Chapter 345: Chapter 213: The Boss’s Boss_2
Inside the room, Liu Zi was already done sprucing himself up. Apart from his hair being a bit long and having some unhealed scabs on his face, he looked quite refreshed.
Especially those inky black eyes of his, they gave off a sense of vitality.
"Forget the old clothes, put on the new ones. There are boxers underneath, change those too! Damn, you nearly knocked me out with your biohazard stench on the way here!"
With a laugh, Meng Fan handed the clothes to Liu’Er, who was wrapped in a towel, speaking with a touch of exaggeration in his voice.
"Thanks, Brother Fan! Consider the money for the clothes a loan, I’ll definitely pay you back once I start working and earn money!"
"Sheesh, you little guy are quite polite! It’s just a bit of money, no need to pay me back!"
"Hehe! Thanks, big brother!"
Liu’Er hurriedly thanked him but stood there wrapped in the towel, not making a move.
Meng Fan realized instantly; this guy was feeling shy.
"Ah, we’re all guys here, why be shy? Alright, you change inside, I’ll wait outside. Quick, alright? After you change, I’ll take you to meet my boss!"
Meng Fan stepped out of the room. In less than three minutes, Liu’Er changed and opened the door.
They say clothes make the man, and after putting on new clothes, Liu Zi gave off a different vibe. The only downside was that the guy was quite skinny, so the clothes were the right length but a bit loose.
"All spruced up, you actually look kinda handsome! Grab your stuff, let’s go!"
"Alright!"
Liu Zi carried the clothes Meng Fan bought for him, not throwing away the dirty ones but folding them neatly and putting them into a plastic bag. After all, they were just dirty and could be washed and worn again.
The two of them drove to Zhang Yang’s fishing tackle shop. They’d already called once on the way, so Zhang Yang knew Meng Fan was back and had gathered everyone who was free to welcome him. They could all have lunch together, a little welcome back party for Meng Fan.
The car stopped in front of Zhang Yang’s tackle shop, and Zhang Yang came out to greet them.
Seeing Meng Fan was expected, but when his gaze fell on the kid beside him, Zhang Yang was momentarily stunned, feeling an absurd sense of deja vu.
Damn, this world is so small.
"No way! What’s your name again? Liu’Er? You’re the one who got beaten up at the competition in Feng City, right?" Zhang Yang asked with a dramatic reaction.
"What? You know Liu Zi? This guy was walking against traffic on the highway, and I picked him up!" Meng Fan was also surprised to see Zhang Yang recognized his little brother.
Liu Zi was equally surprised to see Zhang Yang. He had a good memory. When Zhu Wu was beating him, this big brother had stood up for him at the competition!
"Big brother, it’s me! Zhu Wu hit me, I couldn’t take it and ran away! What a coincidence to find out you’re friends with my boss!"
Liu Zi greeted him politely, feeling mostly relieved from his initial anxiousness.
A person who stands up for a stranger can’t be all that bad.
"Damn! Just a few days apart, and now Little Fan has a little brother!" Zhang Yang found Liu Zi’s address amusing and a bit exaggerated.
"What’s the story here? How do you know each other?" Meng Fan still hadn’t grasped the backstory, feeling a bit confused.
We went as a team to Feng City for a car fishing competition. I sat next to this guy Zhu Wu, and this little kid was Zhu Wu’s fisherman. Zhu Wu was quite rough with him. He hit him right in front of me, and I couldn’t stand it, so I said a few words.
This led to a fight between our group of five and Zhu Wu. Wang Yan whacked Zhu Wu with a fishing umbrella and almost gave him a rectal tear!
Zhang Yang recounted the earlier incident to Meng Fan.
After hearing Zhang Yang’s explanation, Meng Fan felt even more compelled that this was fate and continued, "Liu’Er’s ID is with Zhu Wu. I took pity on him and brought him back. Is our company shorthanded? Maybe find him something to do?"
"Boss’s boss, I can do anything! I can carry a fishing box and net fish! I can even work hard in the workshop!"
Liu’Er was eager to seize the opportunity, fervently promoting himself, afraid Zhang Yang might not agree and let him go.
"Sheesh! Boss’s boss, how can you manage to call me that! Now that you’re here, we won’t let you leave!
