Four-Faced Buddha [To My Shore] - Chap 92
Chapter 92 Revenge
2024-10-13 07:35 Category: Four-Faced BuddhaTurn off the lights
I rested for two days over the weekend. You Shulang returned to work after recovering from his illness.
I spent the whole morning buried in the lab, and it wasn’t until someone reminded me that I realized it was lunchtime.
He had a delicate stomach and intestines, so he didn’t dare to be negligent. He got up, changed his clothes, and headed to the cafeteria.
Changling Pharmaceutical was originally a subsidiary of Changling University. Later it was separated, but it still rented the university’s campus and ate in the faculty and staff canteen.
Turn right after exiting the gate and take a shortcut. After walking a few steps, you’ll see someone peeking around, looking here and there.
A white suit and shiny leather shoes are a rare sight on campus, but not unusual. You Shulang quickened his pace and passed the man.
“Director You?”
He paused, and You Shulang turned around to look at the source of the sound.
The man in the white suit approached warmly, stepping onto You Shulang’s shadow spread out in front of him: “It really is you. Why didn’t you answer your phone? I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”
At first glance, You Shulang wanted to frown, but he rationally suppressed his brows and spoke calmly: “Vice President Xue, it’s been a long time.”
In a corner of the staff canteen sat You Shulang and Xue Baotian.
Xue Baotian’s white suit was quite eye-catching, and coupled with his nouveau riche demeanor, he definitely attracted a lot of attention.
You Shulang pushed the plate in front of Xue Baotian: “The food at school is not as good as in the cafeteria, please forgive me, Vice President Xue.”
“I know, but I don’t have much hope.” Xue Baotian’s eyes gleamed with a sly light. “I’ve never eaten at school before, so it’s a novelty.”
He picked up his chopsticks and asked again, “No tablecloth?”
Seeing You Shulang shake his head, he clicked his tongue, got up, and took off his suit jacket.
You Shulang once dined with Xue Baotian and was deeply impressed by his pickiness and fussiness. Even the most exquisite delicacies were subject to his nitpicking, and he would criticize more than he ate.
At this point, they began to devour the food in a whirlwind, finishing it all in no time. Only after swallowing the last mouthful of soup did Xue Baotian begin to complain, “This soup is so bland and watery, it’s really nothing special.”
“Vice President Xue, is there something you need?”
Aside from social engagements, You Shulang didn’t like to discuss business during meals, but he didn’t want to waste time with Xue Baotian, so he steered the conversation to more serious matters.
However, he still didn’t understand Xue Baotian. There was nothing important that could make Xue Baotian make a special trip and wait for so long.
“Do you know that Fan Xiao has fallen from grace!”
You Shulang took a sip of juice with a calm expression.
“Yes, yes, you must know. His family’s affairs caused such a big stir, and you two have that kind of relationship, how could you not know?”
You Shulang tapped his knuckles on the table a few times, his tone calm but his eyes warning: “Vice President Xue, mind your manners.”
Xue Baotian agreed, crouched down, and lowered his voice: “Do you know that he’s back recently? He has no money left, and he’s been doing sales lately, riding a beat-up motorcycle through the streets and alleys. I don’t think his clothes together could even cover the cost of this meal.”
He clicked his tongue a few times, feigning regret, but his eyes gleamed with a strange light: “He used to be so domineering, always putting others down, making countless enemies. Back then, he had money and connections, so everyone tolerated him and treated him with respect. Now he’s nothing. When acquaintances meet him, they can’t let him be arrogant anymore. He’s being belittled and humiliated to his face. Oh dear, he’s truly a fallen phoenix, worse than a chicken!”
You Shulang didn’t look up and continued eating his meal.
Xue Baotian didn’t seem to care about any response and continued, “He went to our pharmacy yesterday, wanting to put the medicine he had on our shelves.”
Xue Baotian slapped his thigh: “I thought this opportunity had finally come! What goes around comes around, and now it’s my turn to take you, Fan Xiao!”
