Chapter 202

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Wang Dashan brought Wang Erhai to the rental house.

The narrow, dim single room had a wall outside its window; even in broad daylight the room was dark and lightless, with terrible lighting.

Fortunately it was cheap: rent was three hundred yuan a month, far cheaper than elsewhere.

Guangzhou was like this: it had the decadent red lights and green wine, and skyscrapers ordinary people could never reach; but at the same time it had countless urban villages housing millions of migrant workers, eight-yuan pig trotter rice meals the poor could afford, and Sha County Snacks that filled you up for ten yuan.

After putting down their luggage, Wang Dashan took Wang Erhai to eat pig trotter rice in the urban village downstairs, then got Wang Erhai a key, and together they took the subway to Gangding Computer City.

"Hao Ge, this is my second brother, Wang Erhai. Erhai, quickly call him Hao Ge!"

Wang Dashan arrived at the shop and hurriedly introduced Wang Erhai to Zhang Zhihao.

"Hello, Hao Ge!"

Wang Erhai hurriedly greeted him.

Zhang Zhihao looked at Wang Erhai and greeted him with a smile:

"So you're Dashan's brother. Dashan went to a lot of trouble to find you. From now on be sharper, and don't let anyone trick you into a pyramid scheme again."

Wang Erhai felt a bit embarrassed and hurriedly said:

"Of course, of course. I definitely won't be tricked again."

Wang Dashan then said to Zhang Zhihao:

"Hao Ge, I need to go to Beihai tomorrow to take care of some things. My second brother just came to Guangzhou and doesn't know anyone. I'm not at ease leaving him alone. Can he work at your shop for a few days? Don't worry, you don't need to pay him a salary—just let him have a safe place to stay."

Zhang Zhihao laughed and said generously:

"How can I not pay a salary? Same rule as always: 80 yuan commission for every computer sold!"

Then he patted Wang Erhai on the shoulder:

"Young man, work hard. When your big brother first came, he sold four computers on the first day. Don't embarrass your big brother!"

Wang Erhai hurriedly nodded and said:

"Okay, okay. I'll definitely work hard."

Wang Dashan's face was full of gratitude:

"Hao Ge, thank you. You're really a good person!"

Zhang Zhihao just laughed it off:

"Why be so polite with me? Once you leave, I'm short-staffed. Having your second brother come here actually saves me the trouble of recruiting. I should be thanking you!"

Hearing this, Wang Dashan was even more moved.

He knew Hao Ge was a truly good person, and he would remember this kindness for a lifetime.

Zhang Zhihao then called over a female salesperson playing with her phone nearby:

"Xiao Ying, come show Dashan's brother the ropes and teach him some basic computer sales knowledge!"

This female salesperson was named He Xiaoying, a new employee Zhang Zhihao hired after Zhu Zhiming ran off.

He Xiaoying was very young, about eighteen or nineteen. Though she didn't know much professional knowledge, she had a good appearance and an advantage with male customers, so since starting work she had done pretty well.

"Okay, Boss!"

He Xiaoying answered and then began showing Wang Erhai the ropes.

Holding a computer instruction manual, she told Wang Erhai what information to remember so that when customers came, he could introduce it to them.

Zhang Zhihao pulled Wang Dashan aside and whispered to him.

"Dashan, why are you going to Beihai again? Did something happen?"

Zhang Zhihao asked in a low voice.

He was sharp-eyed and could tell at a glance that Wang Dashan returning to Beihai at this time was definitely unusual.

"Nothing. Just going back to get together with an old comrade-in-arms. When I went to Beihai back then, my comrade helped me a lot."

Wang Dashan smiled and chose to conceal it.

Zhang Zhihao gave him a white-eyed look:

"Stop lying to me. You can fool your second brother, but can you fool me? If it were really just getting together with an old comrade-in-arms, would you choose this key moment when your second brother just arrived in Guangzhou? Besides, you were in Beihai for so long before—you must have gotten together with that old comrade countless times. Why rush back to Guangzhou for over two weeks, then travel all the way to Beihai again?"

Wang Dashan showed a bitter smile, knowing he couldn't keep it hidden any longer.

So he hurriedly said:

"Hao Ge, I can tell you the truth, but don't tell my second brother. I'm afraid he'll worry."

Zhang Zhihao's expression turned serious as he said:

"Don't worry. I won't tell your second brother."

Wang Dashan then said:

"When I rescued my second brother, I beat up the pyramid scheme ringleader. Now that ringleader wants to sue me for assault, and the police in Beihai have summoned me to return and assist with the investigation. If this isn't resolved well, I might end up in prison."

Hearing this, Zhang Zhihao was shocked and furious:

"Damn it, you were ridding the people of a menace. How did it become a crime instead?"

Wang Dashan's face was full of bitterness:

"People say, one thing is one thing. Pyramid schemes are crimes punished by law, but hitting someone is also illegal and will also be punished by law."

Zhang Zhihao didn't understand the law well, only feeling the matter was rather absurd.

By normal logic, Wang Dashan had helped the police bust a pyramid scheme den—shouldn't he be given a banner of commendation and praise?

How did he end up in such a mess now?

"Then what should we do now?"

Zhang Zhihao couldn't help but feel sympathy for Wang Dashan.

Wang Dashan sighed:

"I don't know what to do either, I'll take it one step at a time, hope to get back as soon as possible. While I'm gone, I'll have to trouble you, Hao Ge, to help look after my second brother. He just got out of the pyramid scheme den not long ago. He may look normal on the surface, but he actually has severe psychological trauma. If he doesn't do the work well, please be more tolerant, Hao Ge."

Zhang Zhihao hurriedly nodded:

"Rest assured and go, I'll help you take good care of your second brother."

That evening after work, Wang Dashan brought Wang Erhai back to the rental house. He fetched a bucket of water, heated it with an electric heating rod, and when the water was hot enough, he let Wang Erhai shower first.

He, meanwhile, searched for information on his mobile phone, checking how long assault usually gets sentenced. Opinions on mobile Baidu varied widely: some said only seven days of detention, some said fifteen days of detention, some said one to two years of imprisonment, and some said as long as you pay for a private settlement you don't need to bear legal responsibility.

Wang Dashan was heavy-hearted, and this reminded him of an incident from when he was very small.

He was about three or four years old at the time. His father Wang Zhanggen, due to some conflicts and misunderstandings, injured a man in the village named Yang Dafu. Back then Wang Zhanggen also faced prison disaster. In the end, because his mother spent money and effort, Yang Dafu chose private settlement and compromise, and only then did Wang Zhanggen avoid jail.

If Wang Zhanggen had gone to jail back then, Wang Dashan probably wouldn't have been able to join the army later either — he wouldn't have passed the political review.

Wang Dashan now wondered if he also had to go for a private settlement with that pyramid scheme ringleader, and obtain that ringleader's forgiveness, in order to avoid legal responsibility?

He didn't want this matter to affect his future children's prospects, although he wasn't married with children yet — the matter of children's prospects wasn't even on the horizon.

Private settlement and compromise seemed to have become his only way out.

But would that pyramid scheme ringleader forgive Wang Dashan?

Additionally, Wang Dashan didn't have much money on hand right now — could he afford the private settlement fee that pyramid scheme ringleader would demand?

Wang Dashan didn't know.

Facing all these unknowns, he felt a bit lost at heart.

But if you ask him whether he regrets beating that pyramid scheme ringleader up back then, Wang Dashan would answer you very definitely — he doesn't regret it.

That pyramid scheme gang tortured his second brother until he nearly went insane. Not killing that ringleader directly already counts as mercy — how could he regret beating him up?

……