Chapter 295: Chapter 292 [Do you have any other questions?]
Chapter 292: "Do You Have Any More Questions?"
In Jinling City of 2001, the tallest building, Zifeng Tower, wasn’t there yet.
The Deji Plaza, which later ranked first in sales among national shopping centers, hadn’t been built either.
Well, of course, that Deji Plaza later became famous nationwide, but it was because of another Bagua related to the entertainment industry.
The most bustling place in the city center of Jinling in 2001 was still Xinjiekou. The best shopping center was still the Golden Eagle.
Yes, the one that later caught fire and burned the entire building like a giant torch, that one.
That Underground subway station, the so-called largest in Asia with dozens of exits that could make even the locals dizzy, let alone visitors from other places—that great underground maze wasn’t built yet.
How big was this subway station that was built later?
Let’s put it this way, its dozens of exits were situated at: Hanzhong Road, Zhongshan North Road, Zhongshan East Road, Zhongshan South Road, Fengfu Road, Huaihai Road... all from one station!
Just listen to all those roads! Imagine the size of this subway station!
If you threw a squad of Japanese soldiers into it, if they managed to find their way out in three days, you could call me the loser!
It wouldn’t be until 2005 that Jinling’s first metro line would begin operation.
In 2001, the place young people loved to go to was still the underground Lady Plaza, bristling with various small shops.
In 2001, there were still long queues outside Pizza Hut.
In 2001, Dai Mei was still attracting a large number of young people with hotpot costing only a few yuan per person—at that time, the slightly high-end hotpot chain brand was still Little Fat Sheep.
Haidilao didn’t even exist yet.
The taxi drove from the airport to the city center and stopped near Xinjiekou.
"I’ll just drop you off here."
In the car, Yu Naitang and the boy waved goodbye.
Standing by the roadside, the boy smiled at the white-haired girl. "Thank you. Is there anything I can do for you?"
"No," Little Candy thought for a moment and shook her head.
"Alright then... I hope to see you again."
The car slowly drove away as the boy stood roadside, looking up at the streets and surrounding buildings of Jinling City.
The little girl from before was interesting, smart, and kind.
Of course, her abilities seemed quite good as well.
Seed naturally noticed at a glance that the other party was an Ability User.
However, Little Candy wouldn’t notice anything unusual about Seed. Even if she disregarded the rules of the Underground World and probed actively, she wouldn’t find out. She would just take Seed for the most ordinary human.
Seed’s realm was such that he could completely control all his energy within himself without leaking any. The fluctuations of his Spiritual Energy were maintained completely within the range of a normal person.
Quite an interesting person, seems like a very smart kid, Little Candy mused in the taxi as it drove away.
A child about her age traveling from South America to Huaxia? It was too novel. Probably a clever little fellow.
A little genius?
Emmmmm... She had serious business to do these days, too bad.
Otherwise, she would have observed this little boy more. If he really had talent, she would take him back to Britain for Lu Xixi to take him as a disciple.
How wonderful!
Lu Xixi had always been thinking about scouting talented children to take on as apprentices!
It’s much more interesting than being alone with a bunch of animals every day.
Hmm... I need to hurry and get the scumbag-catching done these next few days. If there’s still time, I’ll see if it’s possible to encounter this little boy again.
The boy stood by the roadside, squinting as if sensing something in the air.
A moment later, he smiled and walked southwards.
He wasn’t carrying much luggage, just a small backpack. The backpack wasn’t small, but it had a mature design, clearly the kind worn by a seasoned traveler.
This pack was a gift from Sofia. It was also used by Sofia herself for many years. It was durable and wear-resistant.
Inside were two sets of a change of clothes and a pair of shoes, gifts from Sofia.
During those days in Buenos Aires, Sofia helped Seed run around a few places to get a set of identification documents. Official corruption was rife in the countries of South America, and since Sofia was an experienced traveler, many things were familiar to her; a bit of money and everything was settled.
Although the boy was a foreigner, he seemed to have a very clear sense of direction, heading determinedly toward a specific location.
He turned a corner, walked a hundred or so meters, then suddenly stopped.
In front of a shop, there was a long line of young men and women.
As he approached, the sweet scent of milk pervaded the air—literally milk, not the sour smell of love.
When the boy approached, he sniffed and showed a trace of interest on his face. After thinking for a moment, he smiled and took his place at the end of the line.
