Chapter 244 - 170: They’re All Sisters, Their Talents Can’t Be Too Different (Part 2)
Lin Jiang didn’t rush over. Instead, he carefully examined the mission description.
Previously, to convince Liang Youjun to stop gambling, he had said that Liang Shuhuo owed him 2 million yuan.
And Liang Shuhuo, as a high-earning white-collar professional, naturally wouldn’t be too hard on herself when it came to spending money.
A bag worth over 20,000 yuan was just a drop in the bucket for her.
But in Liang Youjun’s eyes, she still had a 2 million yuan debt and should be pinching pennies to save up and pay it back.
As someone from the older generation, seeing his own daughter spend money so freely while in debt definitely rubbed him the wrong way. It was only natural that he would scold her.
But figuring out how to complete this mission was a bit tricky.
First, he could tell Liang Youjun to forget about the 2 million yuan debt, but that was clearly inappropriate and unreasonable.
Second, telling Liang Youjun that Liang Shuhuo had already paid off the money was also not quite right. Even for someone like Liang Shuhuo, it was unlikely she could pay back that much money in such a short time.
Besides, not much time had passed since he quit gambling. If he found out, he might even start again.
’What I need to do now is resolve his fixation and get him to see the situation naturally.’
’I never thought I’d have to do after-sales service for someone one day.’
"Let’s go to my office. This isn’t the place to talk," Lin Jiang said, walking over.
Turning back to look at Lin Jiang, Liang Shuhuo broke into a smile. She packed her things and followed him to his office on the fifth floor.
He Jing promptly came over to prepare tea for Lin Jiang.
[Pet No. 1: He Jing]
[Hunger: 15%]
[Status: Excellent]
’It was 10% yesterday, and now it’s 15% today. You get hungry pretty fast.’
After setting down the tea, He Jing tactfully excused herself.
"You’re never short on women, Brother. And they’re all beautiful."
From his office chair, Lin Jiang watched Liang Shuhuo with great interest.
"Even so, you’re still at the top of the list."
"Brother, you really know how to make me happy."
After a few more lines of flirty banter, Liang Shuhuo opened her laptop.
"Here are the designs for the other two shops. Take a look, Brother."
When Li Zhiyi called him Brother, it was a casual, everyday form of address. In contrast, when Liang Shuhuo called him Brother, it always felt like casual flirting.
Paired with her beautiful legs, each "Brother" she uttered was incredibly alluring.
"The overall design continues the style of this first shop, but I’ve added some chain-specific logos and text to make it more obvious that it’s part of a franchise."
Sitting next to Lin Jiang, Liang Shuhuo operated the laptop and explained the design details.
Despite their close relationship, Liang Shuhuo hadn’t slacked off. The design was full of subtle, clever little details.
When it came to business, she didn’t act spoiled because of his favor, keeping her professional and private lives completely separate.
Lin Jiang gave it a quick look and couldn’t find any faults.
"It all looks great. This will work."
"Give me some feedback. Business is business. If I earn this money too easily, I’ll feel bad about it."
"So you won’t be satisfied until your ’client daddy’ gives you some demands, is that it?"
"It’s mainly that you, my ’client daddy,’ are too easy to talk to. I’m not used to it."
"It’s just a noodle shop, don’t make a big deal out of it. As long as there are no quality issues, it’s fine," Lin Jiang said.
"The main event is still the Berkeley renovation."
"I know. That’s why I came today. Showing you the noodle shop plans was the minor reason; the real reason was to check out the mall."
Liang Shuhuo rested her chin on one hand, smiling sweetly at Lin Jiang.
"If you’re not busy, Brother, could you walk around Berkeley with me? I’d love to hear your opinions and ideas, you know."
’She’s definitely laying it on thick.’
"Alright, let’s go."
The two of them got up, left the office, and went out into the mall.
The basement level of Berkeley was mainly for food, snacks, and a large supermarket.
The first floor sold things like watches, gold, cosmetics, and cell phones.
The second and third floors were for men’s and women’s clothing, the fourth floor was mainly for accessories and food, and the fifth floor housed an entertainment center and a movie theater.
After looking around, they ended up on the third floor, strolling leisurely.
"I want to hear your thoughts," Liang Shuhuo said.
"Do you have any ideas for the design and layout of this place?"
"Only a rough concept, or rather, just a single idea."
"Tell me," Liang Shuhuo said seriously.
"I want to turn this place into an all-in-one destination for eating, drinking, and entertainment. Whether it’s men or women, old or young, anyone who comes here should be able to satisfy their daily entertainment needs."
Pausing for a moment, Lin Jiang continued.
"Of course, the main target is still young people. The design concept needs to be more avant-garde, with a focus on ’fun’."
In Liang Shuhuo’s view, Lin Jiang’s idea was about shattering constraints and building something new from the ground up.
It was an extremely bold innovation, but that was in line with his personality.
"I understand what you mean and what you’re thinking. I’ll go back, organize these ideas, and draft a preliminary proposal. Then we can move on to the next step."
"You can get started on it. There’s no budget limit, as long as it achieves the desired effect."
’Berkeley and the Haojie Clubhouse brought in cash every day. Coupled with the occasional cash rewards from Tongzi, it should be enough to support the renovation.’
"Leave it to me. I’ll do my best."
Faced with such a huge project, even a designer of Liang Shuhuo’s caliber felt a bit of pressure.
The biggest source of that pressure was Lin Jiang’s trust in her.
The more he trusted her, the more she wanted to do an even better job.
After they finished talking business, the two started wandering around Berkeley.
At the same time, he was also thinking about how to complete the mission related to Liang Shuhuo.
’It really is a bit tricky.’
As they were walking, Liang Shuhuo suddenly stopped and looked at a Cosmo Lady lingerie store beside them.
"If I buy something here and mention your name, can I get a discount?"
"You wouldn’t save much, so don’t use my name for something like this. Wait until you’re buying something expensive."
Lin Jiang had no intention of treating her. This little bit of money was just a drop in the ocean for Liang Shuhuo; it was nothing at all.
"Alright, wait here for me. I’m going to buy a few pairs of socks."
"Okay."
Liang Shuhuo went into the store while Lin Jiang watched from outside.
Her shopping was quite purposeful. She bought a few pairs of silk ankle socks, a few pairs of black and nude stockings, and then also grabbed a black-and-red lingerie set.
When she went to pay, she placed her items on the counter with a cool, beautiful, and commanding presence. Even the cashier couldn’t help but sneak a few extra glances.
After making her purchase, Liang Shuhuo came out carrying her bag.
"What are your plans for later?" Lin Jiang asked.
"Going back to work for my ’client daddy.’"
"Take care of yourself. Your health is your most important asset. Your ’client daddy’ isn’t rushing you."
"Brother..."
Liang Shuhuo’s tone suddenly softened considerably.
"This is a gentle whip from you. The more you’re like this, the less I can control myself and the more I want to work for you without stopping."
Lin Jiang quietly leaned in close to Liang Shuhuo’s ear. "Does that mean I need to get a real little leather whip and hit you a few times to get you to slack off?"
His words made her ears tingle, and her whole body went a little weak.
"You’re right. I’m the type who won’t move when led by the leash but will back away when hit."
Softly, Liang Shuhuo rose onto her tiptoes and drew close to Lin Jiang’s ear.
"Forever surrendering to gentleness."
Just then, a voice suddenly called out from nearby.
"Miaomiao?"
