Chapter 6

Wang Yong skillfully navigated his car through the traffic, showing no sign of hesitation. In college, the student council organized driving tests for students every year. Wang Yong signed up in the second semester of his sophomore year, thinking that having a driver's license might be helpful for his job after the busy internships started in his junior year. He spent a thousand yuan to sign up and passed the exam smoothly, obtaining his driver's license. After starting work, he occasionally drove his friends' cars, so he felt no unfamiliarity.

After driving for a while, Wang Yong suddenly realized he was lost. He had intended to follow the route of the short-distance bus he had taken earlier, but he must have taken a wrong turn somewhere and now had no idea where he was. However, Wang Yong was not worried because he had a super navigation system.

"Xiaoguang, project the route home for me."

"Sure, master. The optimal route has been calculated, and navigation has started."

A transparent display of about 14 inches appeared above Wang Yong's watch and quickly transferred to the front windshield, projecting a 3D route like in a sci-fi movie. It not only showed the way home but also displayed real-time images from all directions.

Following the navigation for ten minutes, Wang Yong encountered a red light. He stopped the car steadily, pulled the handbrake, and watched the countdown on the sign in front of him. Suddenly, two familiar figures appeared. Both were wearing white T-shirts, blue jeans, and sneakers. He was just about to search his memory when a shout completely dispelled his doubts. A young girl in a floral dress with a ponytail shouted loudly from the roadside, "Over here, I'm here!"

The passersby were initially stunned, then burst into laughter. The two young men, embarrassed, ran a few steps and pulled the girl away, leaving the crowd in uproarious laughter. However, a scene from the first class meeting of his first year of high school flashed through Wang Yong's mind.

"My name is Du Zhiyou..."

"Ha ha ha..."

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"How many months?"...

"My name is Zhuang Yaosheng..."

"Ha ha ha..."

The details of his high school life appeared clearly in Wang Yong's mind. These two were his desk mates for three years, and they had spent a difficult three years together. As close friends from high school, Wang Yong knew them very well, but he didn't know who the girl was. She was probably their girlfriend or wife. After graduating from college, they had drifted apart due to distance. Wang Yong hadn't been home for years, and now, after so many years, they met again in such a scene. The main reason was that their names were so unique that anyone who heard them would find them hilarious.

"Beep—" Urged by the car behind him, Wang Yong started the car and, instead of following the navigation home, turned and chased after the direction his classmates had gone.

"Hey, Liu Meizi, can you not shout so loud? You're teasing us as soon as we meet. We were even planning to treat you to a meal," Du Zhiyou said indignantly.

"Yeah, are you so happy to make fun of old classmates? We took good care of you in school," Zhuang Yaosheng added.

"Alright, isn't it exciting to meet old classmates? Why are you two so petty and lack any grace?" the girl called Liu Meizi retorted.

"I think you're doing it on purpose."

"Yeah, you're just trying to make fun of us. Why didn't you call us Zhiyou and Yaosheng?"

"Pah, am I that close to you? Why should I call you so affectionately? What are your intentions? I'll tell you, don't mess with me, I've practiced martial arts," the girl said, looking at the two with caution and even assuming a martial arts stance.

Seeing the wary looks of the passersby, Du Zhiyou and Zhuang Yaosheng were both amused and exasperated.

"Oh, my dear, we're wrong, okay? We'll treat you to a meal this noon to apologize. Please be magnanimous and let us off," Du Zhiyou said.

"Do you really recognize your mistake?"

"I do, I do."

"Really, please let us off, Miss, and we'll repay you in the future."

"Hmm, why is that car following us? It can't be because this girl is so beautiful..."

Du Zhiyou and Zhuang Yaosheng pouted and looked back. They both froze when they saw the man in a blue and white striped T-shirt, blue jeans, and sneakers getting out of a Jetta, looking at them with deep eyes and a warm smile. Liu Meizi, who was still in a daze, saw Du Zhiyou and Zhuang Yaosheng shout "Old Three" and run over. The man from the car dodged them and walked to Liu Meizi, saying, "Hi, beautiful, would you like to join us for a meal?"

