Chapter 42
On the day Du Shanlai officially joined the company, Jiang Chen successfully made Tong Shuai his subordinate.
It's simple.
Tong Shuai felt guilty and was grateful for Jiang Chen and Hu Zhenzhen's help, which is why he decided to take care of him more at school.
He didn't care much about titles like "little brother" or "big brother".
In reality, all he needs to do is take care of Jiang Chen; nothing else matters.
The dramatic changes during this period have made Tong Shuai mature a lot.
The once somewhat harsh little boy gradually toned down his outgoing emotions and became more considerate of others.
So when Jiang Chen told him earnestly, "You'll be my little brother," Tong Shuai paused for a few seconds, scratched his head, and readily agreed.
"Alright, then tell me if you have any trouble, and I'll help you solve it."
After Hu Zhenzhen became famous, some people in the school would shamelessly try to get close to Jiang Chen, and some would even secretly ostracize him because of his special treatment.
Tong Shuai had experienced being ostracized in the past, which is why he said that.
However, what he didn't expect was that instead of helping Jiang Chen solve any problems, he inadvertently solved Hu Zhenzhen's problem.
Tong Shuai becoming Jiang Chen's friend was an unbelievable thing in Xu Jiayi's eyes.
When he saw Tong Shuai at the classroom door, he almost jumped up.
Wang Hao, who was standing next to him, quickly grabbed him and held him down.
"Let's see how things go first."
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that they had become friends.
Jiang Chen didn't have many friends in class. Xu Jiayi considered himself one, and together with Wang Hao, the three of them were like the three brothers Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, caring for and looking after each other. They couldn't do without any of them.
In Xu Jiayi's mind, Jiang Chen was very fragile and needed the most protection.
Now, Jiang Chen's former enemy has come knocking on his door and has even become his friend. In Xu Jiayi's eyes, this is even stranger than blood raining down from the sky.
He pulled Wang Hao along and secretly followed behind Jiang Chen, saying, "Come on, let's follow them and see."
"This isn't a good idea," Wang Hao hesitated.
"What if Jiang Chen gets bullied by him!" Xu Jiayi patted Wang Hao's arm. "With the two of us here, we can stand up for him."
Wang Hao glanced at his thin, bony face and silently erased him from his mind.
When it really comes down to supporting him, he's the only one who can handle things. If Xu Jiayi, with his limited influence, rushed in, he'd probably be kicked back immediately.
He wisely kept quiet and followed them silently.
It was time for school to end. Except for the boys from the school's soccer team who stayed on the playground to play, the rest of the students left the school one after another.
Jiang Chen and Tong Shuai were no exception.
Most students at Beiguan Elementary School are picked up by their parents, whether by car or bicycle. Every day at this time, the school gate is packed with people.
Xu Jiayi stood on tiptoe and took a look, but didn't see the conspicuous car that usually picked up Jiang Chen at the school gate.
"Wang Hao, have you seen the car that usually picks up Jiang Chen?"
"No."
Xu Jiayi was wondering when he saw the two people walk straight out.
He quickly gave Wang Hao a push, "Quick, quick, keep up, they've gone out!"
The street where the gate of Beiguan Elementary School is located is not a major traffic artery; apart from parents' cars, almost no other vehicles pass by.
Wang Hao reluctantly greeted Uncle Chen, who had come to pick them up, and jogged a few steps to catch up with Xu Jiayi.
"Slow down, is that what you call following people? You'll be practically glued to their faces in a minute."
"I'm just worried," Xu Jiayi said, slowing his pace as he followed his words, but his eyes remained fixed on Jiang Chen's situation.
Wang Hao was taller than him. He put his elbow on Wang Hao's shoulder, looked at the situation in the distance, and clicked his tongue.
"It doesn't seem like they were being bullied. Maybe they became friends after a fight."
After hearing what he said, Xu Jiayi also hesitated.
"Where is he taking Jiang Chen? Should we follow him?"
Wang Hao felt that the atmosphere between Tong Shuai and Jiang Chen was fairly harmonious, but the fact that they were enemies just two days ago and were now walking together to a place outside the school today was indeed worrying.
