At the Center of the Market
Xie Tangning and the others looked at the distinctly Western-Asian-style streets, which made them feel as if they had stepped into the world of an Arabian folk-tale collection.
“What does everyone want for afternoon tea? It’s on me today!”
Xie Tangning was in such a good mood that she generously waved her hand and offered to treat everyone. Of course, “treating” them didn’t necessarily mean paying the bill. No problem there!
Liang Zhou eagerly raised his hand, declaring that he was generous too. “I can treat everyone as well! Order whatever you want!”
After all, he didn’t have to pay either. His good friends were right there.
If they didn’t fleece them now, when would they ever get the chance?
Liang Jiaqing thought her foolish great-nephew was acting strangely. Then she looked down at the hundred yuan bill still clutched in her hand.
“Did the strong wind blow your brain away today?”
“Our Ningning naturally has the means to treat everyone, but what exactly are you going to use to pay? Even if you tried to eat and dash, they wouldn’t want you washing dishes for them!”
Ms. Liang’s unequal treatment didn’t bother Monkey Bro in the slightest. This wasn’t the first time she had treated him that way.
He immediately began spouting nonsense. “Whatever. A real man’s knees are worth their weight in gold. I’ll just kneel before the owner and make one perfect payment!”
Everyone: “…”
Shen Lin found it hilarious and started giving him terrible ideas. “Jiajia, looks like Big Brother Liang can save another chunk of his allowance in the future.”
“After all, your great-nephew said a man’s knees contain gold. Once he runs out of pocket money, just have him kneel a few times. His allowance will materialize out of thin air.”
“A true miracle of humanity!”
Making things up wasn’t exactly difficult. Who couldn’t do that?
Liang Jiaqing’s eyes lit up. “That makes sense. I’ll suggest it to my big brother when we get back!”
Ms. Liang clearly considered tormenting her nephew one of her specialties.
Liang Zhou’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Whoa! Shen Lin, are you that desperate to marry into the family that you’re trying to make sure I don’t survive long enough to get in your way?”
“Are you trying to silence me? And without even getting your hands dirty?”
Shen Lin turned his face away, looking faintly guilty. “I was just following your train of thought.”
“I didn’t mean anything else! And if you think I did, that’s your own imagination.”
Liang Zhou: “Heh.”
Xie Tangning watched her poor deskmate get thoroughly bullied and secretly felt relieved that her own big brother wasn’t quite as inhumane.
Xie Changyu saw straight through her thoughts. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Compared to them, our big brother is practically a saint!”
“Don’t you agree, Xie Xiaoning?”
Xie Tangning nodded adorably. “Yes! At least Big Brother still gives me more allowance!”
“But Big Brother isn’t that nice either. He won’t let me buy the summer training camp!”
The school couldn’t be bought off, which was understandable. But surely the summer camp jointly run by the older members of their family couldn’t really be destroyed by a united effort from a few juniors like them, could it?
Xie Tangning was indignant about it. A bunch of old fossils—they had absolutely no sense of innovation!
“Ow! Xie Changyu, what are you doing?!”
The girl had been tapped on the head. She glared at Xie Changyu in annoyance.
Xie Changyu looked completely innocent. “I’m reminding you to watch the camera. You know Big Brother likes to slack off at work!”
“If he happens to be slacking off while watching the livestream and hears you badmouthing him, you’re going to be in for it!”
Xie Tangning thought that made perfect sense. “I’ll report him when we get back. How can he, as the boss, slack off every day?”
“He’s setting a terrible example. He must not be busy enough if he has so much free time to watch the livestream.”
The girl’s two complaints instantly awakened Xie Changyu’s own urge to gripe about their big brother. He joined in, prattling away without a care in the world.
“When we get back, let’s persuade Mom to go to the company once a week and see whether Big Brother still has time to slack off!”
“Exactly! We can also go to the company and help him make a complete mess of things. We’ll guarantee he turns into a textbook domineering CEO from a romance novel!”
