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“Tao Mu, you actually came to see me!” In the ward, Luo Yang was lying on the bed playing a game console out of boredom. His leg was broken by his old man, and because his friends were afraid of his sternness, they didn’t dare to visit him, resulting in him being bored this whole time.
You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e ir on tr ee bl oo ms. c o m )
“Sure enough, only you are a loyal friend. My gang of brothers are afraid that my dad will take his anger out on them, so they dare not come to see me.” Luo Yang complained and motioned to the nurse to help him raise the bed. He asked Tao Mu enthusiastically: “Do you want to eat fruit? I’ll ask the nurse to peel the apple for you.”
“No need.” Tao Mu smiled warmly, glancing around in the ward before walking to the TV cabinet and putting down the fruit basket. He picked up a glass vase, and inserted the calla lily he bought and then asked Luo Yang: “Didn’t I teach you how to say it? Why are you still beaten?”
“Ai, don’t mention it.” Luo Yang waved his hand and admitted that he was unlucky: “The old man in our family is a veteran soldier and a very serious person. What he hates most is this kind of thing. Fortunately, I did what you taught me. If I explained it another way, my old man would not just break my leg.”
“And even still, he is angry with all the friends who often play with me. If I dare to go out to play with them again, he will halt my pocket money and kick me to Europe to survive on my own.” Luo Yang shook his head with a sorrowful expression: “Say, is he even my real dad?”
“You should be content.” Tao Mu looked at Luo Yang’s leg in a plaster cast, and was in a particularly good mood: “I heard that your old man’s heart is not very good, so it’s fortunate he did not get sick after hearing about your mess. Otherwise, your sin would be much more serious.”
“The way I see it, my old man is in very good health!” Luo Yang snorted, and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling: “He was full of vigor when he scolded me, and his body was definitely healthy when he beat me. He can eat two bowls of rice every meal, and during the company’s staff outings and mountain climbing, now that’s what I call running as fast as flying. He can climb straight to the top of the mountain without any panting. I don’t think anyone in their twenties can match it. He does not at all seem like a middle-aged and elderly patient suffering from heart disease.”
“——And that’s all because of your mother’s attentive service!” Luo Yang’s complaint was suddenly interrupted by an angry scolding voice: “You kid actually have the nerve to feel unhappy. You really want to anger your old man to death, do you?”
Luo Yang shuddered with fright, and his whole aura immediately changed from 250 to 25: “Dad, why are you here? You are so tired from beating me, so you just rest at home. You don’t have to come to see me.”
“If I didn’t come and take a look, I wouldn’t know how you complain about your old man behind my back!” The patriarch of the Luo family snorted and walked into the ward with his hands behind his back. The posture was indeed very vigorous.
Luo Xi, who was one step behind, also walked in with mother Luo. When she passed Tao Mu, she smiled and nodded.
Father Luo’s pair of tiger eyes fell on Tao Mu’s figure, and his thick eyebrows raised: “You are?”
“Hello Chairman Luo, I am Tao Mu.”
Luo Yang was afraid that father Luo would think that Tao Mu was one of his gang of brothers and take his anger out on Tao Mu, so he quickly said: “Dad, he is not one of that gang of scoundrels that you always complain about. Tao Mu is Li Xiaoheng’s private investment consultant, and the two are partnering to short international crude oil. He usually doesn’t even like to pay attention to me. This time he heard that my leg was broken, so he condescended to pay me a visit.”
Of course, father Luo knew about Li Xiaoheng and his capability. He also heard the news that Xiaoheng Capital was shorting oil in the international market recently, and it was said that he had made a lot of money. That Tao Mu was able to serve as Li Xiaoheng’s private investment consultant and have the ability to short oil in partnership with Li Xiaoheng. It seemed that this young man was also a promising talent.
Father Luo’s expression eased a lot, and he nodded at Tao Mu, then turned to lecture Luo Yang: “You should usually associate more with such outstanding young people. Learn how to behave and act like them. In the future, don’t pay attention to your gang of scoundrels. Originally you were already a hooligan, and with the influence of those delinquents, you have become more and more unseemly!”
Luo Yang rolled his eyes in exasperation, and interrupted the old man’s words impatiently: “Okay, okay, I know. You always say that my friends are not good, but aren’t their parents your business partners! I’m just trying to build a good relationship with them so that things can go smoothly in the future. Isn’t this all for work!”
Luo Yang absorbed the essence of Tao Mu’s teachings, and now whenever his old man picked at his group of friends, he would use these words to fob him off.
