Chapter 40: Jin Baolai

Lin Xiao was certain that the moment Jin Baolai first laid eyes on him, there had been a flash of astonishment and a trace of disgust in his gaze.

He recognized him!

Once this was established, the question shifted:

Did he recognize him, or the original owner of this body?

Lin Xiao did not know, but he could deduce that Jin Baolai was not actually familiar with him.

That was why, upon seeing him, Jin Baolai had beaten around the bush and looked him up and down—solemnly trying to confirm that he hadn't mistaken his identity.

His earlier remarks further proved that he was cautiously probing for his background, which showed he did not truly understand him.

At this moment, Xu Tao chimed in from the side, "This is my good friend, Lin Xiao. He often..."

Lin Xiao cut him off, "I just run a little shop."

"Running your own shop is great!" Jin Baolai said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I started from scratch myself back then. But the economy is poor now, and the market conditions..."

He shook his head pointedly.

"Without some connections, you won't get far. You break your back all day and barely make any money.

How about selling your little shop to me and coming to work at my company? For the sake of my nephew Xu here, I can give you a managerial position."

Xu Tao's expression darkened.

He hadn't expected Jin Baolai to be so utterly rude!

The subtext of his words was: What's the point of running your pathetic little shop?

You might as well close down early and come be a dog for me. Whatever scraps I toss your way will be better than what you make running that shop.

Saying this not only showed a complete lack of regard for Lin Xiao, but also gave zero face to Xu Tao himself.

Yet, Lin Xiao extracted far more information from Jin Baolai's words.

There might have been contempt in his attitude, but Lin Xiao sensed that Jin Baolai genuinely wanted to exert control over him.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have made a point of saying, "Sell your little shop to me and come to my company."

Though seemingly casual, this betrayed his subconscious intent.

Combined with the fact that he clearly recognized him yet pretended not to, Lin Xiao—though unaware of his true motives—was certain that Jin Baolai's purpose could not bear the light of day.

Beyond that, Jin Baolai's earlier remarks felt deliberately designed to provoke a conflict.

It seemed as though he had been trying to anger Xu Tao from the very first word they exchanged.

Xu Tao, however, lacked Lin Xiao's depth of thought. Irritated, he took a step forward, ready to teach this nouveau riche upstart a lesson so he would stop walking around with his nose in the air just because he'd made a few stinking bucks.

Seeing this, Lin Xiao hurriedly grabbed Xu Tao's arm and whispered, "Is your brain hooked up to a toilet? The moment someone flushes, you just charge in brainlessly?"

Xu Tao: "..."

Wait, wasn't I trying to vent your frustration? Whose side are you on anyway?

Observing Xu Tao's reaction, Lin Xiao let out a sigh.

Xu Tao was indeed a loyal friend, but perhaps his upbringing had been far too smooth sailing.

His brain was like a person unable to go into battle in place of their father—because it simply wasn't there!

Lowering his voice, Lin Xiao said, "Did you not notice the four bodyguards following Jin Baolai?"

"So what? As long as I'm fast enough to slap that fatty across the face and run immediately, do those bodyguards dare to throw hands in Mr. Lu's residence? Housekeeper Li would teach them how to behave!" Xu Tao said triumphantly.

Lin Xiao: (一`´一;)

What kind of childish, playing-house logic was this?

Lin Xiao sighed. "Have you ever considered that he might be deliberately trying to provoke you into making a move?"

"No way? What would he stand to gain from that?"

"If he suffers a grievance right here in Mr. Lu's house, it would make it much easier for him to push some unreasonable demands onto Mr. Lu afterward."

"Holy shit! Is this fatty really that scheming?"

Hesitating for a moment, Xu Tao suppressed the anger in his heart and quietly took half a step back.

This unexpected action startled Jin Baolai, a flash of puzzlement crossing his bean-sized eyes.

Regaining his smile, Jin Baolai looked at Lin Xiao again. "Young man, have you given it some thought?"

Lin Xiao flashed a perfectly measured smile. "Thank you for the kind offer, President Jin, but I feel that my personal image clashes with your company's temperament. We hardly seem compatible."

Jin Baolai: "..."

What did he mean by "temperament clashes"?

His plump hand involuntarily grazed his protruding beer belly, then flicked toward Lin Xiao's tall, upright posture and a face so arrestingly handsome it inspired jealousy.

This punk was implicitly calling him—and the company he ran—vulgar and tacky, implying that joining his firm would be disgraceful!

"You..." Jin Baolai's voice suddenly shot up an octave.

The layers of fat concealed beneath his custom-tailored jacket trembled slightly, and a familiar, stinging ache welled up from the depths of his heart.

Even though he could now afford to buy out an entire luxury street on a whim, the inferiority complex carved into his very bones still haunted him like a shadow.

He would never forget the first time he attended an upper-class banquet, when those socialites covered their mouths and looked at him with undisguised disdain, as if he were nothing more than a piece of...

Right then and there, he had sworn an oath that one day, he would make everyone look up to him.

Today, Lin Xiao's words had once again jabbed at the most sensitive part of his heart.

Instinctively, Jin Baolai wanted to fly into a rage, but catching sight of Housekeeper Li nearby, he forced himself to calm down, squeezing out a grim smile instead.

"It's good for a young man to have a spine. I just hope you stay this handsome and dashing forever, and never accidentally scar your face one day, turning out as vulgar and tacky as me."

With that, he stopped bickering with Lin Xiao and the others, and hurried forward toward Mr. Lu's study.

"Thud!"

"Thud!"

Sucking in his massive belly, he knocked gently twice, keeping a strict two-second interval between strikes, before not daring to knock again.

"Come in!"

Hearing the master's summons, Jin Baolai plastered a fawning smile across his face, pushed the door open, and stepped inside.

"Click."

The study door was gently pulled shut behind him.

"I'm terribly sorry, gentlemen. You'll just have to bear with me and wait a moment longer," Housekeeper Li stepped forward, apologizing in a polite tone.

Lin Xiao smiled faintly. "It's quite all right, we understand."

The old housekeeper nodded gratefully and was just about to invite the two of them to wait in the parlor when—

"Bang!"

A muffled crash echoed from inside the study, immediately followed by Mr. Lu's low roar, suppressed with fury.

Though the study possessed exceptional soundproofing, the voice pierced right through the thick oak door, growing clearer by the second.

"You actually have the nerve to make such a demand?!"

Followed by another deafening crash of a heavy object slamming against a desk.

Lin Xiao and Xu Tao exchanged bewildered glances.

Xu Tao muttered under his breath, "I've never seen Uncle Lu fly into such a rage..."

Before he could finish, the study door was violently shoved open.

Jin Baolai stumbled backward out of the room, his plump face slick with greasy sweat, his meticulously styled hair disheveled in strands.

A celadon brush washer flew out right behind him, shattering into pieces near his feet.

"Get out of my sight! Shameless wretch!" Lu Mingyuan's voice thundered like rolling lightning.

With an iron-clad expression and trembling lips, Jin Baolai looked as though he wanted to retort, but in the end, he merely glared viciously at Lin Xiao and Xu Tao before spinning on his heel and striding away.

His bodyguards scrambled in a flurry to keep pace, looking precisely like a pack of stray dogs chased from a home.

Not until the sound of car engines faded into the distance did Lin Xiao softly ask, "Didn't you say Mr. Lu was very low-key and had a wonderful temper?"