Chapter 366 — Tit for Tat

"Xiaobo, did your father not tell you? The resort is full. There is no room arranged for you and your classmates!" Kang Zhaoming said with a look of injured innocence. "How about this: you and your classmates go stay at the little inn next door? There is a small inn, only thirty or forty yuan a night. Rough it for one night, and I will reimburse you tomorrow?"

"Oh, Zhaoming, you need not trouble yourself. We have already booked rooms here." Kang Xiaobo spoke indifferently. "No need for you to arrange anything."

"Hm? What?" Kang Zhaoming was startled. "You booked rooms here? Impossible! I have taken every room in this place that is open to the public. Who do you think you are fooling?"

"Why would I fool you?" Kang Xiaobo shrugged. Watching Kang Zhaoming's frantic expression, he felt thoroughly pleased.

"Xiaobo, I know you do not want to lose face in front of your classmates, and I understand how you feel!" Though Kang Zhaoming's tone was earnest and heavy with meaning, he deliberately raised his voice so that Wei Zhao and the others in the car could hear. "But you must understand, most of the people who have come to congratulate my grandfather on his birthday are dignitaries and men of consequence, and even they cannot find rooms. How could there be rooms for your classmates? Besides, you are not my grandfather's own grandson. When the rooms were arranged, there was even less reason to take you into account!"

"Then you need not trouble yourself." Kang Xiaobo showed not the slightest anger. "You have taken everything open to the public. But what is not open to the public — is there none of that either? What we reserved is precisely what is not open to the public."

With that, Kang Xiaobo said no more to Kang Zhaoming. He opened the barrier in front of the car and got back in.

"You..." Kang Zhaoming was choking with rage. He thought to himself that perhaps Kang Xiaobo knew someone on the staff here and had been given a staff rest room. Still, to let him in just like that — he could not swallow it.

"Let it go, Zhaoming!" Kang Zhaoming's father waved a hand. Though he too looked down on this nephew and his family, as an elder there were things he could not carry too far.

"What a piece of work! Still thinks he is somebody?" Watching Wei Zhao's beat-up car drive into the resort, Kang Zhaoming could not help cursing. "Driving that wreck, and not even ashamed of himself?"

"Enough, Zhaoming. Your grandfather still sets great store by face. Do not be so rude in front of outsiders. He is just a relative we have not kept up with for years. If he wants to show off, let him. He will get no real advantage from it!" Kang Zhaoming's father, Kang Cuipu, shook his head, then smiled and went to greet an Audi sedan just about to drive into the resort. "President Wang, you have come too..."

After entering the resort, Wei Zhao contacted Uncle Tian. Because Wei Zhao had declined again and again and given strict instructions, Uncle Tian did not come out to welcome him in person, but sent a trusted subordinate instead.

Even that trusted subordinate, however, did not know Wei Zhao's true identity.

Wei Zhao had wanted to keep a low profile from the start. If he were seen to be so familiar with the owner of the resort, it would be hard to avoid drawing the attention of the Kang family.

This time, Wei Zhao had come purely to stand at the side as an observer and keep Kang Xiaobo company. His chief purpose was to let Xiaofen see clearly the ugly faces of Kang Zhaoming and his kind, and to erase him utterly from her memory.

If Wei Zhao revealed how close he was to Uncle Tian, then Kang Zhaoming might well change his tune and deliberately cozy up to him with flattery — and that would defeat the purpose of letting Xiaofen see his true face.

"Young Master Lin, hello! President Tian sent me." A man of about thirty walked briskly up to Wei Zhao's car. He showed not the slightest contempt for the shabbiness of the vehicle; his eyes held a respectful look throughout, without a trace of doubt. "My name is Li Yixun. Young Master Lin can just call me Xiao Li."

Uncle Tian had evidently given him the license plate number beforehand, for he identified Wei Zhao at once.

"Ha, Mr. Li, just take us to the villa." Wei Zhao spoke politely.

"This way, please, Young Master Lin." Li Yixun nodded. "Shall I get in your car, or will you ride in mine?"

As he spoke, Li Yixun pointed to a business van parked not far off.

"Get in, Mr. Li. I can drive myself," Wei Zhao said.

Li Yixun said no more. He got in and directed Wei Zhao along the way. Very soon Wei Zhao arrived before a detached villa by the sea — surely the villa with the finest view of them all.

At the villa's gate, however, stood a sign reading "Private Use," making clear that it was not open to guests.

"Young Master Lin, the villa has been made ready. You can move in directly!" Li Yixun said, and handed Wei Zhao a business card. "This is how to reach me. If you need anything at all, Young Master Lin, contact me directly."

"All right, thank you." Wei Zhao took the card and put it away.

Li Yixun was a man of few words. He nodded and left. The reason such a man could be entrusted with important matters was precisely his style of working: he said no more than necessary and asked no more than necessary.

"Young Master Lin? Leader, you are not really some rich family's young master, are you? Did you not say you only had a wealthy relative?" Hearing Li Yixun call Wei Zhao "Young Master Lin," Kang Xiaobo looked at him excitedly. "Leader, confess — are you or are you not one of those legendary second-generation rich kids?"

"Do I look like one?" Wei Zhao smiled bitterly. "That brother of yours, now, he is..."

"Heh heh... Huh? Xiaofen?" Kang Xiaobo had meant to tease him a bit more, but when he looked down he saw that Xiaofen's face was already streaked with tears. His heart nearly burst with fright. "Xiaofen, do not cry. What is wrong?"

Hearing Kang Xiaobo's cry, Wei Zhao and Tang Yun turned as well, and saw Xiaofen's tear-wet face...

But neither Wei Zhao nor Tang Yun knew what to say, for this had been expected. Xiaofen had seen Kang Zhaoming again. Though they had not met face to face, a distant glimpse alone was enough to shake her fragile heart.

At such a moment, only Kang Xiaobo could comfort her. Anything Wei Zhao or Tang Yun said would be superfluous.

"Xiaobo, why not carry Xiaofen inside and talk to her properly?" Wei Zhao suggested.

"All right..." Kang Xiaobo nodded hurriedly in agreement, gathered Xiaofen in his arms, and ran into the villa...

"Let us wait a while before going in..." Wei Zhao sighed, parked the car properly at the villa gate, and shut off the engine.

"Xiaofen really is pitiful..." Tang Yun sighed too, watching the backs of Xiaofen and Kang Xiaobo, and shook her head. "I hope this time she can walk out of the shadow for good..."