Chapter 84: Unintentional Willow (Part 6)
Steam still rose from Zhou Qiang’s head as he smiled. “I was actually in the hotel. The top floor is a fitness center, and I was running on the treadmill.” He patted his belly. “I don’t know what’s going on these years, but my stomach has been bulging out day by day. If I don’t exercise, I’m afraid I’ll end up with the ‘three highs.’”
Zhou Qiang felt no need to hold back in front of Qin Feiyue. He continued to talk loudly, “High blood lipids, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar are all diseases of affluence. Ten years ago, who had ever heard of the ‘three highs’ syndrome? So, from this perspective, the Reform and Opening-up policy is indeed good. We have finally contracted the diseases that only the American imperialists used to get. In a way, we have achieved the goal of catching up with and surpassing Britain and America, at least in terms of getting sick.”
Although this was twisted logic, it had a certain ring of truth to it. Everyone thought about it and burst into laughter.
A bottle of Wuliangye liquor filled exactly four tall glasses. Qin Feiyue sighed, “We really need to reform the way we drink. Shangqinlin is like a wine pit; every time we drink, it’s a life-and-death struggle. That style of drinking is outdated. From now on, among us insiders, two liang will be enough. No more forcing people to drink.”
“Trying to kill someone with alcohol is like killing a thousand enemies but losing eight hundred of your own troops. If you get the other person drunk, you’re practically wasted yourself.”
Although Hou Weidong had a decent tolerance for alcohol, he had been drinking too much lately and was genuinely afraid of it. He strongly agreed with Qin Feiyue. “Qin Dajiang and the others drink too wildly. When I first arrived in Shangqinlin, they got me drunk several times. I vomited until the sky was dark and the sun and moon lost their light.”
With only one glass of wine, the meal became relaxed. Amidst laughter and conversation, the delicious food vanished quickly.
Although the meal was satisfying, Zhou Qiang still felt unsatisfied. “There’s a brand-new karaoke hall on the top floor of the hotel. Let’s go sing a few songs to let off some steam.”
Hearing that they weren’t going to Wangcheng Villa, Hou Weidong breathed a sigh of relief. He thought to himself, “The outside world is developing so fast. When I graduated, dancing was still popular, but now karaoke halls are the trend.” Hou Weidong’s singing ability was average. In his mind, a karaoke hall was a place where many people sat and took turns singing. The thought of singing in front of everyone made him feel a bit apprehensive.
They went up to the sixth floor and saw some sparkling star-shaped lights. Behind the lights were three ambiguous artistic characters—“Drunk Today.” The characters were surrounded by a ring of spotlights, resembling the wide, expressive eyes of a woman.
A waiter in a red uniform walked over. Before the waiter could ask, Zhou Qiang said, “Take us to the Emperor’s Large Private Room.”
The waiter led Zhou Qiang and the others to a room equipped with all the necessary facilities. Hou Weidong suddenly realized, “Yiyang also has those legendary private rooms.” It was his first time in such a room, so he kept a low profile, sitting quietly to the side.
Zhou Qiang, however, handled the situation with ease. He told the waiter, “Bring over a few pretty girls and two bottles of Chivas Regal.”
Shortly after, a female attendant wearing a student uniform entered. Although she wore a student uniform, it only reached her waist, exposing a stretch of fair skin. Even though there was air conditioning in the room, it wasn’t particularly hot, yet she looked somewhat cold.
Zhou Qiang whispered in Hou Weidong’s ear, “This girl is called ‘Princess.’ You can look but not touch. Of course, if you’re willing to spend money, touching is allowed too.” He finished with an ambiguous smile.
After a while, the attendant brought in fruit platters and wine glasses. The young girl in the student outfit started playing music. Hou Weidong was surprised that the first song she played was the slightly melancholic “Midnight Radio.”