“I used to have to watch my step and flatter him. When he was in a good mood, he would call me ‘Your Highness,’ but when he was in a bad mood, he would turn on me faster than anyone else! Now it’s his turn to watch my step!”
When an acquaintance passed by, You Shulang greeted him with a smile, but the smile quickly disappeared by the time it returned to Xue Baotian’s face.
Xue Baotian took out a cigarette and, before You Shulang could speak, said, “I know you can’t smoke here, so I’ll just take it, otherwise I’ll get annoyed.”
You Shulang continued eating, and casually asked between chewing bites, “You’ve already trampled Fan Xiao underfoot, what’s there to be upset about?”
“I wouldn’t be bothered if you actually stepped on him.” Xue Bao said unhappily, “Yesterday… I rehearsed it all in the office yesterday, but when I actually saw Fan Xiao, damn it, I… didn’t dare.”
Xue Baotian shifted his position, saying, “You know what? He just stood there in those tattered clothes, grinning at me, and I had a feeling he was up to something. Who knows what he might be up to!”
“Damn, they drank my two thousand yuan worth of good tea, and they still say it’s not as good as your tea, Director You.” Xue Baotian raised his eyebrows. “Director You, can you treat me to a cup of tea later? Let me taste what good tea is like.”
You Shulang put down his chopsticks, finished his meal, and asked the same question again: “What did Vice President Xue want to see me about today?”
Xue Baotian asked, somewhat puzzled, “Fan Xiao is back, and he’s back in such a sorry state. Don’t you have any thoughts about this?”
You Shulang smiled and asked, “What do you think I should think, Vice President Xue?”
“Revenge!” Xue Baotian almost slammed his fist on the table. “Didn’t he force you back then? You couldn’t do anything about him before, but now is the perfect opportunity for revenge.”
Xue Baotian gritted his teeth: “If my son falls so low that he can be bullied by anyone, I’ll fucking kill him and make him kneel on the ground and call me grandpa.”
“The one in your family?”
“Ah…” Xue Baotian wanted to slap himself. “Director You, how could you not seize such a good opportunity?”
You Shulang was at a loss with Xue Baotian, so he had no choice but to go along with him and ask, “How do you want to get revenge?”
Xue Baotian pointed a cigarette at You Shulang from a distance: “You’re just too kind. Look at Bai Sanmiao, he’s really determined to get revenge on Fan Xiao. I wonder what kind of grudge they have?”
“Bai Yupeng?”
You Shulang thought of the man sitting in the bathroom, half-covered in blood. It was Fan Xiao who had conspired with him to cover up the crime. That day, Fan Xiao had beaten Bai Yupeng half to death, earning a lot of goodwill in his eyes. It was after that incident that You Shulang truly became close to Fan Xiao and allowed him to enter his life as a friend.
Sparrows were always pecking at the windowsill in the cafeteria. You Shulang looked at them and said calmly, “What you owe, you have to pay back. That’s fair. The worst that can happen is that you get a beating.”
“A beating?” Xue Baotian scoffed. “Director You is thinking too simply. I heard they’re planning to ruin Fan Xiao this time.”
The sparrows on the windowsill fluttered away; he curled his long, slender fingers into a fist…
I attended two classes in the afternoon. When the instructor called on students to answer questions, You Shulang, unusually, did not give the correct answer.
The mentor joked, “Your Uncle You has finally left you some way out.”
You Shulang was the oldest in the class. At first, everyone called him Brother You seriously, but later, a girl called him “Uncle” in a coquettish way, and the title spread.
You Shulang disliked this title very much, as it reminded him of Lu Zhen. He corrected it many times, but to little avail.
He was in a bad mood today, and amidst everyone’s laughter, he slowly said, “From now on, please don’t call me ‘Uncle’ anymore. I’ve been called that in bed before, so it sounds awkward to me.”
The laughter subsided quickly, and the room fell silent. After a short while, shouts of “Holy crap!” rose and fell. Even the professor, who was over sixty years old, coughed a few times and ordered, “From now on, you are not allowed to call me that. We are all classmates. Call me Classmate You.”
