My Exclusive Dream World Adventures-Chapter 178 - trapped
Chapter 178: 178 trapped
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Chapter 178: 178 trapped
Europe, a picturesque little town.
In a uniquely styled building, Bai Jinxuan stood at the windowsill, looking down at the deserted street below, her expression tired.
With a creak, the door was pushed open from outside.
A woman in her twenties entered, saying, “Jinxuan, I’ve made some plain porridge for you. Have some so you don’t starve yourself.”
Bai Jinxuan turned around and looked at her emotionlessly, “He Li, how long do you plan to keep me here?”
He Li gave a wry smile, “Jinxuan, President Qin himself has ordered that you rest here for a while. We’re just workers; we do as the boss says.”
“So, it was President Qin.”
Bai Jinxuan recalled the usually kind-looking man. Yet, she didn’t feel much anger in her heart; President Qin was undoubtedly a businessman. She just didn’t expect him to be so decisive, issuing orders so swiftly without giving her any time to react.
Originally, according to the plan, she was to go to another country to participate in a travel variety show. However, en route, she was deceived into thinking they were changing planes and was taken here unprepared, with her phone and passport confiscated.
Now, in a foreign land where she couldn’t understand the language, she didn’t even know where she could run to. Unable to communicate with the outside world, she didn’t care about anything else; she was just worried that Chen Xu would see the news and, after adding her and not receiving a reply, would misunderstand.
She was anxious in her heart but had no plans. People she somewhat trusted, like Fangfang and a few other assistants, suddenly had other engagements and didn’t come along. Now that she thought about it, it was definitely President Qin’s doing.
She asked, “What about Supervisor Shao?”
He Li glanced back outside the room and whispered, “I heard that Supervisor Shao went and had a big fight with President Qin, then President Qin transferred him. He’s no longer in charge of the artists.”
“Just rest here for now. In a couple of days, President Qin will come to see you personally.”
As He Li was about to leave, Bai Jinxuan grabbed her hand and whispered, “Could I borrow your cellphone for a minute?”
He Li sighed and said, “They took my phone before I came up. I really can’t help you. Still, you should eat some porridge. Without a full stomach, you can’t fight them.”
After saying that, she left.
The door closed again, and Bai Jinxuan, left with no alternatives, sat in the chair staring at the pot of porridge and the two side dishes.
After a while, she got up, served herself a bowl of porridge, and began to eat with the dishes. She knew she couldn’t fully rely on Aunt Shao. In the end, she had to depend on herself. He Li was right; without eating, how could she resist President Qin and the others?
Her conflict with President Qin and his people, after all, was merely about business interests. As long as President Qin wanted to make money through her, there was room to negotiate. Although she had little leverage, she had the ability to turn the tables. By showing her resolve, President Qin wouldn’t be too harsh.
While thinking this, she quickly finished a bowl of porridge and served herself another.
……
May 1, sunny.
Chen Xu stood by the roadside, observing the pedestrians around him.
“This place is nice, and the rent is affordable. Most importantly, there’s no transfer fee and we can sign a contract for several years. Where did you find this?” Old Tang walked out from a shop behind him, amazed.
Chen Xu turned around, smiling, “I consulted a few real estate agents, and one of them called me in the middle of the night to tell me about this place. I came to see it, heard the terms, and signed the contract right away.”
“You’ve really found a great bargain,” Old Tang remarked. “The location is even better than your first store, and the storefront is bigger. Just needs a bit of renovation, and I guarantee it’ll be successful.”
Chen Xu said, “Most importantly, it’s not far from the first store.”
Old Tang added, “However, logically speaking, a place like this shouldn’t have trouble finding a tenant. How come you stumbled upon it?”
“I heard the last tenant was a rogue, owed a year’s rent and couldn’t be driven out, seemed involved in some illegal activities, and the landlords couldn’t do anything to him. Just so happened there was a crackdown on such activities, and the guy was caught a couple of days ago. The landlord took the store back and wanted to rent it out quickly, and I just happened to come across it.”
Chen Xu explained the background, “The landlord said the rent could be negotiated, but I needed to pay two years’ rent upfront. I guess they got scared.”
“So that’s it. It seems your luck has really turned,” Old Tang said, noticing him staring blankly at the cars on the road, and asked, “Why do you look a bit unhappy?”
Chen Xu took out a pack of cigarettes, handed one to Old Tang, lit it, took a deep breath, and exhaled a long stream of smoke before responding, “I just feel, it’s a bit too coincidental.”
“Too coincidental?” Old Tang used to smoke quite a bit but quit for the sake of having kids. After the birth of his child, he occasionally smoked, savoring the moment.
Chen Xu shook his head, “Maybe I’m just overthinking.”
The two stood under the shade of a roadside tree, quietly finishing their cigarettes.
After a while, Old Tang asked, “How do you plan to decorate it?”
“I think the decoration of the last store was quite good, refined and simple. I’ll go with that style.”
