yournovel Chapter 538 Normal Business Practices
Chapter 538 Normal Business Practices
"Xiao Yu, you've already booked this place. If we were to be any more polite, we'd really be letting you down," Luo Ruiyang said with a smile.
Yu Huan smiled and quickly replied, "Uncle Luo, it's all the least I can do."
At this moment, the graceful woman in the cheongsam gave Luo Ruiyang an elegant nod.
Seeing Luo Ruiyang nod with a smile, she calmly began to tidy up the tea table, her every move exuding gentleness and composure.
A moment later, led by several bigwigs, a group of more than ten people walked out of the tea room in an orderly manner.
Yu Huan mingled in the crowd, and before leaving, she looked up and glanced at the coffered ceiling that was the same as the one in the Forbidden City.
A coiled dragon was perched in the very center of the ceiling, majestic and imposing.
The so-called caisson ceiling, also known as the dragon well, is a dome-shaped ceiling, square on the outside and round on the inside, with a dragon as the central decoration, and the surrounding area is decorated with exquisite patterns, carvings and paintings.
This ceiling is magnificent and extremely luxurious.
Yu Huan couldn't help but click her tongue in admiration, secretly marveling at how extravagant the boss was.
Just now, there were people accompanying her standing in every nook and cranny of the tea room. Yu Huan felt that she still had to pay attention to her image. She kept her eyes from wandering around, lest she look like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden and appear ignorant, making herself a laughing stock for others.
He quickly looked away and followed the crowd outside.
The sound of footsteps rose and fell until they reached the elevator, at which point they gradually stopped.
Luo Ruiyang turned around, glanced around briefly, and finally fixed his gaze on Luo Bin beside him.
He raised his voice slightly and said, "Everyone has worked hard. Luo Bin, arrange a good place for the brothers, and we'll go eat with Xiao Yu."
“I understand.” Luo Bin nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
In public, the two of them do not refer to each other as father and son.
Upon hearing Luo Ruiyang's arrangement, Yu Huan didn't say anything to show off or insist that everyone pay for the meal, implying that "Young Master Yu will cover all the expenses."
After all, one has to be careful about how one behaves in this situation.
After giving his instructions, Luo Ruiyang suddenly took a step forward, raised his hand and gently patted Yu Huan's shoulder, asking with a smile, "Where did you park your car? There should be just enough room for all of us."
Yu Huan smiled and replied, "The car is parked on the riverbank across the street. It might take a while. I'll go turn the car around and drive it over."
"No need, let's just walk a few more steps," Old Dai chimed in.
The uncle grinned, his gold teeth gleaming in the soft light, and said to Luo Bin, "Little Luo, you're in charge of taking care of that guy who came with me! I'm staying in Xingcheng for another night to visit my brother-in-law. Oh, remember to arrange a place for him to stay."
Their conversation was familiar and lacked formalities.
Luo Bin nodded quickly and replied with a smile, "President Wei, please rest assured, we are all guests, and I will make sure to handle everything properly."
Just then, the elevator doors slowly slid open to both sides.
"Alright, then I'll trouble you." Uncle said with a smile, and stepped into the sedan chair first.
Luo Bin stood by the elevator door, turned to the side, raised his hand to Yu Huan and gestured for her to proceed, saying, "This elevator can't fit all of you at once, please go ahead, I'll wait for the next one with everyone else."
Yu Huan smiled and nodded, then followed Lao Dai into the elevator.
Although the private elevator is exquisitely decorated and has a high-end and classy feel, the space is not very spacious.
Besides the faint fragrance, Yu Huan could also clearly smell the tobacco scent on the several old smokers.
The elevator descended steadily and slowly.
There was no one else waiting at this time.
Uncle suddenly reached out and patted Luo Ruiyang's slightly protruding belly, half-jokingly saying, "Old Luo, it's only been a few months since I last saw you, and you look like you've almost lost all the fat in your belly. Have you been quietly dieting?"
"It must be because President Luo is so busy lately that he can't even find time to have a proper meal. Well then, we'll have to treat ourselves to a good meal with Xiao Yu today." Old Dai jokingly chimed in, his thick eyebrows and small eyes revealing a hint of teasing.
Luo Ruiyang laughed and slapped his uncle's hand away, saying, "I would love to eat and drink to my heart's content, but I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes before, so now I have to control my diet and someone monitors my blood sugar every day. As you get older, all sorts of problems arise, and I really don't want to bring this up."
