novel
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Part Two
Translator: Raylight
Hearing Lin Jian Yin use his full name, Bai Xue Chen immediately shut his mouth. He knew that when Lin Jian Yin used someone's full name, that always indicated he was about to fly into a rage. It was just that he had done it out of goodwill, so Bai Xue Chen could not help but reveal an expression of one who had been wronged. However, Lin Jian Yin did not fall for it. He shoved the black business card in front of Bai Xue Chen's eyes and then pointed at the three words on it.
"You tell me, what does it say?" Lin Jian Yin's voice was full of anger.
Bai Xue Chen scratched his head and then doubtfully asked, "God 'n Devil?"
Lin Jian Yin's eyes narrowed."What else?"
"What else?"
Bai Xue Chen turned the card around. Other than the three embossed words, both sides of the business card were completely black. How was it possible to have a "what else?" Bai Xue Chen looked as though he was facing an idiot as he replied, "There's nothing else."
"You still dare to tell me that there's nothing else?!" Lin Jian Yin jumped to his feet, and then jabbed violently at the business card in his hand."There's no telephone number, no address, nothing at all. So tell me, how am I going to find that antique shop! Not only is the brain of the person who designed this business card full of shit, even your IQ has dropped!"
"Uh..." Bai Xue Chen seemed to realize his mistake only then. He scratched his head, feeling a little awkward. However, he didn't know how to explain it to him. Coincidentally, a cell phone rang. Bai Xue Chen quickly picked up his phone and, after glancing at the screen, urgently said, "Yue Lan is looking for me, I've got to go."
"Wait a minute." Lin Jian Yin simply couldn't believe it. Yue Lan? Since when did this fellow get a girlfriend? Even I, his best friend, didn't know about this.
Bai Xue Chen hurriedly grabbed his jacket and dashed toward the door. Before he closed the door, he only turned back to say, "Anyway, just remember to keep that business card on you."
Following that was the sound of the door closing. Lin Jian Yin was dazed as he looked at the empty entrance and then lowered his head to look at that strange business card again. He had an urge to rip the business card apart and throw it in the face of his best friend. However, Bai Xue Chen had never tricked him before. Considering his excellent track record, Lin Jian Yin hesitated for a long time. In the end, he gritted his teeth. Fine, since keeping the business card on him wasn't a big deal, he would just force himself to bring it around... He would just treat it like a safety charm.
After finishing his late night snack and calling the managing company to roar at them to send over a manager who is at least somewhat competent, Lin Jian Yin's mood finally improved. He intended to go home and sleep. He walked out of his personal lounge and stepped into the elevator. Then, he reached his hand out to press the button for basement two, but the button would not light up no matter what.
"Don't tell me it's broken."
Lin Jian Yin pressed it a few more times impatiently and grumbled in his heart. It had better not be broken. I'm thirty something floors up. Making me walk down thirty-something flights of stairs is simply asking for my death. However, that button just wouldn't light up. Lin Jian Yin pressed the button to open the door, intending to switch to another elevator. However, no matter how hard he pressed it, the elevator doors didn't move at all.
"What the heck!"
Lin Jian Yin's sword-like brows furrowed together tightly, his heart full of impatience. He pressed the alarm, intending to severely reprimand the security guard, but there was no sound from the alarm bell either. This time, he really lost his temper.
"Damn it!"
Lin Jian Yin kicked the elevator several times with all his strength, but the elevator doors still didn't budge an inch. He smacked his palm against the elevator buttons, angrily thinking that he might have to sleep in the elevator today. At that moment, the elevator went "ding" and started going up. Lin Jian Yin was stunned for a moment. Then, he looked at the elevator buttons.
"Fifty-first floor?" The corner of his mouth twitched as he looked at the only button that was lit up. Upon thinking that he would have to walk down from the fifty-first floor to basement level two, his face darkened. Only the fact that he wouldn't have to sleep in the elevator let him suppress his rage with much difficulty. After all, being angry at the elevator wouldn't be of any use at all. Tomorrow... Tomorrow, he would come and give the security guard a severe scolding.
It felt like only a short moment had passed before the elevator doors opened. The bright lights that greeted him from the front stunned him for quite some time, but what made him even more astonished was that the doors in front of his eyes had a signboard hung on them. There, in simple yet strong brush strokes, were the words "God 'n Devil" written on it.
Lin Jian Yin took the business card out from his pocket. After comparing them, he was certain that this business card had definitely come from the shop in front of him, for the three words had the exact same handwriting.
"Bai Xue Chen!" Lin Jian Yin gritted his teeth and complained as he thought about how his best friend had just tossed him a business card that didn't have anything on it. Wouldn't it have been fine to just say that the store is on the fifty-first floor? If it weren't for how the elevator coincidentally broke down and even stopped at the fifty-first floor, I would never have freakin thought that the antique shop was actually right above my head.
