408: entertaining guests

By the way, I heard from our leader that you still have five boxes of gold bricks ready to sell to the state, so I'll take them along as well. We'll transfer the money to your account then.

Leader Li took a few sips of tea and added.

Yes, I've already prepared them; they're just sitting over there.

Yang Qi pointed to the five boxes placed in the corner of the living room.

After much deliberation, he finally decided to adopt Zhang Jun's suggestion to sell the gold bricks to the state.

Doing this would at least make it clear on the surface that he no longer had any gold. It also contributed to the country's gold reserves.

Taking advantage of the gap while Leader Li and Yang Dad were chatting over tea, Yang Qi pulled Tang Long aside to ask how he should give a gift to Leader Li, since he would still need to find him to process documents in the future.

Through the process of dealing with the treasure, Yang Qi realized his own shortcomings. Take gift-giving, for example; it seems simple, but there is actually a lot of knowledge involved.

You need to assess the situation. What kind of gift do you give to what level of person, and how should you give it?

These all have specific protocols!

Yang Qi hadn't had such experiences growing up, and he admitted he couldn't hold a candle to people like Zhang Jun and Tang Long. Perhaps this was the difference in social standing.

Didn't you say you've been turning quite a few Red Sandalwood beads these past few days? Give each of the five of them a bracelet, worth about two thousand yuan. They won't feel uncomfortable accepting a gift like that.

In a few days, send some dried seafood to my place, and I'll help you give it to them. That should be about right.

As for Leader Li, add one of those South Sea Pearls you opened up.

Oh right, don't you still have some tu long wine? Five jin for each person; this is good stuff, perfect for a gift.

Tang Long thought for a moment and said.

Yang Qi nodded and said:

I'll give you ten jin for your second uncle; please help me give it to him and thank him properly for me. I'll give you your share separately!

After the two finished discussing, they returned to the living room. Tang Long suggested that he take the leaders to tour Yang Qi's villa.

These people were all from the north. When they first entered, they had noticed the large fish tanks. Now that Tang Long mentioned it, they took the opportunity to go and take a look.

Yang Qi ran to the kitchen and found Bai Xue to ask her to prepare the gifts. After all, like the bracelets, since they were to be given as gifts, they definitely needed packaging boxes.

Meanwhile, Leader Li and the others, accompanied by Tang Long and Yang Dad, toured the large fish tanks and the ornamental fish wall.

Finally, we get to see some live ones!

Seeing the colorful Large Yellow Croaker, East Star Grouper, Mouse Grouper, Red Grouper, Blue-spotted Grouper, Wrasse, and other fish swimming back and forth in the large fish tanks, they were all amazed.

Whichever ones you leaders like, we'll eat those at noon, Yang Limin said to the leaders.

These fish look so good kept here! How come you are using them for food? Leader Li asked curiously, waving his hands repeatedly.

Hehe, looking good is one aspect. My boy keeps them mainly to host friends for meals.

After some interaction, Yang Limin had shed his initial nervousness and become more composed.

Uncle Yang is right. During the sea fishing competition, I ate them several times, Tang Long said from the side.

Leader Li looked at the fish, didn't say much, and just nodded.

Yang Qi, I want a dish of Native Chicken stewed with Large Whelk. You can arrange the rest! Tang Long said, pointing to a fish tank specially used for keeping Sea snail and Abalone as he saw Yang Qi walking towards them.

No problem. Do the leaders have any requests? Yang Qi asked, looking at Leader Li and the others.

The guest follows the host's convenience. Just do as you see fit, but don't be wasteful! Just make some home-style dishes. We have regulations! Leader Li said with a smile. In fact, he originally didn't want to stay for a meal, but thought about how his superior valued this young man.

Thus, he developed the intention to build a connection, and when Yang Qi and the others asked him to stay for a meal, he went with the flow and agreed.

Dad, Brother Tang, please help me keep the leaders company. Go to the Sea-Viewing Pavilion and have some tea first while I prepare the dishes.

Yang Qi said while scooping up large Abalone and Large Whelk.

Little Yang, these Abalone are so big, how much do they weigh? Leader Li couldn't help but ask when he saw the large Abalone.

A little over a jin! Yang Qi said with a smile.

This... this isn't quite right, is it! Leader Li had an 'I knew it' expression. A one-jin Abalone! To just take it and use it to host them, and to scoop up three of them—this seemed a bit excessive!

Leader, these were all caught by me in the South China Sea, so they don't cost much. It's not the same as what's sold in restaurants. Yang Qi said with a smile.

The leader shook his head and didn't speak, then followed Tang Long and the others to the Sea-Viewing Pavilion with his hands behind his back. He couldn't stop him, so it was better to just not watch.

When Bai Xue returned, she carried a bag of gift boxes, and another bag with Crab and Lobster bought from Chen Tianming.

She also brought her mother, Chen Lanying, over to help with cooking. Her Mother-in-law, Chen Lanying, was holding a Native Chicken, which it seemed she had just bought.

Yang Qi scooped up another Large Yellow Croaker, a Mouse Grouper, and a Red Grouper. Seeing the only two Large Yellow Croaker left in the tank, it seemed he would need to keep a few more when he had the chance.

He quickly processed the seafood and left the rest to his mother and the others to cook. He went to the freezer again and took out an eighty-plus-jin Bigeye Tuna to thaw.

He turned around and went to the Sea-Viewing Pavilion to chat and drink tea with the leaders.

Over an hour later, the meal was almost ready. Everyone came to the dining room and felt quite curious watching Yang Qi process the Tuna.

Yang Qi sliced the Tuna meat he had cut, put it into several ice plates, and served it on the dining table. He sliced the rest and packed them into containers.

Leader, this is the tu long wine I brewed myself. Please have a taste.

Yang Qi poured wine for everyone.

Oh! So this is the famous tu long wine! I really must taste what it's like.

It turned out Leader Li had also heard of tu long wine, so it seemed right to use this as a gift.

When you reach middle age, you can't help yourself; Brother Tang really knows more.

As the host, Yang Qi did not shirk his responsibility and introduced the dishes to the leaders one by one.

Leader, this is the Large Yellow Croaker I caught myself; please take the first bite.

Tsk tsk tsk, live Large Yellow Croaker is extremely rare! Come, come, everyone, let's eat together.

Leader Li invited everyone to eat, but as the highest-ranking leader at the table, if he didn't pick up his chopsticks, no one else dared to, nor would they.

After Leader Li picked up his chopsticks, everyone else started to eat.

That's the only bad thing about people in the system; the hierarchy is clear, and no one dares to overstep even a bit. Everyone is a shrewd operator, very good at assessing the situation.

Yang Qi thought to himself. If Tang Long knew his thoughts, he would definitely say he was making a fuss over nothing.

Assessing the situation is just the most basic requirement of the way of officialdom. If you aren't a shrewd operator and only rely on seniority, you will never get the opportunity to rise.