After reincarnation, attack as a female imp!

Everything that I thought was impregnable is collapsing.

"Those who make missiles are worse than those who sell tea eggs"—this saying truly reflected the situation at the time. The old professor only taught them for one semester, but he told this story more than once, repeating it over and over again like Xianglin Sao. Every time Fang Shicheng listened, he was absent-minded, and each time he felt a deep sense of discomfort.

When the estimated time was almost up, Fang Shicheng set off for the airport. He didn't take a taxi, but first took the bus to the subway bus station, bought a ticket there, and then slowly went to Luzhou Airport.

Luzhou looks gray outside the window. It’s the Mid-Autumn Festival these days, but the sky is always cloudy, as if it’s going to rain at any time, and you can’t see the moon at night.

He knows a PhD senior who works in a research institute and earns just over 7,000 yuan a month. Is that a high salary?

In 2013, China's minimum wage in Luzhou was 920 yuan, which is very high compared to this, but this salary may still be lower than that of the person selling tea eggs at the school gate.

People are never satisfied. Just like how the Chinese internet is keen on praising the high welfare in Northern Europe, but Chinese people who actually go there will feel depressed, thinking that their taxes are going to the government to support lazy people and refugees, that they have read so many books but their salary after tax deduction is not much higher than that of a street sweeper, and that the food they eat there is bad and expensive...

There are always different sorrows in different places. People are beasts limited by their circumstances.

Thirty years later, everything the old professor had thought was impregnable had collapsed, yet it still hadn't been rebuilt. At least now, Fang Shicheng felt that studying polymer chemistry was less practical than developing a small industry. He didn't know how many years it would take for his research to be put into production, or even if it never would, remaining only on paper. In a few years, it would be academic garbage that no one would bother to cite in a review paper or even a review.

Last night at 8 o'clock, he took the bus home, bringing gifts for his family. The total cost was nearly 20,000 yuan, an expense he had never dared to imagine before.

He bought his parents a leather coat each—no brand name, but the material was high quality. The coats were lambskin; he couldn't afford mink yet. He also bought his father two packs of good cigarettes, Huangshan Tiandu from Luzhou. His most expensive purchase was for his sister: a watch, an automatic mechanical watch with a mother-of-pearl dial. The brand's Chinese name was something like "Meido," which didn't sound very appealing, like "syphilis," but it looked great nonetheless.

He even secretly looked it up, and found that this brand was considered an internationally renowned watch. He had never touched a mechanical watch brand before, and couldn't tell the difference between a one-speed, two-speed, and three-speed watch. But even a three-speed watch like the Rayman model was once out of his reach.

He also wore a watch, a quartz watch of an unknown brand. It stopped working when it ran out of battery. He just thought it was broken and threw it in a drawer. Now he didn't know where it was.

Even though Fang Shicheng also wears a watch, he knows nothing about watches. He only heard the teller say that this watch can be automatically wound by shaking the hand, and there were also some conventional sales pitches like "the sapphire watch glass cannot be scratched". He didn't know what they meant, but he believed them and bought it.

Even now, he was still a little dazed. He clearly remembered the expressions on his parents' faces when he returned home at eleven last night and gave them his clothes and cigarettes, and his watch to his sister. He couldn't describe their expressions; their faces grew stiff with age, but Fang Shicheng was certain they were relieved and touched. They hadn't asked where the money came from; they seemed to assume their son, with his top-tier education at a prestigious university, would be rich in the future.

The younger sister put the watch on straight away. She didn't know which wrist to wear it on, so she put it on her right hand. He laughed at her, so she changed it to her left hand. She fumbled around for a long time before finally buckling the strap. A child's excitement and joy couldn't be hidden, even though his sister was already in high school.

This wasn't the first time he'd brought back gifts. He'd often brought back Luzhou specialties like black tea bricks and cured duck, dusty and rustic. But this was the first time he'd brought back such an expensive gift. For the first time, he felt something different.

He did not think that there was anything noble about these consumer goods with foreign brands. Even though he spent eight months' average salary of Luzhou residents in just one night, he was even more convinced that none of this was noble.

They were just expensive, so expensive that ordinary people couldn't afford them on a daily basis, but they could only grit their teeth and buy them. What about their cost? Fang Shicheng didn't think that these things, which cost 20,000 yuan, would cost much more than the cured duck.

But because of this, Fang Shicheng became even more excited.

