He slept pretty well last night, very deeply.
Although he woke up with his usual morning temper, by the time he was washing up, Chen Jian’s mood had completely shifted. Thinking about last night put him in such a good mood he almost swallowed a mouthful of toothpaste foam.
After washing up, he stepped out of the dorm and glanced toward the office. The door was shut. Normally, if Shan Yu was up, the door would be left ajar.
He went straight to the elevator. Since the boss had already tossed the blame onto his head, it meant he was supposed to handle it.
Stepping out of the elevator, he glanced toward the front desk.
Sanbing tilted his chin toward the cafe area. Big Li was sitting there, his back to the lobby.
“Li-ge.” Chen Jian walked over, greeted him, and sat down opposite him.
“How exactly did you guys handle this?” Big Li scowled.
“Li-ge, come to me first for things like this from now on,” Chen Jian looked at him. “Don’t go straight to the boss.”
Our boss finally managed to get some sleep. Piss him off, and you’d better watch out or he’ll start raising chickens in Liangye’s courtyard.
“What, is he not the boss of Dayin?” Big Li retorted.
“Alright then, I’ll just go over and talk directly to Boss He in a bit,” Chen Jian said. “What are we even discussing here?”
Big Li stared at Chen Jian, speechless for a long time, before finally nodding. “You kid, your stock has really gone up lately. Giving me a show of strength right out of the gate, huh?”
Exactly.
“For things we can handle ourselves, there’s no need to jump the chain of command,” Chen Jian said. “I was originally planning to talk to you today about the results of the barbecue negotiation anyway. After all, Li-ge asked us to help negotiate yesterday, so I took someone over right away to do just that.”
“Mm.” Big Li reined in his temper.
“But from what you’re saying… you still went straight to the barbecue joints first this morning?” Chen Jian asked. “Do you trust us that little? Couldn’t even give us a heads-up first?”
With those words out in the open, whatever fire Big Li had left was completely extinguished. He quickly waved his hand with a forced laugh. “Of course not. I was just passing by this morning and asked in passing.”
“We’ve already smoothed things out over there. It took some effort. You know how stubborn they can be, Li-ge,” Chen Jian said. “When we first got there, they wouldn’t even let us through the door.”
Big Li didn’t say anything.
That was probably the exact treatment he had received when he went.
“The result we negotiated is that we’ll funnel some tourists their way. After all, it’s cold right now. Once tourists get tired of playing by the bonfire, they might want to sit indoors for a bit. We’ll provide each guest inside the shops with a free portion of barbecue and a beer. We can hammer out the exact numbers…”
“Provided by who?” Big Li asked.
Hearing this immediately rubbed Chen Jian the wrong way. He didn’t know if He Liang was this petty when doing business, but this Big Li was a real cheapskate. Who knew if the money he pinched even ended up in his own pocket.
“Whoever participates provides it,” Chen Jian answered.
If you don’t want to provide it, then don’t participate at all. They’re only coordinating with Dayin right now anyway.
“What’s the estimated cost?” Big Li glanced at him, pulling out a small notebook.
“There are eleven barbecue stalls in total. We’ll keep each free portion to just enough to satisfy a craving but not enough to fill them up. We’ll have to estimate the exact figures together,” Chen Jian said.
He had included the stalls owned by the Chen families as well, not planning to wait for them to come knocking. He was going to take the initiative and talk to them right after this.
“That cost is nothing to sneeze at,” Big Li shot Chen Jian a look. “Not everyone will necessarily agree to this.”
Then don’t fucking do it.
Dayin will handle it ourselves.
Chen Jian didn’t say anything, turning over how best to reply in his head.
“Whoever disagrees doesn’t have to participate,” Shan Yu’s voice drifted over from behind the espresso machine, voicing exactly what Chen Jian wanted to say but hadn’t dared to state so bluntly. “Dayin can host this event solo.”
Chen Jian froze. He hadn’t even noticed when Shan Yu came downstairs. The man was already standing by the machine, picking out coffee beans to make himself a cup.
“Boss Shan.” Big Li half-rose in greeting before immediately pivoting back to the topic. “What do you mean by that?”
“If this proposal isn’t approved, the event won’t happen,” Shan Yu said. “If you want to host this bonfire festival, you have to agree to this proposal. That’s what I mean.”
“Is there no other proposal that doesn’t go over budget?” Big Li asked.
“This isn’t called going over budget; it’s called increasing the budget.” Shan Yu began grinding the beans, not sparing them another glance.
