CH 4

The takeout guy standing at the door of the dorm seems to be about the same age as them. He’s wearing the uniform of a nearby dim sum restaurant and a black baseball cap that covers most of his face. Only a small white chin was exposed, looking very docile.

It was evident that this deceptive appearance temporarily resisted Zhao Pang and Wang Fuliang’s anger. The two used a “does this person have a hole in his brain” type of unbelievable gaze to stare at the fool who couldn’t recognize the goods. 

The takeout guy obviously became aware of their attitude and slowly raised his head.

Fang Huaining only got to see him clearly just now. His eyebrows are exquisite, his nose and lips are beautiful, and his facial features are very eye-catching. He has an appearance that makes his gender hard to tell. Other than those gloomy eyes, it was a very memorable face.

Fang Huaining was stunned, it seemed like he remembered something.

“I have my own reasons for charging 20 yuan.” The guy didn’t look towards Fang Huaining, he said neither humbly nor arrogantly while being on the receiving end of a few powerful gazes. 

“What reasoning?!” Wang Fuliang was so curious that he forgot to stutter.

The guy thought about it and then said slowly: “First of all, there’s only one week left of June. Although some departments take their exams early, most Uni A student’s summer break starts quite late. During this time, the waste collectors outside the school all went to the other two neighboring universities that started their break early. You may not be able to find them even if you wanted to.”

“Secondly.” The guy blinked, his gaze went past Wang Fuliang and Zhao Peng, landing on Fang Huaining… or rather, the computers near his feet, “Even if the hardware can still be used, it’s probably not that good, otherwise it would’ve already been taken by other students. Before the break, students get rid of things more and bring in things less. Even if they want to buy a second hand computer, they would go find the seniors that are about to graduate since they’re in a hurry to leave and their computers would be newer.”

“Thirdly, although I’m not a student here, I come here quite a lot these past years. I sort of know about Uni A’s dorm’s routines and regulations. If you’re deducted too many cleaning points, it will directly affect your university’s average and even the evaluation during graduation. Suffering this kind of loss because of such a little thing and such little money, it’s not really worth it.”

“Fourthly…”

“T-there’s still a fourthly?” Wang Fuliang was shocked.

“Mn, fourthly.” The guy nodded like it was a matter of fact, “Even if you don’t care about the above, but you’ve also said it yourself just now, carrying such heavy computers down 7 floors, walking another 20 minutes in this steaming weather to the streets outside to sell, is not an easy physical task. Are you guys even capable?”

While talking, he also sized up the figures of Zhao Peng and Wang Fuliang, who were either too thin or too fat. 

“Or you can use a cart,” The guy kindly suggested, “You can rent a little cart at the kiosk in building K, 10 yuan a trip, totalling 20 there and back, which is the same price I’m offering.”

“But we still have to pull the cart ourselves…” Zhao Peng couldn’t hold back.

“That’s right.” The guy threw over an “You’re not that dumb after all” expression, “Therefore, I’m doing all this time-consuming and effort-consuming task for you while risking being discovered by my boss since it’s still working hours. Is charging 20 considered a lot?”

He spoke clearly with a relaxing rhythm, although he had no emotions in his tone, his tenderly affectionate voice increasingly made the few people in the dorm room lose their anger as they continued to listen. It’s to the extent that they almost couldn’t hold back and say: I-it makes so much fucking sense! 

Wang Fuliang only swallowed back the “Not a lot.” by biting his tongue and almost suffocating himself.

“Of course, if you think it’s not worth it, then forget it. I’m just kindly suggesting, this kind of energy-consuming task is not easy to do.” After speaking, the guy turned around to leave.

“Hey, wa-… wait…” Zhao Peng was unwilling to submit and said, “Talking is easy, if we can’t move it, then you’re saying you can with that small body of yours?”

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Even after hearing such an attitude, the guy just glanced over and reached out his hands: “Rope.”

After a brief pause, Wang Fuliang silently went to fetch one.

The guy took it, and under the watchful eyes of several people, he tied together the computers with two keyboards and a small set of speakers. His technique was simple yet neat.

“You… don’t force yourself.” Clearly everyone here is a boy. He clearly just previously scorned the other for having a problem in their brain and only cares about money, but when he saw that the other was for real, the group of people started feeling unbearable. 

“H-how about I take it down with you?” Wang Fuliang said quietly, “This thing isn’t light.”

Li Ting didn’t have any intention to accept help, he grabbed it with one hand, stood up, and turned around effortlessly. He looked at Wang Fuliang and pointed at his pocket with his chin.

Zhao Peng reacted fast and immediately put the money inside, but the other stayed in the same posture. Zhao Peng thought that the other must’ve thought it was too little and was wondering if he should take out another hundred to compensate for his hard work.

But his stupidity left the guy with no other choice than to speak: “I’m telling you to get the takeout bill from my pocket, the dim sum restaurant’s number changed, remember to change it next time you order.” 

“Oh…” Zhao Peng blanked out and clumsily did what was told.

When he finished, the guy walked away.

“Hey, be care-, careful on the way…”

“Watch out for the stairs.” 

The two grown mens held the door and sent him off with reminders. Their gazes remained on the guy’s back until he disappeared from their sight as if they were sending a relative far away.

