Chapter 3 Shouldn't the brain be controlled by hanging?
Su Mu was in a daze, as if his soul had been ripped out, leaving only a numb shell mechanically functioning.
The hangover headache was still lingering, and a strange, hidden ache lingering somewhere in his body kept reminding him of what had happened the night before.
What kept flashing through his mind were Jiang Ran's luxurious yet cold room, the chaotic breathing and body temperature, his disheveled escape in the early morning, and... Jiang Ran's number and name that kept popping up on his phone screen, only to be ruthlessly blocked by him.
But life won't pause just because you're in chaos and breaking down.
He still had to force himself to be energetic and go see the client he had arranged to meet.
The air conditioning in the conference room was on full blast, and the cold air made people's skin feel tight.
The client was a middle-aged man with a large belly and a ruddy complexion. He was spitting as he spoke, his finger almost poking Su Mu's nose, and his voice was particularly shrill due to excitement.
"...Liars! You're all a bunch of liars! You made me all sorts of promises, saying it was a guaranteed profit with at least a 15% return! And now? Huh? How long has it been? I've already lost almost 30%! My money didn't grow on trees! I'm going to sue you! I'm going to sue you for investment banking fraud! I'm going to expose you to the media!"
Su Mu sat opposite him, with his hands on his knees.
The customer's angry shouts echoed, and he could hear every single word, but he couldn't form a meaningful sentence in his mind.
Seeing his distracted and unresponsive state, the client became even more furious, slamming his fist on the table: "Hey! Are you even listening to me?! Is this how you treat your clients? You have no respect at all! I'm going to complain about you! I'm going to complain about your entire project team!"
Su Mu uttered the official platitudes: "Sir, please calm down. Investment... is inherently risky. Market fluctuations are unpredictable, and no one can predict them with 100% certainty. You have also confirmed and signed the relevant risk warning clauses in the contract."
Saying this only made things worse.
The customer was so angry that he jumped up from his chair, pointing at Su Mu's nose: "Risk? Why didn't you mention the risks when I invested my money?! Now that I've lost money, you're using risks to brush me off? What's your name? Huh? Let me see your employee ID! Chen Mu? Or Su Mu? I'll remember you! I'll sue you first!"
Sappanwood.
Hearing his name called out so maliciously by a client made Su Mu feel dizzy again.
But then, another voice, like a ghost, suddenly and unexpectedly entered his chaotic mind. It was Jiang Ran's voice, with his unique, gentle yet somewhat languid tone. It wasn't calling "Su Mu," but rather in a more intimate way, tinged with teasing and helplessness...
"Xiaomu."
Jiang Ran used to call him that occasionally.
Not often, but perhaps when he did something silly or wrong, Jiang Ran would frown slightly and call him "Xiao Mu" in a tone that said, "I can't do anything with you."
It's over.
Everything is over.
Jiang Ran was not any ordinary friend or classmate he had met in Jiangzhou.
Jiang Ran was the person he cared about most in this bustling yet cold metropolis far from his hometown, Fenghuang Village.
It was that hidden light and warmth, buried deep in his heart, unspoken yet supporting him through many difficult times. It was the only touch of warmth in his bleak life.
But now, he has personally painted this color into a mess, making it unrecognizable.
He could almost picture Jiang Ran's expression when she woke up this morning to find her bed empty, with only a mess and traces of last night's absurdity.
Shock? Disgust? Confusion? Or do you feel offended or mocked?
However, on a side note, Jiang Ran's technique... is really not that great. It's clumsy and has a bit of an unyielding arrogance, which is quite unlike his usual personality.
But what suffocated him even more than the physical pain was the knowledge that, regardless of Jiang Ran's mood when she woke up, the friendship between them that had lasted for so many years had already... ended the moment he stepped into Jiang Ran's house last night, or rather, the moment he posted that screenshot of the plane ticket.
It's completely over.
In a way that was so wretched and chaotic that he had never anticipated.
His initial plan was indeed realized in a distorted way.
He was not happy at all.
He even felt like crying.
The client was still rambling on across the table, yelling about lawsuits, compensation, and ruining his reputation.
Su Mu felt increasingly hopeless and like a complete failure, utterly defeated in both love and career.
Under the shocked and astonished gaze of his clients, Su Mu suddenly raised his hands and forcefully covered his face. He lowered his head, his shoulders beginning to tremble uncontrollably.
client:"…………"
The torrent of angry curses came to an abrupt halt.
The middle-aged man stood there, looking at the young investment bank employee who had just been so businesslike, but now covered his face, his shoulders trembling, suppressing sobs.
He was stunned for a moment, his mouth agape.
What... what's going on? He hasn't even done anything to him yet, how come he's already broken down? Are people in finance these days so mentally unstable?