Tong Shuai does have a history of bullying others.
After thinking for a few seconds, Wang Hao decided, "Let's follow them. We've come this far, let's see what they're up to."
Jiang Chen and Tong Shuai walked for a long time before finding the right place.
Long, narrow alleyways.
"We've arrived, this is the place."
Last night, Jiang Chen heard Hu Zhenzhen mention this name, and it left a deep impression on him.
Motor vehicles are prohibited from entering this alley; all that passes by are pedestrians and electric vehicles.
On one side of the alley, a long line of food stalls stretched out.
One food stall after another, forming a long queue that, when looked at at first glance, seemed to stretch on forever.
"Wow!" Tong Shuai had never seen such a scene before and exclaimed in surprise.
"The food festival that Aunt Hu organized is too big!"
Hu Zhenzhen gathered the vendors who had signed up, rented a space from the government, and organized a week-long event called the 'Snack Festival'.
Each customer entering the venue will receive a voting ticket.
At the end of the long alley, someone stands guard, holding a ballot box, waiting for customers to cast their most honest vote.
If someone leaves disappointed, angrily returning the way they came halfway through their visit, there is a negative review box at the entrance.
Customers write down the stalls they think are the worst and put them in the ballot box; these entries are then included in the final tally.
To prevent cheating, Hu Zhenzhen arranged for a large number of people to participate in the event.
She's been busy with this matter and hasn't been able to pick Jiang Chen up from school in person for the past two days.
Jiang Chen was very curious about the street stalls.
Sometimes when his mother discussed work at home, he would sit excitedly beside her and listen attentively to what they were saying.
He had never eaten many of the things there before, and some he had never even heard of. But Jiang Chen still remembered the fried sausages his mother had brought him last time. He had eaten them once and was looking forward to his mother taking him to eat them a second time.
But Hu Zhenzhen has been too busy lately, so Jiang Chen was too embarrassed to make any requests.
Tong Shuai stepped forward at this moment.
After hearing Jiang Chen's wish, he patted his chest and guaranteed, "I know the food street best. I'll take you there, and I promise you'll eat the most delicious food!"
Jiang Chen was overjoyed to hear his promise.
"Do you know the long alley? My mother's activities are all there."
In Jiang Chen's heart, food from other food stalls might taste good too, but the food from his mother's event was always the best.
If he had a choice, he would definitely go to the 'snack festival' that his mother mentioned.
Tong Shuai didn't actually know, but he still assured Jiang Chen, "Don't worry, I'll definitely lead you there."
Fortunately, Tong Shuai knew how to use mobile maps, otherwise Jiang Chen would have gotten lost outside.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he finally found the long alley.
"See? I told you I could find it!"
Jiang Chen's eyes were too busy taking it all in, landing on the wide variety of food stalls. He casually replied, "Amazing! Really amazing!"
Tong Shuai was extremely pleased.
"What's the big deal? Let me tell you, I'm the best at picking out the best food from street stalls. Just follow me for a bit, and I guarantee you'll eat your fill today."
He deliberately took out the spare change from his pocket, "See? It's red, enough for us to eat our fill today."
Jiang Chen thought he was worried about not having enough to eat, so he turned his backpack inside out, unzipped it, and took out his coin purse.
"It's okay, don't worry about not having enough to eat, I have money!"
Jiang Chen's coin purse was bulging; when the zipper was opened, money spilled out, showing how full it was.
Tong Shuai stared wide-eyed.
"No, it's just a street food stall. How much money did you bring?"
Jiang Chen looked completely innocent. "I brought all my allowance with me."
He usually doesn't spend any money. All the pocket money Hu Zhenzhen gives him is put into a piggy bank by Jiang Chen. The piggy bank is full and has become a solid pig. He then gives it to Uncle Chen Kai to deposit in the bank.
Hu Zhenzhen gave all the milk fees collected from the school to Jiang Chen.
The money will be distributed among each person, and each person will only need to pay a few dollars per month.
With over a thousand students in the school, and thousands of a few dollars added up, Jiang Chen was extremely busy.
