Ch. 1321..1330
Chapter 1321: 1320 Zhuang Liu is jealous
Laka wasn’t just interested in purchasing 100 massage chairs, but also in various other items, totaling 12 categories. This was a huge business deal, and Tan Rou wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to make some good money. So, she spent this period busily working on the partnership, either taking Laka and Mr. Lin on tours of factories or introducing Laka to the local customs and traditions, treating him much like an esteemed guest.
The exhibitions at TR Mall hadn’t come to an end, but they had now been changed to once a day. On the days when the exhibit was closed, Tan Rou gave her staff a holiday to rest and recharge.
During this time, Tan Rou gave herself some time off as well. She decided to put off thinking about developing new products and let her mind rest for a while.
And although she had claimed to be on holiday, she wasn’t idle at all. In fact, she was spending every day accompanying a major client on tours of the Capital.
Originally, Mr. Lin served as Laka’s sole interpreter, but after Tan Rou joined them, Laka gained a second interpreter, which greatly relieved Mr. Lin. He even found time to visit his family. If he stayed away from home too long, his parents and siblings might start to suspect he was planning to emigrate to Country J.
To be honest, Mr. Lin could imagine visiting Country J for tourism or work, but he could never settle down there. He couldn’t get used to the food. He preferred his own home-cooked rice over bread with wine any day.
With Mr. Lin taking time off, Tan Rou was left as the sole interpreter. Fortunately, Prince Laka had paid half the fee upfront, or Tan Rou might not have been willing to accompany Prince Laka in soaking up the sun.
In July, the Capital was scorched by a fierce sun, and the weather was incredibly hot. Tan Rou felt like she was going to melt away. But for the sake of the project, she had to endure it for a while longer.
Tan Rou could bear the heat, but there was someone else who couldn’t.
“What? Tan Rou went out to play with that prince again today?” Zhuang Liu’s face contorted upon learning that Tan Rou had left the house. He couldn’t maintain his usual calm and collected demeanor and instead resembled the wicked villains from fairy tales, “Has that prince poisoned Tan Rou or something? Why else would she keep going out with him? It won’t do. I have to go see for myself and rescue Tan Rou.”
Xiao Mo wiped the sweat from his forehead and patiently advised, “Head of the Zhuang family, Miss Rou is simply working diligently. Wouldn’t your presence affect her work?”
It was quite normal to accompany clients. When significant foreign business partners arrived to discuss deals, Zhuang Liu would also show them around the country and then prepare some gifts for them to take home. This was an unavoidable part of business.
But Zhuang Liu couldn’t help it. He did not want to see Tan Rou getting too close to other men, as though they might steal his Tan Rou away from him.
“It’s fine. I’ll just say I’m there for work too,” Zhuang Liu thought of a plan. “Xiao Mo, go find me a foreign client and ask him to come here immediately. I’ll treat him to a meal and let him enjoy a few days here. I’ll accompany him to see the sights of the Capital.”
“Ah?” Xiao Mo looked at Zhuang Liu in disbelief, “Head of the Zhuang family, don’t you detest idle excursions with clients?”
Zhuang Liu replied seriously, “People change. Is there something wrong with suddenly wanting to explore the Capital?”
Xiao Mo didn’t believe for a second that Zhuang Liu wanted to tour the Capital. He was convinced that Zhuang Liu wanted to find Miss Rou but felt embarrassed to disturb her at work, hence he came up with this plan.
It seemed the older he got, the more childish he became. The Zhuang Liu of the past was an extremely aloof CEO, but ever since he got a girlfriend, he had become quite childish, the kind that needed his wife’s cajoling.
If he wasn’t afraid of having his wages docked by Zhuang Liu, Xiao Mo would have loved to grab him by the ears and shout, “Head of the Zhuang family, can’t you avoid a rebellious teenage phase at nearly thirty? Can’t you act a bit more mature? Please stop chasing after Miss Rou incessantly; she’s very busy!”
Unfortunately, Xiao Mo didn’t dare say it out loud. He could only complain to himself silently and then go home and tell his wife about it.
“Don’t just stand there, get moving!” Zhuang Liu urged desperately, “If we’re any later, that prince will be heading home.”
Chapter 1322: 1321 Encounters
Tan Rou had brought Prince Laka to a popular spot just outside the Capital today, and since it was the summer holidays, all the major sites in the Capital were crowded. To prevent Laka from getting lost in the crowd, Tan Rou had to stick close to him at all times.
“Prince Laka, please stay close to me and do not stray from my sight. There are too many people here, and if we get separated, I might not be able to find you,” Tan Rou said as she handed Laka an item, “This is a locator produced by our company. Keep it on you, and I’ll be able to see your location on my phone at all times. Of course, if you feel this invades your privacy, you don’t have to wear it.”
Tan Rou had realized just how absent-minded Laka could be; he was constantly daydreaming. If she didn’t keep a close eye on him, he could disappear right under her nose.
Having no other choice, Tan Rou had to provide Laka with a locator in the hopes that he wouldn’t get lost again.
