Chapter 321: An Invisible Man
Translator: Strivon
Beautiful girl, don't you go into the entertainment business! Your acting is far too exaggerated!
He Donglou was stunned for a moment. He blinked a few times before adjusting. He easily turned his gaze, looking to see what kind of divinity this boss was.
Luo Nan was in the middle of mulling over his difficult problem when his train of thought was broken by the concerted cacophony between He Donglou and Zhang Yingying. He frowned and raised his head. He Donglou's face just so happened to be illuminated by the rippling deep blue light.
"Oh, didn't we meet before?" He Donglou had a bit of an impression, but right now Luo Nan was no longer wearing his white gown. He even wore sunglasses. There were many interfering factors that prevented He Donglou from recognizing Luo Nan for a time.
Xie Junping laughed as he introduced, "It's Nanster. You met him here just a moment ago."
He Donglou had met many people tonight. It was impossible for him to remember everyone. But he glanced at the large student behind Xie Junping and a light bulb went off in his mind. He remembered this combination of people. The greatest impression in his memories was of Xie Junping, a martial artist who nearly had a conflict with his other attendant.
As for Luo Nan, who had dressed as a psychologist, he barely had the faintest impression of. "Oh, we have met. What happened? You changed your character. Did you feel that being a boss has better prospects?"
Luo Nan glanced at him. He didn't respond.
He Donglou didn't care. He never intended on giving Luo Nan room to talk. He simply evaluated. "This is quite a creative move. Most importantly, it's interesting, but what you’re wearing is lacking a bit in professionalism... especially your sunglasses; they're simply a faulty stroke! My boy, your face already looked quite delicate. Wearing this uncharacteristic prop makes the air of being a student very apparent around the crystal pillar."
Zhang Yingying continued the topic. "The big boss has done everything quite consciously. Nothing is bad. He has escorts in front and behind. Just look. There are secretaries, lovers, attendants, bodyguards... piles of people."
Her fine and long fingers streaked in a circle. In the back, Xue Lei looked quite like a bodyguard with his tall and solid body. He also possessed the corresponding sense of mission. However, the group of people sitting on the sofa mostly rolled their eyes.
He Donglou obviously knew that Zhang Yingying was joking around. He cheerily laughed, and he habitually raised his arms to rest them on the shoulders of the two pretty-faces. In the end, there were a lot of people here. His clothes pulled a bit tight when he stretched out, so his well-ironed military uniform was lifted up halfway by his actions.
The right pretty-face extended her hand very intimately as she tried to smooth the uniform. She found that it was hard to do, so she simply helped him unfasten some buttons, revealing the shirt inside. In jest, she pretended to lose her balance and fall into his chest. She even pretended to struggle and get up, but in fact she rubbed him in tantalization.
On the left side, the other pretty-face pouted her lips. She had been defeated by her peer and competitor.
He Donglou did not bat an eyelid. From his perspective, the right pretty-face's love-seeking style was a bit trashy. There were emotions of jealousy toward the 'female student' mixed in her actions. Her thoughts weren't pure.
He really couldn't ask much from a friend with benefits made in a short period of time. But before his eyes sat a first-class prey. If he continued to accept the pretty-face’s advances, wouldn't that make him trashy too?
So, He Donglou ignored the buxom and tender flesh rolling on his chest. His gaze turned, skipping over the various men, and only looking at the women. Soon he discovered that the 'secretary' next to Luo Nan looked quite decent.
The lighting in the sofa corner was dim. There was also the left pretty-face in the way. The angle was bad. He Donglou couldn't see her clearly for a time. He just knew that she dressed as a white-collar worker and she sat on the sofa. Her thin suit trousers faintly outlined the contours of her legs. They were fine and long, possessing power, giving off a sense of propriety.
There was also the quiet 'lover' by the edge of the sofa. Nothing hid her anymore; He Donglou could see her much clearer. There was something special about her, even though she seemed to be docile and boring…. Oh, she looked a bit familiar.
Tsk tsk. A secretary, a lover, and even a mistress. They were all first-class figures. He Donglou couldn't help being envious.
He had always been a bit of an emotional person. He suddenly no longer wanted to give any attention to Luo Nan. He relied on the gap produced by the right pretty-face in order to cheerily talk with the 'lover' at the edge of the sofa. "Beautiful girl, I feel like we've met before."
Tian Si glanced at him and nodded faintly. She didn't talk. This was a polite refusal.
However, He Donglou wasn't someone who could be gotten rid of that easily. He had a follow-up move after speaking. He held the right pretty-face, not letting this stupid woman block his line of sight by getting up. He continued to hit on Tian Si. "Let me think. Right. You and Tang Yi came here together, right? Mhm, you gave me a deep impression."
Tian Si was stupefied. Her expression changed subtly.
He Donglou reached his target. He gathered himself closer to Tang Yi, and deliberately used a whisper to say, "When I saw you before, you and Tang Yi just so happened to separate…. What a pity that we didn't have the time to get to know each other. Dare I ask your name?"
His extremely aggressive actions forced Tian Si to withdraw even more. But then this beautiful girl's subsequent reaction made He Donglou displeased.
