Zhao Shuo: “We have business—came to handle matters, looking for President Jiang.”
The man saw Zhao Shuo in a suit, with an impressive bearing, and didn’t rush him. He asked, “Did you make an appointment with President Jiang?”
“Yes.”
The man then let them through and signaled another to call the two dogs away so they wouldn’t block the path.
As Zhao Shuo drove in, Zhao Guangqian looked outside, thoughtful. “This factory is really this big?”
“Those big trucks… they were all headed here?”
“What are they doing?”
“You don’t need dump trucks just to move cargo, right?”
Zhao Guangyuan and Su Lan were equally puzzled.
Only then did Zhao Shuo speak: after the holiday, he’d heard Jiang Luo had gotten a ten-million loan from Bank of China. These trucks, this huge factory area—it was probably all preparation for expansion.
“Ten million!?” Su Lan exclaimed in shock. “That much!?”
“How did he get a loan for so much?” Zhao Guangyuan was also astonished.
Zhao Guangqian laughed heartily. “Not bad, not bad. Truly a son of the Zhao family—capable, competent.” He turned to Zhao Guangyuan: “Guangyuan, you have a fine son. Really fine. Excellent.”
But Zhao Guangqian quickly couldn’t laugh anymore—
They parked, got out, and went to look for Jiang Luo, asking around the factory and heading to his office.
Jiang Luo was indeed there, talking with Zhang Ningfu, Wang Chuang, and two other foremen over expansion plans. Xiao Lu knocked at the door and entered: “Sorry to bother you,” he greeted, then looked at Jiang Luo. “President Jiang, your family is looking for you.”
Family?
Not even Wang Chuang understood, and Zhang Ningfu and the others exchanged confused glances. “Family?”
Jiang Luo wondered if maybe Zhang Xiangping had sent them.
Then the door opened. Zhao Guangqian led the way, passing Xiao Lu, followed by Zhao Guangyuan, Su Lan, and Zhao Shuo.
Seeing them, Jiang Luo internally rolled his eyes—he certainly recognized Zhao Guangqian.
In the previous life, though Zhao Guangqian initially welcomed him more warmly than Su Lan, Zhao Guangyuan, or Zhao Shuo, once he found out about Jiang Luo’s relationship with a man, he had slapped him hard, called him shameless and perverse.
The memory of that slap and Zhao Guangqian’s hysterical, angry glare immediately made Jiang Luo’s expression turn cold. He didn’t look at anyone from the Zhao family, only at Xiao Lu: “I have no relatives here. Whoever you brought in, send them back.”
Huh? Xiao Lu was puzzled at the door.
Wang Chuang and the others also looked at Jiang Luo, then at the three men and one woman who had entered.
Zhao Guangqian ignored Jiang Luo completely, as well as everyone in the room. He walked closer, voice deep and steady: “Jiang Luo, I am your eldest uncle, Zhao Guangqian, your father’s older brother.”
“Out.”
Jiang Luo showed no expression, and finally looked at Zhao Guangqian, speaking word by word: “I am busy. I have neither time nor energy to tangle with the Zhao family.”
“Say it again: out.”
Jiang Luo’s tone left no room for misunderstanding. Even Wang Chuang and the others immediately sensed something was wrong.
Wang Chuang gestured to Zhang Ningfu and the others: retreat, all of you. Don’t hang around.
Oh, yes. Wang Chuang could watch the spectacle, but no one else could.
Zhang Ningfu and the others started to leave.
Jiang Luo turned sharply and barked: “Leaving? Who said you could leave?”
They stopped, awkward. The Zhao family said nothing. Xiao Lu stood politely at the door. The room was eerily quiet.
But Zhao Guangqian, as a seasoned businessman, was unshaken. Calmly, he said, “Go home, Jiang Luo. You are of the Zhao family. The swap at birth was an accident, but now…”
“Xiao Lu!”
Jiang Luo ignored him, coldly: “All of you, leave.”
Xiao Lu stepped forward, but didn’t dare forcibly expel them. Being outnumbered, he politely gestured to Su Lan and the Zhao family: “President Jiang is busy, perhaps you all should…”
Zhao Guangqian still ignored him, continuing to look at Jiang Luo patiently: “I know you are busy with business, so….”
Zhao Shuo couldn’t help interjecting: “Jiang Luo, our whole family came to see you. We practically begged you to come home, and you…”
Zhao Guangqian turned, authoritative: “Did I give you permission to speak?”
