Chapter 142 Piano Melody

Chapter 142: The Piano Piece

Bai Ting and Wang Junwei had arrived in Shenzhen.

Firstly, they were there to sightsee and explore.

Secondly, they had been contemplating the idea of starting a small business in Shenzhen, hoping it would allow them to stay in the city and see their son more often.

Thirdly, with Wang Chuang now based in Shenzhen, the couple had discussed it. They had some spare cash—a tidy profit from selling pagers—and wanted to buy an apartment for Wang Chuang in Shenzhen. It could be his home now and serve as a marital home in the future.

“This is truly impressive,” Bai Ting and Wang Junwei remarked on their first visit to Shengfei Factory. After looking around, they were genuinely impressed by how well-managed it was.

Jiang Luo was indeed capable.

And their son was quite the accomplished young man too.

Upon entering Jiang Luo’s office, he told them, “Let Wang Chuang drive you around town.”

“Buy a place wherever you like.”

“Shenzhen’s development will be exceptional in the future, so any location is a good choice.”

Bai Ting also chatted with Jiang Luo, asking with concern, “Have you bought one? Do you plan to?”

She added, “A young man really should own his own property.”

Jiang Luo joked, “Auntie, are you buying it for me?”

“Absolutely, no problem!” Bai Ting replied magnanimously, “We may not earn as much as you, but we certainly have enough for a house.”

Jiang Luo reminded her, “Remember to buy in Haicheng as well.”

“Oh, definitely,” Bai Ting nodded knowingly. “I’ve already inquired. The properties in Gubei are excellent. Several of my friends who own shops have bought places there for their children. I’ll go take a look when I get back.”

This reminded Jiang Luo that he still hadn’t bought a property for himself. The houses he lived in—on Wukang Road, in Hong Kong, and in Silver Lake—were either under his name or had been purchased by Huo Zongzhuo.

It was time to buy a house.

So, when he had free time in Shenzhen, he visited several new developments. Back in Haicheng, he brought Zheng Bin along and went to Gubei.

Buying property wasn’t something Jiang Luo was familiar with. He didn’t have a clear concept of what constituted a good house, but one thing was certain: properties costing a few thousand per square meter were now too cheap and commonplace for him.

For him, buying a house was like buying vegetables at the market.

So, when the real estate agent showed him and Zheng Bin around, explaining the details of the properties, Jiang Luo didn’t pay much attention. He simply glanced around casually, noting the floor, the number of bedrooms, and the approximate square footage.

Zheng Bin, who was with him, also had no real concept of it and didn’t listen carefully. This young master had grown up in a villa and had never lived in an apartment. He found it small and was a bit disdainful.

“Aren’t there any villas? This is too small.”

Zheng Bin’s comment silenced the real estate agent, creating an awkward moment.

Jiang Luo, however, pointed casually inside and said, “Alright, this one.”

The agent was pleasantly surprised.

Jiang Luo added, “Make it five units.”

The agent was stunned.

“Five units?”

Zheng Bin, ever the copycat, immediately declared, “I want five units too!”

Jiang Luo ignored the agent, whose jaw had practically hit the floor, and chatted with Zheng Bin instead: “Do you have the money?”

“Nope,” Zheng Bin replied nonchalantly. “I’ll call my dad right away.”

“My dad said whatever you buy, I should follow suit. He’ll definitely give me the money.”

“Buying a house is no big deal.”

Jiang Luo found it amusing.

The agent was still picking his jaw up off the floor.

And so, just like that, Jiang Luo casually bought five apartments in Gubei, using the bank card Huo Zongzhuo had given him.

Fortunately, Gubei was a high-end residential project, and the sales office accepted credit cards. Otherwise, Jiang Luo would have had to withdraw cash from the bank.

After the purchase, Jiang Luo reflected on it and smiled—back when he first reincarnated, he had thought that once he had money, he would definitely buy a property in Gubei out of spite, because in his previous life, Zhao Guangyuan and Su Lan had helped Zhao Mingshi buy a house there.

Now, not only had he long left that family far behind, but he no longer even cared about Gubei properties. His purchase was entirely casual.

As he walked, Jiang Luo took out his mobile phone and called Huo Zongzhuo: “I used your card to buy five apartments in Gubei.”

Huo Zongzhuo replied, “Gubei properties are average.”

Then he asked, “Are you planning to live there?”

