Four-Faced Buddha [To My Shore] - Chap 93
Chapter 93 Ten Minutes
2024-10-13 07:35 Category: Four-Faced BuddhaTurn off the lights
After class, You Shulang went back to the lab. He was often lost in thought during the first half of the session, and made a series of mistakes during the second half. He had to calculate a basic data point three times before he finally got the correct result.
After Tian Xiaotian looked over again, You Shulang put down the reagent bottle in his hand.
“I’m not feeling well, so I’ll be leaving early today. Thank you for your hard work.”
The project has entered a critical stage, and Yu Shulang has been working overtime frequently lately. He has hired a short-term nanny to pick up and drop off Tian Tian and take care of her daily life.
He always arrives early and leaves late, taking on a lot of heavy workload. Today, his unusual early departure has everyone a little worried.
“I’m fine.” After changing his clothes, You Shulang reassured everyone, “I’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep.”
It was already 7 p.m. when I came out of the lab. The bus stop was a bit far away, requiring a ten-minute walk.
Because it was in the suburbs, there weren’t many people waiting for the bus. You Shulang leaned against the bus stop sign and smoked, his thoughts drifting away with the smoke between his fingers. When he came to his senses, he had already missed the bus.
The next bus will be in fifteen or twenty minutes.
You Shulang took out his phone, checked the time, then put it away, telling himself not to look at the time again.
You Shulang missed his stop and realized it was 8:07.
The car door opened, and he remained seated, letting himself slip out.
The night outside the car was dark, and his shadow was faintly reflected on the car window. His face was expressionless, showing no joy or sorrow, and he was peaceful to the point of being numb.
Suddenly a motorcycle came from behind, initially running alongside the bus, then accelerating and roaring as it sped away.
The car is new and beautiful. It’s much better than Fan Xiao’s.
You Shulang subconsciously checked the time again; it was 8:13.
His hand gripping the phone bulged with veins. He tried his best to control himself from thinking about those words, but they stubbornly arranged themselves in his mind, forming a straightforward and easy-to-understand sentence.
“8:30 PM, Lido. Bai Sanmiao has set a trap to kill Fan Xiao. Director You, if you want revenge, come and watch the show. Call me when you get there.”
The message was sent by Xue Baotian in the afternoon. You Shulang only read it once and then deleted it. What’s annoying is that… he remembered it.
At 8:15, the bus pulled into the station again, the doors opened, and the arriving passengers filed out. Half a minute later, the air valves hissed, and the two doors slowly slid towards each other.
“Wait, I want to get off!”
You Shulang suddenly stood up from his seat, rushed to the door, and reached his hand into the gap to stop the car door from closing.
The driver yelled and angrily pressed the door open button. You Shulang’s hand was briefly pinched, but he didn’t have time to pay attention to the pain. He quickly jumped off the bus, took out his phone, and dialed Fan Xiao’s number.
Power off.
I dialed again, but the phone was still off!
You Shulang dialed that number repeatedly, and each time he heard a sweet but mechanical female voice.
His expression grew increasingly anxious. After dialing again without success, he reached out to hail a taxi. Fortunately, it was a busy area, so it wasn’t difficult to get a cab.
After getting on the bus and giving the name “Lido,” You Shulang called Xue Baotian again.
The call connected this time, but no one answered. You Shulang listened to the loud ringtone four or five times, but still didn’t hear from the other end.
Wiping his face with his hand, You Shulang said wearily, “Master, can you hurry up?”
Lido is located in a vibrant, bustling area; one could say that the vibrancy of the area is a direct result of Lido’s presence.
You Shulang was familiar with this place. When he was the office director, he often brought guests here to relax after banquets. There was something for everyone, whether it was meat or vegetarian, refined or vulgar.
After getting out of the taxi, You Shulang dialed Xue Baotian’s number again, but there was still no answer. The call ended automatically, and the Arabic numerals on the screen jumped into view: 8:47.
You Shulang strode into the Lido Hotel and asked the manager on duty directly, “Which room is Young Master Bai in?”
The manager paused, his eyes darting around: “May I ask your surname, sir?”
The manager on duty was unfamiliar, and You Shulang concealed the urgency on his face. After a moment’s thought, he gave his answer: “His surname is Fan.”
“Mr. Fan, please wait a moment while I check the room information.”
It was supposed to be an inquiry, but it was actually a phone call. After receiving permission, the manager on duty hung up the phone and led You Shulang, with a smile, through a maze of turns to a private room in the far corner.
“Mr. Fan, the Third Young Master is waiting for you inside.”
You Shulang turned his head to look at the deep corridor before nodding and pushing open the door to the luxury private room.
“Let us give a warm welcome to Fan…”
Bai Yupeng, who was extremely flamboyant, froze in mid-air with his clapping hands, staring wide-eyed at You Shulang who pushed open the door and entered.
