Chapter 38: Qin Ke Yi's Fried Eggs

  Just as I and Qin Ke were about to arrive at the vegetable market, my phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number. When I answered it, a familiar voice came through.

  "Hello! Is that Kang Jian?"

  "It's me! May I ask who you are?"

  "Hehe! So soon forgotten, I am Wang Ling!"

  "Oh! Sister Ling! Sorry about that! Is there something I can help you with?"

  "Uh! There's something very urgent, I'm afraid it won't be clear over the phone. If you're free, come to my place for a bit, I don't think it'll take up too much of your time." The tempting voice of Wang Ling came through the phone, making me find it hard to refuse.

  "Alright! I'll be there in about 10 minutes." I hung up the phone and looked at Qin Ke Yi with a hint of helplessness, Qin Ke Yi asked with a tone of disappointment, "Something's up?"

  "Uh-huh! But don't take too long, you go buy some groceries first and head back to wait for me." After seeing Qin Ke nod slightly, I hailed a taxi.

  When I arrived at the company where Wang Ling was, everyone had already gone home. The door to Wang Ling's office was half open, so I walked up to the doorway and knocked on the door as she was bent over writing something.

  "Ah! Come on in! Quick, come in!" Wang Ling heard the knock on the door and looked up to see me at the entrance. She immediately stood up enthusiastically and invited me in.

  "Sit! Good health! You came pretty quickly!"

  "Yes! I don't know why, but both times I came here, the cars on the road seemed to be very considerate and there was no traffic jam." I said as I sat down.

  "Haha! Alright! No more wasting time! Let's talk business! Recently, our company has added several new branches, and the headquarters wants to find someone to develop a charging system that connects all stores into a local area network, while also allowing the headquarters to supervise and settle online. I'm in charge of this project overall, are you interested?"

  "It sounds like a lot of trouble! But it's a challenge! We're willing to give it a try!" I said confidently.

  "Kang Jian, be clear about this. Although I'm leading the project, there are other university students in Ha city who can do this kind of thing, so what I mean is that we'll have a competitive selection process. However, considering our successful cooperation last time and the fact that you and I are alumni, I will provide some convenience for you during the selection process. This time, the company has allocated 40,000 yuan for this project, which may not be enough to buy a system through normal channels, but it's not a small amount for students like you! Kang Jian, you're a smart person, do you understand what I mean?"

  After several years of contact with Marco, I can now react to the deepest meaning of Wang Ling's words. The teacher has been educating us since childhood that there is no free lunch in the world. I have only met Wang Ling twice, although we are alumni, but this relationship is meaningless in a society where everyone is trying to take advantage of each other. I finally realized why Wang Ling was looking for me at this busy time. Now it's just thinking about how much kickback to give Wang Ling, I think she will likely decide the final candidate based on the amount of kickback, my mind keeps calculating, trying to reach a balance that makes her satisfied and we don't lose out.

  "Thank you, Sister Ling! Don't worry, we won't ask for your help for nothing. We'll set aside 10,000 yuan to thank you, hehe, I hope you don't think it's too little. After all, I'm just representing myself and not the whole team, and as students, it's already hard for us to come up with this amount of money." Since she's a woman, it's still more awkward for her to haggle over prices like men do, so I took the initiative to clarify things for her, leaving a good impression and room for further negotiation.

  "You've misunderstood me, haha!" Although she might have already anticipated it in her heart, after hearing my words, she still looked slightly surprised and a bit uncomfortable, but quickly regained her composure, making me feel that Wang Ling was not simple, while also feeling a sense of hypocrisy.

  "This is also our intention, thank you Sister Ling, don't decline, or it will be difficult for us to handle!"

  "Alright! Let's talk about this later! This is the requirement of the system, take it back and have a look, give me a simple plan next week." Wang Ling used very mature words to cover up her embarrassment. Her behavior seemed to indicate that the price I quoted was in line with her bottom line.

  "Alright, Sister Ling, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." I stood up, took the plan that Wang Ling handed to me, and smiled slightly at him before turning around to leave.

  On the way back by car, I kept thinking about Wang Ling, a beautiful and calculating woman. People like her are often the biggest thorns in men's sides. It seems that my previous impression of him was still accurate, and at the same time, I lamented the cruelty of society, which can turn Wang Ling into such an experienced person in just two years.

