"Don’t just stand there gawking, come help me move this stuff." Luo Weimin shot Wu Jun a glare when he saw him frozen at the door. "With these old arms and legs, you expect me to haul it for you? Show a little respect for the elderly."
"Luo, I give up. I never knew you were a secret millionaire. You’ve taken being low-key to a whole new level." Wu Jun walked over, running his hand over the body of the Audi A8, and joked, "Nice car. Let me borrow it for a few days."
"Not a chance. A man never lends out his car or his wife." Luo Weimin chuckled, swatting away Wu Jun’s groping hand. He pulled a case of liquor from the trunk, wiggling his eyebrows as if presenting a treasure. "Look what I brought for you," he said with a grin.
"Flying Fairy Maotai! Luo, have you lost your mind?!" Wu Jun gasped when he recognized the logo on the case.
A single bottle cost over 3,000. With six bottles in the case, that was nearly 20,000.
Wu Jun usually drank White Bull, which cost 12 a bottle. He’d never had anything this expensive.
"This is too much, Luo. I can’t accept this." Once the shock wore off, Wu Jun reached out to stop Luo Weimin from taking the case out.
If it had been a bottle of liquor worth a hundred or so, Wu Jun wouldn’t have hesitated. It was perfectly normal for friends to gift each other a bottle of booze.
But liquor that cost several thousand a bottle was just too extravagant. He couldn’t take advantage of his friend’s generosity.
"What’s the matter? Don’t you consider me a friend?" Luo Weimin glared, annoyed. "Wu Jun, I think of you as a friend. All this fussing makes it seem like we’re strangers. If you don’t take it, I’ll just smash it on the ground as an offering for the Earth God."
Wu Jun quickly said, "No, no, don’t do that! That’s not the point. This gift is just too expensive. Tell me how much it cost, and I’ll pay you back."
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! Luo Weimin slapped the rear of the Audi A8 a few times and glared. "Do I look like I’m short on cash? If you insist on paying, then we can just stop seeing each other. You can just pretend I’m some liquor salesman trying to make a quota."
Wu Jun was speechless. ’This is getting more and more ridiculous,’ he thought. ’Now he’s bringing up liquor salesmen?’
"You’re getting more ridiculous by the second. All right, all right, I won’t be so formal, okay? I’ll take it." With that, Wu Jun took the initiative and lifted the case out of the trunk.
’I’ll accept it this time,’ Wu Jun thought. ’I’ll just find an opportunity to return the favor with another case later. All this refusing back and forth just strains the friendship. It’s really not necessary.’
"Now that’s more like it." A smile finally broke out on Luo Weimin’s face when he saw Wu Jun accept the gift. "I had a physical today, and the doctor told me I can’t drink anymore. If I keep it at home, it’ll just taunt me. Better to leave it with you. Out of sight, out of mind."
Wu Jun laughed teasingly. "You sly old fox, Luo. So all this time, you were just trying to lead me into temptation!"
"Don’t play innocent when you’re the one benefiting," Luo Weimin chuckled. "Handle it with care. Don’t drop it."
"I’m not on such good terms with the Earth God as you are. I think I’ll keep this to drink myself! Inside, inside." Wu Jun gestured, leading the way with the case of liquor while Luo Weimin followed him back into the supermarket.
"Brother Wu, let me help you carry that." Xu Fei had been helping customers inside and hadn’t gone out. The store was empty for a moment, so when she saw Wu Jun walk in with a heavy-looking case, she shrewdly offered her help.
"It’s okay, it’s okay, I’ve got it. It’s not heavy." Cradling the case, Wu Jun stepped into his bedroom and hid it under the bed like a precious treasure.
By the time Wu Jun came back out, Xu Fei was already weighing rice for a customer.
"Wu Jun, that’s a good kid you’ve got there. Sharp, pretty, and a hard worker. When the time is right, you should make your move." Luo Weimin sidled up to Wu Jun, jutting his chin toward Xu Fei, who was busy in the rice, flour, and oils section, and praised her in a low voice.
"Yeah, right. Why don’t you sort things out with your Xiulan before you start lecturing me?" Wu Jun walked over to the counter and eyed the various shopping bags. "Are all these for Auntie Xu? They’re all brand-name goods. Luo, you really went all out."
"Two sets. One for your mother and one for Xiulan. Aren’t they as close as sisters? I bought them matching outfits," Luo Weimin said. "Tomorrow is Xiulan’s birthday. When you have time, could you give her this set for me? Just tell her it’s from you—that you bought it for her while you were shopping for your mom."
