Chapter 103: Unexpected Reunion

The next day, as Xia Yu was about to enter the company, he noticed many adult men waiting at the company's entrance. After a moment of thought, he remembered that they were there for security guard interviews.

Since the fire at the printing factory, Xia Yu had instructed Yan Shining to announce the establishment of the company's security department, with guards needed 24 hours a day to oversee both the company and the printing factory.

Given the situation in Hong Kong, Xia Yu's requirements were not high; the candidates just needed to be strong, have a clean background, and no criminal record.

He didn't expect much from the guards he hired; apart from their physical strength, they had not received any special training.

He planned to have Yan Shining train them when he had the time to improve their skills, which seemed more realistic.

In his view, the primary role of the security department in the short term was more about intimidating potential troublemakers and presenting a deterrent rather than being highly effective in security.

Nodding to the staff responsible for reception, Xia Yu did not linger and walked inside the company with Yan Shining.

Just as Xia Yu had taken a few steps, Yan Shining, who was following behind, looked at a man in the crowd with some confusion and called out, "Monkey?"

Xia Yu stopped and turned around, following Yan Shining's gaze. He saw a man with a buzz cut, a resolute face, and a very strong build.

The man seemed to have heard Yan Shining's call, looked at Yan Shining, blinked, and tentatively asked in Mandarin, "Squad Leader?"

Hearing the man's words, Yan Shining showed a look of surprise and joy: "Hou Sheng, it really is you. What are you doing here?"

"It's me, Squad Leader. Why are you also in Hong Kong?" The man, Hou Sheng, with reddening eyes, ran over excitedly and hugged Yan Shining tightly. After releasing him, he kept looking at Yan Shining with a flicker of excitement.

Seeing that it was indeed Yan Shining's acquaintance, and apparently his former subordinate, Xia Yu was a bit surprised. He hadn't expected such a coincidence.

Nodding at Yan Shining, Xia Yu proceeded into the company, deciding not to disturb Yan Shining. Once he and his old subordinate had a chance to talk, Yan Shining would report to him later.

After Xia Yu left, Yan Shining pulled Hou Sheng aside. The reception staff quickly brought over two chairs for Yan Shining and Hou Sheng to sit. Since Yan Shining was Xia Yu's personal bodyguard, he naturally had a higher status, being closer to the boss.

Seeing that one of the applicants was someone Yan Shining knew, the reception staff's attitude was notably more favorable. They also decided to inform their superior of this news and hoped to hire Hou Sheng.

---

"Squad Leader, you're so capable. How come you've retired and ended up in Hong Kong? Did you get into trouble too?" Hou Sheng asked, gripping Yan Shining's hand with concern.

Hearing Hou Sheng's question, Yan Shining furrowed his brows and stared intently at him: "What, did you escape after committing a crime?"

Seeing Yan Shining's serious expression, Hou Sheng's smile faded.

He did not hide anything from Yan Shining, sighing as he explained: "Five years ago, after we retired, we saw a group of bullies harassing women. We couldn't stand by and jumped in to fight. Unfortunately, we accidentally killed someone, and it turned out the bullies had connections, trying to capture us. We didn't want to be caught, so we escaped and eventually swam to Hong Kong to completely avoid capture. We've been living here for five years now."

Yan Shining nodded silently, knowing Hou Sheng's character—a tough and stubborn person. He could believe Hou Sheng's actions. Even though Hou Sheng broke the law, in his view, it was justified to deal with bullies who oppressed women.

"Besides you, who else came?" Yan Shining asked eagerly, more concerned about this question.

"Li Quan, Zhang Zhi, Wu Dashan, and Du Ming. All five of us came. We happened to be drinking together when the incident occurred, so we fled together." Hou Sheng answered honestly.

"They are all here? Where are they now?" Yan Shining's face showed joy, eager to see them.

These four were his old subordinates, but unfortunately, they had all retired.

He had joined other units after their retirement, and he hadn't seen them since. It had been over five years since their last meeting.

Now that he learned they were in Hong Kong, Yan Shining was keen to meet them immediately! After all, they were comrades who had shared hardships, and such deep bonds were not easily worn away, only growing stronger over time.

