Chapter 227: The Cousin of My Uncle’s Wife
Looking at the driver’s familiar behavior in front of him,
Lin Zifeng couldn’t help but sneer in his heart, "I was born and raised in Zhonghai City. Could I be unfamiliar with Zhonghai? What a, what an international joke."
However, Lin Zifeng didn’t make it clear directly.
He just glanced at the Hyundai behind the middle-aged man and then, with an earnest look that seemed to have never seen the world, hesitated and asked, "Brother, do you know how to get to Tianyu Group in Zhonghai City?"
The fellow looked timid, just like a country bumpkin who had never set foot out of his home, clutching his luggage tightly to his chest with a stupefied gaze.
The middle-aged man’s chubby face trembled, and he was completely stunned.
Tianyu Group? Where was that?
That was one of the landmarks of Zhonghai City!
Moreover, the place was full of beauties, white-collars and gold-collars were as common as cows’ hair, and every local citizen of Zhonghai wanted to work there, didn’t they? He guessed that even a janitor there probably earned more than what he was making now.
But how could he know that Lin Zifeng was just a security officer in the security department of Tianyu Group, with a fixed monthly salary of three thousand yuan? Of course, that was secondary. Most importantly, Nangong Bing, the head director of Tianyu Group, was his future wife!
If he said it out loud, the middle-aged man in front of him would probably pee his pants in shock.
"Brother, you want to go to Tianyu Group?"
The middle-aged man was somewhat suspicious, rubbing the hairless chin with his right hand while examining Lin Zifeng from top to bottom.
"Yeah, I’m looking for my relative’s uncle’s wife’s cousin."
Lin Zifeng’s eyes were innocent, and he spoke in a nonchalant manner that startled the middle-aged man with a sense of alarm.
"What position does your relative hold at Tianyu Group?"
"As a security guard!" Lin Zifeng spoke righteously, as if proud that his relative was working as a security guard.
Instantly the middle-aged man’s expression became very colorful, but he still had a smile on his face like a gracious host. After all, it wasn’t about the person but about the money; it didn’t matter who his relative’s uncle’s cousin was, as long as he got paid when they arrived at the destination.
He said, "Do you know how far Tianyu Group is from here?"
Watching the driver’s exaggerated expressions, Lin Zifeng still spoke slowly, "This is my first time in Zhonghai City, I’m not very familiar with this place. I don’t know if you could help me out, big brother?"
"No problem!" The middle-aged driver slapped his chest decisively and agreed, stretching out his yellow-palmed hand, which had turned yellow from smoking, and slapped Lin Zifeng’s shoulder, making their relationship seem incredibly warm.
"How far is it from here to the Tianyu Group?"
"Hey, big brother, you’re lucky to have met me today. If it were some other black-hearted driver, they might definitely rip you off. Do you know how much the starting fare is for a taxi in Zhonghai City? I’m afraid to tell you—it might scare you to death. Come on, come here, look, I have a map. Let me explain it to you."
No sooner had they started chatting than the middle-aged man began to pull Lin Zifeng toward the car, taking out his own map with great enthusiasm and saying with a lot of color: "Big brother, take a look, we’re here right now. If you want to go to Tianyu Group, we have to take the highway. Do you know what a highway is?"
"I don’t know," Lin Zifeng replied, gazing with wide-eyed earnestness.
"A highway is...!" The middle-aged man was momentarily speechless, then his eyes shifted, and he chuckled: "A highway is a very, very long road. If you were to walk, it might take you a year to get there, so I’m going to drive you instead. From here to Tianyu Group, it’ll take at least three hours to drive! Do you think that’s far?"
"So, since it’s such a long distance, if you were to walk, how long do you think it would take?"
"A long time, probably."
"Exactly! Big brother, you really are smart. I only need to hint a little, and you understand. Not bad at all." The middle-aged man kept praising him from time to time, making Lin Zifeng beamed with joy.
Lucky little sucker, I’ll let you be happy now, but when we get there, I’m going to cheat you out of your money! The middle-aged fatso was inwardly exclaiming with delight. It looked like the money for his visit to the barbershop tonight was secure. After all, in these times, whoever you hate, just don’t hate the money.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute. Brother, you haven’t said how much it’s going to be for such a long distance?"
Heh! The kid isn’t too foolish. The middle-aged driver gave a strange laugh, quickly patted Lin Zifeng on the shoulder warmly, and spoke with the air of an old boss from the Martial Arts World: "Big brother, as you just saw, it’s a long distance. If you were to take a taxi, do you know how much the starting fare is?"
"Right! Exactly, just the starting fare is sixteen yuan. So, for such a long distance, just imagine how much you’d have to pay! So let me give you some sincere advice, I used to be a retired serviceman. I’m blunt but honest. If you really want to go to Tianyu Group today, I reckon you won’t be able to make it because today’s cars going to Tianyu Group are already gone. You might have to stay overnight in a hotel to get there tomorrow. Do you know how much it costs to stay in a hotel for one night in Zhonghai City?"
"I’m not trying to scare you, but it’ll be at least five to six hundred yuan! Plus, you need an ID card and a deposit. Considering your situation, brother, it isn’t easy for everyone who goes out to work, and those five to six hundred yuan don’t just flow in like water."
"So, brother, how much would it cost to get there if you take me? Just tell me straight, as long as it’s not too much, it’s not an issue." Lin Zifeng said this with sincerity—the money wasn’t the issue; the issue was not having any at the moment.
"Brother, you should know, although we drive unlicensed cars, we’re much cheaper than those taxis. We don’t charge a starting fare. If you really want to go to Tianyu Group today, well, it’s hard for me to say, as I rarely take fares that go so far. So..."
"Brother, as you know, this is my first time visiting Zhonghai City, I’m totally unfamiliar with the place, please don’t abandon me halfway! Just tell me the truth, how much does it cost to go to Tianyu Group?"
"Ah, big brother, how can you make me say this? I used to be a retired serviceman. I wouldn’t do the kind of business that involves lying and cheating money, especially not from workers like you who come from outside. We should be taking care of you, not ripping you off. If you really want to go to Tianyu today, then I’ll just use the meter. When we get there, you can just pay according to whatever the meter reads."
The middle-aged fatso spoke in a seemingly honest manner; they had already agreed to use the meter, what more could Lin Zifeng say?
Besides, there probably wasn’t anything more reliable than going by the meter, right?