Cruel Romance Chapter 3.4

“Looks like this girl is finally stepping up.” Xiang Ying Dong observed how Jin Xiu socialized and entertained customers from afar, surprised, from the past week she seemed to have transformed into a different person. She was just too inexperienced.

Zuo Zhen was by his side, walking down the stairs. “Don’t you think that she resembles Ming Zhu?” Zuo Zhen tested the waters without leaving a trace. To think that Jin Xiu was wholeheartedly trying to get on Ying Dong’s good side, yet he could not tell at all? “Perhaps so, after all they are sisters. But what’s the point of resembling each other? Ming Zhu’s charisma is like wine, and it’s a treasure that one comes across only once in every hundred years. Jin Xiu this little girl is plain water, she’s much better now, but even so at the most she’s a cup of grape juice now.”

Zuo Zhen smiled. “When Ming Zhu first arrived here, wasn’t she the same too?” Xiang Ying Dong immediately disagreed, “Back then Ming Zhu was the favourite of tyc.o.o.ns, to get her here, I don’t even know how much effort and money I spent. And in the end, all big brother had to do was hook his fingers and take her away, women.”

Zuo Zhen broke off his grumbles, “You didn’t talk to her about Jin Xiu?” Xiang Ying Dong sighed loudly, “The last time I brought her up, she threw her temper. Brother Zhen, please handle such matters yourself in future. Don’t incite me anyway you please, I can’t be bothered to get involved.”

“Oh really? I thought it would be a joy for you to run over to Ming Zhu’s place every day.” As Zuo Zhen ridiculed him, his looked at Jin Xiu from afar. She was smiling, with all her might to hide her shyness and uneasiness. Her made up face, together with this forced smile, looked as though she had put on a mask. But even so, her smile was still so beautiful. If there was something Jin Xiu had that others didn’t, that would be her smile. Gentle, pure, full of trust, as though she had no hidden motives, yet cause even the spring wind to become intoxicated.

Zuo Zhen had never known, that a lady’s smile could be so touching. Didn’t she know that the roads before her, were so dirty and dark? Faced with a man’s wandering hand around her waist and back, Jin Xiu’s smile literally trembled.

Zuo Zhen couldn’t help but frown.  “Ying Dong, weren’t you going to talk to Boss Xing about the land for horse racing, why are you still standing here?” He suddenly felt distracted, and wasn’t willing to stay in this extravagant and gorgeous large hall, breathing in the scents of spirits mixed with perfume.

“Hey, what’s the rush?” Xiang Ying Dong ran after him, “Leaving right after you say so!” Actually, meeting Boss Xing with Xiang Ying Dong, wasn’t Zuo Zhen’s intention. All this way, Xiang Ying Dong was enthusiastic about constructing the horse racing track, he was close to Thomas from the British consulate, so getting the rights was not a problem. The issued lied in the getting the land for this. The land that he had decided on, concerned part of Boss Xing’s tobacco businesses.

To combat this hurdle, after much effort, the reason why Boss Xing didn’t give up, besides the personal reasons he spoke of, was because of the rivalry against Chen Jin Rong. Chen Jin Rong was a famous real estate developer in Shanghai, especially in recent years, his business has grown from strength to strength. His forces had grown in power and were not to be underestimated. As what Qing Gang had observed, Zuo Zhen realized that his power was related to Pudong’s underworld.

Many years ago, He Gang was fighting in chaos, there was clashes between Qing Gang and several of them, but they were suppressed. Back then, the head of Qing Gang was Zuo Zhen’s master, He Chong Jiu. All these years, no one dared to take even one step into Qing Gang’s territory. Just that the situation in Shanghai was increasingly chaotic and treacherous, on the surface everything seemed calm but in reality, Zuo Zhen could already smell the wafting stench of danger. If it were simply matters of Ying Dong’s business, Zuo Zhen would not interfere.

The business interactions, obvious attacks and hidden traps, Ying Dong was more than capable of handling, unless he asked for help, there was no reason for Zuo Zhen to enter muddied waters. He only feared that the above board compet.i.tion, involved the secret forces of the gangs.

After making a name for himself in the Shanghai Bund, advancing with every step was the lesson that Zuo Zhen gained in exchange for his blood. The more dangerous, the more calm, was his distinctive style. The meeting place would be at Lion Grove. The reason for meeting at night and at a club, would make it seem less like a formal discussion but rather a chance to interact and understand each other better. Yet it could also be an opportunity to test the depth of relations.h.i.+p between Boss Xing and Shen Jin Rong.

The upside was that although Boss Xing was an outsider from Guang Dong, but he knew about the situation and rules there, and fully receptive to Ying Dong’s hospitality. This banquet, both hosts and guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves, the atmosphere was warm. With regards to the actual topic at hand, Boss Xing avoided it time and again, Xiang Ying Dong didn’t push it further, and Zuo Zhen looked on coldly. The situation looked lively and joyous, as though everyone were long time friends, but both were standing on different sides, thinking different thoughts.