was somewhat hesitant.

"Zhang's is Hong's! Otherwise—he's neither kin nor old friend to us—why would he support you so much?! He says these things to you only because he doesn't want us acting under his banner in everything." Father Zhang said.

"Father's lesson is right!" Zhang Yu was suddenly enlightened. "I'll go see Chief Hong right now!"

Father Zhang stopped him. "It's already first watch; why disturb the Chief at this hour? Rest a night at home. It won't be too late to visit tomorrow." He added, "Also prepare some local products."

---

Early the next morning, Zhang Yu got up. After washing, he saw that his parents had risen even earlier than him. The table held not only breakfast but also four varieties of simple gifts.

Zhang Yu first sent a clerk to Hong Huangnan's residence to deliver a card requesting a meeting. This clerk had only recently sought refuge with them—speaking of relationships, he was the grandson of Zhang Yu's mother's cousin. He was only twelve years old, surnamed He. His nickname was Yumai (Corn). Though he came from the countryside, he was quite clever. After he sought refuge, the old Zhang couple had let him stay in the family residence to do odd jobs and run errands.

"Take this card and go to the reception desk at the Second Gate of the Great World to deliver it," Zhang Yu instructed him. "The officers inside will take your card; wait right there for a reply."

Yumai took the card, tucked it in his bosom, and asked, "Cousin Uncle! What if the officer refuses to take my card? You know, these gatekeepers are the meanest. It's my first time going; he'll see an unfamiliar face, and without a bribe, no guarantee he won't just send me away with a 'not in.'"

"You don't need to worry. Australians don't have that custom. Besides, this is my card; the officer will definitely take it. Just wait there, and once you have a definite message, come back immediately to report to me—not here, find me at the Zhang's Pastry Shop branch at the Great World."

"What if Senator Hong isn't in Guangzhou?"

"Then ask the handling officer to make a reservation registration."

Yumai received his instructions and headed straight out of the city toward the Great World. It wasn't his first time coming—when they'd first arrived in Guangzhou, the old Zhang couple had found a day to take these poor relatives seeking refuge to the Great World to "taste Australian meat." Yumai had not only seen many fresh things he'd never seen in the countryside but had also received the first pair of shoes in his life, which made him extremely happy.

So this time, he didn't feel the shock of the first visit. Moreover, though he was young, he understood that he was now "shouldering a heavy responsibility."

The Great World was huge. He circled inside a few times and asked people before finding the "Second Gate"—the entrance leading to the Inner World.

The Great World's "Surface World" and "Inner World" were strictly separated; only Senators and permitted naturalized citizens could enter and exit. To facilitate internal and external communication, a reception desk had been specially set up at the entrance.

Anyone wishing to request a meeting with a Senator had to register at the reception desk to make an appointment. Only then could they visit the Senator at the appointed time.

After the plague ended, the number of Senators coming to Guangzhou had suddenly increased. Those who didn't yet have their own "yamens" in Guangzhou treated the General Office Guesthouse in the Great World as their "temporary headquarters." The number of "guests" coming in and out of the Great World every day had suddenly increased several times. A long line had also formed in front of the reception desk counter.

Yumai queued for more than half an hour before getting to the counter. Seeing an "Australian Big Girl" sitting inside—who in this child's eyes was "shining" dazzlingly—he didn't dare look too closely and quickly handed up the card.

The female clerk had been busy until now and was somewhat irritable. Seeing a befuddled child appear, she became even more impatient. Taking the card and looking at it, she scolded, "Are you mute? If you don't speak, who knows which Chief you want to see?"

Yumai quickly said, "Sister, my master wants to see Senator Hong... Senator Hong Huangnan..."

The female clerk glanced at the Senator Entry/Exit Table inside the counter—a device for recording Senators' comings and goings based on alphabetical order of surnames by Pinyin, inlaid with nameplates of Senators currently staying in the guesthouse. Each Senator's entry had colored tags and simple records indicating whether they were currently in the guesthouse, had guests, and so on.

Hong Huangnan's current tag showed: Not in the guesthouse today. Status: "Out for Inspection." Expected duration: three days; today was only the second day.

"Senator Hong is out for inspection." The female clerk threw the card back without looking. "Come back the day after tomorrow. Next!"

Yumai refused to leave, because "Cousin Uncle" had said he must get a reply. It was his first time doing important business for his Cousin Uncle; if he brought back a "not home," what impression would that give? He clung tightly to the counter and smiled, "Sister, please help out. Even if he comes back the day after tomorrow, help my master register first—take a number?"

"Does your master have the qualification to reserve a number?" The female clerk raised her eyebrows and sneered. Ignoring him, she shouted loudly, "Next!"

Yumai watched helplessly as this errand was not going well, and quickly added, "My master is Zhang Yu! Zhang's Food..."

The clerk became increasingly impatient and shouted loudly, "I don't care if you're Zhang Yu or Li Yu; this is the rule! If you don't leave, I'll call someone to throw you out!"

This shout alarmed the shift leader. Similar quarrels at the reception window had happened more than once recently. Nothing special—too many people wanted to see Senators. If they didn't put on a stern face, countless people would make noise like this. But somehow, a few days ago, there had been a surprise inspection of window units. It was said a Senator's secretary had been "severely punished," the charge being very serious, and had been escorted back to Lingao for disposition. This shift leader, having worked under the Senate an extra year, possessed far greater "sensitivity" than these newcomers who'd only been working a few months.

She immediately walked over, stopped the clerk, and asked the reason pleasantly. Hearing that he wanted to register for an appointment—she looked at the boy before her. Though dressed neatly and appearing clever, one look showed he wasn't a servant or apprentice from a local wealthy household or merchant family.

(End of Chapter)