"Li Chengmei, Chengmei..." The smell of burning incense on the table was gradually replaced by the fragrant, hot smell of barbecue and shabu-shabu. As if they were instantly disappeared by a magician, the rows of tall buildings and the neon lights of the busy traffic began to shuttle through the glass windows where Zheng Yucheng stared blankly.
"Hey! Director Shen Zhenghuan has publicly apologized to you for what happened that day! Why don't you accept the drink?" Sun Meiyu tapped her fingertips on the long table in front of Zheng Yucheng like a dragonfly. Even though the smell of alcohol could be smelled across the aisle, Zheng Yucheng looked at the empty wall with longing eyes.
Those colleagues who were talking enthusiastically about the movie box office seemed to be aware that more serious problems were about to break out between Shin Zhenghuan and Zheng Yucheng. After another two seconds, Shen Zhenghuan, who felt embarrassed, threw his glass and left in excitement. The atmosphere at the banquet suddenly became extremely cold. Even Zhiyuan, who never liked looking at people's faces, became nervous.
"Brother Yucheng, are you drunk now? No, you used to have the best drinking capacity in our circle."
What's going on? Is Zheng Yucheng's mouth sealed? Sun Meiyu quickly winked and asked Zhou Mingyao for help.
"I'm sorry, Director Sun, our brother Yucheng's appetite has changed now, and his drinking capacity has also become very small. Otherwise, let him go with half wine and half drink."
Seeing that Shin Jung-hwan was still sitting in his seat dissatisfied, President Cui In-hyuk looked at Zheng Yu-cheng as if he was anxious to confirm something.
"Come on, come on, follow my instructions. Let's have a drink together with our colleagues in the loan team!"
Zheng Yucheng, who had always looked ugly, smiled again while passively pushing cups and changing cups. What an embarrassing difference in treatment. When Shen Zhenghuan picked up the goblet, his eyes and mouth felt spicy.
"Everyone has worked hard during this period. Although the performance is lagging behind that of several other branches, it is still a rapid improvement compared with the last two quarters. We will continue to work hard next!"
In the dim light, cups of heavily made-up liquids swarmed up, and in the gap between the glasses, they were like blooming roses, throwing shining flowers in all directions.
"I'll excuse you for a moment and take a call from my family. They are all overseas and it's hard to find time..." People automatically made way for President Cui as if the sea was parted, and then the two pairs of like-minded friends disappeared into the night. middle.
"Why do you seem to have lost your mind? Do you know how scary you were when you used your pretentious attitude to deal with Director Shen Zhenghuan? I'm really worried about you! And you look a little weird these past two days. ! Do you also have those neurological disorders?" Although he felt that Zheng Yucheng's expression was a little strange, Ming Yao still pretended to be natural and interjected.
"You're such a naturally talkative person that I can't even shut your mouth when eating meat!" Zheng Yucheng suddenly grabbed him like an eagle catching a chicken, and quickly took away Zhou Mingyao's right to speak.
"Hey! Our clan-level employee Zheng Yucheng is acting as agent. You must eat well and drink well tonight." Cui Inhe, who happened to pass by Yucheng, shot an arrow of trust in his eyes and steadily hit the wine glass in Yucheng's hand. .
"Yes, I will obey your orders, President." Yucheng didn't know that his wine glass was empty, so he drank it, and then his face turned as red as a rooster's comb.
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. Am I not your eldest brother? We don't have to be so reserved." This sentence actually slipped out of Cui Inhe's mouth. Yucheng had to doubt his ears, but this is reality, because Cui Inhe has always Staring straight at him.
Zheng Yucheng shook his head and toasted Cui Inhyuk again. His blurred eyes and staggering steps seemed to tell everyone that he was drunk. I don’t know who took the lead. Everyone clapped their hands and sang the branch manager’s favorite song. Zheng Yucheng immediately swayed to the beat. The colleagues around him also clapped happily. Seeing that the branch manager was drunk, everyone also He started to smile and raised his glass.
"President Choi In-hyuk should also be the big brother to all of us and protect us just like your younger brother, Agent Zheng Yucheng."
