Zhao Qiang said, "It's nothing much. You came to me just about cooperation?"
Zhou Wan changed her tune and said, "Of course not. Actually, I wanted to ask if you had time. I wanted to treat you to a meal. I was so grateful for the money you gave me to save me last time, and I haven't been able to pay you back yet, which I'm very sorry about."
Zhao Qiang waved his hand: "It's nothing, I don't want the money. Okay, you can go now, I'll just wander around."
Zhou Wan grabbed Zhao Qiang and said, "Wait, do me another favor. I'm going to a party, and I don't have a boyfriend. Can you pretend to be one?"
Zhao Qiang said, "How dare you bring up such a terrible plot? I'm not going."
Zhou Wan said, "Then what if I pretend to be my boyfriend when I go home to appease my parents?"
Zhao Qiang said, "That's even worse than the excuse we just had."
Zhou Wan sighed helplessly, "But you have to give me a chance to get close to you."
Zhao Qiang said, "You can follow behind me, but please don't talk to me."
Zhou Wan was so angry her stomach felt like it was going to explode. This Zhao Qiang was simply impervious to reason, but Zhou Wan couldn't do anything about him. Watching Zhao Qiang walk away, she gritted her teeth and followed behind, not daring to get too close for fear of being scolded.
The streets were bustling with people, and Zhao Qiang was beginning to hate the big city. It was so crowded; he wished he could go home and grow a vegetable garden, surrounded by greenery. Suddenly, as Zhao Qiang was thinking about what vegetables to plant, a car accident occurred ahead. Zhao Qiang scoffed inwardly, wondering if it was another trap set by the enemy. So, Zhao Qiang didn't rush forward, standing aside like an ordinary bystander.
A BYD rear-ended a Toyota. The BYD's windshield was shattered, while the Toyota's rear windshield was also torn, and one of its taillights was damaged. Both drivers got out of their cars, looked at each other, and the Toyota driver was the first to yell, "Are you blind?"
The BYD driver retorted, "Are you blind? Why did you brake when you were driving perfectly fine? It's all your fault!"
The Toyota driver said, "Fine, I won't argue with you. Let's find the traffic police."
The BYD driver said, "Go ahead and look for me, who's afraid of who?"
Actually, everyone has third-party liability insurance. It's just a little delay. We can just compensate each other and that's it. There's no need to argue.
The Toyota owner called the police, and the BYD driver also made a call, but instead of calling the police, he summoned reinforcements. Before the traffic police arrived, several taxis arrived with a group of men, who got out and headed straight for the Toyota owner. The Toyota owner, startled, pointed at them and backed away, saying, "What are you doing? What do you want?"
"Boycott Japanese goods and support domestic goods!" a guy shouted, then pulled out a brick from behind and smashed the window of the Toyota with a bang. Then another guy used an iron bar to flatten the rear of the Toyota, and others joined in. The Toyota owner went forward to stop them, but was pinned to the ground and beaten by three or four people. By the time he got up, the group had already dispersed.
The Toyota owner pointed at the BYD owner and said, "So, you actually dared to have people smash my car and beat me up?"
The BYD owner laughed and said, "Are you out of your mind? Which eye of yours saw that I know them? They are supporting domestic products and cracking down on Japanese products. What does that have to do with me? Blame it on you for buying a Toyota."
The Toyota owner was so angry his hands were shaking. He realized that it wasn't really about boycotting Japanese goods, but just an excuse. But he couldn't gather that many people. Looking at the shattered glass and the dented car body, he was truly heartbroken.
Zhao Qiang suddenly pushed through the crowd, stepped forward, patted the Toyota driver on the shoulder, and said, "Da Yuan?"
The Toyota driver looked up and, at first, seemed a little hesitant to recognize him. He tentatively asked, "Zhao Qiang?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Yes, I didn't expect to run into you here. We haven't gotten together since graduating from university."
