Chapter 47

At the entrance of Fulu Renjia, as the mealtime approached, Old Gu went to the backyard kitchen to busy himself, leaving Ge Xuelin and Li Mang sitting at the table for a small drink.

"Fulu Renjia is the legacy Old Gu has built with his life's work. Now it's about to be shut down, and although he hasn't said anything, he must be feeling terrible inside!" Ge Xuelin lamented, then sighed, "Unfortunately, we are just ordinary people with no power or influence, and can't help Old Gu. Old Yu works at his office, and I hope he can say a word or two!"

"Isn't Old Yu still at the grassroots level?" Li Mang shook his head. The Old Yu Ge Xuelin referred to was Yu Gaoyang, the youngest in the dorm, who graduated and became a civil servant in the Construction Department. As far as he knew, Yu Gaoyang came from an average family, and it might take a long time for him to rise above the grassroots level.

"Hei, you don't know! That kid is now a team leader, and he's doing great!" Ge Xuelin said with a slight smile, the corners of his mouth curling up, his meaning unclear.

"To get a promotion in less than a year, is it really that easy to be a civil servant now?" Li Mang was surprised. Although he was not familiar with the bureaucracy, he knew that getting promoted and becoming wealthy was a long process. Without a background or connections, even the most talented would find it hard to rise.

"One time, he accompanied a leader on a business trip, and the leader almost got beaten to death by some thugs. It was because of his self-sacrifice that the leader survived. You get the picture." Ge Xuelin smiled, revealing the key point.

"That guy's career is going smoothly." Li Mang couldn't help but smile, without any jealousy, but rather genuine happiness. Such an opportunity was a stroke of luck for him.

"Xiao Yangzhou isn't doing so well. A few months ago, he quit his job and started his own business, but it hasn't been smooth sailing. He's in a very tough spot now. I saw him recently, and he was almost unrecognizable, unkempt, and nothing like the high-achieving student he used to be." Ge Xuelin sighed.

"..." The atmosphere became heavy, and Li Mang finished the bitter beer in his cup in one gulp, saying nothing. Xiao Yangzhou was the oldest among the four, and had always been like an older brother, taking good care of them. Although he didn't say it, Li Mang was very grateful to him.

Ge Xuelin shook his head and didn't say anything more about them. Instead, he turned his attention back to Li Mang and asked curiously, "Where have you been these past six months? You look so well, with a rosy complexion!"

"I work at a small company. It might go bankrupt at any time, but at least the benefits are good for now." Li Mang smiled. He actually hoped that Yanhuang would go bankrupt soon, so he could regain his freedom. But on the other hand, he didn't want Yanhuang to go bankrupt because he still had a lot to learn. Despite its strictness, it was reasonable.

As they chatted about various topics, time passed, and it was soon eight o'clock. The sky outside was already adorned with a full moon.

Due to the impact of public opinion, Fulu Renjia's business had not been good recently. Two tables of guests had already finished their meals and left. The noise outside seemed to have nothing to do with Fulu Renjia. Xiao Ling was spacing out nearby, and Old Gu was drinking strong liquor alone behind the bar, his face as calm as a well.

Li Mang and Ge Xuelin had run out of things to say and silently clinked their glasses. Xiao Yangzhou had just called, saying he was on his way, but there was no word from Yu Gaoyang. Li Mang and Ge Xuelin didn't urge him; if he was coming, he would come, and if not, there was nothing to say.

At exactly eight o'clock, Xiao Yangzhou arrived. He used to be a simple and honest young man who loved cleanliness, but now he had a beard and looked haggard, no wonder Ge Xuelin couldn't recognize him.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting!" Xiao Yangzhou apologized, picked up a bottle of beer, and drank it straight away. Li Mang wasn't sure if he was apologizing or just thirsty.

"Yangzhou, how did you end up like this?" Li Mang couldn't help but ask.

Xiao Yangzhou smiled bitterly but didn't hide anything. He said calmly, "I started an eco-farm, and I invested all my money and my family's savings into it. But I've been held up by various procedures and can't open it yet. I don't know how long it will take."

"You started an eco-farm?" Li Mang was speechless. Although he knew Xiao Yangzhou came from a farming background, he was still a high-achieving student from Yan University, and it seemed out of place for him to run an eco-farm!

"..." Xiao Yangzhou smiled bitterly, opened a bottle of beer, and drank it alone without saying anything. With his education, finding a job would have been easy, but he couldn't stand the current system of deceit and fraud, and even found it repulsive. That's why he had the idea of starting an eco-farm and rushed into it, only to encounter this situation.

