Outside the Law

Chapter 7

Luo Yu refused to personally ask. It was a good thing, then, that Lu Yi was surprisingly understanding for once, because the next day, he brought over a piece of paper with eight digits written on it.

Luo Yu asked Lu Yi what the number was for. Lu Yi said, "Su Jiawen's phone number."

He waited until Lu Yi left, then immediately entered the number on the paper into his phone and pressed call. After two or three rings, Su Jiawen picked up. He seemed to be in a very empty and quiet s.p.a.ce. Su Jiawen said, "h.e.l.lo."

"It's me," Luo Yu said as he spun the fountain pen between his fingers. "What are you doing?"

It sounded like Su Jiawen had stopped breathing for a couple seconds before asking in response, "Mr. Luo?"

"Un." Though Luo Yu didn't want to admit it, he truly was a lot more amicable to Su Jiawen now than to anyone else.

"I'm at the library," Su Jiawen said, "Writing my thesis."

"What thesis?" Luo Yu followed up with.

Su Jiawen didn't think Luo Yu would be interested in his studies, but answered honestly anyways. "A paper discussing the relationship between the recent history of Europe and its literary past."

Luo Yu digested his answer for two seconds before saying okay.　

"What about Mr. Luo?" Su Jiawen left the library. The background noise sounded like it came from outside.

If it were anyone else asking Luo Yu what he was doing, the best response they could expect from Luo Yu was no response. If he wasn't in a good mood, he would tell that person to git. Now that it was Su Jiawen asking, though, Luo Yu said, "Working."

"Oh......" Su Jiawen dragged the syllable out.

"You don't believe me?" Luo Yu threw down his pen and stood up. He strode over to his floor-to-ceiling gla.s.s windows and looked outside. The sky was overcast like it was about to rain.

"Of course I do." Su Jiawen hurriedly coaxed him, "Then you do what you need to."

Luo Yu wasn't fooled. He asked Su Jiawen, "Are you very busy?"

"No......" Su Jiawen answered hesitantly.

"I'll need to head out of town tomorrow," Luo Yu said.

Su Jiawen went "oh" and remained silent afterwards. Luo Yu was extremely displeased. "Nothing you want to say?"

"What should I say?" Su Jiawen truly didn't know what Luo Yu was trying to get at. He could only follow his cues and ask, "How many days is Mr. Luo going?"

"Three days," Luo Yu responded. "Two nights. I'll find you when I'm back."

Su Jiawen listened quietly on the other end, then said okay.　

After hanging up, Luo Yu pondered a bit before realizing that there was no difference between before he had sent Su Jiawen away and after. He could still see him when he wanted to and could still take advantage of him if he wanted to. This was a pretty cost-effective transaction.

Luo Yu valued his own life. When he went to Laos, he travelled by private jet and brought a planeful of bodyguards.　

As soon as he landed, the negotiator greeted him and his bodyguards. They all headed to the hotel. He had an expert he brought along examine the goods and determine their quality; they were truly up to standard. However, he was still suspicious about the source of the goods.

The negotiator told him that two important local gangs had argued over this shipment of cargo, then explained the specific details to him. Luo Yu had been cheated by A·L previously so kept an extra eye open this time.