"Xiao Cheng," Luo Zhi replied before she hung up, "If I get into trouble, Dad will break my legs."
There was silence on the other end of the phone, and no one answered.
"Since you are all in the company, I will go home first."
Luo Zhi spoke in a relaxed tone. He raised his hand and rang the bell hanging in front of the car: "Please keep an eye on it for me. I'll just grab a few changes of clothes and leave..."
Luo Cheng interrupted him on the other side of the phone: "...So it was you who really hurt the second brother?"
Luo Zhi paused for a moment.
He still held the phone in one hand, lowered his eyes, and did not answer immediately.
"My second brother was seriously injured, his head was wrapped in gauze, and he refused to tell me no matter how hard I tried." Luo Cheng's tone was even colder than before, "So it was you who did it."
"Why do you always have to do this?"
Luo Cheng asked: "Are you short of money again, or are you unhappy about something at home?"
Luo Zhi tilted her head back and leaned back in her seat.
He was silent for a while before he smiled: "No, little sister, it was Jian Huaiyi and I who had a conflict in private."
"We didn't reach an agreement on a few things, and I acted impulsively." Luo Zhi let go of Lingling, "Please ask Dad for me. Don't you want the script that was recently put up for bidding? I'll buy it and give it to you."
Luo Cheng was studying at an art school, and was in need of a good script for his group's final assignment.
Just two days ago, Luo Cheng was so worried that he couldn't sleep, and he posted on WeChat Moments late at night looking for people to help.
Luo Zhi didn't tell her that she had actually secretly asked someone to buy the script.
Although the original script was not a huge hit, it was of very high quality and was adapted by a well-known senior screenwriter, which almost emptied out the little money he had saved.
Luo Zhi bought the script and read it all night. She was so moved that she used up two whole bags of tissues.
After all, it’s our own film and television company, so we’re close to it. He planned to set up a relatively formal team and invite several professional teachers to provide guidance and shoot a web drama for Luo Cheng and her classmates.
Luo Zhi has been busy with this matter these days.
He planned to give Luo Cheng a surprise and kept the matter a secret. Few people in the entire company knew about it until now.
...Although now is not the right time in his plan, he can't seem to care about that anymore.
"Little sister." Luo Zhi said, "Actually——"
On the other end of the phone, Luo Cheng whispered, "You should let your dad break your legs."
…
The second half of the sentence was drowned out by the tinnitus.
It was a sound that Luo Zhi had never heard before, like the roar of a train or some huge vehicle, whistling and rumbling past, even the rails and the stuffy and sticky air trembled slightly.
Luo Zhi raised her hand, covered her ear, and switched the phone to the other side.
Luo Cheng was well-educated, well-behaved and gentle. Everyone who met her would praise her as a sensible and thoughtful girl. She had never gotten angry or yelled at anyone.
Even when he said this, his voice was low, soft, light and gentle.
But it also seemed to be filled with an indelible chill.
The kind of hateful and extremely resistant words that a little girl who had never seen the evil in human hearts and had been brought up under careful protection could express to the person she hated the most.
"Xiao Cheng." Luo Zhi heard her own voice, "Do you know what this sentence means?"
"I always thought that Dad was too strict with you, but I never thought you would do this... something so extreme to my second brother."
Luo Cheng whispered: "If this is the only way to make you reflect on yourself, stay quiet for a few days and not get into trouble, and not make your mother sad, I should also give you a decent punishment..."
Luo Zhi uttered "Oh" softly.
He subconsciously raised his hand and rubbed the scar at the corner of his lip with his fingertips.
Because there was no treatment at all, the area had become obviously red and swollen, and the slightest touch caused a burning pain.
Luo Zhi smiled apologetically: "No."
Luo Cheng was talking on the other end. Her voice was lower than usual and her tone was a little anxious, as if she didn't expect that she would blurt out such an impolite remark.
And these reasons that are constantly listed just happen to prove that Luo Zhi has a long history of bad deeds and numerous crimes.
Luo Zhi was not a good person and had made the whole family sad and upset, so being punished by her father according to family rules was actually very lenient.
After hearing Luo Zhi's answer, Luo Cheng's voice stopped without warning.
"No." Luo Zhi fastened her seat belt. "It hurts. I'm most afraid of pain."
Luo Cheng gritted his teeth: "Then you——"
Perhaps because her previous words were too rude, she restrained herself and didn't say anything more this time.
But it’s not difficult to guess what’s going on.
"Then when you injured my second brother, why didn't you think about how he would feel pain?"
"Then why do you never do your job, always get into trouble, and why do you have to make everyone uncomfortable?"
"Then why can't you just disappear far away? Why can't you stop bothering us? What else do you want..."