"Yangzhou, you're too stubborn. If you had given them a red envelope at the beginning, it wouldn't have come to this! Not only did you not give a red envelope, but you also spoke back to them. Those bastards are deliberately dragging it out!" Ge Xuelin, who was already a bit drunk, scolded Xiao Yangzhou.

"..." Xiao Yangzhou drank in silence, not defending himself. He had been proud and arrogant at the time, and when hinted to give a red envelope, he refused, which led to a falling out and made it difficult to complete the necessary procedures.

"..." Li Mang shook his head helplessly. He understood Xiao Yangzhou's temperament, which was overly straightforward. His current situation was not a coincidence. The world being what it is, it can't be changed by just a few people. Given this, he decided to be a bit pedantic and use his privileges to help Xiao Yangzhou and punish some corrupt officials!

"Beep!"

In the silence, the sound of a car horn came from outside. The three of them looked up, and Old Gu, who was behind the bar, also raised his eyelids. When he saw who it was, his expression remained calm.

The car wasn't a good one, just an Alto, but the words on the body were prominent, "Certain Construction Department," clearly a government vehicle.

A young man in a suit and polished shoes, with a middle part hairstyle, got out of the car. Despite his young age, he already had the air of a leader. This was Li Mang's last roommate, Yu Gaoyang.

"Sorry, I had to entertain a leader just now, so I only had time to come now." Yu Gaoyang apologized, but there was no trace of regret on his face. He glanced at the table, saw only beer, and frowned, then poured himself a cup of tea and raised it, saying, "I've already had too much to drink, so I'll have tea instead of alcohol. I apologize to my three brothers."

Li Mang and the others frowned slightly but quickly returned to normal.

"Think about it, we haven't seen each other for almost a year. I really miss everyone. It's great to be able to meet my three brothers here today... Old Gu, order some dishes!" Yu Gaoyang said some emotional words and then took charge of ordering the dishes.

Li Mang's expression grew increasingly grim, while Ge Xuelin, who was used to it, smiled slightly without saying anything. As for Xiao Yangzhou, disgust flickered in his eyes.

Old Gu, hearing this, stood up with his trademark gentle smile and said to Yu Gaoyang, "Li Mang has already ordered the dishes, and they are just waiting for you to start cooking."

Li Mang smiled and nodded slightly to Old Gu. In fact, he hadn't ordered any dishes at all. Old Gu clearly didn't like Yu Gaoyang's pretentiousness, and although he was a good person, he was also a man of principle.

"Li Mang has already ordered?" Yu Gaoyang smiled bitterly but still said loudly, "Old Gu, add a few more dishes. I'll treat the guys today."

"Li Mang, where have you been these past six months? We were very worried about you, thinking you might have been affected by that incident!" Yu Gaoyang looked at Li Mang with concern, his eyes instinctively sizing up his clothing and demeanor.

Ge Xuelin and Xiao Yangzhou frowned simultaneously. They had always avoided talking about that incident, and Yu Gaoyang bringing it up now was clearly not considering Li Mang's feelings.

"..." Li Mang's eyes dimmed, not because of the mention of his past pain, but because he was disappointed by Yu Gaoyang's change. The Yu Gaoyang he knew was slick but not arrogant like this. This self-satisfied attitude repulsed him.

But considering that the four of them hadn't seen each other for over a year, Li Mang didn't say anything directly. He just repeated his fabricated story about working at a small company. This job was fictional, but the identity was 'real,' as it was a cover identity created by Yanhuang.

"A small company can't compare to a large enterprise. The job is unstable, and there's no guarantee for retirement. If possible, you should change to a better company." Yu Gaoyang earnestly advised Li Mang.

"Ha ha!" Li Mang could only laugh, not knowing what else to say. He couldn't reveal his true identity and embarrass Yu Gaoyang; that would be childish.

Seeing that Li Mang was unhappy, Ge Xuelin helplessly changed the topic, first telling Yu Gaoyang about Old Gu's troubles, and then asking, "Gaoyang, can you try to lobby the relevant departments? The hygiene at Fulu Renjia is excellent, and it's unfair to close it down!"

Xiao Yangzhou, who had ignored Yu Gaoyang all night, now looked at him expectantly. He genuinely didn't want to see Fulu Renjia shut down unfairly and hoped Yu Gaoyang could help. Li Mang, however, raised his glass and drank quietly, his face calm, wanting to see if his former friend had truly changed beyond recognition.

---

The page flip begins with an ad.

The page flip ends with an ad.