Chapter 10 Rat-tat-tat

Chapter 10: Vroom Vroom Vroom

"Drive, drive to the edge of the city."

The car stereo played Jiang Jiang's playlist. He rested his head against the window, eyes half-lidded, watching the farmland and scattered villages fly by outside, humming along idly to the music.

Two days ago, the "love dinner" he and his second brother delivered to their eldest brother had been a smashing success.

It successfully cemented their big brother's conviction that "children shouldn't have too much free time."

So, early this morning, Assistant Qin had bundled the two of them into a car and sent them to the "Cloud Water Stream" resort, which the Jiang Group had newly developed last year, located 30 kilometers outside the city.

The place not only boasted top-notch facilities and service, but it also offered a taste of rustic fun. Although expensive, it had been getting rave reviews since opening.

However, a while back, the group received an anonymous report alleging that someone at the resort was passing off inferior goods as premium ones to profit from the price difference.

This matter wasn't exactly huge; for the vast Jiang Group, this resort was just a very small asset. But it wasn't exactly small either. After all, if it were truly exposed, the Jiang Group's reputation could be damaged, potentially affecting the stock price.

Jiang Huaijin had put it like this: "Go have some fun, and look into things while you're there."

Jiang Huaiyu understood perfectly well that their eldest brother had most likely already formed a special investigation team. Sending the two of them here was purely to get them farther away for some peace and quiet.

But Jiang Jiang clearly didn't think so.

Ever since the car entered the resort's territory, he had squished his face against the window, his eyes lit up as he looked outside.

Seeing his younger brother's sneaky yet dead-serious expression, Jiang Huaiyu couldn't help but facepalm.

*Bump, bump, bump.*

It was the sound of Jiang Jiang's head rhythmically bumping against the window as the car went over speed bumps.

Jiang Huaiyu glanced over and chuckled.

"Doesn't that hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt; it's actually kind of comfortable. Second Brother, do you want to try?"

Jiang Huaiyu suspected Jiang Jiang was pulling his leg.

"Really." Jiang Jiang's eyes were full of sincerity.

*Bump, bump, bump.*

*Bump, bump, bump.*

......

Jiang Huaiyu sat up, smiled to himself, thinking that Jiang Jiang was indeed pulling his leg.

"Hahahahahahaha." Jiang Jiang finally couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

Hearing his younger brother's laughter, Jiang Huaiyu confirmed it: Jiang Jiang *was* messing with him.

He raised his hand, placed it on Jiang Jiang's head, and ruffled his hair vigorously a few times, only stopping when it was a tousled mess, satisfied.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Jiang Jiang didn't move, letting his second brother mess up his hair.

......

The car finally stopped at the resort's artfully designed main entrance.

A personal concierge was already waiting there.

Both of them had the Jiang Group's black cards, entitling them to the highest level of service. But since this was an undercover visit, they were using the identity of ordinary guests.

Jiang Jiang, keeping his eldest brother's assigned task firmly in mind, began scanning the surroundings as they checked in, looking curious about everything.

The butler leading them, seeing Jiang Jiang's "Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden" demeanor and glancing at the ordinary suite they had booked, a trace of barely noticeable contempt flashed in his eyes, and a note of impatience crept into his tone: "Sir, do you have... any opinions about our decor...?"

Before Jiang Jiang could speak, Jiang Huaiyu's face turned cold first.

Being well-traveled, he was all too familiar with this kind of snobbish attitude that judged people by their appearance.

"Opinions, no," Jiang Huaiyu stepped forward, slightly shielding Jiang Jiang behind him, his tone flat yet carrying pressure, "but I've certainly gained some insight. Is this the attitude your resort's employee training teaches you to treat guests with?"

It seemed this resort had more problems than just substituting inferior goods; the service attitude was also an issue.

That butler had heard some internal investigation rumors yesterday and was already annoyed. Seeing these two, although well-dressed, weren't staying in a luxury suite and probably wouldn't yield much tip, his attitude became even more lax.

Being confronted by Jiang Huaiyu, his face fell. While saying "I'm sorry, you've misunderstood," he couldn't help but roll his eyes when he lowered his head.

