Chapter 147: In Shambles

Another SSR.

And it’s the Aobōzu, with its abysmal drop rate?

The surprise came so suddenly that for a moment, the little chubby boy couldn't even manage a coherent sentence, his eyes bulging as he stared fixedly at his phone screen.

It wasn't until a drop of saliva landed uncontrollably onto the screen that he snapped back to reality. He snatched up the phone, pressed it against his chubby chest, and rubbed it vigorously while erupting into a series of wild, manic laughs.

"Ahahaha, ahahahaha!"

He rolled around on the bed, clutching the phone so tightly he nearly crushed Yangyang beneath his backside.

"I did it! I did it! I, Zhen Youcai, have finally succeeded!"

"Mom and Dad, up in heaven, are you seeing this? I, Zhen Youcai, have finally stood tall!"

He was as ecstatic and teary-eyed as a gambler who had bet big for three days and nights without a single win, only to finally taste victory. Ever since he started pulling cards, he had done nothing but lose—and now, finally, he had won.

Yangyang didn't understand why Zhen Youcai was laughing so hard his face was cramping, unable to stop. But then again, human joys are rarely shared. He didn't realize that at this moment, holding his phone, Zhen Youcai felt as though he possessed the entire world.

A "lucky European" can never understand the sheer joy and excitement a "non-African" feels when they finally pull the SSR they’ve been chasing.

*Buzz, buzz...*

The phone rang. Yangyang felt his pocket and realized it was his own phone vibrating. He pulled out the knock-off Nokia that Chang Yu had used for two years before passing it down to him and answered.

"Chang Yu, what is it?" Yangyang didn't even check the caller ID; he simply called out the name. Mostly because... Chang Yu was currently the only contact in Yangyang’s address book.

"Yangyang, are you at Zhen Youcai's place?" Chang Yu was clearly in a car; the engine noise was sharp and grating.

"Yeah," Yangyang replied nonchalantly.

"Wait there for me. I'll be at Zhen Youcai's in fifteen minutes, and then I'll pick you up to go home." With that, Chang Yu hung up.

"Is that your phone?" Zhen Youcai asked after Yangyang ended the call.

"Yeah, why?" Yangyang asked.

"That phone is absolute trash. You can't even play games on it." Zhen Youcai looked at the second-hand knock-off in Yangyang’s hand with a look of disdain. "How about I buy you a new one? Consider it a thank-you gift for helping me pull that SSR."

A wealthy young master wants to buy me a phone?

Yangyang’s mouth fell open in shock. His eyes lit up, and suddenly, the popcorn in his mouth lost its flavor. This was a good thing—an incredible stroke of luck falling from the sky! It was the kind of windfall he’d never encountered before, and here it was today, just because he’d stepped out and tapped a screen with his finger?

"Sure," Yangyang agreed without a second thought. In his eyes, there was no reason to turn down a freebie.

Zhen Youcai didn't waste a second. He hopped off the bed and began rummaging through his bedroom, turning everything upside down as if searching for something. Finally, he found what he was looking for and tossed it to Yangyang with glee.

"Catch!"

Yangyang caught it and took a look: it was a phone box, still sealed in its clear plastic wrap. He gave it a firm shake, and a heavy, muffled sound echoed from inside. Clearly, it wasn't an empty box meant to trick anyone.

Looking at the bitten-apple logo printed on the box, Yangyang was stunned. "Is this really for me?"

"Of course! This is the latest iPhone model released last month. Go on, open it and see..." Zhen Youcai answered with certainty.

Yangyang tore the packaging open in a few swift motions and gripped the exquisite gold phone in his hand.

The iPhone was incredibly thin, its color and design looked sophisticated, and it felt comfortable to hold—leaps and bounds ahead of the two-hundred-yuan second-hand knock-off Chang Yu had tossed his way. In short, comparing the two made the difference painfully obvious.

"Do you like it?" Zhen Youcai asked.

"I... I love it."

It was far more than just "like." From the moment Yangyang saw the phone, he couldn't take his eyes off it. "Love" was the only word to describe his current mood.

"If you like it, it's yours," Zhen Youcai said, patting Yangyang on the shoulder with satisfaction. "With this phone, you can finally play games."

"Don't use that old one anymore; it’s clearly a piece of junk. I have no idea what kind of stingy person would give that to you!"

Well, in his ignorance, he’d just thoroughly trashed Chang Yu.

"This must be very expensive, right?" Yangyang asked with a hint of hesitation. He’d heard Chang Yu mention that the "iPhone" brand was very pricey—the kind of thing average families couldn't afford and only the truly rich would buy. When Chang Yu spoke of it, his eyes would shine with expectation and longing. Perhaps he’d always wanted one but couldn't bear the cost? Or perhaps... he simply couldn't afford it?

"Not expensive at all, not even ten thousand yuan! Just take it and use it. When you get tired of it, I’ll get you a new one~"

*Pfft!* Yangyang couldn't hold it back and sprayed popcorn everywhere.

Loaded! He was absolutely loaded!