Whenever it was time to collect money, he would sit next to Chen Kai, marking checkmarks on the list with a pencil and helping Chen Kai check the amounts.
Although he only received the money twice, Jiang Chen had already memorized that day of every month.
Jiang Chen emptied all the money from his little piggy bank and put it all into his coin purse while they were out playing today.
He had never bought anything from a street stall before and didn't know the prices, so to put his mind at ease, he simply brought all his money with him.
Tong Shuai was unaware of this; he simply stared at Jiang Chen's coin purse and exclaimed, "You're so rich!"
No one had ever said this to Jiang Chen before.
He didn't know how to answer for a moment, so he gave a vague "hmm" and changed the subject.
Which one should we start with?
Of all the stalls on this street, Jiang Chen had only ever eaten fried sausages and fried noodles. The aromas lingered around him, and if he had to choose, he really wouldn't know which one to eat.
Fortunately, Tong Shuai likes to make arrangements.
"It's so hot, let's buy some ice cream first. Come on, I think that one inside is the best!"
The staff at the entrance of the long alley did not discriminate against them because they were primary school students. They gave them two voting slips and patiently explained the situation to them.
Jiang Chen stood there and listened to the whole thing, not forgetting to say a word on behalf of his mother.
"You've worked hard."
Then he turned and walked into the long alley.
Tong Shuai walked quickly, taking a few steps ahead, and ran to the stall first. "Two ice creams, one chocolate and one vanilla. Hey! Jiang Chen, what do you want?"
"strawberry!"
Jiang Chen ran a few steps and caught the ice cream cone that was meant for him.
This place sells double-scoop ice cream, and you can choose two different flavors. Jiang Chen's favorite is strawberry, so he simply ordered two strawberry-flavored ice cream scoops.
The two children ate as they walked inside, unaware of what was happening behind them.
The guy handing out ballots at the entrance was still marveling at the gentleness of the elementary school students, and in the short time he was lost in thought, he almost missed two other elementary school students.
"Here are your ballots. Write down your favorite or least favorite booth and drop it into the nearest ballot box!"
Xu Jiayi accepted it, saying, "Thank you, brother."
The two had a clear division of labor: Xu Jiayi didn't have time to look around, while Wang Hao's gaze remained fixed on Jiang Chen's side.
However, unlike Hsu Chia-yi's slightly worried concern, his focus was on the fact that the ice cream they were eating seemed rather delicious.
Jiang Chen then tried scallion pancakes and handmade chicken cutlets. He was so full that he couldn't even drink watermelon juice anymore. He held the food in his hands and slowly strolled forward.
He didn't look back much along the way, so he didn't notice that the next minute after they left the stall, two equally short figures would take their place and buy the same snack.
Jiang Chen and Tong Shuai walked ahead, completely stuffed from eating.
Xu Jiayi and Wang Hao, who were walking behind, were also stuffed from eating.
The four of them walked slowly, and their vigilance decreased after eating. Xu Jiayi and Wang Hao unknowingly walked to Jiang Chen's vicinity.
"Hey! Hsu Chia-yi!"
Hearing Jiang Chen's excited voice, Xu Jiayi finally came to his senses and realized that he had been exposed.
He gave an awkward laugh, "What a coincidence! You guys are here to eat too."
Jiang Chen noticed that he was a little off, but didn't think much of it. "Yes, Tong Shuai brought me here. He's a real expert on snacks!"
Tong Shuai understood what was going on when he saw the look in their eyes.
It seems the negative impact of what happened on the playground hasn't faded yet. Even though he apologized, Jiang Chen is still seen as a bully in his friends' eyes.
Tong Shuai scratched his nose, not feeling embarrassed at all.
He raised his hand in greeting, "Let's get to know each other again. My name is Tong Shuai. I was wrong about what happened before, and I apologize to everyone."
This confident and poised self-introduction won him a lot of goodwill.
Xu Jiayi and Wang Hao exchanged a glance, and Xu Jiayi took the initiative to say, "My name is Xu Jiayi, and this is Wang Hao."
Young people are not very guarded. After a few words, the previous conflict was quickly forgotten. In addition, Tong Shuai made concessions. After walking for a while, even Xu Jiayi changed his opinion of him.
