Chapter 55: Boss Gu, Your Wishful Thinking Is So Loud I Could Hear It from Taoyang
“It’s been so long since I’ve seen such a spacious and clean kitchen, not to mention all these small appliances. Girl, you’ve really put in a lot of effort. I heard from Cen Boy that you prepared all of this.”
The old lady reached out to hold Su Tao’s hand as she spoke: “Tell me what you like to eat, and Grandma will make it for you and bring it to your room.”
Cen Tianjiao: Grandma?
Somehow, he had become a whole generation older than Su Tao, even though they were only a few years apart!
The old lady, now completely preoccupied with her new home, wandered around all the rooms. When she saw the bright and spacious balcony, she was even more delighted:
“Someday I’ll go to the plantation, buy some potting soil and seeds, and grow vegetables on the balcony. When my girl Su Tao wants to eat, she can just come over and pick some.”
Cen Tianjiao eagerly leaned in, shamelessly asking, “What about me, Mom?”
The old lady scoffed at him: “You’re out all year round. What do you expect to eat?”
Her blunt words made everyone laugh.
Su Tao couldn’t stop laughing either, but when her gaze met Shi Zijin’s, she huffed and turned away.
Cold war. Stick to it.
After settling in the Cen mother and son, Su Tao returned to her office, rubbing her hands together as she checked her account balance.
Eighty thousand federal credits had come in, giving her finances a solid boost—she now had over ninety thousand credits in savings.
Zhuang Wan also came in to discuss the allocation of the remaining vacant rooms:
“Room 013 has already been reserved by one of Fan Chuanhui’s colleagues. They should come to complete the procedures tomorrow or the day after. Currently, we still have five single rooms and six double rooms available. When do you think we should open internal referrals for rentals? We’ve had many inquiries already.”
Su Tao said, “Let’s start tomorrow.”
She wanted to make a quick profit before leaving, stocking up on supplies for the journey.
Zhuang Wan nodded. “By the way, Aunt Qi told me that there’s been a faint rancid smell on the second floor of Building 2. It turns out the couple from the Grain Bureau leaves their food waste piled up in the living room. She said there’s barely any space to step into their apartment.
“Aunt Qi couldn’t take it anymore and asked them to be more mindful, which led to an argument. Many tenants on the second floor are also unhappy. The couple eventually compromised, saying they’d hire temporary workers for regular cleaning. I wanted to check with you—can temporary workers enter Taoyang?”
Su Tao was speechless: “What choice do I have? If we don’t let them in, those two will turn the entire second floor into a garbage dump. When the workers arrive, just grant them access, but remind everyone to keep an eye on their valuables.”
Guan Zining, listening nearby, felt nauseous.
She had almost forgotten about this issue—she had to report it!
Damn it, how could people in charge of food be so filthy?
Su Tao asked, “And did you write the consultation request?”
Zhuang Wan sighed, “Yes, I wrote it and sent it, but there’s been no response at all. Do you think they’re ignoring us on purpose?”
Su Tao said, “If there’s still no response tomorrow, write another letter. Fill his mailbox with them.”
She then pulled out her communicator and found that mysterious number from before.
“I don’t know if this number will connect, but if the letters don’t work, call him. Call him in the middle of the night! Stingy man!”
Zhuang Wan: … Boss Su is still the boss for a reason.
Meanwhile, the “stingy man” Gu Mingchi opened the letter and could only chuckle coldly after reading it.
He called over Zhong Gaoyi, tossed him the letter, and asked:
“What do you think? Should I agree?”
Zhong Gaoyi, a well-mannered man in his early forties, took the letter and read it carefully.
After finishing, he said honestly, “A consultation fee of 200,000 federal credits—it’s a good deal.”
Gu Mingchi lit a cigarette. “It’s business, yes. But they’re from Taoyang.”
Zhong Gaoyi, fully aware of the backstory, wisely chose to remain silent.
Taoyang had made his boss lose face and disrupted some of his business in Dongyang. It was understandable for him to be upset.
Gu Mingchi sneered: “Su Tao actually dares to ask for a consultation. She really doesn’t take our previous conflict seriously.”
Zhong Gaoyi continued to keep his head down, remaining silent.
Gu Mingchi waved his hand: “Get out of here. I can’t get a straight answer from you.”
After sending him away, Gu Mingchi thought for a moment but couldn’t hold back. He dialed the number.
Su Tao glanced at the incoming call, raised an eyebrow, and looked at Zhuang Wan: “The stingy guy is calling.”
Zhuang Wan didn’t dare deal with someone like Gu Mingchi, a real gangster. She leaned back, declining: “You answer, you answer.”
Su Tao teased, “What, is he going to jump out of the communicator and hit you?”
Then she picked up the call.
Both spoke at the same time.
“Boss Su.”
“Boss Gu.”
Silence.
Gu Mingchi stubbed out his cigarette and calmed himself down, “The consultation request isn’t entirely off the table.”
“So, what kind of negotiation are you suggesting?”
Su Tao had a feeling that this “negotiation” wouldn’t be a good thing.
Sure enough, he said: “200,000 isn’t enough. I haven’t even settled our previous score. Not only are my properties in Dongyang hard to rent out now, but the rented ones are constantly causing me trouble.”
Su Tao thought his greed was truly ugly and couldn’t help but retort:
“You also exposed Taoyang’s scandals, so we’re even, okay? Business is business. You lost the deal, and now you want your competitor to compensate you? There’s no such easy win!”
Zhuang Wan, listening on the side, was both scared and impressed.
No wonder Su Tao was the boss.
Gu Mingchi scoffed: “You talk about business being business, then I don’t want to do this consultation deal. Find someone else.”
With that, he hung up.
Su Tao was fuming. She immediately called him back, and as soon as it connected, she started:
“How can a grown man be so petty? I ask you, do we have some deep-seated grudge? All I did was take a small portion of your business. I don’t believe that you, Gu Mingchi, the big shot of the Eastern District—who not even Pei Dong can control—only own those few shabby properties. Is it really worth this fuss? If you agree to this consultation, we can write off our previous minor conflicts.”
Gu Mingchi was so mad he laughed, “Write it off? Sure, it’s only a part of my business, but I still lose at least 600,000 federal credits a month. Not to mention the unquantifiable contribution points. You tell me, how do we ‘write it off,’ huh?”
Su Tao was speechless.
Six hundred thousand… That was quite a bit…
Gu Mingchi’s patience ran out, “I don’t want to argue with you. I know Taoyang isn’t short on water. With the peak of summer coming, water shortages are everywhere. You supply water to our Eastern District for a year, and I’ll have Zhong Gaoyi go over for the consultation.”
Su Tao rejected him outright, “Boss Gu, your wishful thinking is so loud I could hear it all the way from Taoyang. A year’s worth of water? While Taoyang isn’t short on water, its value far exceeds your 600,000 federal credits. In a time when everyone is short on water, having water here means it’s worth a fortune. No way.”
