Chapter 425: Can’t Change What I Was Born With
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Jiang Junlin took a sip of tea to moisten his mouth, while Zhang Qiang, standing nearby, pondered quietly. Our master’s entire wardrobe is designed by Ji Chi, and each season brings new designs for him to choose from.
“We started our brand later than Dragon Phoenix Tower, but our men’s clothing is exceptionally well-received. Many ladies come to our store to buy clothes and accessories for their husbands and boyfriends. Would it be my honor to design an outfit for you?” Lin Anna had a creative mind. If Jiang Junlin agreed, they could go through the process of measuring, designing, selecting fabric, and tailoring. It would be a great way to build rapport.
She noticed that Jiang Junlin was quite talkative and had a pleasant demeanor, so he probably didn’t dislike her.
Zhang Qiang thought to himself, “My goodness, if the master agrees, Ji Chi will definitely be jealous of you!”
Jiang Junlin politely declined, “Miss Lin, my clothes are all custom-made by a specialist, so there’s no need to trouble you. 1 appreciate your kind offer.”
Lin Anna was a smart girl and immediately understood that Jiang Junlin had declined her.
She was about to try again when Gu Ci arrived, surprised by the lively scene in the house.
“Cici, have you eaten?” Jiang Junlin greeted her.
“Yes, I have. I need to talk to my brother about something urgent.”
“Come to my study.” Jiang Junlin invited her in a friendly manner. After exchanging pleasantries with everyone, they all headed upstairs, with Zhang Qiang remaining on alert.
Lin Anna watched Gu Ci with curiosity, she was such a beautiful woman that anyone would be captivated by her.
In the study, Jiang Junlin frowned when Gu Ci mentioned Tang Mingzhou’s disappearance.
“I just got off the plane, and I haven’t had a chance to tell you yet, but Tang Mingzhou has gone missing.”
“Missing?” Gu Ci nodded, concerned.
“He’s been living on Paradise Island for the past few years, enjoying a carefree life. I purposely chose that vacation island because it doesn’t have many tourists, and information is tightly controlled. The guards thought Tang Mingzhou posed no threat, so they became lax for one night, and he disappeared. I’ve sent Norris and a small team to search Paradise Island.”
“Do you think he might have escaped?”
“The island’s economy is under our control. As soon as we received the news, we halted all transportation routes, by sea and air. It’s an island, and he can’t just sprout wings.” Jiang Junlin asked, “Why is Lu Zhiyuan asking about Tang Mingzhou?”
“Ziyu didn’t dare to dig too deep, and I didn’t press further. It seemed like he mentioned it casually. I suspect he might be intentionally leaking information to me. While we were searching for Tang Mingzhou, he followed the trail and took Tang Mingzhou away.”
“This situation is a bit tricky,” Jiang Junlin remarked. “We had dealings with Tang Mingzhou and even signed a waiver agreement. He kept this agreement somewhere, and if anything happens to him, it could be exposed, leading to public scrutiny and scandal. There have been precedents for such incidents, but they’ve never been made public. If we obtain immunity and something happens to him afterward, people might wrongly believe we were involved, which would have a very negative impact.”
“Do you think Tang Mingzhou’s disappearance is related to Lu Zhiyuan?” Gu Ci inquired.
Jiang Junlin leaned back and shook his head slightly. “The information Tang Mingzhou exchanged back then was all related to the cases, and he never provided any information about Black Hawk. Before Lu Zhiyuan, he was the master of Black Hawk for eight years. Despite being marginalized by the nine major families of Black Hawk, the fact that he held the position for eight years without being ousted shows his competence and independent power. 1 suspect he wants to seek revenge on Lu Zhiyuan.”
Gu Ci had been involved in all of Black Hawk and the Triad’s dark web projects, so she had some understanding of Black Hawk. “Brother, Lu Zhiyuan has consolidated Black Hawk’s power, and now Black Hawk obeys his orders alone. It’s not the same as a few years ago when he was marginalized. Why is he relentlessly pursuing Tang Mingzhou? Ever since news of Tang Mingzhou’s disappearance surfaced, he has been actively investigating. What threat does Tang Mingzhou pose to him?”