Prince Laka was resistant to the locator. He didn’t like the feeling of being tracked, nor the idea of someone else controlling his whereabouts, but the place was too crowded, and he too was worried about getting lost, so he reluctantly wore the locator.
Tan Rou was truly puzzled. Since Prince Laka was prone to getting lost, why didn’t he carry a communication device? Upon observation, she noticed that his clothes had no pockets, not even a place to put such a device if he wanted to.
Therefore, Tan Rou had someone quickly modify a locator so that it could be worn on the person’s hand and included basic call functions. This way, when Laka got lost, Tan Rou could immediately pinpoint his location and tell him not to wander off.
“Miss Rou, you have to come and see this—there are so many huge people inside this mountain!” Laka exclaimed, apparently having spotted something.
In her mind, Tan Rou thought that the mountain was full of people anyway, but she still headed over to where Laka was.
It was only when Tan Rou climbed the steps that she realized what had surprised Laka, as the people inside the mountain were not real people but were carved out of stone.
Their location was probably at the base of a cliff of a mountain. The opposite mountain was elevated, and the fracture exposed vast patches of hard rocks. On these patches, there were caves, each filled with many stone statues.
“How did these stones turn into people?” Laka asked curiously, “There’s water below and nearly vertical cliffs above. How were these people carved out?”
Upon closely observing the carvings, Tan Rou noticed thick moss and clear watermarks in many areas, so these were certainly not carved recently; they must be several centuries old.
It was her first time here too; before arriving, all she knew was that the scenery was nice, but had no idea there were so many carvings, so she didn’t answer Prince Laka’s question.
“This is the Thousand Gods Wall, carved between the years 725 and 750 CE,” a familiar voice said near Tan Rou’s ear, but the person spoke in Japanese, so she didn’t immediately realize who he was, “It mainly depicts the scenes of celestial life imagined by ancient people, with a total of 1123 deities carved.”
“Given the social backdrop at that time, there were no elevators nor large machinery. All these caves and deity statues were chiselled out bit by bit by the people of that era,” the man continued, “Isn’t that amazing?”
Tan Rou smiled slyly and then replied in her own language, “Running into you here is also quite an amazing occurrence.”
Zhuang Liu chuckled and said, “Do you think our meeting here is a coincidence, then?”
Tan Rou helplessly replied, “I’m just here for work, you don’t need to be so anxious. Besides, this prince isn’t as handsome as you. I’m not likely to fall for him.”
Zhuang Liu gently wrapped his arms around Tan Rou’s waist from behind, “I know you wouldn’t like him, but I can’t help but worry about you. What if this foreign prince is a bad guy?”
Tan Rou pursed her lips and responded, “Then Mr. Zhuang Liu would have no choice but to accompany me and protect this frail woman at all times.”
Chapter 1323: The 1322 Locator works very well.
Zhuang Liu was very happy. He had been prepared for Tan Rou to reject his company, but he didn’t expect her to agree. Now, he was determined to make the most of this opportunity.
“Tan Rou, whatever you want to know, I will tell you,” Zhuang Liu said like a top-rated tour guide, “I’m familiar with all the scenic spots in the Capital. Just ask your questions, and I can definitely answer them.”
Tan Rou wasn’t interested in the scenic areas and didn’t want to study them in detail. Therefore, before bringing Laka, she hadn’t looked at the guide; she had just seen that it was popular online and decided to bring Laka here. Had she known it was this crowded, she would have preferred taking Laka to a rural family fun fishing trip.
However, Laka seemed very interested, his eyes lighting up like they had bulbs installed the moment he saw the “Thousand Gods Wall.”
“Are you very free right now?” Tan Rou asked.
Zhuang Liu replied, “Not free. Today I came to accompany a foreign client.”
Tan Rou glanced around. Laka was the only foreigner present – there were no other foreign clients. “Where is your client, then?”
Zhuang Liu generously admitted, “I got separated from them, but it’s okay. Xiao Mo will be with him, and they have more topics in common.”
Tan Rou smiled knowingly. She didn’t want to ask whether Zhuang Liu had truly gotten separated from them or had intentionally ditched them. In any case, Zhuang Liu being in front of her now was all that mattered.
“Then let’s all walk together,” Tan Rou suggested. “Laka has his bodyguards to protect him, and since I didn’t bring any bodyguards, I’ll have to rely on Mr. Zhuang Liu for protection.”
Zhuang Liu immediately felt useful, and he said firmly, “Tan Rou, rest assured, I will definitely not let you get hurt.”
So the two of them walked together, while Laka and his bodyguards walked on their own. As they walked, they became separated.
“This place is quite fun,” Tan Rou commented. “The snacks taste good too. We could come here again.”
Zhuang Liu said, “There are many fun places in the Capital. We are always too busy to come and have fun. When we both are free on weekends, we can drive around the vicinity. A two-day trip would suffice.”
2
Tan Rou nodded, “Good, let’s not travel far this summer vacation and just tour around the Capital.”