Thinking about how his best friend, who had always been honest, actually dared to make fun of him like this, Lin Jian Yin had an urge to just turn around and leave. Glaring at the words on the signboard, he suddenly remembered the eight girlfriends and six managers that he had managed to angrily drive off, as well as Bai Xue Chen, his best friend who had been with him since youth. He once again suppressed his anger and walked toward this strange antique shop.
As he pushed open the door, he muttered, "The number of things I've endured today sure are numerous. Bai Xue Chen, you better not be lying to me, otherwise know that I'll vent all my frustrations on you!"
After he opened the door, he looked around inside the shop. It was different from a regular antique shop's classic design. This store, "God 'n Devil, " seemed to be unexpectedly bright and simple. The walls were scrubbed so clean that they sparkled, and the furniture was mostly pure white as well. It looked just like an elegant person's living room, with the necessary sofa and television, except for the bookshelves. However, what were on display were not books, but various kinds of items. Some looked pretty old, but there were also brand new ones. There was even a Nintendo among them.
Lin Jian Yin frowned."This doesn't look like an antique shop at all. Could it be that I have accidentally walked into someone else's home?" When he thought of this, Lin Jian Yin immediately started cursing Bai Xue Chen countless times inside his heart.
"This place is indeed an antique shop. Did someone recommend this place to you?"
A gentle voice rang out. Upon looking up, Lin Jian Yin saw a golden-haired man with blue pupils looking at him. His gaze was gentle and amiable, and his faint smile made people feel at ease just by looking at it. Moreover, his facial features were perfect, and Lin Jian Yin could only feel ashamed of his own imperfection. Any other descriptions would be redundant.
"I am God Charity. May I ask how to address you?" The man who called himself God Charity walked over elegantly.
"I am Lin Jian Yin. You are the owner of this antique shop?" Lin Jian Yin regained his senses and asked a little suspiciously. Even if one claimed the person in front of his eyes to be an international star or a part of the British royalty and the like, there would probably be people who would believe it. He just didn't look like the owner of an antique shop.
God Charity gave a gentle smile, a smile that was enough to make anyone drop their guard. He gestured for Lin Jian Yin to sit down, and the latter found himself sitting down before he realized it.
God Charity arranged the tea cups on the table slowly, then poured tea for the two of them. Only after taking a few small sips did he open his mouth to ask, "Then, Mister Lin, what kind of item do you wish to buy?"
"Huh?" Lin Jian Yin, who just happened to be drinking his tea, nearly choked. Buying an item? He had not thought about it at all.
Several thoughts flashed through his mind, and he was even thinking of randomly buying the cheapest small item to pull his bluff. However, when he lifted his head and saw God Charity's faint smile, he couldn't help but start to narrate about those eight girlfriends and six managers, as well as his interpersonal skills that were so terrible that he never had many friends, since childhood. Throughout his entire tale, God Charity had a smile on his face as he listened.
"Does this mean that you wish to change your temper for the better?" God Charity asked with an expression of curiosity.
"No!" Lin Jian Yin stubbornly replied, "When they ought to be scolded, they should be scolded! If others have made a mistake, why can't I scold them? Even if I did something wrong, I too have the mental preparation to be scolded!"
Hearing this, God Charity chuckled to himself. The low but gentle laughter continued for a while, and only when Lin Jian Yin had an embarrassed expression did he finally stop laughing. He asked again, "Then, you don't wish to change yourself, yet you still want to improve on your interpersonal relationships?"
"Something like that..." Lin Jian Yin replied, feeling a little embarrassed.
God Charity lifted the teacup to his lips and took a few small sips. Then, he smiled at Lin Jian Yin, replying, "If that is so, do take a look around here. Perhaps you might find something that would be of help."
Hearing that, Lin Jian Yin stood up without hesitation, for he had already been waiting a long time to see what exactly this strange antique store was selling. He walked toward the bookcase that he thought was the closest, his gaze landing directly on what he thought was the strangest item - the Nintendo. Though this kind of game console, one that uses cartridges, was really kind of old, and probably no one used them anymore, no matter how you justified it, it shouldn't be qualified to be displayed for sale in an antique store, right?
However, when he thought about it, he himself had played this kind of game console when he was young. He reached his hand out to pick up the Nintendo, feeling a little nostalgic as he stroked the white casing. Suddenly, he remembered that his own Nintendo console, which seemed to have been thrown away by his mother a long time ago, had his signature that he had written in colored pencil on the back. He couldn't help but turn the Nintendo over, though he clearly knew that it was impossible.
"Huh?"
Lin Jian Yin blinked, but that childish scrawl was still there. The three extremely ugly words "Lin Jian Yin" were on the white casing on the back of the Nintendo.
He was stunned for a long time before the words finally escaped his lips."T-This is my Nintendo!"
"Oh?" God Charity gave a faint smile, as though he had already expected it.
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