He headed for the couch, sat down, crossed one leg over the other, and let out a low, amused hum. “We’re just getting started.”
Wang Chuang was still sprawled on the floor, covered in cash, clutching more in his hands, practically bouncing. “Sixteen thousand! Sixteen thousand! One go and we made sixteen thousand!”
“Holy crap!”
“Business really is where the money is.”
As he spoke, he grabbed the bills in his hand and pressed two loud kisses onto them.
Jiang Luo couldn’t help laughing.
He pulled a piece of crisp candy from his pocket, peeled off the oiled wrapper, and popped it into his mouth. The smile in his expression mixed with a quiet confidence—an air of someone who owned the room without even trying.
That night, at Wencheng’s best seafood restaurant, in a private room, seven factory bosses—including Boss Li from the lighting factory—sat alongside Zhang Zhiqiang, Jiang Luo, and Wang Chuang. Ten people, one full table.
The dishes came out quickly. The quality and presentation were top-tier. Wang Chuang stared silently, tongue-tied. Damn, that lobster was huge. He had never even seen something like that before.
And then something even more outrageous appeared:
In a giant basin of seafood soup floated a little paper boat—folded out of U.S. dollars—called “Smooth Sailing.”
In another large seafood basin, a plate floated on top, holding several wristwatches, labeled “A Token of Our Regard.”
When the two “dishes” were set down, Wang Chuang could only stare wide-eyed. Jiang Luo looked them over calmly, expression unchanged save for a faint, steady smile tugging at his lips.
Soon enough, both “Smooth Sailing” and “A Token of Our Regard” rotated to land right in front of Jiang Luo.
Zhang Zhiqiang, seated beside him, stood up, used a clean pair of chopsticks to lift the dollar paper boat, and placed it into Jiang Luo’s bowl. With an earnest smile, he said, “A small gesture. Wishing Young Master Jiang smooth sailing in all your future business.”
Then he reached over, picked up one of the watches, and bent down to personally fasten it onto Jiang Luo’s wrist. “Another little gift from all of us.”
“It’s nothing too fancy. We hope you won’t mind.”
Jiang Luo sat there, eyes lowered, glancing at the paper boat in his bowl, then at the new watch on his wrist. He didn’t show a flicker of emotion—steady as a rock.
But inside, he understood: these two symbolic “dishes” meant he had now, at least to some degree, been accepted into the inner circle of Wencheng’s local businessmen.
Jiang Luo let out a small smile, lifted the glass of baijiu in front of him, and said with natural poise, “In that case, let me offer this first toast to everyone here—may all of you also enjoy smooth sailing and have everything go your way in business.”
Everyone raised their glasses graciously.
“Smooth sailing!” “We’ll take the good luck from Young Master Jiang!”
Beside him, Zhang Zhiqiang smiled especially warmly. He even lowered the rim of his own wine cup to clink with Jiang Luo’s. “If it weren’t for your support, I’d never have gotten my foot in the door in Haicheng.”
“I’ll be counting on you in the future as well.”
Jiang Luo didn’t lower his cup, matching him evenly. “Of course.”
A light tilt, a swallow of alcohol, and the earlier unpleasantness of the day faded into nothing.
In business, there were no grudges—only interests.
Zhang Zhiqiang picked up some food for Jiang Luo and asked in a friendly tone, “Will you be staying in Wencheng for a while longer?”
Jiang Luo replied with smooth composure, “Why? Is Boss Zhang not welcoming me?”
“Of course not.”
Zhang laughed. “You’re joking.”
“You came to Wencheng and chose to do your first deal with me—how could I not welcome you?”
“I welcome you more than anyone.”
Jiang Luo hummed lightly. “I’ll be staying a few more days.”
“I’m planning to acquire a few low-voltage electrical workshops in Yueqing.”
Hearing that, Zhang’s eyes flicked with calculation. In a voice only the two of them could hear, he said privately, “Does Young Master Jiang know what the situation is like over in Yueqing?”
“Somewhat,” Jiang Luo said. “Not too much.”
Zhang nodded—he understood. “Then come by my office another day. I’ll fill you in.”
“Sounds good.”
Jiang Luo glanced at him. “You’re a local. You definitely know more than I do.”
He handed his wine cup over.
Zhang lowered the rim of his own cup before clinking it lightly with Jiang Luo’s. “I don’t know that much,” he said modestly.
“But if you want to understand the situation, I won’t hold anything back.”
After a meal full of delicacies, Jiang Luo wasn’t particularly impressed. It was just seafood and clinking glasses with a bunch of bosses.
Wang Chuang was over the moon, gobbling up those giant lobsters and crabs—things he had never even seen before.
It was also his first experience at a banquet, being complimented by others, drinking so much that he was practically disoriented, his face smiling until it ached.