Drowned out by the grinding machine, Big Li couldn’t continue arguing with him and could only turn back to look at Chen Jian.
“It won’t increase by that much,” Chen Jian said. With Shan Yu’s aggressive opening clearing the way, he could afford to soften his tone. “If this event is a success, it could become a tradition, which is good for everyone.”
“Didn’t Boss Shan say he didn’t know about this?” Big Li looked like he was suffocating from holding back his frustration.
“He’s been listening for half the morning; he knows now,” Chen Jian said.
Big Li stayed quiet, pressing a finger to his lips and biting dead skin off his lip. It was hard to tell what he was agonizing over. Probably just pure annoyance—originally, he thought Dayin was begging them to be included, but now it was Dayin pulling them along.
“Did those barbecue joints have any other conditions?” Big Li asked after chewing on his lip for a while. “Why are they only contacting Dayin now?”
Because Boss Shan used his shady underworld tactics.
And a carton of stolen premium cigarettes.
“Dayin went and sealed the deal; of course they’re only going to recognize Dayin,” Chen Jian said. “That’s how people in our village are. Whoever they negotiate with is the only one they deal with.”
“Alright,” Big Li sighed. As the coffee machine whirred to a stop, he looked toward Shan Yu again. “Boss Shan, let me ask one more thing. How do we control the headcount for this free barbecue?”
“Just issue barbecue vouchers. Only guests staying at our four inns get a voucher. Makes settling the bill easy too,” Shan Yu said leisurely, taking his coffee and walking toward the side door. “That’s the simplest part of the whole plan.”
“…I’ll go back and discuss this with the others.” Big Li closed his notebook and stood up.
“Next time everyone discusses something, include us too,” Shan Yu said as he stepped outside.
Big Li opened his mouth but couldn’t find a single word to say.
After seeing Big Li out and waiting for Hu Pan and Sanbing, Chen Jian went out to the garden.
Shan Yu was standing in front of the message board, looking at it.
“Did he wake you up this morning?” Chen Jian walked over and stood beside him.
“It’s fine. I was already awake by then,” Shan Yu smiled, extending the coffee in his hand toward him. “Want some?”
For some reason, the coffee Shan Yu made smelled incredibly fragrant—at least much better than the ones he made himself.
Chen Jian looked around. No one was there.
“Yeah.” He took the cup from Shan Yu’s hand and took a sip.
He could now confirm with absolute certainty: in all of Dayin, the store manager made the worst coffee. He couldn’t even stomach his own brews.
“Sanbing and I are going out with Hu Pan in a bit,” Chen Jian took another sip. “That primary school classmate of hers, Lili, seems to have told her family that she’s working here. She’s going over to demand an explanation.”
“You even know her name?” Shan Yu glanced at him. “The Store Manager is very thorough.”
“Mm. It comes up during casual chats,” Chen Jian looked back at him. “I even know the name of Zhao-jie’s husband.”
“What is it?” Shan Yu asked.
“…Luo Minghui,” Chen Jian said.
“Is the accessory shop over by Second Street?” Shan Yu smiled.
“Mm.” Chen Jian took another sip of coffee. “Once that’s done, I’ll head over to the barbecue grounds. When I told Big Li about the free food, I included everyone. I’m going to go talk to the Chen families about it shortly, to save them the trouble of coming to look for us later.”
“Mm.” Shan Yu nodded.
“Is it okay to handle it like this?” Chen Jian asked.
“You’ve already handled it and now you’re asking me,” Shan Yu said.
“…Didn’t the boss ‘not know’ about this?” Chen Jian said.
“Oh,” Shan Yu laughed. “Right.”
“I figured including them in the count first and then taking the initiative to go tell them shows more sincerity,” Chen Jian took another sip.
“You handled it well,” Shan Yu said. “When you guys go fight later…”
“We aren’t going to fight,” Chen Jian quickly corrected him. “We’re just going to ask what happened. If a fight breaks out, we’re just there to pull them apart.”
“Oh,” Shan Yu nodded. “Need your boss to back you up?”
“No need,” Chen Jian looked at him, utterly resolute. “No need at all.”
Shan Yu clicked his tongue.
“Would the boss really just be backing us up?” Chen Jian muttered. “The boss can’t even raise chickens without wanting to seize new territory.”
Smiling, Shan Yu leaned back against a nearby lamppost and said nothing.
The sunlight hit his face, making him squint slightly.
Looking at him, Chen Jian could suddenly feel the pulse beating furiously at the side of his own neck.
