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墨書 Inktalez
“Zhang Qiu, are you still listening?”
“Yes, I’m listening.” In Zhang Qiu's mind, the vast African landscape emerged—tall bushes, endless deserts, ferocious beasts everywhere, sporadic outbreaks of war, along with poverty and disease.
“I think we should take a trip to Africa.”
Lucia thought Zhang Qiu hadn’t heard clearly and repeated herself. However, Zhang Qiu was deep in thought; he certainly wanted to go to Africa. With the jade pendant appearing, no matter what Africa looked like, he wanted to meet the third heir. But money—where would it come from?
“Lucia, how much do you think a trip to Africa would cost?” Zhang Qiu asked tentatively. He had never been to Africa, and neither had anyone around him. He just hoped Lucia could provide a rough estimate.
Suddenly, Lucia understood the reason for Zhang Qiu's silence and asked, “Zhang Qiu, are you worried about money?”
“Yes,” Zhang Qiu admitted frankly. “You know, working part-time to earn money doesn’t exist among high school students in our H Province. I really don’t have much money.”
“About 1,000 dollars; I think that should be enough.”
A bead of sweat trickled down Zhang Qiu's cheek. 1,000 dollars—that was twenty thousand yuan! How could he possibly have that much money?
“Zhang Qiu, if you don’t have enough money, don’t worry. I have some saved up from my own earnings. If we save a bit, it should be enough.”
“Thank you, Lucia. I really want to go to Africa, but I can’t use your money. Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll find a way to earn money. After my college entrance exams are over, we can set off. Do you have any vacation time?”
“Our country also has summer vacations! Alright then, see you in Africa.”
“Okay, see you in Africa.”
After hanging up the phone, Zhang Qiu fell into deep thought. Money, money, money—it's truly a challenge for heroes. He hoped that Rui Rui's proposed themed bar would bring in more profits.
Zhang Qiu left the private room, and Yang Yu was still standing outside. When he saw Zhang Qiu come out, he stepped forward and said, "Brother Qiu, everyone has left."
"Alright, I'm going to take a break as well. I'll leave this to you."
"Don't worry, Brother Qiu. Do you need me to guard the door for you?" Yang Yu said with a mischievous smile, his eyes clearly implying something else, "To prevent anyone from disturbing you."
Zhang Qiu punched Yang Yu on the shoulder and laughed, "I'm really just going to rest for a bit."
Back in the office, Jiang Xue was sound asleep. Zhang Qiu didn't want to disturb her or lie down himself; instead, he moved the cushions on the sofa aside and sat down to meditate. Recalling Grandpa Pingchuan's ancient Mind Method breathing techniques, he found complete tranquility within a few breaths, as if he were immersed in the primordial chaos of the universe. When Zhang Qiu opened his eyes, he felt refreshed.
Zhang Qiu picked Jiang Xue up from the sofa and said with a smile, "Wife, it's time for school!"
Jiang Xue squirmed in his arms and wrapped her hands around his neck, saying with a grin, "Kiss me."
Zhang Qiu shook his head. "No."
Suddenly, Jiang Xue leaned in and kissed him. Zhang Qiu laughed and turned his face away to dodge it. Jiang Xue huffed in response, and then Zhang Qiu pressed down and kissed her on the lips, feeling her agile tongue slip into his mouth. He gently bit it. After some playful teasing, Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue tidied their clothes and headed to Beiluan High School together.
The following days passed peacefully. Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue attended school regularly and spent their afternoons at White Day Fire with Yang Yu and Rui Rui to catch up on things. Occasionally, Zhao Pingchuan, Gao Zhi, and Wang Zhengxiang would join them for gatherings. Zhang Qiu had expected Mao Tong to take action; however, nothing happened at all. The brothers responsible for monitoring Azure Blue Rose reported that everything was normal.
The more peaceful it became, the more unsettling it felt to Zhang Qiu. He had faced Mao Tong before; during their previous encounter in the Red-Light District, just a few words had sent Mao Tong into a rage that led to physical confrontation. After Zhang Qiu had disrupted his territory this time, he found it hard to believe that Mao Tong would remain patient. The reason for his lack of action must be that he was plotting an even larger scheme.
Zhang Qiu looked out of the office window at the lobby on the first floor, where White Day Fire had reopened after some renovations. The floors had been replaced with pure wood, and walking on them—especially in high heels—felt quite luxurious. The newly installed laser lights on the ceiling offered a wider range of colors and better effects, while the magnificent chandelier in the center of the lobby provided a lavish visual experience both during the day and at night.
Zhang Qiu personally handled the sound equipment, taking advantage of the situation to upgrade to Marshall speakers, a Yamaha drum set, an American Fender guitar, and an old-style Steinberger headless guitar. Just for the instruments alone, tens of thousands were spent. Abiao was surprisingly unconcerned about these expenses. When Zhang Qiu went to report the costs to him, Abiao waved his hand dismissively and said, "Sure, let's use the best. After the renovations, our bar has to be better than before."