“Why is it you?” He looked behind You Shulang. “Where’s Fan Xiao?”
Fan Xiao isn’t here? You Shulang felt a weight lift from his shoulders. With a quick glance, he got a pretty good idea of what was going on in the private room.
There were four men in the room. I didn’t recognize any of them except for Bai Yupeng. Xue Baotian wasn’t there either.
The room was square and completely open, offering no hiding place; Fan Xiao was indeed not there.
The other half of his heart finally settled back into his stomach.
“I came here with some friends, and when I heard that the Third Young Master was here, I came over to say hello.” You Shulang greeted him as if he were a close friend. “It’s been a while, but the Third Young Master is still as dashing as ever.”
He glanced at his phone and said, “A friend is looking for me, so I won’t bother you any longer, Third Young Master. Everyone, have a good time.”
After saying that, You Shulang turned around and walked slowly toward the door.
“Brother You,” a cold voice called from behind, “you won’t even have a drink with me after we meet?”
His nerves tensed instantly, and You Shulang became fully alert.
Bai Yupeng’s footsteps sounded like a cat toying with a mouse. He staggered over to You Shulang and said, “I specially arranged a party, invited friends, and asked Fan Xiao to come and have fun. What, is he being so disrespectful?”
“Third Master invited Fan Xiao today?” You Shulang looked displeased. “You know I have some past grievances with him. I’ll leave now since he’s coming.”
You Shulang reached out to pull the door of the private room, but the door shook and did not open; it had already locked itself.
A chill ran through him, and You Shulang, with his sparse brows and cold eyes, asked, “What does Third Master mean by this?”
“It’s nothing.” Bai Yupeng handed over a glass of wine. “I know best about your past conflict with Fan Xiao. Fan Xiao hasn’t arrived yet. Why don’t you give him a call and urge him? Once he arrives, and you’re here, Third Master can have a chat with you two and sort things out.”
When You Shulang thought of Bai Yupeng, who had been beaten into a pig’s head by Fan Xiao, and then looked at the pretentious one in front of him, he found it ridiculous.
You Shulang pushed the wine away: “I’m sorry, Third Young Master, I’ve been unwell lately and can’t drink. I can’t persuade Fan Xiao to come to my place again either, we haven’t been in touch for a long time.”
“Is that so?” Bai Pengyu laughed with a hint of malice. “Since Fan Xiao has acted like a coward today, then I’ll ask Brother You to do the same.”
The feud between Fan Xiao and Bai Yupeng can be traced back to You Shulang, and the beating that Bai Yupeng received was originally You Shulang’s idea. Fan Xiao was at best a two-faced thug.
Bai Yupeng remembered You Shulang’s grudge, so he swept away his displeasure at Fan Xiao’s absence: “Brother You, why have you been keeping the door closed? Come sit with me, let’s have a good chat.”
You Shulang patiently negotiated with Bai Yupeng: “I’ll invite Third Master another day. I do have an appointment with a friend today.”
“This isn’t a room where just anyone can come and go as they please.” Bai Yupeng was always domineering in front of those he looked down upon. “There’s no time like the present, let’s do it today.”
Unable to leave or get out, and facing unilateral suppression, You Shulang was at a complete disadvantage.
He quickly analyzed the situation and realized that the usual tactics of the game were not suitable for Bai Yupeng, a truly despicable person with low intelligence. It seemed that he had no choice but to take a gamble.
Releasing his grip on the doorknob, You Shulang took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.
“What is the purpose of inviting Fan Xiao to this gathering today, Master Bai?” You Shulang lit a cigarette, walked to the bar inside the private room, opened a drawer filled with odds and ends, and found an ashtray among a pile of napkins and bottle openers. He picked out the largest and heaviest glass one, held it in his hand, and flicked his cigarette ash into it.
You Shulang leaned against the bar, one leg on the ground and the other casually bent, slowly exhaling smoke from his mouth, and said nonchalantly, “Third Young Master, let’s not beat around the bush. Everyone knows your purpose. Fan Xiao is down on his luck, and you want to kick him while he’s down.”
Bai Yupeng hadn’t expected You Shulang to suddenly change his tone and so bluntly reveal his thoughts. His gaze turned dark, and taking advantage of his home-field advantage, he spoke without restraint: “Brother You is right. Shouldn’t I take a jab?”
With a cigarette in one hand and an ashtray hooked in the other, You Shulang paced back and forth in the private room a few times. Like a lecturer on a podium, he lazily began to speak: “The methods of dealing with people are all the same: alcohol, drugs, and drugs. I’ve been to Lido many times and have never been to this private room before. You can’t just enter here casually; you need someone to authorize you. It seems unreasonable to only use alcohol and drugs in such a private place. So, Third Young Master, are you planning to serve Fan Xiao something expensive? Or a mix of everything?”