Everyone shouted in unison, and Cui Inhyuk responded frequently without showing any signs of weakness.
"Of course he is the eldest brother to all of you. After all, we are all friends in the same sect! Then next quarter our branch will be successful!"
Surrounded by his colleagues, Zheng Yucheng danced ballet around Cui Inhyuk. What does this make the neglected Shin Jung-hwan think? Even Zhou Mingyao, his usually upright friend, began to doubt Zheng Yucheng's position.
"When did you become a sect member of President Cui? Or are you from the same sect as him before?"
Shen Zhenghuan, who was originally angry, suddenly withered as if he had been slapped. He instinctively threw himself into his companions who were drinking happily, and when he raised his glass and glanced at Zheng Yucheng, the arrogant look on his face was gone.
"He already thinks that way, what else can I do! If I say that I actually didn't do anything, would you believe it?"
Zheng Yucheng couldn't understand the situation at all. At this moment, he was like a fish swimming in a dream, but he didn't know how many dolphins, sharks, reefs and corals were lurking in this vast ocean-like world.
"Hey! I consider you a true friend, but you can't even tell me the truth?"
"To tell you the truth, I really don't know anything!"
Zhou Mingyao's voice was like the winter wind, and the air-conditioning was overwhelming. The more Yu Cheng lowered his voice, the colder his voice became. In the end, Zheng Yucheng could only stare at the gray window screen swaying by the window in despair.
"You see, as his friend for many years, I think this guy is a bit too slick! Different from that one, it turns out that he is the kind of person who is humble and honest on the surface but cunning behind the scenes! President Cui thought he was the same person A friend of the sect, on this point, he has always silently accepted it and never denied it. Look at the dance this guy just danced, and before, in order to one day accompany the branch president to play golf, he even left his home alone."
Although there was no expression on his face, Zheng Yucheng was still very nervous, as if he was standing on thin ice. Because every joke Zhou Mingyao made towards Zhiyuan stimulated his nerves.
"If the opportunity for promotion is placed in front of him now, I won't lie to you. In order to curry favor with Cui Inhyuk, he would even betray his own roots!"
Zheng Yucheng was sad that he seemed to have never been Zhou Mingyao's friend, so he drank until he fell unconscious.
"It's absolutely amazing."
"In the workplace, you can only get everything you want by being extreme. Just wait and see, this guy will definitely break the roots of others, because he is the kind of honest person who kills a thousand enemies and damages himself eight hundred."
The fool-like Zhou Mingyao raised his voice as if he was afraid that others would not see through the secret. Zheng Yucheng, who was sitting aside, frequently missed everyone's surprised attention, looked down at the wine glass, and finally became discouraged like a child who made a mistake. But Zhou Mingyao still perseveres. As a result, friendship has become secondary. The first thing Zheng Yucheng wants to regain is the man's dignity.
"Zhou Mingyao, as a close friend, do you think you can say that? Humph! Root! Isn't it just a little bit of root? So what if I betray you? Have I committed some heinous crime that requires your moral interrogation? Childcare expenses, Tuition fees, car and house loan installments, and living expenses for the whole family, there was a big deficit every month. In order not to worry the elderly, Seungmei and I had to work overtime, because only in this way can we barely support a shaky family. !" There were thin beads of sweat on his forehead, and Yucheng's voice was very low. With eyes closed, like an ascetic nun.
"At that moment, I finally figured it out. From now on, whether it's groveling or fawning, as long as it can improve the family's current situation, I will do it. Even if I sell out all my roots, I won't do it. Will hesitate. As for you, you don’t even understand my heart, so you are not a true friend!”
There was a solemn atmosphere in the box, and everyone slowly turned to them, only to see Zheng Yucheng announcing meticulously with his eyes closed.
"elder brother…"
Zhou Mingyao's tone softened first, and he drank himself two glasses of wine. Perhaps because he was still disgusted by his best friend's actions from the bottom of his heart, Zheng Yucheng felt that all the blood in his body was flowing backwards.
"I was wrong, I was just joking with Zhiyuan! Besides, are you drunk today and that's why you are so sentimental? Please, can you not be so aggressive? Everyone is watching!"
