Su Li patiently signed on all the items placed before her, as Zhang Dashan and the policewoman stood eagerly waiting for their items to be marked. Su Li’s strokes were artistic and elegant, and her signature’s aesthetic beauty could be considered an art in itself.
“Thank you, Goddess Su Li!”
Zhang Dashan was overcome with joy. His eyes glazed dreamily as he stood admiring the items with Su Li had autographed. It was if he was staring at a heap of priceless treasure.
The policewoman was elated when she was handed back her signed notebook, carefully placing it back in her pocket.
When she finished the task, Su Li looked up with her bewitching eyes and gave them both a polite smile. She did not say a word but only took Su Xiaobei by the hand and made ready to leave.
Although Bei Bei was only three years old, she was undoubtedly much more mature than an average girl of her age. But when she realized that she was about to leave for good, the little child within emerged. She gazed at Xiao Luo, and suddenly burst into tears. She stretched her arms out toward Xiao Luo, and she was unwilling to leave.
“Daddy, daddy…!”
She cried miserably as tears rolled down her cheeks. She had to catch her breath in between sobs, and her eyes were all red and puffed up.
Su Li stopped at the door, turned around, and glanced at Xiao Luo, a look of surprise showed on her face. Su Xiaobei was an adopted child, and she was very sure who the biological father was. This person standing in front of her was definitely not him! What surprised her, even more, was that Su Xiaobei did not easily attach to anyone, especially a stranger. What made this man so different? She knitted her brows at the thought, feeling a sense of frustration.
“Su Xiaobei, I just told you, he isn’t your father,” Su Li said. She appeared a little agitated.
“No! I know he’s Bei Bei’s daddy, he’s my daddy in my dream. Mommy, you said that daddy lives here, you said so. Bei Bei has found him, why do you say that he’s not my daddy?”
Su Li felt the blood rush to her head, and her thoughts were cluttered. Su Xiaobei absolutely refused to budge, and Su Li, for the first time, was at a loss of what to do. She had coaxed the little girl into coming to Jiangcheng by convincing her that her father was here. It was bad enough she had to lie to get the child to come along for the trip, but it all turned into a nightmare when she was abducted while out for a walk with Su Li’s assistant. She was miraculously returned after a day, but now Su Xiaobei was insisting that a complete stranger was her father. Who could even believe that things could turn out the way it did?
Xiao Luo walked up to Bei Bei and gave her a big, warm smile. He playfully rubbed Su Xiaobei’s nose with his finger and said, “Bei Bei, you have to go home with mommy now. But I’ll go to see you when I have time, okay?”
“Really?”
Su Xiaobei stopped crying immediately. She was pouting as she looked at him with teary eyes.
“Yeah, really. I won’t lie to you,” Xiao Luo said, looking at her with reassuringly.
“Pinky promise?”
Su Xiaobei raised her little hand to Xiao Luo with her pinky sticking out, still sniffling.
A pinky promise?
Xiao Luo smiled, shaking his head and gently hooked his own pinky with her tiny finger.
“Our promise will last until the end of the world. Whoever that breaks this promise will reborn as a puppy!”
Su Xiaobei spoke softly with a solemn expression, taking the oath very seriously. In the eyes of an adult, it was no more than a childish act. But not for Bei Bei, as far as she was concerned the moment they hooked their fingers, this promised would be fulfilled.
And after they both hooked their pinkies, she wiped her tears away and smiled. She said, “Daddy, you must bring me to the fun park next time, okay.”
“Why don’t you ask your mother to bring you?” Xiao Luo asked. He spoke gently, still holding on to her pinky.
Su Xiaobei lowered voice and replied, “Mom’s always busy. Only Aunt Luo takes me out.”
Xiao Luo didn’t know how to react to what she said and could only offer a weak smile, feeling a bit awkward.
Su Li felt very hurt on the inside. Su Xiaobei wasn’t her biological daughter, but regardless, she had always treated her like her own. At times when she was busy at work, It was true that it was that she didn’t get the chance to spend quality time with Su Xiaobei. Even when they first arrived in Jiangcheng, Su Xiaobei pleaded for Su Li to accompany her out. But instead, Su Li asked her assistant, Luo Pingxiang, to take her, which ended in her being abducted.