The Toyota owner, Zhong Dayuan, was also quite excited. He shook Zhao Qiang's hand and said, "Yes, what brings you to Beijing? I heard you work in repairs. How did you end up opening a shop in Beijing?" Actually, Zhong Dayuan didn't have much of an impression of Zhao Qiang. This was mainly because Zhao Qiang was unremarkable during his school years and spent his spare time working odd jobs, so he had almost no contact with his classmates.
Zhao Qiang said, "I came to Beijing to check out the market and see if I can open a repair shop." Zhao Qiang was just talking nonsense.
Zhong Dayuan said, "Then you should go and take a look at Zhongguancun."
Zhao Qiang nodded: "Yes, the electronics industry is concentrated there."
Zhong Dayuan said, "I'll talk to you later. I need to deal with the accident. What a damn unlucky thing to do! My car got hit and then smashed. I need to call the police."
The BYD driver had already gotten into the car and sped away with a turn of the steering wheel. Zhong Dayuan tried to stop him, but the car wouldn't stop and instead rammed into him. Zhong Dayuan wasn't made of steel, so he could only dodge and watch helplessly as the BYD sped away. Zhong Dayuan picked up a stone from the ground, but the distance he threw it was far too short to catch up with the BYD.
Standing beside a beat-up car, Zhong Dayuan was on the verge of tears: "This car was only bought recently."
Zhao Qiang comforted him, saying, "Just fix it later. Learn from this lesson and don't buy Japanese cars again. They have no reason to smash it."
Zhong Dayuan said, "Do you think this is a bicycle? A bicycle is something that should last at least ten years. Who knows when you'll need to replace it?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Anyway, it's already been smashed, so there's nothing you can do if you don't think that way."
Zhong Dayuan asked, "Do you have time?"
Zhao Qiang nodded: "It's alright, nothing else."
Zhong Dayuan said, "Come with me to get my car repaired. We can have lunch together. It's rare for us to run into each other in Beijing, so don't rush to break up."
Zhao Qiang said, "Okay, call someone to tow the car."
Zhong Dayuan said, "Why bother hiring anyone? We can just drive there ourselves. Let's save money wherever we can."
Zhao Qiang said, "You bought your own car, yet you're still so frugal?"
Zhong Dayuan said, "The money saved is yours, isn't it? I wouldn't care if it were a government vehicle."
With a crash, Zhong Dayuan pushed down the glass that was half hanging on the car window, then opened the car door. The two of them cleaned up the broken glass on the seats, got in the car, and drove to the repair shop. The police still haven't arrived. I don't know if they were told not to get involved, or if they really have other tasks and can't come. In any case, the car was hit for nothing, and the people were beaten for nothing.
After seeing Zhao Qiang get into the car, Zhou Wan went back and drove her Ferrari, following closely behind Zhong Dayuan's car to the repair shop.
Inside the repair shop, a girl wearing a mask and work clothes was busy at work. Zhao Qiang exclaimed, "The car repair service these days is really good! There are even female mechanics!"
Zhong Dayuan said, "That's right. I think this female master has a good figure, so we won't look for anyone else. We'll ask her to do the repairs."
After parking the car outside the repair shop and turning off the engine, Zhong Dayuan got out. The female repairman, wearing a mask and work clothes, completely ignored him and continued working. Zhong Dayuan called out, "Attending to customers!"
The female repairman looked up and glanced around before realizing that Zhong Dayuan was speaking to her. She then took off her mask and said, "Please wait a moment. The repairmen are probably all in a meeting." Although her tone was polite, it still revealed a coldness, as if it were an innate habit.
Zhong Dayuan shivered, but still took two steps forward and said, "I'm not looking for anyone else, aren't you one?"
The female mechanic pointed to herself: "Me? I'm here to get my car repaired too."
Zhong Dayuan was somewhat surprised: "Wow, this repair shop is so shady, making me fix my car? I'd better leave quickly."
The female repairman realized that Zhong Dayuan had misunderstood, and she quickly stopped him, saying, "No, no, it's just that I enjoy repairing cars. It has nothing to do with the repairmen here. You can rest assured and get your car repaired here." It would be very impolite to cause someone to lose business because of her mistake.
