Chapter 181: The Deceitful Beast (Part 1) (Thanks to Bookworm Cute Foodie for the Alliance Master title)

Qin Huai gave Luo Jun and Chen Huihong a very objective account of what kind of personality Gong Liang had.

When Qin Huai was being objective, he could be extremely objective; he recounted only who did what and who said what, without offering any personal commentary, adding any unnecessary rhetoric, or inserting any fabricated segments.

Chen Huihong listened from outside the kitchen while cracking melon seeds. Fearing that Qin Huai might get thirsty from talking too much, she even brought him a bowl of blueberry yogurt, letting Qin Huai eat some while keeping an eye on the heat.

Qin Huai felt that if Chen Huihong hadn't been standing in the kitchen doorway, he could have gone outside to eat it.

He only needed to remember the timing for steaming the fruit-shaped buns and the crab roe shumai; there was no need to watch the heat at all.

It wasn't until Chen Huihong had eaten one fruit-shaped bun and two crab roe shumai, and had skillfully found a storage container in the kitchen to pack up the rest, that Qin Huai finally finished his story.

Qin Huai began to eat Chen Huihong's yogurt. Don't say, Zhang Shumei must have made this blueberry yogurt herself by mixing blueberry jam with yogurt; it had quite a bit of sugar and was actually delicious.

"Sister Hong, Mr. Luo, can you guess what kind of spirit Gong Liang is?" Qin Huai asked.

Chen Huihong was still packing the shortbread, and without a second thought, she blurted out: "Someone so eloquent, he must be a Deceitful Beast."

"A Deceitful Beast?" Qin Huai took out his phone to look it up.

*In the Southwestern Wilderness, there is a Deceitful Beast; its appearance is like a rabbit, with a human face and the ability to speak. It often deceives people, saying east when it means west, and calling evil good. *

Simply put, it was a rabbit-headed, human-bodied spirit that was very glib and often told lies to deceive people.

Qin Huai focused on the source.

*Classic of Strange Spirits*.

This wasn't from the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* after all.

"The Deceitful Beast is from the *Classic of Strange Spirits*, not the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*," Qin Huai said, looking at his phone.

Chen Huihong wore a bewildered expression. She counted the shortbread, feeling she had divided it well and fairly: eight for her, two for Luo Jun.

Luo Jun was getting on in years; eating too much shortbread was bad for his digestion and his teeth. She was different; she was still young and could eat, plus her brother needed to eat shortbread too.

Chen Huihong would take this shortbread home and then divide another third for Chen Yingjun.

"What is the *Classic of Strange Spirits*? Are there no Deceitful Beasts in the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*? But I've seen them. Years ago, when I was still a tree in the mountains, I saw one. It was very glib. It said it would trade flowers with me, but it deceived me out of many leaves and even broke off a branch of mine. The flowers it gave me were decent, though."

"But later I found out the flowers it gave me were just picked randomly from the front of the mountain. It was just bullying me because I couldn't move back then," Chen Huihong said, using herself as an example.

"We say we are spirits from the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* because there happens to be a book in the human world called the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*. The world is full of wonders; spirits that exist in our realm might not be in the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*, and spirits recorded in the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* might not exist in our realm," Luo Jun explained. "Chen Huihong shouldn't be wrong; Gong Liang is a Deceitful Beast."

"I've seen them before too. Deceitful Beasts don't have any special abilities; they are just very eloquent and good at lying. They are good at business. When they undergo their tribulation, as long as they aren't bold enough to cheat a powerful person out of money and get beaten to death by a mob while leaving behind regrets, they generally won't fail."

Qin Huai:?

So Luo Jun meant that in Gong Liang's first life, he cheated a powerful person out of money and was beaten to death by a mob? Are Deceitful Beasts really that bold?

No wonder he became a sales section chief.

"I have another question. Gong Liang clearly isn't in his first life, so why did I obtain his memories? Shouldn't I have obtained his dreams instead?" Qin Huai asked again.

