CHAPTER 53: CHAPTER 52: A GENTLE KNIFE

Usually easy to please, Su Ziceng was incredibly picky this time, which really surprised the sales clerk. When she finally chose a model and named it, the sales clerk showed a troubled expression, "Miss Su, I’m sorry, this model is so popular that it’s sold out."

Su Ziceng’s face immediately fell, but having experience as a sales clerk at "Admiration," she knew the hardships of the job. She forcefully held back a string of scoldings and barely managed to say: "Sold out?"

The sales clerk hesitated and then said, "This is a limited edition model. The store only received five sets. A few days ago, Young Master Hang and Young Master Fei each brought their girlfriends here and chose this model, and Miss Chang and her daughter also ordered one each when they came shopping for clothes a few days ago. The piece in your hand has also been..."

Before the sales clerk could finish saying who had reserved the last set, the poor door of the specialty store was violently slammed. Su Ziceng stormed out furiously, and upon seeing a banana-yellow Ferrari similar to Hang Yishao’s car parked by the roadside, she couldn’t help but give it a kick. The car alarm blared repeatedly on the bustling streets of Zone 3.

By the time she reached the Wine Shop, in one breath, Su Ziceng ordered several bottles of domestic vintage brands and a few bottles of twenty-year-old Bordeaux, which she carried in her hands. Feeling the weight, she was wondering what to do when the wine shop owner, seeing that Su Ziceng was quite generous, hurriedly fawned over her and arranged for someone to take her and the wine there.

Thus, Su Ziceng ended up hitching a ride, sitting in a delivery pickup for the second time in her life. Her mind was still preoccupied with earlier events, initially only bothered by Hang Yishao’s shady dealings. The clinking of the wine bottles in the car turned into droplets of thoughts, as Su Ziceng reflected, feeling something off about what the sales clerk had earlier said.

The delivery driver, a veteran employee of the Wine Shop, had been instructed by the boss to cozy up to this generous customer in hopes of securing more future orders.

"Miss, I see you’re quite young, but you can really hold your liquor," the driver remarked and seeing Su Ziceng frowning without a clear expression of pleasure or anger said, "These days, young people are really incredible. Just a while ago, Miss Su from the Su Family also had our boss buy a large batch of wines."

The driver became more enthusiastic as he spoke, sensing that Su Ziceng was captivated by his topic. As he pressed on the gas pedal, he raved about his boss’s supply channels, leading in the entire country of Z, even some politicians in Bianjing City would ask him to purchase wine.

Su Ziceng wasn’t particularly interested in this, but she latched onto one topic: "Which Miss Su from the Su Family?"

"Which Su Family could it be?" The vehicle happened to pass by a skyscraper under construction, only about thirteen floors completed, with another seventeen to go, "It’s the Su Group that’s building Mo City’s tallest building." Thirty-story buildings, rather common after seventeen years in Mo City and Z country, were very rare in Mo City and Z country at the end of the 20th century.

"Is this building constructed by the Su Group?" Su Ziceng looked through the car window, watching cranes operating and construction workers moving rebar and cement. She was unaware of the Su Group’s operations and real estate projects at thirty-five, let alone at her then age of eighteen. She was like a spoiled rich kid lying on a mountain of gold, only seeing the peak, completely oblivious to whether she was stepping on gold bricks or gold sand.

"They started the construction over two months ago, and look, it has over a dozen floors now. By the end of the year, it’s estimated to top out. The groundbreaking ceremony was quite a spectacle, with dragon and lion dancing, even the city’s party secretary and popular singers were invited. Miss Su of the Su Family bought a lot of famous cigarettes and wines back then," the driver spoke animatedly, and Su Ziceng felt emotions surging.

"There’s only one Miss Su in the Su Family, her name is Su Ziceng, that’s me," she thought furiously, itching to grab this blabbermouthed commoner driver and scream at him. It felt as if something suddenly tightened around her neck, and without even looking down, Su Ziceng knew it was the effect of the Red Love pendant once again.

"What kind of wines are these?" The driver listened to Su Ziceng’s voice, which seemed to be coming from her nose.

"All good wines, XO that costs two to three thousand per bottle, Bordeaux wines, even dozens of vintage brands that are only available at state banquets," the driver said, seeing that Su Ziceng was hooked, began to tout even more enthusiastically. He pressed down on the accelerator happily, unconsciously running through three or five red lights.

"That must have cost quite a bit of money," Su Ziceng felt more relaxed around her neck and also came to a realization in her mind, the place she previously felt was off: "Miss Chang and her daughter have always been meticulous and cautious, never daring to engage in any standout behavior under Su Qingzhang’s watch. Only during holidays and various occasions would they buy some clothes and jewelry to make her extravagance even more evident, which is also what Su Qingzhang has repeatedly reprimanded her for. How could they think of going on a massive shopping spree at the Chanel store?"

"It was about one or one and a half million," the driver reported a conservative figure, as today Su Ziceng had spent over thirty thousand.

The delivery truck stopped in front of "Admiration", and there was a new face in the store, probably a sales assistant recently hired by Sister Mu. While Su Ziceng was instructing the driver to unload the wines, she entered and greeted.

Sister Mu was her usual self, showing a bit of joy in her eyes upon seeing Su Ziceng, but without much excitement.

Su Ziceng briefly explained her and Pello’s arrangement and got Pello’s pager number from Sister Mu, left him a voice message, and since there was still some time before the shop closed and "Admiration" had quite a few customers, seeing Sister Mu and the new sales assistant busy, Su Ziceng didn’t want to impose and decided to go out for a walk, planning to return in the evening.

Crossing a street, Su Ziceng re-entered the Sixth District, thinking of visiting her beloved car and the folks at the Sixth District Car Shop, remembering vividly the days spent living in that little attic over the past couple of months.

Seeing Su Ziceng, the team at the Sixth District Car Shop warmly greeted her. During Su Ziceng’s previous visits, she hadn’t been very close with everyone; seeming rather cold-hearted, yet everyone seemed genuinely concerned about her, which made her deeply grateful. Her Ferrari wasn’t displayed as conspicuously as usual in the shop, raising some doubts in Su Ziceng’s heart, but she chose not to ask outright.

After sitting for an hour, Boss Han mentioned that the shop was a bit messy and walked Su Ziceng out, seeing that it was nearly evening. Su Ziceng thought that "Admiration" would soon be closing, and Pello should also be coming by, so she casually walked out.

On the streets of the Sixth District, children riding worn-out bicycles dashed back and forth, with parents scolding from behind.

Boss Han, still in his greasy work clothes, was about to escort Su Ziceng to the entrance of the Sixth District when he suddenly pulled a stack of money from his left chest pocket - greasy yet neatly folded hundred-dollar bills, stuffing them all into Su Ziceng’s hands.

Su Ziceng hadn’t even had a chance to refuse when the sound of a sports car braking rang in her ears. She and Boss Han looked towards the street corner, only to see Fei Qing driving up with Yan Wuxu, parked outside the "Admiration" store.