Chapter 82: Hibernation (Part II)

Yang Tianxing had originally thought these business men and women would have a smaller reaction to the snow, but he hadn't expected Wang Shuzhu to run specifically to the window, bend over to kneel on the sofa, and gaze at the increasingly large snowflakes with a look of longing.

Her body formed a lovely curve, and the men rarely looked at the snow, their peripheral vision almost entirely on the drifting Wang Shuzhu.

"I'm from Yue Dong, where the temperature is over 10 degrees year-round. I only truly saw snow after I started working, so I cherish it especially."

Wang Shuzhu said with some embarrassment.

Shi Xiaoping said with a smile: "Whenever it snows in Chang'an, it feels like returning to ancient times. This is a city with a lot of character. I believe that after Manager Wang takes over my position, she will quickly fall in love with the people and scenery of Chang'an."

Yang Tianxing thought to himself that he had inadvertently learned about a personnel change among the middle management of Shentong; Shi Xiaoping being replaced by Wang Shuzhu, he wondered what impact that would have on Zhang Liye.

Shentong Company's Deputy General Manager Xu Zhizhou, Chang'an City General Manager Shi Xiaoping, and General Manager Assistant Wang Shuzhu all belonged to the middle-to-upper management of Shentong Express. Zhang Liye was a franchisee who possessed independent personnel and economic authority; his relationship with Shentong was more like a partnership.

A franchisee and the parent company are one, yet also separate; it mainly depends on whether their interests are aligned.

Before long, it was time to eat, and everyone at the tables prepared to sit down. Yang Tianxing didn't intend to return to the student agent table, so he simply asked the waiter to add a chair.

The main table was large enough that an extra person didn't feel crowded. Zhang Liye joked: "You kid, every time, your thick skin makes me see you in a new light. Is it because Assistant Wang is pretty that you insist on squeezing in here?"

Zhang Liye was, firstly, teasing Yang Tianxing to liven up the atmosphere, and secondly, currying favor with his new superior, Wang Shuzhu. Although he, as a franchisee, belonged to his own independent camp, maintaining a good relationship was always for the best.

Yang Tianxing was not one to fear a joke; he replied: "Miss Wang's beauty is one aspect. Furthermore, if General Manager Xu and General Manager Shi want to understand the situation regarding campus agents, it is convenient for me to answer while sitting here."

Xu Zhizhou glanced at Yang Tianxing and said in agreement: "Little Yang is right. Our table does indeed need a campus sales representative."

After the banquet began, the main table was bustling with the clinking of glasses, while the couriers' table was noisy and clamorous.

The student agent table ate and drank soup in a cold and quiet manner, only occasionally asking, "Do you know XXX from the XX department at your school?" Upon receiving a negative answer, it would grow quiet again.

After three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually warmed up. Xu Zhizhou coughed once, and the main table gradually quieted down; it was time to talk business.

"Old Zhang, how have you considered the matter we discussed last time?"

Yang Tianxing didn't know what matter it was and looked toward Zhang Liye.

Zhang Liye put down his chopsticks and said with a sincere expression: "To be honest, General Manager Xu, General Manager Shi, Assistant Wang, to be honest, the Chang'an District branch really wants to take on this business, but we truly don't have enough manpower recently. I even have to drive out to pick up cargo myself quite often now."

Xu Zhizhou and Shi Xiaoping exchanged a glance. Xu Zhizhou's expression was very calm: "It doesn't matter. It's mainly because this Hong Kong-funded electronics processing plant is right in Chang'an District, and plus, we at Shentong have a need to develop the Hong Kong market, which is why we decided to help."

Having said this, Xu Zhizhou even smiled: "That's fine, we'll think of other ways. Let's just drink tonight."

Xu Zhizhou raised his glass, and everyone else stood up to follow. Yang Tianxing drank a few glasses, toasted a few more, and then returned to the student agent table to earnestly introduce himself to everyone.

With so many people in the private room and the electric heater and air conditioning left on, combined with the drinking, the temperature rose immediately, and everyone's faces were flushed. Yang Tianxing saw Zhang Liye go out to get some air, so he also put down his glass and followed him out.

