Chapter 1761: Peaceful Coexistence

Laughing and chatting, they returned to the basement; just as he opened the room door, he saw three men lifting Xu Xu Shengli's bed, seemingly about to flip it over.

"What's going on? Looking for something? Let me help you search."

Xu Xu Shengli froze for a moment, then quickly rallied and rushed forward to help hold up his own bed.

The three men in the room glanced at Xu Xu Shengli, then looked at Wang Yan, who had already sat down on the lower bunk, and let go.

Xu Xu Shengli secretly breathed a long sigh of relief and set the bed back down.

Another man, wearing a ponytail, sat down beside Wang Yan, making a fierce expression on his face: "Is this your place, that you just sit? Did anyone say you could sit?"

Wang Yan looked at him, then suddenly reached out and grabbed his throat, slamming him directly onto the bed. The man struggled desperately, but Wang Yan's hand felt like steel rebar; no matter how he tried, he could not break free.

The two men on the other side, along with Xu Xu Shengli, hurried over to pull at Wang Yan, trying to drag him away.

However, even with all three of them attacking together, they failed.

Only when the man being choked stopped struggling did Wang Yan finally release his hand.

"Aiyo, tell me, what is all this fuss about? Why can't we talk things over properly instead of resorting to violence?" The speaker was a simple, honest-looking middle-aged man; seeing Wang Yan let go, he quickly dragged the victim up and out of attack range.

"He bullied me, I bullied him; fair and square," Wang Yan said with a smile, as if mocking them.

"That is his bed; you sat in his spot, so can't he say a few words about it?" This was spoken by the man with long, loose, permed hair; when he first entered, he had looked utterly reckless, but now, speaking to Wang Yan, he was clearly bluffing while inwardly trembling.

"Then tell me, what is there to say about me sitting on his bed? And why say it so fiercely? Who are you trying to scare? If you keep chattering, I will make my move."

"Hey, make your move then! Are you afraid of me? Come on! Hit me! Let me tell you, real men fear nothing least of all a fight; we don't even know how to write the word 'fear'." Spoken with such frequency, the man's Beijing accent was thick.

"What is all this? Why fight? Everyone calm down," the simple middle-aged man said. "We all live in the same room, all brothers who have come from elsewhere to strive here; how can we turn on each other? If someone gets hurt, what then? Paying compensation, going to jail, and wasting our youth.

I know none of you fear jail, and none have money to pay. But think about it: development is so fast nowadays; if you spend a few years locked up, you'll miss the prime opportunities, and later there will be nowhere to find regret. Come, come, brother, have a cigarette and cool your temper."

Wang Yan took the cigarette, allowed the man to light it for him, and said, "No need to persuade me; I have no anger. It seems those two are the ones with huge tempers."

The middle-aged man laughed awkwardly, winked at the other two, and then said, "My name is Guo Zongbao, from Henan Province. This is Tao Liangliang, a native of Jingcheng. And he is Cao Ye, from Guanzhong."

He pointed respectively to the long-haired man with the Beijing accent and the ponytailed man whom Wang Yan had just choked and thrown down, then asked Wang Yan for his name.

After exchanging names, Guo Zongbao said, "Brother Wang, since we have fought and thus come to know each other, I happen to have a bottle of wine and some peanuts; shall we have a drink?"

Wang Yan waved his hand. "Forget it; I just came back from drinking. Another day. My treat."

"Aiyo, how could we accept that? Let's buy together and eat together. We are all out here making a living; none of us have it easy, so we dare not spend money lavishly. Money is hard to earn."

"Everything is negotiable." Wang Yan nodded toward Cao Ye. "Don't act tough when there's no need; we're even now."

Cao Ye said nothing, lowering his head to tidy up his artwork.

Seeing Tao Liangliang still staring at him, Wang Yan said, "What's wrong? Do you still have an objection?"

"No, no, this kid just looks at people like that." Guo Zongbao stood up, lit a cigarette for Tao Liangliang, and used the opportunity to signal him not to clash with Wang Yan.

"Isn't he a local? That makes his backbone stiffer; unlike us outsiders, who must be cautious about everything we do."

"What's wrong? Is his father some leader? Or is his family immensely wealthy? If his backbone were truly that stiff, would he still be living here? I've seen what the big courtyard compounds outside look like; they aren't as spacious as our rural homes."

"What do you mean?" Tao Liangliang became unhappy again.

"The literal meaning; can't you understand? What act are you putting on?" Wang Yan glanced sideways at Cao Ye, who had already stood up, holding a picture frame, ready to join the fray.

Wang Yan chuckled. "I see clearly now; unless we have this fight, neither of you will be convinced, and there will be many problems later. Come on; there's enough space right here at the doorway. Let's spar."

"No sparring, no sparring..." Seeing Wang Yan stand up with a cigarette dangling from his lips, Guo Zongbao quickly stepped between them, trying to mediate.

