ECG -Chapter 158 Brother Hao

Lin Hao secretly felt lucky. Fortunately, he had increased his card’s spending limit last year; otherwise, swiping such a large amount of money would have really been troublesome.

He followed Old An to the counter, and the process was completed very quickly. Lin Hao took the card receipt, then had Old An sign it to confirm that the payment had been received. After that, he put it away together with the sales agreement.

Zuo Yao clapped her hands and smiled. “Alright, we’ve solved a major problem. Old An, I’m about to starve to death!”

Old An was also extremely happy. He waved his big, furry hand and said, “Today, it’s on me!”

Zuo Yao happily jumped up and shouted, “Long live Old An!”

Two customers outside called for the owner to settle their bill, so Old An hurried out.

After Lin Hao and Zuo Yao sat down at a table outside, Zuo Yao put away her smile and asked with some concern, “Aren’t you afraid that Old An won’t give it to you in the future?”

“Afraid!” Lin Hao said, then smiled. “There aren’t many things in this world that are absolutely certain, but you can’t stop doing something just because you’re afraid.”

“I spent 150,000 yuan, but I helped an elderly man. And in the future, I might even get a famous guitar worth hundreds of thousands or even over a million yuan. I think this investment is completely worth it.”

“But what if one day he doesn’t give it to you? Old An had his son when he was already old, and he spoiled An Hai so much when he was young that he turned out badly. What if, when that day comes, An Hai refuses to acknowledge it?”

Lin Hao clearly understood why this little girl had pinched him earlier and then looked at him while he was signing. So he said, “But don’t you think it’s exciting? Everything in the future is unknown, full of changes. Maybe there will be surprises, maybe there will be disappointment and frustration, but isn’t life just like that?”

Zuo Yao shook her head. She still couldn’t understand Lin Hao’s way of thinking. She always felt that she had dragged him into this mess, and secretly started worrying again.

Seeing that this little girl was truly worried, Lin Hao quickly said, “Don’t worry. As long as we have the agreement, even if An Hai goes back on his word, it won’t matter!”

“Really?” Zuo Yao’s eyes lit up.

“Of course. If it had no legal effect, why would I sign such a thing? So don’t worry. There’s no risk at all in this matter!”

Lin Hao originally had no intention of taking advantage of Old An, but he also understood clearly that he had helped him when he was in trouble. When the time really came, Old An absolutely wouldn’t ask him to pay more according to the guitar’s actual value. Besides, the agreement already clearly stated: this payment is the full amount. With an agreement in hand, no one could deny it!

Using 150,000 yuan to leverage something worth over a million—even if there was a certain amount of risk, he still felt it was completely worth it. This matter wasn’t just about who the guitar belonged to; it was also a test of human nature.

He wasn’t short of money now. He had more than four million yuan in his account, and soon Mei Ying Music would also be buying some songs, which would bring in another large sum of money! He felt this matter was very meaningful, and he even had some expectations for the future.

But young Zuo Yao couldn’t understand Lin Hao’s deep calculations. At this moment, she even thought Lin Hao was a little naive. How could he spend so much money buying an instrument that he couldn’t even get his hands on yet?

Old An soon brought out two portions of cheese and bread, along with two glasses of red wine. He said it was from his private collection.

Lin Hao also realized he was hungry, and after eating, he found the taste was actually quite good.

After that came appetizers, soup, fish dishes, meat dishes, roasted dishes… Every item was served in two small portions. The taste was good, but eating everything in such a hurry felt a little rushed.

Looking at Old An running back and forth, Lin Hao couldn’t help but think to himself: With those legs of his, he probably has no problem living another fifty years.

Should I persuade him to hire a waiter?

When Lin Hao and Zuo Yao left Old An’s Western restaurant, it was already close to nine at night. During dinner, Zuo Yao had received a call from her mother. After hearing that she was at Old An’s place, her mother asked to speak with him. They chatted for a few minutes before hanging up.

