Chapter 426: A Plethora of Talents

Xiao Luo smiled, a little surprised with Su Li’s question. “Didn’t you investigate what I did for a living at Jiangcheng?” he replied.

“Of course, but I don’t believe that you are as simple as what the information I got suggests.”

Su Li came closer, and Xiao Luo caught a whiff of her sweet scent. “You are extremely talented in language studies as you can speak French, Arab, and Russian. On top of that, you are a pro-racer with amazing skills,” she said, “However, the report also shows that you are just an ordinary employee of Luo Workshop. Judging from the range of abilities you have displayed, you are definitely someone more than that; it can’t be that simple.”

“Then, what does Ms. Su think about me? Or should I say, what kind of identity suits me?” Xiao Luo said, throwing the question back to her in jest.

“Well…”

Su Li had no answer to that question. Yet, she was still convinced that Xiao Luo was not an ordinary person, nor was he just employed in a mundane job at Luo Workshop. At that moment, she simply could not think of any plausible careers that he could likely be involved in that required such proficiency in languages and extreme driving skills.

Su Li bit her lips, and after a brief silence, she said, “I don’t know.”

“Then it must be you overthinking, I’m just an ordinary guy.”

Xiao Luo certainly did not want Su Li to find out about everything that happened in Jiangcheng. He only wished that what had happened in Jiangcheng could be erased from his life as quickly as tearing away a chapter from a book. A chapter that was filled with rage, blood, and gore.

After a moment’s pause, Xiao Luo added, “I learned those skills in my free time.”

“Learned in your free time?” Su Li scoffed.

“How else can I develop these skills? Dream about it and make it happen?” Xiao Luo retorted.

Well, that made some sense…

Su Li reluctantly bought his explanation, but Xiao Luo’s talents truly impressed her. To be thoroughly proficient in three foreign languages, and likely with English as the fourth, was not something one could self-learn through books. Then, there were the incredible racing skills that were simply out of this world; how did one explain that? In the end, Su Li decided that the simplest explanation was to accept that Xiao Luo was a genius, plain and simple.

“You should go back if you have no other questions. Remember to lock the door and try to rest early, it’s quite late.” Xiao Luo said.

He’s chasing me off!?

Su Li felt deeply offended, as Xiao Luo had taken no notice of her charm. Was she that unappealing?

Su Li was also a little hurt as she intended to work on their relationship, which was never really much, to begin with, even from the first day of their marriage. She had been trying very hard to get closer to him, but he kept her at arms’ length. She would be busy with work soon, and it could well be a few months long of work. She feared this would only worsen their relationship, and she had been worrying about this for some time now.

“Spend some time with Su Xiaobei and me tomorrow night,” she said.

“You’re going to start work soon?” Xiao Luo asked.

“Yes.”

Su Li nodded and looked at Xiao Luo, anticipating more questions about her work scope and location.

“Sure.”

Su Li was a little disappointed with his response. “That’s it then, get some rest,” she said.

As she finished speaking, she turned around and left his apartment.

Su Li wasn’t quite sure what to make of it, to think that she was actually vying for a man’s attention. Since Su Li debuted as a celebrity, she had always put up a strong front as there was no one she could trust emotionally, no shoulder to lean on during the hard times, and therefore, she never saw any point in showing anyone her tender side.

If she was sick, she would visit the hospital herself; if she was depressed, she would hide in solitude; if she was in pain, she would clench her teeth and get through it herself.

She had already taken the knocks and learned the hard way in the world of showbiz. She had become way too independent to simply rely on any man, so how could she yearn for one to lean on now?

She felt herself suddenly wallowing in self-pity, and as she thought about her marriage to Xiao Luo, she couldn’t help reminding herself that, in a sense, something fake will never turn out to be true.

