Chapter 108

For example, President Qiu assumed that Huo Zongzhuo probably didn’t know Jiang Luo; while Jiang Luo might recognize Huo, Huo wouldn’t necessarily even notice such a minor player. Everyone around Qiu thought the same.

Only Xue Zhizhong, keeping a calm, polite smile, inwardly groaned. Huo Zongzhuo wouldn’t recognize Jiang Luo as the boy he’d glanced at a few times at the club last year, would he?

Xue muttered to himself: Damn, Huo Zongzhuo has such good taste—why would he like a director’s son?

It was tricky. And of course, they happened to meet today. Xue worried—what if Huo blamed him for failing to handle such a trivial thing? At that moment, Xue’s mind was full of how to satisfy Huo’s desires.

Meanwhile, Jiang Luo held back on the pool table. With Zheng Bin as a less skilled foil, Li Fengrui didn’t lose face. Jiang Luo also realized that Li had been aware of his presence all along—not only that, but that Li had deliberately kept his distance and now appeared at the table to gain some spotlight. Jiang Luo understood everything. After all, he was Jiang Luo.

When the game ended, the crowd dispersed. Before anyone could approach him, Li Fengrui returned Jiang Luo’s cue and leaned close, smiling quietly: “Was that necessary? Making your friend lose face?”

Jiang Luo smiled in return: “Oh? You consider me a friend, Li Shao?”

Li Fengrui looked over: “Aren’t we friends?”

Jiang Luo met his gaze unflinchingly: “Are we? Aren’t we?”

Li Fengrui said nothing, smiling, set down his cue, and, before leaving, patted Jiang Luo’s shoulder.

Once Li left, a small crowd immediately gathered around Jiang Luo. “So you’re the one who asked Zhongxing Bank for a ten-million-yuan loan?”

“What does a young man like you do to need such a huge loan?”

On the other side of the table, Zheng Bin stacked the balls in the triangle rack and glanced toward Jiang Luo, mimicking the crowd earlier, rolling his eyes: “So you’re the one…”

Luckily, Jiang Luo wasn’t interested in small talk. After a brief greeting, he left, asking Zheng Bin: “Shall we go?”

Zheng Bin eagerly followed: “Let’s go, let’s go.” He casually linked his arm with Jiang Luo’s: “You play pool really well. Did you practice?” Then he asked, “What was that ten-million thing people were talking about?”

Jiang Luo teased: “You don’t happen to get ten million allowance in a year, do you? Then sure, it’s more than mine.”

Zheng Bin promised to treat Jiang Luo to dinner and suggested continuing to play at an outdoor pool hall afterward. Rarely did Jiang Luo find someone he could really enjoy playing with, so he agreed.

On the way down, they found a car and drove off with Zheng Bin to a nearby casual eatery for a late-night meal.

During the ride, Wang Junqing’s phone rang. He answered while driving, listened for a moment, and then handed it to Jiang Luo. Jiang Luo knew who it was—Huo Zongzhuo. He put the phone to his ear: “Dad~”

Huo Zongzhuo’s voice carried a trace of amusement: “No wonder you didn’t want me to come along. So you came just to play. Enjoying the game?”

Jiang Luo laughed: “Yes, it’s been a while since I played, and I found a good partner.”

Zheng Bin gave directions to the restaurant along the way.

Huo Zongzhuo asked gently: “Heading home now?”

“Not yet,” Jiang Luo replied. “We’ll eat, then go play some more.”

Huo’s tone remained patient and tender: “Don’t stay out too late. Come home early.”

Jiang Luo dragged his voice playfully: “Got it~”

After hanging up, Zheng Bin turned to him: “Do you always talk to your dad like that?”

Huh?

Zheng Bin imitated Jiang Luo’s voice, twisting his body: “Got~ it~. Isn’t that a bit girly?”

“Shut up!” Jiang Luo laughed, scolding: “You’re the girly one.”

Jiang Luo had indeed found a compatible playmate. Their tastes aligned perfectly—whatever Jiang Luo ate, Zheng Bin ate; whatever Jiang Luo skipped, Zheng Bin almost always skipped too.

Zheng Bin was carefree and talkative, chatting only about food, drinks, and fun—not business. He admitted: “My goal isn’t to succeed. My dad already did that. My job is just to spend our money while I’m alive. Then marry, have three sons and three daughters for my parents.”

