Can’t Take My Eyes Off You

After the seven-day-long journey, Jiang Yao was almost paralyzed from sitting on the train for so long. Finally, the train arrived at their destination—Shu City.

After getting off the train, Lu Xingzhi picked up all of Jiang Yao’s things and led her out of the train station in the crowded station. Lu Xingzhi stood at the train station entrance and looked around for a while. Then he led Jiang Yao to a young man who was about 25 to 26 years old.

That young man had slightly tanned skin, like most people in Shu City. He had an unmistakable outline of an ethnic minority. He had a cigarette dangling from his mouth and a thick gold necklace around his neck—he looked like a loafer.

“Are you Ah Zhu?” Lu Xingzhi asked in a curious tone. However, he knew for a fact that the man was Ah Zhu, a friend that his informant had made in Shu City. Lu Xingzhi and Jiang Yao had to rely on that person’s recommendation to infiltrate the gang.

“Yes, I am him!” Ah Zhu immediately stood up when he saw them. He moved the cigarette from his mouth to his hand. Then, he stared at the young couple who were holding hands in front of him. He laughed heartily. “Gu Changshu, right? Is this your wife? She is so beautiful!”

When Jiang Yao heard Ah Zhu mention her, she hid behind Lu Xingzhi and gave Ah Zhu a timid smile.

It was very shallow, so shallow that one would not be able to see her smile if one did not look at her closely.

Ah Zhu did not care. After all, she was a woman and a newly married wife. It was normal for her to be shy.

“You’re Xiao Xing’s friend, so you’ll be my friend from now on. I won’t let you starve to death! It’s also good that Director Ding is short of manpower recently, so you’ve come at the right time,” Ah Zhu said.

“Director Ding is very cautious of new people, so he’ll observe you for a period of time. Do your best. As long as Director Ding trusts you, I guarantee that you’ll be able to follow him and make a lot more money, just like me.”

Ah Zhu was a little proud when it came to money-making tips. “Has Xiao Xing told you guys anything about me?”

“I am quite well-known in my hometown. The house I built last year was the most magnificent one in the entire village! Now, the whole village is envious of me. Many people want to follow me here to earn big money, but I didn’t want to bring any of them. But you are different. You are Xiao Xing’s friend, and Xiao Xing is my good friend, so I don’t mind taking you under my wings!”

“Thank you,” Lu Xingzhi said stiffly after a few seconds.

Ah Zhu smiled and teased him. “Xiao Xing said that you are a man of few words. I didn’t expect you to be so dull. It’s okay. We are friends; there’s no need to thank me!”

Then, he brought Lu Xingzhi and Jiang Yao out of the train station. He was two steps ahead of them, so Jiang Yao could easily see that his right foot had a little limp.

Among the documents that Jiang Yao had memorized before she left, she knew that was Ah Zhu. He was a 26-year-old man, and he had been in the gang for five years. Ah Zhu’s right foot had been broken since he was young. That was when his drunk biological father had hit him.

Ah Zhu had a miserable childhood. His father was lazy and liked to drink and gamble. When he was only two years old, his mother could not stand her husband’s behavior, so she abandoned the child and ran away. Ah Zhu had two uncles, aunts, and a grandmother. The one who treated him slightly better in the entire family was his grandmother.. However, she was old and had to live with her son’s temperament, so she could not protect her grandson, Ah Zhu.