Chapter 22: Inferiority
The girl at the door turned around in confusion, the upper half of her face hidden in the darkness outside the store, revealing only a bit of her fair and delicate chin, like a slender and flawless white water lily.
Chen Wang's throat tightened, and his movements became a little stiff. He almost bumped into a tungsten steel bar that was sticking out from the shelf.
"You can't buy gilded obsidian outside." His tone sounded a little dry.
Yu Zhi frowned and said dejectedly: "Ah, there is nothing here..."
"No," Chen Wang finally walked out of the shelf area with great effort, "There is only one piece in the black market auction house, and it will be put up for auction in a few days."
The eyes that lit up when she heard the first half of the sentence dimmed after she heard the second half. Yu Zhi sighed, "But I..."
"I can take you shopping."
Chen Wang didn't know how he said this. Maybe when he asked her to wait, he had already made the decision in his heart.
He abandoned his usual mind-boggling attitude and resolutely broke the bottom line.
Just because I didn't want to see a hint of distress on her carefree face.
Even this might not be a big deal for her, just a little bit of annoyance.
As expected, after hearing his words, the girl smiled at him in surprise, without suspecting at all that he was lying to her.
"You are so kind! Thank you, Chen Wang."
She seemed to be born with the ability to say a lot of nice things that could make people dizzy.
This was a field Chen Wang had never encountered before. His IQ might have been all in mechanics, but he had no idea how to coax people. Of course, no one had ever said to him in such a sweet voice, "You're so nice."
He didn't know how to respond, so he could only silently take a black robe that covered his entire body from the shelf by the door.
"You have to put it on," he handed the burqa over, but his fingertips shrank back as if they had been electrocuted when they touched the other person's hand, "...to reduce the trouble."
Yu Zhi obediently leaned on him, even covering his face tightly.
The two men stepped out of the repair shop, and Chen Wang pulled down the metal curtain of the shop.
"Ah," Yu Zhi hesitated, "Will it affect your business?"
"It's okay," Chen Wang said, locking the door with a swift movement. "Didn't you already overpay?"
*
The auction house is closed today.
Chen Wang took Yu Zhi straight to the work area in the backfield through many twists and turns, found a man wearing a shiny leather jacket, and asked Yu Zhi to wait on the side while he negotiated.
"Brother Wang," Chen Wang walked over alone and got straight to the point, "Can I buy your piece of gilded obsidian privately?"
The middle-aged man he called Brother Wang looked at him in surprise and asked, "You want it?"
Chen Wang gestured to Yu Zhi who was standing not far away: "My... friend wants it."
"Oh, it's rare to see you!" Brother Wang seemed to be interested. "You said you have friends?"
Brother Wang was obviously quite familiar with Shen Wang. After teasing him a few times, he didn't pursue the matter any further.
"It's fine to buy it privately, but you have to give me some benefits, right?" Brother Wang touched his chin and asked tentatively, "Help me modify three mechas?"
Chen Wang had a blank expression on his face: "At most one set."
"Deal!" Brother Wang agreed readily, looking like he had made a profit.
Chen Wang: “…”
After the two of them reached an agreement, without any effort on Yu Zhi's part, Brother Wang had the gilded obsidian delivered, and Yu Zhi only paid a symbolic market price.
"Thank you!" Yu Zhi happily put the obsidian away and asked curiously, "Is he from the auction house? Are you familiar with him?"
Chen Wang hummed, "Brother Wang is the person in charge of the auction house, and I also take some work from him."
Yu Zhi didn't know that Chen Wang had agreed to Brother Wang's conditions, which allowed her to successfully buy the obsidian.
Her face was full of joy as she had bought her brother the birthday gift he wanted. On the way back, she couldn't help chattering and imagining how happy her brother would be when he saw it.
Seeing her happy look, Chen Wang felt that his heart seemed to be filled with warmth, but when he heard that the girl's heart and eyes were full of her brother, his heart seemed to be filled with bitterness.
It must be a very happy thing to be cared about by her like this.
Unfortunately, he is just an orphan without parents, and the only person who can be considered a relative only sees his value in using him.
*
"Thank you so much today, it's nice to meet you!" Yu Zhi took off the burqa and returned it to Chen Wang, saying with a smile. "Yes." Chen Wang took it with his eyes downcast, no longer looking at her.
I probably won't see her again...
"Let's add a light computer." Yu Zhi said in a light tone, and directly opened the interface and handed it to Chen Wang.
Her wrist was white and slender, like a piece of expensive, carefully cultivated, crisp lotus root that had only been seen in promotional videos.
The optical computer he was wearing was the latest model launched by InNet. If he relied solely on repairing electrical appliances, Chen Wang would have to go without food or drink and repair a hundred pieces to earn that amount of money.
Chen Wang withdrew his gaze, as if just looking up was a blasphemy.
"No thanks." He pursed his lips, turned his back to her, unlocked the shop door, and then uttered the refusal.
He seemed to be able to feel the lost gaze of the girl behind him, falling on him, confused and puzzled.
"Why?" Yu Zhi followed him into the repair shop, and even the joy of buying the obsidian faded.
"There's no need." Chen Wang said stiffly without any explanation.
This was probably his last bit of sanity that made him treat her so heartlessly.
But they were not from the same world. She had only come into contact with him by chance because she wanted to buy a birthday present for her brother. It should end now, lest he develop some unrealistic and greedy ideas out of thin air.
Yu Zhi was humiliated for no reason and pouted in grievance. She did not insist any longer, but turned around and left in a huff without even saying goodbye.
When her figure disappeared from the street corner, Chen Wang suddenly lost his strength. His shoulders drooped and he leaned lazily on the shelf, his mind blank as if it was rusty.
*
Although Chen Wang rejected her, a smile appeared on Yu Zhi's lips.
Given her arrogant personality, this actually suggests that he had other thoughts about her, which is why he couldn't help but help her, but then backed off because of his hidden inferiority complex.
If his true heart is as cold and indifferent as his outward appearance, then he can just add her as a friend on his computer.
But it doesn’t matter if they don’t add it this time, they will see each other again sooner or later.
According to the plot of the novel, Chen Wang will soon be noticed by an old professor of the Central Military Academy because of his talent in mecha, and will therefore go to the Central Military Academy to study, starting his road to rise.
When they meet again, it will be time for Chen Wang to take the bait she has laid.
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