Chapter 108: Longwan Grand Restaurant

Chapter 108: Chapter 108: Longwan Grand Restaurant

A dozen or so classmates were chatting at the restaurant entrance as they waited. In the blink of an eye, more than ten minutes had passed, but the person they were waiting for still hadn’t shown up.

"What’s going on? How come Old Wei isn’t here yet!"

"It’s already past six! Yesterday, we all agreed that no one was allowed to be late!"

"Let’s not just stand here waiting. Why don’t we go up to the private room and wait for him there?"

"I agree. My legs are getting a little sore from standing."

"I don’t know about that. Old Wei is so proud; if we don’t wait for him, he’ll probably get upset."

The classmates exchanged uncertain glances. Ye Xing just shrugged and said with a smile, "It doesn’t matter to me. It’s up to you all. I’ll go with the flow."

"How about I give him a call and see where he is?"

"Yeah, let’s ask where he is first."

"No need. I just messaged him. He said he’s almost here. Sounds like something held him up, and he wants us to wait a bit longer."

"Alright then, we’ll wait a little longer."

"Speaking of which, out of all our classmates who graduated, it seems like Wei Junchao is the one doing the best, huh?"

"Yeah, he even has a car. He just bought a new one for over 300,000. And that guy’s only been working for a few months, but he’s already an executive at his company."

"Pfft, what executive? It’s just because he has a rich dad. His old man owns shares in that company. He got in through the back door!"

"Hey, relying on your dad is a form of power in itself. It’s not his fault you don’t have one. Just shut up and wait. If you suck up to him, maybe he’ll line you up with a good job."

"Who needs it? My salary might be low, but I live on my own terms. I don’t want to owe anyone favors and have to grovel and take their crap."

"That’s just how society is these days. We should go with the flow. Liu the Monkey, you can’t be like this. It’ll be hard for you to get ahead. You need to change that attitude of yours."

And so, the group continued to chat at the restaurant entrance while they waited.

Business at Longwan Grand Restaurant was booming. Customers came and went, laughing and talking. Most were there for banquets celebrating weddings or housewarmings, but it was also a popular spot for reunions among classmates, colleagues, and friends to book a table and dine together.

About ten minutes later, a black Dongfeng Teana pulled into the Longwan Grand Restaurant and headed toward the parking lot.

"Wei Junchao’s finally here."

"Where? Where is he?"

"See that black Dongfeng Teana? That’s his car, I recognize the license plate. It’s already headed for the parking lot. He should be here any second."

Just as they were talking, a man and a woman, both around twenty-three or twenty-four and dressed very fashionably, emerged from the direction of the parking lot. They were each carrying a large bag, and though no one could tell what was inside, the bags looked heavy.

The man was, of course, Wei Junchao. The woman was stylish and beautiful, and neither Ye Xing nor the other classmates recognized her. But judging by how close they seemed, everyone guessed she must be Wei Junchao’s girlfriend.

"Haha, everyone, my apologies for making you wait so long." Wei Junchao laughed as he walked over, holding his girlfriend’s hand.

"Did something come up, Junchao? You’re half an hour late."

"I was helping my girlfriend, Lily, buy a few things at the mall. Sorry to keep you all waiting!" Wei Junchao said with a laugh. He said the words, but his tone held not a hint of apology.

"Well, now that you’re here and everyone’s arrived, let’s go up!"

The dozen or so classmates immediately began heading into the restaurant.

"Junchao, this bag is so heavy. Can you carry it for me?" said Wei Junchao’s girlfriend, You Xiaoli.

"I told you not to buy so much, but you still did. I’m already carrying one bag, and now you want me to carry another!" Wei Junchao’s brow furrowed, his expression souring. His gaze suddenly fell on Lin Guishan up ahead, and he quickly called out, "Guishan, come over here a sec."

At that moment, Lin Guishan was walking alongside Ye Xing and Zheng Yiming. Of the four brothers from their old dorm, the eldest, Lin Guishan; the third, Ye Xing; and the fourth, Zheng Yiming, were all in Fu City. Only their second brother, Xiao Lihong, couldn’t make the reunion because he worked elsewhere. The four were very close. The dozen or so classmates at the reunion had already broken off into smaller groups based on their friendships, and Ye Xing, Lin Guishan, and Zheng Yiming naturally formed one such group.

"Ye Xing, Yiming, Wei Junchao is calling me. I’m going to go over for a second. Excuse me for a moment; you two carry on." With an apologetic look, Lin Guishan excused himself from Ye Xing and Zheng Yiming and walked over to Wei Junchao.

"Junchao, what’s up? You needed me?" Lin Guishan said, forcing a smile as he approached Wei Junchao and You Xiaoli.

"Oh, it’s nothing much. Lily’s a girl, and this bag is a little heavy. Could you help her carry it?" Wei Junchao said.

"Yeah, okay." Lin Guishan quickly took the large bag from You Xiaoli’s hand. It seemed to be full of things and was quite heavy.

"Junchao, if there’s nothing else, I’ll get going," Lin Guishan said, turning to walk away with the large bag.

"Wait." Wei Junchao’s girlfriend, You Xiaoli, suddenly stopped Lin Guishan. She turned to Wei Junchao and said, "Junchao, this classmate of yours looks big and strong. I bet he’s got plenty of strength. Why don’t you have him carry your bag too?"

An interested glint appeared in Wei Junchao’s eyes. He couldn’t help but look at Lin Guishan, his lips twitching into a smile. "Oh, I couldn’t possibly ask him to do that."

"It’s fine. It’s just two bags. I’m strong, let me carry it," Lin Guishan quickly squeezed out a smile and took the other large bag from Wei Junchao’s hand.

His arms dipped slightly from the weight. With one large bag in each hand, Lin Guishan headed into the restaurant.

Inside the restaurant, Ye Xing looked back outside, his brow furrowed. "Yiming," he asked in confusion, "what’s going on with Guishan? Why is he carrying things for that Wei Junchao?"

"How should I know? I asked him, but he wouldn’t say. Guishan keeps everything bottled up. He’s too honest, which makes him an easy target," Zheng Yiming said, shaking his head and sighing.

Just then, Lin Guishan walked over, carrying the two large bags. "Ye Xing, Yiming, what are you standing around for? Let’s go upstairs. The private room is the one at the far left on the second floor."

"Hold on, Guishan," Zheng Yiming said, clearly displeased. "I have to ask, why are you carrying things for Wei Junchao? It’s not like he doesn’t have his own hands and feet. This isn’t you being a good person; people are just going to think you’re an idiot."

"What are you talking about, idiot or not? It’s no big deal to help out a classmate. Wei Junchao isn’t very strong, so I’m just giving him a hand." Lin Guishan’s expression was weary. A flash of loneliness and helplessness crossed his eyes, a detail that Ye Xing immediately caught.

’There must be something on Guishan’s mind. Could it be he needs a favor from him?’ Ye Xing’s eyes flickered. He lowered his voice and said, "Guishan, let me carry those." As he spoke, he reached for the bags in Lin Guishan’s hands.

"No, no, it’s fine! This is my problem, I can’t trouble you with it, Ye Xing!"

Lin Guishan quickly tried to pull away, but he was no match for Ye Xing. With a single, deft motion, Ye Xing had taken both bags into his own hands.