“No,” Jiang Luo said casually. “I’ll just leave them be. When the real estate industry takes off, prices will rise. Consider it a small investment.”

Before the Spring Festival, the Haicheng Chamber of Commerce held another banquet, but this time it was different—the chamber had organized a charity theme, which was meaningful and attracted many people.

Jiang Luo and Huo Zongzhuo both attended, arriving together.

As soon as they arrived, they were immediately swarmed by people eager to converse and socialize.

What was particularly special today was that many wealthy young masters and ladies from Haicheng had also come.

The hall was very lively.

Jiang Luo had just been chatting with Zheng Bin’s brother-in-law and a few others while holding a champagne glass when Chairman Qiu’s youngest daughter ran over and pulled him away.

“Enough chatting, I’m taking him with me,” Miss Qiu declared loudly and unreservedly.

Zheng Bin’s brother-in-law and the others didn’t mind. They smiled and let the young masters and ladies do as they pleased, noting, “They never used to come before, but today they’re all here.”

“No surprise, Jiang Luo is here,” someone responded.

“Master Jiang is now their ringleader.”

Jiang Luo was pulled away to play pool. A group of young people gathered, laughing and playing, which truly enlivened the banquet hall.

Chairman Qiu watched his youngest daughter following Jiang Luo around like a shadow and sighed inwardly, saying to those around him, “She doesn’t act like a girl at all; she’s so wild.”

Of course, the people around him started piling on the compliments for Miss Qiu.

Someone said, “Isn’t it great? They’d make such a cute couple. Master Jiang might become your son-in-law someday.”

“Exactly, where else could you find such an outstanding son-in-law? He’s one in a million.”

“In the end, it’s your daughter who’s impressive; she has great taste.”

That got a good laugh out of Chairman Qiu.

Huo Zongzhuo stood nearby, hands in pockets, sipping champagne with a calm and indifferent expression—naturally, he couldn't say much. He certainly couldn't announce publicly that Jiang Luo couldn't be Chairman Qiu's son-in-law because Jiang Luo was his.

Then, immediately, someone’s flattery missed the mark: “Mr. Huo and Master Jiang are so close. If those two young people got together, Chairman Qiu and Mr. Huo would be in-laws.”

Just as Chairman Qiu was about to laugh heartily, Huo Zongzhuo, holding his champagne, acted as if he hadn't heard, raised his glass toward someone in a certain direction, and walked away without a word.

The person who had just spoken: “...”

Awkward, truly awkward.

During the evening banquet, there was a grand piano in the hall. Originally, a hired pianist was playing, but after a while, that person was asked to step down, and the piano became a toy for the young masters and ladies. They took turns, each playing a little something.

Jiang Luo stood to the side, hands in his pockets, watching the young masters and ladies play the piano. Huo Zongzhuo came over at that moment, obviously trying to save Jiang Luo from feeling awkward, and said, “I can’t play either.”

Jiang Luo turned to look at him but said, “Do you want to listen? I’ll play for you.”

“You can play?” Huo Zongzhuo was surprised.

Jiang Luo winked at him.

So, after Miss Qiu finished playing a segment and scattered applause sounded, Jiang Luo walked over.

Miss Qiu had just stood up, surprised: “You can play too?”

Jiang Luo adjusted his cuffs casually: “What? Only you all can play?”

“You really can?” Miss Qiu got up from the piano bench.

Jiang Luo sat down, raised his hands, and touched the keys. The melody of a piece someone had played earlier started up softly—he really could play.

He looked casual and relaxed, like any guy his age, yet the tune flowed from the soundboard of the grand piano without a single wrong note. It was the familiar world-famous piece “Mariage d'Amour” (Wedding in a Dream).

Many people around were listening, watching Jiang Luo. No one there, whether they knew piano or not, could really tell how well he was playing, but everyone saw Jiang Luo playing so skillfully and naturally assumed he could play piano.

But Jiang Luo couldn't play piano for the life of him. His connection with the piano was limited to just this one piece, “Mariage d'Amour.”

Back in his previous life, Zhao Mingshi had played a piece in public, and Jiang Luo, not wanting to be outdone, had secretly gone to learn it. He spent a long time practicing until he mastered this one piece, the only piece he could play.

In the past, when Jiang Luo learned and played it, only his piano teacher had heard him. No one else had ever listened.

After he mastered it and stopped playing, he thought he would never touch a piano again.

But today, he played this one piece he knew for Huo Zongzhuo, the person he loved.

