The boss brought over by Old Demon was surnamed Hou.
His name was Hou Liang.
He was not tall, but he was sturdy, and he had a loud voice and a commanding tone.
Perhaps due to doing business in Africa for a long time, his skin had darkened.
Boss Hou was in his forties, one of those who took advantage of the reforms and opening up of the early '90s, with a mix of three parts effort and seven parts luck, he had made his initial fortune in the building materials business.
Then, in the mid-90s, when macroeconomic controls were implemented and national infrastructure investments were reduced, many bosses involved in the building materials business went bankrupt because of triangular debts.
But Boss Hou had good Feng Shui at his ancestral tomb. Before the controls, he was approached by a distant relative who was dabbling in clothing and miscellaneous goods in Africa and wanted to expand investment there, so he invited Boss Hou to invest.
Boss Hou was also visionary. Most people in the '90s liked to do export processing businesses for Europe and America, but he found the competition too fierce, the labor cost too suppressed, and the strict product inspections by Western countries were onerous; a single issue could lead to paying through the nose for damages.
Africa was different, though.
The people there didn't have high purchasing power and only wanted low-end goods.
Second-hand clothing, daily necessities, and even second-hand appliances were popular there.
Furthermore, the quality requirements weren't so high as long as the items were usable.
Seeing the domestic building materials business on a downturn, he simply closed down his processing factory early and took his money to Africa for a second venture, becoming an African "Daoye" (a term for savvy businessmen).
Within a few years, he had established a firm footing in North Africa, opened two shopping malls, and even expanded into the timber business.
Africa was rich in wood, including ebony, rosewood, and African padauk, all at cheap prices. After two years, just like a pig jumping into water, Hou Liang's wallet swelled as much as his increasingly protruding belly.
Of course, along with his wallet, his ambitions and his tone inflated as well.
Song Heping, along with a few Illigo mercenaries, went to meet Old Demon and Hou Liang. Upon meeting them, Hou Liang immediately asked Song Heping about his monthly income.
Song Heping couldn't very well tell them that he damn well had just sold fifty tons of gold for several billion US dollars.
"I make 1000 US dollars a month."
He didn't tell the truth in front of Old Demon and Hou Liang.
To his surprise, Hou Liang reacted with wide eyes, "What?! Only 1000 US dollars a month? Song, your life really isn't worth much, is it?"
While sizing up the armored vehicles fleeting by and the heavily armed soldiers, he continued, "This is a conflict zone, even messier than Africa, and they only give you 1000 US dollars a month?"
Song Heping could only play along, "I'm new to the industry, haven't been doing it for long, that's why the salary is like this, it'll increase with time."
With a generous offer, Hou Liang said, "With that kind of money, I think you just shouldn't bother. I'm planning to invest in gold mines in Africa next year, Song, do you want to come to Africa to make a fortune with me?
Old Demon told me you were in the military before, brother will pay you 1500 US dollars a month, just be the head of security, manage a few African mercenaries to look after my safety, how about that?"
Out of respect for his kindness, Song Heping couldn't bluntly refuse and diplomatically said, "I've signed a contract, there's still a year left, and breaking it would mean having to pay a penalty."
Hou Liang clicked his tongue twice, disdainfully saying, "What if you just run away? Would they actually go to Africa to make you pay up?"
Song Heping nearly laughed out loud when he heard this.
It seemed Hou Liang really underestimated those international mercenaries.
He probably thought they were the same as the private soldiers in Africa who just grab an AK and go on duty.
"I still need to keep my word, maintain integrity..."
He could only continue to play along.
Old Demon, however, noticed something amiss.
"Heping, you only make a thousand US dollars a month, and you're booking us rooms at the Jade Palace? How many months of your salary will that cost you?"
The Jade Palace is one of the two top-tier hotels in the Green Zone, where a regular executive room costs 500 US dollars per night.
Song Heping's heart skipped a beat, lamenting that he hadn't expected this.
If he had known, he would have just booked a regular hundred-dollar-a-night hotel in the Green Zone. When he previously called Old Demon and heard it was hard to book a hotel, he had let himself get carried away and blurted out the Jade Palace...
"It's okay...it's okay, we're brothers after all."
"What is it?"
The conversation caught the attention of Hou Liang nearby, and he joined in.
"Is the Jade Palace expensive?"
Old Demon explained, "A regular executive room is 500 US dollars a night. Usually, it's reserved for US Army personnel stationed in Iraq or high-ranking officials visiting here; it's not for the average Joe."
What Song Heping had actually booked for them was not a regular executive room but a deluxe executive suite, which cost 800 US dollars per night.
Now, he found himself in a tricky situation.
He thought about fudging the details later, claiming it was just a regular room. After all, even Old Demon had never stayed there before and wouldn't know the difference between a regular and a deluxe executive suite.
"You're a true brother! So generous!"
Hou Liang gave a thumbs up.
"Xiao Song, it's exactly your kind of spirit I admire! When you come work with me in Africa, I absolutely won't let you down! Don't worry about the room charges, Brother Hou will reimburse you, you only earn that bit of petty cash a month, I can't let you pay for me."
"Thank you, Brother Hou."
Song Heping could only continue to feign ignorance and accompany with a smile.