"What did you say? A beat-up bicycle?" The young man laughed as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, pointing at Xu Kuo and shouting, "What do you know, you country bumpkin? This is an old phoenix! A bumpkin like you could never afford one in your entire life!"
The people around them joined in the commotion.
"You've certainly got quite the nerve."
"You're obviously a country bumpkin, looking down on bicycles?"
"Hahaha, this is hilarious..."
Xu Kuo was too lazy to pay attention to these short-sighted fellows. He shrugged, turned around and was about to leave. Arguing with this group was a complete waste of time.
"You think you can just leave like that? You frog in a well, have you ever even seen a bicycle?" the young man persisted, continuing his sarcastic remarks.
Just then, a commotion arose outside the crowd.
"The college students are here! The college students are here!"
A college student? Could it be Tan Wang?
Xu Kuo raised an eyebrow. What was this kid doing here now?
Tan Wang was wearing a faded shirt, but it was very clean, and his hair was neatly combed. He tried his best to look presentable as he pushed his way through the crowd.
The young man's eyes lit up when he saw Tan Wang. Although his attire wasn't as glamorous as his own, it still made him stand out among the group of peasants.
He assumed Tan Wang was the person Secretary Wen was looking for, so he immediately put on a smiling face and greeted him warmly: "Hello, comrade! Oh my, you are truly young and promising, and a handsome man!"
Tan Wang was completely bewildered by this sudden enthusiasm. He stared blankly at the well-dressed young man in front of him, his face full of doubt: "You...you know me?"
The young man slapped his forehead and quickly introduced himself: "Oh my memory, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Shi Jixing, and I'm Secretary Wen's temporary assistant. Secretary Wen speaks highly of you and specifically asked me to invite you to be his official assistant!"
These words immediately caused an uproar among the crowd.
"What? Secretary Wen's assistant?"
"My goodness, this is like a carp leaping over the dragon gate!"
The way everyone looked at Tan Wang was instantly filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred, a complex mix of emotions.
Xu Kuo also stopped, his brows furrowing slightly. Someone sent by Secretary Wen? This matter is a bit strange.
Tan Wang trembled with excitement. He never dreamed that such a huge windfall would fall from the sky! He suppressed his overwhelming joy, his voice trembling slightly: "Really...really? Secretary Wen...really wants me to be his assistant?"
"Of course it's true! Secretary Wen said it himself, he told me to come pick you up!" Shi Jixing patted his chest to assure him, then pointed to the bicycle beside him, "This bicycle is a gift from Secretary Wen to you!"
Everyone was stunned again. It was a bicycle! In this era, it was an absolute symbol of power and status! For a moment, the way everyone looked at Tan Wang was not only envious, but also filled with flattery and obsequiousness.
Congratulations!
"When you become successful in the future, don't forget your fellow villagers!"
Hearing the compliments around him, Tan Wang's vanity was greatly satisfied. He looked around smugly, as if he had become a superior person.
Xu Kuo's expression was somewhat strange. He knew in his heart that Tan Wang was definitely not a good person, so how could Secretary Wen possibly take a liking to him? Not to mention giving him a bicycle. There must be some misunderstanding here.
Out of respect for Secretary Wen, Xu Kuo decided to offer a reminder. He cleared his throat and said, "Comrade, are you sure you've got the right person? How could Secretary Wen be looking for him?"
Shi Jixing and Tan Wang's expressions changed simultaneously.
"What did you say?" Tan Wang's eyes widened in anger as he glared fiercely at Xu Kuo. "Are you fucking jealous of me? You can't stand to see me doing well, can you?"
Xu Kuo scoffed, "Jealous of you? What do you have that I'm jealous of? I'm just stating the facts."
Shi Jixing frowned as well. He looked Xu Kuo up and down, his face full of impatience: "And who are you? Do you have any right to speak here? Get out of my way and don't delay my business!"
Shi Jixing then spoke sternly to Tan Wang, "Mr. Xu, let's go to the county committee to get acquainted!" He couldn't hear anything else; he just wanted to get the man to see Secretary Wen as soon as possible.
"Mr. Xu?" Tan Wang was taken aback, his smugness instantly freezing. He cautiously looked at Shi Jixing and tentatively asked, "What...what did you just call me?"
Shi Jixing was also stunned. He looked Tan Wang up and down, his brows furrowed: "You're not Xu Kuo?"
"I..." Tan Wang opened his mouth, wanting to deny it, but then hesitated, unsure how to begin. Could he really let this easy target slip away? But this person was clearly here to see Xu Kuo; if he impersonated him, what if he was exposed...?
Just as Tan Wang was hesitating, Xu Kuo stepped forward and said calmly, "I am Xu Kuo."
Upon hearing this, Shi Jixing burst into laughter. He pointed at Xu Kuo with a face full of disdain: "You? You're Xu Kuo? Stop talking nonsense! Why don't you take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror? Do you even deserve to be called Xu Kuo?"
These days, bicycles are a rare commodity. What kind of person would Secretary Wen give someone as a gift? This guy in front of me is dressed in coarse clothes and looks like a farmer. How could he possibly be the person Secretary Wen is looking for?
Tan Wang was incredibly embarrassed and wished he could disappear into the ground.
"He really is Xu Kuo, the Xu Kuo from our village!"
"That's right, it's him! He even got into a fight with Zhao Ming a few days ago!"
"That's right, they're incredibly capable!"
...
The surrounding villagers discussed the matter animatedly, confirming Xu Kuo's identity.
Shi Jixing's face turned pale and then red. He never expected that he had made such a huge blunder! The person that Secretary Wen had repeatedly told him to find turned out to be such a... country bumpkin?
The contrast is too great!
Shi Jixing took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart. He snorted coldly, his eyes filled with suspicion: "You...you didn't conspire to lie to me, did you? Just for this bicycle?"
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. What wouldn't these peasants do to gain an advantage?
"Shameless!" Shi Jixing pointed at Xu Kuo's nose and cursed, "You've lost all sense of shame for a bicycle? And you!" He turned to glare at Tan Wang, "You imposter, you dare to impersonate Mr. Xu? You are truly audacious!"
"Xu Kuo could never be a country bumpkin like you!"
Shi Jixing grew angrier as he spoke, and with a sudden shove of his bicycle, he stormed off, shouting, "I don't want to stay in this lousy place for another second!"
"Stop!" Xu Kuo shouted. "You'll regret it if you just leave like this."
Shi Jixing abruptly stopped, turned around and glared at Xu Kuo, his face full of mockery: "Regret? Me, regret? You country bumpkin, you've lost all shame for a bicycle, and you dare threaten me? If I regret it, I'm your grandson!"
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