E-Scum Gong Chapter 21 (Part 1)
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 21 (1/2)
Lin Xu, following the memories of the original Lin Xu, finally traced the whereabouts of the watch from his browsing history. He kept this matter in mind and kept an eye on it.
After receiving the watch, the original Lin Xu put it up for resale. To get the money quickly, he directly listed it on a second-hand trading platform at an 80% discount.
Although it was a significant sum, he was fortunate enough to find a buyer who wasn't short on money, and the transaction was completed swiftly.
After waiting for a long time, Lin Xu finally received a reply from the buyer on Sunday morning.
"You want to buy it back?" the buyer asked.
Since they were both in the same city, Lin Xu vaguely remembered that the buyer was a young man who had recently started working.
"Yes, the watch now has a different meaning for me."
"What price are you willing to pay to buy it back?" the other party asked with interest, hearing a hint of something unusual in Lin Xu's answer. It seemed like there was a story.
"Can I buy it at the original price, or even at the price I sold it for? However, I don’t have that much money at the moment, so please hold onto it for me. I’ll come back to buy it in a couple of months."
The buyer remembered that Lin Xu was a high school student and figured he wasn’t lying about not having the money.
"But my company is transferring me abroad, and I have a flight at ten this morning. I’m almost at the airport now. If you can come over quickly, I can give it to you now and just take an IOU."
The older brother who bought the watch without hesitation was indeed a very generous person, otherwise he wouldn't have believed Lin Xu so readily.
Lin Xu quickly glanced at the clock — it was already 8:30. His home was a few kilometers from the airport, but he could still make it!
"Okay, I'll come over right away. Thank you!" Lin Xu quickly set down his phone, changed into some casual clothes, scribbled an IOU, and rushed out of the house.
Lin Xu’s grandparents, who knew about his mock exam results, had just returned from the market and were preparing a special meal to celebrate their grandson’s success. They were beaming with pride.
"Oh? Where are you going, Xiao Xu?" Grandma Lin asked with a puzzled expression as she bumped into him.
But there was no time to explain. As Lin Xu ran, he waved his hand and said, "Grandma, I have something to take care of."
"Why are you running so fast, child? Watch where you're going!"
Until he got into the taxi, Lin Xu was still panting, his heart pounding. He was glad he had made it in time, otherwise it would have been much more complicated to get the watch back later.
"Driver, I need to go to the airport," Lin Xu said, wiping the sweat off his forehead with a tissue.
"Alright."
Knowing that the buyer needed to board his flight in half an hour, Lin Xu couldn’t help but feel anxious. Despite the air conditioning in the car, his palms were sweating as he waited through the third red light.
Lin Xu, overcoming his aversion to small talk, anxiously asked, "Driver, why is it so slow? I’m running out of time."
The driver replied leisurely, "Don’t worry, this road is always a bit congested. Especially today, being a Sunday, there are many people out and about."
Lin Xu glanced at the time again but couldn’t afford to wait any longer.
"Then I’ll get out here." He got out halfway, hurriedly paid the fare, looked around and finally spotted the shared bike parking station.
Without much thought, time slipped away. Lin Xu felt a heavy weight on his heart as he pedaled furiously. Everything around him seemed to blur.
He rushed through the crowd, his hair blowing back from his forehead. His usually fair face was flushed, and his breath came in quick, short bursts. His ears were red, and his eyes held a certain sparkle.
All he could think about was that he had to get the watch. Just this one, not even an identical one, because it was more than just the weight of money.
He hadn't given much thought to the future, nor did he know when this relationship would end. He couldn't even define their relationship as friends or something else. But now, Lin Xu unconsciously started to value the other person's feelings.
It was a kind of impulse beyond mere courtesy.
Finally, upon seeing the airport building in the distance, Lin Xu’s eyes softened with a smile. He quickly parked the bike and sent a message to the buyer.
"Hello, I’m already at the entrance." Lin Xu quickly described his attire to avoid any confusion.
While waiting, Lin Xu continued to wipe the sweat from his brow. He looked around anxiously, his heart still racing.
The boy’s flustered appearance drew attention, and even a flight attendant approached him to ask, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
Lin Xu pressed his lips together and shook his head. "I’m just waiting for someone."