However, before he could say anything more, Tao Liangliang said, "Fine! We agree: no deadly moves, but if anyone accidentally gets injured, they bear the consequences themselves. Old Cao, drop your weapon; we'll fight bare-handed."

"Good!" Wang Yan nodded.

"Splendid!" Cao Ye said. "Brother Bao, you two serve as witnesses."

Guo Zongbao hurriedly said, "Really fighting? No, we are all brothers in the same room; it's really not necessary..."

"Exactly; it would be bad if anyone got seriously hurt. Perhaps you should reconsider," Xu Xu Shengli said, seeming to try to stop the fight, yet keeping some distance as if afraid of being splattered with blood.

"Get up, Brother Liang; don't let yourself get hurt." Tao Liangliang pushed Guo Zongbao aside, tilted his neck and rubbed his wrists, looking as though he were about to unleash some supreme martial art.

On the other side, Cao Ye bounced up and down, holding a boxing stance as if he were a professional boxer.

"Are you ready?" Wang Yan asked with a smile.

"Let's go, then."

As he spoke, Cao Ye first swung a full-power punch toward Wang Yan. Having just been choked and pinned to the bed by Wang Yan, he was seething with rage; now that Tao Liangliang was starting the fight, he naturally followed enthusiastically.

At the same time, Tao Liangliang kicked out, the two of them attacking two-on-one, yet possessing none of the imposing momentum they had displayed earlier.

Nearby, Guo Zongbao reached out as if wanting to separate them but unable to, while Xu Xu Shengli stood aside shouting words of admonition.

Immediately following two pained howls, both fell silent; they stood frozen like wooden chickens, watching Wang Yan unilaterally beat Tao Liangliang and Cao Ye.

Wang Yan also held back, having no intention of actually injuring the two; after merely a few dozen seconds of punches and kicks, both had already begged for mercy.

Wang Yan bent down to look at the two lying on the ground wearing masks of pain: "Is this matter settled now? Can we get along peacefully in the future?"

"Yes, Big Brother, absolutely yes," Tao Liangliang gasped. "I ask, do you know martial arts? How did you knock us both down in the blink of an eye?"

"It's not really martial arts; I've just practiced a few rustic techniques. These are all superficial injuries; they'll heal in three to five days. Get up."

Wang Yan turned his head and glanced meaningfully at the stunned Xu Xu Shengli; the latter, feeling guilty, averted his gaze and hurriedly helped the two men on the floor to their feet, acting very busy.

Xu Xu Shengli realized that he had been jumping around in front of Wang Yan for quite some time, never expecting Wang Yan to be the type of person who would act directly.

Wang Yan paid no further attention to Xu Xu Shengli; changing into slippers and baring his upper body, he picked up a basin, opened the door, and went out to wash.

But the moment he opened the door, he saw a crowd of people standing outside.

Earlier, the voices of Tao Liangliang, Cao Ye, and the others in the room had grown louder and louder; since the walls here were not very soundproof, it was quite normal for so many people to be waiting to watch the spectacle. After all, it was evening, everyone had returned, and there was nothing else to do.

"What are you all doing?" Wang Yan asked Zhuang Zhuang, who was nearby.

"They said you were fighting."

"Nothing of the sort; we are all good roommates."

Looking at Tao Liangliang and Cao Ye, whose faces were already bruised and swollen, and hearing Wang Yan's words, Zhuang Zhuang was somewhat speechless.

Their eyes met; Wang Yan laughed awkwardly. "We did spar a bit, but it wasn't a fight; it was a friendly negotiation for the future harmonious coexistence of the dormitory."

Zhuangzhuang looked inside again, then scanned up and down Wang Yan's sturdy body.

Wang Yan smiled and raised an eyebrow: "Obviously, I'm a notch better."

Zhuangzhuang shot him a reproachful glance, said something about harmony being precious, then turned and went back to her own room. This left Xu Xu Shengli, who had been watching from inside the room, feeling a bit dejected...

"Oh, brother, with that build of yours, you could go enter some competition or other."

"I don't think those two could take you, could they? You've trained?"

"Brother, where are you from?"

"What are you planning to do coming to Jingcheng?"

Wang Yan had also become famous overnight. While he was washing up and doing laundry, people around him kept coming over to talk to him, and he was felt up by a crowd of men and women who squeezed his muscles.

Just then, Zhuangzhuang came over too, brushing her teeth right beside him.

"Really nothing wrong?" she asked, still not reassured.

This wasn't because Zhuangzhuang had any feelings for Wang Yan, but because Wang Yan had helped her avoid losing money, brought her along to settle down, and treated her to dinner. She had no relatives or friends here, so naturally she was a bit closer to Wang Yan.

"Nothing." Wang Yan shook his head. "We're all here to make a living, all came here hoping for the best. Nobody wants things to go badly. We're men—some scuffling is normal. Don't worry, it's nothing."

Zhuangzhuang nodded and asked, "What are you planning to do tomorrow?"

"You need something?"

"No, just asking."