This excitement stems from the most primal desire for consumption, like the euphoria of a monkey living on the seashore who suddenly discovers worthless shells that can be traded for food. This world is moving so fast, and precisely because of this, opportunities for fortune are as plentiful as shells on the seashore. A casual job won't make you rich, nor will a nine-to-five research job.

The bus arrived at Luzhou Airport and Fang Shicheng prepared to board the plane.

His hands were shaking as he heard the boarding reminder and, guided by the staff, he went directly to the plane through the VIP passage on the second floor of the lobby. Economy class passengers would be seated only after business class passengers had been seated.

Wang Tianzhuo bought him a first-class ticket. This was his first time flying business class.

Regional narrow-body aircraft are small and do not have first class. Business class has only three rows of four seats, while economy class has six seats a row and is even narrower.

The business class and economy class are only blocked by a thin layer of flame-retardant composite material, which is even transparent. After all, a narrow-body aircraft only has one aisle.

Fang Shicheng wanted to laugh. He thought it was a strange sight. Some people would be willing to pay twice the price just for a slightly more spacious seat for two hours and an illusory "prestigious" experience.

His seat was in the second row of business class, by the window.

When he sat down and looked out the window at the concrete floor, he felt like his heart was about to jump out.

He was waiting for the plane to take off, and the wait no longer seemed long. Passengers from the economy class boarded one after another. A few glanced at the passengers in business class, but most ignored them.

The captain spoke in both Chinese and English, and his English was very poor. There was not a single foreigner on the plane. He spoke English purely because the rules and regulations required him to speak English.

The tall stewardess in flesh-colored stockings demonstrated the use of first aid items to passengers in the business class, reminding everyone to turn their phones to flight mode and practice this every time they take off. She looked like she was just tackling the task.

The opening remarks were so boring that Fang Shicheng felt drowsy.

As the plane took off, Fang Shicheng felt a little stuffy in his ears, which was due to the change in air pressure. He opened his mouth slightly. He looked out the window at Qinzhou and Luzhou, and the buildings were getting smaller and smaller.

Someone in the back seat of the plane had vomited, and he smelled a sour odor.

The material on the inside of the porthole was also some kind of plastic with some very shallow scratches on it, which reminded him of the bumpy acrylic cover on his almost-outdated, no-name quartz watch.

This gave him an unreal feeling, as he was flying in a shabby narrow-body regional airliner that smelled of disinfectant and vomit, with this bastard under his crotch that had nothing to do with decency.

The plane passed through the clouds and the sun made it impossible for him to open his eyes.

The clouds reminded him of the sea in his hometown. When there was no wind, the only difference between the sea and the sea of ​​clouds was their colors.

He could almost smell the fishy sea breeze amidst the vomit and disinfectant.

Fang Shicheng suddenly felt bored and pulled the sunshade again.

Chapter 47 Counterweight and Car

Wang Tianzhuo drove to the side of Shenzhen Fourth People's Hospital and could see the hospital building in the distance, but the road was completely blocked. He looked around in the car, left and right, and stopped at a random spot to take a photo of Han Heng. The place where he parked was at least ten minutes' walk from the hospital.

Shenzhen Fourth People's Hospital was where Han Heng stayed. They had agreed in the morning that they would start the movement after Han Heng finished his shift. They got in the car and went to pick up Fang Shicheng.

Normally, a verbal handover would suffice, but Han Heng is a junior nurse and he has no right to act arrogantly in the hospital. Even the smallest matter has to be explained in person, and he has to put on a fawning face to avoid being caught.

Wang Tianzhuo got out of his small jeep, and as soon as he got out, the suspension bounced upward like a spring that had been compressed for a long time. This was very rare for a car. Even though Wang Tianzhuo was overweight, he weighed less than 90 kilograms. But he was driving a Jimny today, so it was not surprising. If it was anything else, he wouldn't drive this crappy car, but today he had to go to the hospital.

The road near the hospital is the most congested. He used to drive an electric scooter to the hospital, but now he can only use his smallest car to pick someone up.

The Jimny is light and small, with such low configuration that it looks like a piece of junk from the end of World War II. After all, Japan was still under blockade at that time and had no raw materials. It was normal to produce such junk by scraping materials everywhere, but now it is the 21st century.