Yangyang was completely dazed. He asked himself: was ten thousand yuan... really not expensive? Why was it that something he considered a sky-high price was, in Zhen Youcai’s eyes, as cheap and insignificant as a head of cabbage, something he could just give away on a whim? It seemed this little rich boy didn't take money seriously at all!

Recalling Chang Yu’s longing expression when he mentioned the iPhone, and comparing it to Zhen Youcai’s nonchalant attitude, a question suddenly rose in Yangyang’s heart: Is this the difference between the capitalist and the proletariat? Why is the gap so massive?

Capitalism is great! Capitalism is the best!

Having tasted the sweetness of wealth, Yangyang suddenly made up his mind to hang out with big capitalists and wealthy landowners like Zhen Youcai. It was certainly better than sticking with someone like Chang Yu, who was dirt poor and had nothing but the clinking of spare change in his pockets.

One was a two-hundred-yuan knock-off, the other was a ten-thousand-yuan iPhone—the choice was obvious.

And so, he reached out and took Zhen Youcai’s hand, much like Chang Yu had once shaken hands with Comrade Li, his eyes filled with sincerity and expectation.

"Youcai," he said, "don't spend any more money on those games."

"Think about it: why should you hand over your hard-earned money to those evil game companies? Keep the money for yourself, buy good food, get some nice clothes—isn't that better? Those company bosses are already filthy rich, worth hundreds of millions; they don't need your spare change. The money you save up by pinching pennies just ends up in their hands, helping them buy luxury cars and mansions, or spending thousands on a whim—it's just not worth it!"

"Remember one thing: if you really have that kind of money, donate it to poor people like me. I guarantee I’ll handle your business perfectly. It’s just card pulling, right? You’re better off coming to me than to their company CEOs."

"Brother Yang! You are so right, Brother Yang!" To pull an SSR, Zhen Youcai was willing to throw his pride to the wind. In just a short while, he had started calling a four-year-old boy "Brother." A nearly twenty-year-old man calling a toddler "Brother"—what a scandal!

*Crack!*

Far away in the living room, Comrade Xiao Qian seemed to hear the sound of a heart shattering upon hearing Zhen Youcai’s address. Katerina’s brother really had no shame at all...

...

When Katerina led Chang Yu and the rest of the group through the front door of Zhen Youcai’s house, they were met with a shocking scene.

Yangyang and Zhen Youcai, one large and one small, were kneeling side-by-side on the floor, chanting something under their breath. In front of them sat a small altar holding an imposing statue of Guan Yu. Three sticks of incense burned with wisps of blue smoke, already halfway consumed. Between them sat an opened bottle of "Fatty Happiness Water" (cola) and two full disposable cups.

Zhen Youcai: "From this day forward, I, Youcai Alexeyevich Ostrovsky!"

Yangyang: "I, Chang Xiaoyang!"

Both together: "Voluntarily swear an oath of brotherhood. From this point on, we shall share both blessings and misfortunes. We may not have been born on the same day, but we ask to die on the same day. Let the heavens and the earth be our witness—should we break this oath, may we meet a miserable end!"

As soon as they finished, they exchanged a knowing smile and kowtowed three times to the Guan Yu statue with a loud *thud, thud, thud*, leaving Chang Yu completely dumbfounded.

They downed the cola in their cups and stood up, arm in arm, gazing at each other with deep, heavy affection.

"Big Brother!"

"Second Brother!"

"Big Brother!"

"Second Brother!"

With every shout, they grew louder and more emotional, making everyone else shudder.

Katerina: ...
Shi Chengjin: ...
Feng Sanpao: ...

Chang Yu: "Um, can someone explain what just happened?" Chang Yu’s eye twitched as he asked this, his spirit on the verge of collapse.

"As you can see, we’re swearing brotherhood!" the two replied in unison to Chang Yu’s question.

Chang Yu lowered his head, lost in deep, numb contemplation. What exactly had he missed? How had he inexplicably dropped a generation? Katerina was his intended wife, and since Zhen Youcai was her brother, he was supposed to be Chang Yu’s peer. But Yangyang was Chang Yu’s son; if Yangyang and Zhen Youcai were now the same generation, didn't that mean... Yangyang had become his peer?

The generational hierarchy... was truly a mess when you thought about it.

"This is absolute nonsense!" Katerina said, her face dark as she scolded Zhen Youcai for his antics. She turned her gaze toward Comrade Xiao Qian, who was trying to stifle a laugh: "You should have stopped them."

Comrade Xiao Qian stood up, looking embarrassed, and muttered, "Their resolve to become brothers was very firm. I tried to convince them otherwise, but I didn't succeed. Later on... I realized it was actually quite entertaining to watch, so I just let them be, hahahaha..."

The room filled with Comrade Xiao Qian’s hearty, unrestrained laughter.

Chang Yu covered his face in agony: "What a disaster!"

"From now on, we’ll just stick to our own respective generations; it doesn't conflict at all," the chubby boy said, leaning in with a cheeky grin. "Right, bro?" He then turned to Yangyang with a wicked smirk.

"No problem, bro!" Yangyang gave the chubby boy a thumbs up, flashing his bright white teeth.

"Forget it! They're beyond saving," Chang Yu covered his face in despair, looking like life had lost all meaning.