He had slept quite well last night, very soundly.
Although he had woken up grumpy, Chen Jian’s mood had already changed by the time he was washing up. Thinking about last night put him in a good mood, so much so that he almost swallowed his toothpaste foam.
After washing up, he walked out of the dorm and glanced towards the office. The door was closed. Usually, if Shan Yu was up, the door would be ajar.
He went straight into the elevator. Since the boss had already passed the buck to him, it meant he was supposed to handle it.
Coming out of the elevator, he glanced at the front desk.
Sanbing tilted his chin towards the cafe. Da Li was sitting in the cafe, his back to them.
“Brother Li,” Chen Jian walked over, greeted him, and sat down opposite him.
“How on earth did you guys handle this matter?” Da Li frowned.
“Brother Li, in the future, come to me first for things like this,” Chen Jian looked at him. “Don’t go straight to the boss.”
Our boss finally got some sleep.
If you annoy him, be careful he doesn’t start raising chickens in Liang Ye’s courtyard.
“What, is he not the boss of Dayin?” Da Li said.
“Fine, then I’ll just go talk to Boss He directly in a bit,” Chen Jian said. “What’s the point of us bickering?”
Da Li stared at Chen Jian, silent for a long while, before finally nodding. “You kid, you’ve really grown up now. Is this you trying to give me a show of force first?”
Yes.
“For things we can handle, there’s no need to bypass the chain of command,” Chen Jian said. “I was planning to talk to you today about the results of the negotiation with the barbecue side anyway. After all, Brother Li asked us to help negotiate yesterday, so I immediately took people over to talk.”
“Mhm,” Da Li cooled down a bit.
“But Brother Li’s meaning is… you already went to the barbecue side first today?” Chen Jian asked. “Do you distrust us that much? You didn’t even give us a heads-up?”
After he said this, the last embers of Da Li’s anger were completely extinguished. He quickly waved his hands and smiled. “How could that be? I was just passing by this morning and asked on the way.”
“We’ve already settled things over there. It took some effort. You know they’re not easy to talk to, Brother Li,” Chen Jian said. “When we first went over, they wouldn’t even let us in the door.”
Da Li didn’t speak.
He probably received the same treatment when he went over.
“The result of the negotiation now is that we’ll divert some tourists to them. After all, it’s getting cold, and tourists might want to go indoors for a while after enjoying the bonfire. We will provide each guest in the shops with a free portion of barbecue and beer. We can discuss the specific quantities in detail…”
“Who provides it?” Da Li asked.
Chen Jian felt a bit annoyed hearing this. He didn’t know if He Liang was also this petty, but his man Da Li was truly stingy. He didn’t even know if the money saved would end up in his own pocket.
“Whoever participates, provides,” Chen Jian answered.
If you don’t provide, then don’t participate. Right now, they’re only dealing with Dayin anyway.
“What’s the approximate cost?” Da Li glanced at him and took out a small notebook.
“There are eleven barbecue stalls in total. Let’s control each free portion to a level that can satisfy cravings but not fill them up. The specific numbers will have to be estimated by everyone together,” Chen Jian said.
He had included the families surnamed Chen in his calculations and didn’t plan to wait for them to come looking for him. He would go and talk to them proactively later.
“This cost is not small,” Da Li glanced at Chen Jian. “Not everyone might agree.”
To hell with it, then don’t do it.
Dayin will do it alone.
Chen Jian didn’t speak, pondering how to answer.
“Those who don’t agree don’t have to participate,” Shan Yu’s voice came from behind the coffee machine, saying the words Chen Jian wanted to say but didn’t dare to. “Dayin can host this event alone.”
Chen Jian was taken aback. He hadn’t even noticed when Shan Yu had arrived. The man was already standing by the coffee machine, looking for beans to make himself a coffee.
“Boss Shan,” Da Li straightened up slightly, greeted Shan Yu, and immediately returned to the previous topic. “What do you mean by that?”
“If you don’t agree to this plan, the event can’t happen,” Shan Yu said. “If you want to hold this bonfire festival, you have to agree to this plan. That’s what I mean.”
“Are there no other solutions that don’t exceed the budget?” Da Li asked.
“This isn’t called exceeding the budget; it’s called increasing the budget,” Shan Yu started grinding the beans, not looking their way anymore.