In fact, Luo Zhi heard every word of these.
He was already very familiar with these, so even though Luo Cheng only said two words this time, they still jumped out clearly from his memory spontaneously and consciously, and considerately completed the rest of the content.
Luo Cheng didn't continue talking, and Luo Zhi wasn't in a hurry to speak either.
The oppressive silence on the phone made the sound of the electricity become harsh and noisy, as if handfuls of moist sand were stuffed into the ears, pressing hard against the eardrums and rustling with the breathing.
Luo Zhi sighed softly and started the car: "What do you want to see me for?"
“…”
Luo Cheng paused before answering: "Dad wants you to come and discuss the division of responsibilities and powers in the company with my second brother..."
"Huaisheng Entertainment?" Luo Zhi said, "Little sister, this is my company."
Although it was also an asset of the Luo family, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy when it came into his hands. He was the one who went out and made his debut by participating in variety shows and found ways to build it up.
During the two years when his ears recovered best, Luo Zhi couldn't resist the urge to pick up the guitar which he hadn't touched for many years. He even became a popular singer for a while.
This is also an important piece of evidence of "not doing one's job properly" in the eyes of the Luo family.
Luo Zhi now thinks that it is not really the Luo family's prejudice - after all, his popularity is only criticized but not popular, and he has been chased by people who sent threatening letters and blackened him all the way. Although he managed to save an inconspicuous small entertainment company, his reputation has never been good.
The nominal chairman of this company is Luo Chengxiu, but in fact it has always been Luo Zhi who is in charge. The name "Huaisheng Entertainment" was also decided by him.
He never asked the Luo family to intervene or help, never touched the Luo family's money, and did not have Jian Huaiyi's shares or position.
...But now it looks like it's almost here.
Luo Zhi raised her hand and gently rang the bell that had long stopped ringing.
"Let me guess."
Luo Zhi said, "Little sister, you want to enter the entertainment industry. Mr. Luo's condition is that he will only feel at ease if you join his own company and Jian Huaiyi takes over?"
There was a sudden silence on the other end of the line.
The person on the other side seemed to have his secrets suddenly exposed. He didn't know how to respond and subconsciously held his breath.
After a long while, Luo Cheng finally asked him back: "How can you call him Mr. Luo? Luo Zhi, he is our father..."
"It seems that I guessed right." Luo Zhi smiled, "Okay, give it to him."
Luo Cheng was stunned on the other side of the phone.
She didn't believe Luo Zhi would say such a thing. After hesitating for a long time, she gritted her teeth and asked in a low voice, "What tricks are you going to play?"
"Nothing." Luo Zhi's tone was very gentle, "It's not something important. I'll give it to you if you want it."
He really had no interest in business, and he wanted to run the company successfully only because Luo Cheng had dreamed of becoming an actor since he was a child.
In a place like that where all kinds of people come together, if you don’t have someone to lean on, a clean and well-behaved girl is too conspicuous...
Luo Zhi leaned back and looked up at the bell.
He put the phone back to his left ear.
The hearing in that ear without a hearing aid is weaker than that of an average person, and now there is a faint tinnitus, so I can only vaguely hear some movements.
He listened to the girl's sweet and crisp voice.
As I was distracted, the voice became more childish and tender, like that of a little girl who had just learned to walk.
She refused to let him go out no matter what, sobbing and pulling at the corner of his clothes, stumbling step by step, hiding behind him like a little crybaby.
"Brother, you are not allowed to leave. I am scared!"
"Brother, you have to come as soon as I ring the bell. I'm going to count down to three."
"Someone is bullying me, help me beat him up, second brother..."
…
At some point, that voice lost its childishness, and along with it, the trust and dependence on him.
Later, even the title "Second Brother" became Jian Huaiyi's.
The bell was thrown in the storage room and was covered with a thick layer of rust and no longer rang.
Luo Cheng was preparing to go to college and found it when packing his luggage.
She no longer remembered where this thing came from, and was ready to ask someone to collect it along with other useless things and throw it away.
Luo Zhi picked up the bell, polished off the rust bit by bit, and hung it on the car.
Luo Zhi bent his index finger and tapped the microphone twice.
The vague sound beside my ear suddenly stopped.
"When you grow up, anyone can protect you."
Luo Zhi said gently: "Since you trust Jian Huaiyi more, leave it to him."
"Forget about it today." Luo Zhi said, "I'll go to the company tomorrow to hand it over to him."
Luo Cheng was silent for a few seconds, then called him in a low voice: "Luo Zhi..."
Luo Zhi took off the bell and put it in the storage box.
He didn't let the call last any longer. After saying this, he hung up.
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