Everyone gathered around him, chatting and laughing, the atmosphere lively and warm. Even Chairman Qiu joined in, exchanging words and compliments, praising Jiang Luo for being so capable at a young age.
In October, at a land auction hosted by the Shenzhen Bureau of Land and Resources, among the seats dominated by businessmen from Guangzhou and Fujian, a striking figure appeared:
Tall, slender, young, with his bangs swept up to reveal a broad forehead, a face that seemed sculpted by divine hands—handsome in an almost flawless way.
The young man wore a simple white shirt and black trousers, accessorized with a necklace, bracelet, and a flashy cloth belt—utterly stylish.
But he didn’t dress properly: one side of his shirt tucked into his belt loosely, the other side hanging out, the buttons undone, and his tie draped unevenly around his neck.
To anyone looking, he was the perfect playboy—and a good-looking one at that.
Before the auction began, the businessmen couldn’t help but whisper among themselves: Who is this guy?
No one knew.
Probably some rich kid just here to play around?
Holding his bidder card, Jiang Luo glanced toward the front row. There, in the eyes of others, was another equally dashing playboy, You Junyu, tilting his head and raising an eyebrow at Jiang Luo. Jiang Luo smiled faintly; You Junyu grinned lazily back.
The surrounding businessmen thought, “Ah, two rich kids just here for fun.”
But when the auction began, one of the young men immediately grabbed the first prize—buying land plot #039 for 15 million yuan. The hall erupted in murmurs.
Amid the commotion, You Junyu turned to Jiang Luo, smirking: “How’s that?”
Jiang Luo smiled.
Next, the other businessmen found themselves unable to laugh: the handsome playboy ended up buying six prime plots in Futian and surrounding districts, paying nearly 100 million yuan in total.
During the bidding, several Fujianese businessmen from Guangzhou nearly fought to raise their cards, but no matter how high they went, Jiang Luo matched them, continuing to bid without pause.
The six plots all sold for far more than expected.
The businessmen exchanged worried glances and whispered among themselves.
Where did this young man come from?
Does he have unlimited money?!
They were all dumbfounded.
After the auction, the young playboy casually pocketed his hands and prepared to leave.
Some rushed to catch up and ask his name and origin.
Jiang Luo turned slightly, a lazy smile curling his lips: “Surname Jiang—like the ginger root. I’m from Haicheng.”
Meanwhile, in Hong Kong’s Kowloon, Huo Zongzhuo had purchased a luxury apartment facing Victoria Harbour. From the high floor, the apartment offered sweeping views of both sides of the harbor.
At night, the lights inside off, the floor-to-ceiling windows framed the cityscape—illuminated skyscrapers and neon lights, dazzling.
Jiang Luo stood by the window, with Huo Zongzhuo behind him.
He tilted his head onto the man’s shoulder as Huo Zongzhuo kissed the slender line of his neck.
His loosely buttoned shirt hung over his frame, undone.
Jiang Luo gazed out at the night scene, the reflection of their entwined bodies in the glass forming an intimate silhouette.
He trembled, barely able to contain himself, each movement of the man behind him striking at his very soul.
In the mirrored glass, he shivered, their minds entwined in the heat of the moment.
Afterward, both were naked, lying on the sofa facing the window, chests pressed together.
Jiang Luo’s mind was blank, his body recovering slowly.
Behind him, Huo Zongzhuo kissed and caressed his ear and shoulder, soothing him.
Once he regained composure, they simply lay together, chatting lightly.
Jiang Luo mentioned the six plots they had purchased in Shenzhen, discussing potential commercial development.
“Hm,” Huo Zongzhuo murmured, still kissing his shoulder lazily.
Overwhelmed by the touch, Jiang Luo turned and kissed him deeply, losing himself again.
Huo Zongzhuo’s movements were slow, tender, and gentle, sending his soul adrift.
The apartment was indeed Huo Zongzhuo’s private retreat—lavish beyond measure.
