Emerging from the police station, Zhang Guodong breathed a sigh of relief. This Brother Jun was no ordinary man; he was certainly not someone to be trifled with. Fortunately, this long-term business deal had been successful, a win-win situation. Most importantly, he didn't have much interaction with this kind of person; as long as he didn't offend him and could make money, it didn't matter.
Zhang Guodong earns 2,150 yuan a day from the vegetables he provides to Damingtang. As for the remaining vegetables, which are about ten kilograms each, he doesn't plan to sell them. The previous excuse was just that.
Leaving the wholesale market, Zhang Guodong hopped on his electric tricycle, braving the biting wind and occasional snowflakes. At this time of year, many people wouldn't want to go out; the warmth of home was perhaps the most poignant reminder of this season.
Zhang Guodong also wanted to go back as soon as possible.
My parents are probably watching TV right now? There's a 29-inch rear-projection flat-screen TV at the new house; I bet it would cost over ten thousand yuan to buy one.
With a new home and a telephone, it's much easier to contact the elderly couple's friends and fellow villagers.
Zhang Guodong felt somewhat ashamed about this.
They only thought about getting the two elderly people a better house, without considering their living habits. City people are not used to visiting each other's homes. There was a post on a forum called Tianya on the internet saying: "People who have lived on the same floor for eighteen years do not know each other."
Although it may seem exaggerated, it's not far removed from reality; this is the current state of urban life.
After leaving the vegetable wholesale market, Zhang Guodong realized he had something left to do. Then he thought, "Where am I supposed to put my electric tricycle?"
Although the meager amount of Taoyuan vegetables was taken over by 'Da Mingtang', the storefront still needed to be rented, and that money still had to be spent, otherwise how could they cover their tracks?
As he was riding slowly, his phone rang in his pocket. Zhang Guodong had no choice but to stop his electric tricycle on the side of the road. It was an unfamiliar number.
After thinking about it, I answered the call anyway.
A questioning voice came from the other end: "Guodong?"
It was a male voice, but the person who called Zhang Guodong was only three years ago. He hadn't heard a voice calling him in a long time, even though the voice sounded unfamiliar.
"Who are you?" Zhang Guodong asked, puzzled.
"Ha, it really is Guodong! Damn, I finally found you!" came an excited voice from the other end. "Damn, it's me, Wang Kang! Your grandson can't even recognize my voice anymore! He hasn't contacted me for three years!"
Zhang Guodong was stunned. It turned out to be his best friend from college. Although Zhang Guodong was a complete failure in college, he still managed to make a few friends.
Wang Kang is one of them.
He was a bit chubby, but very handsome. His family was wealthy and powerful; his parents were politicians, and his older sister owned a large company—a real success story. Given the current government policies that limit family members from running businesses, this was an exception. Wang Kang was the family's darling, though he was five years younger than his sister. However, he was incredibly generous in college, frequently treating everyone to meals, including Zhang Guodong.
The reason the two became best friends is related to an incident. During their freshman year, Wang Kang and his gang got a sophomore girl pregnant. However, the doctor at the only nearby hospital was adamant that someone had to sign the consent form. As a result, Zhang Guodong, an honest but unattractive classmate who was neither good-looking nor rich, stepped in and signed the consent form as the father of the unborn child who had died.
Because of this incident, the two actually got along better and eventually became best friends. Of course, the fat guy eventually broke up with that senior.
Zhang Guodong dropped out of school during his junior year, leaving a year early, which was a regrettable situation. For the three years after leaving school, Zhang Guodong remained depressed and essentially cut off contact with everyone.
To his surprise, a classmate called today, which made Zhang Guodong extremely excited, but also a little ashamed. It turns out some classmates still care about him.
"Damn, is he mute?" Zhang Guodong thought back to the past when Wang Kang cursed, but it made him feel warm; his speech seemed no different from that in college. Zhang Guodong used to call Wang Kang "Fatty."
"You're dumb as hell! Tell me, did you get involved with some girl again and make me take your place at the hospital?" Zhang Guodong took a breath and laughed as he cursed.
Wang Kang reminisced for a moment before saying, "Replacement my ass! Ah, I miss university days, so free!"
Zhang Guodong understood. This guy wasn't free anymore? But he knew that after Fatty graduated from university, his sister had put him in their family company for training, so he was probably there now. Fatty was terrified of his sister, especially when it came to cutting off his allowance.
"Where are you now? Come out for a drink!" Wang Kang said.
"Huh, how did you know I was still in the provincial capital?" Zhang Guodong asked in surprise. He hadn't even asked how they got his phone number; how had they managed to find out his situation so quietly? Damn.
Wang Kang scoffed, "Your file is on file at the school. I still managed to get my hands on that stubborn old woman's file. I asked your relatives and eventually found out. Hehe, I think I have a talent for being a detective!"
Zhang Guodong was somewhat moved; this group had actually gone to such great lengths.
