Chapter 80 Attraction

Chapter 80 Lure

"Hey, old man! You're not listening to me! Old man..."

Before his wife could finish on the other end, Zhang Ningfu slammed the receiver down, got up from his office, and went on with his day.

Ever since being harshly scolded by Jiang Luo after returning from the Spring Festival last time, Zhang Ningfu had started to see things more clearly.

He felt that although General Manager Jiang’s words were unpleasant, they were true—even if he were a dog, during the New Year, someone should at least buy him a bone from the market.

Zhang Ningfu understood clearly that, compared to him as a person, his wife and son cared more about how much money he could provide.

With money, he was a good father and good grandfather; without money—no, he couldn’t be without money. Without money, his wife would resent him, his son would have complaints. He had to have money, had to earn it. He was like the sewing machines in the factory, whirring away nonstop, for the sake of his family, for his wife and son.

Zhang Ningfu could only "hide" in the factory, staying for a full month without sending money home or contacting his wife and son much.

His son didn’t say much, but Zhang Ningfu’s wife kept calling to "cause a fuss."

Zhang Ningfu knew in his heart that his son wasn’t silent without reason, and his wife wasn’t making a scene for herself.

To put it bluntly, if his wife was five parts flawed, his son was at least seven.

Whenever Zhang Ningfu received a call, he felt annoyed and simply ignored everyone, staying in the factory.

When he kept busy and didn’t think about home, his mood wasn’t so bad.

He just missed his granddaughter. Sigh...

Meanwhile, the Zhao family couldn’t revolve entirely around Jiang Luo. They had to work and live their normal lives.

Jiang Luo didn’t acknowledge them, and his words were so brutally final.

Was it sad? Of course.

But life had to go on.

Lately, Su Lan had been making arrangements to look at apartments for Zhao Shuo.

She had checked out the Gubei area—Central Garden and Swiss Garden were both nice, with beautiful buildings and good surrounding planning. It was likely to become a prime location in the future.

While others thought the price of three thousand yuan per square meter was expensive, Su Lan felt it was acceptable and within her means.

Su Lan had gone with a few relatives and friends to see the apartments several times, and also went with Zhao Guangyuan and Zhao Shuo twice. They were almost ready to make a decision, thinking that Zhao Shuo was coming of age, and would soon be having marriage talks, so he would need a place of his own for the wedding.

Then relatives and friends advised her to buy two apartments, saying she had two sons and shouldn’t only buy for the eldest. Since the younger son would eventually need a place too, why not buy both at once?

What could Su Lan say? She couldn’t very well explain that Jiang Luo wasn’t coming home and didn’t acknowledge them.

Su Lan didn’t show it in front of others, but privately she sighed and felt upset, recently sprouting a few more white hairs.

At school, Zhao Mingshi, fuming inwardly, was working with his roommate Fang Haichen and a few other seniors on tinkering with the NES, trying to develop a domestic version of the Famicom.

Zhao Mingshi was optimistic, thinking that if they could really create a domestic Famicom console at a cheaper price than the Japanese one, it would surely sell well in China.

With Zhao Shuo backing him financially, he was confident they could produce results.

No matter what, he absolutely couldn’t let himself be outshone by Jiang Luo.

Wasn’t Jiang Luo in business?

He would do business too!

He was no worse than Jiang Luo, so why wouldn’t he succeed in the end?

Then news came from Zhao Shuo that Jiang Luo wasn’t coming home and had told all the Zhaos to get lost.

Zhao Mingshi was elated, overjoyed, wishing it would stay that way.

But around the same time, Zhao Guangyuan unintentionally learned from Zhao Shuo that Zhao Mingshi was dabbling in something at school and also wanted to go into business. Zhao Guangyuan was against this.

Zhao Guangyuan called Zhao Mingshi home and told him he must put a stop to what he was doing, reminding him not to forget his identity as a student and not to place too much importance on money at this time.

"You’re a college student, you worked hard to get into Fudan University. You should focus on your studies."

"Money isn’t urgent; you can earn it later."

"Apply yourself to your studies while you’re in school, build up your knowledge, learn more."

