What Are Your Tastes? chapter 3

Simple Tastes

“You’re saying—Mr. Zhou doesn’t approve of my design?” Lu Yunchu never expected Hongchuan’s big boss to care about such details, nor that his idea would be outright rejected.

The inspiration had struck him after reviewing Hongchuan’s layout the day before. It included a touch of corporate culture and seamlessly blended with the surroundings. Manager Sun had also approved it during their discussion.

“Right,” Manager Sun said awkwardly. “Originally, I was in charge of this, but Mr. Zhou suddenly asked about it yesterday. I showed him your design, and he was very dissatisfied, insisting on a redo.”

“What didn’t he like?”

“Mr. Zhou said your direction was entirely wrong. He doesn’t want this type of sculpture.”

“This type?” Lu Yunchu didn’t think his work was that unusual. Commercial sculptures needed to consider public acceptance and couldn’t be as free-form as pure art. “Do you know what type he wants?”

“Well… Mr. Zhou didn’t specify. If you want my suggestion—” Manager Sun hesitated. “Our Mr. Zhou is a very straightforward person, so I guess his tastes are… simple.”

“Simple?” Lu Yunchu felt there was more to it. What kind of requirement was that?

Being paid for the job, he couldn’t afford to complain. He pondered how to make it simpler, submitting three more drafts in the following week, all of which were rejected.

Lu Yunchu realized that without directly communicating with Mr. Zhou, he wouldn’t understand the client’s needs. So, he asked Manager Sun to arrange a meeting with Hongchuan’s boss, Zhou Yanchuan.

Things weren’t going smoothly. After his car got scratched and sent to the repair shop, Manager Sun called the next day to inform him that Zhou Yanchuan could meet him on Thursday afternoon.

“Can’t it be next week?” Lu Yunchu asked. His car definitely wouldn’t be ready that week, and Zhou Yanchuan refused to meet outside, insisting Lu Yunchu come directly to the park, which would take quite some effort.

“Mr. Zhou said it must be this day,” Manager Sun said apologetically. “He’s also very busy and doesn’t want to set aside time for this. He said if you’re coming, it has to be Thursday afternoon.”

After months of venturing outside, Lu Yunchu had encountered all sorts of people and had learned to restrain his temper. He knew well that someone like Zhou Yanchuan was already giving face by not outright rejecting him.

On Thursday afternoon, he called for a car to Hongchuan for the second time.

Having made an appointment in advance, the front desk of the office building didn’t inquire much, only instructing him to register. Manager Sun happened to come down from the elevator: “Mr. Lu, you’ve arrived?”

“Yeah,” Lu Yunchu signed his name, “Hello.”

“Let me take you up, it might be a bit hard to find the first time.”

“Thank you.”

Manager Sun led him to the door, knocked, and said to the person inside, “Mr. Zhou, Mr. Lu is here.” Then he gestured “please” to Lu Yunchu and left.

Lu Yunchu gently pushed open the half-closed door and met eyes with the man sitting behind the large desk for a few seconds. Subconsciously, he looked up and rechecked the position sign on the door because he thought Manager Sun had led him astray.

He had just seen this person the week before, the man who had mistaken him for a driver on the roadside. But he never expected this would be Hongchuan’s boss.

“You… you’re that…”

“Oh—” Zhou Yanchuan recognized him upon seeing his face, “It was you who drove me to the hotel that day!” He stood up from his seat, a smile appearing on his originally serious face, “Please sit down… This is quite a coincidence.”

On one side of the office, there was a long sofa for guests to rest on, and a tea set was placed on the coffee table in front of it. After Zhou Yanchuan asked Lu Yunchu to sit down, he calmly took out the tea leaves and started boiling water again, “Would Tieguanyin be alright?”

“No need to be so polite,” Lu Yunchu hurriedly said. He wasn’t here today for tea, “Mr. Zhou, you really don’t have to trouble yourself.”

“Haven’t I troubled you too? What’s the big deal,” Zhou Yanchuan spoke loudly, looking very enthusiastic, “You refused the money I wanted to give you that day. Since you’re here, I should at least offer you some tea, right?”