Sure enough, when father Luo heard Luo Yang say this, although he was still dissatisfied, his expression eased a lot: “Not knowing to work hard in serious matters and instead delving into these unorthodox ways. As for the friends you make, just how many of them are highly regarded by their family and designated as heirs? Most of them are hedonistic sons who rely on their family background to go around causing chaos. I am afraid that in the future they will only succeed in failing in the company, and can only eat dividends. You go ahead and learn from them. Sooner or later, one day——”
“Aiya, alright, alright.” Mother Luo interrupted her husband’s scolding, and said softly, “Yang Yang is also thinking for the company. He is young and ignorant, so why don’t you just teach him. How can you always just scold him? Besides, you have broken his leg already. Will he dare to fool around with those friends in the future?”
“Birds of a feather flock together.” Father Luo snorted, “You just listen to him talking nonsense. If he really has the heart to change, why doesn’t he learn from Li Xiaoheng? Logically speaking, the Li family and our family are also family friends for generations. He and Li Xiaoheng also grew up together. When this kid went to study in country M, I specially sent him to California so that Xiaoheng could look after him a bit more. Xiaoheng Capital was established in the next semester. As for him, he ran to Hollywood to play around with female celebrities and go to bars and race cars with those little bastards who also fooled around while studying abroad. He spent four years studying in country M with his old man’s money, and yet when other people speak English, he can’t even understand a word——”
The father Luo became more and more angry, and he suddenly slapped Luo Yang’s leg wrapped in plaster, causing Luo Yang to holler in fright: “Mom, mom, stop my dad. This leg is already broken. If it’s beaten again, it’s really going to be disabled. Your son is going to be lame.”
“Aiya, old Luo!” In exasperation, mother Luo dragged father Luo to the sofa farthest from the hospital bed and sat down: “You should calm down, I will peel an apple for you.”
As mother Luo spoke, she stretched out her hand to beckon her daughter who hadn’t spoken a word since she entered the ward: “Luo Xi, come and peel an apple for your father.”
Luo Xi smiled slightly and walked over to the old couple obediently. She picked up a fruit knife and an apple, and slowly peeled the skin.
Tao Mu looked at Luo Xi, who was practically invisible since she entered the ward, and thought about Luo Xi’s resolute and decisive conduct when doing business. He couldn’t help but shake his head.
Mother Luo looked at Tao Mu who was standing next to the TV cabinet arranging the flowers and smiled as she had him come and sit down. She asked, “How did you two meet? I never heard Yang Yang mention you before.”
Father Luo continued to snort coldly on the side: “Your son has always been like this. Friends who are motivated he never talks about. Only knowing to fool around with those dandies all day long.”
Tao Mu smiled warmly: “We met in H Town.”
“Ah——” Luo Yang was afraid that Tao Mu would mention their relationship in H Town and incite his father to beat him up again. He quickly interrupted Tao Mu and took over the conversation himself: “Tao Mu is an actor, now studying in Beijing Film. At the beginning he went to H Town to gain experience, working in various crews and acting as a martial arts extra. We happened to know each other then. By the way, Tao Mu’s cooking is very delicious. Let him cook for you another day.”
“Nonsense!” Mother Luo glared at her baby son: “How is that a way to talk?”
As she spoke, she looked at Tao Mu with a smile: “My son is ignorant, so don’t take it to heart. He didn’t mean that.”
Tao Mu smiled and nodded: “Don’t worry, I know Luo Yang’s temper.” Never using his brain before speaking or doing things!
“You are learning acting?” In view of certain industry prejudices, father Luo felt uncomfortable when he heard about this profession. If it weren’t for Li Xiaoheng’s influence, the term “actor” would have been blurted out. (TN: in Chinese, there is a derogatory term for actors and entertainers)
“Since you are Xiao Heng’s private investment consultant and also do business with him in partnership. You must have good business talent. In that case, why didn’t you apply to business school, and then be your own boss in the future? The social status is much higher and can also help more people solve the employment problem.” Learning to act and becoming an actor was nothing more than entertaining people in the end. Using one’s good looks for profit will never last long.
Luo Xi frowned and couldn’t help but defend Tao Mu: “Dad, Tao Mu is very amazing. He not only partnered with Li Xiaoheng to do business, but also founded FlyNews. The National Day publicity plan I gave you earlier was personally written by Tao Mu himself.”
“Oh?” As a veteran soldier, father Luo had a natural affection for the National Day publicity plan. At this moment, hearing that this plan was actually made by Tao Mu, he couldn’t help smiling: “This young man is really good. A good head on your shoulders you have there. I heard Yang Yang say that you were also a martial arts double, then you must also know martial arts. This is both a literary and martial arts talent.”
Tao Mu smiled: “Chairman Luo praises me too much.”
“Don’t always call me Chairman Luo.” Father Luo waved his hand: “You are a few years younger than Yang Yang, just call me uncle.”
Then he said: “Since you are a good friend of Yang Yang then when you do business with Xiaoheng, you can also bring along Yang Yang. This kid has been spoiled by me since he was a child. He is too playful. With you both leading him I will be more at ease.”
