Blue Cocktail chapter 23
“I heard from Aru that you’ve made plans to invite Cheng Shuo to the bar for drinks tonight?”
It was half past four on Saturday afternoon, the sun setting in the west. Behind the bar counter at the Mo Blue Bar, Zhao Ge was bouncy, standing beside Lu Huaiqian, flipping a highball glass from his right hand to his left and then back again, wearing an expression that clearly enjoyed witnessing the excitement.
“Breaking one glass deducts two hundred.”
Lu Huaiqian glanced briefly at Zhao Ge, then turned to tidy up the bar.
“Damn, you’re really harsh, deducting two hundred for just one glass!”
Zhao Ge immediately exclaimed, expressing his shock.
Although he vehemently criticized capitalist exploitation through his words, he acted obediently in the presence of a capitalist. Zhao Ge’s restless hands habitually played with the highball glass, and he curiously asked, “So, did you manage to convince? Will Cheng Shuo come tonight?”
Lu Huaiqian evaded the question and didn’t turn back.
He moved towards the freezer, opened it, and inside the ice molds, apart from the transparent and tasteless ice cubes, were semi-transparent flavored ones, like those made from freshly squeezed tomato juice. He quickly checked; they were all ready.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind, “So, you didn’t convince him?”
Hearing this, Lu Huaiqian pushed the door of the freezer, turned around, only to see Zhao Ge grinning.
Ignoring Zhao Ge’s words, Lu Huaiqian walked past him towards the exit, while Zhao Ge continued following him, “If you managed to convince him, you’d have shown it off to us. Obviously, you didn’t manage, right?”
The comment wasn’t highly offensive but carried a strong impact.
Zhao Ge clicked his tongue a few times, and with a triumphant expression, he said, “even you have days like this.”
To this, Lu Huaiqian frowned slightly, “I didn’t say he won’t come.”
“Then why didn’t you answer when I asked?”
Lu Huaiqian remained silent, seemingly unaffected.
After pondering for a while, Zhao Ge’s face lit up, “Oh, I see. He neither confirmed nor denied it, leaving an ambiguous reply, right?”
Lu Huaiqian’s pace faltered slightly, showing a sarcastic smile, “Your intelligence shouldn’t be wasted on guessing Cheng Shuo’s thoughts. If you used it to make money, I believe you’d be the world’s richest by now.”
Zhao Ge burst into laughter, “boss, I can still get under your skin, something I could never do before when we argued!”
“Are you that fond of him?” Zhao Ge spoke straightforwardly, maintaining his offensive tone, “Oh no, boss, you seem to have a weak spot now. You were supposed to be invincible, particularly in the matters of love and relationships.”
“If someone wants to threaten you in the future, they can start with Cheng Shuo—”
“So what if I have a weak spot?” Lu Huaiqian couldn’t bear it anymore, interrupting him, “I have the ability, power, and wealth to protect my weak spots.”
“From now on, don’t joke about Cheng Shuo with me.”
Seeing that Zhao Ge still seemed eager to say something, Lu Huaiqian made the first move, staring expressionlessly at Zhao Ge and speaking in a serious tone, “I’m serious. This is my bottom line. It’s better for you not to touch it.”
He finished speaking and walked away from Zhao Ge.
Seeing Lu Huaiqian’s departing figure, Zhao Ge shook his head, smiling with a meaningful expression.
Returning to the bar, a woman in her forties entered, holding the hand of a boy around seven or eight years old.
The boy was fair and angelic, with a pair of big, bright, grape-like eyes, his small face looking up with eagerness, asking, “Mom, will I really have a big amusement park in the future?”
“Yes,” the woman spoke gently, smiling softly.
Her loose hair swayed gently in the wind, the setting sun casting a golden hue over her face and glinting in her eyes. “Mom will discuss the amusement park with an uncle later. You must play quietly without causing a fuss, alright?”
“Okay!” The boy nodded vigorously.
Business had arrived, and Lu Huaiqian greeted them with a smile.
The sound of high heels against the wooden floor, crisp and rhythmic, was akin to the sound of a bell. The woman, carrying a bag, finally stopped in front of the bar, a smile on her face, “You’re the bar owner, Mr. Lu. I’m surnamed He, He Yin.”
Lu Huaiqian nodded, “May I take your order?”
Speaking, he discreetly observed the guest; this had become a professional habit of Lu Huaiqian’s.
He noticed the unmistakable wrinkles on He Yin’s face, a sign of time, wrapping around her refined bone structure. They couldn’t diminish her charm but rather highlighted her steady, generous, and confident demeanor. Her deep-set eyes and brows held stories and seemed oddly familiar.
Who could it be?
Lu Huaiqian was lost in thought.
“Do you have a younger brother?”
Lu Huaiqian returned to his senses, his eyebrows slightly raised, and he smiled, “You know my brother?”