“Thank you.” Surprised at how easygoing the other party was, Lu Yunchu decided to get to the point early, “I came here today to discuss the sculptures in the park with you.”

After using the freshly boiled hot water to scald a few small teacups, Zhou Yanchuan continued to pour tea while listening to him, without stopping the brewing process, only slightly waving his empty left hand: “I know, Manager Sun has already told you that what you did wasn’t good enough.”

Hearing such a straightforward negative evaluation, Lu Yunchu’s recently accumulated good impression of this person instantly collapsed.

“Things are what they are,” Zhou Yanchuan seemed to understand his thoughts, “You helped me last time, I’m naturally very grateful, and I can thank you in other ways, but when it comes to buying sculptures, I have the final say.”

Lu Yunchu understood this principle, suppressed the urge to question, and politely said, “So, I want to know where my problem lies?”

“Those things you did…” Zhou Yanchuan poured out the first brew of tea and refilled the two teacups, “I have no idea what you were doing.”

Lu Yunchu was also confused by his words; it was the first time he had received such feedback from a client.

Seeing that he didn’t understand, Zhou Yanchuan continued to explain, “You said you made a bunch of steel pipes for what? Hollow in the middle… Hongchuan’s budget is definitely enough, you don’t need to save money for me.”

“Of course, I’m not trying to save money,” Lu Yunchu couldn’t imagine that the work he had carefully created would be seen as “a bunch of steel pipes,” “I chose these materials for a reason. Hongchuan’s overall architectural style is very modern, and I want to express a more transparent and open spatial relationship…”

“Wait a moment,” Zhou Yanchuan frowned, “Mr. Lu, you don’t need to consider so much.”

“What type would you like to do, what are your tastes?”

“If you talk about the shape you’re doing, I can’t come up with anything…” Zhou Yanchuan frowned with distress, but immediately relaxed, “Hey, why not make a horse?”

“Horse?”

“Yes, I particularly like horses,” Zhou Yanchuan spoke with the excitement of a child talking about his favorite things, “It would be nice to make them all look like horses, galloping war horses! As for the materials, use that… what was that old cow pulling a cart at the entrance of the People’s Park made of—”

“Bronze?”

“Yes, that kind of feeling would be nice.”

Lu Yunchu glanced out the window in disbelief, looking at Zhou Yanchuan.

“Mr. Zhou,” he tried to be tactful, “Are you sure this park is suitable for such… retro decorations?”

“Too old-fashioned?” Zhou Yanchuan thought for a moment, “Then use white stones… stone carvings, that sort. In any case, don’t use messy things, and it should look like something!”

It wasn’t really a matter of materials. Even bronze could create works suitable for the environment, but he feared that he couldn’t bear the design. Lu Yunchu somewhat understood Manager Sun’s term “simple” tastes now; in plain terms, it was just outdated.

Seeing him unresponsive, Zhou Yanchuan asked, “Any questions?”

“I’m curious,” Lu Yunchu carefully hid his disdain, “Did you design this park according to your own hobbies?”

Hongchuan Park hadn’t been built for long, and although the overall style wasn’t particularly eye-catching, it looked natural and unified, very modern.

“Not really,” Zhou Yanchuan took a sip of tea, “Architecture… it has functionality, mainly practical, and there are factors like building materials and safety… it’s too complicated, and I don’t understand, so I can’t make decisions. Sculptures are different; they’re just decorations, like… children playing with mud, no need to think so much.”

Lu Yunchu widened his eyes, “Playing with mud?”

“I’m just giving an example, not looking down on your profession.”

“Mr. Zhou,” Lu Yunchu still wanted to struggle a bit, “Sculpture is also a form of spatial art. It should integrate with the surrounding environment and even become a part of the building itself, and it’s crucial for corporate culture—”

“Hey hey, Mr. Lu,” Zhou Yanchuan felt a headache coming on, “Thank you for your attention to my company, but don’t lecture me on these big principles. To be honest, I’m most afraid of teachers; you remind me of my high school homeroom teacher, and I… just want to pursue some things I want to see.”

Lu Yunchu’s mouth twitched slightly. “So you want me to mold a few shapes you like, like I’m playing with clay?”