The siblings got more and more carried away, and the smiles on their faces grew increasingly devious.
They were so fired up that the little devils behind them were practically becoming tangible.
Wu Weixiang watched this great drama of “siblings turning against one another.” He took a handful of raisins from his pocket and generously passed some around to the others.
Then he simply sat there, quietly listening to the siblings spread rumors about Lu Huaiyu.
Whenever they reached a particularly entertaining part, he nearly applauded.
Meanwhile, far away at the company, Lu Huaiyu was preparing to grab some coffee to keep himself alive. During the brief two-minute lull, he happened to glance at the livestream.
His vision went black.
He no longer needed coffee to keep himself going. He was already wide awake and bouncing with energy.
Because he was furious!
“Xie Tangning! Xie Changyu! You two little bastards are dead when you get back!”
While cursing under his breath, Lu Huaiyu quickly started typing on his tablet.
[Little Lu, Cats and Dogs (Abandoning Them): Xie Tangning! Xie Changyu! If you two dare spread rumors about me again, I’ll knock your heads off!]
[Both of you are getting double summer homework, and your workload is being doubled!]
He had posted the comment only a second earlier when, the very next second, those two idiots seemed to be telepathically connected to him. They somehow predicted his response and immediately started making fun of it.
Xie Changyu had no idea that his big brother had already issued a “death warrant” for both of them in the comment section.
He was still gloating. “If Big Brother heard those righteous accusations we just made, what do you think he’d do?”
Xie Tangning pulled an exaggerated underbite and chimed in, “Xie Tangning~ Homework warning~ Allowance warning~”
Xie Changyu brightened and began bobbing his head as he made his own supernatural prediction. “Xie Changyu~ Your vacation is over~ Workload doubled~”
After saying this, the siblings high-fived, thoroughly satisfied with their perfect understanding of each other.
In front of his screen, Lu Huaiyu: “…”
He was speechless, but the viewers were having the time of their lives. They were all wearing expressions like cats desperately trying not to laugh.
Not a single one of them could hold it in.
[Even the program Director Zhang carefully designed and rehearsed wasn’t as entertaining as the things these three siblings come up with on the spot.]
[Wait, wait—did Brother Golden Toad change his username? Are you really abandoning them? Answer me!]
[I’ll bet one packet of spicy strips that Brother Golden Toad’s new suffix won’t last a whole day!]
[A day? Three minutes, tops! I’m betting two packets!]
Having just been stabbed in the heart by his own younger siblings, Lu Huaiyu was stabbed again by the viewers.
He nearly choked.
Why on earth had he felt the need to post that comment?
Those two lunatics couldn’t even see it!
It was all their fault for spreading rumors about him every day and making him lose face. They had driven him so crazy that he’d lost his mind!
The little secretary came in carrying his coffee and saw the tablet on his desk, along with the way he was gnashing his teeth.
She knew without even thinking that her boss had once again done something foolish and gone to watch those two little bosses’ show.
After all, every time he watched it, he got angry. The key point was that he never seemed to get tired of it!
The secretary had long since become immune to scenes like this. Who wouldn’t go crazy with two little beagles at home?
Although her mind was full of private thoughts, not a trace of them appeared on her face. She set down the coffee and left.
At times like this, the boss was especially prone to losing his temper.
For example, he was particularly likely to issue a warning about cutting bonuses!
Lu Huaiyu had refused to learn his lesson, watched a few minutes of the show, and ended up swallowing a whole stomachful of anger. He picked up the coffee and took a large gulp, then immediately frowned.
“What is this bitter, awful stuff? It tastes terrible!”
Then he poured the coffee into a potted plant, turned around, and grabbed a strawberry ice pop from the little fridge nearby to cool himself down.
Coffee: So high and mighty! You’re really something! You get upset with your little sister and brother, and I’m the one you take it out on!
When Chairman Lu returned to his desk, the smile had returned to his lips as he looked at the two little brats on the screen.