Amidst the sound of the machine, Da Li couldn’t continue the conversation with him and could only turn back to look at Chen Jian.
“It won’t increase by much,” Chen Jian said. With Shan Yu’s blunt words paving the way, he could now afford to soften his attitude. “If this event is successful, it can become a tradition, which is good for everyone.”
“Didn’t Boss Shan say he didn’t know?” Da Li probably couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“He’s been listening for this long, so now he knows,” Chen Jian said.
Da Li didn’t speak, pressing his fingers to his lips and biting his lip, unsure of what he was struggling with. It was probably just annoyance. He originally thought Dayin was begging to play with them, but now it had become Dayin leading them.
“Those barbecue places, do they have other conditions?” Da Li asked after biting his lip for a while. “Why did they only want to deal with Dayin?”
Because Boss Shan used his crooked tricks.
And a carton of good cigarettes he snatched.
“Dayin went and sealed the deal, so of course they only recognize Dayin,” Chen Jian said. “That’s how we villagers are. We recognize whoever we make a deal with.”
“Alright then,” Da Li sighed. The coffee machine stopped, and he looked at Shan Yu again. “Boss Shan, let me ask one more thing, how do we control the number of free barbecue portions?”
“Just issue barbecue tickets, right? Only guests staying at these four guesthouses get tickets, which also makes settlement easier,” Shan Yu said, walking towards the side door with his coffee, speaking unhurriedly. “That’s probably the simplest part of the plan.”
“…I’ll go back and discuss it with everyone,” Da Li closed his notebook and stood up.
“Next time you all discuss things, include us,” Shan Yu said as he walked out.
Da Li opened his mouth but couldn’t say a word.
After seeing Da Li off, while waiting for Hu Pan and Sanbing, Chen Jian went to the garden.
Shan Yu was standing in front of the message board, looking at it.
“Were you woken up by him this morning?” Chen Jian walked over and stood beside him.
“It’s fine, I was already awake by then anyway,” Shan Yu smiled and offered his coffee to him. “Want some?”
For some reason, the coffee Shan Yu made smelled very fragrant, much more so than the coffee he made.
Chen Jian looked around. No one was there.
“Yes,” he took the cup from Shan Yu’s hand and took a sip.
Now he could be sure that in all of Dayin, the manager’s coffee was probably the worst. Even he himself couldn’t drink it.
“Sanbing and I are going out with Hu Pan in a bit,” Chen Jian took another sip. “That elementary school classmate of hers, Lili, seems to have told her family that she’s working here. She’s going to confront her.”
“You even know her name?” Shan Yu glanced at him. “The manager is very thorough.”
“Mhm, we talk about it during our usual chats,” Chen Jian also looked at him. “I also know what Sister Zhao’s husband is called.”
“What’s his name?” Shan Yu asked.
“…Luo Minghui,” Chen Jian said.
“Is the accessory shop on Second Street?” Shan Yu smiled.
“Mhm,” Chen Jian took a sip of coffee. “After we’re done, I’ll go over to the barbecue area. When I mentioned the free stuff to Da Li, I included everyone. I’ll go talk to the Chen families in a bit to avoid them coming to find me.”
“Mhm,” Shan Yu nodded.
“Is handling it this way okay?” Chen Jian asked.
“You ask me after you’ve already handled it,” Shan Yu said.
“…Didn’t the boss not know about this?” Chen Jian said.
“Oh,” Shan Yu laughed. “Right.”
“I was thinking that if I included them first and then proactively went to talk to them, it would show more sincerity,” Chen Jian took another sip of coffee.
“You handled it very well,” Shan Yu said. “Later when you guys fight…”
“We’re not going to fight,” Chen Jian quickly corrected him. “We’re going to ask about the situation. If a fight breaks out, we’re there to break it up.”
“Oh,” Shan Yu nodded. “Do you need the boss to back you up?”
“No,” Chen Jian looked at him, very firm. “No need.”
Shan Yu clicked his tongue.
“Is the boss going to back us up?” Chen Jian said in a low voice. “The boss even thinks about snatching land just to raise a chicken.”
Shan Yu leaned against a nearby lamp post, laughing, and said nothing.
The sunlight hit his face, and he squinted his eyes slightly.
