Chapter 106: Downcast Men
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“I’m going to add another criterion. If you agree to it, then I will transfer Luo’s Workshop to your name. Hereafter, it will become your personal company that belongs solely to you. How about that?” Chu Yunxiong said with a smile. However, he was hiding too many things behind that smirk, so Xiao Luo couldn’t distinguish his genuine thoughts.
“Tell me about it,” said Xiao Luo.
Chu Yunxiong picked up the IOU in front of him. Vibrant lights danced in his turbid, older eyes as he said, “Didn’t you already promise me 600 million dollars in profits one year from now? Now, let’s add another term. If you fail to pay back the 600 million after a year, you will come to work at the Chongshan House.”
Chu Yunxiong’s motive was apparent. He wanted Xiao Luo to remain under his control and work for him.
The last thing that Xiao Luo wanted was to be restricted. Otherwise, when Chu Yunxiong had said three days ago that he was going to let him manage Luo’s Workshop, he wouldn’t have given it any consideration. Nonetheless, Chu Yunxiong’s words had undoubtedly incited Xiao Luo’s will to fight and his desire for challenge.
“Deal!”
That convincing one-word reply echoed in the vast office hall.
Chu Yunxiong froze for a moment then asked, “Are you not going to give it any more consideration?”
“No.”
“If you fail, then you will need to work for me for lif—”
“I will not fail,” Xiao Luo interrupted with a smile. Deep within his eyes, there was calmness and absolute composure.
Chu Yunxiong nodded and said, “Luo, I admire this part of you!”
He clapped his hands. Leng Zuo pushed open the door and walked in with a stack of doc.u.ments. Ge Zhongtian, a lawyer from the Jiangcheng Law Firm, came in with him. To be legitimate, the transfer of corporate shares had to be conducted by a lawyer.
Xiao Luo signed his name and stamped his thumbprint in the bottom corner of each doc.u.ment. Although taking over Luo’s Workshop had been a short-term plan, after he signed the papers to transfer the shares, Xiao Luo felt a little bit of pressure in his heart. After all, right now, Luo’s Workshop was like a camel that was starving to death. Everything rested on Xiao Luo’s ability to save this camel from the brink of destruction.
Luo’s Workshop was going to be his first stepping-stone in the business world!
“Mr. Chu, if there’s nothing else, then I’ll be leaving.”
Xiao Luo filed away the signed doc.u.ments in his briefcase. From this moment on, he was now the master of Luo’s Workshop. The business’ day to day operations would no longer have any ties to Chu Yunxiong. Gain or loss, Xiao Luo would be the one to bear them all.
“Chu Yue is always asking me about your whereabouts. See…”
“I don’t want anything to do with anyone at Huaye. They have their lives, and I have mine. If we insist on barging into each other’s worlds, then somebody will inevitably get hurt,” Xiao Luo said faintly.
Chu Yunxiong nodded and said, “Alright. I know what to do.”
******
“It’s done?”
“Yeah,” Xiao Luo nodded.
Zhang Dashan glanced at the stack of doc.u.ments finalizing the share transfer inside Xiao Luo’s briefcase. He couldn’t contain the excitement on his face. Xiao Luo was about to soar high up into the sky. As his good old brother, Zhang Dashan certainly had to follow him. Just the thought itself sent him into a tizzy.
“Hahaha!” he couldn’t help but crack up.
“Luo’s Workshop has nothing to do with you, so why are you so hyped up?” Xiao Luo rolled his eyes at his friend.
Zhang Dashan abruptly bottled up his laughter and shot back, “What the heck? What do you mean, big boss? Wanna burn the bridge after crossing it? Or do you wanna kill the donkey the moment it leaves the millstone?”
Xiao Luo sneered at him, “And what exactly would you do were I to give you an in?”
“Hey, you little chicken sh*t. I said I’d be the a.s.sistant GM. I didn’t work at the bank for three years for fun, you know? At least my network is wider than yours, and I know a few of the bosses from various sectors,” Zhang Dashan said.
“Fine, fine. Go get your car. Let’s find someplace to fill our bellies,” Xiao Luo s.h.i.+fted the conversation topic.