Jiang Luo was very happy inside; finally, his effort had paid off.

As he played, he turned to look at Huo Zongzhuo not far away and smiled—it was great. Learning the piano suddenly had meaning, not because of Zhao Mingshi, not because of his competitive streak.

But at the same time, Jiang Luo knew that in the eyes of many, especially Huo Zongzhuo, who was close to him, he shouldn't be able to play the piano.

Doing this would expose him.

But Jiang Luo didn't care. He had already told Huo Zongzhuo what the Oriental Pearl Tower was called.

He was prepared to share his secret.

Or rather, finally, he had someone he could share his secret with.

Sure enough, after finishing the piece and returning to Huo Zongzhuo's side, Huo Zongzhuo looked at him with a probing, thoughtful expression: “When did you learn to play the piano?”

Jiang Luo met the man's gaze naturally and easily, and smiled: “In my previous life.”

Then he added lightly: “Remember that time we were out on the boat from the fishing port in Shenzhen? I said it—in my previous life, I was human, and so were you.”

Huo Zongzhuo looked at him, recalling all the past inconsistencies he'd noticed—Jiang Luo speaking fluent English, his grasp of economic concepts like GDP, never showing much surprise in any situation, and having vision, courage, and savvy far beyond his years, among other things.

In the past, Huo Zongzhuo had never dwelled deeply on these oddities, but today, Jiang Luo playing a piano piece in public was almost explicitly telling him: Yes, nothing follows normal logic.

An ordinary young boy who grew up in a silk factory's tube apartment couldn't possibly speak fluent English, couldn't have learned to play the piano, and certainly couldn't understand things like GDP.

“You...”

Huo Zongzhuo had a guess in his heart, one even he found incredible.

But Huo Zongzhuo was, after all, Huo Zongzhuo. He didn't ask more or discuss anything. He just looked at Jiang Luo and, in the midst of the clinking glasses and constant chatter of the banquet hall, said softly to Jiang Luo: “Can I know your original name?”

Jiang Luo smiled, thinking, typical Huo Zongzhuo.

“Jiang Luo,” he said casually. “If not this, what else would I be called?”

Huo Zongzhuo gazed at him intently: “When was the Oriental Pearl Tower completed?”

Jiang Luo stepped closer, leaning close to his ear: “1994.”

Then he added: “In 1995, China's GDP reached over five trillion yuan.”

“In 1996, the Atlanta Olympics were held in the U.S., and China won 16 gold medals.”

“In 1997, the Asian financial crisis hit.”

“In 1998, China began ‘state retreat, private advance’ to develop the economy.”

“In 1999, the U.S. Nasdaq approached 5,000 points.”

“In the year 2000...”

Jiang Luo gave a soft chuckle, “I'm not telling you.”

With that said, he stepped back.

Huo Zongzhuo stared at Jiang Luo, his gaze gradually softening.

“Haven't we met before?”

He believed everything Jiang Luo had said.

Jiang Luo shrugged and said, “No, we didn’t.”

“We had no fate in our past lives,” Jiang Luo beamed before turning to leave and find some people to have fun with, “Only in this lifetime. You better cherish me.”

Just as Jiang Luo was about to walk away, Huo Zongzhuo suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist, staring intently at him, “So, what you said before was true.”

“There really was a fire that burned down the factory, wasn’t there?”

Jiang Luo smiled again, without confirming or denying it. He said, “I also said you got married, with three wives and ten sons.”

Huo Zongzhuo released his hand, “You don't want to talk about it?”

“Wait until we get home.”

Jiang Luo silently mouthed a reply, then turned away with a smile to go have fun.

Huo Zongzhuo stood still for a long time, watching the young man walk away—if this were true, then to him, Jiang Luo was a treasure given by fate.

“President Huo.”

Someone approached.

Huo Zongzhuo withdrew his gaze, turned around, clinked champagne glasses with the person, and continued socializing.

Huo Zongzhuo felt a pang of regret: How could they not have known each other in their previous life?

He was always a bit greedy when it came to Jiang Luo.

In this life, he was with Jiang Luo, but in the unreachable past, in that parallel universe, he wished that version of himself could also be with Jiang Luo.

They hadn't met? Never encountered each other?

Huo Zongzhuo thought that if they had ever met, given how he fell for Jiang Luo at first sight, he would have loved him no matter what.

Perhaps there really was no fate; they never met in their past lives.