"Don't worry, Biao Ge, I guarantee that after the renovation, White Day Fire will reach new heights," Zhang Qiu confidently assured Abiao. Abiao patted Zhang Qiu on the shoulder and said, "Our bar's revenue must also reach new heights."
"Okay, no problem."
As it turned out, Zhang Qiu's promise was indeed fulfilled. On the first night after reopening, White Day Fire's daily revenue hit an all-time high. During the renovations, no one caused any trouble, allowing Zhang Qiu to boldly send almost all of Brothers out to promote White Day Fire's reopening throughout the county's streets and alleys, focusing on themed role-playing. The promotional posters featured stunning women in sexy outfits that caught people's attention.
That night, the staff at White Day Fire dressed up as their favorite characters. The beauty-conscious girls shed their usual work attire and embraced their new outfits with delight. Soon enough, numerous bunny girls with long ears appeared in the lobby alongside beautiful nurses holding syringes labeled Mao Tong and tutors wearing short skirts and black stockings while holding pointers. The occasional appearance of a magical girl sent customers into fits of excitement, creating a lively atmosphere.
Rui Rui watched the scene in the lobby and couldn't help but tear up. Upon seeing Zhang Qiu, she excitedly shouted, "Brother Qiu! You're finally here! Do you know how thrilled I am? Just yesterday, our daily revenue broke historical records! Wow, it's unbelievable! You really should have seen it; I can't find any words to describe it—it's a hundred times more exciting than just 'exciting.'"
Zhang Qiu felt genuinely happy upon hearing this news; he had not made empty promises in front of Biao Ge after all. More importantly, if things continued like this, paying off Brother Leopard's one million would no longer be a dream. His long-standing concerns about travel expenses to Africa also seemed to have a resolution now. Zhang Qiu excitedly grasped Rui Rui's hand and exclaimed, "This is all thanks to you, Rui Rui! I need to report this to Biao Ge and get you a raise!"
"I already consider myself part of White Day Fire," Rui Rui replied. "Besides, you're managing it now; I'm more than willing to help you strategize. If there are rewards involved, I hope for something special."
"Oh, sure! As long as I can do it," Zhang Qiu said as he released Rui Rui's hand and settled back onto the sofa. He clearly remembered asking Rui Rui why she worked so hard; her answer was to earn more money. Yet when he proposed giving her a raise, her reaction left him puzzled.
Rui Rui looked at Zhang Qiu with a slightly shy expression that contrasted sharply with her usual straightforward demeanor. She glanced at Jiang Xue sitting next to Zhang Qiu and hesitated about whether or not to speak up. Noticing his capable assistant struggling for words, Zhang Qiu said loudly, "Rui Rui! As long as it's within my power, I promise I'll make it happen!"
"Brother Qiu! Then I really will..." Rui Rui still hesitated as intense thoughts battled within her mind.
"Sure."
Yang Yu and Jiang Xue also encouraged, "Rui Rui, just go ahead."
Rui Rui looked at Zhang Qiu and finally made up her mind, saying, "Brother Qiu, I want you to hug me."
As soon as Rui Rui made her request, Zhang Qiu was taken aback. Yang Yu was also stunned, thinking to herself that she shouldn't have reacted that way. The most shocked was Jiang Xue, whose conflicted gaze shifted back and forth on Rui Rui. She knew that Zhang Qiu had feelings for her; they had all been together and gone through so much. Jiang Xue had already lowered her guard against Rui Rui, but with Rui Rui's request, she had to reevaluate their relationship.
"Brother Qiu, I just want a hug from you, that's all."
Zhang Qiu saw hope in Rui Rui's eyes, along with something else—perhaps sorrow, perhaps a sigh, or maybe melancholy?
"Brother Qiu, it's okay if you don't agree. I know it's not appropriate for me to ask this. I don't have any family; I rent a place by myself. When I'm not working, I'm just sleeping. I don't really have friends either. Although people call me Sister Rui, I don't have anyone I can talk to heart-to-heart or someone I can comfortably be with without any reservations. Most of the time, I numb myself with alcohol."
Rui Rui paused and took a deep breath. She raised her head and continued to gaze into Zhang Qiu's eyes, slowly saying, "Until I met you. At first, I just wanted to tease you because there are rarely any high school students who come here. I remember once when half a class from your school came over for a gathering and the principal and homeroom teacher directly took them back from the bar." But later on, especially that time when Fatty bullied me, Brother Qiu, when you announced in the bar that no one was allowed to bully the girls here anymore, I really felt that you were different.
"I know you have a girlfriend." Rui Rui glanced at Jiang Xue as she said this. "I can feel your love for her; I envy her. I won't try to ruin what you have. I just want a simple hug. Is that okay?"
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