Stop standing at the door, come inside, and once everyone’s here, we’ll have lunch first, and then figure out what to do!"
And so, after this dramatic meeting, Zhang Yang brought Liu Zi and Meng Fan inside, and soon other team members arrived one after another. They all went to a pre-booked restaurant in their car.
During lunch, Zhang Yang thoroughly inquired about Meng Fan’s experiences in Zhongsheng, and also asked Liu Zi about some matters related to Zhu Wu.
By the end of the meal, they had basically understood Liu Zi’s background.
Liu Zi’s real name was Wang Dazhi, the same name as a certain third-tier actor. His father died unexpectedly, and his mother remarried, taking his sister with her. The only family he had left was an eighty-year-old granduncle. In a few months, he’d be eighteen, having dropped out of school in the eighth grade.
After mixing with Zhu Wu for a few months, and unable to endure constant beatings, he ran away. On his journey home on foot, Meng Fan picked him up and brought him back to W City.
"Boss, I brought Liu Zi back, you can’t just ignore him! I’ve been bragging about it!" With a full belly, Meng Fan said to Zhang Yang in front of Liu Zi.
Zhang Yang chuckled, "Don’t worry, who said I’d ignore him! But before we settle Liu Zi, you tell me what your plans are after coming back!"
"Me? What plans could I have? I got sent back from learning fishing, so I’ll just stick with you. At worst, I won’t be a professional angler anymore! I can try livestreaming or something else, whatever works!"
"Sheesh, giving up on your dream after encountering some setbacks?" Zhang Yang teased him with a scolding tone.
"What else can I do? I’m at a loss here!" Meng Fan sighed.
"If you still want to continue learning, let’s skip looking for a mentor. I’ll train you!" Zhang Yang said with great confidence.
"Huh? You’ll train me? But you haven’t competed in many professional matches, right? It’s not that I doubt your fishing skills, but isn’t this a different type of subject? Can it work?"
Hearing Zhang Yang say he would train him, Meng Fan’s immediate reaction was a bit of skepticism.
After this trip, although Meng Fan hadn’t learned much technically, his horizons had broadened considerably. The basic skills and qualities of a professional competitive angler were worlds apart from regular fishers.
"Sheesh! Questioning my ability? I don’t compete because it’s not challenging, not because I can’t do it! With a bit of practice, I could be a top-tier professional angler, believe it or not?"
Zhang Yang felt quite confident hearing his good brother doubt his abilities.
"Okay, okay, I believe you! Isn’t that enough?" Meng Fan, seeing Zhang Yang getting a bit upset, quickly nodded to show he believed him.
Zhang Yang continued, "That’s more like it! I’ll arrange a month of special training for you, and as long as you stick with it, your skills will definitely improve, just as much if not more than in a fishing class!
But the competitive scene isn’t friendly to lone wolves. Without teammates, you have to be mentally prepared for that!"
"And Liu’Er? What’s he gonna do?" Having settled his own business, Meng Fan, being very loyal, also cared about his little brother’s situation.
In fact, even without leaning on Zhang Yang, Meng Fan could arrange a decent job for Liu’Er himself. But the reason he kept asking about this was because he’d been bragging earlier and needed to follow through. Honestly, the whole big brother thing was quite impactful for someone of Meng Fan’s age.
Zhang Yang continued, "Liu’Er is too young, not even an adult yet, so working in a factory isn’t suitable!
How about this, I’ll give him some living expenses each month, and he can keep you company!
The path to becoming a professional is tough, having someone by your side will be comforting, whether you’re training at home or competing outside!
Liu’Er, I’ll cover your living expenses, and you can practice fishing with Brother Fan, how about that? Once you’re an adult and pass the assessment, I’ll arrange something else for you!"
Zhang Yang spoke while observing Liu’Er’s expression, trying to gauge the young man’s reaction.
While Zhang Yang was kind-hearted, he wasn’t a pushover, and he maintained a cautious attitude toward unfamiliar youngsters. Having Liu’Er stay with Meng Fan for a while to observe him was the best interim solution.
To Zhang Yang’s surprise, Liu’Er seemed very excited about the idea of practicing fishing with Meng Fan.
"Really? I’m in! I don’t need a salary, as long as I have something to eat and a place to stay!"
With a simple conversation, this was how Meng Fan and Liu’Er’s arrangements were finalized.