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Chapter 183: Chapter 154: See you again, Feng Sen_2
Dou Jiao, seeing herself victorious, didn’t play along anymore and immediately said cheerfully, "I’ll stop teasing you, say it. What do you need?"
"Ah, why doesn’t anyone believe me when I’m telling the truth? I just wanted to see everyone after the New Year. School’s going to start in a couple of days and I won’t have much time then. Just thought I’d check if there’s anything I can help with." Tang Qing said, spreading his hands.
"Really?" Dou Jiao pouted, looking incredulous, but inside, she believed him. However, she just loved teasing Tang Qing.
"Of course, it’s true. Why would I need to see you in person if I needed anything? I could just call you." Tang Qing said rolling his eyes.
Just when Dou Jiao wanted to pay Tang Qing a few compliments.
*Click*...
The door to Dou Jiao’s office was pushed open.
At that moment, a young man barged in without knocking, because there were boxes blocking the doorway, he didn’t lift his head and kicked some of the discarded foam boxes aside. He couldn’t keep his mouth shut, and said to himself:
"Cousin, my mom asked me to bring you some crispy meat she made. It was such a hassle. Why is your office so messy? It’s messier than my room. You’re a manager, if you’re lazy just get someone else to do the tidying. Really now, you insist on coming to work, and you refuse to choose any of the good positions available in the government sector, opting for this crappy company. What future does this company have? It’s an investigation agency and doesn’t even do business externally, it’s bound to close down sooner or later. Then, you’ll just be unemployed... Also, next time just don’t...you...you... you..."
This guy was ceaseless, going on and on, until he saw another person present in the office—Tang Qing, he was suddenly tongue-tied.
"Tang Qing?" The newcomer racked his brain to cautiously verify.
"Hehe, it’s been a while, Feng Sen. You still look as great as ever." Tang Qing remembered everyone he met - and instantly he recognized Feng Sen, the boy who had that minor conflict with him at Liu Qian’s hotel. Life really is full of unexpected reunions. As for Feng Sen, he didn’t have hard feelings. The previous conflict was just a small hiccup. Su Ziwang, the one who started the trouble, was kicked out of the scene, and he even treated them to a grand feast afterwards. It was fair to say that they were on good terms.
Feng Sen was also about to make polite conversation, but Dou Jiao interrupted, "What do you mean Tang Qing? Little Sen, you know him?"
She knew her question was nonsense because it was apparent they knew each other from the way they addressed each other. But what she really wanted to know was where and how they became acquainted.
She knew her cousin often hung out with his good-for-nothing friends in all sorts of places. No matter how much she tried to teach him, he never listened. Whenever he was caught, a stern lecture was inevitable. Especially when his military-born father lost his temper, he would invariably be spanked. The most worrying part for her was whether Tang Qing and her cousin met in one of those places. Just the thought of Tang Qing hanging out there... Dou Jiao didn’t dare to think further.
After she finished speaking, she stared solemnly at her cousin.
Seeing his cousin ask a question with a stony face, Feng Sen instinctively mumbled: "Yes, we’ve met before."
Thoughts raced through his mind, if Dou Jiao discovered that he and Tang Qing met in a five-star hotel, even though they did nothing wrong, he knew she would lecture him once more, she might even complain to his mother. Heaven knows why she loves complaining so much. Then his mother would certainly nag at him relentlessly. Though he wanted to resist, he couldn’t. His cousin had a higher status than him, and had bullied him since childhood. So, he really was scared of her.
Dou Jiao’s eyebrows furrowed upon hearing his response, pressing him on, "A simple meeting? Where did you meet?"
"We met in a restaurant. At the time, someone took my reserved seat. Feng Sen stepped in and solved my predicament." Before a flustered Feng Sen could say anything, Tang Qing jumped in. He noticed that Feng Sen was hesitant to mention they had met at the hotel. It was obvious his family must be strict; otherwise a youngster of Feng Sen’s background wouldn’t think twice about going to a five-star hotel for a meal. n𝚘𝚟pub.𝚌o𝚖
As for why Tang Qing made up a lie to help him, it was because he didn’t feel like sucking up to Feng Sen - just saw it as establishing a ’good deed,’ so to speak. Otherwise, he could guess how the conversation between Feng Sen and Dou Jiao would go. The scenario would be troublesome, very troublesome. And Tang Qing didn’t like trouble, so he decided to quench a possible wildfire at the spark stage. Wouldn’t it be nice for everyone to be at peace?