He thought he'd gotten away with it, but to his surprise, the next second, Jiang Jiang's face suddenly appeared right in front of his, almost nose to nose!

He was startled and jerked his head up.

The young man also straightened up, looking at him with an innocent expression.

The butler's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

The butler's face changed colors repeatedly, a spectacular display.

Not far away, another butler who appeared more composed noticed the commotion and quickly walked over to inquire.

Jiang Jiang immediately switched to a woeful expression, pointing at that butler: "Your butler here... I've never been 'bullied' like this in my entire life!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for several people nearby to hear, the tail end of his sentence carrying just the right amount of tremor.

Butler: ???

Wait, explain clearly, when did he ever bully him?

Seeing him like this, Jiang Huaiyu immediately picked up the cue seamlessly, "Exactly, my younger brother here insisted on drinking dew water every morning when he was little, so we had to collect it every morning. He's never suffered such great grievance before."

"Wah." Jiang Jiang lifted his arm, pretending to wipe away tears, and incidentally elbowed his second brother in the side.

What nonsense was he spouting?

Jiang Huaiyu grunted and continued talking nonsense.

He got elbowed again.

In the end, they were assigned a different butler and compensated with a room upgrade.

After checking in, Jiang Huaiyu lifted his shirt to look; the spot where his younger brother had elbowed him was already starting to turn blue.

......

Jiang Jiang stood on the balcony. The scenery outside was exceptionally pleasant: blue sky, white clouds, green trees, and verdant mountains—a veritable natural oxygen bar.

He gripped the railing with both hands and sucked in great lungfuls of air.

"Awesome!"

The birds scattered in all directions.

After feasting his eyes on the beautiful scenery, Jiang Jiang returned to the room and diligently completed his evidence-gathering task, snapping pictures of every item in the room before heading out to have some fun.

......

On a small path near the resort restaurant.

"Professor Jiang, don't push your luck!" A pot-bellied, balding middle-aged man, his face sour with displeasure, tried to grab the arm of the person opposite him, only to be deftly avoided once again.

Jiang Heyao's face was as cold as frost, his tone dropping to freezing point: "Mr. Wang, please show some self-respect. Regarding the project investment, if you lack sincerity, there's no need for us to continue talking."

This Mr. Wang was someone he had met at an academic summit before, who claimed to be very interested in the artificial intelligence project they were developing and was willing to invest.

Jiang Heyao initially thought he had encountered a patron who recognized his talent, but it turned out the other party had ulterior motives. After several communications, his intentions became increasingly blatant.

"Sincerity? What do you mean I'm not sincere?" Mr. Wang gave an oily chuckle, his greedy eyes roaming over Jiang Heyao's strikingly beautiful face. "My sincerity is boundless! As long as you nod, money is no problem..."

As he spoke, he took another step closer, his greasy hand reaching out again.

Jiang Heyao's disgust had peaked. He was considering whether a straightforward shoulder throw or a knee to the groin would better constitute self-defense.

"Ugh, so smelly." A clear, bright voice tinged with exaggerated disdain abruptly cut in.

Jiang Jiang appeared as if out of thin air, positioning himself between Jiang Heyao and Mr. Wang.

He covered his nose, frowned, and fixed his gaze on the bald Mr. Wang: "Seems like that smell is coming from you."

Mr. Wang was stunned for a moment before flying into a rage: "Who the hell are you calling smelly?!"

Jiang Jiang ignored him. Instead, he turned and grabbed Jiang Heyao's arm, pulling him back a couple of steps. His tone was concerned and innocent: "Brother, don't stand so close to the trash can. You'll get stunk up, and it's very unhygienic."

"Who the hell are you calling a trash can?!" Mr. Wang's face flushed red with anger, his voice suddenly rising sharply.

Only then did Jiang Jiang deign to look at him, blinking.

Trying to out-shout me, huh?

He took a deep breath and, with a voice louder and clearer than Mr. Wang's, rapidly fired off like a little cannon:

"Whoever responds is! Looking like a walking marinated egg is bad enough, but your mind is so filthy too! Can't you see he doesn't want to talk to you? Clinging on like a piece of sticky candy—this isn't persistence, it's harassment! Harassment, understand? It's illegal! Dressed all proper on the outside, but doing nothing decent. Do you think having a few lousy bucks makes you something special? Let me tell you, for a guy whose brain is filled with nothing but dirty thoughts, no amount of money can cover up the stench you radiate from the inside out!"