Customer: "...Why are you crying?"
He was somewhat at a loss, taken aback by Su Mu's sudden, silent yet all the more devastating grief.
Su Mu seemed to realize his lapse in composure when asked the question. He sniffed sharply, raised his hand, and roughly and forcefully wiped away the crisscrossing tear tracks on his face with the back of his hand. His movements were somewhat rough, and his eyes and the tip of his nose were red from wiping.
“I…I’ve lost…my best friend.” When he said the word “friend,” it was as if something was stuck in his throat.
Upon hearing this, the customer was first taken aback, then a ridiculous expression of "Are you kidding me?" appeared on his face. The anger that had been suppressed earlier resurfaced, and his voice rose slightly: "So what if you lose your friend? Huh? I lose my money! Hundreds of thousands, millions! That's real money! Can you compare?"
Su Mu said in a serious tone, "Can money buy friends? If money could really buy Jiang Ran... I would definitely... risk my life to earn money... to buy him back..."
The client was speechless for a long time after hearing his words. He looked Su Mu up and down. The young man's eyes were red-rimmed, his hair was a bit messy, and his suit was wrinkled, but that face...
She was indeed fair-skinned and pretty, with red lips and white teeth. She looked like a young cucumber who had just entered the workforce a few years ago and whose edges and innocence had not yet been completely worn away.
He clicked his tongue and commented with a mixed tone, "You're... quite temperamental."
Su Mu seemed to be provoked by these words and went all out: "Go ahead and complain if you want, whatever! I've lost my job... so what? I've lost him too, I... I have nothing left to lose!"
The customer was both annoyed and amused: "Those other people are all going through the motions for love, that's called being love-struck. But you, for a brother, you're crying and wailing here, even giving up your job... What is that? Brother-centric?"
Hearing the word "brother" made Su Mu even more upset: "It's a pity I did something to betray him. I insulted the word 'brother.' He was so good to me in college... so good... I'm just a... villain... a complete villain..."
As he spoke, tears welled up uncontrollably again.
The client, a middle-aged man who had been navigating the business world for many years and was accustomed to the coldness of human relationships and the calculation of interests, found that, for some reason, the anger and resentment he had felt due to the losses slowly dissipated when he saw the man in front of him breaking down and crying over a brotherhood.
Instead, he felt a long-lost sense of melancholy and emotion, which even he himself might not have noticed.
Perhaps it was a reminder of his own youth, when he had one or two brothers who were loyal to him and willing to go to great lengths for each other, but later, for various reasons, they gradually drifted apart at the crossroads of life.
Continuing to argue with a little cucumber who is already emotionally broken and clearly unable to communicate normally is not only a waste of time, but also makes you seem petty.
Thinking of the losses in his account, he was angry, but reason told him that he couldn't entirely blame the junior employee in front of him; no one could predict market risks.
"Forget it, forget it, really, you can go back now. I'm too lazy to get angry about this today."
Of course he knew that Su Mu was someone his boss had pushed onto him so he could vent his anger on.
After saying that, he stopped looking at Su Mu and began to tidy up the documents in front of him, giving the impression that the conversation was over and Su Mu could leave.
Su Mu stood there, stunned, tears still streaming down his face, seemingly still reeling from the sudden pardon.
Several seconds later, he mechanically and unsteadily bowed to the client, then turned and floated out of the conference room like a wandering ghost.
The customer sighed, but the sigh didn't end there.
Su Mu's fingers rested on the cold doorknob, and then, like a schoolchild who had forgotten something, he silently drifted back.
The customer was about to get up and leave when he saw him return. His brows furrowed again, and his eyes seemed to say, "Is this ever going to end?"
Su Mu didn't dare to look at him. She just kept her head down, took out a pen from the inside pocket of her suit, and then grabbed a notepad from the corner of the table.
"Mr. Huo, this is the new mobile phone number of our project team leader. It's the same number for WeChat. If you have any further questions or would like to file a complaint, please feel free to contact him anytime."
client:"…………"
After speaking, he bowed slightly to the customer before turning around and opening the door.
Stepping out of the client company's cold office building and standing on the bustling street, the wind relentlessly blew into Su Mu's thin suit, making him shiver.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, indicating a new text message.
Su Mu numbly took it out and swiped the screen.
The sender is an unfamiliar local number.
—Su Mu, where are you? Call me back, let's talk about what happened last night in person.
It's Jiang Ran.
Don't mention last night.
Su Mu almost wanted to cover his head and wail on the spot, and find a crack in the ground to crawl into. He gripped his phone, stared at that line of text for a long time, and quickly locked the screen.
Just then, my phone vibrated a few more times. This time it was a WeChat message from Shouhou.
