Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 964: “Work” and the Airport

In front of a teppanyaki restaurant near the station, a fierce-looking young man suddenly pushed the door open.

His menacing gaze and hands shoved deep into his pockets, combined with a slightly hunched posture as he walked, made anyone who made eye contact instinctively avert their eyes.

The diners kept their heads down, focusing on their meals as the restaurant abruptly grew quiet.

The young man walked straight to an empty table in the corner. To everyone’s surprise, instead of sitting down immediately, he first pulled out a chair for a child to sit.

Behind the young man was a child dressed in a white robe. The young man’s intimidating demeanor had overshadowed the presence of this child, making people overlook him at first glance.

The child’s attire was striking—a white robe resembling those worn by monks in mythological stories, and his eyes were wrapped in a silk band.

"Five servings of okonomiyaki!" the young man bellowed at the shop owner as he sat down.

"R-right away!" The owner quickly bowed and started cooking.

The young man clicked his tongue and glanced at the child before pouring a cup of warm water and placing it into the child’s hands.

"Wait a bit. Food will be ready soon," the young man said gruffly, though his voice softened slightly.The child nodded without speaking.

He couldn’t remember how he ended up with this man, nor did he recall much about his parents, though he had a vague sense that he once had parents. The memories were blurry.

According to the young man, he had picked him up on the roadside because he seemed obedient. The man also warned him: if he disobeyed, he would be abandoned.

I’d better behave, the child thought to himself.

He remembered that he could see the young man’s face even though his eyes were covered. The colors were strange, but he could see.

“Don’t open your eyes unless I tell you. It’ll cause trouble. I’ll figure something out, so don’t worry, kid.”

The man had warned him, and the child kept the instruction firmly in mind.

---

Nearby, the diners were gossiping.

"Did you hear? A prominent family’s house burned down in a massive fire overnight."

"They sent out so many firefighters..."

The young man ignored the chatter, focusing on devouring the freshly served okonomiyaki.

Suddenly, the child tugged at his sleeve.

"What is it, kid?" the young man asked with a frown.

"Do we have money to pay the bill?"

The young man froze momentarily before smacking the child on the head. "Idiot! Haven’t you heard of dining and dashing?"

"Oh."

"You stay and wash dishes. I’ll sneak out the back. You’re a kid, so they won’t give you a hard time. Be grateful, kid!"

"Oh."

"Now, eat!"

"Okay…"

---

Later, the shop owner scolded the child as he prepared to leave. "Go back to your irresponsible parents!"

The owner’s tone was harsh, but he refrained from calling the police, partly due to his wife’s persuasion. She feared the fierce young man might retaliate.

"Don’t do this again," the owner’s wife gently reminded the child. "If you’re ever in danger, just scream for help, okay?"

The child politely bowed and walked away.

As he emerged from the alley, he spotted the young man kicking a vending machine. Soon, the man returned with two drinks, handing one to the child.

"Here, drink this. It’s warm milk."

"Thank you."

"Don’t thank me yet." The young man squatted and said gruffly, "I won’t stick around for long. Once you learn how to survive, I’m leaving. Got it?"

The child nodded but gripped the milk can too hard, causing it to burst and spill all over his face.

"Kid! What a hassle!" The young man grumbled as he wiped the child’s face with his sleeve. "Here, take my coffee milk."

"Sorry..."

The young man sighed, grabbed the child’s hand, and began walking.

"Where are we going?"

"To teach you how to survive."

---

Later, the office door of an underground bar near the station was violently kicked open. Several men were thrown inside, groaning in pain.

The bar manager, caught in a compromising position with a female employee, hastily stood up, fumbling with his belt. "W-who are you?"

"A big guy’s here to wreck the place!" one of the beaten men groaned.

The manager sneered. "Wreck my place? Who’s got the guts?"

"Me," said the fierce young man, entering the room and ripping the door off its hinges. He hurled the door against the wall, shattering it.

The manager’s bravado vanished as his legs trembled.

"Are you the boss here?" the young man demanded, grabbing the manager by his collar.

"Y-yes, I am! What do you want?"

"Do you owe anyone money?"

Understanding dawned on the manager. "Ah! I see! Get the money from the safe!" he shouted at the female employee.

"Who said I wanted your money, idiot?" the young man growled, lifting the manager. "I’m asking if you need a debt collector."

"D-debt collector?"

"Yeah. Hire me. I’ll recover every cent of your bad debts. Deal?"

The manager, still dangling, hesitated. "Y-yes, deal!"

"Good. That includes the kid too," the young man said, gesturing to the child at his side.

The manager stared at the child. "Him?"

"Both of us!"

