“Gone bad, huh?” Shan Yu turned to look at him.
“Immersed by influence, I guess,” Chen Jian said.
“Is that how you use that word?” Shan Yu asked.
“…I don’t know,” Chen Jian replied honestly. “It should be used that way, but when you asked, I became unsure. I don’t know where you’re waiting to pick on me.”
“Have some confidence,” Shan Yu said. “We have the same education level.”
Chen Jian was stunned for a moment, then laughed.
“Let me ask you a question that doesn’t require an exchange,” Shan Yu stopped, sat on a pile of bricks nearby, and looked at the river ahead.
“Mm,” Chen Jian stopped, resting one leg on the ground. After confirming Shan Yu wanted to sit there for a while, he got off the bike.
“Under normal circumstances, what’s our relationship?” Shan Yu asked.
Chen Jian was taken aback. What relationship?
Master and servant, perhaps.
He handled all his food, clothing, housing, and even accompanied him to the doctor.
Oh, under normal circumstances.
“Superior-subordinate relationship, I guess. You’re the boss, I’m the employee,” Chen Jian said.
“Mm,” Shan Yu nodded. “So, you overstepped, you know?”
Chen Jian stood behind Shan Yu without moving. The last time Shan Yu spoke to him in that tone was about Sanbing taking the mattress.
But this time, in Chen Jian’s understanding, it was completely different from the Sanbing incident.
He suddenly felt a bit lost.
And then, suddenly, a little annoyed.
“Then isn’t it overstepping for you to inquire about my affairs?” Chen Jian asked.
“A boss understanding an employee’s family background for better management isn’t overstepping,” Shan Yu said.
“You…” Chen Jian was speechless. “You’re quite a domineering boss.”
“Well, bosses are usually domineering,” Shan Yu said. “And if I don’t understand things clearly, I might end up in jail someday without even realizing how I got there.”
While Chen Jian was still speechless about the first half of the sentence, the second half left him even more silent.
Shan Yu turned his head: “Are you trying to ask about this?”
He was going to ask about that.
But you brought it up a bit too suddenly.
“Mm,” Chen Jian was a bit awkward. Isn’t it overstepping, boss?
“Besides the boss-employee relationship,” Shan Yu said, “I also consider you a friend.”
Chen Jian stood behind Shan Yu, unable to see his expression, not knowing if he was serious or sarcastic when he said that.
“Just as friends, let’s chat casually,” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian took a step forward and stood beside Shan Yu.
Shan Yu picked up a brick and threw it at his feet: “Sit.”
“…I’ll squat,” Chen Jian squatted down.
“Squat, then, after all, both good legs should be put to use,” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian smiled, still a bit awkward, so he casually dug a stone out of the mud by the roadside and threw it forward.
“My previous company, I co-founded it with a friend,” Shan Yu extended his hand towards him. “He had more experience, I didn’t manage much.”
Chen Jian looked at his hand, not knowing what he meant. After a moment of hesitation, he put the second stone he had dug out into Shan Yu’s hand.
Shan Yu tossed the stone in his hand and then threw it forward. The stone hit another stone, producing a crisp, clear sound that traveled far: “Impressive, right?”
“What’s impressive? You not managing things is impressive?” Chen Jian was a bit slow to catch on.
“I hit the stone you just threw,” Shan Yu said.
“That’s impossible,” Chen Jian said, throwing another one. “You can’t see anything with all these scattered stones. I can make a sound too.”
His stone landed with a thud, no sound.
Shan Yu threw another one, and again, a crisp sound.
Shan Yu might not have actually hit his own previously thrown stone, but there were a lot of broken stones ahead, and it was quite remarkable that he managed to hit the muddy ground every time.
The conversation didn’t continue to progress; it turned into stone throwing, which was also quite remarkable.
“What did your partner do?” Chen Jian lowered his head, rubbing the mud off the stone, trying to bring the conversation back.
“He used the company’s name to raise funds fraudulently and was reported,” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian’s hand paused, and he turned to look at him.
“What are you looking at? Do you think I got in because of fighting?” Shan Yu also looked at him.
That possibility is clearly greater than fraud, boss.
“How many years?” Chen Jian asked.
“Three years,” Shan Yu said.
“I thought it would be related to your leg injury,” Chen Jian said.
“Who said it wasn’t related?” Shan Yu smiled. “I was ambushed three months after I got out. If you say it’s unrelated, then I’m just too unlucky.”
“Why?” Chen Jian frowned. “If it’s revenge, you weren’t unharmed, you also went in…”
Shan Yu smiled without speaking.
“…You reported him?” Chen Jian asked.
“How much debt do you still have at home?” Shan Yu didn’t answer that question. “It feels like your mind is just full of money every day.”
“One hundred sixty-seven thousand three hundred,” Chen Jian said.
Shan Yu turned his head to look at him, silent for a while: “That precise?”
“I dream about it,” Chen Jian said. “Very precise.”
Shan Yu sighed softly.