"Find your direction first, then make money after graduation—it’s not too late."

Zhao Mingshi heard him out and didn’t argue face-to-face, but inwardly he wasn't persuaded.

He felt Zhao Guangyuan treated him and Jiang Luo differently.

Why was Jiang Luo praised as a capable son for doing business, while what he was doing was considered shirking his responsibilities?

What was wrong with trying to make money?

Zhao Guangyuan was just playing favorites with Jiang Luo!

Then he heard that Su Lan was arranging to buy an apartment for Zhao Shuo but didn’t mention buying one for him, which made Zhao Mingshi feel bitter and resentful.

Before the swap was discovered, whenever Su Lan bought something, didn’t Zhao Shuo get one and he get one too?

Now when it came to buying an apartment, there was none for him?

Wasn’t it just because he wasn’t their biological son?

All that talk about eighteen years of feelings and loving him—empty words.

Zhao Mingshi returned to school feeling out of sorts everywhere he went.

Then, thinking about how Jiang Luo had now secured a ten-million-yuan loan, started a company, bought a Mercedes, and invested in building a factory, leaving him far behind, Zhao Mingshi felt both disgusted and envious, as well as panicked and lost.

What could he do besides making a tip-off call to the Tax Bureau?

He couldn’t just go to the countryside and torch Jiang Luo’s factory, could he?

Zhao Mingshi realized there was nothing he could do now, feeling completely powerless.

He used to think that getting into Fudan University made him a college student with a promising future ahead, leaving Jiang Luo—who had nothing—miles ahead.

But now?

Zhao Mingshi even began to doubt—was getting into college, studying, and earning a degree really useful?

Feeling in low spirits, when Fang Haichen asked him to continue working on the NES, he didn’t go. He knew it served no purpose—his family didn’t support him and thought he was wasting his time.

Zhao Mingshi felt both discouraged and resentful that the Zhao family didn’t hold him and Jiang Luo to the same standards.

Just then, another roommate said, "Zhao Mingshi, there’s a programming lecture this afternoon. Do you want to go with me?"

"Sure."

Zhao Mingshi didn’t want to be alone either, so he agreed.

—

In early March, Li Fengrui treated Jiang Luo to a meal.

Jiang Luo had some free time, so he went. They ate together like old friends, chatting about the factory expansion and various other topics—some business-related, some not.

The food was good, the conversation pleasant, almost as if the two were genuinely close.

But Jiang Luo knew better. Li Fengrui merely tolerated him. Their statuses were worlds apart, their personalities and approaches to life differed, and they shared no common interests or hobbies. Keeping things civil was enough; they could never be real friends.

After the meal, since he was already in the city, Jiang Luo went to the company—the office had recently relocated within the same building to a larger space, and they’d hired a few more people.

"Mr. Jiang."

"Yeah."

Jiang Luo entered the company.

That same afternoon, Accountant Xue stopped by the office to show Jiang Luo the recent account books. As they chatted casually, he mentioned something.

He said, "You hear about what happened recently at Pacific Department Store?"

?

Jiang Luo lifted his eyes.

Something happened?

He’d just finished eating with Li Fengrui, and Li Fengrui hadn’t said a word about it.

Accountant Xue, waiting for Jiang Luo to review the accounts, leaned against the desk casually and gossiped, "After the New Year, their mall brought in several expensive foreign brands and kicked out some long-term partners without warning."

"The owners of those counters have been looking for them lately."

"It got so bad one day that the police were called."

Jiang Luo stopped looking at the accounts and listened quietly.

Accountant Xue continued, "And that’s not all."

"I also heard that after those expensive foreign brands came in, the mall started running all sorts of promotions—discounts, minimum-spend deals."

"Except for those high-end foreign brands, they forced every other brand and counter in the mall to participate."

"Because of these promotions, Pacific’s been swamped lately, but I heard the counters aren’t making any money. Some are even losing it."

Jiang Luo thought for a moment and said, "It’s to attract foot traffic."

"Exactly."

Accountant Xue analyzed, "It’s all to draw crowds. With all these promotions, the counters and brands aren’t profiting. So why do it? It’s all for those expensive foreign brands."

