Wang Xiaoliang arrived at the cafeteria right on time.
He had gone out on an errand that morning and returned just in time for lunch.
The cafeteria fare hadn't changed: two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes.
Today, he had something extra in his hand.
A lunch box.
Stainless steel. Wei Zijin had bought it online and had it shipped to Fucheng by SF Express. The package had arrived before he did. Over the phone, she had laid out her instructions one by one: bring his own chopsticks; sharing utensils with other people was out of the question.
Wang Xiaoliang unscrewed his insulated flask, poured out some boiling water, and scalded the lunch box and chopsticks.
After getting his food, he sat at the same table as yesterday.
Gu Junhao came in.
He headed straight toward him.
One hand landed on Wang Xiaoliang's shoulder while the other pulled out a chair. He sat down close beside him. His scent arrived first-cigarette smoke tangled with cologne, neither willing to yield, battling it out in Wang Xiaoliang's nose.
"How's it going, brother?"
Wang Xiaoliang picked up a bite of vegetables.
"How's what going?"
"Settling in at our company?"
His tone was especially warm, and he had gauged that pat on the shoulder just right, neither too light nor too heavy, as though they had been buddies for ten years.
Yesterday, he had tried to put him in his place.
Today, he was calling him brother.
It seemed his words had probably reached Gu Junhao through Fang Dongxu, that mouthpiece.
These streetwise types were really just pragmatic.
If you didn't do as they said, they showed you their fists. If you did, they called you brother.
Wang Xiaoliang chewed his food, a smile on his face.
"Pretty good."
"It's a bit beneath someone