Chen Jian didn’t have much feeling about his family’s debt; it had been too long, and he had experienced too much. He was, however, quite emotional about Shan Yu’s situation.
“Honestly, your partner…” Chen Jian said, “You actually partnered with a friend like that.”
“What kind of person do you think I am?” Shan Yu asked, but didn’t give him time to answer. “What kind of good people could someone like me have around them?”
You’re quite smart, quick-witted, and your sharp tongue also shows your intelligence. You must be good at fighting…
Chen Jian didn’t say it aloud. He saw the current Shan Yu. He didn’t know what Shan Yu was like three years ago, perhaps to the extent that Chen Dahu would kneel and kowtow to him.
…The prison really can reform people, huh?
“Let’s go,” Shan Yu stood up, patting the brick dust off his pants.
“Boss Shan,” Chen Jian also stood up. “What you just said… we’re friends…”
“What is it?” Shan Yu responded.
“Are you afraid I’d be awkward?” Chen Jian asked.
“Are you that easily awkward?” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian didn’t speak.
“No,” Shan Yu said, walking towards the motorcycle. “You don’t need to hold my leg later, my head doesn’t hurt as much.”
“So, it seems Chen the masseur is effective. No wonder Auntie Xiaodou’s grandma always looks for him when she has a headache,” Chen Jian got on the bike. Shan Yu’s sudden departure made him a little slow to catch up emotionally. “Why don’t you try that medicine? What if it works?”
“It’s bitter,” Shan Yu also got on the bike.
“Just hold your breath and gulp it down,” Chen Jian said. “What if your head hurts again?”
“Then just come find him for another massage,” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian turned around and looked at him: “Do you know how loudly you were yelling just now? You almost crushed my hand.”
“Let me see?” Shan Yu smiled.
Chen Jian held up his left hand. Three clear red finger marks were on the back of his hand, which startled him.
“Damn, how did it get like this?” He rubbed his hand, he had only expected it to be a little red.
“Is Manager Chen’s hand so delicate?” Shan Yu said.
“I…” Chen Jian took a breath and said nothing more. He started the bike. Forget it, it was pointless to say all that.
To his surprise, Shan Yu didn’t go straight back to the guesthouse but asked him to take him to the small market in town to buy a small clay pot for boiling traditional Chinese medicine.
“Isn’t it bitter?” Chen Jian said.
“Let’s try it. If it hurts again, I’m afraid I’ll cripple your hand,” Shan Yu said.
“Next time, let Sanbing go with you,” Chen Jian said.
“No, Sanbing didn’t charge me 14,000,” Shan Yu said.
He was quite clear about the distinctions.
Chen Jian used to be happiest at work when he was sent out to run errands or buy small things; it felt like skipping work.
Now, even with a boss like Shan Yu, he still felt worried when he returned to the guesthouse.
“You tell our manager,” as soon as the motorcycle entered the courtyard, Sanbing pointed at Chen Jian and said, then called out to Chen Jian again, “Manager, the people for the exterior wall and fence are here.”
“Okay,” Chen Jian responded, and after Shan Yu got off, he parked the bike by the wall.
Sanbing was indeed someone Shan Yu thought highly of; he actually remembered to call him “manager” instead of “boss” now.
“I’m going in first,” the boss, holding his medicine and clay pot, hopped and skipped into the house, barely using his crutches.
“Everything else is easy,” Chen Jian led the workers outside the courtyard. The courtyard wall was a section of wall interspersed with a section of fence. “These wooden parts all need to be replaced. I told your boss about this before.”
“Mm, we’ve already brought the wood,” the worker said. “And the inner wall just needs to be repainted the original color, right?”
“Make sure the color matches exactly,” Chen Jian said. “This wall isn’t white.”
“We know, Boss Peng adjusted the color before,” the worker said. “He’ll come over tomorrow to mix the color when we paint.”
“Alright,” Chen Jian nodded. “Just get started. Call me if there are any problems.”
Chen Jian entered the house. Shan Yu was no longer on the first floor. He walked to the elevator, preparing to go upstairs to ask Shan Yu what font and design he wanted for the new sign after “Zhenxi” was removed…
“Manager,” Hu Pan, standing behind the bar, called out to him.
“Hm?” Chen Jian turned and walked over.
“That cafe,” Hu Pan leaned her elbows on the counter. “Is it about what you told me?”
“Inventory the items in the cafe, usable and unusable,” Chen Jian said. “Then see what’s missing, like coffee machines, beans, tools, etc., and make a list for me. I’ll go buy them.”
“Okay,” Hu Pan nodded, looking quite happy.
“Uh, Panpan,” Chen Jian looked around, no one was there. “If you need it, you can advance your probation period salary.”
“…Really?” Hu Pan looked at him.
“Mm,” Chen Jian nodded.
“Will the boss agree?” Hu Pan asked.
“The boss told me to ask you,” Chen Jian said.
Hu Pan didn’t speak, staring at him. Within two seconds, her eyes were filled with tears.