At last, a young man approached him and asked, "Are you Lin Xu?"
Lin Xu’s eyes brightened. He quickly turned around and replied, "Yes, that’s me."
The young man looked at his sweaty, slender neck in surprise. He wondered if Lin Xu was really in such a rush.
"I’m curious why you want to buy it back," he asked, still willing to sell it at the listed price.
Lin Xu, eager to get the watch, lowered his gaze and said, "Originally… it was a gift from my boyfriend. I regret selling it."
Oh, so there was a poignant love story behind it. The young man was willing to accommodate Lin Xu’s request.
"Well, then, it's back to its original owner. Let’s add each other on WeChat. When you’ve saved up the money, you can transfer it to me."
Lin Xu finally showed a faint smile, nodded sincerely, and then slowly took the watch that he had never personally touched before.
Objectively speaking, the watch didn’t seem particularly special, yet it held a unique significance.
"Thank you so much," Lin Xu said again.
The young man smiled and went through security, while Lin Xu slowly walked out of the airport, feeling much more at ease. He slipped the watch into his pocket, his thoughts drifting. Would things return to their rightful place in the future? Would Zhizhi discover how much he had kept hidden? But if they never met again, a peaceful breakup wouldn’t be too bad. After all, it was just a game.
Lin Xu wasn’t sure what the future held.
No longer in a rush, he decided to take the subway home. He had spent quite a bit on the taxi, which was regrettable, especially since he needed to stretch his money until next month.
On the way, his grandparents called, urging him to come home for dinner. They mentioned that since he had done so well in his exam, he could choose a gift — shoes or clothes, but if he wanted a new computer, he would have to wait until after the college entrance exams.
They saw some glimmers of hope. Lin Xu had truly grown up and matured. It seemed that experiencing setbacks was part of growing up.
Actually, Lin Xu hadn’t told his family about his mock exam results. To him, it wasn’t worth mentioning, and he had a bit of a fear of bragging. No matter how well he did, he didn’t enjoy sharing his achievements, as it made him feel awkward deep down.
It was the homeroom teacher, Mr. Wang, who had informed his parents.
Shortly after, his older brother also called him.
As far as Lin Xu knew, his older brother, Lin Shen, was seven or eight years older than him and had been working with their father in the capital selling real estate properties. He only came home for the Chinese New Year.
His older brother had also excelled in his studies, which made Lin Xu feel deeply guilty, believing he had delayed his older brother's life. The entire family worked tirelessly, perhaps to fund his overseas studies. After graduation, his older brother went into real estate sales, a demanding job despite the lucrative commissions.
"Xiao Xu, I heard you did very well on your exam," Lin Shen said in his gentle, always smiling manner.
He was very relieved to hear from his family that his younger brother was no longer causing trouble, had curbed his bad habits, and had even started studying hard.
"It’s okay," Lin Xu said as he squeezed into the crowded subway, his lips pressed together with a hint of embarrassment. In front of his older brother, his mock exam results seemed insignificant, but they still encouraged him. His whole family was too indulgent of him.
"What gift do you want? Ge can get it for you," Lin Shen offered. He was very fond of his younger brother, though their family’s educational approach was somewhat unique. He had only left Jiang City after his college entrance exams.
Seeing his younger brother go through the process again filled his heart with tenderness. Actually, because his parents were around and Lin Xu liked to play around, he was rarely short of anything. But compared to his family's conditions, his younger brother was now like a suffering child.
"No, it’s fine, ge. But I’d like to know more about your work at the company. Could you tell me about it?" Lin Xu was surrounded by people on the subway and struggled to keep his balance. Thinking about his persona, he sighed and asked for help.
His older brother, being in sales, likely knew some specifics about operations. Lin Xu hoped a casual conversation would help him avoid any blunders.
Lin Shen stopped dead in his tracks in the hallway, his brow creased. He was dressed impeccably in a sharp black suit. His assistant waited for him to finish the call before discussing the work arrangements.
"General Manager Lin?" the assistant asked quietly, puzzled.
Lin Shen made a shushing gesture, then smilingly explained to his younger brother, "Alright, I’ll chat with you on WeChat when I have some free time. Are you interested in this?"