Chen Jian looked at him and could suddenly feel the pulse beating in the side of his neck.
“Let’s go, Manager!” Sanbing suddenly came out from the side door. “Pan Pan is down.”
“Hey,” Chen Jian responded.
The pulse in his neck was instantly scared into stopping.
“Morning, Boss Shan!” Hu Pan followed, walking out with forceful steps that pounded the ground, her voice just as forceful. “Morning, Manager Chen!”
Her hairstyle was no longer the usual headband-and-explosion but was gathered at the top of her head, tied up as if she were balancing a small exploding ball.
There was also a stainless steel chopstick stuck in it.
This state looked like she was heading for a fight.
That chopstick was a backup weapon.
“Morning,” Chen Jian responded, then looked at Shan Yu and said softly, “We’re leaving then.”
“Mhm,” Shan Yu nodded.
Just as Chen Jian took a couple of steps behind Hu Pan and Sanbing, Shan Yu suddenly said again, “Give me back my coffee.”
…Damn it.
Chen Jian felt as if he had been suddenly thrown into the fire pit at the Half-Mountain Restaurant; his whole body was on fire.
He froze in place and turned back to look at Shan Yu.
“Give him back the coffee,” Hu Pan said. “Are you going to take the coffee with you!”
No.
Chen Jian couldn’t help but glance at Hu Pan again.
Wasn’t it strange that the manager was drinking the boss’s coffee?
“Hurry up, what are you dawdling for?” Sanbing shouted from the front. “If you want coffee, Pan Pan will make you twenty cups when we get back, until you puke.”
Chen Jian turned back to look at Shan Yu again.
Shan Yu’s lips curled into a smirk.
Chen Jian glanced at the coffee cup. After his sips, there was only about half a cup left of the already small amount of coffee.
“It’s gone,” he tilted his head back and drank all the coffee in the cup, then placed the cup on a small table nearby. “Boss, please clear the cup.”
“…Okay,” Shan Yu said.
Maybe it was because he had drunk the boss’s coffee, but Chen Jian felt as light as a swallow as he got on the motorcycle.
Sanbing took Hu Pan, and the two motorcycles drove out of the courtyard gate one after the other.
Second Street was quite close. Usually, they would just stroll over, but today they were looking for trouble, so they had to roar in on motorcycles.
The momentum had to be there.
It was still quite early, and many shops were just opening.
When Chen Jian passed the breakfast stalls and smelled the various aromas, he felt extremely hungry. The milk in that coffee did nothing. He usually wasn’t this hungry in the morning…
But Sanbing and Hu Pan clearly had no intention of stopping for breakfast, so he could only endure it.
The accessory shop had also just opened. The owner wasn’t in, only Lili was. She was moving a display stand out to the entrance.
When the two motorcycles stopped on the roadside in front of the shop, she glanced over and immediately turned to go back inside.
Hu Pan jumped off the back of Sanbing’s motorcycle and rushed towards the shop.
Chen Jian quickly parked his bike, chased after her in a few steps, and just as Hu Pan reached the shop entrance, he reached out and pulled the chopstick from her hair.
Hu Pan was stunned, turned back to glare at him, and hissed, “What are you doing!”
“Sanbing and I are here,” Chen Jian also lowered his voice. “You don’t need this.”
Hu Pan glanced at him, said no more, and lifted the curtain to enter the shop.
Chen Jian handed the chopstick to Sanbing.
“Pan Pan is pretty ruthless,” Sanbing said, taking the chopstick. “I’ve never even used this move.”
You’ve never used any move.
You just get beaten up.
“How would I know about your family’s damn business!” Lili’s voice came from inside the shop, tinged with impatience and a hint of fear.
Chen Jian and Sanbing lifted the curtain and entered the shop, standing by the door.
“You dare say you don’t know why I ran here? Didn’t I tell you?” Hu Pan pointed at her. “When I sat next to you before, how many injuries did I have on me, couldn’t you see? You even helped me apply medicine, you dare say you don’t know my family’s situation?”
“It wasn’t on purpose! I just ran into your brother!” Lili raised her voice. “Are we that close? What obligation do I have to keep your secrets or take the fall for you!”
Hu Pan said no more, rushed forward, grabbed her by the collar, and punched her in the face.
Lili was no pushover either, swinging her arms to fight back.