“Hey?” Chen Jian was startled. He fumbled in his pockets three times before remembering there were tissues on the table. He quickly pulled out a few and handed them to her. “What’s wrong?”
“Thank you,” Hu Pan grabbed the tissues and pressed them to her eyes. “Thank you.”
“Don’t cry, don’t cry,” Chen Jian was a bit flustered. “If you’re in trouble, everyone will definitely help you. Besides, this money is what you earned anyway.”
“Mm,” Hu Pan nodded vigorously.
Chen Jian breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she was okay, but then she removed the tissues, looked up, and burst into loud sobs.
“What’s wrong with you?!” Chen Jian was so scared he wanted to cover her mouth.
“I finally met a good leader, ah…” Hu Pan cried heartily.
“You… that,” Chen Jian looked. “Your eyes…”
“Is my makeup smudged?” Hu Pan asked between sobs.
“Yes,” Chen Jian said. “Your eyeliner is all over your face.”
“Ah…” Hu Pan wiped her tears as she turned and walked towards the restroom. “I’ll go clean up, ah…”
Chen Jian was still reeling from Hu Pan’s huge reaction when he walked into Shan Yu’s office.
“What’s wrong?” Shan Yu asked.
“I just told Hu Pan about advancing her salary,” Chen Jian looked at him. “She cried, bawled.”
“It seems she had a difficult time recently and bottled it up,” Shan Yu sat behind his desk. “Let her vent.”
“Mm,” Chen Jian responded.
With Shan Yu saying that, he suddenly understood Hu Pan’s reaction—that kind of crying that comes from being suppressed for a long time and finally finding an opportunity to break down.
He had experienced that feeling, though he hadn’t cried.
He glanced at Shan Yu. His boss’s sensitivity and meticulousness surprised him a little.
“What did you want me for?” Shan Yu looked at him. “Have you eaten?”
“…Zhao Jie hasn’t even come back from grocery shopping yet,” Chen Jian said. “I’ll help you boil the traditional Chinese medicine in a bit.”
“You’re going to drink Chinese medicine when you’re hungry?!” Shan Yu said.
“Those two sentences have no logical connection,” Chen Jian sighed. “There are free small bread rolls downstairs for guests. If you’re hungry, I’ll get you a few to tide you over.”
“I’m not that hungry,” Shan Yu said. “What did you want me for?”
“The workers will scrape off the words ‘Zhenxi’ in a bit,” Chen Jian said. “I’ve already found someone for the ‘Da Yin’ sign. They need a design draft.”
“I’ve written it,” Shan Yu said.
“You don’t need to write it, it’s just those two characters. How should they be designed, the font, whether to deform them,” Chen Jian said. “Or should I just let them design a few styles for you to choose from?”
“Did Qian Yu do it this way before?” Shan Yu asked.
“He probably didn’t; there was a dedicated designer for that,” Chen Jian said. “We’re short on time now, and…”
“We don’t have money,” Shan Yu said.
I didn’t say that.
Chen Jian didn’t make a sound.
“I’ve already written it,” Shan Yu repeated, turning to enter the inner room. “This was inspired by something Qian Yu left behind when he was showing off.”
After a while, he came out with a roll of Xuan paper.
“Ah?” Chen Jian was stunned.
“Just have them make it according to this once it’s written. No decorations or other designs, just these two characters. The original size, black,” Shan Yu spread the paper on the table.
Chen Jian looked at the large characters “大隐” (Da Yin) on the paper, lost in thought.
After a while, he asked: “Did you write this?”
“Mm,” Shan Yu nodded.
“You wrote it?” Chen Jian asked again. “You personally wrote it? Like, you yourself held the pen…”
“No, not really,” Shan Yu said. “I actually held the pen with my mouth.”
“…You write really well,” Chen Jian looked at the characters on the paper. “Have you studied calligraphy?”
“I studied for a few days. This isn’t really good, it’s quite ordinary,” Shan Yu said. “But it’s enough to show off to you.”
“I’ll take it to town this afternoon,” Chen Jian rolled up the paper.
“Mm,” Shan Yu said. “Send me that video you recorded, keep it as evidence.”
“Okay,” Chen Jian took out his phone, unlocked it, then paused. “How should I send it to you?”
“Email it,” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian wanted to ask why not WeChat, but he didn’t. Even as friends, after just discussing those things, pressing him with more questions seemed a bit rude.
He composed the email and handed the phone to Shan Yu to fill in the email address: “Why did you specifically record a silent version?”
“In case it’s needed, if we really have to provide this video,” Shan Yu typed quickly on the phone. “We can’t let people hear our guys inside yelling about revenge, that would clearly imply we were behind what happened later.”
“Oh,” Chen Jian was stunned. He hadn’t thought of that at all.
“And in that kind of situation at the time,” Shan Yu handed the phone back to him. “Making them shut up also gave Chen Erhu a little time to calm down.”
Chen Jian sighed: “But he was still very agitated.”
“Always worth a try,” Shan Yu sat back in his chair and slowly propped his left leg on the table. “Our manager says, help whenever you can.”