…
…
As they were leaving, Su Li glanced at Xiao Luo again, he was different from the others. He hardly reacted to seeing her when he returned to his residence earlier. For the duration she had been there, he had remained as calm throughout, and she could tell that he wasn’t putting on an act. He seemed to have a good temperament and was not easily rattled, he was at one with himself.
How could he remain so calm?
Su Li couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
Miss Chai, the manager, remained behind. She had another issue to resolve with Xiao Luo and Zhang Dashan. Her job was now to ensure that both the men kept silent about this incident involving Bei Bei and Su Li. The world of entertainment is a fickle business, and the slightest scandal could cause a celebrity’s reputation to plunge drastically. If word got out that Su Li had a daughter, the entire nation could react unfavorably, and Su Li could stand to lose a considerable chunk of her fan base in the course of a single night. It wasn’t an exaggeration, but lessons learned from a painful history. As her manager, it was Chai Zhiying’s role to mitigate any such risks to Su Li.
Tap!
The manager unceremoniously placed a bank card on the table.
Chai Zhiying looked down her nose at Xiao Luo and Zhang Dashan, she said, “Let me introduce myself. My name is Chai Zhiying, and I am Su Li’s manager. I’ll make it quick and simple. As a reward for saving Beibei, we express our deepest gratitude.” She paused then said, “There are eight million dollars in this card. The password is six “one”s. Each of you will get four million dollars. It is enough for you to live a great life in any city you wish.”
“I think we’ve already said that we don’t need your money, right?”
Zhang Dashan said it mockingly. He did not have a good impression of her and disliked her overbearing attitude, acting as if she were above others.
Xiao Luo took a sip of his tea and asked, “Is this at Miss Su’s insistence?”
“No, this is on my insistence.”
“Please be clear, this money is not to thank you for rescuing Bei Bei. I believe you should know what I mean,” she said, as she stood looking down at them with her arms folded together.
“Nope, not clear at all. Get to the point, stop beating around the bush,” Zhang Dashan said.
Chai Zhiying reacted curtly to Zhang Dashan’s blunt reply and snorted, “I want you both to zip your lips, and from hereon, you are not to mention anything about Su Li having a daughter.”
Zhang Dashan smiled derisively and looked her in the eye, he said, “We have no intention of telling anybody anything, so you don’t have to worry. You’re the one who seems to be talking about it right now.”
Xiao Luo cocked an eyebrow. He remained silent and just continued to sip on his hot tea.
“Whatever. Just keep this money, remember, not a single word, or face the consequences. I guarantee you that!” Chai Zhiying retorted.
Intimidation and enticement were two elements that Chai Zhiying regularly employed to deal with any potential threats and risks to Su Li. It had proved effective so far in keeping Su Li free from any scandals that could ruin her reputation.
“We got it. You may leave now.”
Xiao Luo was abrupt and made it clear that she had overstayed her welcome. Like Zhang Dashan, he disliked arrogant people.
“Okay then, we’ll keep the money, haha. Relax, we won’t say anything,” Zhang Dashan said, as he picked up the card with a wry smile.
When money is offered, there is no reason to turn it down. In this respect, Zhang Dashan and Xiao Luo shared the same philosophy.
Chai Zhiying felt uneasy. They had already accepted the money and had readily agreed to keep silent on the matter, yet she still felt something amiss. The way they reacted to her didn’t give her the confidence that they would fulfill their end of the bargain. In fact, it seemed like they were teasing her.
She was consumed with these thoughts as she stood glaring darkly at the two. “Are you guys making fun of me?” she said.
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NovelSupernaturalPeerless Genius SystemChapter 275 - Time to Go Home
PEERLESS GENIUS SYSTEM
C275 - Time to Go Home
Chapter 275: Time to Go Home
Xiao Luo continued eating his breakfast, ignoring the presence of Chai Zhiying, who stood there staring at them both in exasperation.
Zhang Dashan raised his head, smiling as he glanced at her and said, “How would we dare to fool you? Didn’t you just say that the consequences would be too dire for us to bear? We are timid people, and we have accepted your money, so we will definitely keep our mouths shut, okay. We are having our breakfast now, so if there’s nothing else, you may leave. I’m sure Goddess Su Li and the rest of them are waiting for you downstairs.”