"I'm going to find a place to buy a three-wheeler, get a roasting oven, and other seasonings and such. Then find a reliable butcher shop and ask around where the street stalls do the most business. I'll wander around tomorrow, and the day after I'll set up a stall and see how business goes."

"Then won't you need to buy the meat back and marinate it ahead of time, then skewer it? I don't think I have anything going on either—let me help you."

"If the lamb's good, no need to marinate; if it's not, then we'll have to. There'll definitely be plenty of work for you—I'll even need you to help taste-test. Tomorrow we'll buy a small amount first and try roasting it ourselves."

"Sure, I actually really love eating skewers too."

"Then you're really putting the pressure on me."

"I believe in you—you'll definitely pull it off." Zhuangzhuang smiled sweetly.

"Since you've said that, I've got to make it work whether I can or not. Watch me tomorrow."

Chatting and laughing, they finished washing up. Wang Yan went back to the room, and the moment he stepped inside he smelled a whiff of alcohol.

Guo Zongbao was pouring Hongxing Erguotou onto his hands and rubbing them together, then working the bruises out of the beaten Tao Liangliang and Cao Ye.

"Not to criticize you, Brother Wang, but when you hit someone, don't hit the face—you went way too hard. They're both good young men, what if you'd ruined their looks?" Guo Zongbao muttered on.

"Old Guo, don't play the good guy either. From the start, you three were in it together. During the fight, you were the loudest one shouting, and I didn't see you actually trying to stop it. When I was beating on those two, that's when you stepped in."

"I couldn't hold you two back either. If I'd let you keep going, that would've been bad." Guo Zongbao kept working, grinning foolishly. "If you say I, Old Guo, was playing favorites, that's not right either. Those two couldn't beat you, so I could only hold you back.

I know you have a sense of measure, but people make mistakes and horses stumble—anything can happen. What if by some chance you'd really hurt those two?"

"Bao-ge, you're overthinking it. We already said it—if anything comes out of the beating, we definitely won't come after him." Tao Liangliang was still unconvinced, feeling he'd been looked down upon.

But in fact? Anyone who didn't help the one who'd fallen would've been shaken down for it...

Guo Zongbao said, "Brother Wang, you should understand—things said verbally don't count."

"Fine, you've said it all. No matter what you say, you're right." Wang Yan waved his hand, then quickly tidied up and hopped onto the bed.

The other four watched clearly as he placed a hand on the bed frame and with a light leap landed on the bed, and the bed frame barely wobbled at all.

"Holy smokes, that's qinggong!" Guo Zongbao's eyes went wide.

"Yeah, Yan-ge, that move of yours is good enough for acrobatics—you're definitely going to make big money." That was Guo Liangliang speaking; he'd come around to admiring Wang Yan quickly.

Everyone flattered him for a bit, then they asked Wang Yan about the barbecue business.

Listening, it was obvious it was what Xu Xu Shengli had told them while Wang Yan was washing up earlier.

"Yeah, tomorrow I'm getting the gear ready, the day after I'll set up the stall. I heard from Little Northeast that you guys are all in the arts?"

"We're the ones the arts messed with," Guo Liangliang said. "I play the saxophone."

Guo Zongbao grinned foolishly again: "Right, who dares call it art—that's Little Northeast making fun of us. I'm just an extra, barely scraping by."

"I'm a painter—no need to say more, right?" Cao Ye looked at the pile of paintings on the floor.

"And there's a screenwriter too. I really am a bit out of place with you guys." Wang Yan clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Hey, what's out of place? No matter how arty, isn't it still serving the people? No matter how big a star is, aren't they still performing for the people?"

Wang Yan couldn't help opening his eyes, turning his head to look down at Guo Zongbao: "Old Guo, what you just said really hit the nail on the head."

"Isn't that just how it is," Guo Zongbao said with a cheerful grin.

Tao Liangliang chimed in: "Right, we might be short on everything else, but we're not short on awareness."

The main cast of this drama all carried artistic dreams—singing, acting, music, painting, screenwriting—but they all failed; none succeeded.

Xu Xu Shengli the screenwriter could be considered half-successful—he had only one script adaptation that had been shelved for years, and had mainly switched to doing business. Perhaps once the business succeeded, he'd pick it back up and keep writing.

And the biggest winner of the whole show was Guo Zongbao—with a virtuous wife and filial son, he went home to grow corn, sold corn juice, and became a rich man.

Perhaps life is just like that—what you chase so hard you can't achieve, maybe that's because you're striving in the wrong direction. Stop, change paths, and you just might make it.

Although Tao Liangliang and Cao Ye had taken a beating, the atmosphere that night was still quite harmonious—after all, even if they weren't harmonious, they had no other choice.

Everyone chatted about this and that, asking Xu Xu Shengli and Wang Yan all sorts of questions.

Before they knew it, they'd fallen asleep. Xu Xu Shengli's snoring was loud...

?? Daily thanks to the big brothers who tipped, cast monthly tickets, threw recommendation tickets, and quietly read along for their strong support!