Not only Bai Yupeng, but the other people in the room also changed their expressions. Was this something that could be brought up in public?!
Bai Yupeng looked at You Shulang, who was relaxed and nonchalant. His eyes were indifferent to the point of contempt, and the slight curve of his lips added to the irony. He exuded a powerful aura that was extremely oppressive.
He had seen too many people in a disadvantaged position, filled with fear and helplessness, or driven to madness by anger, but this was the first time he had seen someone being controlled by others adopt the posture of a superior.
A fire ignited in Bai Yupeng’s heart. He twitched his jaw exaggeratedly a few times, then suddenly gave a sinister smile: “I’ve figured it out. Brother You didn’t come to greet me at all. He clearly heard some news and rushed here to save his sweetheart. So, Brother You came in under Fan Xiao’s name to pay off his debts?”
“It’s not really paying off a debt. What Master Bai did isn’t worth a beating?” You Shulang said calmly. “However, if Master Bai insists on revenge, I can take the blame for Fan Xiao.”
Bai Yupeng laughed so hard he almost fell over, as if he had found something extremely interesting: “Fan Xiao treated you so badly, and you still took the blame for him? Did he fuck you so well that your love is so strong? I fucking don’t touch men, otherwise I would also want to find someone as cheap as you.”
The extremely humiliating words only elicited a faint smile from You Shulang: “Oh, what a pity about the Third Young Master.”
The man, cigarette in hand, glanced at him sideways and said, “Third Young Master, I’m under your roof now. Use whatever means you want, but if you don’t kill me today, I’ll fight you to the death for the rest of my life, until I get my revenge tenfold, a hundredfold.” He flicked the cigarette ash into the glass dish in his hand, and You Shulang seemed to remember something. “Oh, right, I might not be the only one watching you; Fan Xiao will too. Then Third Young Master will know the true nature of our relationship.”
He said this with a half-smile, as if it were just a casual joke, but it was enough to make Bai Yupeng pause for a moment. When he came to his senses, he saw You Shulang’s gaze sweep over the other three people sitting on the sofa, and he said in a calm voice, “Of course, that includes every participant as well.”
There was no anger or indignation in his eyes; his voice was cold and soft, yet it carried a chilling pressure that silenced everyone.
Bai Yupeng felt a chill run down his spine, suddenly sensing the fear of malicious eyes watching him from the shadows, like a predatory beast waiting for its chance to bite off his neck.
Playing dirty tricks behind the scenes is fine, but if it’s done openly, Bai Yupeng wouldn’t dare, let alone kill him as You Shulang claimed!
I had just threatened You Shulang in order to make him beg for mercy and make a fool of himself, but who would have thought that he would turn the tables on me!
Now stuck in this predicament, Bai Yupeng paced around the private room in a fit of rage, his eyes blazing with fury: “You, surnamed You, are threatening me? You think I really wouldn’t dare to touch you today?!”
You Shulang was adept at judging the situation; once the warning had taken effect, he knew when to stop. The solemnity in his eyes vanished, replaced by a gentle expression: “Why wouldn’t the Third Young Master dare? It’s just that I disdain dirtying my hands with such methods.”
He offered me a cigarette: “My friend is still waiting for me, Third Young Master, I should go back now.”
Bai Yupeng’s face was ashen, his expression inscrutable. Finally, he squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth: “Since Brother You is here, it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to leave so quietly; it would make me seem disrespectful. Didn’t you have Fan Xiao beat me up for ten minutes last time?” He rolled his eyes. “Today, Brother You, let me show off my skills. How about ten minutes for you?”
You Shulang hooked his finger around the ashtray and asked, “One person or four people?”
Bai Yupeng started to loosen his wrists: “Four people were bullying you, it was just me and him.”
He pointed to the tallest and most imposing man at the table.
You Shulang glanced in the direction and nodded: “Okay.”
The two slowly approached, Bai Yupeng cracking his knuckles, a malicious smile on his face. Perhaps the tall man behind him gave him confidence, for the slender and thin man took the initiative to grab You Shulang’s collar.
Just as his arm was raised, before the hem of his clothes even touched it, You Shulang grabbed it with one hand, twisted it forcefully, and pinned it behind his back!
“Ouch! That hurts! You, what are you doing? Didn’t you tell me to beat you up for ten minutes? You broke your promise!”
You Shulang stared at the tall man who was rapidly approaching and said loudly, “When I beat you up last time, I didn’t say you couldn’t fight back.”
After saying that, he raised the glass ashtray that he had been holding between his fingers and smashed it hard at the tall man!
The night was quiet, with only the sound of rain. You Shulang struggled to open the taxi door and staggered out. After walking a few steps, he heard someone calling his name in the wet night.
“Shulang! What’s wrong?!”
Turning his head, he wiped the rain from his face and saw Fan Xiao…
