Young Men of Wuling East of the Golden Market, Riding White Horses with Silver Saddles Through the Spring Breeze Chapter 126: The Fate He Deserved (5)

Fang Yu noticed that Jin Hai had actually started smoking, and the brand was the cheapest kind available—the packaging suggested it cost no more than three yuan. He had no intention of accepting such a thing and firmly shoved it back at him.

The real issue was that there were only about half a dozen cigarettes left in the box, and yet this four-eyed fool had the audacity to offer it as a gift. Regarding such a persistent pest, Fang Yu really couldn't think of a better way to deal with him than Zhu Wei had.

Just as he was racking his brain to invent a reason to reject Jin Hai, a thin, frail figure suddenly rushed up and grabbed Jin Hai by the sleeve.

"It's you again! You cost me three points on my delivery rating last time because of your late order, and you have the nerve to show your face here today? Pay me back!" It was Shi Jicheng, who had come to use the internet.

When Jin Hai saw it was Shi Jicheng and not Zhu Wei, he breathed a sigh of relief and began to clamor like a hooligan. "Are you sick in the head? You agreed to three points last time, and I already gave you fifty cents. Are you trying to extort me? I'm not afraid of you. Fang Yu and the others are right here, everyone can see clearly that you’re the one trying to extort me first."

Today, Pan Yan was following behind Shi Jicheng, likely having come over to hang out with him. She stepped up and tugged at Shi Jicheng’s sleeve, her face full of disdain. "Give it a rest. It’s only thirty yuan; aren't you embarrassed? Look at this guy—he’s trying to welch on thirty yuan and still wants to pursue Senior Chu Ran?"

Jin Hai didn't like the sound of that and shouted at Pan Yan, "What business is it of yours? I’m Chu Ran’s prospective boyfriend. I wouldn't even look at someone like you; you look like a gold-digger, and for all I know, you’ve probably slept with half a dozen guys."

It would have been fine if Jin Hai had stopped there, but Pan Yan was Shi Jicheng’s only sore spot. He instantly flew into a rage. "Damn you, I’ll kill you! How dare you talk about Pan Yan like that? I’m going to fight you to the death!"

Seeing a scene of a "dog fighting a chicken" about to break out, Fang Yu, fearing it would affect the shop's business, quickly stepped in to stop them. "That’s enough! Don't make trouble in my shop. If you want to fight, go outside!"

Xia Churan took the opportunity to throw in some sarcasm from the sidelines. "Jin Hai, I never realized you were the type to welch on someone for thirty yuan. I really didn't expect that from you."

Jin Hai hurriedly put on a sycophantic smile. "Chu Ran, you've misunderstood! I already gave him his due last time; he's just being greedy."

"Alright, alright, everyone shut up. Gun-Gun, you and Pan Yan go ahead and use the computers. No charge for you here from now on, and you’ll need to help me watch the shop in a few days." He took the opportunity to dismiss Shi Jicheng.

"Oh! Really? Hehe, thank you, Boss Fang! Don't worry, I’ll definitely keep a good eye on the shop for you." Hearing that he could use the internet for free, Shi Jicheng became cheerful again.

The area around the cash register was a mess. Jin Hai hovered in front of Xia Churan, obsequiously explaining the thirty-yuan incident from a few days ago, while Shen Molan mocked him from the side. Cheng Chen, unconcerned, pulled Li Jing over to the computers to look up good places to eat and things to do in Shawan. Zhao Bin sat alone, smoking and staring blankly at the ceiling, while Lu Zhen muttered to himself, looking over a deposit slip in his hand.

Fang Yu felt a splitting headache coming on. He pulled out his phone and shook it. "I’m hungry. Ordering takeout."

Whatever magic the young girl had cast on Jin Hai, seven or eight minutes later, he walked straight over to where Shi Jicheng was sitting and sat down beside him. "Hehe, Shi Jicheng, right? Sorry about last time. I misunderstood you. How about this—next time I’ll bring you some of my family’s homemade pickles. My mom made them herself; you can't buy them anywhere else."

Shi Jicheng shifted away in disgust, likely still holding a grudge over Jin Hai’s remarks about Pan Yan. "I don't want them. Get lost and don't disturb my gaming."