Over ten minutes later, an employee in a uniform asked with a smile from behind the counter, "Hello, may I help you..."
"Please give me the same as theirs," the boy said slowly, his Huaxia already seeming somewhat more fluent.
At the airport, his Huaxia was rough, but now it seemed to have improved by leaps and bounds.
If Little Candy had been there, she would have been very surprised.
Of course, if Little Candy knew that this guy didn’t speak a word of Huaxia before boarding the plane, and had just listened to a Huaxia learning tape all the way during the flight...
She would probably find it terrifying!
"One signature set of milk tea, anything else?"
"No, that’s all."
"Standard size or extra-large?"
"Extra-large!" Seed smiled without hesitation.
"So, would you like one-third sugar, half sugar, or full..."
"Full sugar."
When the boy had a locally famous milk tea in hand, he took a sip through the straw.
The milk tea filled with sweetness, blended with coconut jelly, pudding, and red beans, all combined in a single mouthful.
The boy immediately beamed with joy.
"It tastes really good. I like this flavor."
With the milk tea cup in hand, the boy, smiling, continued walking in a certain direction.
"Brother Lei, I’ll be going then," Chen Nuo said goodbye to Brother Lei at the store entrance. Sun Keke, seeming a bit shy and embarrassed, waved to Brother Lei, "Goodbye, Brother Lei."
"Bye, bye."
Chen Nuo and Sun Keke had just finished their meeting earlier. Since they had agreed to meet near the city center, they took the opportunity to stop by Brother Lei’s place on the way.
Well, actually, Chen Nuo really wanted to eat the pan-fried buns from the shop across the street.
While waiting for the buns to be ready, he sat in Brother Lei’s shop for a while, chatted briefly, and also gave some instructions on a few matters.
Now, with a takeout box of pan-fried buns in hand, Chen Nuo waited with Sun Keke at the roadside for a taxi.
"Why don’t I just drive you back? Right after I drop you off, I’m going to buy some groceries anyway."
"No need, don’t trouble yourself," Chen Nuo shook his head.
In fact, he had a motorcycle at home, but Chen Nuo hadn’t been riding it lately.
His spiritual power was so weak that he was having trouble controlling his body and had to use a wheelchair.
How could he dare to take Sun Keke on a motorcycle ride? What if something happened?
"Boss Chen, I think, why don’t we buy a car?" Brother Lei smiled and made a suggestion. "I know you don’t like to show off, so we’re not talking about buying any flashy supercar. Just get a practical car—sturdy, safe, of good quality, spacious, and comfortable."
"Let’s see," Chen Nuo didn’t have much interest in this—he was lazy and didn’t really want to drive.
Driving out meant having to find a place to park, which is such a hassle, isn’t it?
As they were talking, Sun Keke had already flagged down a passing taxi.
"Off we go, Brother Lei, goodbye!" Sun Keke turned back to give Brother Lei a sweet smile and got into the car with Chen Nuo.
In the car, they both sat in the back seat. Chen Nuo glanced at Sun Keke. "How about I buy one for you?"
"Hm?"
"You should get a driver’s license."
"I don’t have the time," Sun Keke shook her head. "Studying is too intense right now. If I went out to learn to drive at this time, my parents definitely wouldn’t agree."
After a pause, Sun Keke looked at Chen Nuo, frowning. "I know you have money, but... you mentioned giving me a house last time, and now you want to buy me a car.
"I always feel it’s not the right thing to do.
"No! It’s not good!"
Brother Lei stood with his hands behind his back, watching the taxi pull away. Then he turned and walked back into the store, humming a tune as he ambled behind the counter.
"Boss, was that our junior boss just now? He’s so handsome, and his girlfriend is so beautiful, too," a coquettish female employee approached, her tone tinged with sycophancy.
Brother Lei glanced at her, smiling. "Don’t ask nonsense."
He paused, then said, "Oh yeah, Xiao Huang, there’s something I need to tell you."
"Sure boss, what is it~"
"We don’t need so many employees in the store. I hired people mainly to train them in this old store so I can send them to the new stores.
"I’ve noticed you’ve gotten the hang of things these past days. Starting next week, I’m thinking of transferring you to our Daming Road location.
"Business there is good, and it’s busy. The main thing is, with good business, as a sales employee, you get more business, and that means more commission."