"By the way, which booth should we write as our favorite on the ballot?"
Xu Jiayi saw the ballot box from afar and asked them about it with great interest.
"I think that chicken cutlet is super delicious. My favorite shop has to be Ah Da's Handmade Chicken Cutlet!"
Jiang Chen hadn't made up his mind yet, and hesitantly looked at Tong Shuai.
Tong Shuai naturally replied, "I'll choose that takoyaki place; it's my favorite."
After hearing what he said, Jiang Chen became even more hesitant.
He likes to eat them all and can't decide which is better, so it's really difficult to make him choose one to vote for.
Wang Hao was also hesitant.
The four of them stood on the street corner for a while, thinking and digesting their food at the same time.
Tong Shuai was taller than them and had a big appetite, but he wasn't that full after eating. He looked around aimlessly with a bored expression.
He was just browsing casually, but one person actually caught his attention.
At first, Tong Shuai noticed him simply because the man's bald forehead shone brightly in the sunlight, catching Tong Shuai's eye.
Because of his bald head, Tong Shuai glanced at him a couple more times.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that something was amiss.
Everyone was strolling around, stopping to pick out the snacks they wanted to eat at, but this man was acting suspiciously, his eyes darting around, his expression very serious, and he never bought anything.
He also stood out as particularly strange in the crowd.
Since the four of them had nothing to do while standing on the street, Tong Shuai decided to spend some more time observing the strange man.
The bald man sneaked towards the staff's rest area.
The rest area was small, with three chairs and a table, and an umbrella. Various cooling items were placed on the table, with ice water and iced mung bean soup being the most abundant.
Not only staff members, but also passersby can come over and get a glass of iced water or iced mung bean soup if they need it.
There are many people here, and the staff are very busy. They take turns to guard the rest area, which is also a kind of shift rest.
The staff had just left the rest area and the replacement staff hadn't arrived yet, leaving a gap of one or two minutes, which the bald man took advantage of.
He doesn't look like a staff member here. What's he doing in the rest area?
Tong Shuai was puzzled. "You guys wait here for me for a moment, I'll go take a look over there."
The items placed on one side of the street blocked Tong Shuai's view. He told his three friends and walked a few meters away to look at the bald man.
The man was pouring the bottle into the box containing mung bean soup.
The liquid in the bottle was yellow, and Tong Shuai could see it from a distance. In a child's eyes, there are very few liquids that can be associated with this color.
Tong Shuai realized what it was and roared.
Hey! What are you doing?!
The shout startled the bald man and the passersby around him, who all turned to look.
The boy's voice was bright, and it carried far.
Even the staff guarding the ballot box heard it.
The staff member was walking slowly, but upon hearing the noise, he instinctively started running, just in time to see the bald man throw away the strange bottle and turn to run away.
Tong Shuai shouted excitedly, "He's emptying things into that box! Grab him!"
That one sound was enough for the staff to understand the situation.
"Little friend, could you please guard this box and prevent anyone from coming here to drink water?"
After quickly finishing his sentence, the staff member took off after him.
The bald man was middle-aged, and he couldn't outrun the young man. Before he even reached the exit, he was caught by the staff.
The officers maintaining order rushed over when they saw the commotion. "What's wrong? What happened?"
"This person poured something onto the mung bean paste bottle in the rest area. I suspect he's poisoning it. Let's call the police!"
This sentence startled the man who was being held down.
"I didn't poison anyone! Don't frame an innocent person!"
The person being held down is named Wang Tian. He is also a small vendor who usually makes a living by selling roasted chicken frames at his stall.
He used to have a stall near the unfinished building, and business was pretty good.
But when news broke that the unfinished building was going to be renovated, he felt resentful. He had gotten used to staying there and had regular customers, so why should he be asked to leave?
With this in mind, Wang Tian prepared to cause a huge disturbance.
He encouraged the other stall owners who were also setting up their stalls, but in the end, he only managed to bring two people with him.
With so few people, even if they cause trouble, they won't make much of a splash.
Wang Tian was taken to the police station, given a few words of criticism and education, and then released.