"Come on, have a smoke. I bought these especially." Jin Hai eagerly pulled out the same box of cigarettes he had tried to give Fang Yu earlier.

Shi Jicheng wasn't an unreasonable person by nature. Seeing Jin Hai act this way, he reluctantly took a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and nodded vaguely. "Fine, fine. I can see you’re not going to pay that thirty yuan anyway. Just don't ask me to deliver things for you again."

Pan Yan, standing nearby, didn't have such a mild temper. She glared at him and snatched the cigarette out of Shi Jicheng’s mouth. "Hmph, someone who pinches pennies over thirty yuan actually thinks he can pursue Senior Chu Ran? Look at how Boss Fang handles things—a toad trying to eat swan meat."

Jin Hai, hearing this, immediately grew upset. "What does money represent? Are Fang Yu’s grades as good as mine? I’ll find a good job in the future; he can only rely on his family, alright?"

"Pfft, you couldn't compare to him even if you worked your whole life. Look at the car Boss Fang drives; what girl wouldn't like that? He’s tall and handsome, and he’s generous in business. How do you compare?" Shi Jicheng curled his lip in disdain.

Jin Hai glanced back guiltily and saw Xia Churan beaming as she leaned close to Fang Yu. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but the joy in the girl’s eyes was unmistakable.

"Chu Ran isn't that kind of gold-digger. What she sees in me is my genuine heart, alright?" The four-eyed fool stubbornly persisted.

"Ha! How much is your 'genuine heart' worth? Senior Chu Ran is incredibly popular at school and usually quite proud, but look at her when she’s in front of Boss Fang!" Shi Jicheng didn't even look back as he played his game.

Jin Hai looked at the pair by the cash register with resentment. It was true—in front of him, Xia Churan was like a high and mighty goddess, but next to Fang Yu, she looked more like a concubine beside a young master, her every word and action revealing both joy and a sense of cautiousness.

"One day I’ll be rich too. My grades are so good; I’ll definitely make a fortune in the future." Jin Hai turned his head away indignantly.

"Give it a rest. For a beautiful girl like Senior Chu Ran, you’d better have at least ten million ready before you marry her," Pan Yan added, fanning the flames.

Jin Hai was startled. Ten million—to him, it wasn't just a distant goal; it was an amount he had never even dared to dream of in his entire life.

"Ten million? That’s absurd. When Chu Ran marries me and brings a hundred thousand as a dowry, I’ll use that to do business. Making a few hundred thousand later will definitely be no problem."

"Pfft, look at Boss Fang’s car. That sports car alone costs over a million. His net worth must be in the tens of millions, so how is that absurd?" Pan Yan had a sharp eye and saw the crux of the matter instantly.

At Pan Yan’s words, Jin Hai fell silent. He had originally thought Fang Yu was just a net cafe owner guarding his small plot of land, and even with the bubble tea shop, he couldn't be worth more than a few tens of thousands. But thinking about it carefully, that didn't seem to be the case.

Just then, Shi Jicheng finished a game, rolled his eyes, and a mischievous smirk appeared on his face. "If you ask me, there’s no point in studying like you do. You might as well go to Yanlin and earn that ten million."

Jin Hai’s small eyes lit up instantly. "What ten million? Where?"

Shi Jicheng puffed out a smoke ring nonchalantly. "Don't you go online? There’s a ten-million-yuan engineering project in Yanlin. A lot of people are going there to work on it now."

Jin Hai shook his head. "I don't know about that. I don't go to internet cafes much; it’s too smoky and messy." In reality, the four-eyed fool just didn't have the extra living expenses.

"Look it up yourself. Anyway, if you’re willing to work hard, you can get ten million in two and a half years."

"Then why don't you go?" Jin Hai looked at Shi Jicheng suspiciously.

"Pan Yan won't let me go. Besides, Yanlin is too far, and my family doesn't lack money."

"Could it be that Fang Yu and his friends are rich because they went to this 'Yanlin' place?" Jin Hai looked toward the counter with a sudden realization.

"I don't know about that, but probably not. Boss Fang was already running his business when he first came to school. Not many people know about this project."