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墨書 Inktalez
Luo Yi stood in place, finishing his cigarette, while Zhou Yao had long disappeared. He recalled how she looked when he saw her earlier, walking out of the university gates with a boy of the same age, unexpectedly young and unfamiliar.
Luo Yi extinguished the cigarette and tossed it into the trash can, then walked back to a high-end residential complex next to A University.
Five years ago, Luo Yi bought a duplex here for Luo Yu, making it convenient for him to access A University. Two years ago, after Luo Yi went bankrupt, he sold off all his other properties and vehicles, but managed to keep this one.
During that time, his anxiety and suffering must have been evident to Luo Yu. However, in his state of despair, he was too preoccupied to care for Luo Yu, and within a week, Luo Yu committed suicide. The two brothers never even had a proper heart-to-heart before being separated forever.
If it weren't for the fact that he had nowhere else to go in this city, Luo Yi wouldn't want to step foot in this house.
Luo Yi entered the study, lit a cigarette, opened a folder, and began reviewing Oya's major procurement orders and information about raw stone trading partners for this year. In just half an hour, he grasped the general situation.
Applying for the position of head of the Procurement Department at Oya went more smoothly than he had imagined; however, the person directly recruiting him was the manager of the Production Center, and he still hadn't had the chance to meet General Manager Xia.
Before officially taking office, Luo Yi needed to report to General Manager Xia. Secretary Ruan mentioned that the meeting would be held in Xia's tea room.
Luo Yi glanced at his watch; it was almost time.
...
Zhou Yao had walked down a street while Jiang Han was still holding up her phone.
Zhou Yao: "Aren't you being childish? You're a junior in college."
Jiang Han was annoyed by her bringing up their year: "I'm a normal person, unlike you who's so twisted."
"Give me the phone!" Zhou Yao frowned, and just as she spoke, the phone rang. Jiang Han looked up, squinting, "Lu Xu, who is that?"
"Give it to me!" Zhou Yao snatched it away and after finishing the call, turned to Jiang Han, "I'm going to meet someone. If you want to come with me, you can; if not, just head home."
Jiang Han raised an eyebrow, "Your boyfriend? I need to go check him out."
Zhou Yao rolled her eyes again.
Zhou Yao met Lu Xu at a coffee shop along the way. As soon as she entered, she apologized to Lu Xu, "I'm sorry, I forgot. I've been so busy since I got back, spending all my time in the lab."
"It's fine." Lu Xu smiled and glanced at Jiang Han sitting alone not far away.
Zhou Yao looked back and smiled, "Oh, that's my friend. It's okay."
"Boyfriend?"
Zhou Yao was taken aback, "No."
Lu Xu didn't ask further and briefly talked to Zhou Yao about Dan Shan and land, reminding her to stay vigilant.
Zhou Yao was initially surprised and took a while to digest the information. It wasn't unusual for a high-tech project like land to attract attention. She just didn't expect to become a focal point herself and didn't realize how perilous her situation had been during her time in Yading.
Before she spoke again, she couldn't help but glance around; her voice lowered as she asked, "Officer Lu, do you suspect that one of my companions might be—"
"It's just a speculation; there's no concrete evidence," Lu Xu replied. "It's always good to be cautious."
"Oh." Zhou Yao tightened her brows and nodded thoughtfully.
After chatting for a while, Lu Xu had other matters to attend to and couldn't stay longer. Before leaving, Zhou Yao couldn't help but ask him, "What about Boss Luo? Is his being hunted related to this matter?"
"Don't worry about his matters," Lu Xu said.
Lu Xu's words left Zhou Yao feeling somewhat frustrated. She was in a bad mood all the way home, and even when Jiang Han spoke to her, she barely responded. Once home, the cloud of negativity still lingered; it wasn't mealtime yet, so she went upstairs alone and shut her door.
Xia was displeased, feeling that her behavior was rude. She was about to go upstairs to admonish her when Jiang Han stopped her: "Aunt Xia, just let it be. She's in a bad mood today."
"Did you two have a fight?"
"No, maybe something happened at school," Jiang Han lied.
Zhou Yao lay on her bed, holding her phone and staring at Luo Yi's name in her contacts. After that text message, there had been no further contact.