The two continued to walk forward, as if they were on a date, so captivated by each other that they saw no one else. This led to them realizing only too late that Laka had disappeared, and they found just his two bodyguards following Tan Rou.
Both bodyguards were very scared about Laka being lost again. If something happened to the prince, they would surely meet a dreadful fate.
“Miss Rou, Prince Laka is missing. Can you help us find him?” one bodyguard asked urgently. “He was with us until ten minutes ago, and then suddenly, he was gone. The other bodyguards are also missing. Although they might have all disappeared together, I think we should find the prince soon, or I will definitely lose my job.”
Naturally, Tan Rou wouldn’t want these bodyguards to lose their jobs. She took out her mobile phone and Bluetooth headset from her pocket and fiddled around casually. Soon, Prince Laka’s location appeared on her phone screen.
“Good lord, how did he get so far?” Tan Rou checked the map’s distance and said, “If we let him keep going, he might end up deep in the woods.”
Zhuang Liu came over to look and said when he saw the point on the screen, “Don’t worry, there are no large wild animals in this area, so Laka should be safe.”
“I’m worried he might fall into deep water below. If something were to happen to him here, I would be in big trouble,” Tan Rou said as she clipped the Bluetooth headset onto her ear and continued, “I’ve told Laka to stay put and wait for me. If we let him walk on his own, there’s no telling where he might end up.”
Fortunately, a locator had been placed on Laka at the beginning. Otherwise, it might have been really difficult to find Laka now. Other tracking systems could only provide approximate locations, but Tan Rou’s locator was different—it could pinpoint a location within one meter.
Chapter 1324: I want to buy 1323
“There are steps fifty meters ahead, walk carefully…” a familiar mechanical voice came through the earpiece.
As Tan Rou followed the instructions, she spoke to the bodyguards, “Don’t get excited, can you keep it down? Stop making noise behind me, I can barely hear the instructions inside.”
The two bodyguards were indeed terrified of being punished, so they kept asking Tan Rou when they could find the Prince. But Tan Rou had already told them that she was looking for Laka and to please be quiet, yet the bodyguards were like ducks, quacking incessantly.
“Make one more useless remark, and you can go look for your Prince on your own!” Zhuang Liu threatened in the language of J country.
The bodyguards were frightened into silence by Zhuang Liu, promptly quieting down and obediently following behind Tan Rou without daring to utter another word.
“There is a staircase twenty meters ahead, the target is inside the cave…” the female mechanical voice reported once more.
Tan Rou was truly impressed by Laka, no wonder he got separated from his friends and bodyguards in the shopping mall; one couldn’t blame the bodyguards for not attentively protecting him, it’s more that he was too good at running away.
She really didn’t understand why Laka had run into a cave. Surely it wasn’t to emulate Alice chasing a rabbit? Was there something in this place that attracted Laka?
“You have reached the vicinity of the target, the target is ten meters away from you, navigation has ended, thank you for using our service!” The navigation broadcast concluded.
Tan Rou also found Laka in the cave, who was sitting on a chair inside, with three bodyguards by his side.
“Phew—” Tan Rou breathed a sigh of relief and said to the other two bodyguards, “There is your Prince, hurry over!”
The two bodyguards moved as fast as bullets and instantly appeared next to Laka. Just when Tan Rou thought they might kneel down, Laka reached out to hold them back.
Laka said, “Don’t blame yourselves this time, it was my lack of attention to the surroundings while I was touring that led me to get lost.”
Indeed, it wasn’t Laka’s fault. The tourist site was overloaded with people pushing and shoving each other. The slightest lapse of attention and one could be swept off the path.
After realizing he had gotten separated from Tan Rou and the others, Laka simply didn’t bother catching up. Tan Rou had mentioned they had a Locator, so surely they would be able to find him through the network system, hence Laka wasn’t worried about getting lost there.
Plus, he really enjoyed this place. As he walked along, he wandered off, and then Tan Rou called out to him.
Tan Rou contacted him through the Locator on his hand and instructed him to stay put and not wander off, assuring him that they would come to find him.
Soon after, Laka kept hearing voices from the Locator, at times saying “The target is 500 meters away from you,” at other times saying “The target is getting closer.” He didn’t understand, but when the voice stopped broadcasting, Tan Rou and the others appeared in his line of sight.
He thought the Locator was really good. When one is lost, they become nervous; being alone can invoke fear. But with this Locator, there’s no need to be afraid. It speaks to you, and just hearing another voice, even a cold electronic one, can substantially ease the fear inside.
“Is this Locator for sale?” Laka was reluctant to take off the Locator. “I want to buy a hundred units so that my family and friends can wear them, so they won’t get lost either.”
Tan Rou really wanted to retort, “Do you think everyone is as prone to wandering off as you?” but at her lips, her words changed.
“Mr. Laka, let’s talk about cooperation some other time, because the system design here is quite complicated,” Tan Rou said. “If it’s going to be used, it requires corresponding satellite equipment, so you cannot purchase it yet.”