“Let’s go, Store Manager!” Sanbing suddenly walked out of the side door. “Panpan is downstairs.”
“Coming,” Chen Jian responded.
The pulse at the side of his neck instantly stopped dead in pure fright.
“Morning, Boss Shan!” Hu Pan followed right behind, her footsteps heavy and stomping against the ground, her voice just as forceful. “Morning, Store Manager Chen!”
Her hairstyle wasn’t her usual headband-afro combo. Instead, all her hair was gathered and tied on top of her head, looking like a little exploded puffball.
And sticking right through it was a stainless steel chopstick.
She looked entirely ready to throw down.
That chopstick was clearly a backup murder weapon.
“Morning,” Chen Jian replied, glancing at Shan Yu and whispering, “We’re heading out then.”
“Mm.” Shan Yu nodded.
Chen Jian had barely taken two steps behind Hu Pan and Sanbing when Shan Yu suddenly spoke up again: “Return my coffee.”
…Holy shit.
Chen Jian felt as if he had been abruptly thrown directly into the fire pit at the Hillside Restaurant. His entire body burst into flames.
He froze in place, turning his head to look at Shan Yu.
“Give him the coffee back,” Hu Pan said. “Why are you still holding it?”
Wait.
Chen Jian couldn’t help but look at Hu Pan again.
Was she seriously not questioning why the store manager was drinking the boss’s coffee?
“Hurry up, what’s taking so long?” Sanbing yelled from ahead. “If you want coffee, Panpan will make you twenty cups when we get back until you throw up.”
Chen Jian turned back to look at Shan Yu.
Shan Yu’s lips curled up in a smirk.
Chen Jian looked down at the coffee cup. After his repeated sips, what had been barely a full cup to begin with was now just less than half full.
“It’s gone,” he tipped his head back and downed the rest of the coffee, placing the empty cup onto a small side table. “Boss, clear the cup.”
“…Alright,” Shan Yu said.
Whether it was the effect of drinking the boss’s coffee or something else, Chen Jian felt light as a feather as he swung his leg over the motorcycle.
With Sanbing giving Hu Pan a ride, the two motorcycles roared out of the courtyard one after the other.
Second Street was quite close. Normally, they would just stroll over, but today they were picking a fight, which meant they had to arrive roaring on motorcycles.
It was all about the intimidation factor.
It was still quite early, and many shops had just opened their doors.
As Chen Jian rode past a breakfast stall, the various aromas hit him, making him realize he was starving. The milk in that coffee had done absolutely nothing to fill him up. He normally wasn’t this hungry in the mornings…
But Sanbing and Hu Pan clearly had no intention of stopping for breakfast before handling business, so he had no choice but to endure it.
The accessory shop had also just opened. The owner wasn’t there; only Lili was around, currently moving a display board from inside the shop to the front entrance.
When the two motorcycles pulled up to the curb right in front of the door, she took one look, immediately turned around, and hurried back inside.
Hu Pan leaped off the back of Sanbing’s bike and charged straight into the shop.
Chen Jian quickly parked his bike, chased after her in a few strides, and reached out to yank the chopstick from her hair just as she reached the door.
Hu Pan froze, whipped her head around, and glared at him, lowering her voice. “What are you doing!”
“Sanbing and I are here,” Chen Jian also kept his voice low. “You won’t need this.”
Hu Pan gave him a look, said nothing, pushed past the plastic curtain, and entered the shop.
Chen Jian handed the chopstick to Sanbing.
“Panpan is pretty ruthless,” Sanbing said, taking the chopstick. “Even I’ve never used this move.”
You’ve never used any moves.
You only ever get beaten up.
“How was I supposed to know about all that messy drama with your family!” Lili’s voice rang out from inside the shop, carrying a mix of impatience and subtle fear.
Chen Jian and Sanbing pushed through the curtain and stood by the door.
“Do you dare say you don’t know why I ran away here? Did I not tell you?” Hu Pan pointed directly at her. “When I sat next to you in class, could you not see the bruises all over my body? You even helped apply medicine on me once, and you dare say you didn’t know what my home situation was like?”
“I didn’t do it on purpose! I just bumped into your brother!” Lili raised her voice defensively. “Are we even that close? What obligation do I have to keep your secrets and cover for your mess!”
Hu Pan didn’t say another word. She lunged forward, grabbed Lili by the collar, and slammed a fist right into her face.
Lili wasn’t a pushover either. She swung her arms wildly, immediately fighting back.