"I really don’t get what’s so special about those foreign brands that Pacific would go this far."

Accountant Xue added with relief, "Good thing we never got a counter there back then. Otherwise, we’d be sucked into this mess too."

It clicked for Jiang Luo—Li Fengrui had brought in those luxury international brands.

He was aiming to create a high-end mall, lifting Pacific above Haicheng’s four major department stores and making it the top one.

For that goal, Li Fengrui wouldn’t care about the other brands and counters in the mall.

He wanted to build momentum for the luxury brands and attract customers. He wasn’t going to pay for it—the cost would fall on the other brands and counters.

Accountant Xue wasn’t wrong. If Vilanido had gone in back then, they would undoubtedly have been used as well.

Or rather, when Li Fengrui initially wanted Vilanido to enter Pacific, it was only to use their brand to draw some traffic.

In the end, they would have ended up like all the other brands at Pacific—cannon fodder for those foreign luxury brands.

Heh.

Jiang Luo smirked and went back to reviewing the accounts.

What could he even say about it?

Only that he was glad he’d been arrogant and independent enough not to board Li Fengrui’s bad deal back then.

Otherwise, he would definitely have been sold out today too.

Sly fox.

Jiang Luo cursed silently in his mind.

But then again, wasn’t Jiang Luo himself also a fox... or something?

—

That evening, Jiang Luo returned first to the townhouse on Wukang Road. He went straight up to the third floor, entered his bedroom, and showered in the en suite bathroom.

After his shower, he stepped out with a large towel wrapped around his waist, his hair dripping, not blown dry, barefoot, no slippers. He left a trail of water droplets on the floor as he walked—his mobile phone, left on the bed, was ringing. Perfect timing—he’d just finished showering, so he came out to answer it.

The door to his bedroom was still wide open, not closed at all.

So when Huo Zongzhuo returned home, went upstairs, and passed by, he caught a glimpse into Jiang Luo’s bedroom and saw this scene:

Jiang Luo was shirtless, a large white towel wrapped around his waist and below, his hair still dripping with water.

Under the light, beads of water could clearly be seen tracing from the ends of his hair down his back, following the curve of his pale, bare spine, slowly moving downward, passing over the slight dip of his narrow waist, and finally landing on the towel wrapped around him.

Huo Zongzhuo wasn’t prepared for the sight. He froze, his throat unconsciously bobbing.

Jiang Luo sensed movement, turned around while still on the phone, glanced at Huo Zongzhuo, lifted a brow as if saying: Back? I’m on the phone.

Then he turned back to continue his conversation.

Not long after, while Jiang Luo was still talking on the phone, suddenly, a white towel dropped over his head.

Huh?

Jiang Luo looked back. Huo Zongzhuo had come to his side, without a word, and began rubbing his hair dry with the towel. After drying his hair, he tossed the towel over Jiang Luo’s shoulders. Jiang Luo, still on the phone, smiled and gave Huo Zongzhuo a playful look.

Huo Zongzhuo showed no expression, only an unnoticed "subtle glance"—he lowered his gaze and caught sight of the young man's torso: pale, taut and lean, with an exceptionally narrow waist. Two indented lines traced down his sides, disappearing into the towel wrapped around his waist.

A born homosexual, Huo Zongzhuo couldn't remain unmoved. Though his expression remained still, the flames inside him shook violently.

To make matters worse, Jiang Luo, still on the phone, casually lifted his arm and draped it over Huo's shoulder, continuing his conversation on the cell phone.

Thus, Huo Zongzhuo caught another whiff of the fresh, watery scent and the fragrance of Lux soap from Jiang Luo.

This scent made Huo Zongzhuo involuntarily roll his Adam's apple again.

It even stayed with him later when he returned to his room to shower. The moment he smelled the same soap fragrance, his mind was filled with Jiang Luo—Jiang Luo's half-naked body, his lean, narrow waist, and the water droplets tracing down the curve of his spine...

Huo Zongzhuo didn't want to, but he ended up spending quite a long time in his private bathroom.

When he emerged, his expression seemed both satisfied and yet wanting more.