"Y-yes, both!"

"Perfect." The young man set the manager down and smirked at the child. "Alright, kid, time to start working!"

"Okay," the child replied softly.

---

At Hongqiao International Airport in Shanghai, planes continued their endless arrivals and departures. In the chilly night air, Song Ying pulled her coat tighter, shivering at the temperature difference.

"So cold..." she muttered, unable to fully adjust to the sharp contrast despite dressing for it.

"That's natural; it's still midwinter here," Song Haoran said, gazing out at the airport through the glass. He smiled, "It'll be even colder when we get near Mount Tai."

"Aren't you cold?" Song Ying glanced at Luo Qiu, noticing how lightly he was dressed. She frowned.

"Not really," Luo Qiu replied casually. "When I went to South America, it was already winter here."

"Aren't you from the south? How are you so resistant to the cold?" Song Ying asked curiously.

"Probably because I trained for it," Luo Qiu answered with a nonchalant smile.

Song Ying felt an urge to roll her eyes. Luo Qiu looked like a frail scholar—there was no way he appeared physically tough.

"Alright, we’ve been on a plane for hours. Let’s rest at the hotel first; we have more traveling to do tomorrow," Song Tianyou interjected.

Their journey had been anything but straightforward. Instead of a direct flight from South America, they had stopped in Europe, then transferred from a small European country to Hong Kong before arriving at the bustling city of Shanghai. It had been a whirlwind trip.

As for Mr. Blind, he had parted ways with the Song family at the Hong Kong airport, though they had agreed on a time and place to meet later.

…

The hotel was conveniently located within the airport. Uncle Wu quickly handled the check-in process for everyone.

As the Song family group gathered in the hotel lobby, they encountered several men. It was clear that Song Tianyou recognized the man leading them—a man nearing forty with a somber expression and an unsettling, forced smile.

"Master Song, it's a pleasure to assist you again," the man said.

"Thank you," Song Tianyou replied with a nod, keeping his words brief.

Behind him, Uncle Wu whispered to Song Ying and Luo Qiu, "This gentleman is Ah Qi, a trusted aide of one of Master Song’s lifelong friends here in the country. Every time Master Song returns, it’s arranged through this connection. It avoids a lot of unnecessary trouble."

"A family friend?" Song Ying raised an eyebrow. "That would be the Zhang family, right?"

Uncle Wu nodded. "Ah Qi seems to come from the maternal side of Madam Zhang’s family. However, Madam Zhang’s maternal lineage is nearly extinct—she’s the only one left."

"Quite impressive, holding sway over two prominent families." Song Ying muttered, "She must be a formidable old matriarch... Luo Qiu? Luo—"

She noticed that Luo Qiu had wandered toward the hotel’s entrance.

Glancing at her grandfather, who was engrossed in conversation with Ah Qi, she sighed and went after Luo Qiu.

This guy had a bad habit of disappearing into thin air.

"Can’t you stay put for once… huh?"

Song Ying stopped mid-sentence when she saw Luo Qiu holding the hand of a young boy. The child, who appeared to be six or seven years old, had golden hair and the complexion of a mixed-race individual. Seeing Song Ying approach, the boy cowered behind Luo Qiu in fear.

This scene felt oddly familiar. Song Ying froze before muttering, "Don't tell me... is this another lost child?"

"Apparently, he was transferring flights and got separated from his family," Luo Qiu said.

It reminded her of a similar incident at the Song Dynasty Hotel not long ago.

Song Ying shook her head, looking skeptically at Luo Qiu. "Do you have some sort of natural magnetism for lost children? Why do you always end up finding them wherever you go?"

"I’ll take him to the airport security desk," Luo Qiu said. "You all look tired. Go rest; I’ll be back soon."

"Let Uncle Wu handle this," Song Ying objected. "It’s better not to wander around too much; this airport is crowded."

"Others might not handle it well," Luo Qiu replied, then ignored her protests and walked off with the boy.

"Hey! Come back! Grandpa’s already inside... Ugh!" Song Ying stomped her foot and reluctantly followed.

Nearby, Song Tianyou noticed the situation. He quietly instructed Uncle Wu, "Send someone to keep an eye on them."

"Understood, sir," Uncle Wu replied promptly.

Song Tianyou turned back to Ah Qi. "Let’s discuss the details in the room."

"That works," Ah Qi agreed.

He knew the primary purpose of the Song family’s visit was to pay respects to their ancestors. Negotiations with Madam Zhang were secondary.

Still, as someone accustomed to dealing with tombs and ancient sites, Ah Qi felt an unexplainable chill. Was the lighting in the lobby a bit too dim?

(End of Chapter)