Tian Si's gaze went over his shoulder. It was directed over at Luo Nan. Clearly, she instinctively cared about what Luo Nan thought.
This…. Was she really just role-playing?
Oh, there was more. Wasn't the atmosphere in the ring-shaped sofa a bit too quiet?
The thought had just formed when Luo Nan started a different dialogue out of nowhere, "Does anyone have any connections that can get me a loan?"
Zhang Yingying asked, "How much do you want to borrow?"
"Sixty million."
"Wow. Look at you, so determined to have it."
"Indeed, I am determined to have it."
Luo Nan's elbows still rested on his knees. His hands were clasped together, covering his mouth and slightly supporting his head. His head faced the central crystal pillar, and he stared at the Mutant devil ray, which was still swimming around inside.
He Donglou was speechless. "...."
Luo Nan somehow seemed to have not noticed that He Donglou was there, like the latter was as invisible as air.
The short dialogue consisted of not a word regarding He Donglou. He Donglou had brought two pretty-faces and forcefully came in here. He also raised the topic of role-playing. He even took liberties with the 'lover'.... But not a person in the sofa corner circle gave him a serious response. He was simply ignored.
Please, wherever and whenever the Young Master He went, he was always the focus of the crowd. He was the center of the stage. How did he encounter his current treatment? Was it on purpose?
He Donglou's gaze turned cold as he looked at the familiar Xie Junping and Hu Huaying. He discovered that the their body languages seemed to be quite awkward. It was quite different from the calm and indifferent feeling he got from the others.
Something's wrong!
He always felt that Luo Nan was Xie Junping’s and Hu Huaying's friend or little follower. The people in the sofa corner should naturally be of the same type. Logically speaking, it should be a gathering of the rich second generation.
However, looking at things now, it seemed that this thought was improbable.
He was familiar with the younger generation of the military bigwigs. He was a bit unfamiliar with those from the business world, but he had a general idea about them. Yao Feng also introduced to him that behind Xie Junping and Hu Huaying were Xia City's top representatives of the area's financial groups. They had engaged in business for several dozen years. Their business covered every nook and cranny of the metropolis. They absolutely couldn't be summarized by the business they did on the surface, which were medicine and agriculture.
Xie and Hu. Xie, especially, should be core characters in any business circle of the second generation rich. But right now, regardless of their seating arrangement or demeanor, they were both acting weird. They didn't fit in at all.
In addition to that was the bright, young, and beautiful 'female student'. She talked about a boss, attendants, lovers, bodyguards, and so on. Most of what she said were casual jokes. But sitting on the ring-shaped sofa, there was no one who rowdily retorted, even ignoring their happy or unhappy states. There faintly existed an intimate and even top-down relationship in the group.
This was something that could never occur in the chill second generation rich circles.
Though He Donglou was undoubtedly a big silk-pants, his family had been in the military and government for a long time. His brain was never lacking. As soon as he realized the problem, his gaze swept over everyone's faces once more.
The targets of this circle of observing weren't limited to the beautiful women. He finally discovered that the people he had previously spared no attention to were all of older ages. They lacked the air of a student. They shouldn't be participating in the party.
As he observed others, others looked at him as well. The emotions in those gazes were subtle.
Oh, this one whose age is the oldest. What's up with staring at me like that? He looks quite familiar…. Old Zhou?
F***!
He Donglou's scalp suddenly jolted. His gaze went unstable, and he instinctively avoided Old Zhou's gaze, which was filled with deep meaning. Next, his drifting gaze finally saw that his own bodyguard, the 'old chauffeur' hadn't sat down from the start. The 'old chauffeur' stared straight ahead and stood ramrod straight. He might have been even more serious and proper than when he was back in the army.
Then Yao Feng unexpectedly called at this time. Xie Junping answered it, and Yao Feng smacked him with a question, "Have you seen Young Master He?"
"As luck would have it, we're together…. It's Yao Four." Xie Junping made a subtle indication to He Donglou, and Xie Junping saw that He Donglou had no response whatsoever. Xie Junping informed Yao Feng of their location, "We're at the bar sofa corner."
"Don't!" He Donglou suddenly spoke and stood up, giving Xie Junping quite a scare. But Xie Junping just saw He Donglou laugh in response, "He doesn't need to come. I just so happen to be looking for him for something. See you all later."
Xie Junping looked blankly at him, and Hu Huaying's expression next to him was more or less the same. As for the two pretty-faces by He Donglou's sides, they were confused. They stood up, bewildered, not knowing what had just happened at all.
It was good that they stood up, especially the left pretty-face. Her posture deserved full marks, for she helped blocked the line of sight from that side.
He Donglou made himself an example of sticking one's head in the sand in the new era. He didn't say anything more, and simply headed out of the ring-shaped circle. Tian Si subconsciously made way for him, but at this time, a swift, fierce, tall, and muscular figure arrived. The man's throat lit with laughter as he said,
"Oh hey! So many people. Is there still space?"
Crag Burst had arrived. His laughter didn't end even when He Yueyin spoke indifferently, "Halt."
