Chapter 46
The summer cicadas were chirping. Zhan Mu, wearing sunglasses, waited for almost half the afternoon and finally waited for Cui Yongguang at the gate of No. 2 Middle School.
"It's so hot." Lu Chao felt like he was about to melt.
"I told you not to come, but you insisted on coming. Why don't you go back to the store and sit in front of the fan?" Zhan Mu yawned, and even though he felt sleepy, he had to hold it in, staring at every person who came out of the school gate.
"No business~" Lu Chao said, "Your brother Chang Jian is here, using your computer to play shooting games."
"Here he comes." Zhan Mu's eyes lit up. He finally waited for Cui Yongguang. He was a little fat, wearing black-framed glasses, and was about to drive his black Audi.
Zhan Mu took off his glasses, put the cigarette in his chest pocket, walked quickly towards the person who came, and said in a friendly voice: "Hello, Teacher Cui."
"Hello." Cui Yongguang turned around and asked with a question. Zhan Mu was not his student when he was in junior high school, so they did not know each other.
"I'm from Mr. Zhan's copy shop. Um..." Zhan Mu rubbed his hands nervously, handed over a pack of Huazi, and got straight to the point: "I'd like to ask if your school needs any help with copying test papers."
"That, haha, no need for that." Cui Yongguang glanced at him and said unhappily, "Who told you to come to me? This is in the hands of the Dean of the Academic Affairs Office."
"Yes, I visited Director Yu and he asked me to contact you." Zhan Mu felt uneasy, embarrassed but also a little impatient, because he also saw Cui Yongguang's impatience.
He didn't even take the cigarette that Zhan Mu handed him.
Cui Yongguang: "Yu Wenfei said so, then go find him."
With that, Cui Yongguang was about to leave, without even sparing a glance. He pressed the car key to unlock it and got into his Audi.
Leaving them with a cool exhaust fumes.
Lu Chao followed and witnessed Zhan Mu's embarrassment. He patted his shoulder in a comforting manner and said, "It's okay, it's normal. Otherwise, we should just focus on running the current business. Sometimes you need a little luck to make a big profit."
"I was thinking, if I took over the school's business, I'd have things like sports meeting slogans, bulletin board wallpaper, exam banners, and so on..." Zhan Mu sighed, feeling very frustrated. "Like this, I'll only make a few dozen or a few dollars if I run into people printing and copying every few days. It's barely enough to cover the rent, so what's the point?"
As he was speaking, the sun became hotter again. Zhan Mu wiped the sweat off his face and went back to the store with Lu Chao. Coincidentally, he ran into Liu Gang again, his childhood friend who sold feed and wanted to pursue Zhan Miao but was thrown off the street by Zhan Mu.
There was a hint of resentment between Liu Gang's eyebrows, especially after seeing Lu Chao, he felt even more ashamed and angry, because he also heard from relatives and friends that Zhan Miao that day was transformed from the electronic doll bought by Zhan Mu.
Damn! They're exactly the same! I really couldn't tell unless I told you!
"Brother Gang." Zhan Mu's scalp stiffened and he simply said something close.
Liu Gang tilted his head and glanced at Lu Chao behind him. He looked just as aloof as he was that day, and he was even more furious. He was the same handsome guy that Zhan Mu posted on his Moments.
"You are this." Liu Gang gave him a thumbs up.
The three of them went in together, plus Zhan Changjian, and the space seemed cramped. So Zhan Mu led Liu Gang to the backyard, where they set up a small square table and a few short plastic stools.
Liu Gang came over and looked around. When he saw Lu Chao, he quickly looked away, speechless. He asked Zhan Mu, "Why did you come here to open a shop? You can't make money here. Why don't you go back to Wanzhou to work?"
"If you say that again, we'll really break up." Zhan Mu said angrily.
Liu Gang: "I'm serious. This is a rural town full of old ladies and grandfathers. It's not suitable for you to run a printing and copying shop where there are many young people."
"There's a school nearby." Lu Chao suddenly said.
Zhan Changjian was also in the shop. He turned around and chatted with him, saying, "Okay, Brother Gang, I helped Brother Mu watch over the shop for a few hours, and some people still came to print and copy. I earned 5 yuan."
Liu Gang: "I think that you are a college student after all, which is better than those of us who can't study. You can join a company, become a teacher, or join the army. What are you thinking?"
