After class, You Shulang went back to the laboratory. He was often distracted in the first half and made mistakes in the second half. He calculated a basic data three times before he got the correct result.
After Tian Xiaotian looked at him again, You Shulang put down the reagent bottle in his hand.
"I'm feeling a little uncomfortable. I'll leave today. Thank you for your hard work."
The project has entered the critical stage and overtime has been a common practice recently, so You Shulang hired a short-term nanny to pick up Tiantian and take care of his daily life.
He usually comes to work early and leaves late, and has been responsible for a lot of heavy work. Today he left unusually early, and everyone was a little worried.
"I'm fine." After changing his clothes, You Shulang comforted everyone, "Just go back and get some sleep."
When I came out of the laboratory, it was already seven o'clock in the evening. The bus stop was a bit far away and required a ten-minute walk.
Because it was in the suburbs, there were not many people waiting for the bus. You Shulang leaned against the bus stop sign and smoked. His thoughts dissipated with the smoke between his fingers. When he came to his senses, he had missed the bus.
The next train will be fifteen minutes later, or maybe twenty minutes later.
You Shulang took out his cell phone and looked at the time. He put the phone away and warned himself not to look at the time again.
You Shulang missed his stop and realized it was 8:07.
The car door opened, but he sat there without moving, allowing himself to get out.
It was dark outside the car, and his shadow was faintly reflected on the window. His face was expressionless, and it was hard to tell whether he was sad or happy. He was so calm that he seemed almost numb.
Suddenly a motorcycle came from behind, driving side by side with the bus at first, then it increased its speed, roared, and rushed out.
The car was new and beautiful, much better than Fan Xiao's.
You Shulang subconsciously looked at the time again. It was eight thirteen.
Veins bulged on the hand holding the phone. He tried hard not to think about those words, but they were arranged and combined in his mind with a strong attitude to form a straightforward and easy-to-understand sentence.
"At 8:30 p.m., at Lido, Bai Sanmiao has set up a trap to kill Fan Xiao. Director You, if you want to vent your anger, come and watch the fun. Call me when you get there."
The message was sent by Xue Baotian in the afternoon. You Shulang only read it once and then deleted it. The annoying thing is... I remember it.
At 8:15, the bus slid into the platform again, the doors opened, and the passengers who had arrived at the station filed out. Half a minute later, the sound of valves rang out, and the two doors slowly slid towards each other.
"Wait, I want to get off!"
You Shulang suddenly stood up from his seat, ran to the door, and put his hand into the gap to block the car door from closing.
The driver yelled and pressed the door open button in a rage. You Shulang's hand was pinched briefly, but he didn't have time to pay attention to the pain. He quickly rushed off the bus, took out his mobile phone and called Fan Xiao.
Power off.
I called again, but the phone was still turned off!
You Shulang dialed the number repeatedly, and every time he heard a sweet but mechanical female voice.
His expression gradually became anxious. After trying to call again without success, he reached out to hail a taxi. Fortunately, it was in a busy area and it was not difficult to get a taxi.
After getting in the car and reporting the name of "Lido", You Shulang called Xue Baotian again.
This time the call went through, but no one answered. You Shulang listened to the noisy ringtone four or five times, but still didn't hear from the other party.
Wiping his face with his hands, You Shulang said tiredly, "Master, can you be faster?"
Lido is located in a place of feasting and revelry. It can also be said that because of Lido, there are feasting and revelry around it.
You Shulang was familiar with this place. When he was the office director, he often brought guests here for entertainment after a banquet. There was a wide variety of food here, both meat and vegetarian, elegant and vulgar, for guests to choose from.
After getting off the taxi, You Shulang called Xue Baotian again, but still no one answered. The call was automatically disconnected, and the Arabic numerals on the screen jumped into his eyes: 8:47.
You Shulang walked quickly into Lido, and when he saw the manager on duty, he asked directly, "Which room is Mr. Bai in?"
The manager was startled, his eyes twitching: "Excuse me, sir, what is your name?"
The manager on duty was unfamiliar. You Shulang concealed the urgency on his face and gave an answer after a brief pause: "The last name is Fan."
"Mr. Fan, wait a moment. I'll go check the room."
It was said to be an inquiry, but in fact it was just a phone call. He must have gotten a response. After the manager on duty hung up the phone, he led You Shulang around many turns to a private room in the corner with a smile on his face.
"Mr. Fan, the Third Master is waiting for you inside."
You Shulang turned his head and glanced at the deep corridor before nodding and pushing open the door of the luxurious private room.
"Let us give a grand welcome to Fan..."
Bai Yupeng, who was very boastful, stopped clapping his hands in mid-air and stared with wide eyes at You Shulang who pushed the door open.