"Huh?"
In that instant of stupefaction, Crag Burst saw a certain figure wearing a military uniform at the entrance to the ring-shaped sofa, a young man with untidy clothes. The young man strode out, wishing to jump out of there, but Crag Burst immediately realized the situation on the spot. He was habitually a man of action. His large palm-leaf-like hand extended out to hold the young man's head and simply push him back inside.
Crag Burst's rough, long fingers pinched He Donglou's skull, like squeezing a rubber ball. His palm covered He Donglou's mouth and nose, stifling He Donglou to the point that his eyes had turned white.
He Donglou had never been treated this way since he was born. Even if it was a matter of time, this was something he would remember for a lifetime.
He would especially remember Xie Junping’s and Hu Huaying's flabbergasted faces. This preposterous show was put on full display. And He Donglou was placed at center stage at last, but why the hell was he the clown!
Completely horrible emotions rushed to his brain, and He Donglou's face flushed red. Crag Burst removed his palm and then hopped about, shouting, "He Yueyin, isn't this your little brother!?"
The sofa corner turned suddenly silent.
Indeed, several people needed to adjust the stability of their facial muscles.
But soon, Zhang Yingying used a resounding whistle along with loud laughter, a declaration of her failure to adjust. "Wow! Secretary He! The styles of you two, sister and brother, really complement each other!"
"Poo—!" Papercut also broke his efforts and coughed repeatedly. Coughing came with his laughter. He raised his hand to indicate his apologies to He Yueyin.
He Yueyin didn't care, but He Donglou was unable to attend to women chasing and the like. He glared with fury at Zhang Yingying and the rest of the group who watched him in enjoyment. An unknown amount of malevolent thoughts boiled in his mind.
But soon, He Yueyin issued a new order: "Strip."
The word came out of nowhere, but He Donglou understood in an instant. His face flushed even redder, and he shouted, "Sis! Give me a bit of face! This isn't a real uniform! It's cosplay! A costume!"
He Yueyin didn't speak. She just raised her head from the dense shadows, casting her cold and clear gaze. The left pretty-face had long since been stupefied by this scene. Her legs went weak, and she fell back onto the sofa. Now, there were no obstacles between the older sister and the younger brother. Everything became clear and distinct.
He Donglou was afraid of his sister, especially as a member of a military family. His actions were indeed taboo. In the end, he could only grit his teeth as he took off the military uniform and stuffed it in the bosom of the right pretty-face. He waved his arms in agitation, like he was chasing off chickens and ducks. He let those two stupid pretty-faces get the hell out.
"Both of you, go! Go! Be quick about it!"
The two pretty-faces walked away with faces of stupefaction. He Donglou was now wearing only a white shirt. Even if the building's temperature was regulated quite well, He Donglou still shuddered under the psychological effect. He spread his hands extremely helplessly toward He Yueyin.
"Is this finally okay?"
He Yueyin ignored him. She tilted her head slightly to the side and gently asked Luo Nan, "Mr. Luo, let us go to the hospital right now?"
Luo Nan knew that it wasn't suitable for them to stay there. He nodded and stood up. As soon as he moved, everyone else followed. The members of the Society stood up simultaneously, while those who had no idea of what was happening, like Xie Junping and Tian Si, stood up as well, albeit subconsciously. The group of people walked outward in a dense mass.
"Hey hey, what the hell are you all doing!?"
He Donglou suddenly became an invisible man once again. No one acknowledged his urgent shouts. He really felt indignant. He couldn't hold back from wanting to grab on to his sister, but he didn't have the skills. It was impossible for him to catch her.
He forcefully put on a thick skin as he followed them, but He Yueyin's cold and clear gaze slashed across. He immediately raised his hands and stood in his original spot, not making any move. His eyes looked helplessly at the group of people walking off into the distance.
"Hey, Young Master He. You, sir…." Yao Feng had rushed over, appearing from behind, and he saw He Donglou wearing just a shirt and holding his hands up in the air like he had just been robbed. The mass of people in front of them had already entered the flow of people. They couldn't be seen clearly any longer.
Yao Feng only felt puzzled. He beckoned once more. "Young Master He?"
"You can see me?"
"Huh?"
"Ha ha!"
He Donglou no longer paid any attention to Yao Feng. He just put down his hands and sat back on the sofa.
Since He Yueyin was there, He Donglou more or less was able to surmise the history of the group of people. His family all knew what the focus of He Yueyin's work was in the present.
"A group of arrogant soldiers. A band of outlaws." He Donglou was still gnashing his teeth a bit in anger. But in the blink of an eye, he turned bewildered. "Secretary? What sort of responsibility is this?"
He Donglou tried to recall Luo Nan's face, but the sunglasses and dim lighting had an influence. He was unable to remember very clearly. His brain cycled a few more times, and his impression turned even blurrier.
His body leaned back; he was about to give up. But an especially clear image inexplicably churned up in his brain. In the dim area with faint lighting, Luo Nan and He Yueyin sat side by side. One was stooped. The other was upright.... And their distance…. Wasn't their distance a bit too close?