Chapter 73: I’ve Really Never Played This
Wang Heng received another text message from Pei Ningle.
【Brother Tao from the bar told me there’s a marketing plan we can help with. It sounds pretty good from what he said. Want to discuss it together?】
The somewhat interesting crosstalk had ended, and now the program was a song and dance performance, with classic tunes but mediocre performance, so the classmates basically had no interest. If he could slip away, Wang Heng was certainly willing. But with everyone else sitting there, it seemed a bit inappropriate for him to run off alone…
But at that moment, Feng Jia Miaomiao stood up.
Sun Xing Si hurriedly asked, “What are you doing?”
Feng Jia Miaomiao had a completely matter-of-fact expression: “Going to the toilet.”
Sun Xing Si looked around: “The performance hasn’t ended yet!”
Feng Jia Miaomiao widened her eyes: “Should I hold it for another two hours? Don’t joke, even in the middle of class you can go to the toilet, surely this party allows it?”
Sun Xing Si: “But there’s no…”
“Why do you care about the surroundings? Does the Student Union have a regulation against going to the toilet!”
Although she was the vice class monitor, Feng Jia Miaomiao still left the class monitor speechless.
Wang Heng raised his hand gratefully: “Count me in, I’m going to the toilet too.”
Feng Jia Miaomiao nodded and said generously: “Okay, let’s go together.”
Helplessness was written all over Sun Xing Si’s face: “Then hurry up and go, don’t stand here attracting others’ attention…”
Wang Heng and Feng Jia Miaomiao left just like that. Then Sun Xing Si noticed that people from several nearby classes also got up and left one after another.
“University is a bit freer than high school…” Sun Xing Si murmured thoughtfully.
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Standing at the toilet doorway, between the men’s and women’s toilets, Feng Jia Miaomiao suddenly threw out this question:
“Are you a big one or a small one?”
Wang Heng was slightly astonished: “So direct?”
Feng Jia Miaomiao: “Of course. If you’re a big one, I won’t wait for you and will head back alone. If you’re a small one, we can go back together.”
Going to the toilet was just an excuse anyway, how could they possibly go back together?
So Wang Heng said without hesitation: “No need to wait for me, big one.”
Feng Jia Miaomiao nodded, then thought of another question: “Did you bring paper?”
Wang Heng: “Rest assured, bro, I brought some.”
Watching this ‘bro’ walk into the women’s toilet, Wang Heng turned and ran.
He deliberately took a detour, going from the other side of the teaching building, and only then exited the school gate. This way, he could ensure no one saw him. Although the possibility of being discovered as Pei Ningle’s ‘older brother’ was very small, Wang Heng felt it was still necessary to be a bit cautious to avoid trouble.
After exiting the school gate and walking a short distance, he arrived at Yan Zitao’s bar.
“Hey, bro, you’re finally here. Come over and sit down, let’s have a celebratory drink, my treat!”
Yan Zitao greeted him enthusiastically and had Wang Heng sit at a seat. Next to him was Pei Ningle holding a cola.
Wang Heng sat down, stared at the cola in the young girl’s hand for a couple of seconds, and asked: “Celebratory drink?”
Yan Zitao waved his hand: “Your younger sister doesn’t like drinking alcohol, so she wanted cola. Tell me, what do you want to drink?”
Wang Heng: “Never mind, I don’t like drinking alcohol either. Get me a Sprite.”
Yan Zitao personally went behind the counter, poured half a glass of Sprite into a whiskey glass, and added a large square transparent ice cube. The clinking sound of the ice cube against the glass was very stylish.
Taking the Sprite, Wang Heng asked: “Brother Tao, what’s your plan?”
Yan Zitao smiled and said in a low voice: “I want to print your younger sister’s photo on flyers, pick the most beautiful angle and take a shot. Then, make up a story.”
Wang Heng: “What story?”
Yan Zitao: “Say that Xiao Le’s older brother went to university and had a falling out with the family, cutting off contact. Xiao Le was very sad and came to school to find her older brother, but without contact info, she couldn’t find him. So she took the stage at the welcome party, hoping to attract attention and have her older brother come find her on his own.”
Had a falling out with the family? Cut off contact?
Wang Heng looked astonished at the young girl beside him, his eyes clearly questioning— isn’t this your script?
Pei Ningle’s expression at this moment was somewhat hesitant: “I think this story is good too, but… isn’t it bad to deceive people like this?”
Yan Zitao hurriedly clarified: “How can it be called deceiving people? This is a commercial story! Pretending to be disabled or posing as a charity to get donations—that’s deceiving. But my bar is just normally operating, people coming to the bar is normal consumption, so who’s deceiving whom? And you don’t even need to act, just sing a few songs every evening, leave the rest to me!”
Wang Heng thought for a moment and asked: “As long as Pei Ningle keeps resident singing here, you use her for promotion to boost your shop’s popularity, that’s your benefit, right?”
Yan Zitao: “To be honest, yes.”
Wang Heng: “Since we’re doing this act, I as the ‘older brother’ definitely need to stay hidden so everyone keeps not finding me.”
Yan Zitao snapped his fingers: “Intelligent! What do you think? Is it okay?”
Not letting others know about his relationship with Pei Ningle was Wang Heng’s idea anyway. Now with a commercial approach that killed two birds with one stone, it couldn’t be better. But since it was business talk, he couldn’t agree too easily.
So he furrowed his brows, putting on a troubled and hesitant expression: “This one…”
Yan Zitao immediately revealed his chip, tempting: “How about this: any students from your school who bring a flyer can get 10% off consumption in my shop. I’ll give you 10% revenue share on that portion, my shop takes only 80%.”
Wang Heng still furrowed his brows: “Sounds good, let me think about it…”
Yan Zitao urged impatiently: “Don’t hesitate, everyone forgets quickly. If we don’t start tomorrow, the welcome party’s popularity will drop soon. And this revenue share is on top of the resident singing salary, no cost to you at all, pure profit!”
Wang Heng: “But we’re not that short of money…”
Yan Zitao gritted his teeth: “Fine, 15% to you, no more!”
Wang Heng thought it over and finally nodded: “Okay, 15% it is. I guarantee to disappear.”
Yan Zitao breathed a sigh of relief and extended his hand: “Pleasant cooperation.”
Wang Heng smiled and shook his hand.
————
Tonight, Wang Heng and Yan Zitao finalized the cooperation details, with Pei Ningle sitting beside them, not singing anymore.
After the contract was printed and signed on the spot, Wang Heng took Pei Ningle out of the bar and headed toward the rental room.
Downstairs, at the moment of parting, Wang Heng suddenly wanted to remind her. On one hand, for future earning needs; on the other, to clearly define boundaries between them and eliminate any possibility of an ambiguous relationship.
So he asked: “What should you call me from now on?”
Pei Ningle tilted her head and called out crisply: “Older brother!”
Hearing this “older brother” and seeing the girl’s clear eyes, in that instant, Wang Heng felt his heartbeat skip a beat… Oh no, this was a first playthrough untouched play!
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Extra chapter today, so two updates before midnight, one after.
By the way, under classmates’ calls, the true protagonist hamster’s persona is out, like it~
