Chapter 12: Adding a Touch of Green to Life
“You really are all talk and no action. In the world of adults, there’s no such thing as ‘easy’.” Chang Yu spoke with dramatic flair, his tone as passionate as a poetry recitation.
“Who isn’t swallowing their tears in secret, all while putting on a brave face as if nothing’s wrong?”
“So, just be honest and accept my protection. I know you need me!”
Zhao Dasheng: ???
He felt as if he’d just been force-fed a mouthful of toxic chicken soup for the soul, stunned into silence, forgetting to reply for a moment.
Who’s all talk and no action?
Who’s been swallowing their tears?
Who needs you?
This is utterly baffling...
Before Zhao Dasheng could say a word, the beauty in the qipao by his side swept her eyes up and down Chang Yu, who was dressed in street stall clothes, her gaze full of disdain as she said sarcastically:
“Where did this lunatic come from? Move out of our way, don’t block our path.”
“If you don’t leave, I’ll have security deal with you!”
At that moment, the security guards at the company entrance had also noticed something amiss near Zhao Dasheng.
They hurried over in groups, afraid that being late might anger their distinguished chairman, Mr. Zhao Dasheng.
“You, over there—step away from our chairman!” the lead security guard shouted.
Seeing the security guards charging toward him in chaos, Chang Yu started to lose his composure.
He knew perfectly well these people wanted to prevent him from having this fated encounter with Zhao Dasheng, the richest man in H City.
So, without bothering to keep up appearances, he blurted out quickly, “I just want to ask: are you still hiring bodyguards?”
Zhao Dasheng: “Huh?”
At this moment, Zhao Dasheng was utterly confused.
He racked his brains but couldn’t figure out what being his bodyguard had to do with the struggles of adulthood.
Seeing the security guards closing in, Chang Yu panicked. “I’m serious—I can be your bodyguard, protect your safety!”
“I know immortal arts, I’m really skilled. Boss, just pay me five thousand a month!”
A nameless fury surged in Zhao Dasheng’s chest.
He, Zhao Dasheng, had weathered the tides of business for half his life and met all kinds of people—how had he run into such a clueless lunatic today, trying to scam money off him?
Was this not an insult to his intelligence?
Immortal arts, huh... Why don’t you just ascend to heaven?
He, Zhao Dasheng, richest man in H City, swore to the heavens: even if he jumped from the forty-eighth floor, even if he starved for seven days and nights, he would never let this petty con artist be his bodyguard!
Did this guy think he was acting in Journey to the West? Immortal arts, really...
Perhaps the arrival of the security guards gave Zhao Dasheng courage and a sense of security. He immediately pointed at Chang Yu, his fury boiling over: “Someone, get this lunatic out of here!”
And with a final explosion of anger, he added, “It’s a civilized society now—who needs bodyguards anymore?!”
...
“Let me go! Let me go right now, you bunch of snobs looking down on the poor!”
“If I weren’t worried about hurting you, I’d have used my immortal arts long ago—you’d never have been able to bully me like this!”
Chang Yu was being forcibly carried by a group of burly security guards. Watching Zhao Dasheng grow smaller in the distance, he struggled desperately.
The captain signaled his men to set Chang Yu down, then slowly patted the dust off Chang Yu’s clothes.
“Kid, the chairman’s gone. Stop making a scene, alright?”
“Hurry on home. Your family would be worried sick if they knew you’d run off like this.”
“They’ve had a hard enough time taking care of you—don’t make trouble for them. Just stay quietly at home.”
Chang Yu froze, lowering his head in sorrow. “I have no family. I’ve been an orphan since childhood.”
The security captain, despite his burly build, was a kind soul and a bit sentimental. He wiped at the corner of his eye with his sleeve, his voice choked: “How pitiful! Abandoned by your parents since you were little...”
“It’s no wonder your mental state isn’t so good, after suffering such trauma!”
“Which hospital are you staying at? We can call a cab to take you back...”
At these words, Chang Yu immediately bristled, “I’m not crazy! Why do you all keep treating me like a lunatic? Is it so funny to you?”
Seeing his agitation, the captain hurried to placate him, waving his hands. “Right, right, you’re not crazy. Not crazy at all!”
“Calm down, little brother, calm down!”
From his manner, you’d think he was coaxing a child—clearly, he didn’t believe a word of Chang Yu’s protest.
And frankly...
Just based on Chang Yu’s earlier dramatic monologue to Zhao Dasheng and his ceaseless babbling about ‘immortal arts’...
It would be a challenge for anyone not to treat him as mentally unsound.
