Four-Faced Buddha [To My Shore] - Chap 87
Chapter 87 Always at Your Call
2024-10-13 07:33 Category: Four-Faced BuddhaTurn off the lights
The willows around the kindergarten droop low, swaying gently in the breeze like silk ribbons.
You Shulang took Tiantian to kindergarten. He watched as the slightly stronger little boy followed the teacher into the kindergarten, then poked his head out from inside the door and shouted, “Goodbye, Uncle!” Only then was the entire process of entering the kindergarten complete, and he happily began his new day.
You Shulang dared not linger outside the park. He had vivid memories of being surrounded by mothers or grandmothers who had picked up their children and chatted with them. He simply answered “unmarried” and suddenly found himself with three or five more potential blind dates.
Weeping willows lined the road, their green waves gently patting my shoulders, generously leaving behind their special gift—willow catkins.
You Shulang wore a thin black cardigan today, which made the white fluff clinging to his body even more noticeable.
He picked the herbs as he walked, then strolled into a nearby pharmacy. Two boxes of his family’s usual medicines had expired, but with Tian Tian around, You Shulang always replaced them immediately.
After giving the name of the medicine, while waiting for the salesperson to pick it up, You Shulang’s professional instincts kicked in, and he walked to the shelf to check the medicine.
The honeysuckle drink has been launched and the market response has been good. The first quarter financial report has been delivered to Huang Qimin’s desk. Judging from his happy mood these days, the returns should be considerable.
The collapse of the Fan Group naturally affected Pinfeng Venture Capital as well. Fan Xiao was summoned back, and Pinfeng Venture Capital was taken over by Xu Zhong. All accounts were sent to relevant departments for review, but no problems were found. However, the subsequent funding was cut off, forcing the suspension of two new projects. Fortunately, the initial funding for honeysuckle drinks was basically in place, so it was not greatly affected.
Although Xu Zhong disliked Fan Xiao, he agreed with the marketing strategy he set and continued to implement it as planned, which indeed achieved the sales target.
Distracted from his chaotic thoughts, You Shulang picked up a box of a competing product from the new project. Just as he looked at the dosage form, he heard a rustling sound coming from the curtain behind the shelf.
He was just a customer; he didn’t even look up.
The small pharmacy had only two or three people, including the cashier, but they all crowded around it. Even the girl in the white coat who was getting medicine for You Shulang drew an arc in the air, turned around quickly, and walked towards the door.
The girls’ voices were all quite pleasant, but when they were huddled together, they sounded a bit disjointed. Someone called out “Brother Fan,” and others asked if they were hot or thirsty.
In contrast to the girls’ enthusiasm, his response was calm and unhurried.
“It’s not hot today, so I don’t need water. I’m just here to collect some sales data, and I’ll leave after I’ve recorded the numbers.”
The man’s deep voice carried a faint hint of laughter, not much, but enough to soften his otherwise cold tone.
A faint rustling sound came from behind the medicine shelf. The man speaking glanced over and saw only neatly arranged medicines and glimpses of dark clothing peeking out from behind.
He turned away, took off his helmet, and habitually ran his hand through his buzz cut, his tone carrying a gentle distance.
“How are the sales of those new products that came out this week? Is the knowledge from the last training session applicable to sales?”
The girl answered chatteringly, and in the brief silence, the sound of pens falling could be heard.
In just a few minutes, the man closed the notebook, ended the conversation, pulled a handful of colorful candies from his pocket, and said with a smile, “They were given to me by someone else, so I’m just passing on what I’ve got.”
During the warm farewell, the curtain was lifted again, then fell back down, swaying a few times before the girl delivering the medicine finally looked at You Shulang again.
“Sir, sir!” After calling several times, the handsome customer finally came to his senses. She quickly handed him the medicine in her hand, “Sorry to keep you waiting, here is your medicine.”
You Shulang glanced at the still-swaying curtain, nodded slightly, and placed the crushed medicine box in the girl’s hand: “I’ll settle this together.”
Walking around the shelves, You Shulang headed to the cashier. He handed over his ID card, but after being reminded, he exchanged it for his medical insurance card.
Amidst the sizzling sound of the bill printer, the crisp clinking of plastic beads suddenly broke the silence. The curtain was lifted again, and a tall figure entered along with the May breeze.
“I forgot my key…”
Upon hearing the sound, You Shulang instinctively looked over, and with no shelves in between, their eyes met.
He still has that same sharp, intimidating look, but with his new buzz cut, he looks even more unapproachable and difficult to tame.
His eyes still held a deep gentleness, and the smile on his lips was appropriate, neither too strong nor too weak, neither too flamboyant, and it suppressed the sharpness brought by his appearance.
The printer’s whirring continued, and time seemed to stretch and distort. You Shulang felt as if he had returned to that May two years ago. The car window slowly rolled down, and a warm current poured out of the car. Fan Xiao, with a smile on his lips and a kind gaze, had entered his life…
My heart tightened.