It turned out that Zhong Dayuan, who was also a car mechanic, pointed to the lounge and said to Zhao Qiang, "Come on, let's go sit down and have a cup of tea."
Zhao Qiang felt the girl repairing the car looked familiar. He glanced at her twice, and she took off her mask and looked at him back. Zhao Qiang was speechless for a while before Zhong Dayuan pulled him into the break room. It turned out the girl in the work clothes and mask was Yang Shiyun. If she were Li Qingqing or Zhou Wan, Zhao Qiang wouldn't be surprised at all, but why would a woman like Yang Shiyun come to get her car repaired by herself? That just didn't make sense.
Since the other party was too busy to greet him, Zhao Qiang didn't bother trying to be friendly. He figured it was best to avoid getting involved with a cold woman like Yang Shiyun. He followed Zhong Dayuan into the lounge, which had newspapers, a computer, a television, a water dispenser, a teapot, and teacups.
Zhong Dayuan made Zhao Qiang a cup of tea and said, "I'll contact the other classmates in Beijing, and we can all get together at noon."
Zhao Qiang said, "No need, let's talk about it another time." Zhao Qiang doesn't like eating and drinking these days, especially since he came out today to lure the snake out of its hole, and it wouldn't be good if his classmates suffered as a result.
Zhong Dayuan laughed and said, "Don't worry about me spending money. I'm not as stingy as I was in college."
Zhao Qiang knew that Zhong Dayuan had misunderstood him, so he didn't say anything more and let Zhong Dayuan make the call.
"Zhibo, do you have time at noon?"
"Dayuan, what are you doing? I have to go to work this afternoon, and I'm a little rushed at lunchtime."
"I ran into Zhao Qiang and wanted to get together with everyone. It's not easy to meet classmates when you're far from home."
"who?"
Zhong Dayuan repeated, "Zhao Qiang."
"Which Zhao Qiang?" The other party clearly still didn't remember, and Zhao Qiang was quite embarrassed.
Zhong Dayuan cursed, "Damn it, you're the one who's been working part-time to earn your tuition."
"Oh, I see. But I don't know him very well. It's not worth taking an afternoon off for him."
Zhong Dayuan said, "Alright, stop nagging. Drive to the repair shop to pick me up in a bit. I'm having a bad day. I'll explain in detail when we meet."
(Thanks to Absolutely Lost with Coins for the donation, and thanks to Qiuqiu and gugchom for their monthly tickets.)
Volume 2 [619] A Small Gathering
Gather
The Engineering Surveying Technology major in the Department of Geology and Mineral Resources at Tunghai University is not suitable for finding a job in Beijing. Zhong Dayuan's current job is also not related to his major. He works for a foreign trade company and mainly does export document inspection. Dong Zhibo works in real estate, but he is just an employee, otherwise he would have made a fortune long ago. There is also a female classmate named Liu Xiuxiu, who works as a clerk in a company.
Through the transparent glass of the lounge, Zhao Qiang could see Yang Shiyun in the repair workshop. She skillfully disassembled and then reassembled the vehicle. Zhao Qiang admired this kind of girl. First, she was strong, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to move some screws and parts. Second, it was a rare thing for a girl to repair vehicles without caring about the oil stains.
Squeak! A car pulled into the repair shop, blocking Zhao Qiang's view. Yang Shiyun was bending over, tightening screws, her chest barely visible. Zhao Qiang was getting impatient, so he quietly turned on his X-ray glasses. He had no intention of seeing through Yang Shiyun's clothes; if Yang Shiqi found out, she'd skin him alive.
The vehicle that had been blocking his view disappeared, and Zhao Qiang could once again see Yang Shiyun clearly. Since his glasses' X-ray vision was activated, seeing Yang Shiyun's body shouldn't have been difficult either. However, something incredibly puzzling happened: he couldn't see Yang Shiyun's beautiful...