From the initial rivalry to later sulking, and now feeling lost and dejected. Zhou Yao let her arms drop, and the phone slipped from her hand onto the bed. She rolled over and buried her head in the blanket.
What was Boss Luo doing now? Was anyone still plotting against him? What was his background? Those Knife-Wielders wanted to kill him, and Jiang Peng also...
Suddenly, Zhou Yao lifted her head and remembered that Jiang Peng mentioned his brother was named Jiang Hong?!
Zhou Yao immediately jumped up, turned on her computer, and searched for "Jiang Hong." There were many pages and news articles with the same name; Zhou Yao quickly filtered through them and soon found something suspicious.
"Hongcheng Auction House went bankrupt amidst a scandal involving appraisal and bribery; manager Jiang Hong committed suicide by jumping off a building."
Grabbing onto this lead about Jiang Hong, Zhou Yao quickly uncovered the Jade Buddha Tower Case—
Two years ago, Oya Jewelry sold a Qing Dynasty Jade Buddha Pagoda to Hongcheng Auction House, which was later auctioned off but discovered to be a counterfeit. Oya Jewelry and Hongcheng Auction House began blaming each other, but since a third-party appraisal team had already certified the Jade Buddha Tower as genuine, Oya Jewelry ultimately escaped unscathed. However, the truth of the case became a tangled mess; every party—the appraisal team, the auction house, and Oya Jewelry—claimed innocence while accusing the others of guilt. Public opinion did not spare anyone; some suspected that the auction house colluded with appraisers to steal the True Buddha Pagoda; others suspected Oya colluded with appraisers to harm the auction house. Shortly after Jiang Hong's suicide left behind an innocent note, Oya Jewelry found itself under intense scrutiny.
Zhou Yao vaguely remembered that during that time, Xia had been grim-faced all day long—a rare state for someone who had weathered countless storms.
Zhou Yao quickly found the name of the chief appraiser from that appraisal team online: "Luoyi."
Zhou Yao felt a sinking sensation in her heart, already sensing something. She searched everywhere for a photo of "Luo Yi," but couldn't find one. However, she did come across an interview from several years ago that mentioned "Luo Yi's" age, which, when calculated to the present, was in his thirties, exactly matching the age Zhou Yao saw on Luo Yi's ID.
Zhou Yao was dazed for a while, biting her finger as she continued to browse through his interviews, all related to appraising treasures and stones, with very few mentions of personal information.
Only in one corner of an interview did it mention family, stating that a few years ago his parents were involved in a plane crash and he had a younger brother.
And Luo Yu had lost his parents in a plane crash while he was in college and had an older brother.
Could they be? Was Luo Yi... Luo Yu's brother?
Zhou Yao knelt on the bed, her mind in a tangle.
Luo Yi probably knew who she was from the very beginning. To say he approached her unfairly was clearly wrong; it was she who sought him out. But as their relationship grew closer, what were his intentions? Was he seeking revenge against Oya based on his own motives? Or was he trying to protect Luo Yu?
Zhou Yao tugged at her ears, breathing lightly.
Everything that happened in Yading flashed before her eyes: she hadn’t brought any money, and he returned to find her; he kept her away from Wu Ming; he stepped into the ring for her; he took risks during the Flood for her; he acted as her guide and then resigned...
He had always been protecting her.
Lu Xu said that Dan Shan's people had harmed her multiple times in Yading. It was Boss Luo who was protecting her.
Zhou Yao lowered her head and covered her eyes; her eyelids felt hot, but she didn't cry. She felt extremely frustrated; her stubbornness and defiance over these days seemed so unreasonable.
Zhou Yao raised her head, took a deep breath, grabbed her phone, and slipped off the bed to call Luo Yi.
It connected quickly.
Zhou Yao paced back and forth in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, biting her lip as she waited for him to answer the phone.
However, this time, no one answered the call.
...
Luo Yi sat in the tea room on the east side of Zhou Family Villa. The kettle on the redwood table was boiling, and steam filled the air. Luo Yi picked up some tea leaves and placed them into the teapot when the door to the tea room was pushed open.