His words were rapid-fire, each syllable crisp and clear, like a machine gun barrage. Mr. Wang was left dumbfounded, trying several times to interject but being cut off each time. His face turned from red to green to black, pointing at Jiang Jiang and stammering "you... you... you..." for a long while, unable to form a complete sentence.

A few scattered guests nearby had been drawn by the commotion, casting curious and disapproving looks.

Under the strange gazes of the crowd, even with his thick skin, Mr. Wang couldn't stay any longer. He finally shot Jiang Jiang a fierce glare and practically fled in disgrace.

"Hmph!" Jiang Jiang puffed out his chest like a little rooster who had just won a battle, the stubborn cowlick on his head standing up triumphantly.

Looking at the young man before him, Jiang Heyao felt a surge of warmth in his heart, his earlier frustration melting away.

He couldn't help but reach out and gently pinch that lively cowlick, his voice carrying genuine laughter: "Thank you, Jiang Jiang."

"You're welcome~"

To thank him for intervening, Jiang Heyao insisted on treating him to a meal.

Jiang Jiang didn't refuse either. He had felt a fondness for this teacher since their first meeting.

The two sat down in the restaurant, the atmosphere easy and comfortable.

Jiang Heyao felt Jiang Jiang was truly a very interesting person.

His likes and dislikes were written all over his face, pure and straightforward. Being with him was comfortable.

"Did you come here alone?" Jiang Heyao asked casually after handing the menu to Jiang Jiang.

"No, I came with my second brother," Jiang Jiang scratched his cheek. "But he said he needed to catch up on sleep, so I came out to play by myself first."

"Second brother?"

"Yeah, I have two older brothers." Mentioning his family, Jiang Jiang's tone unconsciously carried a hint of pride. "My eldest brother is amazing! He's just too busy with work..."

The eldest brother he mentioned was currently in a meeting with the board of directors.

A board member looked at Jiang Huaijin and asked, "Why would the Lu family offer us such favorable terms in this cooperation?"

He had heard of Lu Nanzhou before. Those who had dealt with him described him as cold and ruthless.

"For this cooperation, although it's said to be mutually beneficial, if it's truly realized, it actually provides significant assistance to the Lu family. They've always wanted to enter this industry but never had the right opportunity." Jiang Huaijin paused before continuing, "It's also..."

"A gesture of goodwill." Lu Nanzhou clinked glasses with Shen Muzhi and took a sip. "Jiang Huaijin is a smart man. The Jiang family will undoubtedly reach new heights under his leadership, so this deal isn't a loss."

Moreover, that day, he really did want to end the negotiations earlier, mainly because seeing Jiang Huaijin kept reminding him of the morning's events.

Shen Muzhi also took a sip. "You businesspeople really have a lot of schemes."

"By the way, I heard you got your brother to join the company?" Shen Muzhi remembered this and asked.

"Yeah." Lu Nanzhou rubbed his temples.

Thinking about it gave him a headache. He didn't know what other people's younger brothers were like, but his own seemed to be at odds with the whole world.

After just one day at the company, the kid had already slipped away, and he had no idea where he'd gone.

......

Lu Xingye stood on a country path and sneezed.

He wanted to go find Jiang Heyao, but halfway there, his motorcycle had broken down in this middle-of-nowhere place.

If his brother hadn't frozen his cards, he wouldn't have thought of riding a motorcycle here.

As the sky began to darken, Lu Xingye felt a bit uncertain. Was he going to have to spend the night outdoors?

"Achoo, achoo, achoo."

After the sun set, the temperature dropped quickly.

A gust of wind blew by.

Shiver, shiver, shiver.

As the sky grew darker, the temperature kept falling.

"Put-put-put, put-put-put."

Lu Xingye, who had been squatting by his motorcycle, stood up and looked toward the source of the sound. He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the somewhat glaring light, squinting to see.

A tractor was slowly approaching.

Author's note:

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Put-put-put, who could it be? [dog head]