Short moment later, Wang Fuliang sighed: “He looks about the same age as us, he should also be a university student, just not sure what major he’s in.”

Zhao Peng took over: “Might be marketing and weightlifting…”

Wang Fuliang agreed: “Truly a talent…” 

The two turned around and met face to face with Fang Huaining who stood behind them since who knows when. The other took his bag and it was obvious that he was about to leave.

Zhao Peng pulled back his state of mind, ran to his computer in surprise, and saw that the problem he was stuck on for three days was already successfully solved. From the start to finish, it didn’t even take the other 10 minutes.

Zhao Peng couldn’t help letting out a swear word excitedly.

Wang Fuliang was also upset, such a good opportunity to sneak help flew away just like that, but luckily there is still time. 

“Huaining, I applied for an internship at the research institute during summer break, Guo Junfu’s project, I will see you then.”

“The middle of next month? Alright.” Fang Huaining nodded.

After these words fell, Zhao Peng began complaining again: “Huaining, this flirt’s totally not going for the internship to learn, his intention is Miaomiao xuejie.”

“You-, you’ve said enough, if you keep talking nonsense… I’ll-, I’ll hit you.” 

“Dare you say it isn’t true, the next time I see Miaomiao, I will tell her exactly so…”

“Shut-, shut up…”

Fang Huaining decisively chose to leave before the battle heated up.

The sun rose high in the afternoon at the end of June. Fang Huaining was nearly melted by the scorching heat as soon as he came out of the dormitory. Therefore, he didn’t use the closest path, instead, he followed the carport and left from Uni A’s north entrance. Although it’s further, there are big trees blocking the sun which can get rid of quite a lot of heat. He was the only one who would take this path in the past, he didn’t expect that there would be one more person on this road today. 

Even if he left a while before Fang Huaining, the takeout guy didn’t get too far due to carrying heavy objects. It only took Fang Huaining a few minutes to catch up.

The pace of that person is more effortless than expected, he walked steadily with every step, no postponing nor delaying, he didn’t have any intention to make it into a show. There were red marks made from the rope that appeared on the arms revealed under his sleeves, which was particularly obvious due to his pale skin.

Fang Huaining scanned with his eyes and his gaze fell on the other’s back. He saw the detailed sweat dripping its way down from the neck of the person under the sunlight and submerged into the collar of the light pink uniform. It wetted a small part of the clothes, which became half see-through as he walked.

Exactly where does this strength of such a small person come from? 

Fang Huaining was secretly curious.

He was like a fish in water in Library A, yet he isn’t a student of Uni A?

Fang Huaining continued to wander.

The two of them kept a distance of ten meters, they walked in tandem with about the same speed for about 20 minutes. It is uncertain whether the person in front noticed that there was someone behind him, in the end, he never turned back… 

They finally reached the north entrance, Fang Huaining walked towards the bus stop at the intersection while guessing that the takeout boy might have a delivery vehicle parked nearby. Not sure if he will put the items away somewhere first or take them directly to the product-take-back station or simply find a place to throw it out. After all, he already made money from it.

However, Fang Huaining felt that the possibility of the latter was very small.

And in fact, it turned out that his thoughts were still too simple.

He saw that the guy did not go to his vehicle, did not throw the items away, and did not have an intention to continue walking. Instead, he turned and entered a shop on the side of the street. 

The location of the bus stop happened to be right there, Fang Huaining raised his head and discovered that it was a simple appliance repair shop.

The boss standing at the counter saw the guy entering the door and immediately smiled enthusiastically, it was obvious that he was a frequent guest.

“What do you want this time?”

The guy put down the computers, untied the rope and said: “Selling this, one of them.” 

The boss squatted down to inspect the goods: “How much?”

The guy: “A hundred.”

Fang Huaining far away: “…”

The boss frowned, it seemed like he felt it was too expensive: “This computer is already really old, this hardware is from long ago, if it wasn’t you, I wouldn’t even take it, sixty at most.” 

The guy calmly pointed to the building with large billboards not far away: “Next month is the Home Appliances Festival, there’s a trade-in event that will deduct two hundred from the new appliances while trading in the old appliances. There will definitely be customers coming here to find old junk to use as money, don’t tell me you don’t know. “

The boss who got exposed laughed awkwardly: “It’s only during those times that I’m able to make a profit, how’s this, seventy, fixed price. “

The guy bent down, retied the rope, lifted them up and turned around to leave.

The boss hurried forward to catch him: “Fine fine fine, eighty, can’t be more than this, you have to let me profit a little as well.” 

The guy thought for a bit, and then reluctantly agreed.

“Only selling one?” The boss asked as he watched him walk to the door and chained the other computer behind the electric scooter that was parked there.

“Mn.”

The guy answered and took out a twenty from his pocket, gave it to the boss to exchange for a hundred yuan bill. 

Fang Huaining looked at the bright red banknote in his hand from a distance, and then at the one who’s walking his scooter towards him. Their eyes met and before the guy silently passed him, the guy’s eyes were so natural that it didn’t even flicker.

Fang Huaining: “……”

At that moment, the words that Wang Fuliang said flashed in his mind.

Truly a talent…