"Wow!" Uncle raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Old Luo, you really need to take better care of your health! You already have high blood pressure, and on top of that, you have diabetes. It's no joke."
"Of course I know this is not something to be taken lightly. Now I run for half an hour every day without fail, and I've lost more than 30 pounds in one go!" Luo Ruiyang said with emotion.
Upon hearing this, Lao Dai dropped his joking expression and said seriously, "Health is the foundation of everything, Lao Luo. Look at you, with such a large business—"
"Stop! Stop!" Luo Ruiyang waved his hand sharply, interrupting Lao Dai. "No matter how big your fortune is, you can't take it with you when you die! Life and death are predestined, wealth and honor are determined by fate. I've already enjoyed my life to the fullest."
My uncle took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, smiled and offered them to others, while jokingly saying, "Old Luo, you're exaggerating. It's just diabetes. As long as it's properly managed, it's not a big problem."
Luo Ruiyang took the cigarette and held it between his fingers.
But he didn't light it, only sighed helplessly: "Although it's not life-threatening, not being able to eat and drink as I please is really not a good feeling, it's really a bit upsetting."
Yu Huan took out a mask from her pocket and put it on, her voice tinged with laughter, and interjected at the opportune moment: "Uncle Luo, a good attitude is the most important thing."
After listening, Luo Ruiyang nodded in deep agreement: "Xiao Yu's words hit the nail on the head. It's all about having the right mindset."
At this moment, the elevator car arrived at the first floor, and the doors slowly slid open to both sides.
The four of them stepped out of the elevator at a leisurely pace.
Everyone who saw Luo Ruiyang along the way stopped to greet him, displaying the demeanor of a domineering CEO.
Before long, they walked out of Jiangxin Building and came outdoors under the cover of night.
"Wow, it's gotten completely dark without me even realizing it!" Old Dai looked up at the night sky, somewhat belatedly realizing what had happened.
Luo Ruiyang raised his wrist, glanced at the gold Rolex on his wrist, and said with a smile, "It's almost 7 o'clock now, how can it not be dark?"
Old Dai patted his flat belly and said in a thick Beijing accent, "Hey! No wonder I'm so hungry, it's this late."
"Then I'll send a message right away and tell the hotel to make preparations in advance."
As Yu Huan spoke, she took out her phone from her pocket and began typing rapidly on the screen while leading the group toward the zebra crossing... A gentle evening breeze was blowing.
The Xiangjiang River flows quietly in the night, its surface shimmering with light.
My uncle had a cigarette dangling from his lips, the butt glowing faintly red. He took a deep breath of fresh air, opened the passenger door, and got into the BMW.
Seeing that the big shots had all gotten into their cars and settled in, Yu Huan released the handbrake, gently pressed the accelerator, and drove the BMW onto the busy main road.
My uncle leaned back comfortably in his seat, gazing at the brightly lit street scene, a puff of smoke he exhaled being carried out of the car window by the wind.
"Xiao Yu, where is You Rong having dinner tonight?" Uncle turned his head and asked casually.
Yu Huan stared at the road ahead and smiled as she answered her uncle, "It's Xu's Restaurant right next to my father-in-law's house."
Uncle nodded knowingly.
Hearing their conversation, Luo Ruiyang, who was sitting in the right rear seat, sighed with feigned regret: "Sigh, I was hoping to have the honor of having a meal with a big star!"
"A big star?" Old Dai, who was unaware of the situation, looked surprised, then couldn't help but laugh and tease, "Old Luo, stop pretending here. With your abilities, meeting a big star is a piece of cake."
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Luo Ruiyang said, taking a drag of his cigarette between his fingers. "You don't know this, do you? Xiao Yu's wife, Lao Wei's niece, is that Lin Su who's really popular right now!"
"Huh? Lin Su?" Old Dai's small eyes widened in surprise, and it took him several seconds to react. "I know this singer too. Isn't she participating in 'I Am a Singer' right now? That show is great, I haven't missed a single episode."
“Yes, it’s her.” Luo Ruiyang nodded affirmatively.
"Is it true?"
Yu Huan stepped on the brake with her toe, and while waiting for the traffic light to turn around, she smiled and said, "It's true, but we're currently in a secret marriage and don't plan to go public yet, so we'll have to keep it a secret for a while."
"Don't worry, Xiao Yu, I don't really care about celebrities," Old Dai said with a chuckle, "unlike your Uncle Luo, who used to invest in movies and TV series..."