Jiang Luo reminded him: “With current family planning, you can only have one child.”

“I don’t care what my parents say,” Zheng Bin huffed. “They insist on at least one boy and one girl. We Shanxi folks must have both.”

“Whereas you Haicheng people only have one.”

Zheng Bin invited Jiang Luo: “Let’s hang out more. I’m bored out of my mind in Haicheng. My dad left my car in Shanxi—I don’t even have a car here.”

Jiang Luo asked: “If your parents are in Shanxi, how did you come to Haicheng?”

Zheng Bin sighed: “My sister got married here and wanted her dog. I brought the dog, and my dad gave me one million yuan to turn into two million in Haicheng.”

Jiang Luo raised an eyebrow: “Did he lose his mind?”

“I’m just a spendthrift,” Zheng Bin said. “How am I supposed to double a million? Am I a magic treasure pot?”

Under the dim streetlights, Jiang Luo pushed the cue and asked: “Out of that million, how much is left?”

Zheng Bin held up three fingers.

“Thirty thousand?” Jiang Luo guessed.

“Three hundred,” Zheng Bin admitted.

Jiang Luo: “…”

Zheng Bin shrugged: “So what? No money left, I cry to my sister and mom for another hundred thousand.”

“How do you cry?” Jiang Luo asked.

Leaning on the cue, Zheng Bin put on a dramatic display, rubbing imaginary tears: “Moooh, Mom, I’m sorry! I’m alone in Haicheng and can only spend money for fun. Oops, I overspent, please, Mom, give me more, I beg you…”

Jiang Luo burst out laughing.

With Zheng Bin, Jiang Luo had a new companion. For the past few nights, they’d been playing pool together, often returning home late. Huo Zongzhuo never rushed him, only calling to check if he was hungry or needed a snack for the way back.

At home, the doors to the two adjacent bedrooms were always open. Jiang Luo would take off his jacket at the doorway, chatting with Huo about Zheng Bin.

For instance, Zheng Bin’s sister married into Haicheng’s pharmaceutical business.

Or that after spending the last three hundred yuan, he begged his sister for two thousand more to help with washing the dog.

His father still didn’t know he had spent the million, dreaming his son was thriving in Haicheng. His mother and sister, doting and indulgent, had already planned to cover the missing funds to avoid his father’s wrath.

Standing at the bedroom doorway, Jiang Luo smiled at Huo: “Even his sister is helping cover it up. My friend in Shanxi thinks he’s working with his brother-in-law in the medical business, and they’re all helping keep it from his dad.”

Huo laughed, calling out: “Cold! Don’t take your clothes off out here, go shower.”

“Got it~”

After showering, Jiang Luo returned, calling from the doorway: “Dad, I’m going to sleep.”

The doors remained open. Jiang Luo never closed his door; they could talk across rooms whenever needed. Huo used to keep his closed, but now he left it open, resting and sleeping this way daily.

At sunrise, Jiang Luo would call across: “Huo Zongzhuo! Wake up! The sun’s shining on your butt!”

Huo would rise each day to this. Sometimes, while tying his tie in front of the mirror, he’d hear Jiang Luo singing next door.

Jiang Luo loved Cantonese songs, enunciated clearly, melodious, and beautifully expressive. Huo didn’t understand Cantonese but could sense the emotion, the casual charm of Jiang Luo’s love songs.

Huo, previously indifferent to music, had now begun enjoying Cantonese music, even buying tapes of Hong Kong singers for the car. He listened to classics like Moonlight Serenade and Thousands of Songs, captivated by the lyrics and melodies.

On this day, Li Fengrui once again hosted a dinner at the Bund, inviting Jiang Luo. Jiang Luo was busy and initially declined politely. After several courteous calls from Li, calling him “Juju” and insisting it was nothing formal, Jiang Luo finally made time to go after returning from the factory.

He discovered that Li had not only invited him but also a few others, plus young, attractive female companions.

Seeing this, Jiang Luo immediately realized there would be no easy exit. He greeted older business circle figures, with Li Fengrui introducing them to each other—it was clearly a networking dinner.

For Jiang Luo, attending such a dinner was no issue; he was a businessman himself and accustomed to social obligations.