He set down the tea leaves, stood up, and smiled lightly, "Mr. Xia, long time no see."
Mr. Xia was clearly taken aback and turned to look at Assistant Ruan with sharp, reproachful eyes.
Assistant Ruan was also surprised.
When the manager of the Production Center handed over the resume of the new head of the Procurement Department, Assistant Ruan was genuinely impressed. The new supervisor had a high education level, ample experience, broad knowledge, and excellent skills. The three-month plan submitted by the new head for the Procurement Department also caught attention, directly addressing existing issues within the department and proposing practical reform measures.
Mr. Xia appreciated it as well and wanted to meet this man named "Luo Yi." Little did he expect it would be someone familiar.
Having seen various situations before, Mr. Xia regained his composure when he looked at Luo Yi again, though there was still a hint of coldness in his gaze.
The biggest crisis Oya had faced since its founding was the Jade Buddha Pagoda forgery case. Competitors seized this opportunity to question Oya Jewelry's products like Amber Diamond Jewelry, suggesting that even their accompanying certificates were potentially fabricated through bribed appraisers. Oya's market image plummeted.
Mr. Xia sat down and politely said, "I haven't pursued Mr. Luo's responsibility for that incident back then; instead, Mr. Luo has come to me himself."
Luo Yi smiled lightly and responded with a hint of Tai Chi, "Mr. Xia, I have changed my maternal surname."
Mr. Xia narrowed his eyes slightly and did not hold back: "You can put your past behind you to apply for a position, but Oya will not accept a fraud as the head of the Procurement Department... No position at Oya will accept a fraud."
"Mr. Xia's words are inappropriate." Luo Yi calmly poured water into the teapot, watching the tea leaves float and sink. "In my friend Jiang Hong's view, you and I colluded to deceive him with a fake Jade Buddha Pagoda to suppress Hongcheng Auction House, benefiting his competitor Jiang Auction. And I need not elaborate on the friendly relationship between Jiang Family and Oya."
Mr. Xia's face turned cold as he stared at Luo Yi; Luo Yi met her gaze without flinching.
President Xia spoke clearly, "The Jade Buddha Pagoda handed over is genuine. Jiang Hong has proven his innocence with his life; the only one left who could have tampered with it is you. You have deceived Jiang Hong and dragged Oya down with you."
Luo Yi lightly shook his head, "I am a person who values evidence and reason, but I won't suffer losses. I can't just jump off a building to prove my point. I naturally have ways to prove my innocence."
"Come work for Oya?"
"Yes."
"Impossible." President Xia stood up, no longer willing to waste words with him. "Oya will not accept you, Mr. Luo. Please leave."
"President Xia, I have already signed a contract with Oya." Luo Yi poured water from the teapot into a small teacup. "I look forward to your guidance while working under you."
"Oya will pay you a penalty for breach of contract; it won't matter even if it goes to labor arbitration."
Luo Yi raised the teacup to his lips and looked at her, "Then I can only sue Oya for labor issues and inform the media that I was in cahoots with President Xia from the beginning."
"You—" President Xia turned around, anger in her eyes.
The man before her had nothing left and was unafraid of falling apart; however, Oya had just managed to recover from the trust crisis of years past and could not afford any more turmoil.
Luo Yi took a sip of tea, set down the cup, and stood up to look down at President Xia, his face devoid of any smile. "Three months."
"President Xia, I will stay at Oya for three months. You can send someone to monitor my every move in the company; if I violate any rules, report me for economic crimes. Within three months, I will root out the mole in Oya and bring clarity to the case from back then."
President Xia frowned, "What are you saying?"
"President Xia," Luo Yi smiled meaningfully, "the one who acted was Oya; after Hongcheng went bankrupt, the one who benefited was Oya's partner, the Jiang Family. Don't you think that's too coincidental?"
In the tea room, only General Xia and Assistant Ruan remained.
"General Xia, do you believe him?"
"Half-believing, half-doubting."
...
Luo Yi walked through the corridor to the stairway, where Jiang Han ran towards him. After a quick glance, he went upstairs.
Luo Yi reached the door and heard Jiang Han knocking on the door upstairs: "Zhou Yao!"
