Xingzhou City (14)
The 80th birthday celebration of Chinese shipping magnate Liang Nianbang was a major event that made waves both at home and abroad. On this day, everyone in political, business, and entertainment circles, every media outlet and reporter, and every onlooker on social media had their cameras and attention focused on the Grand Hotel of Xingzhou City in Marina Bay, Singapore.
What heavyweight guests would come to offer their birthday congratulations? Would the actresses dating the Liang family’s three sons, as well as the supermodels rumored to be involved with the ship magnate’s grandsons-in-law, be invited? Which brands of gowns and jewelry would the wealthy ladies and young women in attendance wear? Would they be haute couture, or privately commissioned pieces? And how would the ship magnate’s children and grandchildren scheme against one another, trade barbs by making veiled references, and carry on the drama of the wealthy family’s battle over its fortune? What episode would today’s update bring us to...
These were the matters everyone was watching and fretting over.
The birthday banquet was personally arranged by Huo Sixuan. It combined a traditional Chinese banquet with a Western-style cocktail reception. The banquet hall was decorated with lights and colorful ornaments, with the Chinese character “寿” for longevity displayed everywhere, while pine and cypress trees and crane motifs adorned the surroundings. Kalanchoe and nandina plants and flowers competed for attention, making the whole place lively and festive.
To match the style of the birthday banquet, and also to cater to Old Master Liang’s tastes, all the guests, whether Chinese or otherwise, were dressed primarily in traditional Chinese styles. The men wore either traditional Chinese tunics, Zhongshan suits, or vintage-style suits, while the women were almost all in qipaos, long dresses, or conservative formal gowns. Looking around, one saw elegant clothes and gleaming ornaments, with guests raising their glasses and exchanging pleasantries, as though they had returned to the bustling foreign concessions of more than half a century ago.
“Tomboy, your temper really is stubborn, huh?”
Huo Sixuan folded her arms and looked unhappily at Tan Guhong standing before her.
The woman had refused to wear the pile of haute couture gowns and handmade qipaos Huo Sixuan had prepared for her, and had once again gone her own way, choosing a sharp trouser outfit instead. Her ornate and exquisite palace-style blouse, riding breeches, and tall boots accentuated her height, making her look every bit like a dashing young gentleman from an old Westernized family.
Yet standing in this setting, she did not look out of place.
Tan Guhong smiled. “Monica, you saw me trying on the clothes that day. Those qipaos are beautiful, but they just don’t suit me. Rather than going to all that trouble to accommodate other people, I’d still rather be myself.”
Huo Sixuan gave a humph, but had nothing to say.
After a pause, she could not help asking, “Why did you leave in such a hurry? Did you have a falling-out with that rascal?”
Following her gaze, Tan Guhong looked toward Luo Jingming, who was standing beside Liang Jiaguo not far away, receiving guests on behalf of Old Master Liang.
The man was impeccably dressed in a three-piece suit and waistcoat. His gold-rimmed glasses made him look refined and handsome, and he wore that same unfailingly gentle and cultivated smile on his face as he handled guests and chatted easily beneath the spotlights. Anyone could be easily deceived by that face and sigh that Old Master Liang’s grandson was indeed outstanding, exceptional among his peers.
The smile on Tan Guhong’s face did not change. “No. Didn’t I tell you? There’s nothing between him and me.”
“But didn’t you also say...” Huo Sixuan had intended to get to the bottom of things, but after thinking it over, she gave up and waved her hand. “Forget it, forget it. I told you, I’m not going to play the villain.”
She put an arm around Tan Guhong’s shoulder. “Anyway, take Monica’s advice. There are plenty of good men out there. Just don’t foolishly hang yourself from a single tree!”
Tan Guhong laughed despite herself. “I know.”
Huo Sixuan waved her hand and left in a very carefree manner.
The banquet hall was filled with glittering lights, wine, and a constant flow of people. Fortunately, Tan Guhong was neither a member of the Liang family nor the Huo family, so she did not have to follow them around receiving guests and making social calls. She was naturally more than happy to enjoy some peace and quiet, hiding away with Huo Qiaonan on an empty terrace as the two of them secretly worked their way through a large platter of desserts Huo Qiaonan had brought over.
Huo Qiaonan ate as he gave his verdict.
“This macaron is way too sweet. Mm... this croissant is good. The osmanthus cake is delicious too. Hey, hey, don’t eat that blueberry pie all by yourself. Leave me one!”