Zhao Shuo fell silent.
Jiang Luo, exasperated, had no interest in arguing. He repeated: “Out.”
Zhao Guangqian’s next words made the room even quieter.
“I know you asked the bank for a ten-million loan to invest in the factory. Here’s the deal: I’ll give you an extra ten million—cash. You go home.”
“Just come home, and ten million will be deposited immediately!”
Everyone: “…?”
Wait, ten million is ten million? How can it be so simple?
Wang Chuang sucked in a breath, leaning back, eyes wide. Ten million again? What’s this man’s status—has as much money as a bank?
Jiang Luo looked at Zhao Guangqian, lips curling in ridicule and disdain. He laughed, shoulders trembling slightly, as though the absurdity of it all was completely funny.
Then suddenly, his expression hardened, face blank, tone icy: “Get out. I said get out. All of you—out.”
“You!”
Zhao Guangqian hadn’t expected that even ten million in cash couldn’t sway Jiang Luo. That attitude stunned him, and he was a little angry.
He thought the Zhao family was owed something.
Who owed him?
What an attitude!?
“We came to you of our own accord! Asking you to come home…”
Zhao Guangqian stepped forward, pointing at Jiang Luo.
Jiang Luo rolled his eyes.
Zhao Shuo hurriedly tried to stop him: “Dad! Dad!”
Zhao Guangyuan, knowing Zhao Guangqian’s temper, also rushed over to pull him back. At the same time, he said to Jiang Luo: “Even if you don’t want to go, you shouldn’t behave like this.”
“We’re speaking reasonably. How can you tell us to leave?”
Su Lan stepped forward, heartbroken. Even with outsiders around, she felt humiliated. But she still softened her tone: “Jiang Luo, come home with us.”
“Dad and Mom know they were wrong. Back in April last year, when we came to find you, we should have brought you home.”
“Mom wants to apologize to you.”
Jiang Luo didn’t listen, expression blank as he turned his head away, signaling Xiao Lu to call the security guard.
Zhang Ningfu stepped forward, smoothing things over for the Zhao family: “Boss, boss, let’s talk reasonably, calmly.”
For a moment, the office was chaotic.
Eventually, with Xiao Lu guiding them, Zhao Guangqian and the others were ushered out.
Zhao Guangqian didn’t want to leave, but was forced.
He turned, furious: “You brat! Don’t ever come home again if you have the guts!”
Zhao Shuo grabbed his arm: “Dad! Dad, mind your blood pressure.”
“Let’s go back first.”
Zhao Guangyuan also tried to calm him.
Su Lan followed, head down, wiping tears.
Xiao Lu closed the office door behind them.
Once closed, Jiang Luo rolled his eyes, threw the pen he had been holding onto the desk in obvious annoyance.
Zhang Ningfu smoothed things over: “No worries, no worries. Small matter. Let’s get back to the plans—where were we?”
Wang Chuang patted Jiang Luo’s shoulder: “Forget them.”
“Yes, let’s look at the plans, continue.”
The two foremen agreed.
They returned to discussing the work.
Meanwhile, Zhao Guangqian cursed all the way into the car, his dialect thick, still fuming.
Su Lan couldn’t stop crying.
Zhao Guangyuan sighed, holding her shoulder, while Zhao Shuo remained frustrated, fastening his seatbelt and driving.
Leaving the factory, Zhao Guangqian kept cursing: “Brat, what’s with the arrogance?”
“Not impressed by ten million?”
“Want a hundred million?”
“Why not aim for the sky!?”
Zhao Shuo couldn’t help but say: “Dad, you shouldn’t have mentioned giving him ten million.”
“If you hadn’t said it, he wouldn’t have known we were begging him to come home. Now he does—and of course he’s arrogant.”
Zhao Guangqian snapped: “You don’t understand!”
“Money makes the world go round.”
“If you’d ever stepped up when he needed it, been a good dad, mom, brother—would things have come to this?”
“In the end, it’s because you failed at the start that he resents you—and me—so much!”
“You’re the ones responsible!”
“Especially you! You, eldest brother, wouldn’t act as a father, yet tried to act as brother to some outsider!”
Zhao Shuo bristled, retorting: “Dad! He isn’t some outsider—he just isn’t blood-related!”