The young master of the Jiang family, quite a young fellow.
Luo Yi curled his lips into a faint smile and took out his phone to cancel the silent mode, noticing a missed call from Zhou Yao. He put his phone back and changed his shoes in the hallway, catching sight of Zhou Yao's shoes.
He glanced at them, thought for a moment, then pulled something from his pocket and tossed it into her shoe.
...
The next day, Zhou Yao went to school feeling dispirited, both thinking of and resenting Luo Yi for not returning her calls!
When Zhou Yao put on her shoes, she felt something soft under her foot, as if stepping on gummy candy. Taking off her shoe to check, she found a cigarette inside.
At first, Zhou Yao thought it was hers and quickly tucked it into her pocket as she slipped out. Once outside, she took a closer look and realized it was from the brand she had seen in Yading, the same kind that Luo Yi had pinned to her ear.
Zhou Yao was taken aback and immediately rushed home to ask the housekeeper if anyone had come by yesterday.
The housekeeper said someone from the company had come over, it seemed to be Luo.
Zhou Yao still didn't believe it and asked about the visitor's appearance and height.
The aunt gestured above her head: "Very tall, and quite handsome too."
Zhou Yao felt a lump in her chest, nearly choking with anger. How could he come to her house and not look for her!
Zhou Yao turned and walked outside, pulling out her phone along the way, cursing Luo Yi's phone number until she felt a bit better.
...
A few days after Luo Yi took office, Oya's raw material suppliers invited him to a banquet. From now on, Oya's purchasing decisions would be up to him, and the suppliers wanted to establish a good rapport.
Luo Yi attended the appointment as scheduled. The attendees were all seasoned veterans in the industry, some of whom had crossed paths with Luo Yi before; they were all too aware of the scandal surrounding Jade Buddha Pagoda. However, in the business world, personal relationships rarely adhered to moral standards or past grievances; it was all about who held power now and who had a voice.
"Manager Luo is truly young and promising; among several large jewelry companies, Manager Luo is the youngest."
Luo Yi responded with a faint smile: "I'm getting old."
"The first time I met Manager Luo, your aura was exceptional. I knew you would achieve great things in the future."
"Thank you for the compliment."
Luo Yi sat at the table, watching several people who had once looked down on him during his downfall now fawn over him, feeling quite ironic and bored.
He handled their flattery while quietly observing everyone, keeping an ear out for gossip among the major companies in the jewelry industry.
Among the suppliers was a woman in her thirties. As a table full of men chatted aimlessly, they inevitably told a few risqué jokes to amuse her and kept urging her to drink more, growing increasingly rowdy and frivolous.
"Miss Xu, you just toasted him but didn't toast me," a man nearing forty grabbed Ms. Xu's wrist. "You must drink this cup for me."
Ms. Xu forced a smile and said, "Let's take a break for a moment, we'll toast later—"
"No need to wait, let's do it now. How about we drink a toast together?"
"Really, just a moment."
"Come on. Are you shy?"
With two clinks, the wine glasses tapped against the rotating tray.
Luo Yi shook her empty glass and smiled lightly, "If you're inviting me to drink, why is all the wine going to the women?"
"Oh dear, how can we let Manager Luo have an empty glass? That would be too rude." The person let go of Ms. Xu and immediately came over to pour wine. "Come on, Manager Luo, I toast to you. I'll drink it down, you can do as you please."
Luo Yi drank it down and signaled with her empty glass. The female supplier smiled gratefully at Luo Yi. Luo Yi did not respond and withdrew her gaze.
The table was filled with pleasantries and exaggerations.
As Luo Yi began to feel bored, loud voices from the next room caught her attention. Everyone turned to look; it turned out to be a large private room divided by a small partition.
The young people on the other side were having a great time. Luo Yi heard Sulianlin's loud voice: "I've wanted to eat at this place for so long, but the dishes are so expensive! I couldn't afford it. Now that Yao Yao lost the bet, I'm going to take advantage of it."
Luo Yi turned back with the faintest hint of a smile on her lips.
The supplier who had ordered the meal felt embarrassed and then grew angry: "This place is outrageous; we agreed on a quiet private room! Waiter—"
Luo Yi raised her hand: "It's fine. It's peak dining time; let's not make it troublesome."