A look of perplexity washed over Xiao Luo’s face as he watched Su Li walking away. This was a woman who jumped off her balcony without any hesitation when he refused to marry her, then bought him an impressive wedding ring and filled his closet with new clothes and shoes. He was touched by her gesture, but he felt she was simply too aggressive, prideful, and also image-conscious. Her overbearing attitude was undoubtedly a result of her overwhelming success in the entertainment world. Xiao Luo could appreciate her need to be tough, but he could never get used to the idea of being the passive partner in a relationship.

It always seemed that they were rarely ever on the same page for one reason or another; perhaps it was because both of them had, by nature, aggressive personalities!

Xiao Luo decided not to think any further about the matter and grabbed his pajamas before getting into the bathroom.

The next day, Xiao had a quick breakfast at Su Li’s apartment and then rushed off for work.

When he got to the lobby, there was already an Audi parked by the road outside. Ji Siying alighted from the car when she saw Xiao Luo heading out of the hotel.

“Mr. Xiao Luo!”

Her voice was pleasant and sweet, even affectionate, and perhaps this was how a female subordinate with a crush on her superior would sound like.

Her dark hair flowed over her shoulders alluringly, framing her pretty face with fair unblemished skin accentuated by her bright eyes and perfectly arched eyebrows. She looked smart and trendy in a casual pink jacket paired with slim white pants.

“Siying, have you found anything about what I had told you to investigate?” Xiao Luo asked.

“Not yet.”

Ji Siying replied, shaking her head, and elaborated, “I’m guessing those assassins from last night were possibly the MLM organization. One of the main reasons you were assigned to the MLM case was that it’s closely connected with Japan’s anti-Chinese underground movement. The Asou family is very much a part of this group, and they constantly find ways to cause turmoil in our country.”

“I see.”

Xiao Luo nodded in acknowledgment, and it makes sense that the NSA had tasked him to deal with it. These were no ordinary crimes involving the MLM, but something more sinister.

“One more thing, regarding the old beggar, Mr. Hong Ji… I’ve found out his real identity. He is the president of Heaven’s Blessing Welfare Home.”

“The president of a welfare home?”

Xiao Luo was quite surprised as he was under the impression that Hong Ji was the master of the Beggar Sect, so just how did he become a president of a welfare home out of a sudden?

Ji Siying could see the confusion in Xiao Luo’s face. “Hong Ji is indeed the current master of the Beggar Sect, but as the average standard of living here has improved significantly, there aren’t many traditional sect beggars anymore. Most of the ones we see on the street are either conmen or handicapped people. Genuine beggars do not possess any income-earning skills,” she explained,

“so, they’re forced to beg for a living. Gone are the days when the Beggar Sect had abundant resources. Unfortunately, today they’ve lost most of their talents, and Hong Ji is the de facto one-man commander of the entire sect. He takes care of orphans, the elderly, and the handicapped in his welfare home. He was trying to find some money to sustain the home and took on the job as a hitman, but he did not expect to run into you and ended up getting badly injured.”

Xiao Luo felt terrible when he heard this. “Bring me to this welfare home,” he said.

“Okay.”

Ji Siying nodded in reply, and she knew that Xiao Luo was not going to find trouble with Hong Ji. She understood this man more than anyone, and while he was indeed bloodthirsty, but inwardly, he had a deep sense of justice and kindness.

******

******

“There are a plethora of talents in our country, and although the NSA has taken in many talented people, there are still a bunch of them living in seclusion within our bustling cities, and Hong Ji is one of them.”

As they drove along, Ji Siying spoke in a serious tone, intending to impress upon Xiao Luo the need to be on his guard at all times. The Hua nation was not as peaceful as it appeared to be on the surface. The assassins in black last night were extraordinarily well-trained and skillful and could be rated as Level S or perhaps even higher. There was always a possibility that Xiao Luo would one day face such adversaries, and Ji Siying was concerned.

Xiao Luo missed her the underlying intention as he was staring blankly out the window, feeling slightly remorseful about the cruel punishment he dealt on Hong Ji.