"Great, I don’t have to do military training either. Let’s go hang out together."
Tang Ming exclaid enthusiastically.
"Huh? You don’t have to do military training either? Why’s that?"
Chen Cang perked up.
"Hey..."
Tang Ming recounted what had happened.
"Hahaha, you used to scold for arguing with the instructor, so why did you hit the instructor yourself?"
Chen Cang couldn’t help but laugh.
"Can I be the sa as you? You fought your own instructor, I beat up an instructor who ca to cause trouble."
Tang Ming pouted and impatiently asked, "Are you coming or not?"
"Going, I have to go! Let’s go find ng Ting and Xiao Li, make them envy us to death."
Chen Cang shouted excitedly.
"Alright, let’s et in the cafeteria later."
Tang Ming nodded and was about to hang up the phone.
"Wait, don’t go to the cafeteria. Let’s et at the side gate of the school. Do you know the west gate?"
Chen Cang quickly stopped Tang Ming.
"Why over there?"
Tang Ming beca puzzled.
"To see Xiao Li and ng Ting, we certainly can’t go empty-handed. It’s so hot right now, let’s buy so cold drinks and then go see them."
Chen Cang smiled and explained, "Buy more, and you can also please their roommates, right?"
"Makes sense."
Tang Ming nodded repeatedly, gritting his teeth, "Thinking about you eating cold drinks while I was in military training made very unhappy. Now let’s make them feel that way."
"Alright, I’ll prepare, let’s et at the side gate."
Chen Cang finished speaking and hung up the phone.
In Chen Cang’s dorm room, he put down the phone and imdiately slipped out from behind the curtain, changing clothes.
Once dressed, Chen Cang picked up the phone and sent a text: "Prepare to act as planned, I’m taking Tang Ming to buy popsicles."
"OK!"
A reply ca quickly from the other side.
After more than ten minutes, Tang Ming and Chen Cang, dressed in casual sportswear, t at the school’s side gate.
"Why go all the way here to buy things when there’s a supermarket on campus?"
Tang Ming asked Chen Cang, dissatisfied.
"Stuff at the school is so expensive and with limited choices."
Chen Cang rolled his eyes at Tang Ming and earnestly said, "I’ve been buying popsicles for you guys here, where there’s more variety and they’re cheaper. You also get to know the area, and there are surprises."
"So that’s it."
Tang Ming suddenly understood and nodded. "Didn’t expect you to manage your expenses after starting college, not bad, not bad."
"Enough talking, let’s buy stuff quickly and then go brag to ng Ting and the others."
Chen Cang grabbed Tang Ming’s arm, eager to head outside the school.
"Don’t pull , or I’ll hit you."
Tang Ming quickly broke free from Chen Cang’s hand, warning with disgust on his face.
"Oh please, like I could eat you."
Chen Cang rolled his eyes at Tang Ming but said no more.
The school’s side gate opened up to a food alley, where many students ca to eat, drink, and have fun—economic and tasty.
Chen Cang led Tang Ming confidently to a small cold drink shop and excitedly said, "Here we are. Though the taste isn’t as good as Wei’er’s, it’s very authentic, and they say the owner is a beauty."
"Stop wasting ti, hurry up and buy things."
Tang Ming glanced at Chen Cang, not very interested in beauties.
As they walked into the shop, they found a few couples cozily eating together, while a tall woman with a mask worked busily.
"Boss, I want this, this, and this?"
Chen Cang eagerly pointed out items continuously.
"Alright, please wait a mont. It’ll be ready soon."
The owner noted the order and responded with a smile.
"This place..."
Tang Ming stood there, staring blankly at the shop’s decor and layout, deep in thought.
"How does it look? Doesn’t it resemble Wei’er’s shop?"
Chen Cang looked at Tang Ming proudly and said, "I ca here each ti because of its resemblance to Wei’er’s place."
"You’re thoughtful."
Tang Ming nodded, gazing dumbly at the busy woman, whose figure and attire closely resembled Xia Wei’er. With a resigned sigh, he said, "I wonder how Wei’er is doing. I miss her."
"I miss Wei’er too, but she’s gone to the Hidden Sect for cultivation. It’s a good thing for her, don’t be sad."
Chen Cang pulled Tang Ming to a seat, sincerely comforting him.
"Soday I’m going to find Rainbow Cloud Peak."
Tang Ming murmured.
"What are you going to do at Rainbow Cloud Peak? Even if you were a Martial General, it’s a Hidden Sect with many masters. If they don’t want you to see Wei’er, there’s nothing you can do."
Chen Cang gravely reminded him.
"At least I’d know how Wei’er is doing."
Tang Ming slightly frowned, knowing Chen Cang was right, but still finding it hard to accept.
"Bang."
At this mont, a loud noise ca.
The advertising box by the shop entrance was violently kicked apart, and then several burly thugs stord into the shop.
"I hear there’s a cold drink beauty here, let see what kind of gorgeous girl dares to call herself Xi Shi."
A bald-headed thug with a hideous scar on his face approached the busy woman nacingly.
"What, what do you want to do?"
The woman looked at these uninvited guests in terror.
"What do we want to do? Can’t you see?"
The bald thug sneered coldly and turned his head toward his lackeys, "Brothers, show this beauty what we’re here to do?"
"Collect money. If you open a shop here, you must pay protection fees."
The hooligans shouted, baring their teeth and kicking tables and chairs.
The students eating there were frightened and ran outside.
Chen Cang and Tang Ming sat still.
Chen Cang kept secretly observing Tang Ming’s expression, whose brows furrowed tightly. This scene felt so familiar. Wei’er’s family shop had been bullied like this back in the day.
"Don’t smash it, don’t smash it, ooo."
The woman cried and pleaded, "Brothers, what exactly do you want?"
"Two choices for you: First, you pay, and every month you give us five thousand bucks."
The bald thug stepped on a chair, glaring viciously at the woman.
"Five thousand? I’m just a small business, after rent and utilities, I don’t even make five thousand a month, where would I get that much money?"
The woman looked at the thugs in terror, pleading repeatedly, "Please, brothers, can it be a bit less?"
"Hahaha, don’t have money? Then let sleep with you, have our brothers sleep with you a few tis each month, and not only won’t I take your money, but I’ll also give you money, how about that?"
The bald thug laughed lewdly.
The others joined in with mocking laughter.
User Comments
0 comments from readers