He Yin also smiled, “The chairman of Huaiyin Intelligent Technology Company is so famous. I have heard about him long ago. There are legends about him in the industry.”
Lu Huaiqian politely smiled, “To tell you the truth, I haven’t been in contact with Huai Xuan for some time.”
He Yin’s facial expression seemed to pause for a moment, then continued. She remained silent for a few seconds, the smile fading slightly, showing more seriousness. “Actually, I have some matters coming to see you, to avoid wasting each other’s time, I’ll get straight to the point.”
“Please go on.”
“I’ve set my sights on a piece of land to build a large amusement park, but the land use right belongs to Huaiyin Intelligent Technology Company.”
“I’ve had contact with your brother. I can vaguely sense that he doesn’t want to transfer this land. He is the chairman of the company and has a lot of say. To a certain extent, his intention represents the outcome of our future business negotiations.”
“Which piece of land is it?”
He Yin took a picture out of her cowhide bag and showed it to Lu Huaiqian.
“Oh,” Lu Huaiqian withdrew his gaze, understandingly. “Huai Xuan is reluctant to transfer the land to you for a reason, as it holds significant meaning for him and carries cherished memories.”
He Yin put the phone back into her bag, slightly taken aback, “Memories?”
“Yes, because it involves Huai Xuan’s privacy, I can’t be explicit. But I remember many people had tried to negotiate with Huai Xuan for this piece of land by offering terms and discussing prices, and none of them succeeded.” Lu Huaiqian suggested, “Perhaps you can consider nearby construction land.”
He Yin fell into a momentary silence, seeming somewhat conflicted.
Lu Huaiqian allowed her time to ponder, his gaze briefly lingering on her face, then shifting elsewhere.
Behind the glass window, a familiar figure appeared, with short gray-blue hair and a light blue denim jacket, hands tucked into the pockets of black sweatpants, an unwelcoming expression that exuded rebellion, both determined and free-spirited.
Sure enough, he did show up. Lu Huaiqian smiled to himself, secretly pleased.
He Yin’s voice sounded again.
“Your brother is also a businessman, so he should understand the importance of site selection for operating income. After estimating the customer flow in many places in Huafu City, we finally settled on this location. So, I want to make another attempt.”
Lu Huaiqian’s gaze fell on He Yin’s eyebrows, while his peripheral vision was tracking Cheng Shuo’s movements.
The gray-blue hair danced in his line of sight, like a patch of blue in the clear sky, something that would improve one’s mood.
“I know I have come to the right person this time, and since you are aware of the hidden details, I was thinking maybe you could say a few words for me to your brother.”
“Of course, not just to lobby. After the amusement park is built, I plan to gift two percent of the company’s shares as a token of appreciation for your help.”
Lu Huaiqian repeated, “Two percent?”
He Yin nodded, “Yes.”
Lu Huaiqian contemplated for a while and seemed to have made a decision, “I can try, but it might not necessarily succeed.”
He Yin’s lips curved into a smile, “I am deeply grateful if you are willing to help.”
“I have some urgent matters to attend to, so I may have to leave first.” He Yin handed a business card to Lu Huaiqian, bent down and made eye contact with the boy, “Hanhan, say goodbye to the uncle. We’re leaving.”
Hanhan looked up, with a childlike voice, “Goodbye, uncle.”
Lu Huaiqian shook his hand with a smile, “Goodbye.”
He Yin took the little boy’s hand and turned toward the door. A boy in a light blue denim jacket passed not far away, with fair skin, a straight nose, and tight lips—a very exquisite side profile that felt somewhat familiar.
With a casual glance, her smile froze suddenly and slowly faded away.
“Cheng Shuo?”
The young man didn’t stop his stride and gave no response.
It seemed she mistook the person.
After a moment of bewilderment, He Yin suddenly regained her senses and grasped Hanhan’s hand to catch up with Cheng Shuo’s retreating figure. This led to Hanhan complaining softly, “Mom, you’re holding me too tight, it hurts…”
“Cheng Shuo!”
Her voice was slightly agitated.
Cheng Shuo hesitated for a moment, then resumed his pace, keeping his head down, as if he hadn’t heard anything, and walked on.
The sound of her high heels hitting the ground rapidly approached from behind, like an unforgettable childhood memory.
Cheng Shuo suddenly stopped, and He Yin blocked his path.
“Shuo Shuo!”
He Yin’s voice quivered slightly.
Cheng Shuo closed his eyes, let out a long sigh, then slowly opened them. Meeting He Yin’s gaze, his expression was indifferent, and his tone remained unchanging, “Do you have something to say?”
For a moment, He Yin was at a loss, and in an abrupt cut-off, she said, “I’ve wanted to say… sorry all these years, I’ve wanted to say it in person…”
“This kind of meaningless talk should be stopped. I don’t want to hear it.”