Luo Jun, who had had his memories extracted, rolled his eyes in annoyance: "I don't have a system. I'm just a You Bifang bird; what would I know? Why ask me? If you have the ability, go ask your system. Don't all those system-protagonist novel characters talk to their systems? Like, 'Hello, Host' and so on."

Qin Huai indicated that those were characters in system novels; his trashy game system didn't have customer service.

Chen Huihong tried to analyze it calmly: "Could it be because he is about to successfully pass his tribulation in this life, and his obsessions have been mostly resolved, so there's no need to look at his first-life memories?"

"Looking at this life's is enough."

"Or perhaps your system..."

Chen Huihong said the last part too softly for Qin Huai to hear clearly. Just as he was about to turn and ask her what she had said, Luo Jun spoke impatiently.

"What's there to guess? You can't figure anything out by guessing. Just look at it directly. You were quite straightforward when you looked at my memories; why are you being so hesitant about someone else's?"

Qin Huai:...

Fine, Luo Jun was still very unhappy that Qin Huai had looked at three whole segments of his memories, watching the entire process of how he went from a You Bifang bird to a silly bird.

Since Luo Jun was urging him, Qin Huai stopped asking. Luo Jun was right; he wouldn't get any answers by asking anyone other than the subject himself.

Qin Huai clicked on 【A Memory of Gong Liang】 and selected 'Yes'.

【Loading memory—】

"This year, another large batch of goods has piled up. The payments for the cotton yarn and silk haven't been settled; Director Luo from the No. 2 Silk Factory has already run to our factory three times to press us. Section Chief Chen, I, Old Li, also have my pride. Can your sales section complete the quota for this quarter? We've tried the surrounding garment factories, and what about those in other provinces? If this continues, we won't be able to pay wages again this month. I think you should stop being the sales section chief, and I should stop being the deputy factory director."

As soon as he entered the memory, Qin Huai saw several middle-aged men in an office looking distressed.

The speaker looked to be in his forties. He should have been in his prime, but he already had very obvious gray hair and deep forehead wrinkles. He was slightly plump compared to the others in the office, but that was only because everyone else was so thin.

By modern aesthetic standards, this was a tragic middle-aged corporate slave with a plain appearance, looking overworked and slightly aged, of average height and normal build.

"Deputy Factory Director Li, our sales section has already done its best. Look, our sales section has so few people. It's just that silk is hard to sell right now. Ever since the foreign merchants canceled their orders the year before last, and the No. 1 and No. 2 garment factories started performing poorly, our Silk Weaving Factory has been getting worse year by year."

"Besides, it's not like we intentionally didn't settle the payments for the cotton yarn and silk; the No. 1 and No. 2 garment factories haven't settled their payments to us either!"

"Everyone was counting on going to the trade fair in Guangdong Province this year to try our luck, but now the province has canceled our factory's quota for the trade fair. We can't go to the trade fair; even if our sales section ran until our legs broke, there's nothing we can do."

"Look at Little Gong. He's an only child, and his father had a stroke and became hemiplegic last month. When the sales section was short-handed, we sent him to other regions, and he bit the bullet and went."

"We didn't secure the orders, so our sales section has problems, but it's not just our sales section's responsibility. Several of the more capable business staff from our sales section before have all used connections to transfer to the Cotton Textile Factory. Deputy Factory Director Li, we really have done our best."

Hearing Section Chief Chen say this, Deputy Factory Director Li couldn't say anything more. He could only scratch his already sparse hair and let out a deep sigh.

"You all keep trying," Deputy Factory Director Li said helplessly. "Think of more ways. I know Little Gong is quite capable; he's secured a few orders. But his family situation... I've heard about it recently. Don't assign him too many business trips. He's a good seedling; don't force him to transfer to the Cotton Textile Factory."

Section Chief Chen nodded.

Qin Huai realized that Gong Liang wasn't in this office.

Just as he wanted to check the next room to see if Gong Liang was outside, the door opened. Gong Liang walked in, panting heavily. He was clearly still a young man, and one could even see a hint of a protagonist's heroic spirit in his features.

Gong Liang was holding a packet of traditional Chinese medicine.