Laka was somewhat disappointed, but then he said, “Miss Rou, if this Locator becomes available for sale abroad in the future, please choose my country first. I will pay you a lot of money.”
Luckily, others couldn’t understand Prince Laka’s words, or else his statement would definitely attract those with ill intentions. If he was kidnapped because his identity was exposed, Tan Rou would be in big trouble.
No, it wouldn’t do to let Mr. Lin take a holiday; he was Laka’s translator, and it was better to have him present during business negotiations as a witness.
Chapter 1325: 1324 guide
Zhuang Liu had initially been worried that Prince Laka might affect his relationship with Tan Rou, but after witnessing Prince Laka’s way of speaking and conducting himself, Zhuang Liu wasn’t worried at all.
Firstly, although Prince Laka was tall and strong, his face was not as handsome as Zhuang Liu’s, so Tan Rou certainly wouldn’t like him. Moreover, Prince Laka seemed rather dim-witted, even getting lost while walking, much like a little child; Tan Rou wouldn’t like a fool.
The last point was Tan Rou’s attitude, when Zhuang Liu arrived, Tan Rou immediately dropped Prince Laka, which greatly reassured Zhuang Liu that between love and work, Tan Rou still chose love.
In the following tour, Zhuang Liu seldom spoke to Tan Rou, mostly listening to Tan Rou and Laka converse, only introducing the tourist spots upon arrival.
Suddenly, Laka asked, “Miss Tan Rou, is this gentleman your hired guide? He is very talented, I want to tip him.” Saying this, Laka motioned for his bodyguard to get the money out.
Before Tan Rou could stop him, the tip was already stuffed into Zhuang Liu’s hand, leaving Zhuang Liu dumbfounded. Did the prince have vision problems? Why did he seem like a guide? Were there guides as handsome as him?
“I’m sorry, I am not a guide,” Zhuang Liu returned the money to Laka’s hands and then said in J Country’s language, “I am Tan Rou’s husband.”
Laka was very surprised, “You’re so young, why get married? Does your country also have an age limit for women getting married?”
Zhuang Liu was displeased upon hearing Laka’s words and asked icily, “Can’t I get married because I’m young? We have reached the legal age for marriage, why can’t we get married?”
Tan Rou noticed that Zhuang Liu was getting angry and said, “I didn’t explain well, please don’t be upset.” She introduced to Laka, “Mr. Laka, this is my husband, his name is Zhuang Liu, he came to find me, he is not a guide I hired.”
“Zhuang Liu…” Laka carefully pondered the name and then said even more surprised, “I know you, you are Lin’s friend, Lin often mentions you, he says you are a very remarkable person, if we still had time here, he would definitely have brought me to meet you.”
Zhuang Liu did not recognize the “Lin” he mentioned, but from Laka’s words, it seemed that Lin was quite familiar with him.
“Who is Lin?” Zhuang Liu asked, “The guide who brought you here?”
Tan Rou chuckled, Zhuang Liu’s petty jealousy had flared up again.
Laka clearly didn’t catch the sarcasm in Zhuang Liu’s question and earnestly explained, “Lin isn’t my guide, he is my friend and my teacher. He too is from your country, we usually live together, but today he went home, so he didn’t come out with us. Next time when we go out, you can join us, then you’ll meet Lin. He is very smart… ”
As Laka started going on about his friend, Zhuang Liu didn’t have the patience to listen to Laka praising another man. In Zhuang Liu’s mind, there were only two people who were truly accomplished: Tan Rou and himself.
While Laka was busy praising his good friend, Tan Rou briefly introduced Lin to Zhuang Liu, “Lin is also a person of status; I don’t know his full name, he didn’t tell us, just asking us to call him Mr. Lin. Mr. Lin is very smart, he has a very high proficiency in languages and unique insights into science and technology. If possible, I would really like to recruit Mr. Lin to work at my company.”
Tan Rou seldom praised others; anyone she called “smart” must be quite remarkable.
“I wasn’t planning to do business with Laka initially, but Lin strongly facilitated our cooperation in the middle, saying it was a win-win situation. We got access to the market of J Country, while J Country obtained more advanced machinery, I had no reason to refuse,” Tan Rou said.
After thinking for a moment, Zhuang Liu said, “I guessed wrong just now, this Mr. Lin is not a guide but a commercial spy looking to steal secrets.”
Chapter 1326: Mr. Lin’s purpose in 1325
Tan Rou said helplessly, “Are you still thinking about the tour guide? He just misspoke. Don’t keep harping on that mistake; it’s not conducive to friendly trade relations between the two countries.”
Zhuang Liu asked, “Is the state also involved in this?” If so, that would be a bigger problem.
Tan Rou shook her head. “No, it’s just our company that has signed a contract with Prince Laka. It hasn’t escalated to a national level. If it had, I would definitely have been more cautious in my selection.”
Zhuang Liu nodded, “Still, we need to be careful. After all, we don’t know much about Country J or what their market is like.”