Zhao Qiang manually adjusted the X-ray glasses, but the result was still the same; he couldn't see through Yang Shiyun's body. In a panic, Zhao Qiang left the lounge, with Zhong Dayuan following behind, calling out, "Where are you going? Let's wait until the repairman comes to work."
Zhao Qiang entered the repair workshop without looking back. He went to Yang Shiyun's side, who was still busy with her work. Zhao Qiang stared at her, and Yang Shiyun looked up angrily and said, "What are you looking at?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Why did you think of fixing the car yourself? And your grandfather should have told you that the situation outside is complicated and you could be in danger at any time. Isn't it inappropriate to come out at this time?"
Yang Shiyun said without looking up, "Is it any of your business?"
Zhao Qiang remained silent. Yang Shiyun seemed annoyed by Zhao Qiang staring at her, so she put down her work and went into the office, never to come out again. Zhao Qiang had no choice but to ignore her for now, but this Yang Shiyun piqued his interest.
Zhong Dayuan rushed into the repair shop. "What, you know her?"
Zhao Qiang nodded: "We've only met a few times."
Zhong Dayuan said anxiously, "Then quickly introduce her to me! I think she's a great beauty, but she's a bit cold."
Zhao Qiang said, "Yes, she's incredibly cold. You saw it yourself; she didn't want to pay any attention to me."
Zhong Dayuan said, "This shows that your relationship isn't quite there yet. Forget it, we can't afford to support a woman like that. Let's go, Zhibo is coming. Let's wait at the door. I've already told the office to fix my car as soon as possible. Waiting here won't do any good. They'll call us when it's fixed. Let's find a place to have lunch first."
Dong Zhibo arrived in a Mazda 6, the engine still running. He got out of the car, shook hands briefly with Zhao Qiang, and said, "I almost forgot who you were. You were so inconspicuous back in college. What, you're working in Beijing now too?"
Zhao Qiang said, "No, I just came to take a look. You guys are doing pretty well." Zhao Qiang wasn't looking down on these two; without some miraculous opportunity, it's not easy to make it in Beijing.
Dong Zhibo said self-deprecatingly, "It's enough to eat and drink. The car is borrowed from a friend. Among the few of us in Beijing, only Da Yuan has a car. By the way, how unlucky is it that I ended up at the repair shop because of an accident?"
Zhong Dayuan said, "That's right, someone smashed my car. It makes me angry just thinking about it. It's so embarrassing. Let's go, get in the car, we'll go pick up Liu Xiuxiu. I'll tell you on the way."
Zhao Qiang saw Zhou Wan following Ma Liu from a distance, but she didn't dare to come up and bother him. She acted like a stranger stalking him. However, Dong Zhibo and Zhong Dayuan hadn't realized they were being followed. These two weren't vigilant enough. In such a peaceful and prosperous world, who would suspect that someone was following them?
Dong Zhibo was a good driver and sped along the busy streets, quickly leaving Zhou Wan behind. Zhao Qiang didn't pay any attention and quietly listened to his two old classmates chatting amiably. He didn't like to talk much in college and still wasn't good at socializing with his classmates.
Zhong Dayuan said, "I remember in the last semester, Zhao Qiang suddenly made a breakthrough and was actually selected by Professor Gu. Has he graduated with his master's degree yet?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I guess you could say I've graduated."
Dong Zhibo said, "As Professor Gu's student, you don't need to do repairs, do you?"
Zhao Qiang said, "It's a matter of personal preference."
Dong Zhibo laughed and said, "Could it be that Professor Gu fired him?"
Zhao Qiang thought to himself that he hadn't visited his teacher in a long time, and that Professor Gu might really be angry and expel him from the school.
Zhong Dayuan said, "Don't joke around. Zhao Qiang is a very determined person. Otherwise, how could he have persisted in working for four years?"
Dong Zhibo asked, "So how are you doing now? Are you still a student under Professor Gu? How much do you earn a month?"