"Little Gong, back from the hospital with your father's medicine?" Section Chief Chen asked Gong Liang very kindly and gently.

Gong Liang nodded: "Western medicine is too expensive. The factory doctor said the herbal medicine is also useful, but they didn't have many of the ingredients, so I went to a pharmacy outside to buy them."

Section Chief Chen sighed: "I know the reimbursement for the factory's medical expenses hasn't come down for a long time. Now that the factory's efficiency is poor, you have to be understanding."

"You don't have to go to Jin Ling next week; I'll go. The garment factories there have stable sources of goods, and they don't really make silk clothing, so the chances of securing a deal aren't high. Now that the travel expense reimbursement comes down late and there are no subsidies, you'd probably have to pay out of pocket for this trip. I'll go instead." Section Chief Chen said this to Deputy Factory Director Li. Deputy Factory Director Li touched his nose awkwardly and said he had things to do, then hurried away.

Section Chief Chen rolled his eyes at Deputy Factory Director Li's retreating back, picked up his briefcase—which had four patches and two new holes, and one wondered if it could even be used to keep up appearances—and hurried away too.

There were only one middle-aged man and one young man left in the office.

The young man looked older than Gong Liang.

Qin Huai remembered Huang Anyao telling him that Gong Liang entered the Silk Weaving Factory right after graduating from technical school. After working for a year and becoming a regular employee, he encountered a major setback in life, eventually becoming a stunning success, becoming the sales section chief, and leading the entire Silk Weaving Factory toward glory.

This point in time was the darkest moment in Gong Liang's life.

The young man leaned toward Gong Liang and said: "Gong Liang, you weren't here just now. Our section chief and Deputy Factory Director Li were arguing so fiercely. It must be because our factory lost the trade fair quota, and Deputy Factory Director Li is unhappy. But he can't vent his anger on our sales section just because he's unhappy. If the silk can't be sold, it can't be sold. The garment factories are in a slump and aren't buying silk; what does that have to do with us?"

Gong Liang looked very depressed and said in a low voice: "Our factory's silk is fine; it's indeed our sales section's responsibility that it can't be sold."

The young man clearly didn't want to talk about this topic, and even less did he want to take responsibility. He changed the subject: "The bonus for last month was canceled again, did you hear?"

Gong Liang didn't want to speak.

The young man clearly realized he had said the wrong thing and hurriedly tried to make up for it: "But I heard that we'll be issued some money for the New Year, and we might even get a jin of meat each! But only those currently employed will get it."

Gong Liang continued to remain silent.

Only then did the young man remember that Gong Liang's father had retired due to illness just two months ago. He covered his mouth in annoyance and then tried to make up for it again: "I also heard the labor union is organizing a matchmaking event next month..."

Qin Huai had already closed his eyes in despair. This young man was truly too good at speaking; he always touched on the most sensitive topics.

"Liu Hai, if you really have nothing to do, go make phone calls or write letters. See if there are any garment factories or bedsheet factories in other provinces that need silk, even those tiny ones with only a few dozen people that make silk fans—ask them all." The middle-aged man in the office spoke up.

"Oh, oh." Liu Hai ran off as if he had oil on his feet.

"Gong Liang, don't listen to Little Liu's nonsense; he doesn't have a filter on his mouth. You secured a deal in Guangling last month; there will definitely be a bonus next month. If your father needs to take herbal medicine in the future, I know an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor. I'll take you to see him another day and have him make a house call to see your father," the middle-aged man said.

"You've already picked up the medicine. I'll handle things in the office; you go home and take care of your father. Your mother can't take care of him alone."

Gong Liang stood up in a daze, nodded somewhat stiffly, said thank you, and drifted away.

He was indeed drifting.

Gong Liang clearly had his mind elsewhere; his soul seemed to be out of his body. He had "I have something on my mind" and "I've been very miserable lately" written all over his face. His walk wasn't even straight; one could tell he had really been hit hard.

Gong Liang left the Silk Weaving Factory and walked home along the road.