The two of them were fighting over the last blueberry pie when Liang Jiaxing came over with a wineglass in hand.
“Qiaonan, would you mind if I spoke with Miss Tan alone?”
The smile on his face was flawless, as though the unpleasantness at Changi Beach that day had never happened.
Unfortunately, Huo Qiaonan still rejected him without the slightest mercy, refusing him righteously.
“I mind! I was the one who went to get the desserts just now, so now it’s Xiao Hong’s turn. Fourth Uncle, you can’t be so biased!”
While he was distracted, Tan Guhong snatched the blueberry pie and took a huge bite. She glanced at the smile that had once again frozen on Liang Jiaxing’s face, then calmly said to Huo Qiaonan, “Go on. I’ll let you have it this time, okay?”
“Hmph!”
Huo Qiaonan rose angrily and left, leaving only Tan Guhong and Liang Jiaxing on the terrace.
Tan Guhong had just been about to speak when Liang Jiaxing interrupted her. His tone was sincere.
“Miss Tan, I’m very sorry about what happened that day. The conflict between A-Ming and me is a Liang family matter. I shouldn’t have dragged you into it in the first place. I simply couldn’t stand by and watch you be deceived by someone who wasn’t worthy of your trust, so I rashly sought you out and told you those things. I had no intention of sowing discord between you. I hope Miss Tan can forgive me.”
Tan Guhong paused slightly and did not answer immediately.
She had always been someone who responded to softness rather than force. Now that he had lowered himself and apologized, having said this much, there was at least nothing she could openly fault him for.
There was no doubt that he had deliberately tried to sow discord, but the fact that she and Luo Jingming had reached this point had nothing to do with him. Their relationship had always contained a fatal hidden flaw, and matters concerning Luo Zhanpeng and the rest were merely the fuse.
Besides, as he had said, whatever his conflict with Luo Jingming, whether it was a matter of life and death or a fight that left both sides battered and bloodied, it was still an internal Liang family matter. That was something Old Master Liang should concern himself with. It was not her place, as an outsider, to have a say.
More importantly, she was already leaving anyway.
So she took the opportunity to step down from the awkward situation and smiled faintly. “Uncle Jiaxing, you’re joking. I was too impulsive that day too. I hope you won’t take it to heart.”
“Of course not.”
The two clinked their glasses, seemingly putting all past grievances behind them.
Liang Jiaxing said politely, “I heard Miss Tan is leaving tomorrow. Why not stay in Singapore for another couple of days? Dad was even hoping to invite you to Ya She to keep him company for a while.”
“I haven’t been home in more than a year, and my family has been missing me terribly. If I get the chance next time, I’ll definitely come visit Grandpa Liang again.”
After all, this was a birthday banquet, and the birthday honoree was the undisputed star of the occasion. When Old Master Liang, who had spent the past few years recuperating on an island and rarely appeared in public, finally made his appearance, the attention of the entire hall was instantly drawn to him.
Old Master Liang was dressed in a red Zhongshan suit. Though he was already eighty years old, he still walked with brisk, steady steps, his face glowing with health. With his wife, Huang Yuexian, giving him a symbolic arm for support, he exchanged greetings with the guests in attendance.
Once the main banquet began, there were songs and dances for entertainment, followed by the children offering birthday congratulations. Everything proceeded in orderly fashion, but what everyone was most concerned about was still the major announcement Old Master Liang was expected to make at the birthday banquet.
The question of the Liang family’s successor had remained unresolved for a long time. Old Master Liang had never formally made a decision, and many people speculated that perhaps things would ultimately remain as they were. But Old Master Liang had announced in advance that he would be making a major decision at this birthday banquet, causing everyone’s minds to race once more as all sorts of possibilities ran through their heads.
With more than half of the banquet already over, and everyone waiting with bated breath, Old Master Liang finally appeared. Accompanied by his grandson Luo Jingming and his third daughter, Liang Peiwei, who was primarily responsible for managing the family’s charitable foundation, he took the stage to speak:
“Over the years, I would like to thank the public for their concern for the Liang family. Over the past half month, I have received calls from many old friends and business partners asking whether I had really made a decision. I imagine there are many people here today eagerly awaiting an answer. But I regret to tell everyone that, on this matter, you may be disappointed.”