The two waved goodbye to Old An, who was standing under the dim yellow streetlights. After leaving the narrow alley, they stopped a taxi by the roadside. Lin Hao still sat in the front passenger seat.

Zuo Yao’s home wasn’t far away. The taxi took less than ten minutes to arrive. No wonder she had said she often went to Old An’s place to eat with her parents.

It was a villa community. The entrance was extremely tall, and the exterior walls were covered with natural marble, making it look grand and luxurious.

Lin Hao noticed a black sedan parked not far to the right of the gate. Judging from the logo, it was a Volkswagen.

The taxi stopped by the roadside. The driver said that taxis were not allowed to enter this residential area, so Lin Hao paid the fare.

Since it was so late, he planned to escort Zuo Yao inside.

The two got out of the car, and the taxi immediately sped away. Only then did Zuo Yao notice the car not far away.

“My dad came out to pick me up!” A trace of sadness from parting appeared in Zuo Yao’s heart. “Brother Hao, when will I be able to see you again?”

Lin Hao didn’t know when exactly he had become “Brother Hao.” He smiled and said, “When I get back, I still have to write Flight of the Bumblebee for you. Practice well. There will be more chances in the future!”

Zuo Yao nodded.

“Don’t forget to add my QQ!”

Lin Hao quickly nodded. Just as he was about to say something else, he saw a tall, middle-aged man step out of the Volkswagen.

“Yao Yao!” the man called out.

Lin Hao hurriedly walked over with Zuo Yao.

Lin Hao, who had only been reborn for two years, was simply too busy and rarely watched movies. However, he often checked information about domestic and foreign singers, songwriters, and film stars online.

Although he had never watched any movies starring Zuo Xinghui, he had seen his photos and videos online, so he recognized him at a glance.

This was a man who carried an air of elegance mixed with three parts dominance. When those sharp eyes looked at Lin Hao, they were full of scrutiny.

“Uncle Zuo, hello!” Lin Hao slightly bent forward and greeted him.

“Hello!” Zuo Xinghui nodded at him. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome!” After saying that, Lin Hao looked at Zuo Yao and smiled. “I’ve safely delivered you home, so I’ll head back now. Goodbye!”

Zuo Yao waved at him, her little face full of reluctance.

Lin Hao nodded toward Zuo Xinghui again.

“Goodbye, Uncle Zuo.”

“Goodbye.”

Lin Hao had not even reached the roadside when he heard the sound of an engine. He turned his head and glanced back. The lights at the entrance were very bright, and from this angle, he could clearly see the rear of the car.

It was a Volkswagen Phaeton.

Zuo Xinghui did not ask about Lin Hao. Instead, he asked about what happened in today’s competition.

Pouting, Zuo Yao told him everything. When she mentioned that she had only played halfway before everyone left, and that she only found out after getting off stage that someone had gotten a stomachache…

Zuo Xinghui burst into laughter.

Afterward, he began comforting her, saying that not winning an award once was nothing, and that she should continue working hard and try again in the future.

“Dad, do you think I’m really suitable to be an actress?”

“Screech—”

Zuo Xinghui suddenly slammed on the brakes and turned his head.

“You? Why did you suddenly ask about this?”

“Dad, you scared me to death!” Zuo Yao’s face was full of fear.

“Ah, it’s Dad’s fault. You startled me too!” Only then did Zuo Xinghui realize that his reaction had indeed been a little too extreme.

He and Zuo Yao’s mother had started guiding her to learn acting when she was young. From the age of five or six, they had taken her to shoot advertisements for children’s products, and the response had been especially good.

The couple wasn’t doing it for money. They simply wanted to cultivate her sense of being in front of the camera. Only after experiencing these things more could she truly develop a love for acting.

Who would have thought that when this child turned fourteen, she would gradually distance herself from them? Every day, she practiced piano extremely hard, while instead developing a dislike for acting.

Last year, when she took the college entrance exam, the two of them ultimately couldn’t persuade her otherwise, and she ended up being admitted to the piano department of Shanghai Conservatory of Music.