Chapter 12: Preparing to Start a Business
By the time Fei returned home from work, Jiang Xu finally lifted his head from a mountain of data. He glanced out the window at the sky and rubbed his aching temples; he had inadvertently worked until now. Back at his own company, his assistant would have reminded him to eat lunch. Now, the day was nearly dark, and he finally felt the pangs of hunger.
Jiang Xu stretched lazily, looked at the study door, and headed downstairs.
“You’re off work?” Jiang Xu asked when he saw Fei already busy in the kitchen preparing dinner.
“Is there anything specific you would like to eat tonight, Xiongzhu?” Fei asked without turning around as he washed vegetables.
Jiang Xu walked into the kitchen and looked at the groceries on the counter, some of which were still in their packaging. It seemed the other had stopped at a supermarket on his way home. He noted the stack of fresh meat containers, each clearly labeled.
There was no venison. Good.
Involuntarily, Jiang Xu recalled what happened after that previous night. He had been fine after only taking a bite or two, but the Cichong beside him had clearly had a difficult time that night. Jiang Xu had initially thought the constitution of humans and Zerg might differ, which was why the Xiongchong here enjoyed it. Now it seemed it likely served another purpose.
Seeing Jiang Xu staring at the meat in a daze, Fei also seemed to recall that night. His face flushed with embarrassment, and he remained silent.
“Ahem.” Jiang Xu cleared his throat and looked back at the meat. “Let’s have this tonight.” He reached out and tore open the packaging for the beef.
“Wait, please don’tā” Fei immediately stopped Jiang Xu’s movements. “Xiongzhu, you can just wait outside. I can handle this myself.”
Jiang Xu had no choice but to put the beef back on the counter. Just before leaving the kitchen, he turned to Fei and said, “If you need any help, you can call me.”
Fei was stunned. This was the first time Jiang Xu had explicitly told him he could seek his help. Come to think of it, in this short week, he seemed to have already grown accustomed to this mode of interaction with Jiang Xu. A silent smile quirked at the corners of his mouth, as if something wonderful had happened.
He took a clean plate from the cupboard to marinate the beef, but then he froze again. As if discovering a new continent, he looked through the kitchen toward Jiang Xu in the living room.
The other had washed the dishes this morning?
He was finding more and more differences between Jiang Xu and the rumors. Since their marriage, the other hadn’t done anything truly excessive to him. Compared to other Cichong, having been ignored for half a month or suffering minor superficial injuries was nothing. His Xiongzhu was countless times better than others.
Yet, he wondered if this was all just a superficial display. There seemed to be no reason for the other to act this way toward him. Had he been wrong all along? Fei questioned for the first time in his heart.
That night, Jiang Xu went to bed early. He was quite proactive when it came to his career. Over the next few days, Jiang Xu continued to purchase necessary items periodically. After days of organizing, he had analyzed the entire commercial landscape of the Zerg race.
Catering was a no-go; the Zerg food industry was completely saturated. Real estate was even worse, as Zerg housing was mostly distributed by the stateāstarting a business there would be suicide. Finance? He couldn’t even enter that door, as the Imperial family and the nobility controlled all financial channels; common Zerg could only hope for scraps.
Food, clothing, housing, transportationānone of the traditional paths seemed viable. After much thought, Jiang Xu decided that resource integration was better. Although the businesses ordinary Zerg could run weren’t large, their sheer numbers were an advantage. Organizing these Zerg would create an underestimated force.
With a plan in mind, Jiang Xu headed out to explore. His goal was simple: find a studio that could serve as the base for his business. He had originally planned to buy a shop, but he decided to leave some money for Fei.
As soon as he stepped out, he saw his neighbor. It was a literal case of “enemies meeting on a narrow path.”
Jiang Xu looked down at his clothes. Fortunately, he had bought several outfits for himself recently and no longer needed to wear Fei’s clothes. As for why he hadn’t returned to the Jiang family home, there were many reasons. First, he didn’t know where the Jiang house was. Second, who would be most familiar with the original owner? Naturally, his own family. He didn’t dare walk into a trap without preparation.
“It’s you again,” the neighbor said, surprised to see the “little hussy” again. “Sneaking over to seduce someone else’s Xiongchong while Major General Fei isn’t home? Tell me, after climbing so many beds, have you actually succeeded once? Why hasn’t Major General Fei’s Xiongzhu married you yet? Tsk tsk, maybe he just looks down on you.”
Jiang Xu felt this neighbor talked as if he had eaten firecrackersājust non-stop chattering.
“Don’t you notice anything different?” Jiang Xu hadn’t covered himself up tightly this time. If the other looked closely, he would see Jiang Xu was a Xiongchong.
“What?” The Cichong was dazed by the irrelevant question.
Seeing the other didn’t take the hint, Jiang Xu tilted his head and pointed directly at the back of his neck. “Here.”
The neighbor looked at the spot with confusion, completely baffled. He scanned the area Jiang Xu indicated but didn’t react immediately. Then, he snapped his head back for a second look.
There was no insect mark.
A Xiongchongā
The Cichong looked at Jiang Xu in shock. Could a Xiongchong really grow this tall?
“You, you, youā” The Cichong stuttered, his expression shifting from confusion to terror. He immediately saluted Jiang Xu and pleaded sincerely, “Lord Xiongchong, please forgive my impudence.”
Jiang Xu hadn’t intended to do anything to him anyway. “Don’t just catch me and start scolding me in the future.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Please forgive me!”
Watching the other bow and apologize frantically, Jiang Xu took a step aside. “Forget it.” He walked away before the neighbor could react.
There was currently only one flyer at home, usually used by Fei for his commute. Jiang Xu had thought he wouldn’t need to go out, but now he realized he really needed a flyer of his own. After some thought, the only person he could ask was Zoe.
He glanced at the sun, which was nearly at its zenith. He checked his contacts and found the name pinned at the very top. Before the second ring finished, the other’s projection appeared.
“Jiang Xu, what made you think of contacting me today?” Zoe’s image appeared, wearing formal attire and holding a wine glass. He looked quite surprised.
“Are you busy?” Jiang Xu noted the other seemed to be attending an event. At noon?
“Not busy.” Zoe caught the eye of a passing server and placed his glass on the tray. “What’s up?”
“I need a small favor,” Jiang Xu said.
“Now?”
“Yes.”
“Where are you? Send me your location.”
Their conversation was brief; a few words were enough to decide the matter.
Translatorās Note:
Terms used:
- Xiongzhu (éäø»): Male Lord/Master.
- Xiongchong (éč²): Male Zerg.
- Cichong (éč²): Female Zerg.
- Flyer (é£č”åØ): Vehicle.
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