“Hey!” Sanbing took a step forward, then stopped, his hands raising and lowering. “Don’t fight…”
“Can’t you just say you don’t know!” Hu Pan held onto her collar, refusing to let go, and just kept punching regardless of how Lili fought back. “You don’t know! You don’t know! Can’t you say it!”
It was clear she had been in plenty of fights before.
Although Lili wasn’t weak and kept scratching at Hu Pan’s face, it was obvious her experience was far from Hu Pan’s, and her anger level wasn’t high enough. She was quickly pushed to the ground by Hu Pan.
“If they come looking for me,” Hu Pan choked her, “you just wait for me to come and kill you!”
Chen Jian shot a look at Sanbing. Sanbing went over, grabbed Hu Pan’s arms, and pulled her back.
At the same time, Chen Jian also grabbed Lili’s hands, which were still trying to hit Hu Pan, and pulled them away.
“Don’t pull me!” Hu Pan struggled, still trying to kick Lili.
“You’re just a dog relying on its master’s power! If you have the guts, go fight your dad and mom!” Lili’s face was red in several places from the punches, and she was trembling with anger. “You can only come and cause trouble for me. You deserve to be beaten by them…”
“Shut up!” Chen Jian said.
“You shut up! Go sleep in your coffin!” Lili shouted.
Chen Jian paused, as if he had been punched directly in the chest.
Lili took the opportunity to kick him again.
“Are you fucking looking to die!” Sanbing pointed at her and roared.
Chen Jian fiercely kicked a plastic stool next to him. The stool flew up and crashed into the glass door of the cabinet next to Lili.
The glass door shattered on impact.
The matter of sleeping in a coffin was known to many in the village. No one would say anything in front of Chen Jian. Occasionally, when someone brought it up, it was with sympathy. Although Chen Jian didn’t like to hear it, he didn’t usually have a strong reaction.
But for this matter to be used as a weapon of attack so suddenly, Chen Jian’s emotions instantly spiraled out of control.
Lili was startled and shrank back against the cabinet, silent.
Chen Jian was silent for a moment, then tilted his head at Sanbing. “Let’s go.”
“This isn’t over!” Hu Pan struggled as Sanbing pulled her out, pointing at Lili. “You just wait.”
Lili didn’t speak.
Chen Jian also turned and walked out of the shop.
“I’m sorry,” Hu Pan said in a low voice after they got out, her voice trembling slightly. “Manager, I’m sorry.”
“Hm?” Chen Jian glanced at her. “It’s nothing.”
“How can it be nothing,” Hu Pan’s eyes instantly turned red. “How can it be nothing…”
“It’s really nothing,” Chen Jian patted her arm. “It was a long time ago.”
He then looked at Sanbing. “Sanbing, you take Pan Pan back. I’m going to the barbecue area.”
“Mhm,” Sanbing glanced at him with a frown and got on his motorcycle. “I’ll go over too after I drop her off.”
“I can go by myself,” Chen Jian smiled.
Sanbing and Hu Pan returned not long after. It looked like they hadn’t lost the fight, but Hu Pan had clearly been crying.
Shan Yu sat in the cafe, basking in the sun. He watched Hu Pan go wash her face and fix her hair, but he didn’t feel it was right to ask what had happened.
Sanbing comforted Hu Pan for a while before remembering to come over and report to Shan Yu. “The manager went to the barbecue area.”
“Mhm,” Shan Yu responded. “How was the battle?”
“She was no match for Pan Pan at all,” Sanbing said. “The manager and I just broke up the fight.”
“Were those tears of victory?” Shan Yu asked.
Sanbing looked back at Hu Pan. “Of anger.”
As for why she could still cry from anger after winning a fight, the answer appeared ten minutes later.
The owner of the accessory shop, a woman in her forties, walked into the shop.
“Why did you smash the glass in my shop!” the woman said.
“Ask your employee!” Sanbing said irritably.
“You brought your fight into my shop…” the woman said. “I just had that glass cabinet made less than two months ago!”
“She’s the one who brought her trouble to us!” Sanbing was good at talking tough. “Ask her why the glass is broken! It’s not our problem.”
“She just mentioned that thing about Chen Jian sleeping in a coffin…” the woman frowned.
Shan Yu turned his head. “What did you say?”
