Bab 88: Chapter 88: Big Brother, You're Truly Righteous
The huge restaurant held only the few of them, surrounded by attentive waiters, catering to their every need, fearful of the slightest lapse in service.
The prostitute felt tense and out of place. She sat stiffly, the scene before her surreal. To put it bluntly, she felt unworthy of being there.
Lin Fan and Lao Zhang were peeling shrimp, though Lao Zhang's technique was lacking. The shrimp meat ended up mangled and broken.
"Here." Lin Fan placed a peeled shrimp into Lao Zhang's bowl.
Lao Zhang, in turn, placed his imperfectly peeled shrimp into Lin Fan's bowl. "You eat too."
An onlooker might have commented, "He peeled it so badly! Trading a bad one for a good one—not a fair deal."
But they couldn't grasp the underlying sentiment. This was their way of always giving the best to each other. Could these outsiders understand the joy they found in this simple exchange?
"You're so good," Lao Zhang said with a smile.
"You are too."
They exchanged glances and laughed, their smiles bright and affectionate. However, to the surrounding waiters, these smiles felt unsettling, almost creepy.
"You're friends with them. What do you do?" Qian Xiaobao asked curiously.
He had no ulterior motive, just pure curiosity.
"I..." The prostitute's expression shifted, her hands trembling slightly. This was her deepest shame. Now, this wealthy child's innocent question forced her to confront it. She knew he was simply asking, unaware of her profession.
Should she lie? Or tell the truth?
As she hesitated, Lin Fan spoke up.
"She doesn't have a job," he said.
The prostitute looked at Lin Fan in astonishment. He had met her in the grove that night; how could he not know what she did?
Was he covering for her?
Qian Xiaobao said, "I hear jobs are hard to find these days. You're my good friend's friend, so I'll definitely help you find one. Hmm... My house is so big, and I always make a mess. I don't like the cleaning lady either. How about you come work at my house as a housekeeper?"
"Salary-wise, the previous housekeeper only made 20,000, but you're my friend's friend, so it should be higher. I'll give you 30,000. Would you like that?"
The prostitute stared at Qian Xiaobao in shock.
30,000? What kind of salary was that?
"Xiaobao, thank you," Lin Fan said.
Qian Xiaobao smiled. "We're friends. This is what friends do."
The prostitute lowered her head. She had never imagined this. She hadn't known these two patients for long. By normal standards, they weren't even proper friends yet.
But what they were doing now was something even friends of decades might not do for each other.
Night fell.
Lin Fan and Lao Zhang didn't return to Qingshan. Instead, Xiaobao invited them to spend the night at his villa.
The three changed into pajamas. Xiaobao's pajamas featured George from Peppa Pig, Lao Zhang wore George's mother's pajamas, and Lin Fan wore George's father's pajamas.
The bed was large and soft.
They slept together, Xiaobao facing Lin Fan, a faint smile on his face as if already in a dream.
Xiaobao always slept alone.
The night was quiet.
"Mama!"
Lin Fan heard Xiaobao call out for his mother in his sleep. He smiled and gently patted Xiaobao's back.
He could feel the loneliness in Xiaobao's heart.
Just like their own.
But he had Lao Zhang. He was much luckier than Xiaobao. He saw Lao Zhang kick off the blanket in his sleep and tucked him back in. Catching a chill could lead to sickness.
Outside the villa walls, in a dark corner, two figures lurked.
Zhou Hu and his younger brother hadn't given up on their plan to kidnap the tycoon's son.
They had staked out the restroom at the elite school for three days, finally managing to snatch him. Just as they were about to make a fortune, a small mishap occurred.
"Big brother, isn't kidnapping him here a bit risky?" the younger brother asked.
It wasn't that he didn't trust his brother's plan. He could swear to the heavens, he was always loyal to his brother and never doubted his decisions.
But he felt this was a gamble.
Zhou Hu's facial scar looked especially ferocious in the night. He said in a low voice, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Often, those who say they know what they're doing are the ones who know the least.
They had been observing the area for days, meticulously noting the locations of security cameras and the patrol patterns of the villa's guards.
"Big brother, I trust you," the younger brother said firmly.
Zhou Hu said, "After we pull this off, I'll take you to have some fun. You like that technician at the bathhouse, right? Once this is done, she's yours."
"Big brother, she's a decent person. She does skilled work, not that kind of work. We can't force her into prostitution."
Despite his somewhat sleazy appearance, the younger brother had principles. Forcing someone into prostitution was a line he wouldn't cross.
Zhou Hu looked at his younger brother strangely.
Were younger brothers so righteous these days?
Forget it. Explaining would be a waste of breath.
"I've figured everything out. I even got the villa's blueprints. The sewer system leads into the villa. We'll go in through there, get to the master bedroom, knock the kid out with sleeping powder, and then escape through the sewers. This is a sure thing."
Zhou Hu could practically see stacks of cash beckoning him. He was in high spirits. The chance for wealth and women was within his grasp.
Then, they carefully lifted the manhole cover, checked that no one was around, and quickly climbed down, replacing the cover.
"It stinks!"
"Bear with it. Rich people's money stinks, but to us, it's fragrant."
"Big brother, you're so wise."
"Heh! Nonsense. Back in the day, if I hadn't taken three knives for my brother and been forced to drop out of school, with my brains, I would've been an elite."
"Big brother, you're truly righteous."
Zhou Hu was very pleased with his younger brother. Though skinny and sleazy-looking, he had followed him for so long, enduring hardship without complaint. He was a valuable asset.
Where could he find another younger brother like him?
He had to achieve something big, to show his younger brother how capable he was.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, the younger brother screamed and cowered behind Zhou Hu, as if terrified by something.
"What are you yelling about? Do you want everyone to know we're kidnapping someone?" Zhou Hu was startled by his brother's outburst. He wasn't a coward, but sudden screams could still make him jump.
"Snake! There's a snake!" the younger brother cried.
Zhou Hu glanced at his younger brother.
"Look at you, so spineless. Don't tell anyone you're with me."
Despite his words, he moved quickly, getting away from the area. Of course, they had to avoid snakes. Who knew what diseases a sewer snake might carry? One bite could be disastrous.
Inside the villa, Lin Fan's eyes snapped open. He thought he heard something.
He saw Lao Zhang and Xiaobao sound asleep.
He pondered for a moment, then got out of bed to investigate.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone