"Go to hell!"
Enough is enough. Gu Zhong turned around and delivered a spinning kick, striking the handsome, seemingly respectable young master Yang squarely in the face. The kick sent the young master, who was still pretending to be dashing, gentle, and devoted, flying three meters away, landing face-first in a ridiculous manner.
Lingyan couldn't help but give Gu Zhong a perfect score in her mind for his beautiful fighting moves, and even gave him a round of applause.
Several "click" sounds rang out not far away, followed by a flash of light.
If nothing unexpected happens, the news of Gu Zhong angrily kicking her ex-fiancé, along with Yang Ruo's disheveled appearance, will appear in the gossip tabloids on the streets of Hong Kong Island tomorrow.
Seizing every opportunity to film the gossip and embarrassing moments of the wealthy and famous is the rule of Hong Kong's newspaper industry. As long as they think it's going to generate traffic, no matter how much money you offer, it won't be taken down.
"Young Master Yang, a brain is a good thing. Why don't you go find another one?"
Despite feigning genuine concern, Ling Yan's words were laced with sarcasm.
Yang Ruo also noticed that someone was taking pictures of him secretly, and knew how pathetic he looked today. She knew that if she continued to argue, she would definitely not get away with it.
He glared at the two men, then slunk up, got into a red Ferrari parked nearby, and sped away.
Before leaving, he deliberately rushed towards the two of them, leaving them covered in exhaust fumes—a childish act of revenge.
"Thanks."
The subtle feelings that develop between strangers can also come out of nowhere. Perhaps this experience can be considered a battle fought side by side. Gu Zhong finally turned around and took a serious look at the mature woman in front of him who was radiating goodwill.
"You're welcome."
Receiving a kind response, Lingyan returned the gesture with a slight smile.
What were you trying to say?
After a moment of silence, Gu Zhong suddenly asked, and Ling Yan then remembered that she had a sentence left unsaid that had been interrupted by the scumbag.
"I wanted to ask Miss Gu if she needs any help?"
Lingyan poured all her heart and soul into expressing her utmost goodwill, fearing that Gu Zhong would see her as someone with ill intentions.
"Thank you, but I think it's unnecessary."
However, unsurprisingly, a wall of suspicion rose again in Gu Zhong's eyes, which had softened slightly in their intimacy.
Indeed, it seems illogical for a complete stranger to suddenly offer to help someone who has just been burdened with billions in debt.
Even the richest and most benevolent philanthropist in the world might not have the courage to offer such assistance.
Moreover, this person had just come out of court and is very likely one of the creditors.
They either come with ill intentions or have ulterior motives.
Gu Zhong didn't think that she, who was penniless and destitute, had anything worth the woman's scheming. She could only suspect that the woman's motives were not pure.
"Don't overthink it. It's just that Miss Gu is pleasing to my eye. Here's my business card. If you need anything in the future, feel free to call me anytime."
Seeing the wariness and hostility in Gu Zhong's eyes, Ling Yan sighed softly, struggled to explain again, but stopped short, and then handed over a pure white business card, leaving the choice of trust to Gu Zhong.
Okay, thank you.
After hesitating for a moment, Gu Zhong finally extended his pale, nimble fingers to take the business card and glanced at it.
"Yanjing Maolin Real Estate, Lingyan? You're from the inland?"
For the first time, a look of surprise appeared on her face.
"Yes, that's right."
“You speak Cantonese very well; I can hardly tell you’re from out of town.”
Gu Zhong sincerely praised it.
"I was taught by a teacher from here when I was a child."
"You seem to have known you would come here?"
Gu Zhong said something jokingly, which made Ling Yan's heart skip a beat.
—Because I will definitely come to find you.
How can I ensure her life goes smoothly if I don't take care of her?
"Perhaps it's fate, or something in the dark."
After a moment of surprise, Ling Yan laughed and joked back.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Ling."
——
After pretending to say goodbye to Gu Zhong, Ling Yan did not go far.
She found a coffee shop with a view of Gu Zhong and the courthouse, and sat down at a window seat on the second floor. She watched through the small but bright glass window, waiting quietly with Gu Zhong.
Gu Zhong stood there, seemingly tireless.
From midday until sunset, as the sun dipped low and the city lights began to twinkle, the last group of creditors who participated in the auction walked out of the courthouse.
There is no need to mourn the past anymore; the end of the auction means that the Gu family's assets have been completely divided up.
If things go well, her debts may be significantly reduced due to the auction premium, but the era of taking care of her family will come to a complete end.
The businesses that once brought glory to the Gu family, or dragged it to its demise, will soon be stripped of the Gu family name and replaced with other well-known or unknown names.
If the person who buys them is wealthy and powerful, they might renovate them and make personnel changes so that they are completely unrecognizable from their former state.
The Gu family's legacy may ultimately not even be preserved in its rich history, leaving only a brief and vague record.
In the tides of time, there are countless stories like this; history never remembers the losers.
Gu Zhong took something out of his pocket, looked at it, then turned around, walked to the side of the street, and hailed a taxi.
"Follow her."
Lingyan took out her pager, edited a text message, and sent it out.
Soon, a black sedan unknowingly followed the red taxi that had just started moving.
After finishing the last sip of black coffee in her cup, Lingyan took out her wallet, counted out enough money to pay for the tea, placed it on the table, and got up to leave the small coffee shop.
She strolled along the narrow streets, which were not as wide as those on the mainland, carefully observing Hong Kong Island, which was at its most prosperous at the end of the century.
As night falls, office workers and students who are finally able to rest pour out of the reinforced concrete boxes that house them.
Groups of teenagers with trendy hairstyles, wearing jackets, hoodies, and wide-leg pants, walked by, playfully teasing each other. They looked fresh and neat, full of boundless energy, and were the epitome of youth.
The girls, hand in hand, chatted softly. Their pure floral dresses were the latest trend, and standing on the street, they resembled flowers of all colors, each with its own unique charm, blooming beautifully in the prime of their lives.
They might chat about celebrity gossip in tabloids, discuss recent dramas and movies, or go to the nearest record store together to pick out a new album by their favorite singer.
Along the street, dazzling lights were turned on, flashing colorful lights, and noisy sounds traveled from one end of the street to the other.
The city's vitality seems to be awakened only at night, filled with a lively atmosphere, ready for a night of revelry.
At the end of the century, Hong Kong Island led all the trends of the era, from food, clothing, housing, and transportation to culture and entertainment. It was flourishing and developing vigorously, eventually becoming a mark and memory of an era.
Perhaps only cities can faithfully and diligently record the traces of time, and then carefully seal them on brick walls and tiles.
—She went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The pager in her pocket vibrated twice, and Lingyan took it out to see this concise and clear message.
She immediately stopped her wandering, whether she was admiring or just looking around, and hurried toward the white car she hadn't been able to get a ride in that afternoon, heading toward the location indicated by the message on her pager.
The Metropolitan Nightclub is located in one of the most luxurious commercial districts in Hong Kong, and being able to enter this place is a symbol of wealth and status.
Many ostentatious and showy scions of ordinary wealthy families are proud of being able to attend a show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Bay Area where it is located is the epitome of the glitz and glamour of the upper class these days, where the most expensive restaurants, the most expensive clothes, the most expensive wines, and the most popular celebrities all gather.
To put it bluntly, this place is specially prepared for the wealthy and noble people who are keen on enjoying themselves and consider themselves noble, so as to distinguish them from the so-called common people, to show off their superior power and wealth, and to satisfy their arrogance.
Even when the Gu family was not bankrupt, Gu Zhong never liked to come to places like this, even though she was of high status.
Given that she would likely be turned away, her arrival must indicate that something extremely important has come of it.
Lingyan got out of the white sedan and handed the car keys and a tip to the doorman who was waiting nearby, asking him to park the car.
The waiter in the black tuxedo began to scrutinize the car as soon as it appeared, noting its brand and price, and then he began to examine Ling Yan's clothing and jewelry.
Everyone working in reception here has a sharp eye, able to instantly judge a person's status and position, thus accurately keeping ordinary reporters and paparazzi out of the door—aspects that the powerful and wealthy do not want to see.
"Hello, miss."
After observing her, he politely and warmly bowed to Lingyan, inviting her inside. Clearly, he judged that this woman was qualified to enter.
With a slight nod, Ling Yan maintained her haughty and indifferent expression, exuding an aura that commanded respect, and stepped into the nightclub.
——
When Gu Zhong received Yan Yu's invitation, he was prepared to decline.
After all, once the Gu family went bankrupt, even close friends from the past were no longer in the same social class, and their interactions might actually bring unnecessary trouble.
However, the next message Yan Yu sent piqued Gu Zhong's interest—she said she had a way to introduce Gu Zhong to accumulate capital for a comeback.
Gu Zhong has no assets now, only a little pocket money that Gu Chao keeps giving her.
This amount of money might be considered a huge sum by ordinary wage earners, but it's just a drop in the ocean when it comes to paying off their enormous debts. It won't do anything to help them pay off their huge debts.
But this is all the capital Gu Zhong has left, which is still better than starting from scratch.
If you can find a good investment opportunity through the help of a friend, it's not impossible to make a comeback.
Holding onto this faint hope, Gu Zhong accepted today's invitation.
Gu Zhong felt a little uneasy when he arrived at the metropolis.
Because the news of the Gu family's bankruptcy had caused a great stir in the city, she thought that she would have to go through some twists and turns to get in. Unexpectedly, it went incredibly smoothly. It seems that Yan Yu had already made arrangements with the gatekeeper in advance.
However, everyone she encountered along the way looked at her with either pity or schadenfreude, which was truly unpleasant.
It's as if we're witnessing former high-ranking individuals fall from grace and, even if it doesn't bring them any benefit or progress in their ordinary lives, we can still derive some inexplicable satisfaction from it, using it to amuse ourselves during our leisure time.
Following the waiter's directions, Gu Zhong walked through the dimly lit corridor to the noisy dance floor booths, squinting his eyes somewhat uncomfortably.
The hall was decorated with gold and silver as the main colors, reflecting the current upper class's particular stubbornness and obsession with the opulent style.
It seems that without doing so, there is no way to highlight one's status and position.
Huge light spheres, some gold, some silver, and some multicolored, hung from the top of the stage, radiating dazzling light and illuminating the entire venue.