Chapter 587: You must have an organization to rely on

"Stop arguing, you two. Why argue over such trivial matters on New Year's?"

"Exactly, exactly. We're all our own people. With so many people watching, take my advice and stop arguing, lest the foreign students laugh at us for not being united."

People who watch the fun generally have two characteristics: one is that they don't think the trouble is big enough, and the other is that they like to be peacemakers, sending a favor just by moving their lips.

So when Xia Zhemin looked at Li Ye's lawyer's business card and was about to be unable to step down, the "friends" around finally began to persuade, talking about the big picture and smoothing things over.

Ruan Shujun even spoke up for Xia Zhemin with sorrow and resentment: "You all misunderstood Zhemin. The reason he joined Boeing was also to learn advanced Western knowledge, and then better build our motherland..."

"..."

Li Ye couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

【So, all those insults Xia Zhemin just hurled at the mainland were just smoke-screen tricks to endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens while fooling the Lighthouse people? Doesn't this compare to that handsome guy Wang from back in the day?】

However, although Li Ye despised Xia Zhemin, the man borrowed the slope to get off the donkey and was pulled away by several familiar friends.

And Jiao Yaqiang, who was standing behind Li Ye, also pulled Li Ye and whispered: "Forget it, it's not worth it."

"Hmm?"

Li Ye glanced at Jiao Yaqiang, not quite understanding what he meant by "not worth it," since Jiao Yaqiang had just shouted things like "Have you forgotten the oath you once took?"

Did he think the confrontation between Li Ye and Xia Zhemin just now wasn't worth it?

However, Jiao Yaqiang said the next moment: "It's not worth wasting lawyer fees on someone like him. If it really gets noisy... it would be even less worth it if he punches you."

"..."

Li Ye blinked and said amusedly: "He punches me? Why would you think that?"

Jiao Yaqiang pursed his lips and smiled awkwardly, as if he had some unspeakable secret.

However, Sister Zhen explained: "After Xia Zhemin came to Jingda, he joined the school's boxing club and learned Western boxing from a Lighthouse coach. He can punch with three or four hundred pounds of force. Jiao Yaqiang is afraid that Xia Zhemin will be embarrassed into anger and make you suffer a loss right now..."

"Oh~"

Li Ye smiled lightly and said: "Then it's fortunate he didn't get embarrassed into anger just now, otherwise he really would have suffered a loss!"

"..."

Sister Zhen was stunned for a moment and quietly looked at Brother Jin and the others not far away.

"We are in a foreign land; it's better to avoid some trouble as much as possible."

Brother Jin drove the pickup truck over to deliver vegetables this time, and soon hit it off with the students. Although Li Ye claimed they were his "colleagues," Sister Zhen felt they were more like followers.

But even if Li Ye had these three followers, Xia Zhemin had many classmates. If they really fought, it would definitely be a mess, and it would be even more troublesome if it attracted the school's attention.

Li Ye nodded with a smile: "Sister Zhen is right. I won't lower myself to his level."

Seeing Li Ye smile, Jiao Yaqiang and Sister Zhen finally felt relieved. Today's matter was "caused" by them. If Li Ye really fought with Xia Zhemin, they would feel bad in their hearts.

"Sigh, don't think about those meaningless things. Let's eat quickly! The food is getting cold."

"Mm-hmm, I haven't tasted the flavor of my hometown for a long time." Jiao Yaqiang ate the food Li Ye cooked in big mouthfuls, eating in a bold manner that could compare to the food streamers of later generations.

Sister Zhen hurriedly poured him a glass of water: "Old Jiao, didn't you just get a large bonus? Why are you still living so frugally? Can't you even bear to eat some green vegetables?"

Jiao Yaqiang said with his mouth full: "I lent that money to Liu Dongsheng. He found a part-time job in San Jose and runs back and forth all day, so he needs to buy a car."

San Jose is the city where Silicon Valley is located, at least eighty kilometers away from the UC Berkeley campus, so he indeed needs a car.

But Sister Zhen complained: "You don't even have a car yourself! And you're still worrying about others? Send your bonuses home in the future! At least your mother will save them for you."

Jiao Yaqiang chewed the food in his mouth, swallowed it, and said gloomily: "Old Liu will pay me back. He's not the type to default on debts."

"..."

Li Ye looked at Jiao Yaqiang's stubborn expression and knew that this kind of thing hadn't happened just once or twice.

But he was also strange in his heart: how could a person with such a kind nature be provoked by Xia Zhemin to the point he was just now?

Could it be that the kinder a person is, the more they are destined to be plotted against?

"The blood flowing in the heart, surging with the voice of China, even if in a foreign land, it cannot be changed... My Chinese Heart..."

It seems that ever since Zhang Mingmin appeared on the Spring Festival Gala, "My Chinese Heart" has become a must-sing song at gatherings of overseas travelers.

When hundreds of international students at UC sang this song together, Li Ye, who was among them, clearly saw many international students shedding tears of homesickness.

【People like Xia Zhemin, after all, are not the whole picture.】

When these international students left their hometowns, the instructions given to them by their families and teachers were probably all "work hard, forge ahead, study for the rise of China."

But they are actually human beings too, and they also have weak points. When encountering difficulties and setbacks, they also hope to have a reliance to depend on.

It's just that some people have pinned their reliance on the free Lighthouse side, while others have never forgotten the old jujube tree in their hometown from beginning to end.