A tall waiter led four young women dressed in flashy, glamorous outfits into the room. He walked with a slight limp. The four young women stood in a row, and the tall waiter respectfully asked Zhou Qiang, “Sir, are you satisfied with these four girls?”
Hou Weidong stole a glance at Qin Feiyue, who sat calmly nearby. He thought to himself, “It seems Town Mayor Qin really enjoys this.” Then he thought again, “He brought me along for these activities, which means he considers me a trusted subordinate.”
Thinking of Zhao Yongsheng, who had embarrassed him earlier, Qin Feiyue’s attention to him seemed even more precious.
Seeing that Qin Feiyue raised no objection, Zhou Qiang snapped his fingers. “OK, these four will do.” Zhou Qiang proactively pulled the most sensual woman to Qin Feiyue’s side and brought a slightly more innocent-looking girl to Hou Weidong’s side. The girl sat next to Hou Weidong and tremulously said, “Boss, would you like some tea?”
With Qin Feiyue nearby, Hou Weidong couldn’t relax no matter what. He shifted on the sofa, keeping a certain distance from the girl, who immediately moved closer again.
“Sending off comrades, embarking on the journey.”
Qin Feiyue’s powerful voice echoed through the small hall. He sang loudly, unreservedly embracing the woman beside him.
At the other end of the sofa, Zhou Qiang made the woman giggle uncontrollably. No one knew what he had said to her.
Zhou Qiang held two small cups and walked over to Hou Weidong. “Hou Weidong, let me toast you.” Hou Weidong had only heard of the name Chivas Regal but had never tasted it. He took the cup and said, “Mr. Zhou, let me toast you.”
Zhou Qiang laughed, “What Mr. Zhou? We’re all just scraping by under Town Mayor Qin. Let’s not be so formal, brothers.” After playing with Qin Feiyue twice, Zhou Qiang had already considered Hou Weidong one of Qin Feiyue’s people.
It was Hou Weidong’s first time drinking foreign liquor. He tried a sip. The taste was quite mild, with a subtle fragrance and a pleasant mouthfeel.
Zhou Qiang said to the woman nearby, “Go pick a song for us brothers.” After the woman left, Zhou Qiang’s eyes twinkled. “Zhao Yongsheng is a smiling tiger. You need to be careful when dealing with him in the future. Actually, I don’t need to remind you; you probably already know this.”
Although Hou Weidong also had a bad impression of Zhao Yongsheng, he wasn’t close enough with Zhou Qiang to engage deeply. He simply said, “Town Mayor Qin sings really well.”
Zhou Qiang laughed, “Town Mayor Qin is a famous prince of love songs. He won the silver award in the county labor union competition last year.” He said affectionately, “If you have any invoices in the future, bring them to me. Your big brother will handle them for you.”
“Thank you so much, Mr. Zhou.”
Zhou Qiang waved his hand. “Little brother, don’t call me Mr. Zhou. If the loan doesn’t come through soon, my coal mine will go bankrupt. Zhao Yongsheng is too unfair; his hands are too black. If I get really angry, one letter to the procuratorate, and he’ll be in big trouble.”
Involving such sensitive issues, Hou Weidong was even less willing to wade into this muddy water. Seeing the woman return after picking a song, he took the opportunity to stand up. “I’m going to sing now.”
After singing, when he returned, Town Mayor Qin had disappeared somewhere. Hou Weidong looked around and realized that the Emperor’s Hall had a hidden feature. Behind the television, there was another door. He didn’t know what was behind it.
Hou Weidong didn’t want to纠缠 (entangle) with the woman, so he kept clinking glasses with Zhou Qiang. The two women beside him found it boring and took turns going to sing.
When the group left the Yiyang Hotel, it was already past eight o’clock. Hou Weidong claimed he had relatives in the city and parted ways with Qin Feiyue at the hotel entrance.
“Qin Feiyue is acting too recklessly. If this continues, something will happen sooner or later.” Hou Weidong shook his head repeatedly, thinking of Qin Feiyue’s behavior. But then, considering Qin Feiyue’s status as a town mayor, Hou Weidong began to doubt himself. “Am I becoming too timid? Am I falling behind the times?”
