Chapter 241 — Are You Sure You Want to Take Half?
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"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.