"Why is it you?" He looked behind You Shulang, "Where's Fan Xiao?"
Fan Xiao is not here? You Shulang's heart dropped halfway back into his stomach. With a glance, he got a general idea of the situation in the private room.
There were four men in the room. Except Bai Yupeng, I didn't recognize the others, and Xue Baotian was not there either.
The square room was clearly visible and no one could be hidden. Fan Xiao was indeed not there.
The other half of my heart finally fell back into my stomach.
"I'm here with my friends. I heard that the Third Master is here, so I came to say hello." You Shulang greeted him as if he were a familiar friend. "I haven't seen you for a long time. The Third Master is still as charming as ever."
He pretended to glance at his phone and said, "My friend is looking for me, so I won't bother you, Mr. San. Let's have fun together."
After saying that, You Shulang turned around and walked towards the door slowly.
"Brother You." A cold voice came from behind, "You won't even drink a glass of wine after meeting?"
Your nerves instantly tensed up, and You Shulang was on full alert.
Bai Yupeng's footsteps sounded like a cat teasing a mouse. He walked in front of You Shulang with three steps and one step swaying. "I specially set up a place, invited friends, and invited Fan Xiao to play. Why is he so disrespectful?"
"Master, is it Fan Xiao that you invited today?" You Shulang looked unhappy. "You know that he and I have some grievances. If he wants to come, I will leave first."
You Shulang raised his hand and tried to pull the door of the private room. The door vibrated, but it did not open. It was actually locked automatically.
With a chill in his heart, You Shulang looked cold and asked, "What does Third Master mean by this?"
"It's nothing." Bai Yupeng handed over a glass of wine. "I know the feud between you and Fan Xiao best. Fan Xiao hasn't arrived yet. How about you give him a call to urge him? If he comes and you're here, Third Master will talk to you guys and let you talk it out."
You Shulang thought of Bai Yupeng who was beaten into a pig's head by Fan Xiao, and then looked at the man in front of him who was pretending to be important, and he found it funny.
You Shulang pushed the wine away: "I'm sorry, Third Master, I've been ill recently and can't drink. I can't persuade you to come to Fan Xiao again. We haven't been in touch for a long time."
"Really?" Bai Pengyu laughed angrily: "Since Fan Xiao acted like a coward today, I will ask Brother You to do the same."
The hatred between Fan Xiao and Bai Yupeng originated from You Shulang, and the beating that Bai Yupeng received was also You Shulang's idea in the first place. Fan Xiao was at best a two-faced thug.
Bai Yupeng remembered You Shulang's grudge, so he swept away Fan Xiao's displeasure: "Brother You, why are you holding the door? Come with me and sit down. Let's have a good chat."
You Shulang patiently negotiated with Bai Yupeng: "I'll treat Third Master another day. I do have a friend today."
"My room is not open to anyone who wants to come or go as they please." Bai Yupeng was always overbearing in front of people he looked down upon. "It's better to do it today than to wait for a better day."
Unable to leave or get out, the unilateral suppression put You Shulang at a complete disadvantage.
He quickly analyzed the situation and realized that the strategy of the game on the scene was not suitable for Bai Yupeng, a villain with low IQ. It seemed that he had no choice but to give it a try.
Letting go of the door handle, You Shulang took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.
"Why did Mr. Bai San arrange this case today to invite Fan Xiao?" You Shulang lit a cigarette, walked to the bar in the private room, opened the drawer containing sundries, and found an ashtray among a pile of napkins and bottle openers. He picked out the largest and heaviest glass one, held it in his hand, and flicked the ash into it.
You Shulang leaned on the bar, one leg on the ground and the other bent casually, smoke slowly exhaled from his mouth, and said nonchalantly: "Third Young Master, let's not beat around the bush. Everyone knows your purpose. Fan Xiao is down and out, and you want to step on him."
Bai Yupeng didn't expect You Shulang to suddenly change the subject and make his thoughts clear on his face. His eyes turned gloomy, and he was not afraid to take advantage of the fact that he was at home: "Brother You is right, shouldn't I step on him?"
You Shulang held a cigarette in one hand and an ashtray in the other, pacing around in the room. Like a teacher on the podium, he spoke lazily, "There are only a few ways to discipline people, alcohol, drugs, and drugs. I have been to Lido many times, but I have never been to this room. You can't enter here casually. You have to be authenticated by someone. It seems unreasonable to only play with alcohol and drugs in such a private place. So, does the Third Young Master want to give Fan Xiao something expensive? Or a mixture of them?"
Not only Bai Yupeng, but the other people in the room also changed their expressions. Is this something that can be discussed openly? !