“Mr. Lin seems to know a lot about their market. He discussed many things with me, and I had Hang Wei do some investigation. It turns out the aspects he mentioned are indeed beneficial for us. If we penetrate the market in Country J, it will only be beneficial for us; there’s no downside,” Tan Rou explained.
Zhuang Liu, looking at Prince Laka who was still boasting about his friend, asked very puzzled, “Why would Mr. Lin want to help us, though? Let me rephrase that, what is Mr. Lin’s motive? Does he want us to profit, or does he want Country J to profit?”
“Mr. Lin told me he is just a translator in Country J and doesn’t have much power, plus he isn’t a citizen there, so he will eventually return to his own country,” Tan Rou also didn’t understand Mr. Lin’s intentions; she could only guess, “Maybe he wants to promote trade between the two countries.”
Zhuang Liu felt this reason wasn’t convincing enough; he thought Mr. Lin’s level of ideological awareness hadn’t reached that height.
“Is that really it?” Zhuang Liu was still puzzled.
But Tan Rou smiled and said, “Whatever his motive is, we’ll find out sooner or later. But I think he has no malicious intent, and he’s probably not a corporate spy.”
Zhuang Liu reminded her, “Often, the people who seem the safest are the most dangerous. You must be very vigilant when dealing with Mr. Lin, lest he finds a loophole and steals TR’s secrets.”
Tan Rou tapped her own head and said confidently, “TR’s top secrets are all up here in my brain. Unless he can open up my head and look inside, there’s no way he can get to them.”
Just then, Prince Laka came over again, “What are you talking about? Why don’t you include me every time you talk? Lin too, both of you, it’s really too much!”
Zhuang Liu looked at the naive prince and suddenly had an idea.
He started to get chummy with Prince Laka, “Prince Laka, how did you meet Mr. Lin?”
Prince Laka said, “Lin and I were university classmates, then Lin knew many languages, so my dad spent a lot of money to hire him as my translator.”
Tan Rou felt that Prince Laka’s statement differed slightly from Lin’s. Lin had said that Prince Laka’s father had someone kidnap him to make him a translator, and only later agreed to pay him a large sum of money. But Prince Laka simply said it was his father who spent a lot of money to bring Lin over as a translator. So who was lying? Or were both telling the truth?
Tan Rou asked with a smile, “How did your father hire Lin as your translator? Lin doesn’t strike me as someone in need of money.”
Prince Laka thought for a moment and said, “When I arrived at the residence, Lin was already there. The Guard Commander told me he was the translator my father arranged for me, and whenever I couldn’t speak, I could just find him to translate for me. Hmm… That’s about it.”
Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu exchanged glances, then she whispered, “The way Lin described it and the way Prince Laka described it are a bit different. Lin said he was kidnapped at school, and after hearing the offer, he thought it was good and accepted the job. If I guess right, the person actually paying Lin’s salary must be Prince Laka’s father, the supreme ruler of Country J.”
You don’t ask, you don’t get scared. They didn’t know much about the prince of Country J, but many people were familiar with the King of Country J, a very powerful ruler; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to sustain his country for so many years.
If Lin was really acting on orders from the King of Country J, then the deal between Tan Rou and Prince Laka needed to be reconsidered.
Only, Lin wasn’t from Country J; why would he want to work for the King of Country J? This was a question worth considering.
Chapter 1327: Be careful of this person 1326
Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu analyzed Mr. Lin’s matter and suddenly felt a chill down their spines. Mr. Lin didn’t want anything, he just wanted to facilitate this cooperation. How could there be such selfless people in the world?
Zhuang Liu reminded Tan Rou again, “Tan Rou, you must be careful when you cooperate with them. Once they request to see the TR core secrets, you have to refuse them to prevent them from learning your technology.”
However, Tan Rou said, “Given Mr. Lin’s intelligence, he definitely won’t ask directly. Don’t worry, I will be more vigilant, restrict their access to our company’s core areas as much as possible, and enhance our company’s security system to prevent them from stealing secrets online.”
Fortunately, Prince Laka and his bodyguards didn’t understand what Tan Rou and her colleagues were saying, or Tan Rou would have had to speak behind their backs. However, it was strange; since Prince Laka had come to another country to visit, why didn’t the King of Country J arrange for some bodyguards who understood foreign languages for him?
Tan Rou also observed that the bodyguards around Laka only spoke Country J’s language; they either communicated with Laka or with Mr. Lin, and rarely talked to anyone else. If they really needed to communicate with others, they would use their phones to do so.
“No, I’m still not reassured. When is Mr. Lin coming back? I need to meet him,” Zhuang Liu said worriedly.
Tan Rou said, “He hasn’t told me when he will be back, but I am not here to be Laka’s translator forever. Tomorrow, I will ask him to return.”
Zhuang Liu nodded and said, “Okay, let’s set up a dinner for tomorrow. I will come too. I will help you find out more about Mr. Lin. Moreover, according to Prince Laka, Mr. Lin knows me; maybe I also know him, which will make it easier to gather information.”