Xiao Luo would definitely not turn his back on Zhang Dashan. Although he was now the boss of Luo’s Workshop, aside from the shop manager, Sun Jian’nan, he didn’t know any of his staff. Zhang Dashan would have had to be involved in Luo’s Workshop even if he hadn’t wanted to be. With his good old brother there with him, they could keep an eye on a lot of things while taking care of each other.
“Alrighty, boss!”
Zhang Dashan took the lead and dove into his role as a.s.sistant general manager. He chuckled and revved up the engine.
In a while, they came to a stop in front of a ca.s.serole porridge shop. After locking the car, the two friends casually strolled inside.
They ordered servings of beef, vegetables, and a large dish of ca.s.serole porridge and swiftly began eating. When they were halfway through their meal, five men walked in and sat down at a big table nearby.
Xiao Luo glanced at them and was slightly startled. He couldn’t help but feel that this was a tiny world, for the five men were none other than Feng Wuhen and his gang.
At this moment, they were nothing like their former selves. They looked defeated, especially Feng Wuhen, who seemed as desolate as a tiger who has left his hills and descended to the plains. As they were many other customers in the shop, Feng Wuhen and his gang didn’t notice Xiao Luo.
“Brother Feng, the windmill factory called. They said that we aren’t suited to work as their security because we don’t even know how to use a computer.”
“The Longfa Supermarket also said that they no longer lack manpower. They told us to find work somewhere else.”
“The Tianyang Light Bulb Factory is hiring, but the wages they are offering are too low. They will only be giving us 1.4k, excluding meals and accommodation. If we work there, after deducting our expenditures, by the end of the month, we won’t even be left with a single cent.”
Their words in their entirety fell into Xiao Luo’s ears.
Xiao Luo couldn’t help but sigh and say, “There’s a saying that goes, ‘don’t bend your back for five dou of rice.’ But reality is cruel. Humans need to survive and live. Without five dou of rice, people starve to death. Even five competent men are unable to escape this fate.”
“Brother Feng, I think we should just go back to the Guangming district. Being a gangster is better than living like this,” Xiaowu, who had big round eyes, suggested.
“And how would we do that? We’ve offended the Dragon Gang. We should be thanking the Heavens that we escaped with our lives and go back, you say? They have thousands of people, and there are only five of us. You wanna go back to suicide?” said Feng Wuhen.
He finally understood how formidable the Dragon Gang really was. They were Jiangcheng City’s most prominent underground organization. With some three to four thousand members, one could say that their influence encompa.s.sed the entire Guangming district. If the five of them hadn’t fled, they would’ve been dead already.
Feng Wuhen guzzled down his tea and spoke again, undiscouraged, “Let’s hold out a while longer and find ourselves legit jobs. As long as the pay is decent, it’s fine if we need to suffer a little bit more. Alright, let’s drop the topic and eat. Order whatever you like. I still have some cash to spare.”
The other four men nodded and began browsing the menu.
“What are you looking at?” asked Zhang Dashan when he noticed Xiao Luo’s strange expression. “Is there a pretty lady?” Out of curiosity, he turned and looked in the direction where Xiao Luo was staring. He was immediately disappointed. “What the f*ck, bro? What’s so nice about five grown men? Don’t tell me you’re gay now.”
“Shut up!” Xiao Luo glared at him. Zhang Dashan truly exemplified the saying ‘a filthy mouth cannot utter decent language.’
In a short while, Xiao Luo and Zhang Dashan left the restaurant after finis.h.i.+ng their meal. Once Feng Wuhen and the rest of his gang had wolfed down their food, they too stood up and went to pay their bill.
However, the shop owner told them, “Your bill has already been paid.”
“Paid?” Feng Wuhen was shocked. He looked at the rest of them and asked, “Who paid for us?”
“Your friend. Oh yeah, he left you a note.” The shop owner took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Feng Wuhen.
When Feng Wuhen looked at the note, and his eyes instantly widened in shock. “Xiao Luo?”
Written on the paper was Xiao Luo’s contact information.
The other four were equally startled. They had not expected to meet Xiao Luo here. Nor could they ever have imagined that Xiao Luo would pay for their meal.
“He said that if you really have nowhere else to go, you can seek him out. He will give you all the help he can,” the shop owner conveyed Xiao Luo’s message.
Feng Wuhan felt warmth in his heart. Although it was only a meal, it truly meant a lot to them.