novelxo Chapter 215
At that moment, a greasy-haired young man who wore a security guard's uniform and looked street-smart called out to Chu Feng and jogged over. After that, he looked at him and Zhou Ying up and down in shock.
"Zhou Ying? It really is you two! Tsk tsk, ten years flew by. You've gotten quite strong." The man grinned before assessing Chu Feng with his almond-shaped eyes, then scoffing internally when he realized Chu Feng's entire outfit wasn't even worth two hundred in total.
Dressing like this after ten years? Useless! He was about to clap Chu Feng on the shoulder when the latter simply sidestepped him.
"And you are?" Chu Feng asked the slightly annoyed man before him.
"I'm Wang Erzhu. We're childhood friends and neighbors!" The man cried out, "We were in the army together ten years ago, remember? We're childhood friends and brothers in arms! We entrusted our lives to one another!"
After some thinking, Chu Feng remembered who Wang Erzhu was and he let out a snort.
Wang Erzhu did sign up for the army with him, but he was too weak-willed and cunning for the job. He'd barely lasted the three-month recruit training period before he deserted, and that got him kicked out of the army.
Childhood friends? Technically, yes. But to call him brother in arms? He did nothing to deserve the title. But judging by his looks, he turned out fine.
Chu Feng glanced at the head guard's nametag on Wang Erzhu's uniform.
After all, Mount Haitang's Villa Area was the most luxurious residential neighborhood in all of Jiangling and that luxury extended to its estate department as well; even the lowliest security guard there had a monthly salary of twenty to thirty thousand, let alone the head guard with over two dozen men under his command. As the head guard and part of the estate management, Wang Erzhu must have an annual salary of at least a million. That would easily make him a gold-collar worker.
Zhou Ying exclaimed happily upon recognizing him, "Zhu! You're Zhu!"
"Oh ho, you remember now? Chu Feng, how is it that you're still this incompetent after so many years, but your arrogance has somehow skyrocketed? Have you forgotten your own brother in arms? How will you ever find a place in society with this ignorance of social networking?" Wang Erzhu lectured him, then smugly handed over a cigarette with a deliberate flick of his wrist to show off the ten-thousand-dollar gold Rolex he wore. "Soft pack Chunghwa cigarettes. Never tried it, I assume? Come on, don't be shy. I've got plenty for us both," he bragged.
Chu Feng clasped his hands behind his back and simply glanced at him, "I'm afraid you're mistaken. I have no deserter friends."
Wang Erzhu's hand that was passing Chu Feng the cigarette froze in midair, his previously glowing face turning red with embarrassment. There was a saying that went as such, 'Hit the man, but avoid his face; curse the man, but avoid his flaws.' It was an unspoken rule in socializing, one that most people followed to the letter. It was especially true for Wang Erzhu, who was still in the middle of boasting his status and wealth in front of a poor man like Chu Feng and showing off in front of the beautiful Zhou Ying.
Chu Feng, apparently, was not like most people. The word 'deserter', which he'd used to unmask Wang Erzhu so mercilessly, felt like a loud slap to his face. That was basically like hitting his face and exposing his flaw at the same time! Wang Erzhu's hand remained frozen in mid-air, his expression a mix of embarrassment and anger.
"Don't say that, Chu Feng." Wang Erzhu rubbed his hands together. He snorted, then with an annoyed look on his face, said, "I was just physically unfit for the recruits' training at the time and got an early discharge. 'Deserter' is such a harsh word. Besides," he ranted, "the training conditions were hell! We were supposed to wake earlier than the rooster, sleep later than the dogs, eat like pigs and work like bulls! Who the heck trains like this? That life was not fit to be lived at all? No one could have survived that hellish training, am I wrong?"