He grabbed a xiaolongbao and ate it heartily, his cheeks swelled up, looking like an egg had been stuffed into his mouth.
Chai Zhiying gritted her teeth, not taking kindly to how Zhang Dashan had spoken, and how Xiao Luo was totally ignoring her. She had a bad feeling about how this was turning out.
“I don’t believe in you.”
“Since you don’t believe us, take your money back.”
Without hesitation, Zhang Dashan took the card from his pocket and flicked it back at her. It sailed the short distance like a frisbee and startled Chai Zhiying, who appeared to be trying to avoid being hit and catching it at the same time. It fell on the floor next to her.
Chai Zhiying was incredulous and could not believe that they had just throw away 8 million dollars without blinking an eye. Were these two men even sane?
She quickly regained her composure, picked the card up, and placed it back on the table. She put on a cold, intimidating look and said, “The money is yours! But I wish to warn you again, if information about Bei Bei leaks out, I’ll come for you!”
She quickly turned around and left, not giving them a chance to reject her offer this time. At she stepped out, she took out her phone and made an urgent call. She instructed the person at the other end of the line to find out all the information on a man going by the name of Xiao Luo, who lived in Gong Village. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on the official report from her source. But little did she know that Xiao Luo would have a cover as a member of the NSA. He retained his regular identity as an employee at Luo’s Workshop, but she would find out little else about him.
“F*ckin’ hell. What a highly-strung woman. She must’ve been lacking nourishment from men,” Zhang Dashan said.
Xiao Luo couldn’t help smiling and quipped, “Why not you go nourish her then?”
“Wekk! Nourish her your head! She looks like a butch, my willy won’t even respond even if she stands nude in front of me,” Zhang Dashan said, and made a face like he was puking.
Xiao Luo just shrugged his shoulders as he fixed his eyes on the ravioli and fritters he had especially bought for Bei Bei earlier. A pang of deep emotions weighed down on him, and he felt a sudden and inexplicable emptiness within his heart. Xiao Luo had only known Bei Bei for a day, and yet it felt like a lifetime. Now, he had to try adjusting to life without a little girl tottering around the house and yelling his name in his ear to wake him up. He missed her dearly.
“Aiyah, that Miss Su Li too. Why couldn’t she let little Bei Bei have something to eat before leaving.”
Zhang Dashan didn’t seem to have an appetite, and that would be a first. He couldn’t get used to the sudden quiet as well. Without the little girl, their apartment felt like an empty shell, something was missing, and it felt very strange. She only stayed for one night, yet it left an indelible impression in his heart.
Su Xiaobei’s every word, every smile, and even her bawling when she accused him of getting shampoo in her eyes stayed deeply etched in their minds.
“There’s nothing to worry about, Miss Su will take good care of her.”
Xiao Luo unconsciously said that perhaps to comfort Zhang Dashan, but probably to also calm himself. He pulled himself together, it was time to move on. He promptly changed the topic and said to Zhang Dashan, “You should quickly settle the affairs at the company within these few days. It’s time to go home. The New Year will be in about 20 days.”
“Alright, I’ll do that.”
Zhang Dashan nodded. “By the way, will you be attending the company’s annual party?” he inquired.
Xiao Luo shook his head. “Nope. You’re now in charge of everything at headquarters, so you must establish your position and be seen as the head. For me to appear too many times wouldn’t benefit you in any way,” he said, “and for the annual meeting, you should give out bonuses to outstanding employees, this will encourage more enthusiasm.” He added, “Li Zimeng, Luo Qi, Lin Chongdong – these three should be given special awards. But of course, this is just a suggestion. The final decision is entirely yours.”
The three persons mentioned had always been supportive of his plans from the moment he took over Luo’s Workshop. He never failed to remember those who had supported him, and it was his practice to reward any employees who deserved it.
Zhang Dashan looked at Xiao Luo with a questioning look on his face. “What the hell? The boss of Luo’s Workshop will always be you, and I’m only the second boss…. Err, hang on, I’m not even the second boss, I’m just the assistant to the boss, so I’ll award whoever you want to award,” he said.