“To say that I have absolutely no personal motives would perhaps be unrealistic. But at least when my father first went into business, it was with the aim of saving the country through industry, for the livelihood of the people and the welfare of society. By my generation, times have changed, and the world is at peace. Yet I have always abided by the teachings handed down by my ancestors and have never forgotten my father’s words. The achievements of the Liang Group and Yaozhong Shipping today are not the work of me alone. The Liang Group is a business belonging to the Liang family, but it is even more a business born for the country and thriving for the country. What path it takes in the future is not a decision that rests with me alone. Naturally, I would be happy to see the family prosper and my descendants flourish. But what I would be even happier to see is a prosperous nation, strong and flourishing, with favorable weather, peace, and security for its people!”
“Next, I will announce two major decisions. First, as everyone knows, several years ago the Liang Foundation established a dedicated project to donate one hundred Yaozhong primary schools to impoverished mountainous areas in China, with the aim of promoting poverty alleviation through education in the country and fulfilling my late father’s wishes that ‘those who have a home should have a home, and the young should have schooling.’ Last month, the one hundredth Yaozhong Hope Primary School was completed in its entirety, bringing this project to a successful conclusion. Next, a second project involving one hundred Yaozhong primary schools, along with one hundred Yaozhong libraries and sports centers, will be launched in stages. This project will continue to be overseen entirely by my daughter Peiwei. I hope that in the future, across the vast land of China, it will not only be possible for ‘the young to have schooling,’ but for ‘the young to have excellent schooling,’ cultivating more outstanding talent for the construction and development of our motherland.”
“Second, throughout my life, I have dabbled in many pursuits, such as Kunqu opera, handtalking, calligraphy, and painting. But I would not dare claim expertise in any of them. Only in collecting can I barely say that I have gained some understanding of the field. When I first began collecting, although I did so out of genuine appreciation, it was never with the intention of making these things my own. Rather, I wanted to spare the treasures of our nation, our historical artifacts, the hardship of being scattered overseas. That was why I overstepped my proper role and temporarily took them into safekeeping. The reason these precious artifacts are precious is not because they are worth their weight in gold or silver, but because of the history they carry and the culture they contain. They belong to the nation, and they are the wealth of all its people. Since next year marks the grand anniversary of the founding of the nation, I have made my decision. Effective immediately, I will donate all the Chinese antiques and historical artifacts I have collected throughout my life, in batches, to the National Museum of Chinese History, so that these artifacts can return to their homeland and once again rest in the embrace of the motherland!”
As his words fell, the entire hall erupted in applause.
There were countless emotions, endless sighs, some families rejoicing while others were filled with sorrow.
...
After the main birthday banquet ended, some of the outside guests departed, while Old Master Liang gathered with a number of relatives, friends, and old acquaintances for another small get-together. The younger generation, meanwhile, continued on to the bars in Xingzhou City to party and celebrate.
Tan Guhong did not go. She walked back alone, against the flow of the noisy crowd.
After returning to her room by herself, she did not turn on the lights immediately. Instead, she walked to the window and looked outside.
Tonight, the Marina Bay area of Lion City was ablaze with lights, as bright as daylight. Whether it was the light show in the gardens or the LED displays on the buildings across the way, there was only one theme: celebrating the birthday.
Tomorrow, she would be leaving this place. Her three-month-long dreamlike journey had finally come to an end. Despite all the twists and turns, despite the plan deviating from its course several times, in the end it had returned to where it began. At least, it had come full circle.
She leaned against the window and stared blankly for a moment before letting out an almost imperceptible sigh.
Suddenly, she heard the crisp sound of a lighter being flicked open and lit.
Realizing there was someone in the room, she abruptly turned around and saw that familiar figure sitting in the single armchair in the living room. The lights and nightscape outside the window illuminated his face starkly white, while a faint gleam reflected off his lenses.
He was still wearing the same outfit from the day, a suit and waistcoat. His bearing was as impeccable as ever. He was a business elite, a refined young gentleman, an English gentleman, an old-school young master, and also the last authority figure of Chinatown, Mr. Lone.
His legs were crossed, one hand resting on the arm of the chair. He slowly drew on his cigarette, exhaling wisps of gray smoke, the tiny red glow at his fingertips flickering on and off. Without a trace of expression, without saying a word, he simply gazed at her, and it was impossible to tell how long he had been watching.
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