Tan Rou agreed, “Alright, I will go back and prepare for the dinner tonight. Let me know when you are free, as I don’t want to take up too much of your time.” She knew Zhuang Liu was very busy; his presence here today must have meant he had canceled many other appointments.
Zhuang Liu smiled and said, “Whenever you need me for anything, I can always come.”
If there weren’t so many people around, Tan Rou really wanted to give Zhuang Liu a loving kiss, but in front of so many people, she just lightly hugged Zhuang Liu and said, “Thank you, Zhuang Liu.”
Zhuang Liu said, “Have you forgotten again? There’s no need for formalities between us.”
Tan Rou smiled gently and said nothing more.
The time was about right; Tan Rou sent Laka back to where he was staying and then notified Mr. Lin to meet Laka.
“Mr. Lin, as you know, my job is very demanding; I can’t always keep an eye on Prince Laka. I will be returning to the company tomorrow,” Tan Rou said. “So for the next while, you will need to continue accompanying Prince Laka.”
Mr. Lin’s tone remained very calm as he thanked Tan Rou, “Thank you Miss Rou for your translating over these days. Laka must have caused you a lot of trouble. Don’t worry; we won’t let you translate for free. The translation fee will be promptly settled.”
Laka indeed had caused Tan Rou a lot of trouble, but Tan Rou’s focus was not on Laka but on the translation fee Mr. Lin mentioned. She felt this fee was not just a simple cash transaction but perhaps something else.
“Alright then, I’ll thank Mr. Lin for the translation fee in advance,” Tan Rou said with a smile.
However, Mr. Lin chuckled, “Miss Rou, this fee isn’t from me, you know.”
Recalling her earlier conversation with Zhuang Liu, Tan Rou responded, “No matter who it’s from, as long as I can get the money, it’s fine. I don’t care whether it’s you, Prince Laka, or the person behind you who gives me the money…”
By now, Tan Rou had assumed that Mr. Lin was acting on the orders of the King of Country J, so no matter what they were discussing, she always had an uneasy feeling.
Separated by the phone, Mr. Lin couldn’t see Tan Rou’s expression and thereby couldn’t analyze her thoughts. He said, “Good, then please wait patiently, Miss Rou.”
Chapter 1328: 1327 Shining President Zhuang
Tan Rou listened to Mr. Lin’s words and always felt there was a threatening undertone.
Sometimes, she’d encounter hoodlums fighting on the streets, and towards the end, if one side was losing, they would invariably issue a fierce threat, “I’m just not in the right state today, you just wait, next time I’ll definitely teach you a good lesson!”
With this thought in mind, Tan Rou’s wariness increased a notch, and she said, “Since Mr. Lin has given me such a big business deal and even added a translation fee, I should express my gratitude. How about dinner together with Prince Laka at the Capital Grand Hotel tomorrow night at 7 pm, Mr. Lin?”
Mr. Lin replied, “Being invited to dinner is always a good thing, and we happen to be free tomorrow evening, so let’s have dinner together then.”
After exchanging a few more words, Tan Rou hung up the phone and then sent a message to Zhuang Liu, asking if he was available at 7 pm the next evening.
Zhuang Liu immediately understood what Tan Rou was planning to do, so he replied, “I’m available. Where will we have dinner tomorrow?”
Tan Rou typed her reply: “Capital Grand Hotel.”
Zhuang Liu responded with a “got it” emoji.
Guessing he was busy, Tan Rou didn’t receive any further messages, so she too put down her phone and began to deal with the unfinished business from the day.
She had a lot of fun during the day, but the consequence was working overtime at night. While others got paid double for overtime, she didn’t earn a dime extra, not even a cup of coffee to keep her awake since her assistant had gone home after work. However, she was the boss, and she didn’t need to punch in or wake up early tomorrow, so she could sleep in a bit longer.
When the next evening arrived, Tan Rou and Hang Wei reached the Capital Grand Hotel quite early since they were the hosts and naturally needed to arrive first.
The Capital Grand Hotel was the typical venue with a nice ambiance but subpar food—Tan Rou didn’t like it here.
Tan Rou said, “I don’t actually like hosting dinners at the Capital Grand Hotel. The food is terrible, and it’s pricey.”
Hang Wei said with a smile, “Eating at the Capital Grand Hotel is all about the ambiance. The one you’re inviting isn’t me—it’s a prince of a country and our future partner, so we need a grand hotel to host him.”
Tan Rou mused, “When I have the time, I want to open my own restaurant—one with both delicious food and a lovely environment—exclusively for entertaining my clients.”
She reminisced about high school days when Zhuang Liu frequently took her to the Clearwater Pavilion; she wondered if Mr. Fang was still running the restaurant. When she had the chance, she would visit with Zhuang Liu to see how it was doing and support Mr. Fang’s business.
Just as she was thinking about Zhuang Liu, here he came, dressed in a pure black suit that, under the lights, seemed to refract a dazzling spectrum of colors.
Hang Wei rubbed his eyes and then asked, “Is that Mr. Zhuang? Why is he dressed like that?”
