Electronic Nezha

Chapter 68 Give Me a Calculation

Parking at the school gate during drop-off and pick-up times is always a major problem. If it weren't for Xiao Wu, I would rather walk to wait for Liu Zhenhua and then drive away together.

Of course, things are different with Xiao Wu. It sneaks around in the traffic, neither affecting the cars behind it nor stopping it from taking up a spot at the school gate. Sure enough, in no time, it inherited the right of way from a car that drove away. This is the non-motorized vehicle lane, where cars can park vertically in a row, as permitted by the traffic police.

We had just parked the car when we heard the car behind us honk at us.

"Are you crazy?!" Xiao Wu started cursing. "It doesn't affect his exit or block the road, this guy..."

At that moment, the person in the car behind opened the door and got out; it was Chen Zihan's mother.

I quickly got out of the car and greeted them with a smile, "You're here to pick up your child too?"

"Yes," she replied with a smile.

"The snow is really heavy."

"Yes."

Then we ran out of things to talk about. Why did you even come out in the first place...?

Fortunately, I saw several familiar faces at that moment, which meant that Liu Zhenhua's class had finished school and was walking out.

Liu Zhenhua and Chen Zihan followed behind the familiar faces, walking side by side naturally. Chen Zihan was wearing a baseball cap, and her bangs and sideburns had grown out a bit, indicating that the girl had a lot of hair. She still had beautiful eyes and a smile on her lips. Compared to her, Liu Zhenhua was the quieter one, and the two of them were chatting about something.

Liu Zhenhua was taken aback when he saw me.

Chen Zihan was stunned when she saw her mother.

I quickly said, "Then let's get in the car, the snow is quite heavy..."

"Yes," Chen Zihan's mother said, waving to the two children.

"Goodbye, Auntie."

Goodbye, Uncle Liu.

After another intersection, the two children prepared to get on the bus.

I got on the car first, and Xiao Wu blurted out, "Oh, so you're in-laws!" We should really give this guy to Old Wang!

"Don't talk nonsense, or you'll be covered by your own ancestor!"

"Dad, what did you say?" Liu Zhenhua got into the car, his expression a mix of naturalness and unease—or perhaps it was all natural, and I was overinterpreting it…

Xiao Wu got on the road, and I told him to go to the "Versailles" restaurant. It's not that Qiao Yan is a master of stale jokes; the restaurant was called Versailles long before it became famous.

"Shall we eat at Uncle Qiao's place?" Liu Zhenhua asked.

I hummed in agreement and asked, "Chen Zihan doesn't ride a bike anymore?"

"She's still riding; maybe it's because the weather's bad today, so her mom came to pick her up."

"That's good, it seems it didn't cause any psychological trauma."

"Her? She doesn't care about anything."

"Do you like her?" The sudden twist reignites the flame!

Liu Zhenhua smiled awkwardly and said, "Please don't give me that. 'It's normal for the opposite sex to be attracted to each other during puberty.' That's a direct quote from our Taoist book. What else would you like to know?"

"Why are you giving your dad that official talk? I'm not worried about you having a relationship too early, I'm worried that it will affect other people's grades."

"This snow is really heavy," Liu Zhenhua said, looking out the window.

If you don't want to talk, then don't.

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit dull, Xiao Wu volunteered, "Shall I play a song?"

"Let it go," I said.

Xiao Wu was silent for a moment and then said, "Uh, it doesn't have that function. How about I sing for you two myself with this mouth?"

"Goodbye..." This time, the father and son were on the same page. It wasn't that they were afraid Xiao Wu would sing badly, so they used AI to sing to ease the awkwardness. The awkwardness itself was already quite embarrassing, wasn't it?

As soon as we got out of the car at the entrance of Versailles, Qiao Yan came out of the lobby to greet us. He patted Liu Zhenhua on the shoulder, then grabbed my hand and said with a smile, "Why are you still being so hesitant? Can't I just treat you to a meal?"

"Here I am, isn't this? In this weather, the fact that I came to invite someone to dinner shows that we are truly in love."

We both laughed heartily. That's how business people are; they say one thing to one person and another to another, and nothing they say is ever truly offensive. Versailles is a fairly high-class Western restaurant in our area. Inside, it's like a hotel lobby, with symmetrical dining areas on both sides. Today, due to the bad weather and the recent decline in people's enthusiasm for Western food, there were only a few scattered tables of customers in the vast space.

