Chapter 15
Just then, Wei Yuhuan instructed the driver to stop the car ahead, and Xie Xiaojiang looked out the window to see that they had arrived at the busiest part of Area A.
Wei Yuhuan asked, “Have you made up your mind?”
Xie Xiaojiang replied, “About what?”
Wei Yuhuan looked at him and asked, “Are you going to run or not?”
Xie Xiaojiang bit his lip and said, “I won’t run if you don’t hand me over to the police.”
Wei Yuhuan asked, “How can I believe you?”
Xie Xiaojiang opened his mouth slightly, feeling a bit stunned – how could he make this man believe him? Did he need to make a solemn oath?
Wei Yuhuan chuckled at his silly expression and opened the car door, saying, “Get out.” He had already realized that the threat of “Xie Xiaoxi” was effective against this guy, so he just casually asked and had no fear.
After getting out of the car, Xie Xiaojiang was still a bit dazed.
Before him was the famous commercial complex, “Chenxing Port,” which was built two years ago and was a new landmark in S City.
When Xie Xiaojiang first arrived in S City, his fellow villager took him here once. At that time, he only dared to wander outside and admire it, not daring to go in, afraid that he would be driven out for being too shabby. His fellow villager boasted to him that if he worked here for a year, he could go in and buy things.
However, until today, Xie Xiaojiang still didn’t have the confidence to go inside. That alien-like archway seemed like a gateway to another world.
But now, Wei Yuhuan had brought him here, and clearly wanted to take him inside.
There was a moment when Xie Xiaojiang instinctively wanted to run. He had thought of countless ways to escape while being locked in the car for the whole afternoon, and now that he had regained his “freedom,” how could he not be tempted?
But, what if he ran away and Xie Xiaoxi was really in danger? Xie Xiaojiang secretly glanced at Wei Yuhuan and felt that this man didn’t seem like a good person.
Xie Xiaojiang had a fierce battle in his mind, but finally gave up the idea of running away and obediently followed along.
With people coming and going here, and everyone’s eyes on him, he thought that this man surnamed Wei probably wouldn’t do anything to him…
The floor tiles inside the Chengxing Port are black and gold in color, sleek and shiny, reflecting the star lights hanging from the glass dome above, making one feel as if they are in a dazzling night sky.
All around them are elegantly dressed urban white-collar workers, and Xie Xiaojiang follows behind Wei Yuhuan cautiously, treading lightly, afraid of dirtying the ground. As he curiously observes everything around him: a dazzling array of luxury bags, accessories, and cosmetic shops, all adorned with glittering English logos that Xie Xiaojiang does not recognize; through the glass windows, he sees gold cards being swiped on POS machines, and fashionable men and women coming and going, each with radiant appearances and sparkling eyes…
Xie Xiaojiang feels a bit dazed. They live in the same world, so why is the difference between people so vast?
The two take the escalator to the fourth floor dining area, and Wei Yuhuan chooses a well-reviewed Hong Kong-style tea restaurant and heads straight in.
The server politely asks, “How many in your party, sir?”
Wei Yuhuan replies, “Two, we would like a large table with a sofa.”
The server nods and leads them to their seats. When they arrive, Wei Yuhuan even pulls out the sofa for Xie Xiaojiang to sit on.
Xie Xiaojiang is increasingly confused about Wei Yuhuan’s intentions. He glances at the recommended signature dishes on the table, which cost tens or even hundreds of dollars. Indeed, this is a place where only the wealthy come!
“What do you want to eat?” Wei Yuhuan flips through the menu, not even looking up.
Xie Xiaojiang is too preoccupied to eat. He stares at Wei Yuhuan with a guarded expression, feeling tense about his surroundings.
Wei Yuhuan sees that he isn’t answering, so he calls the server over and orders two servings of seafood congee, a three-in-one platter of signature roast meats, and several classic Hong Kong-style dim sum dishes.
Xie Xiaojiang is anxious and can’t help asking, “Why did you bring me here?”
“To eat,” Wei Yuhuan points to his wristwatch and says matter-of-factly, “It’s already 6:30, I’m hungry. Aren’t you hungry?”
Xie Xiaojian is taken aback and asks, “Are you treating me?”
Wei Yuhuan jokes, “Are you implying that you’re treating me?”
Xie Xiaojian’s face turns red. “I don’t have that much money.”
Wei Yuhuan secretly chuckled to himself, “Why are you asking?” It was so much fun teasing the young kid!
Xie Xiaojiang didn’t say anything, staring blankly and blinking his eyes twice, feeling suspicious. This person not only didn’t punish him, but also brought him out to eat. He didn’t know what this person was up to!
The dishes arrived quickly, and the waiter asked if they wanted drinks. Wei Yuhuan didn’t usually drink beverages, but he glanced at the childish Xie Xiaojiang and instinctively said, “Let’s have some milk tea.”
The waiter asked, “We have classic Hong Kong-style, yin-yang, and silk stocking. The last one is our specialty. Which one would you like, sir?”
“The specialty one,” Wei Yuhuan said, pushing a bowl of porridge towards Xie Xiaojiang.
Faced with the aroma of seafood porridge and the shiny roast duck and barbecue, even if Xie Xiaojiang was uneasy, he couldn’t resist the temptation of the food.
… Never mind, forget it, eat first and worry later!
He held the bowl of porridge and stole a glance at Wei Yuhuan. Seeing that the other person had already started eating, he stopped being shy and also dug in.
The two of them silently ate for a while, and the waiter brought the milk tea. “Sir, this is the silk stocking milk tea you ordered.”
Wei Yuhuan instructed her to place it next to Xie Xiaojiang.
“For me?” Xie Xiaojiang widened his eyes.
