Chapter Ninety-Three: The Bald Giant
"I saw in the group chat that he said he won't be going back to the US this time? What about his company then?" Xiang Kun asked curiously.
Chang Bin said, "They said it couldn't continue and they sold it. I don't know the specifics, I'll ask him when I see him later."
Then, remembering something, he asked Xiang Kun, "By the way, how are things between you and Nana? Xiao Han asked Nana's sister a while ago, and she seemed to say that you two often go out together?"
"Uh, we're just ordinary friends now," Xiang Kun replied.
"Yes, that's what Nana told her sister too." Chang Bin nodded, looking ahead, then couldn't help but laugh, "Just be ordinary friends first, that's the right pace. Your old 'tiger-pouncing' approach won't work. You attacked too aggressively right from the start, and everyone got scared away."
Xiang Kun asked, puzzled, "Isn't this... how blind dates are supposed to be?"
"That's true, but unless the other person is also immediately interested in you, being too proactive, pursuing you too aggressively, or putting too much pressure on them might make them back off. A gradual process of getting to know each other allows for further development. This applies not only to blind dates but to everything, including the business world and the workplace."
Recalling his failed blind dates in previous years, Xiang Kun asked in surprise, "Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"Didn't I tell you? Think about it again..." Chang Bin curled his lip, glancing sideways at his friend. "When have you ever not acted on your own ideas? You never listen to what others say; you're always blinded by beauty..."
Xiang Kun was speechless, but thinking about it, it seemed to be true. Ever since college, every time Chang Bin acted as his "strategist," he would reject the plans that Chang Bin proposed. However, it seemed that his own plans had never succeeded. This time, it seemed that there was a lot of potential between him and Tang Baona, but it just so happened to be the time when he decided not to date for the time being.
When they were almost at the airport, Chang Bin had already spoken to Zi Cheng on the phone and learned that he had gotten off the plane and was waiting for them at the gate.
Seeing a chubby man in a short-sleeved shirt and round-framed glasses standing outside the glass door looking at his phone, Xiang Kun Xiang Kun Chang Bin to pull over. Then, he took off his glasses and said, "I'll go say hello to Zicheng first."
Chang Bin paused for a moment, then understood what he meant, chuckled, and nodded.
After taking off his glasses, Xiang Kun got out of the car and walked straight towards the fat man standing outside the reception hall. When he got to the side, he lightly bumped his shoulder with the fat man's.
The chubby boy's hand trembled, and he almost dropped his phone. He looked up and glared angrily at the person who had bumped into him. "Hey? You..."
When he saw that the person who bumped into him was a bald, muscular man with clearly defined arm muscles peeking out from under his short-sleeved T-shirt, like a sculpture, the chubby boy subconsciously looked away when he saw the other man staring at him.
"What?" The bald man stopped and walked back to ask.
The chubby boy took two steps to the side, then looked down at his phone and whispered, "It's nothing, it's nothing..."
Did I just bump into you?
"Oh, it's nothing, nothing at all." The chubby boy kept looking down at his phone.
Xiang Kun barely managed to suppress a laugh, then leaned a little closer. "How about I treat you to dinner as an apology?"
"What?" The chubby boy was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously looked up at the bald man next to him, before immediately looking down again, saying repeatedly, "Ah? No need, no need..."
"Then you'll treat me to dinner? Look, you've bruised my shoulder..."
"I... I'm going to call security. My friend is coming to pick me up soon. If you don't leave, I'll call the police, I'm telling you..." The chubby boy kept dodging to the side, clearly feeling that he was about to be extorted.
Xiang Kun leaned closer. "Why call the police? I just wanted to have a meal with you, didn't we already make plans?"
"Who made an appointment with you... Don't come any closer..."
"Hey, Zicheng, didn't we make plans on WeChat? We were going to have dinner together tonight and hang out, how could you forget?"
While dialing Chang Bin's number, the chubby boy said, "What WeChat? I don't have your WeChat... uh..."
He suddenly paused, realizing that the bald man had called him by his nickname, a nickname that only a few people in his dormitory used to call him. He couldn't help but look up at the bald man again.
The burly, bald man slowly put on a pair of black-rimmed glasses, then his lips slowly curled into what he thought was a radiant smile.
"Brother Zicheng, Long Time No See."
The chubby boy adjusted his glasses, stared at Xiang Kun for a long while, and finally confirmed his identity. He roared, ran over, jumped up, and grabbed Xiang Kun by the neck with his arm. "Holy crap! It's you... You scared the hell out of me!!"
Not far away, Chang Bin was recording a video on his phone, laughing so hard he almost cried. He knew what Xiang Kun was up to the moment he took off his glasses. Xiang Kun had changed a lot; once he took off his glasses, not only would Zicheng, whom he hadn't seen for years, not recognize him at first glance.
Not long after, in Chang Bin's car, the chubby boy Zicheng kept looking at Xiang Kun and couldn't help but reach out to touch his bald head, but the latter raised his hand and slapped it away.
"Brother A Tu, you've changed so much! Weren't you working in mobile app development? How did you become like this... like this?" Zi Cheng still found it hard to accept Xiang Kun's current appearance; it was so different from the Xiang Kun he remembered.
"I just wanted to lose some weight and exercise casually, but I didn't expect to get so addicted. As for my hair, it's leaving me, and there's nothing I can do about it," Xiang Kun said casually.
As Chang Bin drove, recalling the scene outside the airport waiting hall, he couldn't help but laugh and said, "Zicheng, you were such a coward just now."
Zi Cheng rolled his eyes at him. "A big guy who looks like Dwayne Johnson came looking for trouble. You'd chicken out too if you were in his Xiang Kun's triceps again, muttering under his breath, "How the hell did he get that biceps...?"
Chang Bin drove them to a relatively famous small restaurant. Although it was located in a remote area and the decor was rather shabby, it was very popular. If Chang Bin hadn't booked a private room in advance, they wouldn't even have a table in the main hall.
After ordering the food and beer, Chang Bin asked Xiang Kun for his opinion. After receiving a negative answer, he didn't try to persuade him further and poured beer for himself and Zi Cheng.
This was how they always did when they went out to eat together in college. Whether or not to drink was entirely voluntary; they could drink whatever they wanted and as much as they wanted. They all knew that Xiang Kun had never liked drinking.
In fact, Zicheng's alcohol tolerance was also very poor. He would basically turn red and slur his words after drinking three cans. Chang Bin, on the other hand, had always had a high alcohol tolerance. Xiang Kun had never seen him drunk. He remembered that at the class reunion before graduation, Chang Bin drank at least half a case of beer and still remained calm and spoke clearly.
Xiang Kun had already prepared the small pebbles, planning to swallow them in the restroom later, then come back, eat a little as a symbolic gesture, and then find another opportunity to go to the restroom to finish them off, and then just go for a quick bite. There shouldn't be any problem.
I would like to thank the book friends for their group enlightenment: The Queen of Women, Hypocrisy, Lust, Nine-Liu Fengyue, Silence 123, and Bookworm Xiao are my rewards.