Wang Tianzhuo had once overheard a veteran off-roader at the dinner table joking about the Jimny, saying it was the most authentic Japanese off-road vehicle and that he could drive it for three days in a dirt pit. Wang Tianzhuo, being a bit of a fool, didn't understand the man's sarcasm. He was easily influenced by others and had no strong opinions. He would just believe anything he thought was right, so not long after, he bought a "most authentic Japanese off-road vehicle" from Tianjin Port.

Although the Jimny lacked any features, it was imported and so rare that demand outstripped supply. Wang Tianzhuo, who had a 30,000 yuan worth of junk, paid 320,000 yuan for it—enough to buy a top-of-the-line Passat. It was just that Wang Tianzhuo knew nothing, which was normal. He had money, so he spent it without thinking, buying whatever he wanted. As a child, he even thought that goods grew automatically on the shelves.

Even so, Wang Tianzhuo felt ripped off after buying the Jimny. He might not know much about cars, but he's driven a lot, and this "Japanese off-roader," priced at the same price as a top-of-the-line Passat, feels like it's floating as soon as it reaches 80 kilometers per hour, with even the steering wheel uncontrollable.

This wonderful and dangerous feeling of control is extremely rare for Wang Tianzhuo. He can't help feeling guilty whenever he drives this car.

After getting off the car, Wang Tianzhuo went to the nearby supermarket to buy a few bottles of soda. He waited in the car for a long time before he saw Han Heng jogging towards him. From a distance, he looked like a piece of blanched pork belly running.

Han Heng looked quite similar to Wang Tianzhuo, except that he was fatter, shorter, and paler. Unlike Wang Tianzhuo, who would go out for a stroll whenever he wanted, Han Heng would spend his days in the operating room, sometimes arriving before dawn and leaving get off work by dark. This schedule, working with his back to the sun, meant he never got a tan.

Wang Tianzhuo rolled down the window and waved to him. Han Heng climbed onto the passenger seat. As soon as he sat in, the broken car moved to the right again. Han Heng was so scared that he cursed "Damn it!" on the spot. He paused for a while before speaking.

"Lao Wang, is your car broken down?"

"Don't be surprised by what you see, this car is soft."

Wang Tianzhuo felt a little embarrassed. When Han Heng got into the car just now, even he himself felt that the center of gravity of this broken car had moved down a little, and he couldn't help but blush.

"What the hell, Lao Wang, what the hell is this?"

"An off-road vehicle imported from Japan! You know nothing about it."

Wang Tianzhuo muttered as he started the engine, but it took three or four attempts before it could start. Han Heng was surprised. He wiped the sweat off his face with his T-shirt while feeling around inside the car, but there was no soft material in the interior of the car. Everywhere within reach was hard plastic. The softest thing in the car, apart from the two fat men on the seats, was the shock absorber springs.

"Lao Wang, my brother has a second-hand 212 Jeep, four or five thousand yuan, and it's more than ten years old. It's more decent than this. Aren't you a rich second-generation? Why are you driving such a junky thing? Reminiscing about the good old days?"

"Don't just look at this broken thing and call it broken. Do you know how much I paid for it? This amount!"

Wang Tianzhuo stretched out three fingers and shook them at Han Heng with gritted teeth.

"Thirty thousand?"

"How is that possible? An imported car! Do you even know what an imported car is? You're just overthinking it!"

"130,000?"

"Keep guessing! Can you be a little more promising?"

"What the hell! It's not 230,000, is it? Lao Wang, you're using money like toilet paper, spending over 200,000 on this worthless thing?"

"Three hundred and twenty thousand! What's that? Two hundred thousand, three hundred and twenty thousand. Add in shipping and modifications, and all that's gone, it's probably cost me over three hundred and fifty thousand."

Han Heng swallowed and knocked on the thin plastic fender in front. The slightest tap made a clang. But Han Heng couldn't hear clearly because the car's sound insulation was so poor. The noise from the engine and the outside made his ears hurt, and even his voice was a little off when he opened his mouth to speak.

"Is this thing worth three hundred and twenty thousand? Twenty thousand is too much for me."

"Right! Three hundred and twenty thousand. If you don't understand, don't talk nonsense. When Fang Shicheng comes, show him. He's highly educated, so he'll definitely understand."

"You don't understand, I have a master's degree after all. Even though it's in nursing, I still have a master's degree. Is this thing powerful?"

"No, it's very weak. It only has 70 or 80 horsepower on the wheels. It can't go fast at all. If it goes fast, it will overturn."

