Chapter 105 Fulfillment

Chapter 105: Contentment

That evening, Jiang Luo returned home on Wukang Road for dinner, changing his shoes at the door, his good mood palpable.

Huo Zongzhuo was already in the kitchen, carrying freshly cooked dishes to the dining table.

Looking up, he saw Jiang Luo stride in briskly, flashing him a quick, eyebrow-raised smile. Puzzled, Huo Zongzhuo asked, “In such a good mood?”

“Yeah.”

Jiang Luo walked especially fast past the dining table, heading straight into the kitchen to wash his hands.

After washing up, he emerged, pulled out a chair, and sat down. Then he announced, “My deputy factory manager is finally divorcing his parasitic wife.”

Huo Zongzhuo knew Zhang Ningfu—the same man involved in the earlier car accident. Occasionally, during conversation, Jiang Luo had mentioned various people and matters from the factory.

Huo Zongzhuo: “Divorcing?”

“Yeah.”

Jiang Luo picked up his chopsticks and began eating. “Today, when I got back to the factory from Haimen, I saw a crowd gathered at the gate. That old woman was sitting on the ground, causing a scene. I told Lao San to let the dogs loose.”

Huo Zongzhuo laughed. “So those large wolfhounds I specifically helped you source from the countryside can be deployed like that.”

“Yeah.”

Between bites, Jiang Luo said, “Remember that girl you saw at the Hongming entrance before? The one who always waited for me at the gate?”

Huo Zongzhuo: “Mhm.”

Jiang Luo: “I’ve hired her to work for me.”

He then briefly explained Yu Dong’s situation. “She’s gone back to Singapore to shut down her factory there. Once she’s done, she’ll return to work for me.”

“Coincidentally, I needed someone anyway. I thought she had a good appearance, was bold, understood both interpersonal dynamics and business—so I brought her on to help expand the market.”

Huo Zongzhuo zeroed in on something else: “Her name is Yu Dong? What characters?”

Jiang Luo: "'Yu' like in *Yu the Beauty*—the poppy flower—and 'Dong' as in the season of winter."

Huo Zongzhuo noted silently—what a coincidence: the name sounded similar, and shared the same “Yu.”

His next question: “You think she’s pretty? You like her?”

Jiang Luo: “…”

He looked genuinely baffled, lifting his eyes. “What would I even like her for? I don’t date coworkers—I hired her to work.”

Huo Zongzhuo replied casually, “I was just asking.”

Jiang Luo gave him a skeptical look and complained, “Every time there’s a woman, you ask if I like her.”

Then he turned to Huo Zongzhuo and said, “No, no, no, no—okay?”

“I like you best.”

“I only like you.”

Huo Zongzhuo knew he was joking—but still couldn’t help laughing. “Alright, let’s eat.”

After dinner, Huo Zongzhuo collected the bowls and plates and placed them in the sink to soak. The cleaning lady would wash them the next morning.

Jiang Luo once again clung to Huo Zongzhuo like a little dog—his uninjured hand holding an apple, nibbling as he spoke: “You know, I’ve wanted Zhang Ningfu to get divorced for a long time.”

“He earns 200 yuan and sends 180 home.”

“He earns 500 and sends 450.”

“He earns 800 and sends 700.”

“He doesn’t smoke, drink, or have any hobbies. Even on his days off, he has to inspect sample garments and run the sewing machine for a while.”

“Even cattle don’t work this hard.”

“Now that he’s my factory manager, supervising workers, he no longer has to operate the sewing machine.”

“Believe it or not—if he kept pushing like that, he’d go blind.”

Huo Zongzhuo absorbed this and said, “You care about him a lot.”

Jiang Luo nodded, openly admitting, “Yeah—those who work for me are *my* people. I care about all of them.”

He offered an example: “Just like how Wang Chuang can’t go carousing when he’s out socializing.”

“I can’t just stand by and watch Zhang Ningfu devalue himself.”

Huo Zongzhuo waited while the water ran, then turned to look at the young man beside him and asked, “What about yourself?”

Jiang Luo shrugged, still nibbling the apple. “Why worry about me? I know how to have fun far better than they do.”

“If I earn money, I won’t give it to others—I’ll spend it lavishly and enjoy it myself.”