Luo Ruiyang immediately turned to the side, patted Lao Dai's shoulder forcefully, and said in feigned anger, "Lao Dai, don't say anything untoward to your junior! My investment in film and television projects is purely a normal business activity!"
"Yes, yes, it's normal business practice." Old Dai nodded hurriedly, a meaningful smile appearing on his face.
He pushed aside Luo Ruiyang's heavy arm, turned to look at his uncle's profile, and sighed, "Old Wei, you really are a master of disguise! Your niece is so famous, yet you haven't let slip a single word."
My uncle grinned, revealing his large, shiny gold teeth that still gleamed in the dim light.
He laughed and said, "Old Wei, I didn't mean to keep this a secret. The kids don't want to make a fuss; they have their own ideas and plans, and of course we have to respect their wishes. As elders, we shouldn't cause trouble for them, don't you think?"
“That makes perfect sense! I was really surprised. I never expected that Xiao Yu, who kept such a low profile, would have a wife who was actually a big star.”
“What’s so surprising about that? Xiao Yu is a big celebrity who has to wear a mask when he goes out! The two of them together are a powerful combination, Lao Wei, don’t you think?” Luo Ruiyang said, raising his hand to tap the back of the seat in front of him.
Uncle nodded happily, agreeing, "Old Luo is right, they are both very outstanding young people."
As soon as the red light turned green, Yu Huan stepped on the gas and said with a smile, "Your compliments are making me a little embarrassed."
"Xiao Yu, you're just too honest," Luo Ruiyang commented.
My uncle, puffing out wisps of smoke, smiled and chimed in, "It's good to be down-to-earth. In life and in business, you have to be grounded and practical. That's how you go far."
“Uncle is right,” Yu Huan quickly agreed.
The destination wasn't far away; it only took less than ten minutes to drive there.
As the group chatted idly in the car, Yu Huan gently turned the steering wheel, and the BMW slowly made its way onto the side road.
After passing through the barrier gate, you enter the hotel's parking lot.
Perhaps because Yu Huan had just texted him that he would be there soon, before he could even turn off the engine, he saw Shen Gang, wearing a pink mink coat, smiling broadly as he came to greet him from the restaurant entrance.
With the car windows open, Shen Gang's voice, which sounded like he was straining his throat, was clearly audible to everyone.
"Oh my! We've finally been waiting for all our distinguished guests!"
Upon hearing this unsettling noise, Luo Ruiyang frowned and immediately pushed open the car door, getting out of the car.
Shen Gang was standing on the driver's side, a charming smile on her face, her mouth open, just about to speak.
But when he caught a glimpse of Luo Ruiyang's slightly round, cold face, his neck felt like it had been suddenly grabbed, and he couldn't make a sound, gasping for breath.
His smile froze instantly, becoming extremely unnatural, and he subconsciously took a small step back.
The hand that was originally raised high to greet someone is now awkwardly suspended in mid-air, seemingly unsure whether to continue waving or put it down.
Yu Huan was completely unaware of anything amiss and had no idea what was going on.
As he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car, he said with a smile, "We're all hungry this late, Shen Gang, is everything ready?"
Upon hearing the question, Shen Gang hurriedly put his hand down, nodded vigorously, and stammered, "Everything...everything is ready."
As he spoke, he suddenly lost that affected manner and returned to his normal youthful voice.
Yu Huan straightened up and looked in the direction Shen Gang was looking with some surprise. She saw Luo Ruiyang with a solemn expression, exuding the aura of a domineering CEO.
He couldn't help but wonder why Luo Ruiyang, who was usually quite amiable, had suddenly become so stern.
I suddenly remembered seeing a photo of Luo Ruiyang and Shen Gang together before, so the two must know each other.
He secretly speculated that Luo Ruiyang might disapprove of the 'unhealthy trends' that deviated from the mainstream...
So he quickly broke the ice: "Shen Gang, then I'll have to trouble you."
"No trouble at all!" Shen Gang nodded vigorously, standing ramrod straight, but his eyes remained fixed on Luo Ruiyang.
Luo Ruiyang's expression softened slightly, and he said to Shen Gang with a touch of authority, "When doing business, you still have to maintain the proper demeanor. A man should act like a man."
“I understand, Uncle.” Shen Gang said, subconsciously pulling a silk handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the fine sweat from his forehead. (End of Chapter)