“…?” Xiao Luo didn’t argue with him.
…
…
With Zhang Dashan handling the company’s affairs, Xiao Luo finally found himself with some time to spare.
He decided to go over to the People’s Hospital in Guangming District to visit his sister. Although the new year was just around the corner, the work in hospitals never ceased. People still get sick and run into accidents regardless of the time of the year.
Xiao Luo and Xiao Ruyi were chatting at the hospital’s rooftop terrace. She was in her white uniform and stood against the breeze.
“Brother, when are you going back home?” Xiao Ruyi asked.
Xiao Luo nodded and said, “Probably in a few days. I’ll be going back with Dashan. What about you? When will you and Tang Ren go home?”
“After New Year, perhaps. We nurses have to take our breaks in shifts. Hospitals can’t be left without nurses for even a day. Tang Ren has to work until after New Year too.”
For no apparent reason, Xiao Luo suddenly broached a subject that he had had long kept to himself, and he felt now would be a good time to say it. “To be honest, I wasn’t supportive of you marrying Tang Ren. Even though our families are from the same province, it’s still a great distance between our villages, and it would’ve been inconvenient for you to come home. If you were to marry someone in our village or the nearby, you could come home more frequently. But anyhow, Tang Ren is a good man. He’s nice to you, and that’s all I ask for,” he said.
Xiao Ruyi pouted, playfully giving him an angry stare then smiled.
“Stop giving me that whimsical smile. You should seriously think of having a child with Tang Ren so that I can become an uncle,” Xiao Luo said, making a serious face and speaking in a tone like an elder.
Xiao Ruyi only blushed and said, “Xiao Luo, you can’t rush something like that. It’ll come when it is time and will never when it is not. You have to go with the flow.”
“Well, continue trying. It has been almost a year since you got married, and there’s still nothing in here,” Xiao Luo said, tapping her belly. “Don’t you know that you can recover your figure better after giving birth the younger you are?” he said in jest.
“Haha, don’t worry about these things, alright? You are the one that should hurry up and find me a sister-in-law. Oh, the nation’s goddess, Su Li, is a great candidate. She held a concert recently in Jiangcheng. Some of my colleagues were there, and they took lots of photos of her. She doesn’t look different from her photos on the internet. She’s a real beauty!”
“You think too highly of me,” Xiao Luo said.
Xiao Ruyi wouldn’t let up, she said so in jest, but she undoubtedly had a high opinion of her brother and said, “My brother is an outstanding man, what’s wrong if he makes the nation’s goddess his wife?” Then, she chuckled, “Xiao Luo, if you can really bring her home as your wife, it will definitely bring glory to our ancestors. Why, even green mist [1] will rise out of our great grandfather’s grave.”
Xiao Luo was stumped for a moment, then smiling, he said, “Nonsense, utter nonsense!”
Xiao Ruyi stuck her tongue out and made a face.
“Alright, alright, I won’t bug you any further about the baby. Come home with Tang Ren when you can, it’ll be good to pay a visit to your grandparents,” Xiao Luo said, then let out a long sigh.
Xiao Ruyi nodded, “Okay, I’ll certainly go back as soon as I can and fulfill my filial duty.”
“So, yep, that’s it. Just say hi to Tang Ren for me. And, oh, I didn’t give you anything when you and Tang Ren got married, so here’s my belated gift,” Xiao Luo said, then showed her a card, “There’s four million in it, the password is six ‘one’s. Spend it wisely as I won’t be in Jiangcheng next year. Have a good life with Tang Ren, and if you face any difficulties, tell me. I’m your brother, and I’ll never judge you.”
Xiao Luo placed the bank card into Xiao Ruyi’s hands.
Xiao Ruyi was moved, and her eyes turned red instantly, she said, “Xiao Luo, you are the best brother in this world!”
She hugged him tightly. As she thought about her brother no longer being in this city next year, she was suddenly overcome by a deep sadness, and tears flowed from her eyes.
*****
[1] Green mist: a metaphor that alludes to a deceased person ascending to heaven as a Daoist Immortal.