"Really?" Dou Jiao asked Feng Sen skeptically.
Upon hearing this, Feng Sen quickly asserted: "Of course! The person was so arrogant then, took Tang Qing’s reserved seat. I couldn’t stand it, so I intervened and gave him a piece of my mind. We didn’t fight, just had a verbal dispute. Eventually, he left out of embarrassment."
With Tang Qing covering for him, he was no longer afraid, and started telling his tall tales, as that was what he was best at.
Seeing Feng Sen admit, although confused, Dou Jiao didn’t ask anymore questions. Although she didn’t exactly trust Feng Sen, she believed that Tang Qing was not the kind to be a debaucherous playboy.
"Fine then, I’ll believe you this time. I’ll try the crispy meat made by Second Aunt. It’s been a while since I’ve had it." A whiff of the crispy meat stirred Dou Jiao’s appetite, and she hurriedly grabbed a piece with the chopsticks she got from the drawer. After quickly savoring the piece, her eyes almost popped out of her head.
"So delicious... Hmmm... I want to eat two pieces at once." Dou Jiao jammed another piece in her mouth before she even finished the first one.
Tang Qing shook his head. The poor pig... to be transformed into such... delicious food by humans.
The smell was indeed heavenly!
In essence, crispy meat was just fried pork. The preparation was simple, much like making fried chicken. A layer of batter was applied on the pork which was then fried in a pan. Of course, every restaurant had its own recipe for the batter, tailored to taste and preference. Overwhelmed by the smell, Tang Qing too couldn’t resist, and quickly took a piece from the dish and put it in his mouth.
Oh my... it’s extremely delicious, and still warm.
He wasn’t sure about the exact contents of the batter. He could taste the egg and cumin, but the rest was a unique flavor. He figured it must be a secret recipe.
Feeling unsatisfied, Tang Qing grabbed another piece and stuffed it into his mouth.
Indeed, eating two pieces at once felt the most satisfying.
Feng Sen, who was accustomed to this delicacy, didn’t fight for it. After Tang Qing finished a few more pieces, he was promptly "kicked out of the game" by Dou Jiao, who didn’t care if he was her boss when it came to good food.
Seeing Dou Jiao enjoying her crispy meat, Feng Sen leaned over and whispered in Tang Qing’s ear, "Brother Tang, thank you for showing me the ropes. If there’s anything that requires my service in the future, just say the word."
"No problem, it was a small gesture." Tang Qing waved his hand and smiled.
Tang Qing gave Feng Sen a thumbs-up for his quick change in tone. Indeed, as a second-generation elite, he had the knack for adjusting his sails according to the wind, and climbing ladders. He figured that even without his dad’s influence, Feng Sen would do well in the future.
"By the way, Brother Tang, why are you here?" Feng Sen asked. Although he came to know from Liu Kai that Tang Qing had opened a clothing company, it never occurred to him earlier. He always evaluated a person based on his background. He wasn’t sure about Tang Qing’s background, but it was obvious that it must be strong. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have such influence over Liu Qian, and he definitely had money.
The most important thing was that anyone who could catch his cousin’s eye must not be a simple character. He even started making up fantastical stories about Tang Qing’s powerful background, which was why he immediately started calling him brother. Recognition was a sign of respect, but addressing someone as brother had implications of association.
Before Tang Qing could respond, Dou Jiao, who was still eating, was the first to answer: "Of course he can be here. He’s the ruthless owner of this place."
"..." Tang Qing was left speechless, wondering when he had earned such a nickname.
"Brother Tang, this company is yours?" Feng Sen asked in surprise, not because of Tang Qing’s wealth, but because Tang Qing had managed to recruit his cousin. And that was no ordinary feat. He knew how egoistic his cousin was, who would not easily submit to anyone’s command, despite her eccentricities.
"Hehe, yes, I just started this for fun. Don’t worry, it won’t go bankrupt anytime soon." Tang Qing replied with a smile.
"Hehe, well... I spoke without thinking earlier, don’t take it personally. How could Brother Tang’s company go bankrupt? But Brother Tang, forgive me for being blunt, this company looks set to suffer huge losses." Feng Sen tried to make up for his earlier tactless comment.
