"Brother Gu, I took leave just to come back. I really want to apply!"
"Shoo, shoo, kiddo. Can't you at least graduate first?"
Liu Zhaodi looked aggrieved.
"I'm nineteen already! I could always take a break from school, for... for Brother Gu's business..."
"Hmph, what's so great about not being able to see your toes? A milk cow, that's all. Such a waste of fabric. Doesn't carrying those around get tiring?"
"Liu Zhaodi, have you no shame? Taking a break from school? Are you trying to kill your parents with anger?"
"What... what... what are you saying? A young girl like you, saying something so shameless..."
At some point, the woman from next door had come up behind Liu Zhaodi.
Her face turned furious when she heard those words.
"Liu Zhaodi!"
The roaring shout made Zhaodi shudder.
Then she turned around with an awkward smile.
"Mom!!!"
"You... you... you..."
Then her mother pointed at Gu Zhe.
"Brother Gu's business, indeed! What business does he have? A tiny storefront, and his craftsmanship... uh, even if it's decent now, so what? This stuff went out of fashion ages ago..."
"Hmph, a young man with so many better things he could do, yet he insists on doing this. What future does it have? If he's handsome, he should go out and find opportunities instead of hanging around Calm Heart Street..."
"Zhaodi, come home with me. Don't let him fool you. I've been around, you know. You can't choose a man just for his looks. Let me tell you, handsome men are either perverts or scoundrels. Look at him, cutting out paper figures all day and smiling so happily. If that isn't perverted, what is..."
"Mom, Brother Gu isn't a pervert! Uh, Brother Gu, don't misunderstand. I'm not saying you're a scoundrel, either. I can tell you're a good person!"
"Liu Zhaodi, do you want me to slap you? Do you think running a small business is easy for me? I scrimp on food and clothes to put you through college, and this is how you repay me? Skipping school today for some paper-folding craftsman-will you be his secretary tomorrow and elope with him the day after? I might as well die!"
Liu Zhaodi flushed.
"Mom, what nonsense are you talking about?"
"Then get moving! It's so creepy in here. What's there to stay for?"
Gu Zhe rubbed his head.
He waved a hand.
"Ladies, stop arguing. How about you have a fight first?"
"Hmph. Zhaodi, come home with me."
Liu Zhaodi pouted, but could only lower her head and follow her mother out.
She really wanted to grab her mother by the collar and shout, If I don't judge by looks, what am I supposed to judge by? Fortunes can change, but a handsome guy stays handsome!
She stepped out through the shop entrance.
Her expression froze.
Several people were standing outside, led by a woman.
She looked to be in her twenties, with bright eyes, pearly teeth, and glossy black hair gathered simply behind her. She wore a chiffon blouse and black women's dress pants, leaving her fair neck and arms exposed. Even another woman would find her striking.
Especially with that full bust stretching her blouse taut, and her graceful figure with its dramatic yet beautiful curves.
She radiated both brisk, professional confidence and laid-back ease.
Liu Zhaodi's gaze swept over a certain spot, and a thought flashed through her mind.
Without thinking, she murmured, "Can you see your toes?"
"Zhaodi, get moving. I'm telling you, that Gu boy doesn't do honest work. One look and you can tell he isn't reli-"
"Hello, young lady. Is this number forty-nine?"
"Yes!"
Ming Xuan was about to ask another question.
Suddenly, a middle-aged man behind her could not help speaking first.
"Excuse me, is this the office of Mr. Gu from the Gu Group? Is Mr. Gu here? We're..."
He was visibly anxious and hopeful.
Before he could finish speaking,
Liu Zhaodi's mother snorted.
"Mr. Gu? There's someone surnamed Gu here, sure! What are you doing coming here in suits and polished shoes? This isn't an office building. Hmph, putting on airs."
Then she turned to Ming Xuan.
"Young lady, be careful. Someone in there loves tricking young girls."
"Liu Zhaodi, get yourself back to school! Good looks don't put food on the table. Didn't you call him an old guy? Why are you calling him Brother now? You're driving me mad!"
Liu Zhaodi's eyes, however, lit up.
"Gu Group? That sounds impressive, though it seems a little familiar. Could Brother Gu have a mysterious past? Just what I'd expect from the man my discerning eye picked out!"
Ming Xuan exchanged glances with the people behind her.
They were somewhat speechless.
Then they looked at the reluctant girl again.
They began to understand.
Ming Xuan snorted inwardly.
He must be some spoiled rich boy, tricking another young girl. Her mother stepped in just in time to save the day!
The storefront was small.
Gu Zhe had heard the conversation outside, too.
He walked out.
His brows furrowed.
"You're looking for me?"
The middle-aged man stepped forward.
He bent at the waist in a bow.
"Mr. Gu, we're from the Qianzhou Li Family. Our late father asked us to come purchase property for him. Please forgive the intrusion."
