Chapter 330 - Bearing Grudges
Chapter 330: Bearing Grudges
"You overestimate yourself!"
Xiao Luo said coldly… and a strong surge of internal energy exploded from his body.
A shrill scream pierced the air as Yang Hongzhi was thrown right out of the court, looking like he was hit by a speeding car. Xiao Luo was still hovering in the air, his right arm winding up behind his head before dunking the basketball through the hoop. The ball was slammed fiercely into the basket, like a cannonball, and the net swung back upwards as it swished through.
After completing the dunk, Xiao Luo landed softly with both feet slightly apart. The ball was bouncing right under the basket going BOP, BOP, BOP—as if bowing to Xiao Luo in deference, and it eventually stopped bouncing and rolled towards his feet in total submission.
Yang Honzhi's two bodyguards, Shen Qingyan and Su Li froze, staring with their mouths wide open, absolutely shocked by what they had just witnessed. Shen Qingyan, who was still on the phone, unknowingly dropped it on the ground. Su Xiaobei's eyes lit up in awe—she was cheering gleefully and jumping for joy when she saw Xiao Luo gloriously slam the dunk through the hoop with such power.
Nobody even dreamed that Xiao Luo was capable of a slam dunk, and it wasn't just a regular dunk, but an imposing and powerful slam dunk. His timing, explosive power, and jumping prowess was simply dominating!
Yang Hongzhi lay slumped on the ground, staring blankly at the slender figure under the basket. His humiliation was complete—the final score was 10 to 0. He had initially planned to beat his opponent 10 to 0, but instead, he ended up on the receiving end of that scoreline. As if that wasn't humiliating enough, he was totally outclassed by his opponent, unable to touch the ball even once. Now, his confidence and self-esteem were crushed entirely, something that he had never experienced before.
"Ah San, Ah Si… what are you waiting for?! Cripple that b*stard!" Yang Hongzhi roared.
"Yes, Young Master!"
The bodyguards snapped out of their shock and rushed toward Xiao Luo, snarling with cruel intentions.
"Yang Hongzhi, what are you trying to do?!" Su Li yelled. She was furious with Yang Hongzhi, furrowing her brows as she walked over briskly to confront him.
"Li Er… I, ermm…"
"You were the one who suggested having this match with Xiao Luo, yet now you are trying to beat him up after you've lost. Are you such a sore loser?" Su Li said, her eyes glaring coldly at the vanquished man.
Yang Hongzhi attempted to respond, but nothing came out when he opened his mouth, he didn't know what he could say to explain himself. But, when he gazed into Su Li's beautiful eyes, he immediately came to his senses and got back up. He tried to laugh it off casually and said: "It's a misunderstanding… just a misunderstanding, that's all. Hahaha… I was just fooling around with him."
He waved his hands and signaled for his two bodyguards to stand down.
Su Li no longer had any interest in continuing the conversation. She turned to walk away.
"I could tell right from the start that Young Master Yang was just fooling around. Why would a magnanimous person like Young Master Yang behave like a sore loser, am I right?" Shen Qingyan said, walking over and trying to make peace.
After hearing both ladies mention the words "sore loser," he almost vomited blood. He'd just been thrashed 10 to 0, and right was in front of the woman he fancied. Who would be able to accept such a loss, especially after being totally outplayed in every aspect of the game?
However, outwardly Yang Hongzhi nodded his head, and he even attempted a laugh to show how magnanimous he was. "As usual, only Qingyan knows me best. Oh, and by the way, Qingyan, I won't be able to have lunch with you all. I suddenly remembered that I have something urgent to attend to, so I'll be leaving first." Then, he beckoned to Su Xiaobei, who was looking at him. "Xiaobei, say goodbye to Uncle Yang!" She instantly hugged Xiao Luo's thigh and timidly hid half her face behind him.
"Bye, Uncle Yang…" Su Xiaobei spoke in the faintest of whispers.
"Good girl!"
Yang Hongzhi turned to Su Li and smiled. "Li Er, I will come and find you again some other time."
He turned around and left without any further ado.