Jiang Junlin contemplated the situation. Black Hawk’s internal dynamics were far more complex than the Triad’s, and Lu Zhiyuan’s ability to clear obstacles and consolidate power was indeed impressive. Tang Mingzhou’s life or death probably wouldn’t affect him significantly.
“Why is he searching for Tang Mingzhou?” Gu Ci asked.
“Does Tang Mingzhou have something incriminating against him?”
“The internal workings of Black Hawk are complicated, and we don’t know the full story. It’s also strange why Tang Mingzhou would cultivate Lu Zhiyuan. When he was grooming Lu Zhiyuan, Lu hadn’t even finished primary school,” Jiang Junlin said. “Alternatively, Black Hawk may have some secret that only Tang Mingzhou knows. He was a naturally suspicious person, so even if he was grooming Lu Zhiyuan, he would have had a backup plan.”
“It’s hard to say,” Gu Ci agreed. “Should I go to Paradise Island?”
“No need, Norris is there,” Jiang Junlin replied. “If you go, it might reveal Tang Mingzhou’s location.”
“Alright,” Gu Ci nodded. “I understand.”
Zhang Qiang knocked on the door. “Master, Miss Gu Ci, the Lin family is about to leave.”
“I understand!” Jiang Junlin raised his voice, and Gu Ci followed him downstairs to see off the Lin family. Lin Anna hadn’t had a chance to speak with Jiang Junlin alone, but fortunately, she had added his WeChat.
Although Jiang Junlin had politely declined, Lin Anna wanted to give it a try.
After seeing off the Lin family, Jiang Junlin reluctantly spoke, “Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom, how many blind dates is this already? Please don’t arrange them for me anymore. 1 have no intention of getting married, and it’s disrespectful to the women on the other side.”
“You’re already thirty-three. If you don’t want to get married, you can at least date. Over time, you might change your mind about marriage,” Grandma suggested.
Jiang Junlin took a deep breath. He was actually quite annoyed by his family’s constant matchmaking arrangements. While he didn’t like it, he could understand their concerns. His grandparents were eager to have great-grandchildren, but he had to spend time dealing with these matters.
“Junlin, you should start thinking about your lifelong commitment. Your dad was already in elementary school at your age,” his mother added.
“Auntie Gui, it’s time to finish up in the kitchen,” Jiang Junlin said.
Auntie Gui, who had been tidying up nearby, hesitated but then led the household staff out of the room, leaving only the Jiang family members. Zhang Qiang also discreetly stepped out, and Gu Ci was torn between speaking or not. “Brother…”
“This is something that needs to be discussed sooner or later,” Jiang Junlin said, looking at Gu Ci.
Gu Ci hurriedly went to her grandmother’s side, taking her arm gently. “Grandma, take a deep breath. Whatever you hear, don’t get angry, okay?” “What… What’s going on?” Jiang Minghua had a bad feeling about this.
“Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom… I’ve never married or dated women because I’m attracted to men,” Jiang Junlin dropped the bombshell without any emotion, leaving everyone stunned.
Grandma nearly fainted, her vision darkening, and she struggled to catch her breath. The others were equally shocked and left speechless.
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Gu Ci couldn’t help but think, “Brother, you’re quite brave!”
She knew that the Jiang family would find it extremely difficult to accept this revelation.
“Take back what you just said. 1’11 consider it a joke!” Jiang Minghua was the first to regain his composure, his voice noticeably colder. Lin Chunli’s eyes welled up with tears, and she turned away to discreetly wipe them.
Gu Ci helped her grandmother to sit down, continuously trying to comfort her and pouring her some tea. She glanced at her grandfather, who seemed to be handling the shock better, showing no signs of discomfort.
“Dad, I’m not joking,” Jiang Junlin said calmly. “It’s something innate, and 1 can’t change it..”
