SAG -Chapter 25 Huo Zhiyuan’s Thoughts

“May I ask who you are?”

Mu Xi looked at Zhang Ran with some curiosity.

She was Susu’s kindergarten teacher and was standing at the entrance welcoming the children. Since Susu had been brought in by someone she had never seen before, she naturally asked.

Smiling, Zhang Ran introduced himself.

“Hello, Teacher. I’m Susu’s grandfather—her maternal grandfather.”

“Cough… cough… her… grandfather?”

Mu Xi nearly choked on her own saliva.

What was going on? Was Susu’s grandmother incredibly wealthy or something?

Zhang Ran had expected this reaction, so he simply took out his ID card and handed it to her.

Mu Xi accepted it instinctively and glanced at it.

Her eyes immediately widened.

The ID card showed that Zhang Ran had been born in 1967, meaning he was already fifty-one years old.

“You… you look incredibly young,” she said with an awkward smile.

She had heard of people who seemed to age slowly, but someone who was fifty-one and still looked barely in his early twenties…

She had never seen anything like it.

Zhang Ran didn’t elaborate on the subject of his age.

“I’ll be the one picking Susu up and dropping her off from now on. I’d appreciate it if you could look after her a little more. She’s rather shy.”

“Of course,” Mu Xi replied.

“Susu is a very well-behaved child at school.”

After chatting with Teacher Mu for a few more minutes, Zhang Ran prepared to leave.

Before he did, he crouched down beside Susu.

“Susu, Grandpa will come pick you up this afternoon after school.”

Susu still didn’t speak.

But for the first time, a trace of reluctance appeared in her little eyes.

It was faint…

Yet it was obvious the little girl had finally begun to accept Zhang Ran as her grandfather.

With nothing else to do for the rest of the morning, Zhang Ran wandered aimlessly through Shanghai.

Looking at the forest of skyscrapers, the endless streams of traffic, and the bustling international metropolis, his eyes occasionally grew distant.

Although he had once experienced this era before, he had also spent the first twenty-three years of his life in the old world.

Being suddenly thrown back into such a modern society still felt strangely unreal.

A Shopping Mall in Shanghai, Zhang Siyan and Qian Li’s cosmetics boutique was located inside one of Shanghai’s large shopping malls.

Previously, Qian Li had hired an employee.

But after partnering with Zhang Siyan, they had let the employee go.

Now they were both owners and sales clerks.

During a quiet moment, Qian Li leaned over.

“Yanyan, could you ask Uncle Zhang when he’ll be free?”

Zhang Siyan looked at her friend curiously.

“Why?”

“My parents want to invite Uncle Zhang out for dinner.”

The two families had always been close.

Although her parents had never met Zhang Ran before, now that he had returned, they naturally wanted to get acquainted.

“Sure.”

Zhang Siyan nodded.

“I’ll ask him.”

She thought it might actually help Zhang Ran become familiar with her social circle and improve their relationship.

Qian Li wanted to ask something else, but just then a customer walked into the store.

At first glance, Qian Li’s smile immediately brightened.

The woman looked to be around thirty years old.

Her skin was exceptionally well maintained.

Her clothes were elegant and obviously expensive.

Most importantly…

She carried herself with the confident aura of someone accustomed to power.

Large sunglasses covered most of her face, making her resemble a celebrity shopping incognito.

To Qian Li, customers like this were exactly their target clientele.

One such customer could easily spend as much as ten ordinary ones.

She hurried over with a professional smile.

“Hello, ma’am. How may I help you today?”

Huo Zhiyuan instinctively looked toward Zhang Siyan.

Her heartbeat quickened slightly.

She wasn’t even sure why she had come here just to see Zhang Siyan.

Fortunately, her oversized sunglasses concealed her expression.

After calming herself, she pointed toward Zhang Siyan.

“I’d like her to introduce the products to me.”

“Certainly.”

Qian Li smiled.

Zhang Siyan was a little surprised but didn’t think much of it.

She quickly walked over, wearing a polite smile, and began introducing the store’s various cosmetic products.

During this period, Zhang Siyan had studied cosmetics extensively.

Her explanations were knowledgeable and confident.

Whenever necessary, Qian Li chimed in with additional details.

The presentation went smoothly.

Still…

Zhang Siyan couldn’t shake the feeling that something was odd.

The customer didn’t seem particularly interested in the products.

Instead…

She almost seemed to be studying her.

For nearly twenty minutes, Zhang Siyan finished introducing almost every product in the store.

The woman barely spoke the entire time, responding only briefly whenever asked a question.

Just as both Zhang Siyan and Qian Li began thinking the sale was probably lost…

The woman finally spoke.

“Wrap up these… and these as well.”

She pointed to several premium products.

Qian Li followed her finger.

Her heartbeat instantly accelerated.

She hadn’t expected this quiet customer to make such an enormous purchase.

The two women quickly packaged everything before calculating the total.

“Ma’am, your total comes to 103,500 yuan.”

“Card.”

Huo Zhiyuan paid without hesitation.

No bargaining.

No unnecessary conversation.

After completing the purchase, she simply turned and left.

Once they escorted her out of the store, Qian Li immediately pumped her fist excitedly.

“This single sale equals an entire week’s revenue!”

Then she began daydreaming.

“If only we had a customer like that every day…”

Business like this was simply too satisfying.

Standing nearby, Zhang Siyan remained silent.

She still had the strange feeling that the woman hadn’t come to buy cosmetics at all.

But she quickly dismissed the thought.

After all, her life had already reached its current state.

There wasn’t really anything about her worth anyone’s special attention.

Huo Zhiyuan arrived at a café where Zhao Jingyu and Meng Zixuan were already waiting.

The three women had come together.

However, since Zhang Siyan recognized Meng Zixuan, she hadn’t accompanied Huo Zhiyuan into the shop earlier.

After sitting down, Huo Zhiyuan suddenly asked, “Jingyu, is Huo Li still the provincial distributor for Shanghai and Jiangsu?”

Zhao Jingyu didn’t understand why she was asking but answered immediately.

“Yes. President Huo still holds the exclusive regional distribution rights.”

Huo Li was Huo Zhiyuan’s elder brother.

For years, he had controlled the cosmetics distribution rights for Shanghai and Jiangsu Province, earning enormous profits in the process.

Huo Zhiyuan nodded slowly.

A sharp light flickered across her eyes.

At that moment…

She finally made up her mind.

In truth, this decision had first taken root several years ago.

She simply hadn’t been able to bring herself to act.

After all…

Huo Li was still her biological elder brother.

No matter how much resentment she harbored toward her family, after Zhang Ran disappeared twenty-eight years ago, they had become the only “safe harbor” she could cling to.

Deep down, she knew that sense of security was nothing more than self-deception.

But now…

It seemed she was finally prepared to let go of that illusion.