Qiao Yan led us to a booth and handed the menu to Liu Zhenhua, saying, "See if there's anything you'd like to eat. Uncle Qiao's treating."

"I can do anything."

I said, "Didn't they say there were new dishes?"

"Whether it's new or not is just a matter of wording. What new tricks can Western food possibly have?" Qiao Yan said to the waiter. "Then let's serve it as arranged."

I asked, "Who else will be there later?"

"Han Shiya is on her way. You know how fast she is."

"The main problem is that I don't understand the Dao."

We laughed together again. Han Shiya has an amazing sense of direction. Before we got divorced, we lived in a relatively remote area, and for several years she used navigation to go to and from get off work and come home every day. Every intersection would make her nervous because they all looked the same, and she was afraid that if she turned in, she would stumble into a completely unfamiliar world.

This woman, on her way home from work, if you just turn off her navigation, give her some money, and play the song "Blue Lotus," she can walk the entire 318 highway.

A melodious piano tune began to play, and I noticed a young woman playing the piano in the lobby. Her long hair was tied into a ponytail with a bow, and she wore a white dress. She had her back to us, and she had a slender figure and a cool, aloof demeanor.

"It has to be you. You know how to create this high-end and sophisticated atmosphere. How much do you pay per month?" I asked Qiao Yan.

Qiao Yan smiled without saying a word, glanced at the time, and said, "I'll go to the door to meet Han Shiya."

As soon as Qiao Yan left, I immediately moved closer to Liu Zhenhua and said, "Give me a reading—"

Liu Zhenhua said speechlessly, "Dad, how many times have I told you? I'm just a super AI, not a calculator or a fortune teller."

"Then think about it from the son's perspective, what is the purpose of your mother and Old Joe inviting us to dinner?"

Liu Zhenhua rolled his eyes and said, "My mom misses me. If she goes to see me in private, she's afraid Uncle Qiao will overthink it, and she's also afraid you'll be sensitive. So she's organizing a gathering so everyone can meet. It's a little awkward, but it's better than leaving any lingering problems."

I clicked my tongue in admiration and said, "That makes sense. How come I didn't think of that?"

“Dad, you weren’t like this before. You knew all about human relationships. You just don’t want to use your brain anymore, especially after you started treating me like a fortune teller.”

I chuckled and said, "So, in your mind, your dad is still smart enough, right?"

Liu Zhenhua didn't say anything, but turned to look at the girl playing the piano.

What was she playing?

"Liszt's 'Sigh'".

"How was your playing?"

"His finger technique is skillful and his emotional control is excellent. Given time, he will reach a level where he can make a living as a professional."

"Guess how much salary Old Joe pays each month?"

"You're treating me like a fortune teller again!"

"I asked you to guess, not to calculate..."

At this moment, Qiao Yan and Han Shiya walked into the hall together. Han Shiya was wearing an expensive black wool coat and carrying an umbrella. Her makeup was so exquisite that it rivaled that of any celebrity. This was a requirement of her profession, after all, she ran a plastic surgery hospital.

Just as Liu Zhenhua was about to get up, Han Shiya hugged him from behind, her body reeking of expensive cosmetics. Liu Zhenhua was as flustered as a beetle whose shell had landed on the ground.

Qiao Yan smiled and said to the waiter, "The food can be served now."

Han Shiya straightened up and said to me, "Why didn't you accept the money I transferred to you? Liu Chuanfeng, you're quite something now, aren't you? You're so rich and powerful?"

After I told Liu Zhenhua that I had enrolled him in a "one-on-one math class," I naturally didn't take it seriously, but Han Shiya took it to heart. She transferred money to me once, but I didn't accept it.

"There's really not much money."

Han Shiya didn't want to discuss this issue anymore and asked Qiao Yan, "Where's Yu Chen? Didn't she come with you?"

Qiao Yan smiled and pointed towards the piano. Han Shiya glanced at it and laughed, "You, you always come up with these tricks." Then she waved to the girl playing the piano, "Yu Chen, come here quickly."

The girl playing the piano stopped, gathered her skirt, stood up, and walked gracefully over. She smiled politely at me and said, "Hello, Uncle Liu."

(End of this chapter)