"They're working at the docks. I'm the only one who came here. Squad Leader, I'll take you to them. Li Quan and the others have been thinking about you too." Hou Sheng said, standing up to lead Yan Shining.

"Wait, sit down first." Yan Shining said.

Though he wanted to see Li Quan immediately, he had not forgotten his responsibilities. As Xia Yu's bodyguard, ensuring Xia Yu's safety was his primary task, and he couldn't just leave.

Moreover, Xia Yu was still waiting for him to report on Hou Sheng's situation!

"Monkey, I need to ask you a few questions. Answer them truthfully; it's important!" Yan Shining looked at Hou Sheng intently.

"Squad Leader, ask whatever you need. If I lie, you can hit me!" Hou Sheng stood straight, his expression serious.

Yan Shining smiled, easing the atmosphere a bit, and asked: "What have you been doing these past five years?"

"We don't have any education, and when we first arrived, we didn't speak Cantonese, so we could only do manual labor at the docks. We've been moving cargo for five years. I was still moving cargo just yesterday!" Hou Sheng replied.

"Have you joined any gangs?" Yan Shining asked again.

"No, we would never oppress ordinary people. Even without our military uniforms, I haven't forgotten that I'm a soldier. We absolutely haven't done anything to oppress ordinary people!" Hou Sheng stood tall, solemnly saying.

"But Hong Kong is indeed very chaotic, with many forces at the docks. To protect ourselves, we five stuck together and recruited a group of honest men. We've followed the principle of not provoking others unless we're provoked. After a few skirmishes with other gangs, they stopped bothering us."

"That's good." Hearing Hou Sheng's words, Yan Shining relaxed and smiled.

"What are you here for? Weren't you moving cargo?" Yan Shining asked again.

"I saw that the Jiuding News Company was hiring security guards. The salary is much higher than moving cargo, and the job is easier. I came to try it out. If it's real, Li Quan and the others will come over too. After all, moving cargo isn't a long-term solution." Hou Sheng said without hesitation.

"By the way, Squad Leader, tell me about yourself. Why are you in Hong Kong? Did you also escape from trouble? And who was that person you were with earlier?" Hou Sheng asked curiously.

"What are you thinking?" Yan Shining gave Hou Sheng a light slap on the head, laughing and scolding.

"Hehe!" Hou Sheng scratched his head, smiling awkwardly, used to being scolded by the Squad Leader from his time in the military.

"I retired voluntarily. My wife passed away, and my son, Yan Hong, was diagnosed with a serious illness. In desperation, I came to Hong Kong. The person you saw earlier is my boss, who helped me when I first arrived. Otherwise, my son might have died." Yan Shining explained slowly.

"But now it's okay. My son, Yan Hong, is receiving treatment, and the situation is relatively good." Yan Shining smiled sincerely at this point.

"That's good. Next time I'll visit. I've seen him a few times when he was young. I wonder if he still remembers me as his uncle, hehe." Hou Sheng said with relief.

"By the way, you wanted to change jobs, right? The person you saw earlier is my boss. Jiuding News Company is his. As long as my boss approves, you can get the job. Come with me now; my boss is still waiting."

With that, Yan Shining stood up, pulling the astonished Hou Sheng into the company.

As he questioned Hou Sheng, Yan Shining observed carefully. Being familiar with Hou Sheng, he was sure that Hou Sheng hadn't lied and trusted that Hou Sheng wouldn't deceive him. After all, falsehoods would eventually be discovered, and there was no need for it.

Having asked the necessary questions, Yan Shining didn't want to make Xia Yu wait too long.

As soon as he entered Xia Yu's office, Yan Shining noticed that his boss seemed to have been waiting for some time. He signaled for Hou Sheng to stand properly and then approached Xia Yu to report: "Boss, this is Hou Sheng, a former subordinate of mine who retired five years ago. He fled to Hong Kong after killing a bully on the mainland. However, he has principles and didn't join any gangs. He has been working hard at the docks for five years. He's here to apply for a security guard position. I can guarantee his abilities."

After speaking, Yan Shining glanced at the slightly shocked Hou Sheng and gave him a reassuring look.

Hou Sheng probably didn't expect Yan Shining to report all the information he had asked to Xia Yu.