Chapter 188: Chapter 182: The Wild Boar Eats Fine Bran
After sending out more than ten big red packets in the group chat, Lin Chu laughed and joked around with everyone.
He felt quite happy.
Just then, Lin Chu suddenly remembered the girl his "beauty radar" had picked up the last time he was at the office. She was gorgeous—stunning, even—with a unique style all her own.
He had seen her in the group chat, too. Her profile picture was a photo of herself, her name was Shen Huanxi, and her title was Financial Assistant.
Heh.
’An important position like finance, handed over to a brand-new hire?’
’Even if she’s just an assistant.’
’What was Zhang Peng thinking?’
However, Lin Chu quickly figured that Shen Huanxi’s job was probably to tally the livestreaming revenue.
The company’s revenue from that side of the business was extremely complex. After all, each streamer’s earnings had to be calculated individually, and on a daily basis. The workload was immense and tedious. It wasn’t difficult, per se, but it required meticulous attention to detail and a great deal of patience.
’Finance...’
’Finance and accounting staff are people every boss needs to keep firmly under their control. It’s also a department rife with unspoken rules and... complications.’
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Lin Chu shook his head and smiled, but he didn’t take any further action for the time being.
To be honest, he was still a bit wary about messing around at the office.
He hadn’t even made any overly forward moves with his two assistants.
It certainly wasn’t because they were unattractive or lacked charm; it was mainly because he was exercising a certain degree of self-restraint.
Besides, he was getting his fill elsewhere.
The grass near the burrow remained untouched, by sheer luck.
Just as he was thinking this, Lin Chu noticed that in the group chat for He Meng and Liu Junfeng’s team, He Meng had tagged him.
"President Lin, we have our first prospective member. He said he’ll come for a visit tomorrow. He’s a local from Yang City and works in e-commerce."
She must have seen Lin Chu messaging in the main group chat and figured he was free and on his phone, so she decided to give him an early update.
"That was fast! Congratulations."
Lin Chu typed his reply with a surprised smile.
"A great choice of villa brings in the members. (Grinning emoji)"
He Meng replied, "This Mr. Zhang is in the luxury goods business himself. I’m guessing he’s partly looking to network and exchange resources. But I think we can still work with someone like that. His motives might not be entirely pure, but we should get him in the door first."
"After all, a long-lasting social circle can only be maintained through shared interests. Every group needs people like him, so it’s fine as long as we remain firmly in control."
Lin Chu read her message and thought for a moment. "Okay," he replied. "You guys can handle the initial meeting."
’So that’s how it is.’
’For a character like that, it’s a relatively easy sell.’
There were too many social circles in this world, and just as many people desperate to break into them. It was like a giant marine ecosystem: big fish ate small fish, and small fish ate shrimp. In the end, no one could say for sure who would leap the Dragon Gate and transform, and who would end up as food for others.
’Wasn’t I the same way?’
At that moment, for some reason, Lin Chu’s mind drifted back to the thought he’d had that afternoon at the golf club—the one about having children.
’More children bring more blessings, after all.’
’It’s practically standard issue for a wealthy dynasty.’
’But... deep down, something still felt a little off about it.’
’The way I was raised doesn’t allow me to do this.’
’Dating someone, things not working out, breaking up—even getting married and then divorced—all of that seems pretty normal in this day and age.’
’But as soon as children are involved...’
’Can I be a good father?’
’When my kids grow up and find out their dad was a massive scumbag, a total womanizer, will they still respect me?’
The thought came to Lin Chu instinctively, and he couldn’t help but let out a long sigh.
Lin Chu knew, of course, that these thoughts were still rooted in conventional morality.
But the inertia of his ingrained mindset and worldview was so powerful that, for the moment, he still had reservations and hang-ups. He couldn’t quite accept it completely.
"Sigh..."
Lin Chu sighed faintly.
’Looks like I still haven’t "evolved"—or perhaps "devolved"—into a creature driven purely by self-interest.’
’Otherwise, everything I do would be guided by the principle of maximizing personal gain.’
...
He mulled it over the entire way there. By the time he arrived at Chen Jinyu’s villa in Xiangmi Lake, Lin Chu had pushed all these thoughts from his mind.
It was a heavy topic, and since he couldn’t figure it out right now, he decided to leave it to time.
"Old Gao, you can head back for tonight. Take the car. You can take tomorrow morning off. I have to see a doctor in the afternoon, so come pick me up sometime after noon."
After giving his instructions to Gao Haitao, Lin Chu got out of the car.
The main gate to her property was unlocked.
It swung open with a gentle push.
The small lamps in the courtyard were on, as were the lights in the living room.
Lin Chu turned the handle of the living room door and was greeted by the cheerful sound of a guitar. He glanced over and saw Chen Jinyu in the entertainment area, dressed in her pajamas. She was holding a guitar, softly humming and singing to herself.
She didn’t seem very skilled. She kept faltering and starting over, and it didn’t sound particularly good. It was as if she were a beginner just practicing.
Tsk.
’A woman in her thirties, is this how she passes the long, lonely nights?’
’Gotta say, she really has that "good wife, loving mother" vibe.’
But her ex cast an enormous shadow, and that was a thorn in Lin Chu’s side.
’Of course, that was a bit of a double standard.’
’He had plenty of exes himself, who no doubt cast their own not-so-small shadows.’
’But society’s expectations for men and women were different to begin with.’
"There are so many people in this world, a door stands open in the crowd..."
Chen Jinyu was playing and singing a song by Karen Mok, "So Many People in This World."
A smile touched Lin Chu’s lips. He didn’t know how long she’d been practicing—maybe she had just started, or maybe she’d been at it all night—but perhaps this very moment was what she had been hoping for.
’For him to arrive just in time to hear her sing.’
It was one of a woman’s subtle, romantic little ploys.
Hearing the sound from the door, she put down her guitar and looked over. She seemed a little shy, explaining with a soft, smiling voice, "I’m still practicing. I’m not very good yet."
"It’s fine, keep singing. I’ll just listen."
A pot of flower tea was steeping on the table next to two cups. Lin Chu made himself at home, sitting down and pouring a cup for himself before watching her with a leisurely air.
After taking a sip to wet his throat, Lin Chu suddenly recalled that the last two times he’d come over, his actions had been wild. He would kiss her the moment he walked in the door, a blaze of passion like dry tinder meeting a spark.
Now, however, he felt more inclined to savor the moment.
Damn it!
’This wild boar is starting to eat fine bran.’
Gotta say, his own taste and style had leveled up. He wasn’t as brutish as before, like some kind of lecherous fiend.
Now, Lin Chu felt that a girl had to have something truly special about her to even stir his impulses.
This wasn’t because he was getting older, of course.
It was purely a matter of his aesthetic threshold being raised.
There was no need to deliberately hold back, nor was there a need to deliberately indulge. Comfortable, pleasant, and going with the flow—that was what mattered.
...
...