What happened next made him even more unhappy.
Mr. Hu claimed he would waive three months' rent and give everyone a stall. Wang Tianle excitedly went to sign up, only to be notified that he was not selected.
Other vendors can participate in the test, so why is he the only one who is not selected?
Wang Tian was furious, so he went to the unfinished building and made a scene with the manager.
"I still don't understand. You've been causing trouble for so long that you were blacklisted this morning."
"The boss gives out benefits to the hardworking and motivated stall owners, not to scoundrels like you. Go home, wash up, and go to sleep. Stop thinking about taking advantage of others."
Wang Tian was humiliated by the manager and was quickly kicked out.
From that day on, he harbored the idea of revenge.
But even if he wanted to retaliate against such a big boss, there was nothing he could do.
Even the manager who verbally humiliated him was someone Wang Tian usually didn't encounter.
What can we do?
After racking his brains for many days, Wang Tian heard that General Manager Hu wanted to hold a "snack festival" and suddenly came up with a crooked idea.
She wanted to get things done, but he deliberately sabotaged it, preventing it from succeeding.
People who run small stalls have some understanding of customer psychology.
Even the slightest news about dirt and disorder can deter half of the customers; a major hygiene scandal would have an even greater effect.
Wang Tian prepared a bottle of urine in advance, and as soon as the food festival opened, he rushed in, looking for an opportunity.
There were more people here than he had imagined.
Wang Tian was very jealous, but because there were so many people around, he couldn't find a suitable opportunity for the time being.
After wandering around for more than an hour, he finally spotted a rest area.
You can get iced water and mung bean shaved ice here, and passersby often stop by to get a cup.
To keep them cold, both drinks were placed in styrofoam boxes, stacked one on top of the other.
Wang Tian laughed when he saw this.
This is a great opportunity. We can contaminate an entire box at once. Just cover the styrofoam box, and you won't notice it unless you look closely. The chilled stuff will also mask the smell. Isn't this the perfect place to put it?
Wang Tian squatted for a while, and finally got his chance.
Staff members change shifts, but the handover is not very tight, with a few minutes' gap in between.
Wang Tian had been wandering around the neighborhood for a long time, waiting for these few minutes when the shift would change.
The summer sun is not easy to deal with. Wang Tian was covered in sweat when he finally got his shift over.
He excitedly moved closer, his eyes darting around as he observed the surroundings.
Before he took action, he made sure that no one was watching. But as if God was against him, Wang Tian had just poured out the contents of the bottle when he heard the boy's clear voice.
What are you doing?!
The words we hear most often in daily life become like thunder in a clear sky at times like these.
Wang Tian was so startled that his hand trembled, and he dropped the bottle to the ground.
What happened next was like a dream, so fast that Wang Tian was in a daze.
By the time he regained his memory, he had already been pinned to the ground, and two staff members beside him were discussing how to deal with him.
Wang Tian was shocked to find that his good fortune had been ruined by a little boy. Only then did he begin to feel fear.
What if I get taken to the police station?
Fortunately, it wasn't a serious incident like poisoning; it was just urine.
How much should the fine be?
For a moment, Wang Tian's mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts, and he kept protesting his innocence.
"I really didn't poison them! I really didn't!"
He has spent years working at the lowest levels of society, and he is very good at saying one thing to one person and another to someone else.
When the police arrived, tears immediately welled up in her eyes.
"Officer, I really didn't mean to poison them! They're framing me!"
An uninformed passerby might actually wonder if he had been wronged.
A staff member replaced Tong Shuai, allowing him to come over.
Jiang Chen and the other two followed him at a jog. Just as they reached the police, they heard the man's explanation.
Tong Shuai witnessed the whole thing, and his temper flared up immediately.
"You're lying! I saw it all; you were taking a bottle of yellow stuff and pouring it into the box."
As soon as his voice came out, Wang Tian couldn't help but grit his teeth.
He was almost there when this brat suddenly appeared and ruined his plans.
"This kid is full of lies, he's not even fully grown yet, officer, you can't just believe him!"
His voice was hoarse, and his shout was shrill and desperate.
