Chapter 602: Chapter 22: When Rivals in Love Meet (Bonus for 10 Fans, Senior Brother & Yezi)
At the moment, a naive and ignorant young man presented himself, and Huang Tengchong, who wouldn’t let such an opportunity slip by, beamed with a sycophantic smile as he thought this. "Little brother, let me discuss something with you," he pulled out a pack of Marlboro and handed it to Yezi.
In no time, Yezi and Huang Tengchong came out together, nearly making Mao Dazhu drop his glasses in shock. Huang Tengchong tried to put his arm around Yezi’s shoulder, but the noticeable height difference between them made it quite a stretch. Teetering on his toes and tilting his head back, he said, "Ah Ye, don’t worry, follow big brother and you’ll strut around Beijing just like a Hairy Crab, leaving all the heavy crab-moving to someone else. I’ll get ten or eight guys to do it for you."
Meixin had seen how Huang Tengchong acted around different people: obsequious and ingratiating with high officials and the rich, ruthlessly malicious with his colleagues, and completely different with his subordinates. Even his own brother never saw much kindness from him.
"Well, I guess I’ll have to trouble Brother Huang then," Yezi still wore a naive smile. He told Mao Dazhu that he wouldn’t be delivering crabs anymore and asked him to pass the message to Uncle Lu.
Only then did Mao Dazhu realize that the boy Yezi was leaving behind his poor friends like Uncle Lu in pursuit of wealth. A look of disdain crept over Mao Dazhu’s aged face. Though not close with Yezi, Mao knew that Yezi had always relied on Uncle Lu’s care while in Beijing. Yet, the boy had no qualms about leaving without looking back.
"Yezi, you ingrate, a girl like my niece would never fancy someone like you," Mao Dazhu, though a money-grubber himself, could still distinguish between dirty money and honest money, and he despised Yezi’s ungrateful actions.
Yezi’s face soured. "Mr. Mao, I respect you as an elder which is why I asked for your help in passing the message to Uncle Lu. Didn’t my brother-in-law say a man should make a career for himself? I’m just out to forge my own path."
Huang Tengchong chimed in from the side, "Exactly, a man with money will get the women. Ah Ye will only succeed by following me. Right, Meixin?"
Meixin, startled, hesitated before nodding. Yezi, without a backward glance, ditched his bicycle and climbed into Huang Tengchong’s luxurious Lincoln. Taking Yezi away, Huang Tengchong also ended up buying the last seven or eight cushions.
Although Mao Dazhu had taken the money, he felt suffocated with resentment and sat in front of the store fuming, glaring at everyone who came in.
Late in the afternoon, before closing the store, Uncle Lu hurried in. It had been so long since Yezi took the Hairy Crabs out, and he had yet to return, so Uncle Lu came to check.
"Mr. Mao, are you minding the store today? Where did that boy Yezi run off to play?" From a distance, Uncle Lu saw Yezi’s old bicycle parked at the door, the foam box already off the bike, and the Hairy Crabs neatly displayed on the stall.
"Let’s not talk about him, his name alone annoys me," Mao Dazhu locked the door and invited Uncle Lu to have some drinks at his place.
Uncle Lu pushed the bicycle, listening as Mao Dazhu recounted the events. He remained silent for a long while before heaving a sigh, "Forget it, that kid has prospects. Staying with me would only hold him back."
Mao Dazhu didn’t know how to console him. He remembered that before leaving, Yezi had left his fanny pack behind, saying he wouldn’t need it anymore.
Uncle Lu opened the fanny pack, stunned. Mao Dazhu leaned over and glanced inside. There was only a bank card which Uncle Lu had given to Yezi to deposit crab-raising funds in. The card display a six-digit password and alongside it, a note: "Uncle, Yezi is leaving. Take care."
**
Huang Tengchong took Yezi to a department store first, and they visited several counters along the way, switching Yezi into a set of dazzling new clothes.
"Meixin, take a look, this little brother of mine, whatever he wears, he just fits into it, and really has some style," Huang Tengchong glanced at Yezi walking out of the dressing room, thinking to himself, initially seeing this kid, he seemed like a simpleton, but changing clothes, he now resembled a "pretty boy."
However, he has a handsome face, and his physique is quite fierce, especially those legs, only a few international big brands can fit him, domestic suits all turn out to be too short.
The female sales assistants in the high-end clothing store all gathered around, chirping about that young man who looked very much like a model.
"He does look good, Ah Ye is a typical coat hanger," Meixin looked at Yezi, laughing on the side, Yezi’s age was quite close to one of her cousins, just that he was taller and more robust.
"Just wrap up the few sets he just tried on, Ah Ye, I see your hands are quite bare, big brother here will accompany you to buy a watch as well. Women look at bags, men look at watches, there’s a Longines counter ahead, buying a watch to match the clothes works too," Huang Tengchong fervently endeavored to win over Yezi.
Yezi smiled, took the bags from the sales assistants, and walked out of the store, facing a mother and son head-on.
Huang Tengchong paused, his mouth corners looking like they wanted to rise but also fall, his face was full of mixed emotions, "Mr. Zhou, you’re back in the country?"
Zhou Ziang had not been back in the country for many days, and was dragged out by his mother Xi Lijuan to shop for autumn and winter clothes. Seeing Huang Tengchong’s greeting, he couldn’t even be bothered to respond, it was Mrs. Zhou who politely answered a few sentences.
Intending not to make small talk with Huang Tengchong, Zhou Ziang impatiently looked forward, past Huang Tengchong’s oily forehead. Zhou Ziang noticed the young man and the young woman following him.
The very conspicuous young man caught Yezi’s attention.
A strange pressure surged instantaneously, Yezi, holding the shopping bags, clenched his fists, his eyes boldly meeting the androgynous-looking man in front of him. Being stared at suddenly, Yezi felt uncomfortable throughout his body, a pressure as if squeezing his internal organs.
The silver ring in his pocket emitted an uncomfortable heat, Yezi could feel that in the space "Little Pig" and the other illusion beasts were agitated.
This man, was very special.
"Mr. Huang, who is this?" Zhou Ziang, initially very nonchalant, changed his tone and asked.
"This is the new aquatic expert I hired, named Li Ye. Don’t be fooled by his young age, he is a genius," Huang Tengchong feeling somewhat smug inside as Zhou Ziang’s attitude changed abruptly, compared to the likes of Zhou Ziang, those ostentatious foreign-trained experts who really know little, Li Ye was genuinely talented.
"Hello, my name is Zhou Ziang, perhaps in the future we can have a good exchange," Zhou Ziang extended his hand, Yezi hesitated for a moment, then also extended his hand, their hands clasped together, then let go.
Zhou Ziang and Mrs. Zhou walked away, Huang Tengchong awkwardly said, "Ah Ye, shall we go check the watches in front?"
"Sure," Yezi thought for a moment, then put on the silver ring that had been in his pocket.(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to go to Qidian () to cast recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)