Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Stepping out of the Service Center, the cold winter wind cleared the air of impurities. Although the air I inhaled was frigid enough to chill my body to the core, it carried a refreshing scent, reminiscent of nature. The sunlight poured down on my face and body without obstruction, warming even the cold breeze.
I heard a rumbling sound—my stomach growling. It suddenly dawned on me that it was almost noon, and I had been starving.
The Service Center was not far from my shop; it was just a ten-minute walk. Up ahead, there was a fast-food restaurant. Chinese Fast Food, a common northern dish known as Steamed Buns, also referred to as Pan-Fried Buns.
This Steamed Bun shop was called Zhang's Steamed Buns, and the owner, Zhang, was affectionately nicknamed Luo Bao Zhang by the locals. His shop was clean, and the Steamed Buns had their own unique flair, attracting many repeat customers. I often dined here.
When I walked in, it was still before lunchtime, and the shop was empty. Luo Bao Zhang greeted me through the glass partition: "Zhang Boss is here! Eating or settling accounts? I've received your invitation; make sure to come."
Recently, I had been borrowing money everywhere, and everyone I knew seemed to be a creditor. This Steamed Bun shop was on credit, so I wasn't too worried now that I had some money in my pocket.
"I'll eat first. I'll settle my account after."
"I'm not in a hurry," he replied with a chuckle. "You know how it is with Zhang Boss; he doesn't sweat over these couple of coins."
I forced a smile. Just this morning, my pockets were empty—poorer than a beggar.
"What invitation?" I suddenly realized a key term in his words.
"What are you pretending for? Huang the Shopkeeper sent out invitations a few days ago. Your shop is having its grand opening; everyone in the neighborhood has received one."
As soon as I entered the Steamed Bun shop, I found myself entangled in conversation with Luo Bao Zhang. Before I could even sit down, his words made me feel like sitting was no longer an option. I walked up to the counter and peered through the glass partition inside.
"When did Huang the Shopkeeper send out those invitations?"
"Honestly, I don't know," Luo Bao Zhang said as he wiped his hands. He picked up a red invitation from the table and handed it to me through the window.
I opened it up and, sure enough, it was an invitation to the opening ceremony. The invitees were the three of us, with our names written at the top. However, it was all in the same handwriting, signed by Huang Hai. My name was listed first, which seemed to indicate that Huang Hai understood my influence was greater than his.
It appeared that for this grand opening, Huang Hai intended to make it a big deal, even inviting the neighbors—what was that all about? These people had nothing to do with the Antique Circle. Was he trying to create an atmosphere?
I pondered for a moment but couldn't figure out what kind of trick Huang Hai was up to. So I decided not to waste any more brainpower on it.
I tossed the invitation to Luo Bao Zhang and found a corner to sit down. The Steamed Bun shop was quiet, and I took this opportunity to think about some things. I increasingly felt overwhelmed with everything I had going on; there were many matters I hadn’t fully contemplated.
I really needed to take some time to think things through and plan my actions instead of always following in others' footsteps.
I called A San and asked him to change his phone card. This wasn’t a whim; my initial plan was for him not to disclose any information about returning to Laos until he got his hands on the Antimatter Bomb and managed to bring it back home. It was actually safest for him not to contact anyone before then. If Cao Mingzhe found him, I couldn’t guarantee he would keep secrets.
I couldn’t reach A San. If I couldn’t get in touch with him, then Cao Mingzhe would definitely come looking for me to understand the situation. What should I do? Should I proactively inform Cao Mingzhe about what was happening? This was the most urgent and practical question before me.
Ever since I truly sensed Cao Mingzhe's awakening abilities, the pressure he exerted on me had grown stronger. I didn’t even have the courage to face his inquiries.
Moreover, I hadn’t fully grasped the information Cao Mingzhe provided; some of it was beyond my comprehension, while other parts needed verification through different sources. Until I thoroughly understood this information, I had no intention of confronting Cao Mingzhe.
I hoped that when we met next time, I would be confident and prepared, having understood the information he provided and ready to pose new questions. During our last conversation, I hadn’t asked all the questions I prepared, and the amount of information I received left me bewildered and unable to process it all. The fact that I hadn’t gone insane was simply due to my resilience.
The best way to verify the information provided by Cao Mingzhe was through Xiao Ting. I always remembered something Jack once whispered to me: she knows more than she lets on.
Jack had almost murmured this in my ear, making it impossible for Fatty, who was present at the time, to hear. Afterward, the relationship between Fatty and Xiao Ting heated up rapidly, so it wouldn’t be wise for me to target Xiao Ting with my inquiries; otherwise, Fatty would surely misunderstand my intentions. At that time, there were three people who had feelings for Xiao Ting, not just one.
I didn't want to let Fatty misunderstand me. There were many examples of good brothers falling out over women, but I believed Xiao Ting wasn't someone who would sow discord among friends. From our conversations and the trust Fatty had in me, I could tell that everything was fine. Therefore, I couldn't let the problem arise from my side.
This meant that my conversation with Xiao Ting had to be conducted secretly; I couldn't let Fatty know. At the very least, he shouldn't know the content of our discussion or that I had any distrust towards Xiao Ting. It felt very awkward; honestly, I had never kept anything from Fatty before. There were no secrets between us.
I needed to find a suitable time and reason to invite Xiao Ting out. She was currently glued to Fatty, making it impossible for me to do so without him noticing.
At that moment, I thought of the USB drive that Xiao Guolin had left for me. That USB drive was currently with Xiao Ting, and I could use it as an excuse to meet her. After all, I needed to take some time to carefully review the information Xiao Guolin had left for me.
I quickly dialed Fatty's number and said directly, "Is Xiao Ting there? I need to talk to her."
"Damn it. You're being so blatant about this. Looking for my woman? You think I won't get angry!?"
Hearing Fatty's loud tone, I realized that Xiao Ting wasn't nearby. I noticed how good he was at acting; it struck me as odd since I'd known him for most of my life and never realized he had this talent.
"Stop with the act. Miss Ren has been with you for so long; she needs some fresh air. Spending too much time with a thug like you might ruin her."
"Why am I a thug? Did I ruin you? If you hadn't been with me back then, would you have even gotten into college? You'd probably be mining coal by now."
"Should I thank you for that? With my intelligence, I should be at Peking University or Tsinghua University; who should I blame for that?"
After some back-and-forth on the phone, Fatty asked, "What do you need to talk to Xiao Ting about?"
"I need her to come over here and remember to bring the USB drive with the information left by Xiao Guolin. There are a few questions I need to clarify with her."
"This won't do. I won't send a sheep into the tiger's den. Otherwise, should I just deliver it to you?"
"Come on, you're already disabled. You can't be running all over the place. Even without Yellow Dog, they won't let me off easy; they'll bite me to death."
Fatty's laughter on the phone suddenly stopped. "Qiangzi, Tingting is back. You can talk to her."
The voice on the other end immediately changed to Xiao Ting's: "Qiangzi, looking for me?"
Qiangzi? Fatty has really gone bad; he doesn't even call me Brother Qiang anymore.
"Can you bring over the USB drive with the information your dad left for me? I need to verify something."
"Sure, I'll head over right now." (To Be Continued...)
Comment 0 Comment Count