"Brother Yaoxian, I came to see you today because there's something I want to ask."
Although Wu Jianjun and Chen Yaoxian knew each other through mutual friends, they were both former soldiers from the mainland who had come to Hong Kong to find work. Their relationship was decent, though not as close as with Lei Dashí and the others who had served in the same unit.
"Brother Wu, go ahead," Chen Yaoxian said.
Many of the people who later became bodyguards or staff in the Xinghe Game Factory had gotten in through the help of people like Wu Jianjun. Because of that, Chen Yaoxian held gratitude toward him.
Wu Jianjun began, "You personal bodyguards are often by President Lin's side, so I want to ask—"
"Brother Wu!" Chen Yaoxian immediately raised his hand and interrupted him before he could finish. "If you want to ask about something related to President Lin, then don't say another word. President Lin treats us well and trusts us. We will never betray him. For the sake of our friendship, I'll pretend I didn't see you tonight."
Everyone carries a scale in their heart. Chen Yaoxian and the other bodyguards knew exactly what kind of life they had before and what kind of life they enjoyed now. They had already agreed among themselves—they must repay President Lin. If necessary, they were even willing to sacrifice their lives, as long as their families could continue living well.
To Lin Baicheng, what he gave them might not seem much, but to people like Chen Yaoxian—who once struggled even to find stable jobs—Lin Baicheng had given them a second life. For their families' future, sacrificing their own lives to protect him didn't seem like a big deal.
Although he didn't know what Wu Jianjun wanted to ask, since it concerned President Lin, Chen Yaoxian refused to hear any more to avoid making things difficult for himself.
"Brother Yaoxian, don't get anxious. What I want to ask is indeed about President Lin, but I'm not asking you to betray him, nor do I have any intention to harm him."
Wu Jianjun was not surprised by his reaction. He quickly explained and continued, "Here's what happened. Today, Director Liu told me…"
He relayed everything Liu Yihui had said to him, then added, "So I wanted to ask if someone from the mainland recently offended President Lin, or if something happened that made him look unfavorably upon us. Only if we know the reason can we respond properly. You also don't want President Lin to have a bad impression of us, right?"
"There's really such a matter?!"
Chen Yaoxian's expression changed in shock. After pondering for a moment, he said, "I'm certain no one from the mainland offended President Lin. If something like that had happened, we would've known immediately. And lately, nothing unusual has happened."
"If this matter only came up today, then the only possibility is that it has something to do with the charity gala hosted by the Hong Kong government that President Lin attended last night. But we bodyguards didn't go inside, so only President Lin knows what really happened."
"What are we going to do then?"
Wu Jianjun frowned deeply. "If we can't find out what happened or resolve any misunderstanding in President Lin's heart, this will be very bad for us. There aren't many people in Hong Kong who treat us mainlanders kindly—let alone a big boss like President Lin."
"If we don't know what happened, then we should just ask President Lin directly," Chen Yaoxian said calmly. "Since he hasn't fired any of the mainland workers, that means it's not a serious matter. President Lin is still friendly toward us. Instead of guessing blindly, we should just ask him. If we've made a mistake, we'll correct it. Hopefully, it's nothing too serious."
"Alright. Let's do that."
Wu Jianjun thought it through and agreed.
The next day, President Lin did not go to the factory. Instead, Wu Jianjun went to the office building in the city center to look for him.
"I didn't expect Old Liu to tell you about this," Lin Baicheng said after hearing why he came. He was a bit surprised but not angry. Even if Liu hadn't told him, he was planning to inform his bodyguards himself. This pressure came from the Hong Kong government, not him—he didn't want to take the blame for them.
He valued his bodyguards deeply—or rather, he valued his own safety. He didn't want them to hold grudges and hesitate when protecting him if danger ever came.
"It's not like what you think. No one offended me," he explained. "Yesterday at the charity gala organized by the Hong Kong government, Governor MacLehose hinted that the proportion of mainland workers in my factory is too high and told me to be more mindful."
"You know I'm a businessman. When the government expresses dissatisfaction, I can't go against them. I must compromise. So in the future, the proportion of mainland workers cannot exceed half of the total staff. Otherwise, I'll face suppression, and I won't be able to do business."
"President Lin, I understand. Thank you for still being willing to employ us under such pressure."
Wu Jianjun's face was full of gratitude. Since this pressure came from the Governor himself, President Lin had no choice but to compromise. For him to still keep them employed was more than fair. If it were another boss, he might have just fired them outright.
"Don't worry. I promise you— as long as you work diligently and don't slack off or cause trouble, no matter how much pressure the government gives me, I will not dismiss you."
President Lin stated firmly, aiming to ease his worries.
"Thank you! Thank you, President Lin!"
Wu Jianjun bowed repeatedly, overwhelmed with gratitude.
Patting his shoulder with a smile, Lin Baicheng said, "I understand the government's standpoint, but in my eyes, we're all one family. Why draw such lines? But you also need to understand me. Since I want to do business in Hong Kong, I can't completely ignore the government. So I must compromise where I can—but only within limits."
"We understand! We all understand!" Wu Jianjun said sincerely. "For you to still use us despite this— that's already more than enough."
He wasn't ungrateful. He knew that President Lin was making sacrifices too. If anyone was to blame, it was the government for pressuring him.
"As long as you understand."
President Lin patted his shoulder again. Through Wu Jianjun, he believed the other bodyguards would understand his intentions and hold no grudges. They would still protect him with full effort if danger came. And he wasn't lying—he would compromise, but he had his bottom line. He would never sever ties with the mainland.
Still, Wu Jianjun's reaction made Lin Baicheng reflect. At this point, a single decision of his could affect the jobs and families of many people. He was no longer just an ordinary employee. He was walking on the road to success and now held real influence. From now on, he would need to think deeply before making any decision.