The heavy snow outside was still falling, and the cold wind hitting his face made him shiver.

Zhang Liye turned his head and saw it was Yang Tianxing, then handed him a cigarette: "It's stuffy and sweaty inside."

Yang Tianxing nodded: "Who's to say it isn't."

The two squatted on the hotel steps smoking, watching the snowflakes fall to the ground and slowly melt.

"Manager Zhang, what was that business about the Hong Kong-funded electronics processing plant that General Manager Xu mentioned earlier?"

Zhang Liye glanced at Yang Tianxing: "What, are you interested?"

Yang Tianxing gave a "hehe" laugh: "I'm purely satisfying my own curiosity. If you don't want to talk about it, forget it."

Yang Tianxing was, firstly, genuinely curious about this business, and secondly, he had once met that Hong Kong beauty Zhao Qingxun who drove a sports car on the way back to his hometown; the address she left at the time was an electronics processing plant.

"There's nothing that can't be said."

Zhang Liye extinguished his cigarette butt: "There is an electronics product processing plant in the Chang'an Economic Development Zone. It is said to be a subsidiary of a quite famous Hong Kong consortium. They recently want to entrust Shentong Company to handle their courier business."

"That sounds pretty good, too; they aren't short on money."

Yang Tianxing said.

Zhang Liye shook his head: "What do you know? Previously, this company's partner was Shunfeng. Do you know why Shunfeng suddenly terminated the partnership?"

Yang Tianxing shook his head.

"There is an atypical respiratory disease breaking out over in Hong Kong. Our couriers are all unwilling to accept deliveries from there. Life is more important than money, brother!"

Zhang Liye patted Yang Tianxing on the shoulder and turned back into the private room, leaving Yang Tianxing alone to watch the snowflakes dancing wildly under the dim streetlights. His eyes were resolute and deep, and it was unknown what he was thinking.

Suddenly, his phone "beeped" with a text message.

"Little Yang, it's snowing in Chang'an. It's so beautiful."

Yang Tianxing took a look and put the phone directly into his pocket.

After the meal, there was a second half to the activities; everyone went to the second floor to sing at the KTV.

This KTV room was also very large, with a row of large sofas surrounding the corner in the darkness. Only the flashing UFO lights swayed with colorful neon. Someone was singing Teresa Teng's "The Smoke from the Kitchen Chimney Appears Again," and the voice was actually quite nice; it was Wang Shuzhu.

She swayed her body while singing, her footsteps landing exactly on every beat.

Yang Tianxing felt his way to the sofa and sat down, next to Wu Qiang, who was staring at Wang Shuzhu's back, mesmerized. Yang Tianxing said with a grin: "Brother Qiang, if you stare at another woman like this, won't your wife get jealous?"

"Go on, go on, what does a kid know."

Wu Qiang was embarrassed at being called out. Before long, the door to the private room was opened, and dozens of girls in uniforms filed in.

"Manager Zhang has really spent a fortune today."

Yang Tianxing was a bit surprised. These were clearly girls accompanying them to sing, and it looked like everyone was entitled to one.

Wu Qiang walked up and pulled one over, saying to Yang Tianxing: "You hurry up and go up, otherwise the pretty ones will all be snatched up by others. Shout a few songs first, and later we'll go upstairs to have a sauna."

This was clearly a set routine; it seemed the sauna wasn't a proper sauna either, but Yang Tianxing refused.

He wasn't lacking for women.

Wu Qiang nodded and said: "Old Zhang said you keep many pretty young girls at school. I didn't believe it before, but now it seems it's all true."

Thus, Wu Qiang stopped trying to persuade him and went back to his own fun.

After these girls came in, Wang Shuzhu picked up her bag and left on her own; it seemed she was very familiar with these unspoken rules of socializing.

Before long, Zhang Liye and Xu Zhizhou and the others left the KTV together; they must have gone to the sauna. Yang Tianxing glanced to the side, where the girl accompanying them was saying bitterly to Wu Qiang: "Big brother, stop touching, let's sing a song."