"Let's go, let's go. Is anyone going to Chinatown? Let's get in the car together and go."

Near dusk, the people at the gathering had eaten their fill, and some were even slightly tipsy, so someone suggested going to Chinatown to watch the lion and dragon dances.

Li Ye was originally going to Chinatown, so he called Sister Zhen and Jiao Yaqiang to go together.

Today, Li Ye met several new friends at UC, and the most gratifying harvest was this Jiao Yaqiang.

His professional skills are solid, and although he is careless, he can keep his original intention and stick to his bottom line, which is exactly the kind of help Li Ye needs most.

Dozens of people arrived at the parking lot in a lively manner, laughing and carpooling with each other.

Li Ye discovered that more than half of those international students who stayed in the Lighthouse and did not return to the country had their own cars.

Although most of them were old cars with long service lives, at least they had realized the dream of being "car owners."

You know, in the mainland in '86, many bureau chiefs in underdeveloped counties only had a canvas-covered 212, but these proud sons of heaven were already driving Toyotas, Fords, and even Mercedes-Benz and BMWs.

For example, Liu Dongsheng, who borrowed money from Jiao Yaqiang, spent 2,500 dollars to buy a 60% new Mercedes-Benz sedan.

And Xia Zhemin, who went to Boeing, bought a brand-new Toyota Camry.

However, the most handsome guy in the parking lot had to be the Bentley Li Ye rented from the hotel.

Many international students pointed at the Bentley. Only Ruan Shujun felt sullen when she saw the Bentley.

Li Ye was too annoying, and his car was annoying too.

"Let's go, Brother Jiao, squeeze into the pickup truck with me!"

Originally, Jiao Yaqiang wanted to carpool with Liu Dongsheng, but there were many girls at the scene, and under the situation of ladies first, he didn't get a spot.

So Li Ye arranged for Sister Zhen and Zhen Rongrong to go with Wen Leyu and the others in the Bentley, while he took Jiao Yaqiang to sit in the pickup truck driven by Brother Jin and the others.

Jiao Yaqiang said in surprise at this time: "Brother, is that Bentley yours? How much did you buy it for?"

Li Ye smiled: "It's rented by the company from the hotel. My car hasn't arrived yet!"

"Oh~, I really didn't see that..."

Jiao Yaqiang looked at the Bentley blankly for a few times, then lowered his head and got into Brother Jin's pickup truck.

And just at this moment, someone behind said strangely: "So it's a company car! And it's rented. To satisfy superficial vanity, is it worth it?"

Li Ye didn't need to look back to know it was that Ruan Shujun.

Ruan Shujun seized the opportunity today and had been providing emotional value to Xia Zhemin in a petite and charming way, resolving the repression and irritability Xia Zhemin had accumulated because he was "slapped in the face" by Li Ye.

When everyone suggested going to Chinatown, Ruan Shujun finally successfully held Xia Zhemin's arm.

So when Li Ye turned his head and looked over coldly, Ruan Shujun bravely withstood Li Ye's pressure, staring at Li Ye to vent her anger for her new boyfriend.

Li Ye glanced at her, smiled disdainfully, got in the car, and left with Brother Jin.

And Ruan Shujun despised the exhaust of the pickup truck: "Hmph, I thought he had some great ability! A company-rented car, a company lawyer, using power to bully others, Zhemin, don't lower yourself to his level..."

"Mm, how could I lower myself to his level..."

Xia Zhemin looked at the departing Bentley, his eyes full of deep repression.

He had made significant contributions in a research group at Boeing, but Boeing didn't say they would provide him with a car or a lawyer!

Dozens of international students arrived in Chinatown together, and after a while, they scattered on the lively street.

The evening in San Francisco was actually the first day of the Lunar New Year in China. There were Chinese people everywhere on the street, and some shop owners also stood at the door happily, giving a red envelope to every customer who entered to consume, wishing for good luck.

Li Ye went to the antique shop he had visited before. The boss still recognized Li Ye, this little compatriot, and really kept his promise, giving Li Ye a small mutton-fat jade pendant.

Li Ye also symbolically spent 360 dollars to buy a middle hall scroll said to be written by a certain Tanhualang of the Qing Dynasty, wishing for good luck, which made the boss thank him repeatedly and wish him prosperity.

After leaving the shop, Wen Leyu, Zhen Rongrong, and others were strolling in front, while Li Ye and Jiao Yaqiang lagged behind.

Li Ye tentatively asked: "Brother Jiao, are you planning to return to the mainland?"

Jiao Yaqiang nodded and said: "Actually, the conditions Xia Zhemin gave me are very tempting, but I am a Party member. I firmly believe that only by relying on a powerful organization can one achieve greater success. Staying in the Lighthouse and fighting alone, after all, is like duckweed without roots."

"Xia Zhemin pulling me to Boeing this time is actually because he lacks help, and he is always inexplicably squeezed out in the research group..."

"..."

Li Ye looked at Jiao Yaqiang in surprise. He didn't expect this guy, who looked careless, to have this side of his mind.

Jiao Yaqiang suddenly looked at Li Ye and asked: "Brother Li Ye, do you have something you want to tell me?"

Li Ye couldn't help but smile.

He hadn't even invited Jiao Yaqiang to "work" for him yet! This guy seemed to have already smelled the signs.

【Hmm, he wants an organization... The international student organization, is it the education system? Then when Teacher Ke asked me if I needed support, isn't this exactly what I need?】 ===== CHAPTER 588 =====