The pharmacy was small, with only two or three meters between the cashier and the door. You Shulang watched as Fan Xiao’s initial surprise turned into delight, and finally into unease.
The printer finally stopped running, and the bag containing the medicine and the dropped key were delivered to You Shulang and Fan Xiao at the same time.
You Shulang answered the call, and Fan Xiao only raised his hand after being reminded twice.
After thanking him, You Shulang carried the bag and walked towards the door. In just a few steps, he passed through the breeze and floating willow catkins between the two of them and arrived in front of Fan Xiao.
He nodded gently, as if he were treating any stranger with whom he had exchanged glances, with kindness and friendliness.
However, when their bodies intersected, they tried their best to avoid Fan Xiao, who was blocking most of the doorway.
One leg stepped out of the threshold, and the sunlight outside was already shining into his eyes, but You Shulang’s wrist was suddenly grabbed.
He frowned slightly and turned to look at Fan Xiao.
“Is something the matter?” he asked.
Fan Xiao remained silent for a moment, then slowly released his hand, took out a business card from his pocket, and handed it to You Shulang.
“I am a medical representative from Kangda Pharmaceutical. If you have any questions when purchasing or taking medicines produced by our company, please feel free to contact me and I will resolve them for you promptly.”
You Shulang glanced at the business card handed to him. Fan Xiao, Terminal Pharmaceutical Representative, Kangda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Terminal pharmaceutical representatives are sales personnel who promote and sell drugs to pharmacies or hospitals. They generally do not have a base salary or benefits and only earn commissions, making them the lowest tier of pharmaceutical representatives.
A few inches away from the business card, you see cheap work clothes and chunky shoes. No one would guess that Fan Xiao, who is holding a motorcycle helmet, once owned a diamond cufflink that cost tens of thousands of yuan.
The only familiar thing was the watch on his wrist, a patch of his original wheat-colored skin remaining on his tanned dark brown skin.
Avoiding eye contact, You Shulang didn’t take the business card, and replied, “I don’t use Kangda’s medicine, so there’s no need for me to keep your business card.”
He stepped out with his other foot, one inside the door and the other outside, and continued, “Kangda’s medicine is expensive and ineffective. I wouldn’t have chosen it before, and I won’t use it in the future.”
After saying that, You Shulang turned around and walked into the green waves without looking back, gradually disappearing into the distance.
The swaying curtain obscured Fan Xiao’s face, making his expression impossible to discern…
After traveling for an unknown amount of time, You Shulang heard the sound of a motorcycle behind him, but he had already missed the bus stop.
The roar grew louder and closer, finally stopping abruptly beside him.
Along the tree-lined roadside, a slightly worn motorcycle and less-than-fashionable work clothes, yet their striking figures add a touch of untamed sexiness.
Fan Xiao braced himself on the ground with his long legs, took off his helmet and held it in his arms, leaned slightly forward, and looked at You Shulang through the dappled shadows of the trees.
The soft willow branches swayed on his face, eliciting a smile from him. He reached out to You Shulang, and as the man dodged to the side, he plucked a willow catkin from his black clothes.
Withdrawing his hand, Fan Xiao’s gentle voice was softer than the willow catkins in his hand: “Don’t be afraid, Director You. I just wanted to tell you that even though we live in the same city, I will not bother you again. Just live your life peacefully and pretend that we never met today.”
He put on his helmet, started the engine, and turned his head through his goggles amidst the roar: “However, if Director You ever wavers even slightly, I’ll be there whenever you call.”
With the throttle fully depressed, the motorcycle sped forward, kicking up a cloud of willow catkins that had fallen to the ground.
Since Tian Tian was born, You Shulang has rarely smoked. The apartment he rents is very close to the research institute; it’s in the suburbs, an old building, so it’s cheap.
One bedroom, one living room, and a small balcony—just right.
There’s not much of a view outside the balcony; not a single green plant or tree, just a narrow patch of sky.
Tonight, the moon happens to hang in that narrow spot, its soft glow mingling with the white smoke from the cigarette.
Tian Tian was already asleep. You Shulang leaned against the balcony smoking. After one cigarette burned out, he lit another. When it was halfway burned, the man finally picked up his phone and looked up the big news in the medical field in the neighboring country a year ago.
Searching for keywords brought up many news articles. You Shulang picked the one that seemed the most detailed and clicked on it.
The focus of the case is on the production and sale of counterfeit goods, which involves many hidden details. Since twenty years have passed since the incident, those who knew about it and participated at the time are either dead or old. Therefore, apart from Fan Xiao’s father being imprisoned and receiving a heavy sentence, only some minor figures were implicated.
As for the three sons of the Fan family, the second son, Fan Yu, served three years in prison; the eldest son, Fan Bo, received only a suspended sentence because he actively compensated the victims and obtained the understanding of the company that had suppressed him.
Swipe up with your thumb to scroll to the end of the article, but there’s no information about Fan Xiao at all.