The two agreed to meet half an hour later at a hotel next to the provincial television station, a five-star hotel called Jiahao. It wasn't far from Zhang Guodong's location, and without much thought, he pedaled his electric tricycle toward the provincial television station.
We were still a bit late; there were a lot of cars on the road and too many traffic lights.
When they arrived at the hotel, a red Bentley was parked at the entrance, and a fat man in a suit and tie was standing next to it, looking around anxiously with sunglasses on.
The hostesses looked at the fat man with envy, their eyes filled with longing. This was a real big boss. That red Bentley couldn't be bought for less than several million. The hostesses, who had seen many luxury cars, could tell the value of that car at a glance.
"He's probably waiting for a woman, right? She must be very beautiful!" a hostess whispered, her eyes full of envy. A woman must be very happy to have a man waiting for her.
"You're definitely waiting for a vixen. You've got no chance in this lifetime!" a hostess said jealously.
How do you know? Perhaps it's because of your noble and elegant character?
"Tch, so high and mighty, yet she still chooses a fat guy. He's probably got the fat guy's money!"
The two girls whispered to each other, glancing over here from time to time. Even the security guards did the same. Many of the guests at the five-star hotel were wealthy people; all sorts of people were there.
Just then, an electric tricycle slowly drove towards them. A security guard saw it and immediately went over. This area is full of wealthy people; those vehicles cost hundreds of thousands or even millions. Even a slight bump wouldn't be acceptable.
But before the security guard could step forward to stop them, the fat man next to the Bentley opened his arms from afar and hugged the person who got off the electric tricycle. Everyone's mouths dropped open in surprise!
Carry me on your back?
"Damn it, I'm not a baby!" Zhang Guodong cursed as he was pushed away by the fat man after being hugged.
"Damn!" The fat man gave him the middle finger, glanced around, and shuddered. The astonished gazes were terrifying. He quickly pulled Zhang Guodong into the hotel. If they were mistaken for sluts, they'd be in deep trouble.
A fat man driving a Bentley worth millions and a plain-looking guy riding an electric tricycle—the two of them actually got together?
Once they reached the VIP room, the fat man finally breathed a sigh of relief. He glared at Zhang Guodong and exclaimed, "God, you've got me in deep trouble! If my sister finds out I hugged a man in front of everyone today, I'm dead!"
"Haha!" Zhang Guodong laughed. Seeing that the fat man hadn't changed much except for being a bit heavier, and especially recognizing the rare and precious friendship, he said, "What's there to be afraid of? This isn't your house. Your sister isn't that powerful, is she?"
"You know nothing! This hotel really is my sister's property!" the fat man said with a wry smile. "It's just that I don't come here often, so apart from the hotel manager, I doubt anyone knows me!"
Zhang Guodong gave a thumbs up. "These guys are really rich. A five-star hotel like this couldn't be built without at least 100 million."
There was a knock from outside, but it was a waitress.
"Gentlemen, is there anything we can do for you?" the waitress asked crisply. Her beautiful eyes met theirs directly; her service was quite good.
"Two fruit platters, two dozen beers! Call a few waitresses over!" The fat man waved his hand briskly. The waitress was slightly taken aback for a tenth of a second before recovering and smiling, "Okay, please wait a moment!"
The people who come to this grand hotel are all wealthy. Generally, expensive red wines sell out the fastest, while beer is just a side dish. The rental fee for a luxury private room is much higher than the cost of the drinks, which is a thousand for three hours.
Zhang Guodong watched the fat man make the arrangements and noticed that the fat man seemed quite skilled. To be honest, he had never actually stayed in a five-star hotel, but he had heard of them.
Soon, the door to the private room rang again. A fruit platter and beer arrived, along with four young women. They were there to keep customers company; they were attractive, lightly made up, and their bright, sparkling eyes scanned the guests.
The fat man smiled and said to Zhang Guodong, "Guodong, you pick one!"
Zhang Guodong was a little nervous. Each of the four girls had her own strengths, so he pointed to a tall girl who was more voluptuous and curvy, while the fat man put his arm around a girl who looked more delicate.
"Tsk tsk, I didn't realize you liked mature women, Guodong?" the fat man chuckled.
The voluptuous mature woman sat on Zhang Guodong's lap, her arms wrapped around his neck. Her breasts rubbed unabashedly against his chest. Zhang Guodong blushed at the fat man's comment, unsure of what to do with his hands. More importantly, he felt something. The mature woman blushed, clearly sensing it, but then smiled seductively, also sizing up Zhang Guodong. He had an ordinary face, wasn't very tall, and dressed plainly; he didn't seem like the type to be a boss at all.
These two young women were experts at teasing and urging others to drink, and after a while, Zhang Guodong relaxed and became bolder.
Under the influence of alcohol, Wang Kang began to recount the events that had occurred since Zhang Guodong left.
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