Liu Hao looked at her, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
Three years ago, Zhao Zhu could not exactly be called a stunning beauty, but at least she had been a fresh-faced, attractive high school girl. The woman standing before him now had rough, sallow skin and was dressed in cheap clothes. The youthful look she once possessed was completely gone.
“Sit! Sit! Sit down and talk.” Liu Hao came back to himself and hurriedly ushered her to a seat, then told the waiter to bring over another set of bowls and chopsticks.
“Thank you!” Zhao Zhu pulled out a chair and sat down.
The old brothers at the table also remembered who she was and quickly greeted her.
None of them had expected that Brother Hao’s former god-sister would turn into this.
Liu Hao cleared his throat twice and said with concern, “Zhao Zhu, you must have had a hard time in there these past few years.”
“It was all right.”
Zhao Zhu pointed at the car keys in front of him and asked, “Brother Hao, you’re doing pretty well for yourself now. You’re even driving a BMW.”
At the mention of this, Liu Hao immediately perked up and switched into bragging mode.
“Oh, it’s nothing much. I’ve got a few entertainment venues over in Dannan City—four or five of them altogether. I’ve got over a hundred guys working under me. I only bought this BMW last year. It was just a few hundred thousand yuan. I drive it around for fun.”
In reality, those “guys” of his were mostly waiters. Of course, quite a few of them had indeed been his underlings back when he was running around Dannan City, so it could be considered a transformation of sorts.
Only after Zhao Zhu had listened to him finish boasting did she ask, “Brother Hao, do you know how Liu Yutong and Yu Xin are doing now?”
The moment he heard those two names, the smile on Liu Hao’s face gradually disappeared.
The other old brothers also fell silent in unspoken agreement.
Those two names were famous not only in Wuxian County, but throughout the entire business world of Longguo. They were major figures standing at the very top of the pyramid.
They belonged to a completely different world from people like them.
“Zhao Zhu, why are you asking about them? Don’t tell me you’re still thinking about what happened back then.”
“That was all in the past. I don’t have anything to do with them anymore.”
Liu Hao was speaking from the heart. He truly had no connection with them anymore.
Although it was thanks to Liu Yutong’s help that he had achieved what he had today, the two of them really had no contact now. Someone like her would never become friends with someone like him. He simply wasn’t worthy.
Seemingly afraid that Zhao Zhu still had not let go of what happened back then, Liu Hao hesitated for a moment before advising her:
“Zhao Zhu…”
“Your brother has to give you some advice. Let the past stay in the past. Don’t keep thinking about all that nonsense. What kind of person is Liu Yutong? She’s the Dragon Society’s Young Mistress. She has over ten thousand men under her command—over ten thousand, do you understand? Can you even imagine that scene?
“The force she travels with is terrifying. And the businesses she runs now all start at the hundred-million-yuan level. You’d better not provoke her, or you could end up dead without even knowing how it happened.”
“You’re overthinking it, Brother Hao. I just want to know how they’re doing now.”
“I spent more than three years inside and didn’t know anything about what was happening outside. I was just curious,” Zhao Zhu said calmly.
Liu Hao was not entirely convinced.
It was understandable for someone who had spent more than three years in prison to ask about an enemy’s current situation after getting out. But Zhao Zhu’s expression was far too calm. It was so calm that it made him feel slightly uneasy.
“All right.” Liu Hao decided not to say anything more and called for the waiter to bring out the dishes.
The old brothers became lively again, chatting about this and that while drinking, bragging, and laughing loudly.
Zhao Zhu did not bring up Liu Yutong or Yu Xin again. She simply sat there quietly eating, occasionally joining in with a laugh. On the surface, she truly looked like an ordinary person who had finally regained her freedom and only wanted to live a peaceful life.
After several rounds of drinks and once the dishes had been half cleared, Zhao Zhu suddenly put down her chopsticks and said to Liu Hao, “Brother Hao, I’d like to borrow some money from you.”
Liu Hao froze. “Borrow money? How much?”
“One hundred thousand.”
Liu Hao hesitated slightly at the figure.
A hundred thousand yuan was not a huge amount to him, but it was not pocket change either.
The businesses he ran had impressive-looking cash flow, but after deducting wages, rent, and all the other expenses, only so much ended up in his own pocket each month.
More importantly, he was not entirely comfortable with Zhao Zhu’s purpose in borrowing the money.
Seeing his hesitation, Zhao Zhu added, “I want to start a small business and make a fresh start. After spending more than three years inside, I have to find some way to make a living. Don’t worry. I’ll pay you back as soon as I start making money.”
In the end, Liu Hao agreed. He took out his phone and said, “All right. Give me your bank account number, and I’ll have the finance department transfer it to you.”
No matter what, Zhao Zhu had once called him Brother Hao. Back then, he had failed to help her when it mattered most, allowing her to suffer so terribly at Liu Yutong’s hands.
Although, when everything was said and done, she had brought it upon herself, he still felt some guilt as her senior. He would treat this money as compensation.
Once the transfer was complete, Zhao Zhu stood up and gave him a slight bow.
“Thank you, Brother Hao. I’ll be going now.”
“Hey, leaving already? Sit a little longer.”
“No, I still have something to do.”
Zhao Zhu pulled her cap low over her face again and walked out of the private room. She did not disappear from sight until she had left the restaurant and vanished onto the road outside.
Liu Hao stood by the window with his wineglass in hand, watching her retreating figure. He drained a large mouthful of wine, his expression complicated.
Things really had changed.
One of the old brothers beside him came over and could not help asking, “Brother Hao, she didn’t borrow money because she’s planning to cause trouble, did she?”
“Cause trouble? You mean for Liu Yutong?” Liu Hao sneered.
“She wouldn’t dare, even if you gave her ten times the courage! What kind of status does that Young Mistress have now? And what kind of status does Zhao Zhu have? One is in the heavens, the other on earth. How could she possibly go after her?
“She only needs to move a finger, and Zhao Zhu could die without leaving a trace.”
That was what he said, but after Zhao Zhu left, Liu Hao still took out his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he found a number.
He had shamelessly asked for it years ago when he was in Dannan City. It belonged to the female bodyguard who had always stayed by Liu Yutong’s side.
He had no idea whether the number still worked.
The phone rang several times, and to his surprise, someone answered.
“Hello? Who is this?”
“Hello! Sis! How are you? This is Liu Hao—the Liu Hao from Dannan City. We’ve met before. Do you remember me?”
“What do you want?”
Liu Hao briefly explained that Zhao Zhu had come to him after being released from prison, then emphasized at the end, “I don’t mean anything by it. I just thought I should let you know. What if she loses her head and tries to do something? You know…”
“All right. I understand. Thank you.”
After hanging up, Liu Hao let out a long breath.
He had done everything he could. The rest depended on whether Zhao Zhu knew when to stop.
If she did not, there was nothing more he could do.
Less than two minutes after that call ended, the news reached Liu Yutong and Yu Xin’s ears.
[Zhao Zhu has been released from prison and is currently in Wuxian County. She asked about the Young Mistress and Sister Yu, and borrowed one hundred thousand yuan from Liu Hao. Her purpose is unknown.]