  When I opened the door and entered the house, Qin Ke Yi was sitting on the sofa with her legs hugged, and there were still tear stains on her face, which left me bewildered.

  "What are you singing again?" I walked to Qin Ke Yi's side and asked strangely. After hearing my words, Qin Ke Yi lowered his head and buried it between his legs, then stretched out a hand for me to see. On one of Qin Ke Yi's fingers was wrapped a thick bandage with some bloodstains on it.

  "What... what's wrong with your hand?"

  "Just cut it!" Qin Ke raised his head and pitifully said to me, making anyone who saw him want to cherish and pity him.

  "Ah! I really don't know when humans invented tools to prove themselves different from monkeys, how they didn't consider having such stupid descendants like you."

  "I've become like this! And you still say I!" Qin Ke said pitifully.

  "Look at how you've bandaged it! It's not a steamed bun. Let me rebandage it for you." I took a look at Qin Ke Yi's bandaged wound, then picked up the gauze on the table and rebandaged it for her. Just then, Qin Ke Yi's phone rang, she hastily picked it up from the tea table, and from her conversation with the person on the phone, I heard the words "hiking".

  "Are you going mountain climbing?" I asked while helping Qin Ke pack her bag.

  "Hmm! Our model team is going out to play together, we're going to Mao'er Mountain. I haven't been to school recently, so it's all been organized by Guo Cheng. She just called me and asked how my foot was doing, if I could go."

  "So why did you say it's not good! Don't you want to go? I remember you said you were very willing to travel and climb mountains when you were a kid!" I'm really curious why Qin Ke Yi lied to Guo Ceng even though his foot injury had already healed.

  "Oh... I'm too lazy to move! Besides, it's a childhood thing!" From Qin Ke Yi's tone and expression, I could clearly sense that there was another hidden reason why he didn't go.

  "Really?" I asked in a skeptical tone.

  "Hey! What's there to suspect!! Hurry up and cook for me! Today, I bled for you, sister! You have to make something delicious to compensate me!!" Qin Kai sent me packing to the kitchen, then sat on the sofa watching TV, seemingly forgetting that she was originally going to cook for me as a way of making amends.

  "Qin Keyi, it seems like you still don't show any sign of remorse for some of your actions?"

  "What else do you want me to do? I'm already bleeding!!"

  "This is no excuse for you to shirk your responsibility, at least show some actual effort!"

  "Alright! Alright! Annoying!" Qin Ke Yi reluctantly got up from the sofa and walked into the kitchen.

  "What do you want me to do?" Qin Ke stood in the kitchen and asked me in a bewildered manner.

  "Alas! I don't have high hopes for you either! Let's just make a simple omelette then!" I replied helplessly.

  "Spread... eggs? How spread?"

  "First take three eggs. Crack them into a bowl." Qin Ke followed my instructions, clumsily getting started. "Add a few drops of vinegar, I'll go chop scallions, you put a spoonful of salt in there." I finished speaking and turned to wash a scallion, then began chopping it.

  "What's next?" Qin Ke asked after following my instructions.

  "Then just use chopsticks to stir, but with your current state, let me finish it!" I said after putting the scallions into the bowl and then took out a pair of chopsticks to start stirring.

  Qin Kaiyi finally followed my instructions and completed the remaining steps with difficulty, but after seeing the eggs come out of the pot, I lost my appetite. Qin Kaiyi proudly held a plate of eggs in front of me, as if he had accomplished something earth-shattering, showing off.

  "Taste it!" Qin Kai said, holding the egg in front of me. So I reluctantly picked up a small piece with chopsticks and put it in my mouth, suddenly feeling a bitter salty flavor filling my entire mouth. In order not to discourage Qin Kai's enthusiasm and confidence in learning, I pretended to be nonchalant and said, "How much salt did you put in?!"

  "Ah! As you said!" Qin Ke Yi said, pointing to a spoon on the table!! Apparently, Qin Ke Yi didn't quite understand that I meant a condiment spoon, not a soup spoon several times larger than it.

  "Oh! It's fine! Let it be. Getting such a result for the first time is still quite ideal, but I shouldn't be proud!" I said hypocritically, looking at the spoon on the table with resignation.

  "Really! Then you eat it all up! I don't want to eat scrambled eggs, only fried eggs..."