Zhuang Liu usually wore suits too, but they were more understated. However, tonight was different; he didn’t seem to be there for dinner but as if he was on a blind date.
Tan Rou’s lips twitched; she couldn’t fathom why Zhuang Liu had dressed like that today, “Uh… perhaps he attended some event today.”
Hang Wei agreed, “That’s possible.”
Actually, Zhuang Liu had no such event today. His choice of attire was purely to make an impression. Tan Rou had mentioned to him that Mr. Lin was very charismatic, with handsome features and a touch of scholarly elegance, much like a beautiful man stepping out of an ancient painting.
This sparked a sense of crisis in Zhuang Liu; he had to maintain the most favorable image in Tan Rou’s mind, which meant he couldn’t let Mr. Lin outshine him.
After much consideration, he sought advice from his assistant, Bai Yin, who picked out this suit claiming that wearing it, Zhuang Liu would surely be the brightest person in the room.
Zhuang Liu should not have listened to Bai Yin’s nonsense. The suit was indeed shiny, but also a bit too showy; he now resembled a walking LED light display.
Xiao Mo felt an unease looking at Zhuang Liu, so he leaned over and suggested, “Head of the Zhuang family, there are no spare clothes in the car you came in, so you might want to take off the suit jacket during dinner to avoid staining it.”
Xiao Mo spoke very tactfully, but Zhuang Liu understood his implication, “Hmm, I got it.”
Chapter 1329: 1328 Guess who I am?
“The outfit you’re wearing today…” Tan Rou chose her words carefully, “is quite shiny.”
Zhuang Liu’s expression was as grim as a sky covered by dark clouds, and he said, “Tan Rou, I didn’t pick this outfit, my taste isn’t that bad.”
Tan Rou asked subconsciously, “Was it Xiao Mo who picked it out for you? Oh, it must have been him, his taste has always been poor.”
Xiao Mo, truly at a loss for words, had not actually chosen Zhuang Liu’s outfit that day, but it had been selected by his girlfriend, so how could he admit that his girlfriend’s taste was poor?
“Yes, my taste is terrible, I couldn’t pick out a proper outfit for the head of the Zhuang family.” Xiao Mo said, “Tonight when I get back, I’ll look at fashion magazines and strive to match the most suitable outfit for the head of the family.”
Zhuang Liu didn’t want to continue this topic, and he asked, “What about Mr. Lin? Hasn’t he arrived yet?”
Tan Rou checked the time, “We agreed to meet at seven, it’s only six-thirty now, they should still be on the way.”
Zhuang Liu hummed in acknowledgment and said, “Before they arrive, let’s discuss how we’re going to question him. If we ask him directly, he definitely won’t tell us the truth.”
Tan Rou and the others wanted to coax Mr. Lin’s true purpose out of him, wondering if he really was a business spy as Zhuang Liu had guessed.
“In vino veritas,” Xiao Mo suggested, “We can get him drunk and then question him, he will definitely tell the truth then.”
“What if he can hold his liquor well?” Tan Rou raised a concern, “Or what if he doesn’t drink at all? Then what will you do?”
“Perhaps we can emulate the method of the king of Laka, tie Mr. Lin up, and let him go after he’s told the truth,” Hang Wei said.
That plan was also vetoed by Tan Rou, “We are law-abiding citizens, we shouldn’t do anything illegal. If it were to succeed, that’s one thing, but if it fails, then I might as well close my company and make my employees sew in prison instead.”
“Mr. Lin is a very smart man, we can’t use force to question him,” Tan Rou said. “We’ll see when the time comes, he said he would give me a sum for translation fees, let’s first see what he’s actually going to give me.”
At seven in the evening, Mr. Lin and Prince Laka appeared on time at the entrance of the Capital Grand Hotel, and this time, Prince Laka brought only two bodyguards.
“Prince Laka, Mr. Lin, good evening!” Hang Wei greeted them at the entrance, “Miss Tan Rou is already waiting for you two in the private room.”
Mr. Lin asked, “Is it just us today?”
Hang Wei smiled slightly, “And Miss Tan Rou’s fiancé, Mr. Zhuang as well.” Tan Rou had already acknowledged Zhuang Liu as her husband, but they hadn’t held a wedding yet; others were unclear about the exact situation, so they still referred to Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu as fiancés.
Upon hearing that Zhuang Liu was also present, a smile appeared on Mr. Lin’s face, “Mr. Zhuang is here as well? Then I really came to the right place. It has been many years since I last saw Zhuang Liu, and I wonder if he still remembers me.”
“Do you know Mr. Zhuang?” Hang Wei asked.
Mr. Lin smiled again and said to Hang Wei, “No, let’s not reveal who I am just yet, let’s see if Zhuang Liu can guess my identity.”
Hang Wei thought to himself, “Making Zhuang Liu guess your identity, could you also be a prince of some country?”
However, he didn’t express this aloud, “Alright then, let’s let Mr. Zhuang guess later.”