Seeing that Zheng Yucheng was speechless, Zhou Mingyao just held his shoulders firmly as usual.
"Don't touch me!" Zheng Yucheng curled his lips.
Everyone here began to look at Zheng Yucheng and himself in turn, and Ming Yao suddenly felt very embarrassed.
"What's going on today?" Seeing them arguing, Shen Zhenghuan, who suppressed his burps with wine, finally stood up and spoke. Zhou Mingyao hesitated for a moment, then strode up behind Zheng Yucheng, taking advantage of his embarrassed smile, Mingyao confidently put his arms around his shoulders.
"Don't get me wrong, Director Shen. Brother Yucheng and I usually fight like this. Brother Yucheng is in charge of this farce called love, right? Haha, it's a farce of love."
"Who is like you, let go, let me go."
Zheng Yucheng slammed the door and left in excitement. Mingyao quickly caught up with him. In order to stop him from fighting with him, Zheng Yucheng grabbed his collar.
Seeing Zheng Yucheng's widening eyes, Zhou Mingyao was extremely depressed. He racked his brains to think of countermeasures.
"Ming Yao, especially when others look wrong, don't do this!" The door to the private room creaked open, and Shen Zhenghuan's voice reached his ears.
But Zheng Yucheng didn't leave any room to continue talking. He blew past Zhou Mingyao's shoulder like the wind and walked away.
"Really, my friends are annoying, my wife is also annoying, and even the company is uninteresting. It would be great if everything I hate can end now."
The flickering filament finally melted. Zheng Yucheng walked into the dark alley at the intersection. In front of him was a sapling with roots tied with ropes. Perhaps because of the backlight, the sapling looked much heavier than when he entered. He relaxed his throat slightly and turned around to look around the courtyard. He was surrounded by cement walls and there was no room for small trees at all. It seems that the worry has become a reality. Everything in front of me is so desolate, the courtyard, the world, my wife, and Yucheng's heart, everything.
"I have never loved you, and I lied to myself. I have written you a letter, and I threw it into the sea. I have never loved you, and I lied to myself. Even though I feel calm, I still fall into my own world. trap."
The microphone in his hand fell to the ground and fell to pieces in an instant. The corners of Zheng Yucheng's eyes were red, and tears seemed to be about to burst out of his eyes. He quickly gritted his teeth and when Shen Zhenghuan stood up first to applaud, he raised his head and closed his eyes. If he shed tears or sits on the ground and howls, he may feel much happier, but he cannot do this. Because he cried once, Shen Zhenghuan would like to bully him in this way.
"What's wrong with my clan? Did something happen at home?" Although he was concerned, Cui Inhyuk kept rolling up the pork belly with lettuce and stuffing large chunks into his mouth.
"It's not like I was bullied just now. If I had known he was so sensitive, I wouldn't have made fun of him."
Seeing Cui Renhe holding up the wine glass, Zhou Mingyao quickly raised the Coke glass, and the two of them clinked.
"Branch President, let me toast you again on behalf of the clan member you care about most."
Cui Renhe politely declined with a joke, and Zhou Mingyao responded with a joke and put down his glass. A long shadow was reflected from the tambourine played by Shin Zhenghuan, and everyone's expressions of surprise or contempt immediately became clear.
"I have missed the date of falling in love. That day you disappeared into the sea of people. Your back was so silent that it was scary. I answered the questions you asked firmly, but it was at that time that I missed you the most."
As he sang, Yucheng's heart was like the sapling in front of the door, wandering because it was uprooted. No matter where it was blown by the wind, there seemed to be no place for him to stand, no one to rely on, and no one to rely on. There was no one to talk to. Thinking of this, tears poured down like sea water bursting from a dam, and could no longer be suppressed.
"You are not allowed to do this, and you must do that. You must turn your self-esteem into a stepping stone for others in order to earn two more buckets of milk powder. Haha, Li Chengmei, Li Chengmei, aren't you driving a nail into my weak chest? I was born on the same day in the same year and the same month You man, how come Shin Jung Hwan can be so superior to others, why can’t I! Damn, it’s true!”
