Chapter 241 — Are You Sure You Want to Take Half?

"What, you've come around?" Wei Zhao was a little surprised — he hadn't expected Kang Xiaozhuobo to make up his mind so quickly.

"Not exactly..." Kang Xiaozhuobo shook his head, somewhat embarrassed. "A thing like this needs careful thought. I want to spend some time with Xiaofen first, see how things go... What I wanted to tell you is, I want to earn money to treat Xiaofen's illness!"

"Earn money to treat Xiaofen?" Wei Zhao blinked, staring at Kang Xiaozhuobo in disbelief. He hadn't even settled his true feelings for Xiaofen yet, and already he wanted to pay for her treatment? This kid was that noble-minded?

Wei Zhao's childhood environment and the way his two masters had trained him had forged in him a rather cold disposition — what was none of his concern he left well alone. If a matter didn't involve himself or his friends, Wei Zhao simply couldn't be bothered.

"Yeah..." Kang Xiaozhuobo nodded. "Boss, do you know where I could find a part-time job?"

"The college entrance exam is practically upon you, and you want to get a job?" Wei Zhao didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this.

"The exam... honestly, it's no big deal. With money, you can just pay your way in — plenty of universities have affiliated colleges." Kang Xiaozhuobo sighed. "Boss, with my grades, there's no chance of getting into a decent university. And if I end up at some third-rate school, I'll still have trouble finding a job after graduation."

Wei Zhao nodded. Kang Xiaozhuobo's reasoning seemed to have some sense to it — though not entirely.

"But that pitiful wage from a part-time job — never mind an affiliated college, it won't even cover Xiaofen's treatment." Wei Zhao wasn't trying to crush him; that was simply the state of the job market. Two or three thousand a month counted as a good salary these days.

Wei Zhao's words left Kang Xiaozhuobo a little deflated. He had to admit Wei Zhao was right — the money from a part-time job was a drop in the bucket. "My grandfather is just so old-fashioned. If he'd opened a pharmaceutical factory too, I wouldn't be in this mess. My second grandfather's family patented the prescription, and now we can't even sell it!"

"Heh..." Wei Zhao said nothing, but a plan was already taking shape in his mind.

At the noon break, Wei Zhao and Kang Xiaozhuobo were eating in the school cafeteria when Wei Zhao's phone rang again — Sun Jingyan.

"Wei Zhao, have you thought it over? Will you help me?" Sun Jingyan's voice carried a note of urgency. If it weren't truly pressing, she wouldn't be pushing this hard.

"Miss Sun, I think it's you who hasn't thought it over, isn't it? My terms — do you agree?" Wei Zhao countered.

"Your terms..." Sun Jingyan suddenly recalled that the terms Wei Zhao had stated that morning were half of what the other party was offering. At the time she'd assumed he was joking and hadn't taken it seriously. Now, hearing him repeat it, she asked, rather strangely, "Are you... sure?"

"Sure. No tricks, no cheating," Wei Zhao said. "That's the rule when a great outlaw comes down from the mountain — my family's ancestral teaching. If you can't accept it, then there's nothing to discuss. I've still got a meal to finish!"

"Wait, Wei Zhao — where are you? Let me treat you to lunch, and we can discuss it properly!" Sun Jingyan said hastily, afraid he would hang up on her again.

"Oh — then wait for me at the snack street behind Songjiang First High School. I'm there now." Wei Zhao was hardly one to turn away money that came knocking.

"All right, I'll head over now. See you in ten minutes." With that, Sun Jingyan hung up briskly.

"Boss, something up?" Kang Xiaozhuobo had overheard the call too, though he hadn't quite followed what Wei Zhao was saying.

"Yeah. You go ahead and eat — I've got something to take care of." Wei Zhao rose and walked out of the cafeteria.

Ten minutes later, Wei Zhao spotted Sun Jingyan at the snack street. She was driving a red Audi A4L, and Wei Zhao was mildly taken aback — he hadn't expected Sun Jingyan to have a car of her own. That day she'd seemed to take a taxi to the bar.

Then again, on second thought, it made sense. Who drives to a bar? How would you get the car home once you're drunk?

Wei Zhao wasn't wearing his school uniform today — Tang Zhi had it. So when Sun Jingyan saw him here, she simply assumed he was grabbing a bite nearby; it would never have occurred to her that he was a student at First High School.

"Get in!" Sun Jingyan waved him over. Wei Zhao opened the passenger door and climbed in.

Wei Zhao sized up Sun Jingyan. Compared with the elegance she had shown that day at the bar, today she looked brisk and poised, dressed in a white-collar business suit that lent her a good deal more dignity.

"Where shall we eat?" Sun Jingyan had noticed Wei Zhao's gaze too, but she did not mind; if anything, she looked rather pleased with herself. "Little Junjie, have you taken a fancy to me? Then why not do me a favor?"

"You are barely twenty," Wei Zhao said flatly. "You think pinning your hair up lets you pass yourself off as an older sister?"

"..." Sun Jingyan nearly exploded with rage at his words, and in her distraction almost caused a car crash. "You... how did you tell?"

"You deliberately dressed yourself up to look mature, for the convenience of doing business, I expect..." Wei Zhao did not answer directly. He was well versed in traditional Chinese medicine, and from fine details such as a person's face and neck he could judge their approximate age, but there was no way to explain all that to Sun Jingyan.

"Fine, Little Junjie, but you have to admit I am still older than you!" Sun Jingyan refused to get tangled up in the earlier topic. Talking with this man, she always came off the worse; she had to adjust her state of mind.

"Two years older than me — that hardly counts. They say a woman three years a man's senior is a treasure worth bricks of gold, and you are not even three years older." Wei Zhao shook his head. "Your age is rather awkward, neither older nor younger — just exactly the range I have no interest in..."

Sun Jingyan's eyes went wide. Was there any limit to how infuriating this creature could be? Not three years older but two, and suddenly she was of no interest?

"Tell me, what will it take for you to help me?" Sun Jingyan ground her silver teeth. If she had not truly needed something from Wei Zhao, she would have dearly loved to kick him out of the car.

"Help you? Very simple. I have already named my terms; it is just a question of whether you agree." Wei Zhao settled himself into a comfortable position. Few men, presumably, ever rode in Sun Jingyan's car; the legroom in the front was not generous.

"Do you even know what terms their chairman has proposed?" Sun Jingyan was caught between laughter and tears.

"What terms? They must be far harder for you to stomach than your so-called high price for engaging me. If I do not know his price, how am I to know whether what you offer counts as high?" Wei Zhao countered.

"Then you are certain you will take half of their terms as your fee?" A clever scheme suddenly occurred to Sun Jingyan, and she blinked her cunning little fox's eyes.

"Certain. That is the rule my martial uncle laid down." Wei Zhao nodded and spoke with perfect solemnity.

"Is your martial uncle a highwayman too?" Sun Jingyan was rather curious. "And your master?"

"My martial uncle is the greatest thief in the world. My master steals nothing," Wei Zhao said flatly.