Gu Zhe looked over the group.
The beautiful woman who made people look twice was currently wearing a blank expression.
The other men and women looked awed, startled, and uncertain.
"Your late father? Property..."
It seemed these people had received some news from the Netherworld.
Apparently, some of those old ghosts did have a few tricks.
Gu Zhe rubbed his chin.
"Let's talk inside!"
Showing none of the enthusiasm one might expect upon meeting customers, he turned around and spoke slowly, calmly, and without hesitation.
"Commercial property isn't available yet, but they can go directly to the rental apartments and hotel themselves. Are they reluctant to spend Underworld spirituality and items?"
Everyone except Ming Xuan looked delighted.
He was not surprised at all and seemed to understand everything. Their father really had been telling the truth.
They were not remotely offended by Gu Zhe's attitude.
If all this was true, then the Gu Family's apparent bankruptcy was actually part of a much larger strategy.
The world was changing, the Underworld had appeared, and the Gu Family, with its legacy spanning generations, could communicate with the dead and the unseen. Even ghosts had to pay them rent. The thought alone inspired awe in ordinary people!
And that spirituality he mentioned-they did not understand it, but it sounded very professional.
Humans loved letting their imaginations run wild, especially wealthy people like these, who were even more inclined to think big.
Inside the shop,
Gu Zhe sat behind the workbench.
He pointed to a stack of plastic stools. "Take a seat wherever you like!"
Young Master Gu had never been in the habit of serving tea or bringing people stools. Now that he possessed supernatural power and a monopoly, he felt even more confident.
The more he behaved this way, the less the others dared slight him.
Although everyone outside said the Gu Family had fallen on hard times, they felt differently now as they recalled the news Master Xuanhui had brought back from her journey into the Underworld.
The Gu Family's depths were unfathomable!
"Mr. Gu, may I ask how the properties under your management work?"
"Well, an apartment is fifty thousand a month, and the hotel is a hundred thousand a month!"
Gu Zhe casually named his prices.
By the standards of the living world, that was certainly expensive for a small apartment.
But this was a monopoly. Besides, if it was too cheap and every ghost paid with money from the living world, how would he accumulate spirituality?
He certainly could not make it affordable for most ghosts.
The oldest middle-aged man nodded.
He asked tentatively,
"May I ask when the Gu Group will offer homes for purchase? Our Li Group would like to buy one for our late father."
"Ahem, if possible, we'd also like to acquire some property down there in advance."
Gu Zhe chuckled.
These people neither haggled nor questioned him. They seemed to have done their homework.
"Homes and villas for sale are still in the planning stages. You must understand that the Netherworld is not like the living world. Spirits abound, with countless Vengeful Ghosts and evil ghosts, ghost beasts lurking in hiding, and mythical beings lying dormant. Our Gu Family must proceed steadily and cautiously."
"The soldiers of our Gu Family's Netherworld Army are still assembling and reorganizing. Safety comes first, after all! We must be responsible for our customers."
"Wouldn't you agree?"
"Yes, yes, absolutely!"
"You're quite right, Mr. Gu. Safety first. We certainly can't expand blindly."
These people had no idea what Gu Zhe was talking about.
But hearing about the Netherworld, spirits, ghost beasts, and mythical beings impressed them, even if they did not understand.
And the Gu Family's Netherworld Army-the name alone sent a shiver through them.
They already had an army in the Underworld and could calmly discuss the balance of power in the Netherworld. The heights they had reached were unimaginable.
Was the Gu Family a family out of myth?
Thinking of the outsiders gloating over the Gu Family's misfortune, they could only reflect that those people knew nothing about the real world.
Those present actually began to feel superior for possessing the truth.
Now, this tiny storefront and its strange objects inspired caution rather than contempt. Within this small space lay unimaginable grandeur and mystery.
There was no need for their father's reminders to be polite.
Everyone smiled, nodded, and agreed.
Who would dare make trouble?
Everyone would die someday. If they angered him and eventually descended into the Underworld, there would be no law there to protect them. Wouldn't it be easy for the Gu Family to deal with them there?
A little while later,
"Haha, you truly are wise, Mr. Gu."
"Mr. Gu, we hope you'll look after us in the future."
"Mr. Gu, we're entrusting our father to you!"
"Mr. Gu, you truly are extraordinary. In the world to come, the Gu Family will surely shine even brighter!"
At the shop entrance,
These smartly dressed people, clearly no ordinary individuals, kept showering Gu Zhe with flattery.
Ming Xuan was rather bewildered and had remained at a loss the entire time. Compared with her initial appearance, she now looked a little adorably dazed.
The greasy-looking Old Zhang next door was baffled, too.
Were rich people nowadays always this flattering when they spoke?
Liu Zhaodi was a little stunned. Brother Gu hadn't been joking when he said he was starting a business?