Chapter 687: Chapter 676: Mutual Exploitation (Part 1)

"Uncle Liu, can you help me make a few dishes for lunch?"

Liu Yunpeng’s arrival surprised Liu Shi, who was busy preparing lunch for the Liu Family: "Oh, it’s Yunpeng! What brought you to your Uncle Liu today? Tell me, what do you want to eat?"

Perhaps in the eyes of others, Liu Yunpeng was just a parasite living off his parents, but to Liu Shi, he was still a child. While Yunpeng might indeed have more materially than others, the spiritual care and love from his parents were rarely given.

"Here’s the thing, Uncle Liu. I need some dishes to go with alcohol; I want to dine alone in my room today!"

Liu Shi was initially surprised but quickly understood what he meant.

The rumors about Li Huiru had already spread like wildfire in the Factory. Liu Shi had asked Liu Fugui about it specifically and learned that Huiru had left the Factory without permission. So, it seemed Yunpeng was planning to drink away his sorrows.

To think that this kid Yunpeng would be so infatuated with a girl! Everyone’s been young and in love before, so Liu Shi could only smile empathetically and agree: "Alright, I’ll have someone make it and send it over to you!"

"Uh, no need, Uncle Liu. I’ll wait at the door, so please help me make them quickly. Thanks!"

Liu Shi, a master chef, crafted the dishes with great delicacy, and when it came to home-cooked meals, he was incredibly efficient. In no time, he had one pot of stew, two hot dishes, and two cold dishes neatly arranged on the plates.

"Braised Chicken, Green Onion Beef, Mixed Fish Hotpot, Crispy Century Egg, Cold Marinated Peanuts. How’s that? Are these enough?" Liu Shi certainly didn’t hold back, showing that he had watched Yunpeng grow up and was one of the few people who genuinely liked him.

"Whoa, Uncle Liu, you’re amazing! You made so many dishes in such a short time. However, I can’t eat that much. How about I skip the Mixed Fish Hotpot and pack the rest to go?"

"Yunpeng, let me tell you, your Uncle Liu’s Mixed Fish Hotpot will definitely suit your taste. Are you worried about carrying it to your room? Don’t worry; I’ll have someone send it up to your room later."

Yunpeng did find the hotpot too bulky to carry, but the reason had nothing to do with laziness. He needed to take these dishes to ingratiate himself with He Lei, and he wanted to keep it discreet to maintain the element of surprise.

After all, in this building, Huang Yong had many informants. If they noticed him going in and out of He Lei’s place, it might raise suspicions. That’s why he insisted on picking up the food himself.

"Don’t bother; I trust your cooking. It’s just that my stomach hasn’t been feeling great lately, and the Mixed Fish Hotpot is too spicy, so I’m worried it might upset me!" Yunpeng made up an excuse randomly, and as soon as Liu Shi heard that he was unwell, he asked with concern, "Oh, is it serious? Stomachaches are no small matter. Have you taken any medicine?"

Yunpeng was a bit speechless. He blurted it out without expecting Liu Shi to get so worried. Besides, he didn’t have time to waste as he needed to head to He Lei’s place quickly; otherwise, if He Lei had already eaten, all his preparations would be pointless: "It’s nothing, Uncle Liu. I might have caught a slight cold. It’s no big deal, no need for medicine."

"How can you not take medicine? That’s just reckless. I’m telling you..."

"Uh, Uncle Liu, I’ll take the medicine. I’ll just take these dishes now. You keep busy, and I won’t keep you from cooking. I’m leaving!" Yunpeng said this before disappearing faster than a rabbit, leaving Liu Shi standing with his hands on his hips, smiling helplessly: "Ah, that kid, still the same, hasn’t changed a bit!"

He Lei was quite frustrated during this period. Though he didn’t say it openly, the burly man wasn’t a fool. He knew that ever since his last return, he had been covertly confined.

Though just a suspicion, if it weren’t true, why did Liu Fugui repeatedly find excuses to refuse his requests to leave the Factory?

Now, all he did daily was sleep, and there was nothing else he could participate in. All the big and small matters in the Factory were monopolized by Huang Yong. Initially, a few underlings would report on the Factory’s status, but they’ve been missing these past few days, likely having been secretly warned.

He Lei puffed on his cigarette continuously, and the room was engulfed in smoke, making it look as if it were set ablaze, stinging one’s eyes.

Standing outside He Lei’s room with a basket, Yunpeng couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated by the guy inside. Maybe it was He Lei’s fierce looks or his explosive temper and thunderous voice, but those lacking composure or mental resilience truly feared him.

If not for being pressured by Huang Yong, Yunpeng would never come to seek out this mad bull.

"Knock knock knock!" Yunpeng gently tapped on the door!

"Who is it?" A booming voice roared from inside, and it was clear from the tone that He Lei was in a foul mood.

Nervously, Yunpeng replied, "It’s me, Brother Lei, Yunpeng!"

Yunpeng? What the heck was that brat doing here? He Lei’s thick eyebrows furrowed in displeasure as he turned towards the wooden door, showing no intention of getting up: "What do you want?"

Truly a fiery temper—Yunpeng hadn’t even started and He Lei seemed already upset. Today, Yunpeng got a taste of He Lei’s temperament: "Oh, Brother Lei, I brought some food and drinks; I wanted to chat with you."

He Lei was already irritated and had no interest in chatting with a kid, but on second thought, he decided against immediately turning him away. After all, Yunpeng was Liu Fugui’s son and might be of some use.

With this in mind, He Lei extinguished his cigarette and quickly walked over to open the door: "Yunpeng, what brought you to visit your Brother Lei today?"

He Lei’s sharp-edged face looked eerie and frightening at first glance, but thankfully, his current demeanor, with an agenda in mind, was friendlier, giving Yunpeng some peace of mind: "Ah, I’ve been feeling quite down with some issues lately and thought of you, Brother Lei, to see if I could find a solution!"

"Oh?" Letting Yunpeng inside, He Lei closed the door with a loud bang that echoed through the room.

"Cough cough cough!" Even with a decade of smoking experience, the thick smoke in the room left Yunpeng choking and he awkwardly asked, "Brother Lei, could you open a window? This really is..."

"Cough cough cough!"

He Lei, unfazed, opened the window without comment, curious to find out what could bring Yunpeng, accompanied by food and drink, to his door. (To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, feel free to visit Qidian [qidian.com] to vote for recommendations or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users can read on m.qidian.com.)