Watching Qin Feiyue and Zhou Qiang’s car drive away, Hou Weidong prepared to take a taxi to the Shazhou University reception office. As he stood by the road and looked to the left, he suddenly saw two familiar faces—Liu Kun and Duan Ying.
The two were walking side by side, chatting and laughing. Liu Kun wore a black trench coat. The coat was unbuttoned, revealing a navy blue suit underneath, giving him the air of a young talent. Duan Ying wore a long gray coat, and her hair, like Zhang Xiaojia’s, was styled in small curls, adding to her elegance.
The two looked like a perfect match, a talented man and a beautiful woman.
Liu Kun had always had feelings for the mature and voluptuous Duan Ying during their time at Shazhou University. Hou Weidong was aware of this. However, seeing Duan Ying and Liu Kun together made him feel extremely uncomfortable. It was as if something of his own, though unused, was being taken by someone else.
Liu Kun also saw Hou Weidong and quickly said, “Hou Weidong, what are you doing here?” Hou Weidong pretended to have just noticed them. “Liu Kun, Duan Ying, so it’s you two.”
“I and Hou Weidong were in the same dormitory, and Duan Ying and Zhang Xiaojia were in the same dormitory. We really have a connection. When Xiaojia comes to Yiyang, let’s hang out together.”
Facing Hou Weidong, Duan Ying’s heart stirred slightly. A few months ago, they had had an intimate encounter. She had originally thought she would never fall for a man again, but unexpectedly, emotions she thought were dead quietly revived.
However, seeing Xiaojia and Hou Weidong together at the station that day reminded her of a famous quote: “Good men always belong to others.” Because of this, she had been depressed for a while. Now, with her enterprise on the verge of bankruptcy, she needed to save herself. Liu Kun’s family was the shortcut to redemption.
Liu Kun continued, “Hou Weidong, is Qinglin Town planning to build a road? After the new plan comes out, the towns are competing fiercely, all trying to secure fiscal funds. County Mayor Li is in charge of transportation. If you need anything, feel free to contact me.” Liu Kun said this partly to boost his own status. Although he followed County Mayor Li around, for key county projects, Li, as a deputy, only had the right to suggest, not to decide. Let alone Liu Kun.
Hou Weidong disliked Liu Kun’s self-indulgence the most. He said calmly, “County Mayor Ma and County Mayor Li have already made a decision regarding the Shangqinlin Highway today. They allocated us 1.2 million yuan.”
Liu Kun pursed his lips, making a dismissive expression. “Building a road costs at least tens of millions. What is 1.2 million? It’s just a drizzle, a trifle.”
Although Qin Feiyue had instructed him to maintain good relations with Liu Kun and keep in touch, Hou Weidong couldn’t resist pricking him. “1.2 million might be a trifle to you, but County Mayor Ma takes it seriously. He personally promised that he would come to cut the ribbon when the Shangqinlin Highway is completed.”
Liu Kun had wanted to show off in front of Duan Ying but didn’t expect Hou Weidong to refuse to cooperate. He said unhappily, “Building a township road is a small matter. County Mayor Ma has promised now, but he may not come when the time comes.”
Duan Ying knew that Hou Weidong had put his heart and soul into this road, even taking out a loan to get the blueprints. She was also dissatisfied with Liu Kun’s condescending attitude and chimed in, “The Shangqinlin Highway is the结晶 (crystallization) of Hou Weidong’s efforts. It concerns seven thousand villagers. How can it be considered a small matter? Liu Kun, what do you mean by saying that?”
Liu Kun was pursuing Duan Ying and treated her words as sacred edicts. Hearing her speak, he immediately said, “Okay, okay, let’s not talk about the Shangqinlin Highway. Hou Weidong, come on, Duan Ying and I will treat you to karaoke.”