Bai Yupeng looked at You Shulang, a relaxed and unfocused man at this moment, with a look of indifference that was almost contemptuous. The arc at the corners of his lips accentuated his sarcasm, and he exuded a powerful aura that was full of oppression.
He had seen too many people at a disadvantage, panicking and helpless, or angry and mad, but this was the first time he saw someone under control acting like a superior.
Bai Yupeng's heart was burning with anger. He twisted his jaw exaggeratedly a few times, and suddenly smiled sinisterly: "I figured it out. Brother You didn't come to greet me. He obviously heard some news and rushed to save his beloved. So Brother You came in under the name of Fan Xiao. Is he trying to pay off his debt for him?"
"It can't be considered as paying off a debt. Isn't what Third Master Bai did worth a beating?" You Shulang said calmly, "But if Third Master insists on revenge, I can take it on behalf of Fan Xiao."
Bai Yupeng seemed to have found something extremely interesting, and laughed so hard that he fell backwards. "Fan Xiao treated you so badly, and you even took the blame for him. Did he make you feel so good that your love for him is stronger than gold? I just don't fuck with other men, otherwise I would have wanted to find someone as cheap as you."
The extremely humiliating words earned You Shulang a faint smile: "Oh, what a pity for the Third Young Master."
The man squinted at him, "Third Young Master, I'm under your roof now, you can do whatever you want, but if you can't kill me today, I will fight you to the death for the rest of my life until I get my revenge tenfold or a hundredfold." The ash bounced into the glass in his hand, and You Shulang seemed to have thought of something, "Oh, by the way, there will be people who will keep an eye on you, maybe not just me, there will also be Fan Xiao, and then Third Young Master will know what our relationship is like."
He said this with a half-smile, like an ordinary joke, but it was enough to make Bai Yupeng stunned for a while. When he came back to his senses, he saw You Shulang's eyes scanning the other three people sitting on the sofa one by one, and said in a calm voice, "Of course, this also includes every participant."
There was no angry look or anger in his eyes, but the cold voice was very soft and faint, yet it carried a sense of oppression that made people silent.
Bai Yupeng felt a chill down his spine. He inexplicably felt the fear of malicious eyes spying on him in the dark, like a ferocious beast waiting for an opportunity. Once it found the right moment, it would bare its fangs and bite off his neck.
It's fine to play tricks on someone behind the scenes, but if it were to be done in public, how could Bai Yupeng have the guts to do it? Not to mention killing him as You Shulang said!
I just threatened You Shulang in order to make him afraid and beg for mercy, making a fool of himself, but who would have thought that he would actually turn the tables on me!
Now he was stuck in a dilemma. Bai Yupeng walked around the room in a rage, and said angrily, "You, you are threatening me? Do you think I dare not touch you today?!"
You Shulang was used to judging the timing, and once the warning had worked, he would stop there. The solemnity disappeared from his eyes, and a gentle look appeared: "Why wouldn't Third Young Master dare? He just doesn't want to dirty his hands with such means."
He handed over a cigarette: "My friend is still waiting for me, Third Master, I should go back."
Bai Yupeng's face was as red as the bottom of a pot, and his expression was unpredictable. Finally, he squeezed out a sentence through his teeth: "Since Brother You is here, it would be inappropriate for me to walk so lightly and swiftly. It would make me look negligent. Didn't you let Fan Xiao beat me for ten minutes last time?" He rolled his eyelids, "Today, Brother You, let me show off my fists and feet, how about ten minutes?"
You Shulang hooked his finger on the ashtray and asked, "One person or four people?"
Bai Yupeng began to flex his wrists: "Four people are bullying you, only him and I."
He pointed to the tallest and largest man at the table.
You Shulang glanced in the direction and nodded: "Okay."
The two men slowly approached, Bai Yupeng's knuckles cracked, a malicious smile on his face. Perhaps the tall man behind him gave him confidence, and the slender and thin boy took the lead in pulling You Shulang's collar.
As soon as he raised his arm, before the edge of his clothes touched it, You Shulang grabbed it with one hand, twisted it hard, and pulled it behind his back!
"Ah! It hurts! You, what are you doing? Didn't you ask me to beat you for ten minutes? You don't keep your word!"
You Shulang stared at the tall man approaching quickly and said loudly, "I beat you up last time, but I never told you not to resist."
After saying that, he raised the glass ashtray that had been hooked on his fingertips and smashed it hard at the tall man!
The night was very quiet, with only the sound of rain. You Shulang pushed open the door of the taxi with great effort and stumbled down. After walking a few steps, he heard someone calling him in the wet night.
"Shu Lang! What's wrong with you?!"
Turning his head and wiping the rain off his face, he saw Fan Xiao...