“Hey!” Sanbing took a step forward, then stopped, his hands raising and lowering uncertainly. “Don’t fight…”
“Just say you didn’t know! Try saying it!” Hu Pan refused to let go of the collar. Regardless of how Lili fought back, Hu Pan just kept swinging her fists. “You didn’t know! You didn’t know! Try saying it!”
It was obvious this wasn’t her first brawl.
Although Lili wasn’t weak and kept trying to scratch at Hu Pan’s face, she clearly lacked Hu Pan’s combat experience and sheer rage. She was quickly pinned to the floor.
“If they come looking for me,” Hu Pan squeezed her hands around her neck, “just wait for me to come back and kill you!”
Chen Jian shot Sanbing a look. Sanbing stepped in, grabbed Hu Pan by the arms, and hauled her backward.
At the same time, Chen Jian caught the hand Lili was trying to swing at Hu Pan and pulled it aside.
“Don’t pull me!” Hu Pan struggled, her legs still kicking out toward Lili.
“You’re just a dog relying on its master’s power! If you’re so tough, go fight your dad and mom!” Lili’s face had several red welts from the punches. She was trembling with anger. “You only dare come make trouble for me! You deserve to get beaten by them…”
“Shut your mouth!” Chen Jian said coldly.
“You shut up! Go sleep in your coffin!” Lili shrieked.
Chen Jian froze, as if someone had just punched him squarely in the chest.
Taking advantage of his momentary lapse, Lili kicked him in the leg.
“You got a fucking death wish?!” Sanbing pointed at her and roared.
Chen Jian lashed out with a vicious kick at a nearby plastic stool. The stool went flying and slammed violently into the glass doors of a display cabinet beside Lili.
The glass shattered instantly.
The matter of him sleeping in a coffin was a rumor many in the village knew about. Most people had the decency not to mention it to his face; if it was brought up occasionally, it was usually with a sigh of pity. Though Chen Jian hated hearing it, it rarely triggered a massive reaction from him anymore.
But having it suddenly hurled at him as a weapon of attack caused his emotions to briefly spiral out of control.
Terrified by the shattering glass, Lili shrank back against the cabinet, instantly silenced.
Chen Jian stood in silence for a moment before tilting his head toward Sanbing. “Let’s go.”
“This isn’t over!” Hu Pan, still being dragged backward by Sanbing, pointed fiercely at Lili. “Just you wait.”
Lili didn’t say a word.
Chen Jian turned and walked out the door.
“I’m sorry,” Hu Pan whispered once they were outside, her voice trembling slightly. “Store Manager, I’m sorry.”
“Hm?” Chen Jian glanced at her. “It’s fine.”
“How could it be fine,” Hu Pan’s eyes instantly went red. “How could it be…”
“It really is fine,” Chen Jian patted her arm. “It happened a long time ago.”
He looked at Sanbing. “Sanbing, take Panpan back. I’m going to head over to the barbecue grounds.”
“Mm.” Sanbing furrowed his brows, gave him a concerned look, and hopped onto the motorcycle. “I’ll head over there right after I drop her off.”
“I can handle it myself,” Chen Jian smiled.
Sanbing and Hu Pan returned not long after. They didn’t look like they had taken a beating, but Hu Pan had clearly been crying.
Sitting in the cafe area soaking up the sun, Shan Yu watched Hu Pan go wash her face and fix her hair, though he tactfully didn’t ask what happened.
After sitting with Hu Pan for a bit, Sanbing finally remembered to come over and report to Shan Yu. “The Store Manager went to the barbecue grounds.”
“Mm,” Shan Yu acknowledged. “How did the battle go?”
“She was no match for Panpan,” Sanbing said. “The Store Manager and I just played biased referee.”
“Were those tears of victory then?” Shan Yu asked.
Sanbing glanced back at Hu Pan. “Tears of anger.”
As for why winning a fight could make someone cry out of anger, the answer arrived exactly ten minutes later.
The owner of the accessory shop—a woman in her forties—stormed into Dayin.
“Why the hell did you smash the glass in my shop!” the woman shouted.
“Ask your employee!” Sanbing shot back, thoroughly annoyed.
“You bring a fight into my shop…” the woman said. “I just had that glass cabinet made barely two months ago!”
“She caused trouble and brought it right to our doorstep first!” Sanbing was a natural at throwing down ruthless remarks. “Ask her why the glass broke! It’s not our problem.”
“She just made one little comment about Chen Jian sleeping in a coffin…” the woman frowned.
Shan Yu turned his head slowly. “What did you say?”