More and more people gathered around, many of them taking pictures with their phones, making it very difficult to conduct an investigation.
The police officer was also in a dilemma. Jiang Chen turned around and saw the staff rushing over through the gaps in the crowd. He quickly said, "We have evidence!"
His voice was soft, and when he spoke, it was drowned out by the noise of the crowd.
Hearing this, Xu Jiayi, who was surrounding him, shoved Wang Hao, and the children together shouted, "We have evidence!"
Only then did the police officer notice the bunch of little kids.
"Kids, you say you have evidence, can you tell your uncle?"
Jiang Chen stood at the front and answered as the representative.
"It's right outside; the workers have already carried it over!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a voice came from behind the crowd, "Excuse me, please make way, thank you!"
Several young people in work clothes squeezed in, carrying a white foam box.
Wang Tian panicked when he saw this.
It's okay. Even if you get caught, it'll just be a fine. It's nothing.
He kept trying to reassure himself, but his heart was still racing uncontrollably.
With both witnesses and physical evidence present, the police officer already had a good idea of what was going on, and turned to instruct his subordinates.
"Take the suspect back and call the colleagues from the evidence department. We've got some work to do."
The sheer scale of the operation only made Wang Tian more flustered.
What he did was similar to urinating in public, so it shouldn't be illegal, right?
He has little legal knowledge and can only make judgments based on his own experience.
It shouldn't be that bad. When Wang Laosan couldn't hold it in and peed on the street corner, no one fined him!
Thinking about it this way, Wang Tian felt a little more at ease.
It wasn't until the officer who took him away asked his superior, "Sir, what should we do with this man?"
"Detain him first. The case has been pretty much determined. I'm retrieving the surveillance footage. He'll be back at the station for questioning in an hour."
detention?
Wang Tian caught those two words and immediately panicked.
"Officer, I don't think I deserve to be detained. I really didn't poison anyone!"
Unfortunately, the police officer in the car had a bad temper and didn't listen to Wang Tian's explanations at all, refusing to say a word to him.
When they arrived at the police station, Wang Tian endured two agonizing hours in a solitary cell, and his mental defenses were completely shattered.
Once the police interrogated him, he confessed to everything.
"It was indeed me who poured it, but I really didn't intend to poison anyone, officer. You must investigate this thoroughly!"
However, no matter how he explains it, there is a price to pay for what he has done.
"Fifteen days of detention and a fine of three thousand yuan. If you commit the offense again, the punishment will not be so simple."
The moment Wang Tian learned of the punishment, his heart sank.
If he's detained for fifteen days, he won't be able to go out and set up his stall for fifteen days, and he won't have any income.
He also had to pay a fine of three thousand yuan, which directly took away a large portion of his meager savings.
Wang Tian burst into tears. "Officer, I was really wrong. I know I was wrong. I will definitely change. This fine is too much."
The officer in charge was unmoved by his tears and simply retorted.
"Who told you to come in twice in one month? A second offense will definitely warrant a harsher punishment."
Wang Tian was taken away to a special detention room.
One of the detainees was familiar with the police officer and asked curiously, "Officer, what did this new guy do wrong?"
Logically, this shouldn't be answered.
But for these people who lack legal knowledge, it would be best to educate them more so they don't make the same mistakes and end up here.
"To place...to place items that endanger the public in public places."
The pause in the middle aroused the curiosity of a group of bored detainees.
After the police officer left, the man who had asked the first question sidled up to Wang Tian and asked, "Brother, what dangerous thing did you throw?"
Wang Tian was very depressed and also wanted to confide in someone.
"Hey, don't even mention it, I just poured some pee into someone else's box."
After he said that, the whole room fell silent.
After a long silence, someone finally asked, "Where are you going?"
"Free mung beans are in the refrigerator."
The room became even quieter, until finally a man angrily pounded the bed.
"Damn it, I love mung bean ice the most, and some people are getting it for free and they don't even appreciate it!"
He was detained for fighting and was originally planning to spend a few days in jail obediently, but Wang Tian's words ruined his mood.
In a fit of anger, he shouted, "Brothers, beat him up!"
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