Half past six in the evening.
Bangkok International Airport.
Despite the nightfall, the crowd in this enormous airport was not deterring.
Tang Kai was standing at the airport exit, back guarded by six bodyguards. They formed an intimidating line-up that screamed ’stay away’. Dressed in black suits and shirts, they’d drawn many curious eyes. Fortunately, none of them sported sunglasses in the late evening – an accessory which would have been distastefully flashy. Many passerby, assuming that Tang Kai was some big shot of the underworld, bowed their heads and kept their distance to avoid potential trouble.
It wasn’t a show-off on Tang Kai’s part but a necessary safety measure. Ever since Ba Song’s death, Bangkok had seen no peace. Despite the recent stabilization in the underground scene of the city, Tang Kai didn’t dare to drop his guard. He continued to be accompanied by at least six bodyguards as before when he stepped out.
This time, he was here to welcome Chai Ren and Liu Qian.
Their flight had already landed; otherwise, Tang Kai wouldn’t have bothered leaving his car to wait stupidly at the exit.
Soon after, passengers started coming out of the exit. One of his guards alerted him:
"Boss Tang, they’re here."
Tang Kai, who’d been deep in thought, immediately snapped back to reality, "Where are they?"
Following the direction the guard was pointing in, Tang Kai immediately spotted Liu Qian. Four sturdy men in black were trailing behind, while Liu Qian and a young man were walking ahead. Liu Qian was half a step behind the youngster in a display of respect.
Standing at the doorway, Tang Kai was an eye-catching figure. Liu Qian spotted him instantly and waved. Tang Kai reciprocated, acknowledging that he’d seen them.
But as soon as they reached Tang Kai, their bodyguard labeled them ’strangers’ and declared the task complete. Without a word, he quickly moved to Tang Kai’s back and began doing what bodyguards do best – stay alert and guard.
With this, the protection lease relationship terminated, Liu Qian and Chai Ren instantly transitioned from clients to ’strangers,’ ranking just a notch above average pedestrians. In the event of an unexpected development, saving them was now optional.
Upon seeing this, Chai Ren and Liu Qian shared shocked glances before breaking into bitter smiles.
Just like that, he pretended not to know them?
They were mentally prepared, but such ’ruthlessness’ was hard to accept. Without any greeting or farewell, it was as if they had lost their worth altogether.
Despite being a super tycoon and a young successor who had spent half a month together, there didn’t seem to be any remnants of ’old feelings.’ Chai Ren hadn’t experienced this level of indifference for a long time.
They let it go. After all, it was this guard who had saved their lives.
This level of professionalism reassured them as the ones being protected but felt hurtful as the ones not under protection...
They had internal bruises.
Looking at the guards, who still treated them as strangers, Liu Qian and the other visitors genuinely felt as if they’d lost something.
Perhaps... it was the sense of security.
Liu Qian managed his ’loss’ long enough to step forward, extending his hand and laughing," Haha, Boss Tang, long time no see."
"Not really, it’s been only a month." Tang Kai, shaking hands with Liu Qian, replied with a light chuckle.
Liu Qian laughed, "A month is still quite long. Oh, let me introduce you. This is Chai Ren from back home. He’s mainly involved in the minerals business. And this is Boss Tang."
"Nice to meet you, Master Chai." Tang Kai extended his hand, smiling in greeting with a demeanor that was neither humble nor arrogant.
"Boss Tang, it’s an honor to finally meet you." Chai Ren smiled in response. After greeting, he took a good look at the confident businessman and the guard, who didn’t need to open his mouth to reveal that he was a fellow warrior. Chai Ren was filled with envy.
Although Liu Qian had mentioned that the young tycoon had extensive connections back in the country, Tang Kai showed no sign of flattery, knowing well that the foundation of a solid relationship was built on shared interests. Nobody respects a bootlicker.
Take a beggar kneeling in front of him, begging with ten thousand RMB as an example. It’s such a petty amount for a billionaire like him. But would he give it? Of course not. The maximum he would give is a few hundred bucks.
The essence of social relations is the exchange of value. There’s no point in flattering someone and losing dignity if you have nothing of value for the other party. In fact, in this scenario, the other party was profiting off him. So what if they have extensive connections? It had nothing to do with him. Offering basic respect and courtesy was enough.
"Master Chai, don’t be modest. Did Liu spill any bad words about me?" Tang Kai joked.
"No way, I’ve been singing praises of you." Liu Qian quickly defended himself.
"Haha, please. I’ve reserved a place to welcome you guys." Tang Kai laughed.
"We appreciate it."
"Don’t mention it."
Subsequently, the group climbed into their cars. Encompassing thirteen people in four Mercedes-Benz cars, two SUVs, and two sedans. Two were Tang Kai’s personal cars, and two were his company’s reception vehicles. Tang Kai had a soft spot for Mercedes-Benz, which also explained why he kept buying them back in the country.
Half an hour later, they arrived at a sizeable hotel in the city centre.
The tense situation in Bangkok during this period led to a decrease in tourists from both domestic and international sectors. But this didn’t affect the business here. Previously, it was always overflowing and nearly impossible to make a reservation. Now, it was just overflowing.
After getting seated...
... the meal was served in no time.
After several drinks, everyone began to converse.
"How was your trip in the States, Liu?" Tang Kai asked with a smile.