Wei Yuhuan nodded and said, “Try it.”
Xie Xiaojiang tilted his head to observe the milk tea for a long time, and his eyes widened even more. “Why is it called silk stocking? Is there a silk stocking in it?”
Wei Yuhuan almost burst out laughing and explained to him, “It’s because the tea bag used to make this type of tea is soaked in milk tea for a long time, and it turns the color of silk stockings. It looks like silk stockings, so it’s named after it.”
Xie Xiaojiang nodded thoughtfully and took a sip. “It’s pretty good.”
Wei Yuhuan never thought that he would bring Xie Xiaojiang to this place to eat.
Shouldn’t he continue to discipline and threaten this cunning little guy?
But when Xie Xiaojiang apologized to him in the car with his head down, Wei Yuhuan softened.
He knew that judging people by their appearance could lead to another loss or setback, but this little crab had the ability to make Wei Yuhuan willingly take risks.
After finishing his meal, Wei Yuhuan put down his chopsticks and finally got to the point, “Xie Xiaojiang, let’s make a deal. You help me with something, and we’ll call it even for what happened before. How about it?”
Xie Xiaojiang was still savoring the last sip of his milk tea, but he froze at the words…damn it! He knew there was a catch! Wei Yuhuan was just waiting for him!
“What is it?” Xie Xiaojiang’s hair stood on end. He had once watched a Hong Kong TV drama while hanging out at a small store when he was a kid. In the drama, the gang boss would not kill anyone himself, but instead, find a substitute to do the dirty work for him…he wondered if this Wei guy was going to ask him to help him kill his enemies or something?
Xie Xiaojiang stared at Wei Yuhuan warily, “Just to be clear, I’m not going to kill anyone or set anything on fire.”
Wei Yuhuan: “…”
Xie Xiaojiang muttered to himself, “And I’m not going to steal anything either.”
Was this guy accusing him of being a “thief” before complaining? Wei Yuhuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“Don’t worry, it’s nothing illegal. No killing, no arson, no stealing.”
Xie Xiaojiang’s eyes spun around, seeming to judge the truthfulness of Wei Yuhuan’s words. “Then what is it?”
Wei Yuhuan said calmly, “First, answer a few questions for me. Just tell me whatever I ask.”
Xie Xiaojiang replied, “Okay…”
Wei Yuhuan asked, “How good is your alcohol tolerance?”
Upon hearing the question, Xie Xiaojiang’s face showed a faint sense of pride, “I don’t know, but I’ve never gotten drunk before.”
Wei Yuhuan asked, “What’s the most you’ve ever drunk at once?”
Xie Xiaojiang thought for a moment with his head tilted, “It was when I was twelve years old. I drank with my grandfather, who opened a barrel of his own brewed daqu. The barrel weighed about ten kilograms, and we drank it all night until we finished it. He got drunk, but I didn’t. In fact, I drank more than him.”
Wei Yuhuan was astonished to hear this. According to Xie Xiaojiang’s words, he alone had drunk at least five jin of alcohol, and he was only twelve years old at the time!? (Friendly reminder: this novel is fictional, underage people should not drink alcohol.)
“What’s the alcohol content of your family’s daqu?” Wei Yuhuan asked incredulously.
“It should be around 40-50 degrees,” Xie Xiaojiang scratched his head, “I’m not sure, but I’ve had some Feitian Maotai at my relative’s wedding. It tasted about the same.”
Wei Yuhuan: “…” He realized that giving Xie Xiaojian alcohol at “Hanbao” was a stupid decision!
Xie Xiaojiang smiled and said to Wei Yuhuan, “My grandfather is one of the best drinkers in our area, and he can’t outdrink me. So you know why I said you can’t get me drunk, right?”
Wei Yuhuan replied, “…” Damn, this kid is still trying to twist the knife!
“You asked me all this for what?” Xie Xiaojiang guessed, “Don’t tell me you want me to go drinking with you?”
“Mhm.” Wei Yuhuan nodded, impressed with the kid’s perceptiveness.
“Just that?” Xie Xiaojiang couldn’t believe it.
“Only that,” Wei Yuhuan smiled, not in a hurry to reveal his true purpose. He wanted to lower the kid’s guard first, there’s plenty of time for that in the future.
This was too easy for Xie Xiaojiang. Drinking was something he enjoyed, and he had been on edge all afternoon thinking that the Wei guy might do something to him.
Xie Xiaojiang immediately felt relieved and patted his chest. “Got it, leave it to me.”
Wei Yuhuan’s eye twitched. “Don’t be too hasty to make promises. I still need to test your drinking ability first. You’ll be dealing with someone formidable later.”
Xie Xiaojiang nodded nonchalantly, confident in his drinking ability and unafraid.
Wei Yuhuan asked some questions about Xie Xiaojiang’s family background, even though he had already obtained a lot of information from private investigators. He wanted to hear it from the kid’s own mouth, partly to test his character and partly to build a closer relationship for future actions.
Before asking, Wei Yuhuan also revealed why he knew about “Xie Xiaoxi” to Xie Xiaojiang.
“You specifically had someone investigate me?” Xie Xiaojiang was shocked.
Wei Yuhuan smirked. “Yes, so don’t even think about running away. I can catch you no matter where you go.”
Xie Xiaojiang’s back chilled. He had just thought Wei Yuhuan was easy to talk to, but now he realized how cunning he was. He felt trapped like a bird in a cage, only able to follow Wei Yuhuan’s demands.
No wonder the ancients said it was better to offend a gentleman than a scoundrel, and it was better to offend a rich man than a rich man with a small mind – because when they get serious, they can really take your life!
Wuwuwu…