Hang Wei led Prince Laka and Mr. Lin to the top-floor private room, which was a semi-open area with a glass roof, much like the greenhouse inside Tan Rou’s estate, very beautiful.
Mr. Lin was very pleased with the environment, and he said, “Although the food at the Capital Grand Hotel is terrible, their environment is indeed beautiful, and the decorations are very expensive, including the precious species of plants.”
“Mr. Lin seems to have a good eye,” Zhuang Liu approached Mr. Lin, “to instantly recognize that these plants are of precious species.”
Mr. Lin turned his head to glance at Zhuang Liu, then shook his head and said, “It seems I thought too much, you obviously don’t remember me.”
Zhuang Liu was puzzled, “Have we met before?”
Mr. Lin laughed, “Not only have we met, but we used to see each other every day.”
Chapter 1330: 1329 is actually a classmate
“We see each other every day?” Zhuang Liu was puzzled, “But I have no impression of you at all? If I had seen you before and we met daily, I’m sure I would remember something.”
Xiao Mo was also sizing up Mr. Lin; this Mr. Lin was indeed good-looking, and his voice was pleasant to listen to.
He and Zhuang Liu were handsome in different ways; Zhuang Liu was the kind that you could tell was handsome at a glance, while Mr. Lin was much gentler. At first sight, you would only think he was slightly attractive, but the more you looked, the more you would discover a magic power about him, continuously drawing you in.
Zhuang Liu didn’t have many friends, most were business partners, and he barely had any peers with whom he was close. If this Mr. Lin was a friend of Zhuang Liu’s and was so outstanding, then Xiao Mo would definitely have an impression of him.
Mr. Lin reminded Zhuang Liu, “We didn’t meet recently; to be specific, we’ve known each other for over a decade.”
“A friend from over a decade ago?” Now Zhuang Liu really needed to gather his thoughts, “I really have no recollection at all.”
More than a decade ago, Zhuang Liu was still a teenager, his mind entirely focused on studying, with no time for making friends. How could he possibly have known Mr. Lin?
Seeing that he hadn’t guessed yet, Mr. Lin continued to prompt him, “If Mr. Zhuang doesn’t remember me, he can ask Mr. Tao Zhi, and ask if he knows someone with the surname Lin.”
Tan Rou heard what Mr. Lin said and was quite surprised, “You know my elder brother?”
Mr. Lin said cheerfully, “Not only do I know him, but we are also friends. If you don’t believe me, you can call and ask him. Just ask if he knows someone named Lin Yu.”
“No need to ask,” Zhuang Liu interjected, “I think I’ve figured out who you are. You’re from the Lin family, and if I’m not mistaken, you should be related to Xue Lin.”
Tan Rou looked at Mr. Lin, then recalled what Xue Lin looked like when she was alive, feeling that these two didn’t resemble each other at all.
“Yes,” Mr. Lin admitted, “Xue Lin is indeed my cousin, but our family doesn’t get along well with theirs. After our grandfather passed away, our families split and lost contact. Regarding Xue Lin’s affairs, I know very little, only learning of her death and her family’s troubles when I returned to the country this time.”
“We also deeply regret Xue Lin’s death,” Tan Rou said, “If her attitude had been a little better, maybe we could have offered help, but as her cousin, you should know what kind of person she was, right? Do you think we should have helped her?”
Lin Yu shook his head, “As I said before, our family doesn’t have much to do with Xue Lin’s family now. Whether it’s their bankruptcy or Xue Lin’s death, I don’t want to pursue it. So you don’t need to worry that I’ve come to trouble you.”
Tan Rou smiled, “Even if you had come to cause us trouble, we wouldn’t be afraid.”
Lin Yu was at a loss for words, “Miss Rou, Mr. Zhuang, please believe me, I really didn’t come for revenge. And my dad also said that the downfall of Xue Lin’s family was entirely their own fault and had nothing to do with anyone else. Let the law judge as it will; no one in the Lin family is allowed to say a word in their defense.”
Tan Rou tentatively believed Lin Yu, but she still couldn’t understand why Lin Yu sought a partnership with Magic Power, “You just mentioned Zhuang Liu knows you, is it because of Xue Lin?” She thought carefully and felt this reason was too far-fetched. If anyone was related to Xue Lin, Tan Rou should be ahead of Zhuang Liu.
Lin Yu looked at Zhuang Liu with distress, “Zhuang Liu, you still haven’t figured out who I am, have you?”
Zhuang Liu sighed, somewhat helplessly, “You were my classmate in junior high, right? I remember I had a class monitor with the surname Lin. You said you were close to Tao Zhi, and since Tao Zhi and I were classmates, you must’ve been Tao Zhi’s classmate as well.”
Lin Yu laughed loudly, “Mr. Zhuang is so busy with many things, it’s quite a feat that you still remember a minor character like me.”
Zhuang Liu apologized, “Sorry, back then I was focused on my studies and wasn’t keen on making friends, so I…”
“No need to apologize,” Lin Yu interrupted him, “I wasn’t remarkable back then, so it’s normal that you don’t remember me.”