Every piece of furniture was expensive foreign brand, and in the closet, every piece of clothing Jiang Luo hung was luxury brand purchased from Hong Kong.
Drawers held watches and jewelry, and a large safe contained piles of RMB, USD, and HKD.
Jiang Luo loved luxury, and Huo Zongzhuo indulged him completely.
Moreover, Huo Zongzhuo wore only high-end brands as well. They shared the same suits, watches, cufflinks, and shoes—everything matching.
Jiang Luo even wanted to buy Huo Zongzhuo the most expensive undergarments.
Such extravagance naturally drew the attention of young rich heirs and heiresses from Haicheng, Shenzhen, and surrounding cities—people like You Junyu and Zheng Bin.
These young elites had their own social circles, but Jiang Luo, being their age, talented, handsome, playful, and even more lavish, instantly became the leader of the pack. Wherever he went, they followed.
From Haicheng to Shenzhen and Guangzhou, then to Hong Kong and Macau, the group partied like crazy.
Their parents, who might have once monitored their every move, now turned a blind eye once they realized the children were with Jiang Luo—after all, this was Jiang Luo.
Proximity to Jiang Luo inspired them; spending time with him awakened ambition—they began focusing on business, earning money, studying diligently.
Parents were so grateful, they might as well erect a statue of Jiang Luo at home and pray.
Even Chairman Qiu’s usually rebellious young daughter started clamoring to get a job.
Chairman Qiu considered arranging her marriage to Jiang Luo, but she instead packed her luggage to go to Shenzhen with friends, wanting to start her own clothing brand.
Qiu asked, “Do you like Jiang Luo?”
“Of course,” she said matter-of-factly, excited. “Who wouldn’t like him?”
Chairman Qiu was about to be pleased when she continued: “My goal is to become Jiang Luo’s best buddy! Yes! Best buddy!”
Chairman Qiu: “….”
So Jiang Luo, along with Wang Chuang, Zheng Bin, You Junyu, and several other young elites, after partying in Hong Kong, headed straight to Wuhan for land purchases.
Local and nearby businessmen were stunned, unable to understand where this group of wealthy young people suddenly came from, all seemingly dripping in wealth.
Meanwhile, Haicheng and Shenzhen business circles were equally shocked: “What? Following Jiang Luo teaches them how to succeed?”
Quick! Send our wastrel kid over to Jiang Luo!
Jiang Luo’s reputation skyrocketed.
Not long after, he appeared on Haicheng’s local TV.
On the news, neatly dressed with hair perfectly styled, he smiled just enough, confidently answering the host’s questions about development of a plot in Pudong.
Behind him was the construction site of a recently held groundbreaking ceremony.
Watching the broadcast at home on Wukang Road, Huo Zongzhuo smiled with admiration, as if seeing a child he’d raised suddenly grown into a capable man.
Su Lan and Zhao Guangyuan, seeing the news, felt both proud and bittersweet—no matter what they did, Jiang Luo still didn’t return home.
Zhao Guangyuan comforted Su Lan: “At least the child is capable and doing well.”
“Yes,” Su Lan sighed. “This kid is truly remarkable. No matter how we raised him, we couldn’t have produced someone like this.”
Elsewhere, Wang Junwei and Bai Ting, watching the news in their small pager shop, were thrilled. “Look, Jiang Luo’s on TV! This kid is truly talented.”
Bai Ting smiled at a customer buying a pager: “This is my son’s best friend. I watched him grow up, and now look at him—he’s so capable.”
The customer glanced at the TV and asked: “Boss, what is your son doing now?”
Bai Ting laughed: “He’s running a factory, just like the one on TV.”
“Did you know? Several factories, all very large.”
“They’re selling clothes nationwide.”
“The commercial you know? ‘Buy clothes at Shengfei.’”
The customer exclaimed: “Shengfei! I know it! That ad is everywhere—I see it on TV every day.”