Mo Wanzhen smiled and said, “It still helps to have money.”
“When I first came to Guangzhou, renting a place, buying daily necessities—there’s just so much to spend money on.”
“At first it wasn’t easy, but luckily I know how to sell clothes, and my image isn’t bad either, so I quickly found work without much trouble.”
“There are a lot of people in Guangzhou, and many young people, all here to work. I’ve met many friends from all over the country.”
“When I have free time, I can go shopping or eat out without paying anyone extra or worrying about anything. Life is definitely better than before.”
Jiang Luo nodded and then said with a sly grin, “This meal’s on you.”
“Sure.”
Mo Wanzhen laughed happily. “Of course, I’ll treat you.”
“Order whatever you want.”
A full table of dishes arrived. Jiang Luo and Mo Wanzhen ate while chatting—talking about Shengfei’s expansion, later Hongming, and Mo Wanzhen’s experiences and funny stories in Guangzhou.
As they ate, Mo Wanzhen said, “I called you, and you came to Guangzhou. There must be a reason, right?”
Jiang Luo replied, “When you said Shengfei’s clothes had reached Guangzhou, I got really interested. I want to see if I can also sell my designs there.”
Mo Wanzhen was surprised and delighted. “Really? That’s great!”
She asked, “Are you thinking of opening a factory in Guangzhou too?”
Jiang Luo shook his head. “If I open a factory, funding would be a problem, and building it would take time. I’m not considering it for now. I just want to come see things first, then decide.”
Mo Wanzhen nodded. She didn’t know much about running a factory and wasn’t sure what advice to give, but she had her stall, so she suggested, “Director Jiang, come by my stall tomorrow. I’ll show you around the wholesale market.”
“Good, that’s exactly what I was thinking,” Jiang Luo said.
Their conversation turned to her stall. “How did you rent it? Was the rent expensive?”
The meal stretched on over two hours, and it was already eleven o’clock. Surprisingly, the restaurant was still busy.
Jiang Luo stood up and said to Mo Wanzhen, who was back from settling the bill, “Guangzhou really is lively—look at the restaurant at this hour, still packed.”
“Many people come here. The food is good and the price is reasonable, so even at this hour, it’s busy,” Mo Wanzhen explained.
Suddenly, she noticed three tall, unfamiliar men standing beside Jiang Luo. She froze. “Who are they…?”
Jiang Luo explained, “Drivers and bodyguards. They’re my people.”
He gestured toward Wang Junqing and the others. “This is Miss Mo.”
Wang Junqing nodded politely.
Old Third said, “Hello, Miss Mo.”
Old Fourth added, “Hi.”
Mo Wanzhen returned the greeting, slightly wary—three men suddenly appearing by Jiang Luo’s side was intimidating.
They left the restaurant together, with Wang Junqing and the others trailing slightly behind. Mo Wanzhen walked beside Jiang Luo, chatting as they moved.
As they neared the exit, a group of men and women squeezed in from the narrow doorway. Mo Wanzhen accidentally bumped shoulders with one of the women.
“Sorry,” Mo Wanzhen said, turning her head.
The woman snapped, “Can’t you watch where you’re going?”
Both sides paused. Mo Wanzhen apologized again. “Sorry, I didn’t notice.”
A man beside the woman growled, “Just saying sorry? That’s it?”
Jiang Luo’s voice cut in coldly: “She already apologized. What more do you want?”
The man, seeing Jiang Luo’s arm in a sling, thought he could intimidate him and raised a hand.
Wang Junqing stepped forward, standing tall and expressionless. “Raise your hand? For what?”
“Old Third and Old Fourth joined in, expressions sharp. Old Fourth spat out a toothpick and asked coldly, “What are you trying to do? Looking for trouble?”
Seeing that they weren’t easy targets, the group immediately calmed down and tried to leave.
Jiang Luo said quietly, “You think you can leave just like that?”
They stayed silent, glancing back at him as they walked.
“Come back. Apologize—especially that woman just now,” Jiang Luo said.
They ignored him and kept moving, thinking he wouldn’t act.
Old Fourth shouted, “Stop! Did you hear me?”
Mo Wanzhen tugged Jiang Luo’s sleeve. “Director Jiang, let it go. Don’t bother with them.”
“People like this are everywhere. No point wasting our time arguing.”
Jiang Luo finally said, “Let’s go,” and turned.
Old Fourth started to chase them but stopped when Wang Junqing said, “Director Jiang said to let it go.” The group left, throwing a glance back.
Outside, Mo Wanzhen chuckled, “No way around it. Guangzhou is crowded, and mostly young people. Small clusters bump into each other all the time—stuff like this happens often.”
Jiang Luo said, “If you’re out alone, especially as a girl, it’s easy to get taken advantage of.”
“I know,” Mo Wanzhen said. “You’ll meet people like that a lot. Alone, I can’t beat a group, so I just have to take it.”
“If you’re with friends, or if men are around, they won’t dare act.”
Jiang Luo thought to himself, “Guangzhou’s growing fast, people everywhere… it’s a bit chaotic.”
Mo Wanzhen nodded. “True. When I first came, someone almost stole my bag.”
“Be careful alone,” Jiang Luo warned.
“I know. I’m usually not alone; I have colleagues or friends around. I avoid small alleys. My place is in a proper community with good lighting and cameras. I don’t go out late.”
Jiang Luo checked his watch. “It’s late. I’ll send you back.”
“No, I’ll take a taxi. If you drove me, you’d have to go back to the hotel—it’s a hassle.”
“Not a hassle,” Jiang Luo said.
At the hotel, two cars had their lights on. Jiang Luo pointed. “Here’s your ride.”
Mo Wanzhen blinked. “Cars can fly too?”
Jiang Luo walked with her. “Remember Mr. Huo from the company? He helped arrange this car for you. It’s convenient.”
He opened the door. “Hop in. I’ll send you.”
After dropping her off, Jiang Luo returned to the hotel with a map of Guangzhou. In his room, he studied it carefully.
The next morning at a wholesale mall, Jiang Luo arrived early and met Mo Wanzhen. He immediately saw the bustling market: multiple buildings, busy intersections filled with cars and people.
Trucks unloaded large bundles filled with clothing. People carried items up and down stairs, while hired laborers helped move heavy packages for a fee.
Mo Wanzhen patiently explained, “This wholesale market has grown large. Every floor has stalls, all selling clothing—nothing else. Trucks deliver goods; laborers carry the packages. You pay per load. Operations go from around eight in the morning until eight or nine at night—sometimes even ten. It’s nonstop.”
Even with his previous experience in clothing and his prior life’s knowledge, Jiang Luo was impressed. Such a massive market, so many people, so many trucks, so many stalls—the clothing business in Guangzhou is mature.
“Let’s go inside and take a look,” Jiang Luo said.
Mo Wanzhen led the way, with Wang Junqing, Old Third, and Old Fourth following.
Inside, the first floor was lined with small shops, all displaying clothing. Some had signs, some didn’t. In every shop, people were unpacking bundles, arranging clothes, or packaging items. Customers browsed and negotiated prices while owners used calculators to discuss costs.
Even in early June, the crowd made the air feel stuffy. Jiang Luo removed his jacket and handed it to Old Fourth, then walked with Mo Wanzhen to browse the clothing.
At one shop, Mo Wanzhen pointed to the buttons on a piece of clothing. “See this? Not plastic. That shine? It’s mother-of-pearl. Clothing with buttons like this costs more.”
“Look at the stitching,” she continued. “The way the seams are finished shows they’re using imported machines.”