"Those are stable, but the pay is low, and I don't like working from nine to five." Zhan Mu sat on the short plastic stool and said, "I want to be a boss, and I want to drive a Maybach."
He spoke calmly, even with a firmness in his words, and his nonchalant language gave people the impression of tremendous ambition.
"Six." Liu Gang was amused by him.
He leaned over to look at Zhan Mu's shop, curious: "How much did this renovation cost? You must be quite capable, Brother Mu."
"No more than 50,000, and it hasn't been started yet." Zhan Mu replied. He stood up, got a bottle of mineral water and handed it to Liu Gang. Liu Gang took it, thanked him, took a sip, and changed the subject.
"You electronic doll..." Liu Gang had also been online, so of course he knew about cyber data people and knew they were expensive, but he had never seen one in person. He guessed what they were for.
Liu Gang looked at Lu Chao, but asked Zhan Mu: "You bought this, don't you plan to get married in the future?"
He smiled playfully, and his mind must be filled with pornographic garbage.
Lu Chao froze, feeling awkward. Zhan Mu answered the question irrelevantly, saying, "I don't really believe in love. I prefer money. He's a good person. He allows me to have fewer worries."
“…” Liu Gang was stunned by what he said.
"..." Lu Chao was also in a state of ups and downs.
-
The few of them chatted slowly until late at night, and Zhan Mu then found out that Liu Gang was doing business with his father and also had a store in town. He even called him halfway to urge him to go back for dinner, but he said he couldn't.
As he said that, Liu Gang planned to treat everyone to a meal at a Chinese restaurant.
Zhan Changjian wanted to go too, but when his grandmother came and told him to go home for dinner, he had no choice but to go back. Zhan Mu, who owned the shop, was an adult, so he didn't have to obey.
"Please help look after the store." Zhan Mu instructed Lu Chao.
Lu Chao nodded and sighed, "Your circle of relatives is quite impressive. They are all small business owners who run their own shops. Keep up the good work. You have a bright future."
"They are all small businesses." Liu Gang returned to Lu Chao with a smile.
Zhan Mu stood shoulder to shoulder with Liu Gang and asked, "Is your sister really in the hospital?"
"Well, she was really unlucky. She encountered bad people and bad things. She couldn't handle it mentally. We don't know how she jumped off the building at school."
Zhan Mu rubbed his brows tiredly and said, "The situation was complicated. The school persuaded my parents and compensated them with some money, and the matter was finally resolved."
Zhan Mu: "I wanted to make a fuss later, but they simply avoided talking about it. After a long time, I could only move on with my life."
Liu Gang nodded slightly deeply.
"I really want money." Zhan Mu said helplessly and angrily, "It took me a few years to realize that being poor is incredibly frustrating. Everything I do is about money. Without money, I lose even confidence and dignity."
"That's not true." Liu Gang also echoed him, saying, "Let's take a recent example. Your third uncle, the one who runs the barber shop, whom I call my cousin, is just rich and likes to lecture people. If he's right, then everything we do is wrong."
Zhan Mu smiled, "You think so too? Me too."
"Is selling feed tiring?" Zhan Mu was curious.
"It's not bad. It's just a few dozen kilograms of bags. It's tiring to load them onto the truck. I ride a tricycle to deliver them to every household." Liu Gang replied: "I don't like working either. Secondly, my mother is not in good health, so I just help my father at home."
"Do you need my help?" Boss Zhan showed his businessman face again, intending to expand his business.
"Oh, no, we sell feed and deal with chickens, ducks, geese and pigs. We don't even have much use for pens," said Liu Gang.
They went to a Chinese restaurant and ordered two dishes and a soup, simple home-cooked dishes, not expensive. Liu Gang chatted with him casually again and asked, "Your parents actually agreed to let you start a business?"
"I did it myself." Zhan Mu drank some water, squinted his eyes and looked out the window, saying, "Without anyone's support, it's still because everyone told you that you can't do it~ You can't do it~"
"You made it yourself?!" Liu Gang was choked by the water, and his eyes changed. It looked like admiration, disbelief, and a little jealousy.
It's a store after all. Zhan Mu is 25 years old and Liu Gang is three years older than him. Although he entered society earlier than him, he is still playing games and dating girls.
The food was served, and the two of them suddenly fell silent for two seconds. Zhan Mu was bored and scrolled through the community group chat. His fingertips paused and looked at the familiar account called "Brother Qiang Sunshine Grapes".