Out of the corner of his eye, Chang Yu saw Zhao Dasheng getting into a black sedan with the qipao beauty. Anxious, he didn’t bother arguing with the captain.
He pushed past, slipping out of the security circle, and dashed to the street, flagging down a taxi and leaping into the front seat.
“Driver! Follow that car!” Chang Yu pointed at Zhao Dasheng’s vehicle and shouted.
The driver, a weathered middle-aged man, immediately wore a look of knowing understanding.
Without hesitation, he floored the accelerator and tailed after Zhao Dasheng’s car.
“Young man, do you know what kind of car that is?” the driver asked, glancing at Chang Yu as he drove.
“I honestly have no idea,” Chang Yu replied. He’d never cared much about cars.
After all, he couldn’t afford any of them—good or bad, it made no difference to him.
“That’s a Bentley. Only the wealthy ride in those,” the driver said confidently.
“I’ve been driving cabs for over twenty years—there’s nothing I haven’t seen.”
“Chasing after someone’s car like this? You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last.”
“And it’s not uncommon to see someone jump out and give the guy a beating once they catch up.”
“Truth is, I’m just a taxi driver. The customer is always right, and meeting their needs is my service motto.”
“I never pry into why my passengers want to chase someone down—none of my business.”
“I just need to drive and earn my keep. That’s my job.”
“But this time, seeing how young you are, I’ll stick my nose in just once.”
“In this world, you can offend anyone, but never offend the rich.”
“I know you want to catch up to that man’s car to vent your anger, but no matter how frustrated you are, you should swallow it.”
“Because they have power and influence—if he wanted revenge, it’d take him no time at all.”
“Remember this: the arm is no match for the thigh.”
The driver was an old hand at life’s tricks; he could have kept himself entirely uninvolved.
But he couldn’t help feeling a pang of sympathy for this young man beside him.
Looking at Chang Yu, he saw a reflection of his younger self.
...
Though Chang Yu didn’t quite understand why the driver was saying all this, he could sense the man’s good intentions.
Still... he really had no clue what the driver meant.
“Uncle, what are you getting at?” Chang Yu asked straightforwardly.
“Come on, kid, don’t play dumb with me,” the driver said sincerely.
“We’re both men—no need to put up a front.”
“Your wife ran off with another man, didn’t she? I’ve seen this a lot.”
“I just saw the Bentley’s owner get in with a gorgeous girl. I’m guessing that’s your wife, right?”
“I completely understand how complicated you feel right now, and I sympathize with your misfortune. Any man would be devastated if his wife ran off.”
“But as the saying goes, if you want to get by in life, you have to wear a green hat now and then!”
“Some things, you just have to turn a blind eye to—know the truth in your heart and let it go. Don’t take it too seriously!”
“I’ve been through it myself, you know. I’ve suffered just like you. We’re both poor souls in the same boat!”
The streetlights cast a warm glow, shining through the window, bathing the driver’s face in gold—making him look both melancholy and mournful.
At this moment, he seemed like a sage, gently opening the doors to a new world for the bewildered Chang Yu.
“Huh?” Chang Yu’s eyes widened in disbelief.
What on earth was this all about?!
Whose wife had run off?
To be blunt, Chang Yu had gone on more than a dozen blind dates, and not one had ended in success.
Every time the girls asked about his job or income, that would be the last he ever saw of them.
What could he do? All the girls thought he was too poor—no one wanted to date a pauper like him.
He was already twenty, and he’d never even had a girlfriend, let alone a wife.
Chang Yu wanted to explain, but the driver was already too deep in his own melodrama to listen.
His mind was completely immersed in the soap opera he’d imagined, and nothing Chang Yu said would reach him.
“I have to say, your wife is quite the beauty—her figure’s top-notch, just like a model or a TV star.”
“Take my advice: let her go. A woman like that isn’t going to stick around for long!”
“If she doesn’t run off with Zhang today, she’ll run off with Li tomorrow. Sooner or later, you’ll have nothing but green grass on your head.”
“Listen to your uncle: if you don’t have money, don’t aim for the premium model! If you can resolve things peacefully, let it be.”
“If you catch up and beat the guy up, even if you’re in the right, you’ll have to face the law.”
“These days, it’s a society ruled by law—win the fight and you’re in jail, lose and you’re in the hospital. Either way, it’s a lose-lose.”
“And if he can’t swallow his anger, he’ll use his connections to get back at you. There’s no need to put yourself through that!”
“He’s got power and status—he won’t rest until he’s taught you a lesson.”
By this point, Chang Yu was beyond words.
All he could do was give the driver a thumbs-up and grin. “Uncle, you’re amazing!”
“Your imagination—tch!”