Huang Danian took a deep, enjoyable drag, exhaling a smoke ring with an expression that was practically begging for a punch.
"You talk, you talk," he said, though his focus was entirely on the nicotine.
Zhao Ergou's mouth twitched violently, his heart bleeding. Three cigarettes! Usually, he cherished them, just smelling them was enough before taking a puff of his usual brand outside the door.
What else could he do? He had to swallow his pride.
"Ah, boss, that coconut shop next door..."
"Hey, old brother, this shop, it's probably owned by some rich second-generation kid, flush with cash and a bit foolish. Nine-odd is peak business hours, you know? Guess what happened?"
Zhao Ergou perked up. "Oh, tell me."
"Heh, a bunch of good-for-nothings! Seven or eight young men and women closed up shop at nine-odd and went off to have a grand old time. You think they're not foolish with their money? Don't call me malicious, but I reckon they won't last many more days."
"Oh, I see. You're busy."
He got on his electric scooter, stroking his mustache. "Are they really that bored?"
Unable to figure it out, and unable to get any useful information without opening his own shop, he rode back dejectedly.
As soon as he returned to his shop, the scene was a mess of cigarette butts. In a corner, three figures were puffing away, chatting and laughing boisterously, completely high on life.
This was unbearable! Zhao Ergou charged over, his eyes blazing, smoke practically billowing from his ears. He started yelling, like a machine gun, a rapid-fire barrage of insults, his vocabulary vast and never repeating.
Business is bad? What the hell did it have to do with the coconut shop? It was all the fault of these three brutes! Zhao Ergou dumped all the blame for his poor business onto them.
The three had already grabbed their promotional flyers and slipped away. They understood the wisdom of avoiding the storm.
Zhao Ergou snorted hot air through his nostrils. "Damn it, if you walk any slower, I'll smack you!"
"Hmph, good. Saves me fifty bucks."
"..."
Meanwhile, Li Haochen and his group arrived at the "Never Sleeps" on the Bund. Their arrival felt a bit abrupt. The vast outdoor dining area was empty except for their party, which almost scared them away from entering.
Fortunately, a server emerged, and an inquiry revealed the awkward truth: the barbecue joint had no issues, they had simply arrived too early.
But this was for the best; less noise meant more tranquility, and more importantly, it avoided a lot of trouble.
Trouble? What barbecue joint didn't have its share of incidents? When people drank too much, their minds went astray. Faced with the sight of several beautiful and delicate women like Murong Yanran, wouldn't someone get impulsive?
Li Haochen and his group chose a prime spot close to the beach. A gentle breeze blew, and the view was filled with enchanting stars.
Leaning back in their seats, gazing at the starry sky, listening to the soughing sound of waves lapping against the shore, a sense of exhilaration naturally arose. Moreover, with beautiful company, the day's fatigue vanished completely.
As for seating arrangements, it was naturally a male-female pairing. This was a setup Li Haochen and Liang Minfeng had planned in advance for the two single guys.
Could Ruan Shanshan and Zhang Qianqian not see through such a crude tactic? The dim light perfectly masked the fleeting shyness on their faces.
As soon as Li Haochen picked up the menu, Liang Minfeng snatched it away, shouting, "Two dozen oysters, two dozen kidneys, cumin-spiced with a little heat, two dozen chives..."
"Hmm, that's all for now. You guys want to look?" Liang Minfeng handed the menu over after ordering.
Li Haochen and the other two men widened their eyes, exchanging glances. "Are we going to need a lot of... supplements?"
Chen He and Liu Dehui nodded in unison. "Probably."
"Hey, why the long faces?"
"No, we were just considering whether to order more oysters and chives."
"Oh, great minds think alike. Then..."
"No, that's enough..." Zhang Guifang pulled Liang Minfeng back, her voice as soft as a mosquito's hum.
Murong Yanran and the other two girls covered their mouths and giggled.
Seeing their expressions, Liang Minfeng knew their mischievous thoughts. His old face flushed, and he shot them several exasperated glances.
"We've all worked hard. Here's to us!" Li Haochen and the other three men raised their glasses and drank. The women also raised their glasses and took small sips in congratulation.
"Ah, this is great!"
A mouthful of barbecue and a gulp of beer, the feeling was simply wonderful.
With a booming career and beautiful women by his side, this was surely the peak of life.
"Third brother, thank you!" Chen He and the other two said with genuine gratitude.
Li Haochen raised his glass. "If you say thank you again, you're not treating me as a brother."
"Alright, brother, cheers!"
The amount of alcohol was just right; the men were tipsy but not drunk, the women rosy-cheeked and clear-headed. With a skewer of barbecue and a bottle of beer, the four men and four women chatted merrily. The men exuded scholarly ambition, confidently discussing the world, their demeanor so dashing that it made the four women's hearts flutter, drunk not on alcohol but on their presence.
Past midnight, more people started coming to the barbecue joint. The previously sparse tables now seemed crowded, filled with all sorts of people.
"Come, come, cheers! Are we feeding goldfish here?"
"Four of a kind."
"Six of a kind."
"Oh, come on, with so many people watching..."
All sorts of noisy sounds, chaotic but not unruly, everyone enjoying themselves. In such a lively scene, we should be grateful to live under the Red Flag.
Looking at the time, it was past one in the morning. Not late.
Li Haochen proposed they call it a night and rest, which was met with unanimous approval. After all, after a long day of work, staying up all night wasn't worth it; if their health failed, there would be no happiness.
Chen He and Liu Dehui volunteered, ostensibly because the night was unsafe, but their true intentions were obvious. Didn't the two young ladies in question raise any objections? This was clearly giving them an opportunity.
Seeing everyone getting into their cars, Li Haochen also asked Xiao Zhu for a car. Why not call Didi? No choice; Xiao Zhu offered great discounts for new users, and besides, money didn't grow on trees. If they could save, they would.
Within five minutes, the car arrived. A pure electric XPeng, quite clean and comfortable. The driver was a middle-aged uncle. Coming out to work this late was also due to the pressures of life.
Electric cars were good; quiet and quick to accelerate. However, one had to remain fully alert; a careless moment could lead to a bump on the nose in the back.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived back in the Da Long Village area. Getting out of the car, the fare of one yuan and two jiao eight fen made Li Haochen feel a bit awkward. He wondered how much the uncle would actually get. Ah!
A gentle breeze blew, and moonlight cascaded down. Murong Yanran, draped in a white gauze dress, was as pure and flawless as a saintess.
The mischievous Murong Yanran tiptoed and hopped, like a midnight elf, humming "White Moonlight and Vermilion Scar" under her breath. Wasn't the scene beautiful?
She had only been slightly tipsy before, but now she was truly drunk.
"You, who are like a princess, I will not let you turn back into a Cinderella."
Murong Yanran looked back and smiled. "I'm tired. Carry me."
"Mm!"
"Am I heavy?"
"Just right."
The pale moonlight stretched their figures long...
Li Haochen walked steadily and carefully. Back home, Murong Yanran was already fast asleep, her lips curved in a sweet smile, undoubtedly dreaming pleasant dreams.