The female employee’s face stiffened for a moment.
These past few days she had been trying to cozy up to the boss in various ways—those in the know understood what that meant!
Lots of little signals, looks, and gestures, surely the boss must have caught on.
Many things between men and women don’t need to be spelled out, but neither should we play dumb!
She indeed had her own agenda—but what’s wrong with that?
The boss was young and came from a wealthy family. Most importantly, he didn’t seem to be married!
He also had a vibe of someone who’s been around the block, the type of man who’s not too hard to get, not a prude.
This man, he definitely looked like a meat-eater!
How come, after all the flirting, he wanted to send her away?
Being a sales clerk, transferred to a new store, where business is good and there’s more commission to earn?
Sounded quite alluring indeed.
But... that’s just a few pennies!
To get the boss hooked and become the lady boss later on—that’s a fortune! Half of the business would be hers in the future!
How sweet would that be!
The female employee was somewhat discontented on the inside, but outwardly she couldn’t quite express it—after all, nothing was explicit.
Many signals were understood between them, but they were unspoken truths.
Perhaps... did the boss’s girlfriend notice something amiss and decided to move her away?
Impossible, right?
That Zhu Dazhi, rumored to be the boss’s girlfriend’s brother, did he tattle?
No, that can’t be right—Zhu Dazhi hadn’t been in the store these past couple of days.
But Brother Lei no longer cared what she was thinking, simply saying, "That’s how it’s going to be."
"Ah?" The female employee deliberately softened her tone and even sounded a bit coquettish. "Boss, are you really transferring me? Are you tired of me here?"
Brother Lei narrowed his eyes. "Hmm?"
"Daming Road. That’s too far from my place. The commute would be such a hassle every day."
"When you’re out working, young people, you can’t be that picky. Isn’t it good enough that you can earn money?"
"But, but..." The female employee’s eyes darted about as she cooed, "But I just like being around you, boss. You’re so nice and always willing to teach me things."
"I’m the boss! I teach you things so that once you’ve learned them, you can be effective, work hard, and make money for me."
Brother Lei’s tone cooled by three degrees.
Damn it, trying to pull the wool over my eyes?
Can’t play nice forever. Do I need to get tough?
No sense of propriety!
"That’s decided then. The new store needs people, and you’ll work there. The pay is good, and there’s a high commission.
"If you think it’s too far and don’t want to go, then I don’t need you here either. Think it over for yourself."
With a stern face, Brother Lei dropped that line, then bowed his head to his calculations, ignoring the girl.
"...Okay, I’ll go to Daming Road."
"Hmm, good. Then report to the new store tomorrow. I’ll give a heads up to Boss Zhang there later."
The female employee’s eyes suddenly lit up!
"Boss Zhang? I heard he’s not old and pretty handsome?"
Brother Lei cast a glance at the girl with a smile.
Hmm, young and handsome... I suppose he’s passable.
"Right."
"Then I’ll go and do my best. I won’t let you down, boss.
"That... Boss~~
"You should talk to Boss Zhang and tell him to take care of me~"
Brother Lei chuckled silently in his heart and didn’t respond to that.
Darn!
Nowadays, some girls just don’t think about working hard on their own, filling their heads with all sorts of crooked ideas, looking for shortcuts.
The social atmosphere is really getting worse day by day.
He glanced at the employee who seemed to have found a "new drive."
Go ahead then.
Boss Zhang may be young and handsome,
But he’s got a top-notch little demon from Jinling City right beside him!
With your level of tea artistry?
Xia Xia could play you to death!
Better not stick around and bother me. Go compete with that tea artistry ancestor!
"Hello."
A voice came from the door.
Brother Lei looked up and was startled for a moment.
Huh?
A foreigner?
So young?
Another employee of the shop immediately greeted him, but with polite laughter asked, "Little friend? Need any help?"
Little friend?
The boy grinned and looked up at the other person.
"I got this!"
Brother Lei came out smiling. "I’ll take care of this.
"Wow, a foreign guest! I’ve got to personally attend to this one!"
Brother Lei said in jest, stepping forward to look at the young boy.
"Kid, what country are you from? How old are you? Those eyes are really pretty!
"Do you speak Huaxia?
"Did you get separated from your parents?"
The boy looked at Brother Lei, his gaze steadying. "Are you... the boss?"