"Mm," was the only response.
"You’ll understand more after the college entrance exam," he said before hanging up and sending Lin Xu a big red envelope.
"Xiao Wu, have the sales manager prepare a work report for me. I need to review it," Lin Shen instructed, clearing his throat. After all, this was a field beyond his expertise, but he couldn’t afford to make a mistake in front of his younger brother.
"596 points, this kid did pretty well~" Lin Shen glanced at his younger brother’s report card. To see such dramatic improvement in such a short time was truly impressive. As an older brother, he couldn't help but feel a swell of pride.
It didn't occur to him that he had never been out of the top ten back in his student days.
"By the way, how is the setup for the cocktail party going?" Lin Shen asked.
He was currently at a high-end resort hotel developed by the Lin family. Today, it would be used to hold a cocktail party, where prominent figures from various fields would be attending.
"It will be ready soon," Xiao Wu replied.
Lin Shen nodded, preparing to take a break, when he noticed a group of young people chatting by the pool nearby.
"Who are they? Why are they here today?" Lin Shen frowned. The venue should have been cleared and closed for guests today.
The assistant was also taken aback and explained, "A few days ago, a celebrity rented the adjacent villa for an MV shoot. They were supposed to stay there and should have left by now. These people seem to be backup dancers from the same company. I’m not sure why they’re still here. I’ll check."
"Hmm, get them out as soon as possible." Lin Shen was a cold and ruthless smiling tiger in front of outsiders. He quickly and ruthlessly concluded that these people were likely just trying to mooch off the event.
The MA boy group's debut was far from certain, so in order to increase their exposure, they had to take on some small gigs, such as being backup dancers for seniors.
"Hey, did you know? The person who was on the phone just now is the general manager of Lin Real Estate. He seems to be the only son," murmured some of the other team members.
Yan Yang lay on a lounge chair, basking in the sunlight and relieving his fatigue. If it weren’t for being a backup dancer for a senior, they certainly wouldn't be able to stay in such a grand hotel.
"Is this a hotel under Lin Real Estate?" Yan Yang suddenly asked. Of course, they were familiar with Lin Real Estate, a leading real estate company in the capital.
He looked around the pool area, feeling a strange sense of familiarity, as if he had seen this scene before, which left him puzzled.
"Yeah. The villa where we shoot the MV costs five figures per night," one of the team members explained. It was quite extravagant that their senior rented the entire villa for the shoot. Just thinking about it made them envious, wondering when they would have such opportunities.
After the shoot, their senior had a dedicated van to take him back to the company, while they had to arrange their own transportation.
"Why didn’t they rent this building? It seems more luxurious and tasteful," one of the members questioned.
"Are you stupid? The price here is several times higher."
Yan Yang’s gaze landed on a statue in the distance. Something clicked in his mind, and he took out his phone to search for the picture. He quickly found it.
The background in the photo was unmistakably the same as where they were staying, but the person had claimed it was his family’s villa.
Yan Yang suddenly smiled. He hadn’t expected such a discovery on this trip. Initially, he had been meticulously plotting, but he suddenly found out that the online boyfriend of Second Young Master Gu was a complete fraud. If he hadn’t come here today, he might not have discovered it, showing how skillful the fraudster was.
Lazily, he took out his phone and took several photos of this place, including some selfies where his face wasn't shown, to prove that he had indeed been there. He already had a plan in mind.
The next moment, a well-dressed man walked over to them.
"Sorry to interrupt. The hotel is hosting a cocktail party tonight, so the venue will be cleared all day. If you don’t have an invitation, please leave the hotel before noon," Xiao Wu said to the group of colorfully dressed young men, his tone respectful.
"Oh, okay. We’ll leave right away." Yan Yang, as the team leader, quickly stood up and nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed. Naturally, he knew that the general manager must have seen them as idle people and had instructed his assistant to drive them away.
The general manager of Lin Real Estate looked completely different from the scammer in the group, which proved that the person was lying.
The group had just been passing through and wanted to rest a bit. No wonder they had found the place so deserted. There was another event happening. They hurriedly left, chattering and bustling as they went.
Yan Yang couldn’t hide his delight and was already planning to choose the right moment to let the situation unfold.