While Liu Meizi was still in a daze, Du Zhiyou and Zhuang Yaosheng pounced from behind, one hugging her waist and the other her neck, and soon the three were in a tussle. Seeing the obvious familiarity, Liu Meizi suddenly remembered something and stared at Wang Yong.

"Alright, stop. There's a lady here. Pay attention to your manners, do you understand?" Wang Yong said in a serious tone.

"Oh, right, manners. Old Two, how do you usually behave? You can't forget at critical moments. You need to be prepared," Du Zhiyou said seriously.

"I despise you," Zhuang Yaosheng said, then introduced Liu Meizi, "Liu Meizi, this is Old Three, Wang Yong, whom we told you about. Old Three, this is Liu Mei, whom we call Liu Meizi. She's my college classmate."

"Alright, stop showing off, Old Three. Just call her Second Sister. They've been together since their first year and plan to get married at the end of this year," Du Zhiyou explained.

"What, are you jealous? I can't help it, I'm just too charming... Ow, my wife, you really twist hard! It must be bruised."

"Let me see, why do you talk nonsense? Oh, it's fine, be good, I'll blow on it for you."

"Can't stand it, Old Three, let's go, find a place to chat." He pulled Wang Yong to the car. The two who were still cuddling saw that Wang Yong had already gotten in the car and quickly followed, sitting in the back seat. Following Du Zhiyou's directions, they arrived at the entrance of a residential area. They parked the car and walked to a nearby restaurant of decent quality. The staff seemed to know them well, greeting them one by one. The manager also came over, smiling at Du Zhiyou, "Rare guests, you three haven't been here in a long time. This friend looks new, right? Since he's a friend of Du, all future consumption will be at a 30% discount."

"Alright, let's find a quiet place. Also, bring some of your signature dishes quickly."

"No problem, please follow me upstairs, and I'll have the kitchen prepare them."

The four were led by a waiter to a small private room at the back.

"Bring us two bottles of 1573. Oh, and a pot of tea."

"Sure." The waiter closed the door and left.

"Old Three, what's been going on with you these past six months? Tell us."

"Yeah, we couldn't reach you by phone, and no one could find you. We thought you had disappeared. We asked Wang Liang, but he didn't know anything. If we hadn't run into your brother Wang Qiang, we would have reported you missing."

"Nothing much, I quit my job because of some issues, and my girlfriend broke up with me. I was depressed and stayed that way for half a year. Now that I'm better, I came home."

"How about you? I don't know what you're doing now. Oh, and don't worry about money, my family is wealthy. What about Da Sheng?"

"After graduating from college, we both came back home. A year later, my family opened a 4S store, and I brought Da Sheng over to be the financial director from an accounting firm. By the way, I've kept the position of logistics manager for you, and Da Sheng can vouch for that. Since you don't have a job now, why don't you come and work with us?"

"Yeah, Old Two, come over. You haven't found a job anyway. Start working, and if you find a better one, you can quit."

"Da Sheng, did you plan this from the beginning?" Du Zhiyou asked sarcastically.

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. The manager and a waiter came in to serve the dishes. After serving, the manager and the waiter left.

"Old Three, will you come or not? Give us a straight answer."

"Da Sheng, I'm really tired after all these years in the city."

"Why did you hesitate when I asked you before? If you had come, we could have worked together."

"Old One, that's not what I meant. I feel suffocated by everything in the city—people, things, the air, everything. I've realized that maybe I'm just meant to be a farmer. So I've decided to retire to the countryside and live a carefree life as a simple farmer."

"What, at your age, you want to retire? Are you feverish? No, you're from a farming background, and you know the hardships of being a farmer. It's not easy."

Seeing Wang Yong's silence, Du Zhiyou sighed, "Still that stubborn. Why haven't you changed after all these years? Old Two, don't try to persuade him. You know Old Three's personality; once he makes up his mind, no one can change it. Back then, with Old Three's grades, he could have easily gotten into a good junior college, but he went to the provincial capital just because someone said they would help graduates find jobs."

"Alright, let's stop. Do what you want, but if you need help, don't hesitate to ask us. Your personality keeps everything inside, and it will eventually cause problems."

"Let's drink. Fill up the glasses." Du Zhiyou opened a bottle of wine and poured it into the three glasses. They drank until they all ended up under the table.

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