It all clicked for Wu Jun. ’No wonder Luo asked for my mom’s clothing size earlier.’ He was using her as a smokescreen to get a gift to Xiulan.
Wu Jun started, "About my mom’s set..."
"Stop right there. Say another word and you’ll be treating me like a stranger." Before Wu Jun could finish his sentence, Luo Weimin cut him off with a wave of his hand, looking unhappy.
"Fine, I’ll thank you on my mom’s behalf." Seeing his reaction, Wu Jun dropped it. He then asked, "So, Luo, what’s the deal with you and Auntie Xu? Wouldn’t it be much better to give it to her openly yourself? Do you really need to be this roundabout?"
Luo Weimin chuckled. "I’ll tell you about that some other time. For now, just say whether you’ll help me or not. You think you got that case of Maotai for free?"
"Alright, alright. If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t press you. Keep your secrets," Wu Jun said with a soft laugh, deciding not to pry any further. He agreed to the plan.
Luo Weimin stayed at the supermarket until a little after five, making small talk with the two youngsters, Wu Jun and Xu Fei. He was quite the conversationalist.
Despite the significant age difference between them, there was no generation gap whatsoever. The little supermarket frequently echoed with cheerful laughter.
Although Wu Jun was dying of curiosity about Luo Weimin’s massive transformation from an old security guard to a wealthy patriarch, he held his tongue since Luo Weimin didn’t bring it up.
And it wasn’t a problem. Wu Jun’s friendship with Luo Weimin had nothing to do with money; they simply got along well.
Around 5:30 in the afternoon, the store started to get busy with shoppers.
"Uncle Luo, you and Brother Wu can relax here. I’ll go help the customers," Xu Fei said, then turned to lead a shopper to the back to weigh some rice.
Wu Jun and Luo Weimin chatted by the register, ringing up customers as they talked.
"Wu Jun, you’re busy here, so I won’t keep you from your business. We can get together again some other time. And remember, make sure everything goes smoothly tomorrow. Don’t blow my cover." Luo Weimin felt a bit awkward, seeing a young woman like Xu Fei bustling around in the back while two grown men like him and Wu Jun were just sitting around. He stood up to say his goodbyes.
"Don’t go. You came all this way and brought so many gifts. If I don’t even treat you to a meal, I’ll be a laughingstock." Wu Jun glanced at his watch—it was already 5:40 PM. He stood up and called out to Xu Fei, "Xu Fei, let’s get ready to close up shop! We’re all going out to eat."
Luo Weimin quickly interjected, "Wu Jun, you’ve got work to do. Don’t worry about me."
Wu Jun smiled. "Luo, today you have to listen to me. If you walk out now, you might as well not come back."
"You brat," Luo Weimin said with a soft chuckle. Seeing that Wu Jun wasn’t just making a polite offer, he stopped protesting.
Wiping her hands, Xu Fei came out from the back. "Brother Wu, you and Uncle Luo should go. I can watch the store. It’s the evening rush."
"We can spare the time. We’re all going out for a bite." Without another word, Wu Jun walked to the entrance and shut the supermarket door.
’It wouldn’t be right for me and Luo to go out to a restaurant while leaving Xu Fei to watch the supermarket by herself.’
They might have an employer-employee relationship on paper, but because of his connection to Xu Minli, Wu Jun never really thought of Xu Fei as just an employee. Nor did he really see himself as a boss.
Xu Fei was twenty-three, four years younger than Wu Jun. In his eyes, she was like a little sister.
"Okay, then. I’m a light eater and I don’t drink anyway. I’ll have a quick bite and come back early so you and Uncle Luo can talk more." Seeing that Wu Jun’s mind was made up, Xu Fei stopped protesting. She untied her apron and set it on the small stool Wu Jun kept for her by the wall.
Wu Jun went into the back, opened the case, and grabbed a bottle of the Flying Fairy Maotai Luo Weimin had brought. The three of them left the supermarket and got into the Audi A8 parked out front.
Xu Fei sat in the back while Wu Jun got into the passenger seat.
"I’ve never been in such a high-end car before. When I’m rich, I’ll have to buy one of these," Wu Jun remarked after getting in, feeling the plush leather seat beneath him.
Luo Weimin chuckled. "This car isn’t for guys your age. It’s an old man’s car."
Suddenly, Wu Jun’s fingers brushed against something in the crack between the seat cushion and the backrest.
He pulled it out and looked at it. It was a work ID badge.
Xinhua District, Industrial and Commercial Bank, Branch Manager: Luo Zhengang.