The person immediately smiled and said, "Manager Luo truly has grace; it's different. You understand people, unlike us who are all rough around the edges."
Luo Yi silently took a sip of his drink, his ears no longer interested in the conversation at the table, all his attention shifted behind him.
"Can you tone it down a bit? Are you playing cards or what?" Zhou Yao shouted, feeling the pinch. "If you keep ordering like this, I won't have any living expenses left this month!"
"Come on, just play poor," came the voice of Tang Shangri-La Duo.
Zhou Yao exclaimed, "Hey, you've already ordered a whole roasted lamb; why are you ordering lamb soup too? Do you have a grudge against lambs?"
Luo Yi gradually developed an appetite and picked up a piece of lamb with his chopsticks.
The door to the private room opened, and a certain diamond supplier who had just left to use the restroom raised an eyebrow. "Guess who I just saw?"
"Who?"
The person pointed at Luo Yi. "It's the daughter of Supervisor Luo from the company. The young lady is getting more and more beautiful."
The guests at the table were slightly tipsy, and with more men present, their words became increasingly unrestrained. "Among us here, whoever marries that young lady will have Oya for life."
"Haha, she's beautiful and young; marrying her would be a good deal."
"Boss Wang, you can forget it; what age are you at still dreaming about a young girl?"
"Why can't I marry a young wife?"
Luo Yi maintained a vacant smile on his face, not saying a word. He bit down on a cigarette and fumbled around in his clothing pocket.
The person across the dining table noticed and immediately shouted, "Light it up."
The person next to him quickly leaned in to light the cigarette.
Luo Yi slightly lowered his head, furrowing his brow as he lit a cigarette. Holding it in his hand, he slowly exhaled a puff of smoke and said lightly, "After all, he's my employer. Everyone, please show some courtesy. Thank you."
His tone was anything but negotiable, yet he gave them enough face. The group understood and stopped discussing Zhou Yao.
One person, having had too much to drink, tried to flatter him: "Of course, someone like us can't compare. It's still Supervisor Luo who is so talented—"
Luo Yi stared at him through the pale blue smoke, his dark eyes exuding pressure; the man suddenly froze, forgetting what he was about to say. Only then did Luo Yi slowly smile.
After finishing one cigarette, he raised another glass and wrapped up the gathering.
Everyone wanted him to stay and suggested moving to another place to continue.
Luo Yi politely declined and said, "I've already taken care of today's bill. Thank you all in advance. I hope we can work well together in the future."
Having said that, he left without asking anyone to see him off.
...
Zhou Yao exaggeratedly ordered dishes but was quick to settle the bill. She asked the waiter for a receipt and scratched off a lottery ticket but didn’t win anything. Zhou Yao tossed the receipt aside and went to the restroom. After washing her hands, she hurried back to the private room only to find that her companions had already left.
They were probably waiting for her downstairs.
Zhou Yao pouted and dashed down the stairs again. When she reached the lobby on the first floor and hadn’t even stepped off the last step, she saw Luo Yi standing by the indoor fountain with one hand in his pocket and a cigarette in the other, quietly watching her.
Zhou Yao froze on the steps, unable to react for a long time.
She had imagined countless scenarios for their reunion, thinking about fiercely complaining to him or giving him a glare before turning away. But all the anger she had planned dissipated in an instant upon seeing him.
Heaven knows how much she wanted him.
Customers moved in and out of the store.
He walked towards her, and Zhou Yao's heart raced. Before she could think of a response, Luo Yi was already standing in front of her, saying nothing, lowering his eyelids and leaning closer to her lips.
Zhou Yao's breath caught in her throat as his straight nose and brow were almost touching hers, the familiar scent of the man enveloping her. She felt dizzy, closed her eyes, and waited for him to pull her into his arms and give her a deep kiss.
She felt his breath getting closer to her cheek, carrying the scent of tobacco, and her heart pounded like a drum.
In the next moment, his breath brushed past her face and landed by her ear.
"I want to kiss you," he whispered lightly in her ear with a hint of regret, "but there are too many people. Let's wait for next time."
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