“Yes, that’s the idea!” Zhou Yanchuan immediately sensed the irony in his words.

They had already exchanged glances once in the car last time. At that time, Zhou Yanchuan didn’t think much about it, just noting that this person had a distinctive appearance. A man with delicate features, long hair tied in a ponytail; anyone would easily remember him.

But now, he scrutinized the person in front of him more carefully.

Lu Yunchu had deep eye sockets, slightly narrow eyes with distinct contours, and up close, you could see faint eye bags along the lower lash line. These were eyes too beautiful for a man, always staring directly when speaking, as if he were the superior.

Zhou Yanchuan didn’t like this oppressive feeling, nor did he appreciate the sarcasm in his words just now.

“Mr. Lu, I’m curious too,” Zhou Yanchuan retorted, “are you in this business for passion or for money?”

Lu Yunchu guessed his intention and felt a twinge in his chest. “Of course, it’s for the money.”

“I thought as much,” Zhou Yanchuan grasped his leverage, stating confidently, “otherwise, you might have already overturned my desk.”

“Mr. Zhou,” Lu Yunchu almost threw caution to the wind, ready to risk losing a deal, “I didn’t refrain from overturning your desk just for money, but because of basic manners.”

He knew someone like Zhou Yanchuan, a tycoon, wouldn’t take him seriously, and he didn’t mind.

Thanks to Lu Changming’s consistent sarcastic remarks over the years, he had learned to temper his sharp edges. The inherent toughness was not diminished; he simply refused to show it in front of irrelevant people.

Zhou Yanchuan indeed didn’t take him seriously and almost laughed out loud.

This young man with the airs of a young master might as well have had “You’re an idiot” written across his face, yet he still restrained his resentment and maintained a polite conversation. It was quite a feat for him.

Among Zhou Yanchuan’s acquaintances were also artists, and he knew such people were somewhat proud. Under conditions not related to his own interests, he didn’t mind respecting or even upholding that pride. However, the Hongchuan Park area was his territory, and the money came from him; he absolutely wouldn’t indulge the other’s bad habits.

So he continued to “remind” Lu Yunchu: “Mr. Lu, if you have spare money, you can dabble in art as a hobby, but if you want to earn money from your craft, you have no room to challenge your clients.”

Zhou Yanchuan hit him where it hurt; he did need money. However, Lu Yunchu was surprised that Zhou Yanchuan didn’t seem to have any intention of terminating their contract.

“Are you still willing to let me do it?”

“Do you still want to?” Zhou Yanchuan chuckled again.

This guy was clearly being deliberate. Lu Yunchu took a deep breath, metaphorically kicking the ball of choice back: “If Mr. Zhou is willing, of course I am too.”

“Alright,” Zhou Yanchuan said straightforwardly, “I don’t feel like finding someone else again. What if I encounter someone even harder to deal with than you?”

Who was harder to deal with after all?

Lu Yunchu cursed inwardly, but Zhou Yanchuan ignored his dark expression and reminded him, “Mr. Lu, have another cup of tea and head back early; it’s going to rain soon.”

“Thank you for your concern, Mr. Zhou,” Lu Yunchu’s tone was flat, then he stood up, “goodbye.”

When he came, the sun was still shining brightly. Who was Zhou Yanchuan trying to fool? Lu Yunchu thought he was making excuses to rush him out, so he wasn’t interested in staying long. He bid farewell directly and took the elevator downstairs. As he reached the building’s entrance again, he was dumbfounded.

It was pouring rain outside, and there was no sign of it stopping.

Not only did Lu Yunchu fail to drive himself that day, he didn’t even bring an umbrella. All he could do was pray to get a car soon.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. During rush hour, there were many people calling for cars nearby, and he stood in place for a long time, his phone still showing “in queue.”

What crappy luck. Lu Yunchu muttered in his heart, wondering how Zhou Yanchuan managed to have his car bumped and then conveniently meet him to offer a ride.

Thinking back to the misunderstanding that day, he felt like he must have been out of his mind to mistake a local tycoon for a struggling small businessman.

However, in no time at all, a passing black Mercedes stopped beside him, and the passenger window rolled down, revealing the face he had just seen.

“Mr. Lu, get in.”