It wasn't that he had any urgent matters to attend to, but rather because his muscles were aching badly and he might even have sprained his lower back, and if he stayed any longer, he would only make a fool of himself. When he turned around, his smile dissipated instantly, and a cruel and dark expression appeared on his face.
"Ah San, Ah Si."
"Yes, Young Master, what are your instructions?"
With a nasty scowl on his face, Yang Hongzhi said, "Find an opportunity to teach him a lesson, but remember this— do not leave any evidence that will point back to me."
"Understood."
The two bodyguards nodded respectfully.
As she watched them walking off, Shen Qingyan shook her head, then turned to told Xiao Luo and said, "You better be careful for now, that young master Yang is not a forgiving person. You've made him lose face, and he is bound to take revenge on you."
"Thank you for the warning," Xiao Luo said, nodding his head slightly and giving her an appreciative smile.
"You seem to be a pretty calm fellow…"
Shen Qingyan responded as she gazed at him with fascination. She had earlier seen him as just an ordinary guy, but that all changed after the one-on-one game with Yang Hongzhi—he played rings around his opponent and delivered a resounding 10 to 0 thrashing, but the crowning moment was, without doubt, the tomahawk dunk that sealed the match.
From what Shen Qingyan had observed, this man had some decent skills, in terms of basketball, at least. He was neither humble nor arrogant in his speech and came across as a person with strong abilities and innate confidence. He seemed to have gone through a lot in life, someone familiar with magnificence at the very top, and grueling hardship at the very bottom. But it didn't matter who he was, she now found herself becoming interested in Xiao Luo, even if it was just for a fleeting moment.
"I'm hungry, let's go and eat."
Shen Qingyan snapped out of her lingering thoughts and responded, "Hahaha, this is the first time I've heard the goddess Su say to me that she's hungry!"
…
Lunch at Shen Qingyan's was a sumptuous meal, which was expected as all wealthy families employed their own professional house chefs. There was a spread of delicious dishes, and the main dish was presented on a large platter with magnificently carved vegetables, making for an inviting and heavenly gastronomical experience. Château Lafite was served with the meal, and for those that did not indulge in wine, Plum Garden's orange juice was offered. Even the water they drank was a premium spring mineral water sourced from deep underground, a bottle costing 300 dollars.
Here, dining in Shen Qingyan's home, Xiao Luo finally understood what luxury really meant!
Xiao Luo's current net wealth could not compare to Shen Qingyan's, but it did not mean that he was unable to afford such a luxurious lifestyle—it just wasn't his way, as the diligent and frugal mindset that had been inculcated from a young age was profoundly ingrained and had an impact on his character.
That night, Xiao Luo received a call from Li Zimeng, who informed him that several of Luo Workshop's key personnel had arrived at Xiahai and had started working on developing the branch office there. Xiao Luo did not have to personally manage the planning and sourcing of equipment and talents for the new branch, it was delegated to Li Zimeng and his other core managers. He played an oversight role, and only when significant issues arose with the company's expansion effort would he step in to resolve them.
On the second day, Xiao Luo decided to visit his alma mater, Xisheng Aeronautical University.
He was a nostalgic person by nature, and since he was back, he wouldn't miss the chance to do so. He certainly missed the bouncy noodles from the third canteen located on the second floor. The noodles were soft and chewy and were a perfect match to the dollops of minced meat sauce that was generously slopped over it. Back in his university days, the bouncy noodles stall was always packed with crowds, and unless he went early, he wouldn't be able to get it. This ensured that the place was perpetually swarming with customers, and perhaps the perfect marketing strategy for the humble food stall.
The Arterial Road was still the same, the English Corner still existed, and even the Star Anise pond remained unchanged. Yet, the mood, as he walked through the campus, was different. Passing the old dormitory, he stopped and gazed up at the balcony on the seventh floor. One of the glass panes still had a hole with a web of cracks around it.
Xiao Luo vividly remembered that day when he was fooling around with Zhang Dashan and had accidentally broken the pane with the end of a broomstick. It had been five to six years since, and he did not expect that it had not been replaced. Looking at it now, he couldn't help but have mixed feelings.
…
