Chapter 11

The smile on Huo Baichuan's face carried a rather meaningful undertone. "It's not like I work in finance. People like us who do extreme sports generally aren't this nitpicky."

What did he mean, nitpicky?

Tao Yan frowned. "Even leaving financial data aside, when you play basketball in competitions, there's still the countdown clock. A difference of 0.1 seconds can often determine whether a game-winning buzzer-beater counts, and thus decide the outcome of an entire match."

Huo Baichuan whistled, folded his arms, and looked Tao Yan up and down as he so earnestly emphasized that 0.1 centimeters. With ill intent, he asked, "You seem especially concerned about this 0.1?"

"I'm not!" Tao Yan denied it flatly, then emphasized again, "I'm saying that people must have a rigorous attitude in both life and work."

"Is that so?" Huo Baichuan raised a brow, clearly about to continue.

Tao Yan stared steadily at him, a dangerous glint flashing through his pitch-black eyes. "Do you still want Tiger-Tooth Potatoes?"

Huo Baichuan: "..."

Huo Baichuan nodded in agreement. "You people in finance really do need a rigorous attitude."

Tao Yan said nothing. He simply looked at Huo Baichuan expressionlessly.

Seeing Tao Yan seemingly on the verge of bristling, Huo Baichuan drew a deep breath and conceded. "You're right! We must have a rigorous attitude in life and work. Otherwise, science cannot develop, society cannot progress, and the country cannot prosper. Only by being rigorous and striving for perfection can our country advance with each passing day and our lives flourish."

Tao Yan withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "When we make Tiger-Tooth Potatoes later, we can make a few more flavors. Sweet and sour, cumin, and spicy. Which do you like?"

Huo Baichuan's eyes lit up. "Of course spicy. What's so good about sweet stuff?"

Tao Yan gave an "oh" and said expressionlessly, "Then we'll make more sweet-and-sour ones."

Huo Baichuan sucked in a breath and looked at Tao Yan with a wronged expression. Then what was the point of asking me what flavor I liked?

Tao Yan saw through Huo Baichuan's silent grumbling at once and knowingly asked, "Do you have any objection to sweet-and-sour Tiger-Tooth Potatoes?"

"Of course not!" Huo Baichuan clapped his hands and eagerly played along. "Sweet and sour is great. Scientific studies show that sweetness raises happiness levels, while sourness softens blood vessels. It's nutritious and scientific—especially good. Besides, the children at the orphanage will definitely like sweet-and-sour Tiger-Tooth Potatoes too."

"That's good." Tao Yan nodded, flashed Huo Baichuan an exceedingly fake, polite smile, and said gently, "I knew Young Master Huo had never been a picky eater since childhood. That's why you grew to be 1.90 meters tall."

"1.905 meters!" Huo Baichuan looked at Tao Yan and added gloomily, "We need to be rigorous in life and work. Even a difference of 0.1 cannot be tolerated, much less 0.5."

"Of course, if you want to use rounding, you can also say I'm 1.91 meters!" As Huo Baichuan spoke, his gaze slowly swept over the top of Tao Yan's head.

Tao Yan, whose maximum height was only 1.801 meters, said nothing. He tilted his head up and stared at Huo Baichuan, who had been around 1.91 meters at his tallest. After a long silence, he picked up another chopstickful of liangpi from the bowl, then took another roujiamo.

Even if it killed him from overeating, he would swallow this whole bowl of liangpi and all three roujiamos! Tonight, he would start night runs and work out! One day, he would grow to 1.92 meters and look down at him!

Huo Baichuan tilted his head, his face full of question marks as he watched Tao Yan abruptly turn and leave in the middle of their perfectly normal conversation. Only belatedly did he realize that he seemed to have angered Tao Yan again.

Thinking of what happened every time he accidentally angered Tao Yan, Young Master Huo felt a chill run down the back of his head. He strode after him on his long legs, apologizing as he ran. "Let's just say I misspoke. Don't be angry, okay? It doesn't matter how tall you are. You're sharp, after all! Isn't there a saying that the most concentrated things are the essence? To me, you're the finest essence in the whole world."

"Besides, even if you're angry, don't take it out on your own genes. That's just how your family's genetics are. Reaching 1.80 meters is pretty good. Don't force yourself to reach 1.90. Honestly, being 1.90 meters tall has no real benefits. Other than having a higher vantage point and being able to see farther, there are plenty of inconveniences in everyday life. Take me, for instance. Every time I enter the shower or bathroom, I have to duck my head, or else I'll easily smack my forehead against the doorframe. My dad says I hit my head on doorframes too many times, which is why I'm not as smart as you."

"...So being short has its advantages too. Right?"

Listening to Huo Baichuan's chatter behind him, Tao Yan drew a deep breath. He suddenly stopped, turned to look at Huo Baichuan, and smiled reservedly. "You're right!" Some people had hit their heads on doorframes too many times and knocked themselves into idiots!

Author's note:

Some people stay single because of fate! Others stay single because they have no regard for their lives_(:з"∠)_

Chapter 11

Seeing Tao Yan, who had been perfectly fine, once again reveal that fake smile so frightening it made his hairs stand on end, Huo Baichuan was suddenly startled. A rare flash of inspiration struck his usually slow-witted mind. "How about I teach you fighting?"

Fighting?

Tao Yan raised a brow and asked curiously, "What would I learn that for?"

"To protect yourself and build your strength!" Huo Baichuan analyzed patiently. "Think about it! When we first came here, we got kidnapped by human traffickers. If the two of us hadn't been lucky enough to land together, with your skinny arms and skinny legs, could you have withstood a beating from that bunch of traffickers?"

The more Huo Baichuan thought about it, the more frightened he became. If they had not regained consciousness in time that day, or if he had arrived even one step later, Tao Yan might have been seriously injured.

Two perfectly intact, lively living people had inexplicably been swept thirty years into the past by a whirlpool in the sea. Not only had they failed to use their foreknowledge to become two pigs standing in the path of opportunity, they had instead nearly been blinded, poisoned mute, and beaten crippled by insane human traffickers, reduced to tools for begging and making money for others—