"Wow, your Huaxia is pretty good."
The boy squinted his eyes and took a sip of milk tea through the straw, trying to suppress some emotions.
"Your place has his energy fluctuations, and... you have it on you too." The boy looked seriously at Brother Lei.
Brother Lei was taken aback!
Instantly, he tensed up!
Something about this conversation wasn’t right!
Brother Lei immediately thought of Chen Nuo!
After all, having known Chen Nuo for so long, there had been plenty of supernatural beings around this young lord!
Let’s not even mention those sisters-in-law from before.
Just the younger ones, didn’t he meet someone not so long ago... what was her name again?
Oh right, Situ Beixuan!
A girl who mumbled about spirits.
This foreign kid here?
One of them?
With this in mind, Brother Lei’s tone became more serious, his voice lowered, "Are... you looking for Chen Nuo, sir?"
"Oh? Is that what he’s called, Chen Nuo?" The boy nodded. "He isn’t here anymore?"
Seed also felt somewhat helpless.
Just moments ago, he sensed that activating power was right here.
But as he approached, a few minutes before arriving, that sensed power suddenly disappeared!
Chen Nuo glanced over at Sun Keke beside him.
Sun Keke had already fallen asleep, her eyes closed, her body involuntarily leaning against his own.
Chen Nuo smiled slightly, reached out to support Sun Keke’s head, and let it rest on his shoulder. Then, he softly cast a barrier of spiritual power around them to keep the noise from waking the girl.
The boy looked at Brother Lei, whose heart sank a little at that gaze.
Suddenly, Brother Lei had an idea. He stood up. Looking at the two clerks in the shop, he said in a stern voice, "That’s it, something’s come up, you guys knock off early!"
The clerks were stunned. "Huh?"
"What do you mean, ’huh’? Knock off! Everyone knock off! Leave now!" Brother Lei’s tone was very grave.
The two or three young women in the shop were almost rushed out by Brother Lei’s gloomy face and his urgent, rough manner!
Brother Lei intentionally moved behind the counter, intending to reach for his phone to call or message Chen Nuo.
Just as he touched the phone, he looked up to see the boy already standing silently before him.
SWOOSH!!!
CLATTER...
The shop’s rolling door, with nobody operating it, slowly began to close on its own!
Brother Lei watched the boy’s dark, bright eyes, feeling an ever-increasing sense of eeriness within him!
The boy bit his straw and took a couple of sips, placing the now-empty cup on the counter with an expression that wasn’t quite satisfied.
He should have bought another one just now...
Too bad, he didn’t have enough cash on him.
He looked up at Brother Lei.
Brother Lei, however, was staring at the rolling door that was closing quietly and gradually, his face looking terrible.
After the sunlight outside was blocked, the shop became a bit darker.
"Boss, you must have some money here, right?"
"..."
Brother Lei’s eyelid twitched!
Suddenly, he saw the boy’s gaze fall on the table!
On the table, his own hand had just touched the phone!
A thought struck him, and Brother Lei slowly let go of his hand.
Even though there was only this little boy, significantly shorter than himself, Brother Lei suddenly felt as if he was being stared at by a great tiger!
Moreover, wasn’t it frightening that the door of his own shop had shut automatically without a sound?!
He didn’t dare move!
Not even a bit!
"Boss, do you have money?" the boy sighed.
"...Yes," Brother Lei said with a mournful face.
This scene... I know it all too well!!
I’m so familiar with it!!
But...
Why the hell is this happening?!?!
I haven’t stolen your bike!!!
The boy smiled and slowly took his backpack off, placing it on the table.
Brother Lei, suddenly inspired, blurted out, "Got it! I understand!! I get what you mean!
"You want me to fill this bag with money, right?"
The boy: "???"
"Little Master! Have I... have I offended you?
"I, I, I... I haven’t stolen bicycles for days now!!!
"Ah, also! I didn’t shave my head by choice! It’s seborrheic alopecia!!
"Little Master, do you have any other questions?"
The boy was stunned!!
After a few seconds of silence...
The boy slowly pulled out a bag of cookies from his backpack and quietly took a bite.
"Don’t you... have any other questions for me?" Brother Lei ventured to ask.
"Like... about the safe in my house?"
"...Got anything to eat?
"I’m hungry.
"Preferably something sweet."