Yang Tianxing gave a "haha" laugh, stood up to say his goodbyes, and left. When he returned to the school gate, Yang Tianxing's hair and eyebrows were covered in snowflakes, some melted into water, some frozen into ice.

Just as he was about to walk into the school, he suddenly remembered something. He raised his hand, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for Jiaoda.

Jiaoda was now also completely covered in silver, a world of white. Yang Tianxing went straight to the downstairs of Xiao Zhiliao's dormitory building. Looking at the snowflakes that had already accumulated some thickness, he looked left and right, didn't see any suitable tools, and simply squatted down and stuck his hands directly into the snow.

A bone-deep chill traveled from his fingers through his entire body; Yang Tianxing bit down on his cigarette butt fiercely and cursed in his heart: "For a scumbag to reach my level, I'm truly a failure."

Thus, in front of the quiet female dormitory of Jiaotong University, a figure huffed and puffed while building a snowman for a long time; half an hour later, Yang Tianxing picked up his phone: "I'll give you three minutes, get downstairs quickly, or I'm leaving."

"Mmm~ Little Yang, it's so late, what is it? I was already asleep."

Tan Zhizhi's voice was muffled, as if she had just woken up.

"Look at the snowman."

Yang Tianxing spat out the three words lightly; the other side of the phone went quiet for a brief moment, followed by a flurry of chaotic sounds—putting on clothes, getting out of bed, and running.

This was likely the fastest Tan Zhizhi had ever gone downstairs in her eighteen years, and she only stopped when she saw the two "snowmen" outside the dormitory.

One was a real snowman, ugly, with a small head and a big belly, and fingers had been used to poke a few random holes for eyes and a mouth.

The other snowman had a cigarette dangling from its mouth and stomped its feet from time to time; needless to say, that was Yang Tianxing.

Upon seeing Tan Zhizhi, Yang Tianxing impatiently pointed at the snowman with the hand holding his cigarette: "Look, a snowman."

For some reason, a welling emotion rose from the bottom of Tan Zhizhi's heart, her nose felt sore and swollen, tears streamed down instantly, and she suddenly opened her arms and rushed over.

"Little Yang, I thought you had changed your heart... You really are a bastard... Wuwuwu."

"How do you know I haven't changed my heart?"

Before Yang Tianxing could explain, seeing that Tan Zhizhi had no intention of slowing down, he raised his hand: "Hey, hey, hey, slow down, it's slippery here, shift gears and hit the brakes, damn it!!!"

With a "thump," both figures fell to the ground, though one was on top and the other was underneath.

"Fuck, are you crazy? I told you it was slippery here, my waist must be broken."

"Even if you break it, I won't mind you."

Yang Tianxing curled his lip and pushed at Tan Zhizhi, who was on top of him: "I mind myself, get up quickly, you're heavy as a pig."

"I won't!"

Tan Zhizhi hugged Yang Tianxing even tighter, then whispered into his ear: "Little Yang, when we go home for winter break this year, I want to tell my dad about our relationship first."

"What?"

Yang Tianxing sat up immediately: "What does it have to do with your dad? Besides, our families live so close to each other, do you know what the consequences will be if you tell him?"

Tan Zhizhi was stunned for a moment, then said: "At most, we'll get married after graduation..."

"Get married?"

Yang Tianxing hurriedly stood up, not even having time to brush the snowflakes off his body, and directly flipped Tan Zhizhi over to the side: "Excuse me, excuse me."

Yang Tianxing was completely heartless and left as soon as he said he would; Tan Zhizhi couldn't catch up for a moment and stomped her feet in anger behind him, looking at the ugly snowman and Yang Tianxing's retreating back, sobbing while wiping her tears: "Bastard!"

After Yang Tianxing returned to the dormitory, the few people in Dorm 312 hadn't slept yet; Fu Yiming asked: "Number Two, what song were you humming when you walked in just now?"

"Was I humming a song?"

Yang Tianxing hadn't even noticed it himself and changed his clothes to prepare for a shower.

"Yeah, you were humming something like 'the passing years drift away with the wind, the winter solstice snow flies again... no more hibernation with you...'"

"This one?"

Yang Tianxing smiled: "Let's call it Hibernation."