When it was over, Zhang Zhiqiang, who didn’t want any more alcohol, drove them back; after all, the Crown Hotel wasn’t far.
On the walk back to the hotel after bidding farewell to the bosses, Wang Chuang couldn’t contain his excitement.
He gestured wildly with his hands as he spoke to Jiang Luo. “Damn! That lobster… it’s enormous! I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“And that crab! Was it mutated? Its claws are massive!”
He rolled up his sleeve to show off the watch. “I never knew watches could be served as food.”
“What ‘A Token of Our Regard’? And he said they were just simple folks from Wencheng, not worldly.”
“I think I’m the one with no experience.”
Wang Chuang was ecstatic—making money thrilled him, sitting at the banquet, drinking and being complimented thrilled him even more.
He had never been this happy in his life.
With his flushed, tipsy face, Wang Chuang linked arms with Jiang Luo as they walked, exclaiming, “I’ve realized it—we’ve got to do business!”
“Business! There’s a future in it!”
“Learning a trade like my parents, stuck in a factory all their lives, earning a few hundred, it’s meaningless—totally meaningless!”
“Business!”
“Only business!”
Belching confidently, Wang Chuang shouted, “We! From now on, we’ll do business!”
“Sell dolls, sell lights, sell anything!”
“Whatever makes money, we do it!”
“Make thirty thousand! Sixty thousand! A hundred thousand!”
“Make tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands!”
“Once we make money, we’ll live in luxury!”
“Every day, big lobsters!”
Jiang Luo laughed and linked arms with Wang Chuang as they continued down the street.
Since being reborn, today had been the most satisfying day of his life.
He believed the future held even more moments that would make him proud, moments without annoyance, without setbacks—only success, only everything he wanted.
Yes, only success!
Jiang Luo felt a rush of exhilaration, the world wide open before him, and he couldn’t help but start singing “A Game, A Dream”.
Jiang Luo: “Oh~~ why do we say farewell, and then speak of being together…”
Wang Chuang joined in: “…Even though you’re not here now, I am still myself…”
Full of gusto.
Jiang Luo sang boldly: “They speak of love eternal, they speak of I love you, yet even now without you, I am still myself…”
And so, they sang all the way back to the hotel, ignoring the curious stares of passersby.
Close to the hotel, Wang Chuang got playful. He bent forward, hands on his knees, back arched to the sky.
Jiang Luo thought he was going to vomit, but Wang Chuang gestured at his back: “Come on, jump!”
Jiang Luo immediately understood, laughing as he stepped back. “Wait a sec,” he said, then ran over, planted his hands on Wang Chuang’s back, and leapt over in one bound.
After landing, Jiang Luo bent forward the same way, hands on knees, back arched.
Wang Chuang retreated, ran, and vaulted over Jiang Luo’s back.
After that jump, Jiang Luo straightened and teased: “You’re a pig, so heavy!”
Then he went to leap over Wang Chuang.
The two of them played like this near the road not far from the hotel, taking turns jumping over each other, full of childlike joy, laughing all the while, and exchanging playful jabs.
Not far away, a car slowly pulled up. The window rolled down, revealing Huo Zongzhuo’s face.
Huo Zongzhuo watched the two boys roughhousing for a while, smiling.
Until Wang Chuang noticed the car and the man inside, he lifted his chin at Jiang Luo: “Hey, who’s the boss staring at? You or me? What’s so interesting?”
Jiang Luo turned and finally saw Huo Zongzhuo.
He felt a brief surprise, thought for a moment, but wasn’t overly shocked.
He ran over, bent to the window, and greeted him: “What a coincidence! You’re here too.”
Huo Zongzhuo’s smile widened. “I should be asking you—what are you doing here?”
He added, “Not buying stocks anymore?”
“Nope, not buying.”
Leaning his elbow on the car window, Jiang Luo said casually, “Buying and selling, staring at stock prices all day, it’s boring.”
“And you? Business bringing you here?”
“Mm, just handling some matters.”
Huo Zongzhuo was still smiling.
He caught a whiff of alcohol on Jiang Luo. “Drinking?”
Then he glanced at the front passenger seat: “Where are you staying? I’ll give you a ride.”
“No need.”
Jiang Luo pointed to the Crown Hotel not far away. “I’m staying there. No need.”
Wang Chuang walked over to the car as well, watching Jiang Luo and the man inside.
Huo Zongzhuo glanced at Wang Chuang, estimating he was about the same age as Jiang Luo.
His gaze returned to Jiang Luo’s face. Smiling, he said, “What a coincidence—I’m staying at the Crown too.”
“You’re loaded, huh?”
Jiang Luo, clearly in a good mood, teased casually.
Huo Zongzhuo replied, “Everyone knows I’m loaded, so why are you giving all the money back to me?”
Jiang Luo understood—he was referring to the 100,000 yuan principal and the profits from the stock market.