Tao Mu smiled in a humble and low-key manner, but did not answer.
Father Luo also didn’t care. He was a businessman himself, and he naturally knew the temperament of a businessman. If there was no benefit, who would share the interests with you for no reason. His own son was not worthy, and he could not force Li Xiaoheng and Tao Mu to drag along Luo Yang. However, with friends, so long as there were more exchanges of interests, the relationship would naturally get closer.
“I know that your FlyNews network has just been established, and you want to use the celebrity’s popularity to promote it. Since you are a friend of Yang Yang, you are also considered my younger generation. If you have any needs, you can talk to Luo Xi directly. Luo Xi Xi is my daughter and the manager of Longteng Entertainment. She can help you.” Father Luo said, pointing to his daughter.
Luo Xi nodded at Tao Mu, and said: “Dad, don’t worry. I have already cooperated with Mr. Tao. We will cooperate very well.”
“Towards your ability, Dad is very trusting. I am just worried that you are too official.” When father Luo looked at Luo Xi, his expression was much more kind. Although he had an old-fashioned personality and old thinking, always thinking that his daughter would eventually belong to someone else’s family and that his son belonged to his own family. But he would not deny his daughter’s talent and ability in business. Therefore, although he wanted to hand over the Luo Group to his son to inherit, he also worked hard to cultivate his daughter, and wanted Luo Xi to become the chief steward of the Luo Group and assist Luo Yang.
It was a pity that father Luo didn’t see his daughter’s unyielding temper and discontent in being subordinate to others. It was complete wishful thinking on his part. And in the end, Luo Yang coming out of the closet and him failing to survive the resulting heart attack eventually caused the tragedy between this pair of siblings.
However, in this life, with Tao Mu stepping in, father Luo was prepared, and the Luo Group had successfully passed the bidding for the land, preventing any negative effect on the company’s subsequent development. Even if Luo Yang would still come out of the closet for Shen Yu in the future, father Luo would not be angered to death by Luo Yang.
“Tao Mu is a good friend of Yang Yang, and also a younger generation of our family. You should also treat him as a younger brother. Help if you can and don’t fuss over trivial things.” Father Luo patiently persuaded his daughter who always did things according to the rule, and most hated people using the back door. But he didn’t know that Luo Xi and Tao Mu had already joined hands secretly, and had cooperated several times.
“Dad, don’t worry. I know what to do.” Luo Xi smiled and nodded at Tao Mu. Now that it was made official with father Luo, she wouldn’t need to worry about using Longteng Entertainment as a favor to Tao Mu in the future.
Tao Mu smiled slightly and admired Luo Xi’s calculation very much.
After all, father Luo was the chairman of the Luo Group. It was not an exaggeration to say that he was busy everyday. So he was unable to stay long in Luo Yang’s ward. Seeing that although his darling son had his leg broken, he was still full of energy, father Luo finally felt at ease and left with mother Luo and Luo Xi.
Soon, Tao Mu and Luo Yang were left alone in the ward.
Luo Yang looked at Tao Mu cautiously. He remembered how he had ruthlessly tossed around Tao Mu when he was in H Town. It was estimated that Tao Mu was hurt by the water hose at that time: “Tao Mu, are you still angry with me? I have asked the doctor and heard that it is easy to cause an accident when spraying people with the fire water hose using the highest pressure. You say, why was I such a bastard at the time. Tao Mu, how about you beat me to vent your anger. My dad broke one of my legs, so how about you break the other leg. I won’t even make a peep.”
“No need.” Tao Mu was a little thirsty after speaking for a long time. He peeled an apple for himself with a fruit knife. His lowered eyes stared at the sharp blade, watching as the apple skin peeled off in circles, revealing the flesh of the fruit: “I don’t like to be angry.”
He had so many things to do that he didn’t want to bother to focus on being angry with people, which was just wasteful and useless. If he had so many emotions, he might as well think about using it in acting. If he still had extra energy, he would be like today, stabbing someone in the back when encountering a good opportunity. Taking revenge and doing business, delaying neither.
As for the matter of being angry and not working, he was not so idle!
Of course, Luo Yang didn’t know Tao Mu’s thoughts. Hearing Tao Mu say he was not angry, he really believed that Tao Mu had not been angry with him. Or maybe he was angry at the time, but now he was not angry anymore——otherwise why would he come to see him with flowers and fruit?
“Tao Mu, you are so kind.” Luo Yang smiled at Tao Mu: “Don’t worry. I will be very good to you in the future. To make up for the harm I did to you before.”
Tao Mu played with the fruit knife, cutting the apple into pieces. He stared expressionlessly at Luo Yang who was smiling stupidly on the hospital bed. After a long while, he tilted his head and curled his lips into a smile.
The smile was full of compassion for the mentally retarded.