There weren't many people on the road at this hour. Only children who clearly weren't of school age were playing on the side of the road, and occasionally one could see a few middle-aged women walking hurriedly while carrying things.

Qin Huai knew that the Silk Weaving Factory and the Cotton Textile Factory were near Huang's Restaurant, but looking at the nearby bungalows and streets, he couldn't recognize exactly which ones they were. Too much had changed over the decades. He could only follow behind Gong Liang, watching the soulless Gong Liang drift along the street with his medicine packet.

Without realizing it, Gong Liang walked to the street where Huang's Restaurant was located.

Qin Huai didn't recognize the street, but he recognized the state-run restaurant, as well as Zheng Da, who was squatting at the entrance of the state-run restaurant, clearly having nothing to do but not knowing who he was waiting for.

The young Zheng Da looked somewhat like Zheng Siyuan. Qin Huai felt he probably knew what Zheng Siyuan would look like at 40 or 50.

"Gong Liang!" Seeing Gong Liang, Zheng Da's eyes lit up, and he practically jumped up and ran toward him.

Gong Liang was called back to his senses. By the time he came to, Zheng Da had already run up to him. Gong Liang was clearly startled.

"What's wrong?" Gong Liang asked.

"Why are you always absent-minded lately? Be careful not to get hit by a bicycle on the road," Zheng Da said.

"I won't," Gong Liang said faintly.

"Let me tell you some good news. I've become a regular employee! I'm now a formal worker at the state-run restaurant. I just got paid today, and I also got sugar coupons and meat coupons. I can also buy meat dishes for cheaper!" Zheng Da said with a radiant face.

"Oh," Gong Liang said faintly. "Congratulations."

Zheng Da clicked his tongue: "Your 'congratulations' doesn't sound sincere at all. Forget it, your family has had so much going on lately, I'll forgive you."

Gong Liang forced a bitter smile and prepared to continue walking back, but was grabbed by Zheng Da.

"I still have to go back and boil medicine for my father. If you want to recount the exciting process of how you became a regular employee, can you come to my house tonight to tell me?" Gong Liang said helplessly.

"Am I that kind of person? You think I'm like my senior brother, who talks about becoming a regular employee for three days, wishing everyone in the Silk Weaving Factory and Cotton Textile Factory knew about it?"

"I have something for you." Zheng Da took an iron lunch box and a small cloth bundle from his chest.

Qin Huai realized that Zheng Da had been squatting at the entrance of the state-run restaurant all this time, with his hands crossed over his chest—not because it was a good posture for squatting, but because it was a good posture for holding the lunch box inside his clothes.

"It's a meat dish today. You're lucky. Braised pork with quail eggs, my master cooked it himself. I just used my meat coupons to get it. I ate half, and I snatched half from my senior brother's bowl to make up a portion for you."

Gong Liang was stunned.

"Didn't the doctor say something about your father needing to supplement his nutrition? This is definitely nutritious enough!"

"But the doctor said my father can't eat anything too oily or salty right now, and he's hemiplegic and can't take care of himself. He definitely can't eat meat for a while," Gong Liang said weakly.

Zheng Da: "..." "Then let your mother supplement her nutrition. I had such a hard time saving it. I've been squatting at the entrance of the state-run restaurant waiting for you to get off work, and I didn't even dare to go in because I was afraid I'd eat the meat myself."

Gong Liang smiled, took the lunch box, pointed to the cloth bundle, and asked: "What's this?"

Zheng Da opened it slightly, revealing a corner. It was money.

"My salary for this month. Except for the 10 yuan I gave my mother and the 5 yuan I kept for myself, I'm lending the rest to you."

"When I go back tonight, I'll snatch my senior brother's share and let him lend it to you too."

"Your father's medicine can't be stopped. If it stops now, he'll be paralyzed for the rest of his life."

Gong Liang looked at Zheng Da, remained silent for a long time, moved his trembling lips, and slowly spat out two words: "Thanks."

Zheng Da waved his hand nonchalantly and turned to leave; only then did he feel less heartbroken.

Gong Liang clutched the lunch box and the money and continued walking home.

(End of chapter)