“It’s just that I don’t have a wife. If I were to marry, I’d never follow Zhang Ningfu’s example. I’d definitely marry someone beautiful, easy to talk to, caring—and someone I actually like.”

Huo Zongzhuo asked, genuinely curious: “What kind of girl do you like?”

Jiang Luo thought to himself—forget it. He didn’t really feel anything for women anymore. Men were better.

He turned to look at Huo Zongzhuo and said smoothly, “First, she absolutely has to be pretty.”

“Mhm—and then?”

Huo Zongzhuo’s tone and posture remained relaxed.

“And then…”

Jiang Luo paused, chewing thoughtfully on the apple. “Pretty, pretty, pretty.”

Huo Zongzhuo laughed. “No other requirements at all?”

Jiang Luo reflected inwardly—he didn’t need women, so what requirements could he possibly have? He replied, “Nope.”

“I don’t have parents, so she doesn’t need to be filial.”

“I earn plenty from the factory, so she doesn’t need to work to support the family.”

“I’m neither educated nor credentialed, so she doesn’t need so-called intellectual depth.”

“I know how to have fun on my own and can find enjoyment independently—so she doesn’t necessarily need to share my interests.”

"And life is just about eating, sleeping, chatting, and squabbling. As long as it’s with someone you like, you can always make it work."

Huo Zongzhuo got straight to the point: "So it’s about finding someone you like."

Jiang Luo thought to himself, "Obviously." Aloud, he said, "Of course."

Huo Zongzhuo summarized: "Pretty, and someone you like."

Jiang Luo immediately retorted, "Don’t just ask me—what are your requirements?"

Huo Zongzhuo turned off the faucet, leaned against the sink, and kept Jiang Luo right next to him. "No specific requirements. Same as you—just someone I like."

Jiang Luo glanced at him. "So what kind of person do you like?"

Huo Zongzhuo: "The pretty ones."

They both burst out laughing.

Jiang Luo chuckled and said, "We men really are pretty superficial, huh?"

—

With the factory building renovated, new equipment installed, and new HR and management systems in place, Hongming was now officially up and running again.

As for Shengfei Factory, the city and surrounding areas knew that Juxiang Town had a large clothing factory that made really beautiful clothes. Many clothing merchants came just to check out the situation or place orders.

Shengfei set up a small showroom to display various sample garments for buyers to browse and purchase.

The factory also used trucks to deliver clothes to the city and nearby towns, actively expanding their market.

Before long, the second-floor clothing section of the small marketplace where Jiang Luo and the others used to sell dolls was filled with clothes with "Shengfei Clothing" tags.

These clothes sold exceptionally well and for good prices.

In no time, nearly all the clothing vendors on that floor had heard about the Shengfei clothing factory in Juxiang Town.

When they chatted, they’d say:

"The clothes from that factory are so pretty."

"I went there—oh my god, the showroom was jam-packed, absolutely packed. Trying to pick clothes or place an order was a real struggle."

"Hey, I’m heading to Shengfei Factory tonight by car. Want to come along?"

"Yes, let’s go together. Their lace-trimmed blouses are flying off the shelves. I sold out my entire stock, and some customers are even waiting for my next shipment."

Fabric procurement, machine operation, worker production, finished garments, and sales shipments—the factory operated in four shifts a day. Loads of clothes were made and sold continuously, and gradually, both factories got on track, with money flowing increasingly faster and in larger amounts.

Jiang Luo was crazy busy—running between Juxiang Town and Haimen, inspecting sample garments for adjustments, selecting fabrics, hunkering down in his office designing new clothes, or checking on the progress of the new factory construction. The list went on.

He was swamped but loving it.

Of all these tasks, Jiang Luo’s favorite was sitting in his office designing clothes and selecting fabrics. During these times, he’d become totally zoned in, as if entering a flow state, and time would fly by.

And every time he saw the samples of his designs finalized, put into production, and turned into finished garments in various sizes, he felt a huge sense of accomplishment.

Watching vendors come through the newly opened side gate to purchase goods, seeing trucks come and go from the finished-garment warehouse, and watching the account balance grow day by day—Jiang Luo felt really solid.