Chen Xu already had an idea, “The college girl who sublet to me, she studied design, and the decor of that store was her work…”
During the conversation, a red Bluebird car parked by the roadside, and a young girl got out, greeting them, “Chen Xu, Tang Wenhai, sorry I’m late.”
“We’re early,” Chen Xu said with a smile, “The shop is just over there, I’ll take you to see it.”
The girl, Xu Xiaoxiao, looked sweet. Compared to a few months ago, she had changed significantly. Whether her clothing style or makeup, she was clearly transitioning from a green college student towards a fashionable young urban woman.
“Chen Xu, I really didn’t see it, you’re so good at business. In just a few months, you’re already opening a branch,” Xu Xiaoxiao remarked while walking, “We’re not so capable. The same store, in our hands, is barely surviving, losing money hand over fist.”
Chen Xu said, “You just lack experience.”
“Forget it, after this, I’ve realized, I really don’t have the mind for business. I might as well just work for someone honestly.”
Chen Xu casually asked, “Which company do you work for now?”
“Shangyun Design.”
Old Tang said with surprise, “That’s one of the highest-paying design companies in the industry, I heard the competition is fierce.”
Xu Xiaoxiao smiled, “You’ve heard of our company?”
“My wife studied design before, but she switched careers later,” Old Tang said.
“I see.”
As the three of them talked, they had entered the store. Xu Xiaoxiao began sizing up the place, saying, “The location and layout here are pretty good. The rent must be expensive, right?”
“It’s okay.”
“Then I’ll get started.” Xu Xiaoxiao took out a ruler and began measuring the premises.
“We’ll go outside for a smoke,” said Chen Xu, leading Old Tang to where they had smoked earlier. Each lit a cigarette.
He asked, “What’s the deal with Shangyun Design?”
“It’s a very high-level, well-connected design company. They’ve worked with many big companies. A couple of years ago, when headquarters were renovating, they hired them for the design.”
Chen Xu asked further, “What’s the last name of their boss?”
“Her last name’s Wen, a woman, very impressive. I heard she was a student of some famous architectural designer in the United States, and after coming back, she quickly made a name for herself.”
Chen Xu asked, “So she mustn’t be young, right?”
“She’s probably around forty. In this industry, that’s considered quite young,” said Old Tang, curious, “Why are you asking all this?”
Chen Xu shook his head, “Nothing, I just thought she might be someone I knew, but seems I was mistaken.”
Seeing him say this, Old Tang didn’t ask further. He glanced at Xu Xiaoxiao, busy in the store, and said, “I somehow feel like she might be interested in you.”
“You can’t just say things like that,” Chen Xu said, frowning subconsciously.
Old Tang chuckled, letting the subject drop, “These days, it’s you who goes to pick up Mr. Luo after work, right?”
“Yeah, she’s worried about people gossiping and doesn’t let me go up.”
“You don’t have to go up for people to guess. These days Mr. Luo leaves a few minutes early, then everyone starts discussing you two.”
Chen Xu laughed, “Hope they aren’t saying anything too unlucky.”
“Those kinds of things, no one would say in front of everyone. Private conversations are bound to happen. You, having snagged such a good deal, can’t forbid others from talking about it, right? Let me tell you, you’re almost the public enemy of all the men in the building. If you dare show public affection with Mr. Luo, someone might even secretly curse you.”
Chen Xu could imagine what nasty things they might have said.
In college, he had a classmate who had a secret crush on a girl in high school. In their junior year of college, he suddenly found out that she had been with a guy he looked down upon all along, and he was utterly devastated.
According to that classmate, it wouldn’t have mattered much who she dated, but it was particularly painful because it was someone he despised. It felt even worse than being force-fed something disgusting.
Chen Xu figured the people in the company probably felt something similar.
He inquired about the latest in the company, “How’s the collaboration with Fangdong coming along?”
“Hasn’t Mr. Luo told you about it?”
“I never discuss work-related stuff with her,” said Chen Xu, who had been dining with her these past few days, discussing things about dreams. They both had some puzzles, and after talking, suddenly understood, finding the other’s perspective interesting.
Old Tang replied, “It’s pretty much settled; it’s expected to officially begin in about half a month. It will definitely be busy then.”
Chen Xu thought about it and said, “Well, by that time, my noodle store branch should also be opening; it’ll be quite busy as well.”
After chatting for a while as the sun got higher and the weather hotter, they went back inside the store.
Just then, Xu Xiaoxiao had some questions about the decor, so they sat down together to discuss.
Before they knew it, it was noon.
“Let’s go, let’s eat,” Chen Xu said, “What do you feel like eating?”
“You guys decide, I’m fine with anything,” Xu Xiaoxiao said.
“I’m good with anything too,” Old Tang added.
“Then let’s go to that restaurant across the street. I’ve heard it has a nice atmosphere,” Chen Xu said as he stood up. “You two go ahead, I’ll wait for my girlfriend to come.”
“Sure,” Xu Xiaoxiao said with a smile and left with Old Tang.
PS: Today’s first update, the next chapter will be before nine o’clock tonight.