"Digger, isn't this definitely industrial waste? Is the frame made of gold?"

Wang Tianzhuo was unhappy.

"It's made of iron, a very thin layer, not even painted. I paid for spray painting."

"Then why is it so noisy? Didn't you spend money on soundproofing?"

"I did it. This iron frame is just like that. It's even noisier without soundproofing."

Han Heng was a little confused. He felt that he didn't understand the taste of rich people nowadays.

"Oh my god, why don't you give me 320,000, I'll take 300,000, and use the rest to buy you a ten-hand broken 212 and modify it. The experience will definitely be better than this."

After driving for a long time, there were fewer cars on the road. The two drove to Century Spring City, which was the airport bus stop that Fang Shicheng mentioned.

When the two arrived, Fang Shicheng had been waiting for a while.

Seeing Fang Shicheng, the two of them got out of the car. Wang Tianzhuo, familiar with the rickety car, jumped out first. The release of the suspension pressure made it difficult for Han Heng, who was about to get out of the car on the other side. He was short to begin with, and just as one foot touched the ground, the car frame suddenly shook, startling him so much that he raised his head and slammed hard into the roof, making him grimace in pain.

Fang Shicheng and Wang Tianzhuo came over to take a look, and saw that there was a red spot on Han Heng's forehead, which looked quite funny against his fat white face.

Fang Shicheng had never met Han Heng, but he had met Wang Tianzhuo. There were only three of them at the party, so he naturally knew who was the one who got red on the head.

"Han Heng? Turtle, you kowtowed to me the first time you saw me. We in Lu Province don't even have such etiquette."

Fang Shicheng was laughing foolishly. His eyes were focused on the place where Han Heng had hit his head. The iron sheet of the car roof had been gouged out by his forehead. Fang Shicheng wanted to say a few more polite words, but he was speechless after seeing this. He pointed at the gouged area and spoke.

"Did you hit your head on the car?"

He exclaimed, "Ah?" and turned his eyes to see that the place where Han Heng had hit was indeed deformed.

"Fuck, what kind of junk is this? Damn, the Japs and the compradors are ripping me off! How can people be so evil?"

"Lao Wang, is this car yours?"

Fang Shicheng was laughing so hard, and with his skinny face, he looked a bit wretched.

"He spent three or four hundred thousand on it. Holy shit, it hurts. I don't think I have a concussion."

Han Heng rubbed his forehead, took a deep breath while speaking, and his speech was intermittent.

"Three or four hundred thousand for this?"

"Stop talking nonsense. Just consider this a lesson. Lao Fang, you take the back seat."

Fang Shicheng knocked on the thin window. There was a large cardboard box in the back seat, and he had no idea what was inside. But seeing how cramped the space was, he felt a bit perplexed and muttered to himself.

"This is too narrow. It's such a small car, and it only has two doors. What are you thinking, Wang Tianzhuo?"

"You don't understand. This is called authentic."

"How about I sit in the front? The back is too narrow and I can't move my legs. Han Heng sits in the back because he's short."

Wang Tianzhuo looked at Fang Shicheng carefully.

"Lao Fang, how much do you weigh?"

"what?"

"No, do you weigh a hundred and fifty?"

"How is that possible? I don't even have 110."

Han Heng had calmed down by now, and he looked at Fang Shicheng in surprise after hearing what he heard.

"You're over 1.7 meters tall, and you're less than 100 pounds. What's the difference between you and spareribs?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll have diarrhea if I eat too much."

Fang Shicheng scratched his arm, the skin on his arm was loose.

"Lao Fang, you have to sit in the back. Han Heng and I are about the same weight. The center of gravity of this car is in the driver's seat. You can't even sit in the front."

"What's the matter?"

"This car depends on the weight distribution. If more people sit in it, it may not be able to pull it. And if you sit in the front and I sit in the driving seat, the car will lean to the left because the center of gravity is on the left."

Wang Tianzhuo's serious analysis made Fang Shicheng frown.

"Are you speaking Chinese? This is a car!"

"Don't think of this as a car, think of it as an old man's car. Three big men squeezed into the old man's car."

Han Heng was still rubbing his forehead.

"Three big guys? The three of us? Two fat guys and one thin guy?"

Fang Shicheng first pointed at Han Heng and Wang Tianzhuo, then pointed at himself, with a complicated expression.