Skinny Monkey is always well-informed; it seems he knew he was in Jiangzhou on business. Messages kept popping up:
—Wood! I heard you came to Jiangzhou? That's really not nice of you, you didn't even tell me beforehand!
—Shall we meet? At the usual place?
—Are you busy? Reply when you see this!
Su Mu looked at the familiar profile picture and the carefree tone on the screen. He sniffed and replied: Yes, I was on a business trip and just finished.
Skinny Monkey replied almost instantly: Send me your location! I'm coming to find you! We have to meet!
Half an hour later, the two met at a chain coffee shop they used to frequent.
Skinny Monkey was still the same as before, only now he was dressed much more formally, his hair was styled more neatly, and he still had that same clever look in his eyes and brows.
The moment he saw Su Mu, he scanned his face and said in an exaggerated tone, "Damn, Mu Mu, did you...see a ghost last night? Or did a vampire drain your life force? Look at your face, look so absent-minded!"
Su Mu ordered the most bitter Americano: "...about the same."
Skinny Monkey leaned closer, stared at his neck suspiciously for a few moments, then thought for a moment: "You really met Young Master Jiang? How was it? Did you become even more handsome? He even messaged me this morning, asking if I had contacted you, he seemed quite anxious."
Upon hearing the words "Young Master Jiang," Su Mu felt a sharp, tingling pain in a certain private area instantly become more pronounced, almost as if by reflex.
He subconsciously shifted his posture, his expression becoming even more indescribable. In the end, he simply mumbled an "Mmm" and lowered his head.
The skinny monkey, oblivious to his unease, continued to sigh to himself, his tone filled with undisguised envy: "Sigh, it's true what they say, comparisons are the thief of joy. Take Jiang Ran, for example. Good family background, handsome looks, smart brains, everything's gone smoothly since childhood, and now he's going straight back to inherit the family business... It's unbelievable, it's like God is feeding him! What's even more infuriating is that his personality doesn't seem to have any major flaws either. He's not even human, he's practically a perfect template!"
The two chatted about other things, mainly their respective jobs, industry gossip, and the amusing story of Fatty Knife running a taekwondo gym in his hometown.
The skinny monkey tried to get Su Mu to stay for one night.
"Hey, Wood, aren't you not going back from your business trip until tomorrow? Why don't you stay another night? Come to my place! My rented apartment is small, but it's pretty clean. We haven't had a long talk in ages. Let's have some alone time. I'll treat you to hot pot."
"No, I've changed my flight. I'll be going back to City B tonight."
Seeing that Su Mu was determined to leave, Skinny Monkey said with a hint of regret and a friendly reminder: "Alright, alright, this trip was like a battle for you. Next time, next time we must have a proper get-together, and invite Fatty Knife too! Take care, Wood, don't push yourself too hard when you get back, look at your face... sigh."
After parting ways with Skinny Monkey, Su Mu dragged his suitcase to the airport alone.
The waiting hall was brightly lit and bustling with people. Flight information was constantly being broadcast over the loudspeaker. Su Mu found a secluded corner to sit down.
My phone vibrated; it was a call from my boss.
He answered the phone, and before the other party could speak, he heard his boss's voice, clearly displeased and questioning: "Su Mu, what's going on? How did President Huo get my new phone number? And he called me directly! His tone was very aggressive! Didn't I tell you to handle and appease him? How exactly did you communicate with him?"
Su Mu remained silent.
On what grounds?
Why should he bear all the anger and humiliation while this leader, who only knows how to give orders and shift the blame when things go wrong, can stay out of it and now even question him?
As the other party's tone grew increasingly impatient and they prepared to press for more information, Su Mu decisively hung up the phone.
He needs to make a clean break.
Not just about work, but also about... Jiang Ran.
So this is what it's like to experience heartbreak in a one-sided relationship.
He reopened his phone, shifted his position, and started typing.
—I will forget that night.
—Let's not contact each other anymore.
send.
Su Mu stared at the two lines of text on the screen, his eyes starting to well up again. In his heart, he spoke to himself in an almost ritualistic tone, full of the pain of youth literature.
Goodbye, Jiang Ran.
Goodbye, my hopeless unrequited love that ended before it even began.
Goodbye, my lost youth, and my humble and laughable love.
But my butt really hurts a bit. Could Jiang Ran also be a virgin? Su Mu really doubted it.
At that moment, Jiang Ran was holding her phone, her brows furrowed, staring at the two lines of reply Su Mu had sent on the screen. She regretted it; she shouldn't have used that method to control her brain.
Su Mu seemed unable to accept it.
A note from the author:
In the pain of youth, I, a young man, pay tribute to my lost love.
Young Master Jiang: After holding back for so many years, I thought I could finally do it! [helpless][helpless]
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