The feeling of having his destiny and direction firmly in his own hands was truly wonderful.

Of course, there were occasional little bumps, like when Zhang Ningfu’s wife came to the factory gate several times to make a scene, once even calling the police.

Seeing that the old woman had got the police involved, Jiang Luo thought, "If she likes complaining to the police so much, fine."

He made a quick call to a police official he knew in Juxiang Town and gave a quick heads-up.

The next time the old woman showed up, a police car arrived right after her. She was taken in for disturbing the peace and never dared to come back.

Just a small bump in an otherwise smooth operation—Jiang Luo didn't give it a second thought.

With the factory running smoothly, Jiang Luo’s path forward only grew steadier.

About 20 days later, a stylish and beautiful woman arrived at the entrance of Shengfei Factory. She wore a blue-and-white checkered dress, high heels, sunglasses, and had bouncy brown curls.

She stepped out of a car with her suitcase, lifted her chin toward the factory gate, and removed her large sunglasses—revealing the familiar face of Yu Dong.

Yu Dong walked into the office, greeted Jiang Luo with a confident, bright smile, and said, "Hello, Mr. Jiang."

Jiang Luo leaned back in his chair and smiled. "You’re earlier than I expected. Is everything settled in Singapore?"

"Of course, all handled."

Yu Dong, holding her sunglasses, looked bright, bold, and stunning, with makeup and lipstick accenting her look.

She exuded confidence. "So, Mr. Jiang, what do you have planned for me?"

Jiang Luo personally took Yu Dong on a tour of the workshop. Despite Jiang Luo’s arm still in a sling, the two made a great-looking pair, turning heads as they walked.

As they strolled, Jiang Luo explained, "I have a brand called 'Vilanido,' sold in department stores. It may not compare to international luxury brands, but in the domestic market, it sits in the mid-to-high range."

"Right now, the brand has three counters in Haicheng and one in Jinling."

"Wang Chuang secured the Jinling counter. He was supposed to negotiate for more, but with the factory keeping him busy with frequent business trips, those plans got put on hold."

Yu Dong understood. "You want me to expand Vilanido's market?"

Jiang Luo: "Yes." He turned to her. "Can you do it?"

Yu Dong smiled confidently. "I certainly can, no problem. The question is whether your brand and clothes make the cut."

"Let’s see the clothes first."

When they reached the workshop and Yu Dong saw the latest summer dresses from Vilanido, her eyes lit up. "Not bad—very pretty." She nodded in approval. "They remind me of the clothes I bought in Singapore’s malls. Really nice."

Jiang Luo: "So the brand and clothes meet your standards?"

"You bet!"

Yu Dong, clearly knew her stuff, added, "If the clothes are pretty and the material is top-notch, there’s no way they won't sell."

Coming out of the workshop, Yu Dong walked with a confident stride in her high heels and asked Jiang Luo, "How much compensation are you planning to offer me?"

"Rest assured," Jiang Luo replied with confidence and composure, "It will definitely be a number that satisfies you."

He added, "When you’re on business trips, get receipts where possible and bring them back. Everything will be reimbursed."

Yu Dong smiled, "You’re the boss, so it’s your decision. I trust you."

Back in the office, they continued discussing Vilanido, which led to the topic of business trips to Beijing. Jiang Luo said, "As you expand the market, remember this: when socializing with clients, whether you drink or not is up to you, and whether you put on a smile or not is also your decision. Just use your best judgment."

"But there’s one rule here: in my factory and my company, the women working for me do not take off their clothes or provide sexual favors."

"The Chinese market is vast, and there will be more and more commercial centers in the future."

"If one market doesn’t work out, you can move on to another. If one business venue is inaccessible, there are always alternatives."

"You’re here to work based on your abilities, not your appearance or physical attributes."

Yu Dong replied, "Don’t worry."

"I appreciate that. I remember your words: once you take off your clothes, you can never put them back on."

Feeling a sense of gratitude, Yu Dong smiled and said, "Jiang Luo, you’re a good boss."

She walked over and extended her hand, "I’m very happy to become your employee and work with you."

Jiang Luo, who had been leaning back in his chair, sat up and shook her hand, "The pleasure is mine. Mutual success."

Yu Dong responded, "Mutual success indeed."