Liu Gang: "Boss Gao, he's a college student like you. I heard he used to make documentaries, but he came to agriculture and invested millions. But after almost eight years, he still hasn't made any money."
"The span of his industries is too wide." Zhan Mu commented: "The threshold for entering the agricultural sector is still high. I think he is being impulsive."
"He wants the money. He wants to do something big." Liu Gang said meaningfully, "That's why even if you have money, you can't control it."
Zhan Mu was stunned, feeling that he was making a subtle remark, implicitly mocking himself. He said, "Everything requires a process. It's normal to be questioned if you don't achieve the ideal results."
Zhan Mu looked up and smiled at Liu Gang. At the same time, another dish was served, and even the rice was served. The two of them ate without saying a word.
-
It was getting dark, and Zhan Mu didn't notice the time. Later, he drank beer with Liu Gang, finishing nearly a dozen bottles in total. When he looked again, stars were coming out of the window.
"Oh my god." Zhan Mu stood up quickly. He wasn't drunk, but his head was a little dizzy. He rubbed his eyes, stood up and said, "My shop isn't closed yet."
Liu Gang was completely drunk, slumped over on the table, mumbling, "Old Mu, don't go... Your sister is so pretty. I really like your sister, why would she jump off the building?"
"Shut up." Zhan Mu looked at his poor drinking habits and felt a little irritated. Coincidentally, the shop owner came over and said, as if urging him, "You two, we're getting ready to close the stall."
"I didn't bring any money today." Liu Gang turned his head away, his face flushed, and he looked drunk, as if he was about to go crazy.
"How much?" Zhan Mu was convinced, thinking he was treating them.
The shop owner handed over the abbreviated menu and said, "Total 151. Shredded pork with green peppers 18, stir-fried pork liver 16, tomato and egg soup 10, two orders of rice 2, and a 7 yuan bottle of beer 15."
"Give me 150." The shop owner said generously.
Zhan Mu opened the software and saw a pitiful 132, which was not enough.
There should still be cash in the store. He was about to explain when he saw a familiar figure appear at the door. It was Lu Chao. He had a gloomy face and his eyes looked like a resentful woman who went out to catch an adulterer.
"I don't have enough money." Zhan Mu pointed at Liu Gang, feeling helpless.
It was a coincidence that Lu Chao came in. Liu Gang seemed to feel sick when he saw him. He hunched over and vomited violently into the trash can at his feet, and the stench was overwhelming.
“…” Zhan Mu and the shop owner’s expressions changed.
"How much?" Lu Chao turned a blind eye and asked the shop owner, then took out 150 in cash and handed it over.
Zhan Mu took Liu Gang's phone from the table and asked him for the password. He was still ignoring him, so he used his fingerprint to open it, found the word "Dad" and dialed it, asking him to come and pick up his son.
During the journey, Zhan Mulu took turns to support him on their backs to help him breathe.
After Liu Gang's father arrived, Zhan Mu called his cousin to say hello, and the matter was finally settled. The store owner was so upset that his face turned ugly, and the trash can was full of smelly paste.
On the way back to the rental house, Zhan Mu saw that his shop was closed and Lu Chao had packed up, and he felt very warmed.
Staff Officer Lu frowned and concluded, "He goes crazy after drinking a little. He has no self-control at all. Don't deal with him next time."
Zhan Mu's face was red, maybe because of being drunk or some other emotion. The street lights were dim and there were no other pedestrians on the street. It seemed that it was indeed too late today.
"How do you know where I am? I didn't tell you." Zhan Mu looked at him, his heart beating fast.
Lu Chao sneered and said, "Then why don't you check your phone? You even don't answer the phone. I've been looking for you for three blocks! You really have too many social engagements, Boss Zhan."
"..." Zhan Mu paused, his hand drooped down, poked Lu Chao's finger, and looked at the man with curved eyebrows, like an innocent boy with amorous feelings.
"Do you like me today?" Zhan Mu asked with a smile: "If not, I will ask again tomorrow."
Lu Chao looked back at Zhan Mu, seemingly helpless, but more like knowing what was going on. He leaned over and pressed his lips against Zhan Mu's, whispering, "I like it."
The next second, Lu Chao turned around again, covering up his faint but unconcealable smile, and said, "But I'm almost out of energy, so please spare me tonight."
"Zhao Xiao, you make it seem like I forced you to do something." Zhan Mu clicked his tongue and glanced away at him.
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